Jane Eyre - Pennsylvania State University

Charlotte Brontë
“Just give me your hand,” he said: “it will not do to risk a coat; he was still; his head leant back; his eyes were closed.
fainting fit.”
Mr. Rochester held the candle over him; I recognised in his
I put my fingers into his. “Warm and steady,” was his re- pale and seemingly lifeless face—the stranger, Mason: I saw
mark: he turned the key and opened the door.
too that his linen on one side, and one arm, was almost soaked
I saw a room I remembered to have seen before, the day in blood.
Mrs. Fairfax showed me over the house: it was hung with “Hold the candle,” said Mr. Rochester, and I took it: he
tapestry; but the tapestry was now looped up in one part, and fetched a basin of water from the washstand: “Hold that,”
there was a door apparent, which had then been concealed. said he. I obeyed. He took the sponge, dipped it in, and moist-
This door was open; a light shone out of the room within: I ened the corpse-like face; he asked for my smelling-bottle,
heard thence a snarling, snatching sound, almost like a dog and applied it to the nostrils. Mr. Mason shortly unclosed his
quarrelling. Mr. Rochester, putting down his candle, said to eyes; he groaned. Mr. Rochester opened the shirt of the
me, “Wait a minute,” and he went forward to the inner apart- wounded man, whose arm and shoulder were bandaged: he
ment. A shout of laughter greeted his entrance; noisy at first, sponged away blood, trickling fast down.
and terminating in Grace Poole’s own goblin ha! ha! She then “Is there immediate danger?” murmured Mr. Mason.
was there. He made some sort of arrangement without speak- “Pooh! No—a mere scratch. Don’t be so overcome, man:
ing, though I heard a low voice address him: he came out and bear up! I’ll fetch a surgeon for you now, myself: you’ll be
closed the door behind him.
able to be removed by morning, I hope. Jane,” he continued.
“Here, Jane!” he said; and I walked round to the other side “Sir?”
of a large bed, which with its drawn curtains concealed a con- “I shall have to leave you in this room with this gentleman,
siderable portion of the chamber. An easy-chair was near the for an hour, or perhaps two hours: you will sponge the blood
bed-head: a man sat in it, dressed with the exception of his as I do when it returns: if he feels faint, you will put the glass
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