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学段:大学  学科:文学  发布:2022-05-06  ★★★收藏章节〗〖手机版

CONCLUSION READER,I married him. A quiet wedding we had: he and I,the parson and clerk,were alone present. When we got back from church,I went into the kitchen of the manor-house,where Mary was cooking the dinner and John cleaning the knives,and I said-

"Mary,I have been married to Mr. Rochester this morning." The housekeeper and her husband were both of that decent phlegmatic order of people,to whom one may at any time safely municate a remarkable piece of news without incurring the danger of having one"s ears pierced by some shrill ejaculation,and subsequently stunned by a torrent of wordy wonderment. Mary did look up,and she did stare at me: the ladle with which she was basting a pair of chickens roasting at the fire,did for some three minutes hang suspended in air; and for the same space of time John"s knives also had rest from the polishing process: but Mary,bending again over the roast,said only-

"Have you,Miss? Well,for sure!"

A short time after she pursued- "I seed you go out with the master,but I didn"t know you were gone to church to be wed;" and she basted away. John,when I turned to him,was grinning from ear to ear.

"I telled Mary how it would be," he said: "I knew what Mr. Edward" (John was an old servant,and had known his master when he was the cadet of the house,therefore,he often gave him his Christian name)- "I knew what Mr. Edward would do; and I was certain he would not wait long neither: and he"s done right,for aught I know. I wish you joy,Miss!" and he politely pulled his forelock.

"Thank you,John. Mr. Rochester told me to give you and Mary this." I put into his hand a five-pound note. Without waiting to hear more,I left the kitchen. In passing the door of that sanctum some time after,I caught the words-