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第8章 坤元境，震狱玄武！！

　　Bessie invited him to walk into the breakfast-room, and led the wayout. In the interview which followed between him and Mrs. Reed, Ipresume, from after-occurrences, that the apothecary ventured torecommend my being sent to school; and the recommendation was no doubtreadily enough adopted; for as Abbot said, in discussing the subjectwith Bessie when both sat sewing in the nursery one night, after I wasin bed, and, as they thought, asleep, 'Missis was, she dared say, gladenough to get rid of such a tiresome, ill-conditioned child, whoalways looked as if she were watching everybody, and scheming plotsunderhand.' Abbot, I think, gave me credit for being a sort ofinfantine Guy Fawkes.

　　'You naughty little thing!' she said. 'Why don't you come whenyou are called?'

　　'Your decisions are perfectly judicious, madam,' returned Mr.Brocklehurst. 'Humility is a Christian grace, and one peculiarlyappropriate to the pupils of Lowood; I, therefore, direct thatespecial care shall be bestowed on its cultivation amongst them. Ihave studied how best to mortify in them the worldly sentiment ofpride; and, only the other day, I had a pleasing proof of mysuccess. My second daughter, Augusta, went with her mama to visitthe school, and on her return she exclaimed: "Oh, dear papa, how quietand plain all the girls at Lowood look, with their hair combedbehind their ears, and their long pinafores, and those littleholland pockets outside their frocks- they are almost like poorpeople's children! and," said she, "they looked at my dress andmama's, as if they had never seen a silk gown before."'

　　'This is the state of things I quite approve,' returned Mrs.Reed; 'had I sought all England over, I could scarcely have found asystem more exactly fitting a child like Jane Eyre. Consistency, mydear Mr. Brocklehurst; I advocate consistency in all things.'

ed by the idea of long chimneys andclouds of smoke- 'but,' I argued, 'Thornfield will, probably, be agood way from the town.'

　　'Let Miss Eyre be seated,' said he: and there was something inthe forced stiff bow, in the impatient yet formal tone, which seemedfurther to express, 'What the deuce is it to me whether Miss Eyre bethere or not? At this moment I am not disposed to accost her.'

　　Of course they did; for I felt their eyes directed likeburning-glasses against my scorched skin.

　　'I can.'

　　'With whom?'