"Will you hand Mr. Rochester"s cup?" said Mrs. Fairfax to me;

"Adele might perhaps spill it."

I did as requested. As he took the cup from my hand，Adele，thinking the moment propitious for making a request in my favour，cried out-

"N"est-ce pas，monsieur，qu"il y a un cadeau pour Mademoiselle Eyre dans votre petit coffre?"

"Who talks of cadeaux?" said he gruffly. "Did you expect a present，Miss Eyre? Are you fond of presents?" and he searched my face with eyes that I saw were dark，irate，and piercing.

"I hardly know，sir; I have little experience of them: they are generally thought pleasant things."

"Generally thought? But what do you think?"

"I should be obliged to take time，sir，before I could give you an answer worthy of your acceptance: a present has many faces to it，has it not? and one should consider all，before pronouncing an opinion as to its nature."

"Miss Eyre，you are not so unsophisticated as Adele: she demands a "cadeau," clamorously，the moment she sees me: you beat about the bush."

"Because I have less confidence in my deserts than Adele has: she can prefer the claim of old acquaintance，and the right too of custom; for she says you have always been in the habit of giving her playthings; but if I had to make out a case I should be puzzled，since I am a stranger，and have done nothing to entitle me to an acknowledgment."

"Oh，don"t fall back on over-modesty! I have examined Adele，and find you have taken great pains with her: she is not bright，she has no talents; yet in a short time she has made much improvement."