目 录 上一节 下一节 
二十年前，一个穷苦的牧师--这会儿且不去管他叫什么名字--与一个有钱人的女儿相爱。她爱上了他，而且不听她所有朋友的劝告，嫁给了他。结果婚礼一结束他们就同她断绝了关系。两年未到，这一对草率的夫妇双双故去。静静地躺在同一块石板底下（我见过他们的坟墓，它在××郡的一个人口稠密的工业城市，那里有一个煤烟一般黑、面目狰狞的老教堂，四周被一大片墓地包围着，那两人的坟墓已成了墓地人行道的一部份）。他们留下了一个女儿，她一生下来就落入了慈善事业的膝头--那膝头像我今晚陷进去几乎不能自拔的积雪一样冰冷。慈善把这个没有朋友的小东西，送到母亲的一位有钱亲戚那里。被孩子的舅妈，一个叫做（这会儿我要提名字了）盖茨黑德的里德太太收养着。--你吓了一跳--听见什么响动了？我猜想不过是一个老鼠，爬过毗邻着的教室的大梁。这里原先是个谷仓，后来我整修改建了一下，谷仓向来是老鼠出没的地方。说下去吧。里德太太把这个孤儿养了十年，她跟这孩子处得愉快还是不愉快，我说不上，因为从来没听人谈起过。不过十年之后，她把孩子转送到了一个你知道的地方--恰恰就是罗沃德学校，那儿你自己也住了很久。她在那儿的经历似乎很光荣，象你一样，从学生变成了教师--说实在我总觉得你的身世和她的很有相似之处--她离开那里去当家庭教师，在那里，你们的命运又再次靠拢，她担当起教育某个罗切斯特先生的被监护人的职责。" "Mr. Rivers!" I interrupted." 里弗斯先生！" "I can guess your feelings," he said, "but restrain them for awhile: I have nearly finished; hear me to the end. Of Mr.Rochester's character I know nothing, but the one fact that heprofessed to offer honourable marriage to this young girl, and thatat the very altar she discovered he had a wife yet alive, though alunatic. What his subsequent conduct and proposals were is a matterof pure conjecture; but when an event transpired which renderedinquiry after the governess necessary, it was discovered she wasgone--no one could tell when, where, or how. She had leftThornfield Hall in the night; every research after her course hadbeen vain: the country had been scoured far and wide; no vestige ofinformation could be gathered respecting her. Yet that she shouldbe found is become a matter of serious urgency: advertisements havebeen put in all the papers; I myself have received a letter from oneMr. Briggs, a solicitor, communicating the details I have justimparted. Is it not an odd tale?"" 我能猜得出你的情感，"他说，"但是克制一会儿吧，我差不多要结束了。听我把话讲完吧。关于罗切斯特先生的为人，除了一件事情，我一无所知。那就是他宣布要同这位年轻姑娘体面地结成夫妇。就在圣坛上她发觉他有一个妻子，虽然疯了，但还活着。他以后的举动和建议纯粹只能凭想象了。后来有一件事必得问问这位家庭女教师时，才发现她已经走了--谁也不知道什么时候走的，去了什么地方，怎么去的。她是夜间从桑菲尔德出走的。她可能会走的每一条路都去查看过了，但一无所获。这个郡到处都搜索过，但没有得到一丁点她的消急。可是要把她找到已成了刻不容缓的大事，各报都登了广告，连我自己也从一个名叫布里格斯先生的律师那儿收到了一封信，通报了我刚才说的这些细节，难道这不是一个希奇古怪的故事吗？" "Just tell me this," said I, "and since you know so much, you surelycan tell it me--what of Mr. Rochester? How and where is he? Whatis he doing? Is he well?"" 你就是告诉我这点吧，"我说，"既然你知道得那么多，你当然能够告诉我--一罗切斯特先生的情况怎么样？他怎样了？他在哪儿？在干什么？他好吗？" "I am ignorant of all concerning Mr. Rochester: the letter nevermentions him but to narrate the fraudulent and illegal attempt Ihave adverted to. You should rather ask the name of the governess--the nature of the event which requires her appearance."" 我对罗切斯特先生茫无所知，这封信除了说起我所提及的诈骗和非法的意图，从没有谈到他。你还是该问一问那个家庭女教师的名字。--问问非她不可的那件事本身属于什么性质。" 
那么没有人去过桑菲尔德府吗？难道没有人见过罗切斯特先生？" "I suppose not."" 我想没有。" "But they wrote to him?"" 可是他们给他写信过吗？" "Of course."" 那当然。" "And what did he say? Who has his letters?"" 他说什么啦？谁有他的信？" 
布里格斯先生说，他的请求不是由罗切斯特先生，而是由一位女士回复的，上面签着'艾丽斯.费尔法克斯。'" I felt cold and dismayed: my worst fears then were probably true:he had in all probability left England and rushed in recklessdesperation to some former haunt on the Continent. And what opiatefor his severe sufferings--what object for his strong passions--hadhe sought there? I dared not answer the question. Oh, my poormaster--once almost my husband--whom I had often called "my dearEdward!" 我觉得一时心灰意冷，最怕发生的事很可能已成事实。他完全可能已经离开英国，走投无路之中，轻率地冲到欧洲大陆上以前常去的地方。他在那些地方能为他巨大的痛苔找到什么麻醉剂呢？为他如火的热情找到发泄对象吗？我不敢回答这个问题。呵，我可怜的主人--曾经差一点成为我的丈夫--我经常称他"我亲爱的爱德华！" "He must have been a bad man," observed Mr. Rivers." 他准是个坏人，"里弗斯先生说。 "You don't know him--don't pronounce an opinion upon him," I said,with warmth." 你不了解他--别对他说三道四。"我激动地说。 "Very well," he answered quietly: "and indeed my head is otherwiseoccupied than with him: I have my tale to finish. Since you won'task the governess's name, I must tell it of my own accord. Stay! Ihave it here--it is always more satisfactory to see important pointswritten down, fairly committed to black and white."" 行呵，"他平心静气地答道，"其实我心里想的倒不是他。我要结束我的故事。既然你没有问起家庭女教师的名字，那我得自己说了--慢着--我这儿有--看到要紧的事儿，完完全全白纸黑字写下来，往往会更使人满意。" 
他再次不慌不忙地拿出那个皮夹子，把它打开，仔细翻寻起来，从一个夹层抽出一张原先匆忙撕下的破破烂烂的纸条。我从纸条的质地和蓝一块、青一块、红一块的污渍认出来，这是被他抢去、原先盖在画上那张纸的边沿。 He got up, held it close to my eyes: and Iread, traced in Indian ink, in my own handwriting, the words "JANEEYRE"--the work doubtless of some moment of abstraction. 他站存来，把纸头凑到我眼面前，我看到了用黑墨水笔写下的"简·爱"两字--无疑那是不经意中留下的笔迹。 "Briggs wrote to me of a Jane Eyre:" he said, "the advertisementsdemanded a Jane Eyre: I knew a Jane Elliott.--I confess I had mysuspicions, but it was only yesterday afternoon they were at onceresolved into certainty. You own the name and renounce the alias?"" 布里格斯写信给我，问起了一个叫简·爱的人，"他说，"广告上寻找一个叫简·爱的。而我认得的一个人叫简·爱略特--我承认，我产生了怀疑，直到昨天下午，疑团解开，我才有了把握。你承认真名，放弃别名吗？" "Yes--yes; but where is Mr. Briggs? He perhaps knows more of Mr.Rochester than you do."" 是的--是的--不过布里格斯先生在哪儿？他也许比你更了解罗切斯特先生的情况。" "Briggs is in London. I should doubt his knowing anything at allabout Mr. Rochester; it is not in Mr. Rochester he is interested.Meantime, you forget essential points in pursuing trifles: you donot inquire why Mr. Briggs sought after you--what he wanted withyou."" 布里格斯在伦敦。我怀疑他甚至是否知道罗切斯特先生。他感兴趣的不是罗切斯特先生。同时，你拣了芝麻忘了西瓜，没有问问布里格斯为什么要找到你--他找你干什么。" 
嗯，他需要什么？" "Merely to tell you that your uncle, Mr. Eyre of Madeira, is dead;that he has left you all his property, and that you are now rich--merely that--nothing more."" 不过是要告诉你，你的叔父，住在马德拉群岛的爱先生去世了。他已把全部财产留给你，现在你富了--如此而已--没有别的。" "I!--rich?"" 我？富了吗？" "Yes, you, rich--quite an heiress."" 不错，你富了--一个十足的女继承人。" Silence succeeded. 随之是一阵静默。 
当然你得证实你的身份，"圣·约翰马上接着说，"这一步不会有什么困难。随后你可以立即获得所有权，你的财产投资在英国公债上，布里格斯掌管着遗嘱和必要的文件。"
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