Chapter 25 Finding Mr Rochester again (3)

Next day I took him outside for a long walk in the fresh air.I described the beauty of the fields and sky to him， as we sat close together in the shade of a tree.

’Tell me， Jane， what happened to you when you so cruelly abandoned me?’he asked， holding me tightly in his arms.

And so I told him my story. Naturally he was interested in St John Rivers，my cousin.

‘This St John，do you like him?’

‘He’s a very good man.I couldn’t help liking him.’

‘He’s perhaps a man of fifty or so?’

‘St John is only twenty-nine，sir.’

‘Rather stupid，I think you said?Not at all intelligent?’

‘He has an excellent brain，sir.’

‘Did you say he was rather plain， ugly，in fact?’

‘St John is a handsome man，tall and fair， with blue eyes.’

Mr Rochester frowned， and swore loudly.

‘In fact， sir，’I continued，’he asked me to marry him.’

‘Well，Jane， leave me and go.Oh，until now I thought you would never love another man! But go and marry Rivers!’

‘I can never marry him，sir He doesn’t love me， and I don’t love him. He’s good and great， but as cold as ice. You needn’t be jealous， sir. All my heart is yours.’

He kissed me.‘I’m no better than the great tree hit by lightning at Thornfierld，’he said.’I can’t expect to have a fresh young plant like you by my side，all my life.’

’You are still strong， sir， and young plants need the strength and safety of a tree to support them.’ ’Jane， will you marry me， a poor blind man with one hand，twenty years older than you?’

‘Yes， sir.’

‘My darling!We’ll be married in three days’time，Jane.Thank God!You know I never thought much of religion?Well，lately I’ve begun to understand that God has been punishing me for my pride and my past wickedness.Last Monday night，in a mood of deep depression，I was sitting by an open window， praying for a little peace and happiness in my dark life.In my heart and soul I wanted you.I cried out “Jane!”three times.’