# ■ 12 The gipsy woman

No sooner had Mr Mason joined the group of guests than a servant entered to announce the arrival of an old gipsy woman，who was supposed to be a skilled fortune-teller.The ladies were very excited and decided to ask her to tell their fortunes.Miss Ingram，as usual，was first，and spent fifteen minutes alone with the old woman in the library．She came back looking cross.

It's just childish nonsense！How can you all believe in that sort of thing！'she said，picking up a book and pretending to read it．But as she frowned more and more，and did not turn a page，I assumed that the gipsy's words were more important to her than she wanted us to think．Next，three young ladies went in together，and came back full of praise for the gipsy's skill．

She's old，and dirty， and ugly，' they cried，shocked，'but she knows everything about us，everything！'While the gentlemen were calming them down，the servant entered the room again．

Excuse me，miss，'he said to me．'The gipsy says there's another young single lady in the room．She refuses to leave the house until she has seen all the young ladies．It must be you.'

Oh，I'll go，'I said gladly．I was curious to see the gipsy．

She was sitting in an armchair in the library，murmuring

words over a little black book.Her large black hat covered most of her face,but when she lifted her head,I saw her dark eyes.

So you want me to tell your fortune?'she asked.

Well,I must warn you,I don't believe in your skill.'

I expected that.why don't you tremble?'

I'm not cold.'

Why don't you turn pale?'

I'm not ill.'

Why don't you ask me to tell your fortune?'

I'm not a fool.'

The old woman laughed and started smoking a short black pipe.

I can prove that you're cold,and ill,and a fool,'she said.'Listen.You're cold,because you're alone.You're ill,because you lack love.And you're a fool,because love is near you,and you won't take one step to reach it.'

That's true of many people,'I said, interested.

Yes,but especially true of you.I can see that happiness is waiting for you, if you really want it．Tell me,in that room of fine people,isn't there one face you look at,one person you're interested in ?'

I hardly know the ladies and gentlemen here,' I answered.

Well,you serely know the master of the house?What do you think of his relationship with his guests, and with one particular guest?' asked the gipsy, smiling wickedly.

They're all very friendly with each other，'I replied cautiously．The gipsy seemed to know a lot about Thornfield．

Friendly！I'd say more than that，in fact I'd go so far as to mention the name of Blanche Ingram and the word，marriage．They will obviously be an extremely happy couple，although I told Miss Ingram something about the Rochester property which made her look quite depressed．If a wealthier gentleman comes along，Mr Rchester might lose his beautiful bride…'

But I came to hear about my future，not Mr Rochester's！

It depends on whether you're going to stretch out your hand for happiness．Let me look at your face．Your eyes and your mouth show me that feelings are important to you，but your forehead shows me that common sense is your main guide in life．You will never do anything wrong or shameful．Well，I respect that．I don't want sacrifice or sorrow in my life．I want-but that will do．I'd like to stay here looking at you for ever，but I must stop acting now．'

Was I dreaming？What was happening？The old woman's voice had changed and become as familiar to me as my own．

Well，Jane，do you know me？'asked the familiar voice．And，struggling with the old clothes，Mr Rochester stepped out of his disguise．

Sir，you've been talking nonsense to make me talk nonsense．It's hardly fair．'

De you forgive me，Jane？'

I shall try to，sir．But you shouldn't have done it．

What are my guests doing，Jane？'

Discussing the gipsy，I imagine．Oh，and did you know that a stranger has arrived to see you？'

A stranger！I wasn't expecting anyone．Who can it be？'

His name's Mason，sir，and he comes from the West Indies．

The smile froze on Mr Rochester's lips，and his face went White．

Mason！The west Indies！'he repeated three times．

Do you feel ill，sir？'I asked，worried．

Jane，help me，'he murmured，almost falling．I helped him to sit down，and sat with him．He took my hand and rubbed it gently．

I wish I were on an island with you and nobody else，with no trouble or danger or terrible memories to make me suffer．

How can I help you，sir？I'd give my life to help you．'

Jane，if I need help，I'll ask you，I promise．Get me a glass of wine now．'I fetched one from the dining-room，and gave it to him．He looked less pale，but very stern．

Jane，if all those fine guests of mine came and spat at me，what would you do？'he asked．

Turn them out of the house，sir，if I could．'

But if they only looked at me coldly，and whispered behind their hands about me，and then left me one by one？

I'd stay with you，sir，to comfort you．'

And if the whole world disapproved of me，would you still stay with me？'

If you deserved my friendship，as I'm sure you do，I wouldn't care about other people's disapproval．

Thank you，Jane．Now go and ask Mr Mason to come and see me．'So I did，and，leaving the two men in the library，went to bed．

Much later I heard him showing Mr Mason to his bedroom，and was glad that Mr Rochester sounded so cheerful．

■ 12 吉普賽女人

梅森剛剛加入客人的行列，僕人就進來通報一位吉普賽老婦人來了，據說是算命高手。女士們都很激動，決定讓她算算命。和往常一樣，英格姆小姐捷足先登，和老婦在書房裡待了一刻鐘。她回來時，面帶不快。

“簡直是小孩子說胡話。你們怎麼能相信這一套！”她說著拿起一本書，假裝讀著。但她的眉頭越皺越緊，沒有翻動一頁，我猜普吉普賽人的話對她來說比她讓我們想像的要重要。接著，三位年輕女士一起走了進去，回來時對吉普賽人的技巧讚不絕口。

“她又老、又髒、又醜。”她們吃驚地叫著。“可是我們的事她什麼都知道。”先生們安撫著她們，這時僕人又走了進來。

“對不起，小姐。”他對我說，“吉普賽人說還有一位年輕女士在屋裡。不見到所有的女士，她不答應離開這裡。她指的一定是你。”

“噢，那我去。”我高興地答道。我很好奇，想見見那個吉普賽人。

她坐在書房的一把扶手椅上，對著一本小黑書唸唸有詞。寬大的黑帽子幾乎遮住了她整個的臉，但她抬起頭時，我看到了一雙黑眼睛。

“那麼你想讓我算命？”她說。

“我得警告你，我不相信你的把戲。”

“我料到了。你怎麼不發抖呢？”

“我不冷。”

“為什麼你臉色不變得蒼白？”

“我沒病。”

“為什麼你不讓我算命？”

“我不是傻瓜。”

老婦大笑起來，開始用一個短小的黑煙鬥吸菸。

“我可以證明你冷，還有病，還是個傻瓜。”她說，“聽著，你冷，因為你孤單；你有病，因為你缺少愛；你是個傻瓜，因為愛就近在咫尺，你卻不能邁出一步夠到它。”

“很多人都這樣。”我感興趣地說。

“是的，但你更是這樣。我可以看出，如果你真想得到幸福，幸福正等待著你。告訴我，在那一屋子的優雅的人當中，不是有一張臉你在看，有一個人你感興趣嗎？”

“我幾乎不認識這些女士和先生。”我答道。

“那麼，你當然認得這家的主人了？你覺得他和客人，和其中一位客人，關係如何？”吉普賽人帶著狡黠的微笑問道。

“他們彼此非常友好。”我小心地回答。吉普賽人似乎很瞭解特恩費得。

“友好！我說不止於此。實際上我還要說出布朗蒂·英格姆的名字和結婚這個詞。他們顯然會是無比幸福的一對兒，雖然我剛才對英格姆小姐講了羅切斯特家產的事，讓她很不高興。如果有一位更富有的紳士隨行，那麼羅切斯特先生可能會失去漂亮的新娘…”

“可我是來為自己算命的，不是為羅切斯特先生！”

“這取決於你是否伸出手去爭取幸福。讓我看看你的臉，你的眼睛和嘴巴告訴我情感對你來說是重要的，但你的額頭告訴我理智才是你生活的主要指南。你永遠不會做出錯事或醜事，我尊重這點。我不希望自己的生活中有犧牲或痛苦，我希望——但這樣就行。我希望永遠待在這裡看著你，不過我現在得停止演戲了。”

我在做夢嗎？出什麼事了？老婦的聲音變了，變成了與我自己的一樣熟悉的聲音。

“好了，簡，你認識我嗎？”熟悉的聲音問。掙脫著破衣服，羅切斯特先生不再偽裝了。

“先生，你在胡說，也害得我胡說。這不公平。”

“你原諒我嗎，簡？”

“先生，我會努力，可你不該這麼做。”

“簡，我的客人在做什麼？”

“我想在議論吉普賽人吧。噢，你知道有一個陌生人來看你嗎？”

“陌生人！我沒等誰來啊。是誰呢？”

“先生，他叫梅森，從西印度群島來。”

微笑在他的嘴上凝住了，他的臉變得蒼白。

“梅森！西印度群島！”他重複了三遍。

“先生，你不舒服嗎？”我擔心地問。

“簡，幫幫我。”他嘟囔著，幾乎摔倒。我扶他坐下，然後坐到他身邊。他握著我的手，輕輕撫摸著。

“我希望我和你待在一個小島上，沒有別人、沒有麻煩、沒有危險、沒有痛苦的記憶折磨我。”

“先生，我怎樣才能幫你呢？我可以豁出命來幫助你。”

“簡，如果我需要幫助，我會叫你，我保證。現在給我拿杯酒來。”我從餐廳拿來一杯酒遞給他。他看上去沒有那麼蒼白了，但很嚴肅。

“簡，如果我的那些優雅的朋友走過來對我吐唾沫，你會怎麼做？”他問。

“先生，如果辦得到，我就把他們轟出去。”

“但如果他們只是冷眼看著我，掩口議論我，然後一個個離開我呢？”

“我會留下陪你，安慰你，先生。”

“如果全世界都反對我，你還會留下來陪我嗎？”

“如果你配得上我的友情，我也確信是這樣，那麼我不會理會其他人的反對。”

“簡，謝謝。現在叫梅森來見我。”我照辦了，我讓他們單獨在書房待著。自己去睡了。

很久以後，我聽到他帶梅森進了他的臥室；聽到他的聲音如此愉快，我感到很高興。