For several subsequent days I saw little of Mr. Rochester. In the ms he seemed mugaged with business, and, iernoolemen from Millcote or the neighbourhood called, and sometimes stayed to dih him. When his sprain was well enough to admit of horse exercise, he rode out a good deal; probably to return these visits, as he generally did not e back till late at night.
During this interval, even Adèle was seldom sent for to his presence, and all my acquaintah him was fio an occasional rentre in the hall, oairs, or in the gallery, when he would sometimes pass me haughtily and coldly, just aowledging my presence by a distant nod or a cool glance, and sometimes bow and smile with gentlemanlike affability. His ges of mood did not offend me, because I saw that I had nothing to do with their alternation; the ebb and flow depended on causes quite disected with me.
One day he had had pany to dinner, and had sent for my portfolio; in order, doubtless, to exhibit its tents: the gentleme away early, to attend a public meeting at Millcote, as Mrs. Fairfax informed me; but the night bei and i, Mr. Rochester did not apany them. Soon after they were gone he rang the bell: a message came that I and Adèle were to go downstairs. I brushed Adèle』s hair and made her , and having ascertaihat I was myself in my usual Quaker trim, where there was nothing to retouch— all being too close and plain, braided locks included, to admit of disarra—we desded, Adèle w whether the petit coffre was at length e; for, owing to some mistake, its arrival had hitherto been delayed. She was gratified: there it stood, a little carton, oable wheered the dining-room. She appeared to know it by instinct.
「Ma boite! ma boite!」 exclaimed she, running towards it.
「Yes, there is your 『boite』 at last: take it into a er, you genuine daughter of Paris, and amuse yourself with disembowelling it,」 said the deep and rather sarcastic voir. Rochester, proceeding from the depths of an immense easy-chair at the fireside. 「And mind,」 he tinued, 「don』t bother me with aails of the anatomical process, or any notice of the dition of the entrails: let your operation be ducted in sileiens-toi tranquille, enfant; prends-tu?」
Adèle seemed scarcely to he warning—she had already retired to a sofa with her treasure, and was busy untying the cord which secured the lid. Having removed this impediment, and lifted certain silvery envelopes of tissue paper, she merely exclaimed—
「Oh ciel! Que c』est beau!」 and then remained absorbed iatiplation.
「Is Miss Eyre there?」 now demahe master, half rising from his seat to look round to the door, near which I still stood.
「Ah! well, e forward; be seated here.」 He drew a chair near his own. 「I am not fond of the prattle of children,」 he tinued; 「for, old bachelor as I am, I have no pleasant associations ected with their lisp. It would be intolerable to me to pass a whole evening tête-à-tête with a brat. Don』t draw that chair farther off, Miss Eyre; sit dowly where I placed it—if you please, that is. found these civilities! I tinually fet them. Nor do I particularly affect simple-minded old ladies. By- the-bye, I must have mine in mind; it won』t do to her; she is a Fairfax, or wed to one; and blood is said to be thicker than water.」
He rang, ached an invitation to Mrs. Fairfax, who soon arrived, knitting-basket in hand.
「Good evening, madam; I sent to you for a charitable purpose. I have forbidden Adèle to talk to me