Chapter 19: 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.
Chapter 20: 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.
|