elted before。 now; i thank god! i know it to be otherwise。 yes; i thank god!”
he put me off his knee; rose; and reverently lifting his hat from his brow; and bending his sightless eyes to the earth; he stood in mute devotion。 only the last words of the worship were audible。
“i thank my maker; that; in the midst of judgment; he has remembered mercy。 i humbly entreat my redeemer to give me strength to lead henceforth a purer life than i have done hitherto!”
then he stretched his hand out to be led。 i took that dear hand; held it a moment to my lips; then let it pass round my shoulder: being so much lower of stature than he; i served both for his prop and guide。 we entered the wood; and wended homeward。
。d xs
Chapter 38—CONCLUSION
reader; i married him。 a quiet wedding we had: he and i; the parson and clerk; were alone present。 when we got back from church; i went into the kitchen of the manor…house; where mary was cooking the dinner and john cleaning the knives; and i said—
“mary; i have been married to mr。 rochester this morning。” the housekeeper and her husband were both of that decent phlegmatic order of people; to whom one may at any time safely municate a remarkable piece of news without incurring the danger of having one’s ears pierced by some shrill ejaculation; and subsequently stunned by a torrent of wordy wonderment。 mary did look up; and she did stare at me: the ladle with which she was basting a pair of chickens roasting at the fire; did for some three minutes hang suspended in air; and for the same space of time john’s knives also had rest from the polishing process: but mary; bending again over the roast; said only—
“have you; miss? well; for sure!”
a short time after she pursued—“i seed you go out with the master; but i didn’t know you were gone to church to be wed;” and she basted away。 john; when i turned to him; was grinning from ear to ear。
“i telled mary how it would be;” he said: “i knew what mr。 edward” (john was an old servant; and had known his master when he was the cadet of the house; therefore; he often gave him his christian name)—“i knew what mr。 edward would do; and i was certain he would not wait long neither: and he’s done right; for aught i know。 i wish you joy; miss!” and he politely pulled his forelock。
“thank you; john。 mr。 rochester told me to give you and mary this。” i put into his hand a five…pound note。 without waiting to hear more; i left the kitchen。 in passing the door of that sanctum some time after; i caught the words—
“she’ll happen do better for him nor ony o’t’ grand ladies。” and again; “if she ben’t one o’ th’ handsomest; she’s noan faal and varry good…natured; and i’ his een she’s fair beautiful; onybody may see that。”
i wrote to moor house and to cambridge immediately; to say what i had done: fully explaining also why i had thus acted。 diana and mary approved the step unreservedly。 diana announced that she would just give me time to get over the honeymoon; and then she would e and see me。
“she had better not wait till then; jane;” said mr。 rochester; when i read her letter to him; “if she does; she will be too late; for our honeymoon will shine our life long: its beams will only fade over your grave or mine。”
how st。 john received the news; i don’t know: he never answered the letter in which i municated it: yet six months after he wrote to me; without; however; mentioning mr。 rochester’s name or alluding to my marriage。 his letter was then calm; and; though very serious; kind。 he has maintained a regular; though not frequent; correspondence ever since: he hopes i am happy; and trusts i am not of those who live without god in the world; and only mind earthly things。
you have not quite forgotten little adèle; have you; reader? i had not; i soon asked and obtained leave of mr。 rochester; to go and see her at the school where he had placed her。 her frantic joy at beholding me again moved me much。 she looked pale and thin: she said she was not happy。 i found the rules of the establishment were too strict; its course of study too severe for a child of her age: i took her home with me。 i meant to bee her governess once more; but i soon found this impracticable; my time and cares were now required by another—my husband needed them all。 so i sought out a school conducted on a more indulgent system; and near enough to permit of my visiting her often; and bringing her home sometimes。 i took care she should never want for anything that could contribute to her fort: she soon settled in her new abode; became very happy there; and made fair progress in her studies。 as she grew up; a sound english education corrected in a great measure her french defects; and when she left school; i found in her a pleasing and obliging panion: docile; good…tempered; and well…principled。 by her grateful attention to me and mine; she has long since well repaid any little kindness i ever had it in my power to offer her。
my tale draws to its close: one word respecting my experience of married life; and one brief glance at the fortunes of those whose names have most frequently recurred in this narrative; and i have done。
i have now been married ten years。 i know what it is to live entirely for and with what i love best on earth。 i hold myself supremely blest—blest beyond what language can express; because i am my husband’s life as fully is he is mine。 no woman was ever nearer to her mate than i am: ever more absolutely bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh。 i know no weariness of my edward’s society: he knows none of mine; any more than we each do of the pulsation of the heart that beats in our separate bosoms; consequently; we are ever together。 to be together is for us to be at once as free as in solitude; as gay as in pany。 we talk; i believe; all day long: to talk to each other is but a more animated and an audible thinking。 all my confidence is bestowed on him; all his confidence is devoted to me; we are precisely suited in character—perfect concord is the result。
mr。 rochester continued blind the first two years of our union; perhaps it was that circumstance that drew us so very near—that k
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