Джейн Эйр / Jane Eyre

[5 - Guy Fawkes (1570–1606) – Гай Фокс, английский заговорщик, казненный в 1605 г. за попытку взорвать короля и парламент.]

On that same occasion I learned, for the first time, from Miss Abbot’s communications to Bessie, that my father had been a poor clergyman; that my mother had married him against the wishes of her friends, who considered the match beneath her; that my grandfather Reed was so irritated at her disobedience, he cut her off without a shilling, that after my mother and father had been married a year, the latter caught the typhus fever while visiting among the poor of a large manufacturing town where his curacy was situated, and where that disease was then prevalent; that my mother took the infection from him, and both died within a month of each other.

Bessie, when she heard this narrative, sighed and said —

�Poor Miss Jane is to be pitied, too, Abbot.’

�Yes,’ responded Abbot; �if she were a nice, pretty child, one might compassionate her forlornness; but one really cannot care for such a little toad as that.

’

�Not a great deal, to be sure,’ agreed Bessie; �at any rate, a beauty like Miss Georgiana would be more moving in the same condition.’

�Yes, I dote on[6 - Dote on – обожать, души не чаять.] Miss Georgiana!’ cried the fervent Abbot. �Little darling! – with her long curls and her blue eyes, and such a sweet colour as she has; just as if she were painted! – Bessie, I could fancy a Welsh rabbit for supper.

’

�So could I – with a roast onion. Come, we’ll go down.’ They went.

Chapter IV

From my discourse with Mr. Lloyd, and from the above reported conference between Bessie and Abbot, I gathered enough of hope to suffice as a motive for wishing to get well. A change seemed near – I desired and waited it in silence. It tarried, however; days and weeks passed. I had regained my normal state of health, but no new allusion was made to the subject over which I brooded.

Mrs. Reed surveyed me at times with a severe eye, but seldom addressed me. Since my illness she had drawn a more marked line of separation than ever between me and her own children, appointing me a small closet to sleep in by myself, condemning me to take my meals alone, and pass all my time in the nursery, while my cousins were constantly in the drawing-room.