Джейн Эйр / Jane Eyre

)] She then declaimed the little piece with an attention to punctuation and emphasis, a flexibility of voice and an appropriateness of gesture, very unusual indeed at her age, and which proved she had been carefully trained.

�Was it your mama who taught you that piece?’ I asked.

�Yes, and she just used to say it in this way: “Qu’avez vous donc? Lui dit un de ces rats; parlez!”[27 - В чем дело? – сказала одна из крыс. – Говорите! (фр.)] She made me lift my hand – so – to remind me to raise my voice at the question.

Now shall I dance for you?’

�No, that will do; but after your mama went to the Holy Virgin, as you say, with whom did you live then?’

�With Madame Frederic and her husband; she took care of me, but she is nothing related to me. I think she is poor, for she had not so fine a house as mama. I was not long there. Mr. Rochester asked me if I would like to go and live with him in England, and I said yes; for I knew Mr.

Rochester before I knew Madame Frederic, and he was always kind to me and gave me pretty dresses and toys; but you see he has not kept his word, for he has brought me to England, and now he is gone back again himself, and I never see him.’

After breakfast, AdГЁle and I withdrew to the library, which room, it appears, Mr. Rochester had directed should be used as the schoolroom. Most of the books were locked up behind glass doors; but there was one bookcase left open containing everything that could be needed in the way of elementary works, and several volumes of light literature, poetry, biography, travels, a few romances, &c.

I suppose he had considered that these were all the governess would require for her private perusal; and, indeed, they contented me amply for the present; compared with the scanty pickings I had now and then been able to glean at Lowood, they seemed to offer an abundant harvest of entertainment and information. In this room, too, there was a cabinet piano, quite new and of superior tone; also an easel for painting and a pair of globes.

I found my pupil sufficiently docile, though disinclined to apply; she had not been used to regular occupation of any kind. I felt it would be injudicious to confine her too much at first; so, when I had talked to her a great deal, and got her to learn a little, and when the morning had advanced to noon, I allowed her to return to her nurse.