"Then，in the first place，do you agree with me that I have a right to be a little masterful，abrupt，perhaps exacting，sometimes，on the grounds I stated，namely，that I am old enough to be your father，and that I have battled through a varied experience with many men of many nations，and roamed over half the globe，while you have lived quietly with one set of people in one house?"

"Do as you please，sir."

"That is no answer; or rather it is a very irritating，because a very evasive one. Reply clearly."

"I don"t think，sir，you have a right to mand me，merely because you are older than I，or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have made of your time and experience."

"Humph! promptly spoken. But I won"t allow that，seeing that it would never suit my case，as I have made an indifferent，not to say a bad，use of both advantages. Leaving superiority out of the question，then，you must still agree to receive my orders now and then，without being piqued or hurt by the tone of mand. Will you?"

I smiled: I thought to myself Mr. Rochester is peculiar- he seems to forget that he pays me L30 per annum for receiving his orders.

"The smile is very well," said he，catching instantly the passing expression; "but speak too."

"I was thinking，sir，that very few masters would trouble themselves to inquire whether or not their paid subordinates were piqued and hurt by their orders."

"paid subordinates! What! you are my paid subordinate，are you?