第223页
《简·爱(英文版)》章节:第223页,宠文网网友提供全文无弹窗免费在线阅读。!
sentence ever broken by reply? Not, perhaps, once in a hundred
years. And the clergyman, who had not lifted his eyes from his book,
and had held his breath but for a moment, was proceeding: his hand was
already stretched towards Mr. Rochester, as his lips unclosed to
ask, 'Wilt thou have this woman for thy wedded wife?-' when a distinct
and near voice said-
'The marriage cannot go on: I declare the existence of an
impediment.'
The clergyman looked up at the speaker and stood mute; the clerk
did the same; Mr. Rochester moved slightly, as if an earthquake had
rolled under his feet: taking a firmer footing, and not turning his
head or eyes, he said, 'Proceed.'
Profound silence fell when he had uttered that word, with deep
but low intonation. Presently Mr. Wood said-
'I cannot proceed without some investigation into what has been
asserted, and evidence of its truth or falsehood.'
'The ceremony is quite broken off,' subjoined the voice behind
us. 'I am in a condition to prove my allegation: an insuperable
impediment to this marriage exists.'
Mr. Rochester heard, but heeded not: he stood stubborn and rigid,
making no movement but to possess himself of my hand. What a hot and
strong grasp he had! and how like quarried marble was his pale,
firm, massive front at this moment! How his eye shone, still watchful,
and yet wild beneath!
Mr. Wood seemed at a loss. 'What is the nature of the
impediment?' he asked. 'Perhaps it may be got over- explained away?'
'Hardly,' was the answer. 'I have called it insuperable, and I
speak advisedly.'
The speaker came forward and leaned on the rails. He continued,
uttering each word distinctly, calmly, steadily, but not loudly-
'It simply consists in the existence of a previous marriage. Mr.
Rochester has a wife now living.'
My nerves vibrated to those low-spoken words as they had never
vibrated to thunder- my blood felt their subtle violence as it had
never felt frost or fire; but I was collected, and in no danger of
swooning. I looked at Mr. Rochester: I made him look at me. His
whole face was colourless rock: his eye was both spark and flint. He
disavowed nothing: he seemed as if he would defy all things. Without
speaking, without smiling, without seeming to recognise in me a
human being, he only twined my waist with his arm and riveted me to
his side.
'Who are you?' he asked of the intruder.
'And you would thrust on me a wife?'
'I would remind you of your lady's existence, sir, which the law
recognises, if you do not.'
'Favour me with an account of her- with her name, her parentage,
her place of abode.'
'Certainly.' Mr. Briggs calmly took a paper from his pocket, and
read out in a sort of official, nasal voice:-
date of fifteen years back), Edward Fairfax Rochester, of Thornfield
England, was married to my sister, Bertha Antoinetta Mason, daughter
of Jonas Mason, merchant, and of Antoinetta his wife, a Creole, at-