Jane Eyre - Pennsylvania State University

Charlotte Brontë
in a costly velvet shawl, trimmed with ermine, and she wore my hand, and falling with an obtrusive crash, directly drawn
a false front of French curls.
every eye upon me; I knew it was all over now, and, as I stooped
These ladies were deferentially received by Miss Temple, as to pick up the two fragments of slate, I rallied my forces for
Mrs. and the Misses Brocklehurst, and conducted to seats of the worst. It came.
honour at the top of the room. It seems they had come in the “A careless girl!” said Mr. Brocklehurst, and immediately
carriage with their reverend relative, and had been conducting after— “It is the new pupil, I perceive.” And before I could
a rummaging scrutiny of the room upstairs, while he trans- draw breath, “I must not forget I have a word to say respectacted
business with the housekeeper, questioned the laundress, ing her.” Then aloud: how loud it seemed to me! “Let the
and lectured the superintendent. They now proceeded to ad- child who broke her slate come forward!”
dress divers remarks and reproofs to Miss Smith, who was Of my own accord I could not have stirred; I was paralysed:
charged with the care of the linen and the inspection of the but the two great girls who sit on each side of me, set me on
dormitories: but I had no time to listen to what they said; my legs and pushed me towards the dread judge, and then
other matters called off and enchanted my attention. Miss Temple gently assisted me to his very feet, and I caught
Hitherto, while gathering up the discourse of Mr. her whispered counsel—
Brocklehurst and Miss Temple, I had not, at the same time, “Don’t be afraid, Jane, I saw it was an accident; you shall
neglected precautions to secure my personal safety; which I not be punished.”
thought would be effected, if I could only elude observation. The kind whisper went to my heart like a dagger.
To this end, I had sat well back on the form, and while seem- “Another minute, and she will despise me for a hypocrite,”
ing to be busy with my sum, had held my slate in such a thought I; and an impulse of fury against Reed, Brocklehurst,
manner as to conceal my face: I might have escaped notice, and Co. bounded in my pulses at the conviction. I was no
had not my treacherous slate somehow happened to slip from Helen Burns.
65