《Jane Eyre》第122章

yfully。　out　i　ran。　it　was　now　dark；　but　a　rumbling　of　wheels　was　audible。　hannah　soon　had　a　lantern　lit。　the　vehicle　had　stopped　at　the　wicket；　the　driver　opened　the　door：　first　one　well…known　form；　then　another；　stepped　out。　in　a　minute　i　had　my　face　under　their　bonnets；　in　contact　first　with　mary’s　soft　cheek；　then　with　diana’s　flowing　curls。　they　laughed—kissed　me—then　hannah：　patted　carlo；　who　was　half　wild　with　delight；　asked　eagerly　if　all　was　well；　and　being　assured　in　the　affirmative；　hastened　into　the　house。
they　were　stiff　with　their　long　and　jolting　drive　from　whitcross；　and　chilled　with　the　frosty　night　air；　but　their　pleasant　countenances　expanded　to　the　cheerful　firelight。　while　the　driver　and　hannah　brought　in　the　boxes；　they　demanded　st。　john。　at　this　moment　he　advanced　from　the　parlour。　they　both　threw　their　arms　round　his　neck　at　once。　he　gave　each　one　quiet　kiss；　said　in　a　low　tone　a　few　words　of　wele；　stood　a　while　to　be　talked　to；　and　then；　intimating　that　he　supposed　they　would　soon　rejoin　him　in　the　parlour；　withdrew　there　as　to　a　place　of　refuge。
i　had　lit　their　candles　to　go　upstairs；　but　diana　had　first　to　give　hospitable　orders　respecting　the　driver；　this　done；　both　followed　me。　they　were　delighted　with　the　renovation　and　decorations　of　their　rooms；　with　the　new　drapery；　and　fresh　carpets；　and　rich　tinted　china　vases：　they　expressed　their　gratification　ungrudgingly。　i　had　the　pleasure　of　feeling　that　my　arrangements　met　their　wishes　exactly；　and　that　what　i　had　done　added　a　vivid　charm　to　their　joyous　return　home。
sweet　was　that　evening。　my　cousins；　full　of　exhilaration；　were　so　eloquent　in　narrative　and　ment；　that　their　fluency　covered　st。　john’s　taciturnity：　he　was　sincerely　glad　to　see　his　sisters；　but　in　their　glow　of　fervour　and　flow　of　joy　he　could　not　sympathise。　the　event　of　the　day—that　is；　the　return　of　diana　and　mary—pleased　him；　but　the　acpaniments　of　that　event；　the　glad　tumult；　the　garrulous　glee　of　reception　irked　him：　i　saw　he　wished　the　calmer　morrow　was　e。　in　the　very　meridian　of　the　night’s　enjoyment；　about　an　hour　after　tea；　a　rap　was　heard　at　the　door。　hannah　entered　with　the　intimation　that　“a　poor　lad　was　e；　at　that　unlikely　time；　to　fetch　mr。　rivers　to　see　his　mother；　who　was　drawing　away。”
“where　does　she　live；　hannah？”
“clear　up　at　whitcross　brow；　almost　four　miles　off；　and　moor　and　moss　all　the　way。”
“tell　him　i　will　go。”
“i’m　sure；　sir；　you　had　better　not。　it’s　the　worst　road　to　travel　after　dark　that　can　be：　there’s　no　track　at　all　over　the　bog。　and　then　it　is　such　a　bitter　night—the　keenest　wind　you　ever　felt。　you　had　better　send　word；　sir；　that　you　will　be　there　in　the　morning。”
but　he　was　already　in　the　passage；　putting　on　his　cloak；　and　without　one　objection；　one　murmur；　he　departed。　it　was　then　nine　o’clock：　he　did　not　return　till　midnight。　starved　and　tired　enough　he　was：　but　he　looked　happier　than　when　he　set　out。　he　had　performed　an　act　of　duty；　made　an　exertion；　felt　his　own　strength　to　do　and　deny；　and　was　on　better　terms　with　himself。
i　am　afraid　the　whole　of　the　ensuing　week　tried　his　patience。　it　was　christmas　week：　we　took　to　no　settled　employment；　but　spent　it　in　a　sort　of　merry　domestic　dissipation。　the　air　of　the　moors；　the　freedom　of　home；　the　dawn　of　prosperity；　acted　on　diana　and　mary’s　spirits　like　some　life…giving　elixir：　they　were　gay　from　morning　till　noon；　and　from　noon　till　night。　they　could　always　talk；　and　their　discourse；　witty；　pithy；　original；　had　such　charms　for　me；　that　i　preferred　listening　to；　and　sharing　in　it；　to　doing　anything　else。　st。　john　did　not　rebuke　our　vivacity；　but　he　escaped　from　it：　he　was　seldom　in　the　house；　his　parish　was　large；　the　population　scattered；　and　he　found　daily　business　in　visiting　the　sick　and　poor　in　its　different　districts。
one　morning　at　breakfast；　diana；　after　looking　a　little　pensive　for　some　minutes；　asked　him；　“if　his　plans　were　yet　unchanged。”
“unchanged　and　unchangeable；”　was　the　reply。　and　he　proceeded　to　inform　us　that　his　departure　from　england　was　now　definitively　fixed　for　the　ensuing　year。
“and　rosamond　oliver？”　suggested　mary；　the　words　seeming　to　escape　her　lips　involuntarily：　for　no　sooner　had　she　uttered　them；　than　she　made　a　gesture　as　if　wishing　to　recall　them。　st。　john　had　a　book　in　his　hand—it　was　his　unsocial　custom　to　read　at　meals—he　closed　it；　and　looked　up；
“rosamond　oliver；”　said　he；　“is　about　to　be　married　to　mr。　granby；　one　of　the　best　connected　and　most　estimable　residents　in　s…；　grandson　and　heir　to　sir　frederic　granby：　i　had　the　intelligence　from　her　father　yesterday。”
his　sisters　looked　at　each　other　and　at　me；　we　all　three　looked　at　him：　he　was　serene　as　glass。
“the　match　must　have　been　got　up　hastily；”　said　diana：　“they　cannot　have　known　each　other　long。”
“but　two　months：　they　met　in　october　at　the　county　ball　at　s…。　but　where　there　are　no　obstacles　to　a　union；　as　in　the　present　case；　where　the　connection　is　in　every　point　desirable；　delays　are　unnecessary：　they　will　be　married　as　soon　as　s…　place；　which　sir　frederic　gives　up　to　them；　can　he　refitted　for　their　reception。”
the　first　time　i　found　st。　john　alone　after　this　munication；　i　felt　tempted　to　inquire　if　the　event　distressed　him：　but　he　seemed　so　little　to　need　sympathy；　that；　so　far　from　venturing　to　offer　him　more；　i　experienced　some　shame　at　the　recollection　of　what　i　had　already　hazarded。　besides；　i　was　out　of　practice　in　talking　to　him：　his　reserve　was　again　frozen　over；　and　my　frankness　was　congealed　beneath　it。　he　had　not　kept　his　promise　of　treating　me　like　his　sisters；　he　continually　made　little　chilling　differences　between　us；　which　did　not　at　all　tend　to　the　development　of　cordiality：　in　short；　now　that　i　was　acknowledged　his　kinswoman；　and　lived　under　the　same　roof　with　him；　i　felt　the　distance　between　us　to　be　far　greater　than　when　he　had　known　me　only　as　the　village　schoolmistress。　when　i　remembered　how　far　i　had　once　been　admitted　to　his　confidence；　i　could　hardly　prehend　his　present　frigidity。
such　being　the　case；　i　felt　not　a　little　surprised　when　he　raised　his　head　suddenly　from　the　desk　over　which　he　wa