"Where? You，sir，have placed it before me."

"In what shape?"

"In the shape of Miss Ingram; a noble and beautiful woman,- your bride."

"My bride! What bride? I have no bride!"

"But you will have."

"Yes;- I will!"- I will!" He set his teeth.

"Then I must go:- you have said it yourself."

"No: you must stay! I swear it- and the oath shall be kept."

"I tell you I must go!" I retorted，roused to something like passion. "Do you think I can stay to bee nothing to you? Do you think I am an automaton?- a machine without feelings? and can bear to have my morsel of bread snatched from my lips，and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do you think，because I am poor，obscure，plain，and little，I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!- I have as much soul as you,- and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth，I should have made it as hard for you to leave me，as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom，conventionalities，nor even of mortal flesh;- it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave，and we stood at God"s feet，equal,- as we are!"

"As we are!" repeated Mr. Rochester- "so," he added，enclosing me in his arms，gathering me to his breast，pressing his lips on my lips:

"so，Jane!"

"Yes，so，sir," I rejoined: "and yet not so; for you are a married man- or as good as a married man，and wed to one inferior to you- to one with whom you have no sympathy- whom I do not believe you truly love; for I have seen and heard you sneer at her. I would scorn such a union: therefore I am better than you- let me go!"

"Where，Jane? To Ireland?"