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第7章 人生一世，唯潇洒二字难求

　　Pours in among the stormy Hebrides.'

　　In the course of the tale I had mentioned Mr. Lloyd as havingcome to see me after the fit: for I never forgot the, to me, frightfulepisode of the red-room: in detailing which, my excitement was sure,in some degree, to break bounds; for nothing could soften in myrecollection the spasm of agony which clutched my heart when Mrs. Reedspurned my wild supplication for pardon, and locked me a second timein the dark and haunted chamber.

　　'What for? Are you hurt? Have you seen something?' again demandedBessie.

　　'Mr. Rochester's.'

　　'Aire? Bah! I cannot say it. Well, our ship stopped in the morning,before it was quite daylight, at a great city- a huge city, withvery dark houses and all smoky; not at all like the pretty cleantown I came from; and Mr. Rochester carried me in his arms over aplank to the land, and Sophie came after, and we all got into a coach,which took us to a beautiful large house, larger than this andfiner, called an hotel. We stayed there nearly a week: I and Sophieused to walk every day in a great green place full of trees, calledthe Park; and there were many children there besides me, and a pondwith beautiful birds in it, that I fed with crumbs.'

　　'Never,' I thought; and ardently I wished to die. While sobbing outthis wish in broken accents, some one approached: I started up-again Helen Burns was near me; the fading fires just showed her comingup the long, vacant room; she brought my coffee and bread.

　　I had nothing to say to these words: they were not new to me: myvery first recollections of existence included hints of the same kind.This reproach of my dependence had become a vague sing-song in my ear:very painful and crushing, but only half intelligible. Miss Abbotjoined in-

　　'For shame! for shame!' cried the lady's-maid. 'What shockingconduct, Miss Eyre, to strike a young gentleman, your benefactress'sson! Your young master.'

　　'Do you feel as if you should sleep, Miss?' asked Bessie, rathersoftly.