To tell me that I had already a wife is empty mockery: you know now that I had but a hideous demon. I was wrong to attempt to deceive you; but I feared a stubbornness that exists in your character. I feared early instilled prejudice: I wanted to have you safe before hazarding confidences. This was cowardly: I should have appealed to your nobleness and magnanimity at first，as I do now- opened to you plainly my life of agony- described to you my hunger and thirst after a higher and worthier existence- shown to you，not my resolution (that word is weak)，but my resistless bent to love faithfully and well，where I am faithfully and well loved in return. Then I should have asked you to accept my pledge of fidelity and to give me yours.

Jane- give it me now."

A pause.

"Why are you silent，Jane?"

I was experiencing an ordeal: a hand of fiery iron grasped my vitals. Terrible moment: full of struggle，blackness，burning! Not a human being that ever lived could wish to be loved better than I was loved; and him who thus loved me I absolutely worshipped: and I must renounce love and idol. One drear word prised my intolerable duty- "Depart!"

"Jane，you understand what I want of you? Just this promise- "I will be yours，Mr. Rochester.""

"Mr. Rochester，I will not be yours."

Another long silence.

"Jane!" remenced he，with a gentleness that broke me down with grief，and turned me stone-cold with ominous terror- for this still voice was the pant of a lion rising- "Jane，do you mean to go one way in the world，and to let me go another?"

"I do."

"Jane" (bending towards and embracing me)，"do you mean it now?"

"I do."

"And now?" softly kissing my forehead and cheek.

"I do," extricating myself from restraint rapidly and pletely.