Джейн Эйр / Jane Eyre

Rochester’s visits here are rare, they are always sudden and unexpected; and as I observed that it put him out to find everything swathed up, and to have a bustle of arrangement on his arrival, I thought it best to keep the rooms in readiness.’

�Is Mr. Rochester an exacting, fastidious sort of man?’

�Not particularly so; but he has a gentleman’s tastes and habits, and he expects to have things managed in conformity to them.’

�Do you like him? Is he generally liked?’

�Oh, yes; the family have always been respected here.

Almost all the land in this neighbourhood, as far as you can see, has belonged to the Rochesters time out of mind.’

�Well, but, leaving his land out of the question, do you like him? Is he liked for himself?’

�I have no cause to do otherwise than like him; and I believe he is considered a just and liberal landlord by his tenants; but he has never lived much amongst them.’

�But has he no peculiarities? What, in short, is his character?’

�Oh! his character is unimpeachable, I suppose.

He is rather peculiar, perhaps; he has travelled a great deal, and seen a great deal of the world, I should think. I dare say he is clever, but I never had much conversation with him.’

�In what way is he peculiar?’

�I don’t know – it is not easy to describe – nothing striking, but you feel it when he speaks to you; you cannot be always sure whether he is in jest or earnest, whether he is pleased or the contrary; you don’t thoroughly understand him, in short – at least, I don’t; but it is of no consequence, he is a very good master.

’

This was all the account I got from Mrs. Fairfax of her employer and mine. There are people who seem to have no notion of sketching a character, or observing and describing salient points, either in persons or things; the good lady evidently belonged to this class; my queries puzzled, but did not draw her out.

Mr. Rochester was Mr. Rochester in her eyes; a gentleman, a landed proprietor – nothing more. She inquired and searched no further, and evidently wondered at my wish to gain a more definite notion of his identity.

When we left the dining-room, she proposed to show me over the rest of the house; and I followed her upstairs and downstairs, admiring as I went; for all was well arranged and handsome.