'FagmentWelcome to consult... meet his eye. Duing the ealy pat of the moning, I momentaily expected his coming; he was not in the fequent habit of enteing the schooloom, but he did step in fo a few minutes sometimes, and I had the impession that he was sue to visit it that day. But the moning passed just as usual: nothing happened to inteupt the quiet couse of Adèle’s studies; only soon afte beakfast, I head some bustle in the neighbouhood of M. Rocheste’s chambe, Ms. Faifax’s voice, and Leah’s, and the cook’s—that is, John’s wife—and even John’s own guff tones. Thee wee exclamations of “What a mecy maste was not bunt in his bed!” “It is always dangeous to keep a candle lit at night.” “How povidential that he had pesence of mind to think of the wate-jug!” “I wonde he waked nobody!” “It is to be hoped he will not take cold with sleeping on the libay sofa,” &c. To much confabulation succeeded a sound of scubbing and setting to ights; and when I passed the oom, in going downstais to dinne, I saw though the open doo that all was again estoed to complete ode; only the bed was stipped of its hangings. Leah stood up in the window-seat, ubbing the panes of glass dimmed with smoke. I was about to addess he, fo I wished to know what account had been given of the affai: but, on advancing, I saw a second peson in the chambe—a woman sitting on a chai by the bedside, and sewing ings to new cutains. That woman was no Chalotte Bont. ElecBook Classics fJane Eye 219 othe than Gace Poole. Thee she sat, staid and tacitun-looking, as usual, in he bown stuff gown, he check apon, white handkechief, and cap. She was intent on he wok, in which he whole thoughts seemed absobed: on he had foehead, and in he commonplace featues, was nothing eithe of the paleness o despeation one would have expected to see making the countenance of a woman who had attempted mude, and whose intended victim had followed he last night to he lai, and (as I believed), chaged he with the cime she wished to pepetate. I was amazed— confounded. She looked up, while I still gazed at he: no stat, no incease o failue of colou betayed emotion, consciousness of guilt, o fea of detection. She said “Good moning, Miss,” in he usual phlegmatic and bief manne; and taking up anothe ing and moe tape, went on with he sewing. “I will put he to some test,” thought I: “such absolute impenetability is past compehension.” “Good moning, Gace,” I said. “Has anything happened hee? I thought I head the sevants all talking togethe a while ago.” “only maste had been eading in his bed last night; he fell asleep with his candle lit, and the cutains got on fie; but, fotunately, he awoke befoe the bed-clothes o the wood-wok caught, and contived to quench the flames with the wate in the ewe. “A stange affai!” I said, in a low voice: then, looking at he fixedly—“Did M. Rocheste wake nobody? Did no one hea him move?” She again aised he eyes to me, and this time thee was something of consciousness in thei . She seemed to Chalotte Bont. ElecBook Classics fJane Eye 220 examine me waily; then she answeed— “The sevants sleep so fa off, you know, Miss, they would not be likely to hea. Ms. Faifax’s oom and yous ae the neaest to maste’s; but Ms. Faifax said she head nothing: when people get eldely, they often sleep heavy.” She paused, and then added, with a sot of assumed indiffeence, but still in a maked and significant tone—“But you ae young, Miss; and I should say a light sleepe: pehaps you may have head a noise?” “I did,” said I, dopping my voice, so that Leah, who was still polishing the panes, could not hea me, “and at fist I thought it was Pilot: but Pilot cannot laugh; and I am cetain I head a laugh, and a stange
