Burns obeyed: I looked at her narrowly as she emerged from the book-closet; she was just putting back her handkerchief into her pocket，and the trace of a tear glistened on her thin cheek.

The play-hour in the evening I thought the pleasantest fraction of the day at Lowood: the bit of bread，the draught of coffee swallowed at five o"clock had revived vitality，if it had not satisfied hunger: the long restraint of the day was slackened; the schoolroom felt warmer than in the morning- its fires being allowed to burn a little more brightly，to supply，in some measure，the place of candles，not yet introduced: the ruddy gloaming，the licenseduproar，the confusion of many voices gave one a wele sense of liberty.

On the evening of the day on which I had seen Miss Scatcherd flog her pupil，Burns，I wandered as usual among the forms and tables and laughing groups without a panion，yet not feeling lonely: when I passed the windows，I now and then lifted a blind，and looked out; it snowed fast，a drift was already forming against the lower panes; putting my ear close to the window，I could distinguish from the gleeful tumult within，the disconsolate moan of the wind outside.

probably，if I had lately left a good home and kind parents，this would have been the hour when I should most keenly have regretted the separation; that wind would then have saddened my heart，this obscure chaos would have disturbed my peace! as it was，I derived from both a strange excitement，and reckless and feverish，I wished the wind to howl more wildly，the gloom to deepen to darkness，and the confusion to rise to clamour.

Jumping over forms，and creeping under tables，I made my way to one of the fire-places; there，kneeling by the high wire fender，I found Burns，absorbed，silent，abstracted from all round her by the panionship of a book，which she read by the dim glare of the embers.