Jane Eyre
...Adele and Jane enter for tea, Mr. Rochester does not seem to want to talk to them and keeps silent. Eventually he does talk and tells Jane that he can see improvement in Adele. They talk of Jane's past including Lowood School and her lack of family. He also tells Jane that Adele has shown him some of Jane's drawings, and he wonders if she had done them herself. She says that she had, and goes to get her portfolio when he asks her to. He looks through all of her drawings thoughtfully and asks her questions about them. After the meeting Jane tells Mrs. Fairfax that she finds Mr. Rochester changeful and abrupt, and Mrs. Fairfax alludes to some family problems he has had, but does not elaborate much. For the next several days Jane sees little of Mr. Rochester, but then he calls Adele and her to meet with him. He gives Adele the box of presents he had brought for her to keep her occupied. Then he calls Mrs. Fairfax in to talk to Adele so that she will not disturb him. Jane and Mr. Rochester talk, and he asks her if she thinks him handsome. When she replies ‘no,' she instantly tries to say she spoke too quickly, but he says that she is no more pretty than he is handsome. They talk for quite a while, and Mr. Rochester tells Jane that he wishes he were a better man, to which she replies that if he tried hard enough he could be someone of whom he would approve. Mr. Rochester also tells Jane that he has only half a liking for Adele because of her roots, and says that he will explain more later. One afternoon when they happen to meet while walking, Rochester does tell Jane more of Adele. He says that she is the daughter of a French opera-dancer that he was in love with and whom he supplied with a hotel and money etc. When he saw her with another man making fun of him, he took all he had given away from her. She gave birth to a child she said was his, but he does not believe that Adele is really his child. Nevertheless, when he heard that her mother had abandoned her, Rochester took Adele in. After this discussion it seems to Jane that Rochester is happier to be with her, and now always has a word or a smile for her. Jane now says that she does not find him ugly any longer. That night Jane hardly slept thinking about Rochester and worrying that he may leave soon and be gone for a while. Just then Jane thinks she hears something brush against her door and walk down the hallway. She also hears a demonic laugh and someone walking up the third story staircase. Jane dresses hurriedly to go to talk to Mrs. Fairfax. When she enters the hall she sees a candle burning just outside her room, and she sees smoke coming from Rochester's room. When she enters his room she sees his bed on fire and tries to wake him. She throws the water from his basin onto the bed and runs to her room to get hers. Rochester wakes up with all of the water, and the fire is put out. Rochester tells Jane not to move or to call anyone, and goes to the staircase up to the third story. When he returns he asks Jane what she saw and heard, and implies that it was Grace Poole who set fire to his bed. When Jane goes to go back to bed, Mr. Rochester seems to want to have more interaction with her, and he holds her hands and tells her that he knew she would do him good in some way. The next day Jane is anxious to talk to Mr. Rochester about the night before. She is quite surprised when she sees Grace Poole in Rochester's room with another servant mending curtains. Jane questions Grace about what happened there the night before, putting her to a test, and Grace tells her that the master left a candle burning and it caught fire to his bed. Jane cannot believe that Grace is still there, and wonders what power she has over Rochester that he did not make her leave. That night Jane is sure Rochester will call for her, but when Mrs. Fairfax calls her to tea, she learns that Rochester had left for a journey that morning and will be gone a week or more. Mrs. Fairfax tells her that when these fine, fashionable people get together, they do not like to soon part company. Mrs. Fairfax then tells Jane about Miss Ingram, a beautiful, single woman that Rochester may have a fancy for. She says that it is not likely that Rochester will think of marrying her though, as he is almost forty, and Miss Ingram is but twenty-five. When Jane is at last alone and thinking of all that Mrs. Fairfax had told her, she thinks that she had been a fool to think that she had been a favourite of Mr. Rochester's. The next day she makes two drawings, one of herself with all her faults, and one of a beautiful woman as Mrs. Fairfax had described Miss Ingram. She decides that whenever she feels that Mr. Rochester may be taking a fancy to her, she will take out these pictures and compare them. After ten days there is no word from Rochester, and Mrs. Fairfax says that she would not be surprised if he was gone a year. Jane tries not to be upset by this, convincing herself that she should have no bearing on the actions of her master. After a fortnight a letter from Mr. Rochester comes, saying that he will be home in three days with company. All of the rooms are cleaned and more servants are hired to make ready for the company and the servants they will bring with them. Jane notices that while everyone is doing all they can to prepare, Grace Poole stays up on the third story and only comes down to eat. Jane thinks it odd that no one else seems to notice her strange behavior. She overhears two of the servants talking about Grace, and saying that it is good that she gets paid well, because not everyone could do what she does. When they see Jane, one servant quiets the other, who asks, "Doesn't she know?" to which the first servant answers negatively. The guests arrive Thursday evening, and Mrs. Fairfax sees that Miss Ingram is among them. The next day Jane notices that Miss Ingram and Mr. Rochester seem to prefer each other. Mrs. Fairfax tells Jane that Rochester wants her to bring Adele into the drawing room after dinner. Adele and Jane enter the room before the others, and when the women come in, only a few nod to Jane, while the others just stare. Jane describes each of the eight women in the room. Coffee is brought in, and the gentlemen enter. Rochester does not speak to Jane, but stands by the fireplace with Miss Ingram. Jane can not stop looking at him, but she did not mean to love him. When asked why he does not send Adele to school, Rochester says that it is too expensive. The others say that having a governess is also expensive, and then many go into stories about how useless and silly governesses are. Even this does not make Rochester look at Jane. Miss Ingram tries to change the subject by getting Rochester to sing. He does, and Jane hears he has a wonderful voice, and when he is done, she slips out of the room. He follows her into the hall, and Jane is on the verge of tears. He asks her what is wrong, and says that if he had the time he would talk to her about it, but that he must get back to his guests. He also tells her that he expects her to appear in the drawing room every evening with the guests, and when they part he says "Good-night, my—" and stops, bites his lip, and re-enters the room. One evening in the drawing room the party decides to play charades. Rochester picks his team, and of course Miss Ingram is on it. A man from the party asks Miss Ingram if they should ask Jane to play, and she returns that "she looks too stupid for any game of the sort." Rochester's team plays out a dumb show where he and Miss Ingram are married, and the other team solves the charade as ‘bridewell.' It is then the other team's turn, but Jane cannot relate what their charade was, as she spent the whole time staring at Rochester and Miss Ingram. Jane says that she could not feel real jealousy, as Miss Ingram was "too inferior to excite the feeling." Jane goes on to say that "she was very showy, but she was not genuine; she had a fine person, many brilliant attainments, but her mind was poor, her heart barren by nature…" Jane also relates that she and the other guests had noticed a spiteful antipathy that Miss Ingram had for Adele. She would push her away and order her from the room. Jane says that if Miss Ingram was a noble woman and had won Rochester's heart, she could have admired her, but she sees that Rochester is not won over by her. Jane is surprised that it seems that it is Rochester's intention to marry for interest and connections, but Jane feels herself unjustified in judging him or Miss Ingram for conforming to the ideas of their class. One day Rochester is summoned to Millcote on business, and the party feels his absence and are not as animated. A stranger arrives saying he is an old friend of Rochester's and will stay until he returns. Jane overhears that the man's name is Mr. Mason, and that he knows Rochester from his travels in the West Indies. Jane is surprised that Rochester's travels took him to such distant shores. The footman enters the room and says that there is a gypsy in the house that will not leave until she tells the fortunes to the party. Miss Ingram wants her brought in. The gypsy is shown into the library and states that she will see no men, but only young and single ladies. Miss Ingram goes first, but when she comes out fifteen minutes later all of the joy she went in with is gone. She sits in a corner pretending to read, but Jane notices she does not turn any pages. Other of the female guests then go in together, and all come out saying how amazing it was that the gypsy seemed to know them and their wishes so well. The footman then comes up to Jane, saying that the gypsy knows that there is yet another young single woman, and Jane says she will go. Jane enters the room and tells the gypsy that she can tell her fortune, but that she has no faith. They talk for a while, and the gypsy tells Jane that she knows that she sits with the rest of the party every night, and asks if she studies one person more than the others. Jane says that she looks at them all. The gypsy tells Jane that it is hard to tell her fortune, as one trait contradicts another. Their talk continues, until the gypsy gets closer to the fire and Jane realizes that it is Rochester. Jane is surprised and tries to remember if she had said anything absurd. She feels that she had not, and Rochester says that she had been very careful and correct. He wants to know what the others had said about him. Jane tells him, and then mentions that Mr. Mason had arrived. Mr. Rochester's smile leaves him and he gets quite white, leaning on Jane. Rochester asks Jane what she would do if all of his friends suddenly turned on him, and she says that she would not leave, but would stay and comfort him. He tells her to go and get him a glass of wine and for her to lead Mason to him. Later, after she had been in bed awhile, she hears Rochester lead Mason to a room. In the middle of the night Jane hears a shrill cry from the end of the hall. It is coming from the third story, and she can hear someone yelling ‘Help,' and calling for Rochester. She hears someone running and the noise stopping, but soon all of the guests are awake and wondering what is going on. Rochester returns from the end of the hall and tells everyone that one of the servants had had a bad dream. All go back to bed except Jane, who dresses and waits in case she should be called. A while later there is a tap at the door and Rochester asks her to come with a sponge and some smelling salts. He takes her to Mason, whose arm is bleeding, and tells her to stay with him, wipe his blood, and use the smelling salts to keep him awake while he runs for the surgeon. He warns each of them not to talk to the other at all. It seems like a long time, and Jane is scared that someone will come out of the third story for them, but finally Rochester returns. When the surgeon unwraps Mason's arm it is seen that there are bite marks there. Mason says that she had bit him, and Rochester says that he had told him to be careful and not to see her alone. The surgeon patches up Mason and they leave Thornfield. Jane and Rochester are then walking out to get some fresh air until the others awaken. Jane wonders to Rochester why he keeps Grace Poole there, as she thinks it is she that causes the trouble. He tells Jane not to worry about her. Rochester asks Jane to suppose hypothetically that there is a boy who causes a capital error, the results of which had been bad, and that he takes unusual measures to rid himself of the error. When the boy meets a new friend, is he justified in overleaping this obstacle? Should the man risk the world's opinion to attach himself to this other? Jane answers that it should not be the world's opinion that he is worried about, but that he should look higher than his equals for solace. The guests start rising, and Jane and Rochester leave the garden in different directions. Jane begins the chapter by saying that she had never been one to believe in signs or presentiments, but she remembers when she was younger that a woman in the house had had a dream with an infant in it, believed that something bad was to come, and then got word that her sister was on her deathbed. Jane says that she had had dreams for the last seven nights about infants. She is called to the drawing room and there finds Robert, the coachman from Gateshead (and Bessie's husband). He tells her that John Reed had killed himself after driving himself into debt and spending much of his mother's money. Robert continues to say that Mrs. Reed had had a stroke and was now on her deathbed and had been calling for Jane. Jane says that she will leave with him early the next morning and goes to ask Rochester's leave. Rochester is surprised when Jane asks for leave, as she had told him that she had no family. She says that she had had none that would own her, and explains about the Reeds of Gateshead. Rochester tries to get Jane to promise that she will stay only a week, and when he gives her more money that he owes her for her wages, he then takes some back so that she will return for it and not stay away. She mentions that since it seems that he is going to be married soon, it would be a good idea for him to put Adele in a school and for her to advertise for a new position. He makes her promise that she will not advertise but will let him find her a new position. She agrees as long as she and "Adele shall be both safe out of the house before [his] bride enters it. "When Jane reaches Gateshead, Bessie is glad to see her and says that the doctor has said that Mrs. Reed may linger a week or two. Jane sees the Misses Reed, and they are not friendly to her, although they become better later. Jane goes to see Mrs. Reed, but she is somewhat delirious and tells her to come back when she has rested. She also then talks to her about Jane as if she is not Jane, saying that she had never liked her because she had never liked her mother because she was a favourite of her husband's. Ten days pass and Jane does not see Mrs. Reed again, as she is delirious. When Jane finally does get to talk to Mrs. Reed. Mrs. Reed says that she must tell her of two wrongs that she had done her. The first was sending her away after she had promised to take care of her, and for the other she tells Jane to take out a letter from her dressing case. It is from John Eyre, Jane's uncle, and is dated three years before. It says that he had come into some money and that he wanted Jane's address so that she could live with him and he could bequeath everything to her at his death since he is not married and is childless. Mrs. Reed tells Jane that she had written back and told him that Jane had died in the fever outbreak at Lowood. Jane takes the letter and tells Mrs. Reed that she forgives her. Mrs. Reed dies that night. Mr. Rochester had asked Jane to be gone only a week, but already she had been gone more than a month when she finally begins her return to Thornfield. She has heard from Mrs. Fairfax that the party at Thornfield had dispersed and that Mr. Rochester had gone to London for a few weeks to buy a new carriage in preparation for his upcoming marriage. Jane does not tell Mrs. Fairfax the exact date of her arrival home, as she wants to walk to Thornfield. As she nears the Hall, she sees Rochester writing in a book and he calls to her. Rochester shows Jane the carriage and walks with her to the Hall. Adele and Mrs. Fairfax are happy to see Jane, but Jane is full of grief at the upcoming separation when Rochester marries. A fortnight passes with calm, and while Jane notices that Rochester never goes to see Miss Ingram, she writes that he had never called her more frequently to him and had never been nicer to her. One evening while Jane is walking in the park she meets Rochester. He asks Jane if she will be sorry to leave Thornfield. She says that she will, and Rochester tells her that he must give her notice. He tells her that he has found her a position with a Mrs. Dionysius O'Gall in Ireland. Jane says that she will be sorry to be so far from Thornfield and from Rochester himself. They talk more about Jane's sorrow at leaving until Rochester swears that she must stay and gathers her to him and kisses her. He then offers her his hand in marriage. Jane is not sure what to think, as she believes he is playing a game with her, but he finally convinces her he is true, and she accepts. Mrs. Fairfax is surprised to see them embrace when they return to the house. The next day Rochester tells Jane that they will be married in four weeks and that they will travel to Paris, Rome and Naples. He then tells her to ask of him anything, and she says that she has been curious about something. Rochester gets quite serious and his demeanor changes, but he is relieved when Jane only asks why he had made her think that he meant to marry Miss Ingram. He replies that he wished to make her jealous to see how deep her love for him really ran. He tells her to ask of him more, and she says that she wishes Mrs. Fairfax to know of their marriage. Later, when Jane sees Rochester leave Mrs. Fairfax, Jane enters to find her disbelieving. She asks if it is true, and warns Jane to be on her guard, saying that she cannot be too careful, as men like Mr. Rochester "are not accustomed to marry their governesses." Rochester calls for Jane to take her to town to buy some new gowns, and while they do buy some, Jane has to talk Rochester out of buying her so many and of buying her such fancy ones. She also has to talk him out of the jeweler's shop. With all of the excitement, Jane had forgotten all about her uncle's letter. She decides to write to him immediately, and feels that if her uncle tells her that she will get an inheritance later, she will feel better about Rochester supporting her now. Rochester is concerned about her not taking things from him, and she explains that she does not want to be like his French opera-dancer mistress, but would rather continue on as governess for her wages. Later in the evening Jane gets Rochester to sing and play the piano for her, and she is colder to him, remembering Mrs. Fairfax's warning. The night before the wedding Jane feels anxious that Mr. Rochester is still away on his errands, and when the time of his supposed return far passes, she runs out into the wind and rain to meet him. She comes upon him riding home, and he takes her on the horse back to the house. They eat supper, and Jane tells Rochester why she is so anxious. The night before she dreamt that she was in the wind and rain caring for a crying infant and chasing Rochester who was riding away. Jane then tells of another dream where she saw Thornfield Hall as a dreary ruin. She tells him that when she awoke from this dream she saw a candle in her room and someone at her portmanteau looking at her garments. She says that she did not recognize the person, and that it was a woman with a discolored and savage face, who put on her wedding veil and then took it off and ripped it in two. She then came over and looked closely at Jane before leaving the room. Rochester says that he is sure she imagined it, but she says that the next morning she saw the veil ripped in two. He says that it must have been a half dream, where someone she knew entered her room, but that she dreamt the part about what kind of creature it was. He then asks her to sleep with Adele in the nursery that night and to have more pleasant dreams. Jane, however, does not sleep at all, and rises early in the morning to prepare for her wedding. As they walk to the church the next morning, Jane sees two strangers enter it. During the ceremony, when the clergyman asks them if either have any reason why they cannot be wed, one of the strangers steps forward and says that Mr. Rochester is already married. He states that he was married to Bertha Antoinetta Mason in the West Indies. Then Mason himself comes out of the shadows and confirms that it is true and that he is Bertha's brother and that his sister is alive and at Thornfield. Rochester says that it is true, but that Bertha is mad, and he takes them all to Thornfield. They go to the third story and there they see Grace Poole and another figure that may or may not be human. It acts like a wild animal, and it attacks Rochester when it sees him. He finally gets control over her and ties her up. He tells them all that this is his wife and asks if they could they blame him for trying to have another wife in Jane, telling them to compare the two. The men say that Jane is cleared of all blame, and that her uncle will be glad to hear of it. They tell her that her uncle was working with Mason when he received her letter that talked of her upcoming marriage. He told Mason about it, and he related Rochester's story. Jane's uncle begged Mason to travel and stop the wedding, and he himself fell so ill they are not sure whether he will survive or not. The men leave, and Jane goes to her room to think. She realizes that she must leave Thornfield and is dismayed. Jane stays in her room a long time and is surprised that no one has come to check on her, but when she leaves the room she sees Rochester sitting in a chair outside the door. He says that he had expected some kind of scene, and asks if she can ever forgive him. Jane writes that there was so much remorse in his eyes that she forgave him instantly. However, when they are in the library together, she will not let him kiss or touch her. He asks if she will make herself a stranger to him now, and she says that she will leave Thornfield. He says that yes, she must leave, and that they will stay there that night and will leave in the morning. Jane says that she will not go with him, but that she still loves him. He tries to tell her they will go to France and she will be Mrs. Rochester, but she replies that he already has a wife and she will not be his mistress. He tries to explain his marriage to Bertha. He says that he was the second of his father's sons, and as his father did not want to break up his property but wanted to give it all to his first son, he sought a wealthy marriage for his second. He sent him to Jamaica to meet the girl he had chosen, and Rochester married her without really knowing her. He says he then learned that his wife's mother was mad and that she had a dumb idiot brother. His own father and brother had known this but had let him marry her anyway. His wife soon showed signs of madness, and Rochester comprehended that they had nothing in common and he could not stand her. When his father and brother died, he realized that few in Europe knew of his marriage, so he could go there and lock his mad wife up and travel as if he were not married. He did so, and had a few mistresses. He says that he was taken with Jane when he first met her, and he begins to relate how he felt at each of their meetings, when Jane tells him to stop. She is undergoing quite a struggle, but she does tell Rochester that she cannot be his and leaves the room. The next morning Jane arises before sunrise, says a silent farewell to everyone, and quietly leaves Thornfield, walking to Millcote. On the way she meets a coach that is going to a place a long way off and she gives all of her money for a ride. Two days have passed since Jane left Thornfield, and the money that she had could only allow the driver to take her as far as Whitcross, which is not even a town, but a crossroads. Jane had forgotten her parcel on the coach, so now realizes she is quite penniless and destitute. She spends the night outside, and the next morning, driven by hunger, walks to the nearest village. She stops at a shop to see if the woman knows of any work needed in the village. The woman does not, and neither does a woman at a small house Jane stops at. Jane continues on, her hunger getting stronger, until she sees the parsonage. She asks if the clergyman is in, but is told that he is not expected for another fortnight, as his father died and he had to leave town. She goes again to the shop, mastering her embarrassment to ask for some bread in exchange for her gloves, but the woman will not trade. Jane walks out of town and begs some bread from a man in a farmhouse and again sleeps outside. In the morning she passes a girl about to throw porridge to a pig, but the girl gives it to Jane when she asks for it. Jane wanders farther out of the town, and it gets darker. She sees a light in the distance, but feels too weak to approach it. She finally finds the strength and approaches a small house. Inside are an older woman and two, young graceful women, and Jane watches them through the window. When she knocks, the older woman tells her to go away. Jane tells her that she will die, and when the older woman closes the door, Jane collapses on the doorstep. Just then a man approaches and opens the door and tells the woman to let Jane in. Jane tells the people that her name is Jane Elliot (she had decided to present an alias) and that she is too tired and famished to answer any questions. They give her some food and a bed for the night. For three days and nights Jane stays in bed and they tend to her. When she is finally able to arise, she finds her clothes have all been cleaned and are waiting for her, and she goes downstairs. She there sees Hannah, the older woman, and after a talk they come to an understanding and Jane forgives her for not letting her in, and they become friends. Soon the rest of the household return from their walk to Morton. The two sisters are Diana and Mary Rivers, and the brother is Mr. St. John Rivers. Jane learns that their father has recently died, and that that is why they are all at Moor House, as the house is called. Mr. St. John is the clergyman in Morton, where Jane had gone for help. The household tries to talk to Jane more. She tells them that she will not disclose where she had been before then, but she does tell much of her life, including her stay at Lowood School and that she had been a private governess. She also tells them that her name is an alias, but that she fears disclosure, so will not tell them her real name. She asks Mr. St. John to find her some work, no matter how humble, and he says he will try. Jane's stay at Moor House is quite pleasant. Diana Mary and she get along very well and have much in common. They loan her books, and she draws for them, and they converse much. Jane does not get along so well with Mr. St. John though, but she explains that he is not much at the house and that his disposition is not like the others'. A month passes since Jane's arrival, and soon the sisters are to return to their jobs as governesses. Jane asks St. John if he had found any work for her, and he says that he had. He tells her that he is opening a school for girls in Morton, and that if she were the mistress of it she would have a house and a housemaid and some money. He feels that it is beneath her station and she will not be very happy with it, but Jane accepts the position. That evening St. John brings home a letter that he had received. He says that their uncle John had died. They explain that they had never met him, but that he had come into a fortune that they thought they might have seen a part of as their uncle never married and had no children. His will however has left all his money to another who is no more closely related than they are. The next day Jane leaves for her house in Morton, and the day after Diana and Mary return to their jobs. Soon after St. John and Hannah close up the house and return to the parsonage. Jane describes her home in Morton as a cottage, and says that her furniture is useful yet humble. It is the evening of the first day of class, and Jane relates that she has twenty students, only three of which can read. She sees challenges ahead, and though she feels that she may not enjoy her new life, she will try. Jane goes outside to look around and is met there by St. John who brings her a present from his sisters of some drawing materials. He asks how she likes her new position, and she says that she does. He tells her that a year ago he had become miserable and had thought it a mistake that he had joined the ministry. He had then decided to become a missionary and is happy in the planning for it and believes he will travel from Europe for the East. Just then Miss Oliver, an heiress and the patron of the school, arrives. Jane sees that she is quite beautiful and that she has an affect on St. John. She asks Jane how she likes the school and her house and says that she will come and help her teach sometimes. Miss Oliver tries to get St. John to return with her to the house so he can visit her father, but he makes up excuses and the three part ways. Jane continues her work at the school, and she soon notices that some of the girls are polite and try to do their work well, and this encourages her. She relates that she has become a favorite in the community, and that she often gets salutations and smiles. While she is happier now, she does have dreams at night of Mr. Rochester. Miss Oliver keeps her word and comes to the school, usually timing her visits with when Mr. St. John is giving his lesson to the girls. She seems to know her power over him, but it seems as if he would not let it consume him, as he wants to be a missionary. One day when Miss Oliver is visiting Jane in her home, she finds her drawings and asks her to do one of her. The next day Mr. Oliver accompanies Miss Oliver on her visit to Jane, and Jane is invited to their home of Vale Hall. Through the conversation, Jane comes to understand that Mr. Oliver likes Mr. St. John and seemingly would not oppose a match between him and his daughter. Soon after, St. John visits Jane as she is finishing her picture of Miss Oliver. She shows it to him, asking if he would like her to make him a copy. She tells him that Miss Oliver seems to like him. He replies that he does love her, but that he feels she would not be a good wife for him, as he cannot give up the plan of being a missionary. As he looks at the picture again, he notices the piece of paper that Jane rests her hand on, tears a piece off of it and bids Jane good-bye. Jane looks at the paper but sees nothing but a few marks she has made. The next day Jane is surprised by a visit from St. John. He is very excited, but does not immediately tell her why he has come. Eventually he begins to tell her a story. He says that there was a clergyman and a woman who married and had a daughter. They died, and the girl was sent to a Mrs. Reed and then to Lowood School. Jane is startled, but he continues that the woman then went to live with a Mr. Rochester and was to ma...