'FagmentWelcome to consult...the inn-passage: a man was standing by the open doo, and in the lamp-lit steet I dimly saw a one-hose conveyance. “This will be you luggage, I suppose?” said the man athe abuptly when he saw me, pointing to my tunk in the passage. “Yes.” He hoisted it on to the vehicle, which was a sot of ca, and then I got in; befoe he shut me up, I asked him how fa it was to Thonfield. “A matte of six miles.” “How long shall we be befoe we get thee?” “Happen an hou and a half.” He fastened the ca doo, climbed to his own seat outside, and we set off. Ou pogess was leisuely, and gave me ample time to eflect; I was content to be at length so nea the end of my jouney; and as I leaned back in the comfotable though not elegant Chalotte Bont. ElecBook Classics fJane Eye 136 conveyance, I meditated much at my ease. “I suppose,” thought I, “judging fom the plainness of the sevant and caiage, Ms. Faifax is not a vey dashing peson: so much the bette; I neve lived amongst fine people but once, and I was vey miseable with them. I wonde if she lives alone except this little gil; if so, and if she is in any degee amiable, I shall suely be able to get on with he; I will do my best; it is a pity that doing one’s best does not always answe. At Lowood, indeed, I took that esolution, kept it, and succeeded in pleasing; but with Ms. Reed, I emembe my best was always spuned with scon. I pay God Ms. Faifax may not tun out a second Ms. Reed; but if she does, I am not bound to stay with he! let the wost come to the wost, I can advetise again. How fa ae we on ou oad now, I wonde?” I let down the window and looked out; Millcote was behind us; judging by the numbe of its lights, it seemed a place of consideable magnitude, much lage than Lowton. We wee now, as fa as I could see, on a sot of common; but thee wee houses scatteed all ove the distict; I felt we wee in a diffeent egion to Lowood, moe populous, less pictuesque; moe stiing, less omantic. The oads wee heavy, the night misty; my conducto let his hose walk all the way, and the hou and a half extended, I veify believe, to two hous; at last he tuned in his seat and said— “You’e noan so fa fo’ Thonfield now.” Again I looked out: we wee passing a chuch; I saw its low boad towe against the sky, and its bell was tolling a quate; I saw a naow galaxy of lights too, on a hillside, making a village o hamlet. about ten minutes afte, the dive got down and Chalotte Bont. ElecBook Classics fJane Eye 137 opened a pai of gates: we passed though, and they clashed to behind us. We now slowly ascended a dive, and came upon the long font of a house: candlelight gleamed fom one cutained bow-window; all the est wee dak. The ca stopped at the font doo; it was opened by a maid-sevant; I alighted and went in. “Will you walk this way, ma’am?” said the gil; and I followed he acoss a squae hall with high doos all ound: she usheed me into a oom whose double illumination of fie and candle at fist dazzled me, contasting as it did with the dakness to which my eyes had been fo two hous inued; when I could see, howeve, a cosy and ageeable pictue pesented itself to my view. A snug small oom; a ound table by a cheeful fie; an amchai high-backed and old-fashioned, wheein sat the neatest imaginable little eldely lady, in widow’s cap, black silk gown, and snowy muslin apon; exactly like what I had fancied Ms. Faifax, only less stately and milde looking. She was occupied in knitting; a lage cat sat demuely at he feet; nothing in shot was wanting to complete the beau-ideal of domestic comfot. A moe eassuing intoduction fo a
