"I shall be glad so to do，sir，if you，in your turn，will promise that I and Adele shall be both safe out of the house before your bride enters it."

"Very well! very well! I"ll pledge my word on it. You go to-morrow，then?"

"Yes，sir; early."

"Shall you e down to the drawing-room after dinner?"

"No，sir，I must prepare for the journey."

"Then you and I must bid good-bye for a little while?"

"I suppose so，sir."

"And how do people perform that ceremony of parting，Jane? Teach me; I"m not quite up to it."

"They say，Farewell，or any other form they prefer."

"Then say it."

"Farewell，Mr. Rochester，for the present."

"What must I say?"

"The same，if you like，sir."

"Farewell，Miss Eyre，for the present; is that all?"

"Yes."

"It seems stingy，to my notions，and dry，and unfriendly. I should like something else: a little addition to the rite. If one shook hands，for instance; but no- that would not content me either.

So you"ll do no more than say Farewell，Jane?"

"It is enough，sir: as much good-will may be conveyed in one hearty word as in many."

"Very likely; but it is blank and cool- "Farewell.""

"How long is he going to stand with his back against that door?"

I asked myself; "I want to mence my packing." The dinner-bell rang，and suddenly away he bolted，without another syllable: I saw him no more during the day，and was off before he had risen in the morning.

I reached the lodge at Gateshead about five o"clock in the afternoon of the first of May: I stepped in there before going up to the hall. It was very clean and neat: the ornamental windows were hung with little white curtains; the floor was spotless; the grate and fire-irons were burnished bright，and the fire burnt clear. Bessie sat on the hearth，nursing her last-born，and Robert and his sister played quietly in a corner.

"Bless you!- I knew you would e!" exclaimed Mrs. Leaven，as I entered.