The ease of his manner freed me from painful restraint: the friendly frankness，as correct as cordial，with which he treated me，drew me to him. I felt at times as if he were my relation rather than my master: yet he was imperious sometimes still; but I did not mind that; I saw it was his way. So happy，so gratified did I bee with this new interest added to life，that I ceased to pine after kindred: my thin crescent-destiny seemed to enlarge; the blanks of existence were filled up; my bodily health improved; I gathered flesh and strength.

And was Mr. Rochester now ugly in my eyes? No，reader: gratitude，and many associations，all pleasurable and genial，made his face the object I best liked to see; his presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire. Yet I had not forgotten his faults; indeed，I could not，for he brought them frequently before me. He was proud，sardonic，harsh to inferiority of every description: in my secret soul I knew that his great kindness to me was balanced by unjust severity to many others. He was moody，too; unaccountably so; I more than once，when sent for to read to him，found him sitting in his library alone，with his head bent on his folded arms; and，when he looked up，a morose，almost a malignant，scowl blackened his features. But I believed that his moodiness，his harshness，and his former faults of morality (I say former，for now he seemed corrected of them) had their source in some cruel cross of fate. I believed he was naturally a man of better tendencies，higher principles，and purer tastes than such as circumstances had developed，education instilled，or destiny encouraged. I thought there were excellent materials in him; though for the present they hung together somewhat spoiled and tangled. I cannot deny that I grieved for his grief，whatever that was，and would have given much to assuage it.

Though I had now extinguished my candle and was laid down in bed，I could not sleep for thinking of his look when he paused in the avenue，and told how his destiny had risen up before him，and dared him to be happy at Thornfield.