"Whenever，in future，you should chance to fancy Mr. Rochester thinks well of you，take out these two pictures and pare them: say，"Mr. Rochester might probably win that noble lady"s love，if he chose to strive for it; is it likely he would waste a serious thought on this indigent and insignificant plebeian?""

"I"ll do it," I resolved: and having framed this determination，I grew calm，and fell asleep.

I kept my word. An hour or two sufficed to sketch my own portrait in crayons; and in less than a fortnight I had pleted an ivory miniature of an imaginary Blanche Ingram. It looked a lovely face enough，and when pared with the real head in chalk，the contrast was as great as self-control could desire. I derived benefit from the task: it had kept my head and hands employed，and had given force and fixedness to the new impressions I wished to stamp indelibly on my heart.

Ere long，I had reason to congratulate myself on the course of wholesome discipline to which I had thus forced my feelings to submit.