# ■ 13 The stranger is attacked

I was woken by the full moon shining in on me，as I had forgotten to draw my curtains．Suddenly，a wild，terrible cry broke the silence，echoing throughout the house．My heart missed a beat．What could it mean？It came from the top floor．Then I heard the sounds of a desperate struggle，just above my room．

Help！Help！ Help！wofl＼aflyofl6 hdp ffi6？ROCh幻ef！Rochested ForC心d's sake， comJ shouted a voice from SPSt81fS· Bedroom缸rs were opened as the guests woke up．What's happening？''Fetch a candlJ'Is It a fire？''Are there burjars？''Where's Rochester？ He isn't In hs room！' 'Herel am二' called the master of the house， descending with a candle from the top floor．'It's all right．仇n't be afrai人 ladles． Aservant's had a bad dream， that's all， and started screaming． Nothing to worry abut． Please go back to your rooms． You'11 catch cold otherwise．' And so he calmed his guests and persuaded them to return to their rooms． Butl knewthat the soundsl had heard could have nothing to do with a servant's dream．h Idressed and walted In my roonyln easel was needed． After about an hour， when ThOTllfi6ldHall WSS COthpl6t6ly SllCllt sgslll， th6f6 WSS 8cautious knock on my door．

Are you awake，Jane？'asked the voice I had been expecting.

Yes，sir，and dressed．'

Good，I need you．Come and help me．Bring a clean cloth with you．'We went quietly up to the top floor，where he unlocked one of the small black doors．

Do you feel faint at the sight of blood？'he asked．

I don't think so，'I replied．We entered a room with curtains hung on the walls．One of the curtains was tied back to reveal a secret door into another small room．From there came an angry growling sound，almost like a dog．

Wait here，'said Mr Rochester，and Went into the secret room where a shout of laughter greeted him．Ah，so Grace Poole was there！He came out quickly and closed the secret door．Then he showed me why he needed me．In an armchair lay Mr Mason，his clothes and his arm covered in blood。As we bent over him，he opened his eyes and groaned．

Am I going to die？'he murmured weakly．

No，man，don't be foolish．It's just a scratch，'answered Mr Rochester．'Now jane，'he said，turming to me，have to leave you in this room with Mason while I fetch the doctor．You must wipe away the blood with the damp cloth，like this，and help him to drink a little water．But on no account must you speak to him．Is that understood？'I nodded，and nervously watched him leave the room．I could hear him turning the key in the lock．

So here I was，in the middle of the night，locked in with a bleeding，dying man，and a wild，murdering woman only on the other side of a door！It seemed a long night，interrupted only by Mason's groans，and by occasional animal-like noises from the secret room．I had plenty of time to wonder why these violent attacks happened，first the fire in Mr Rochester's room，and now a physical attack on a stranger．And how was Mr Mason involved？Why was he here on the top floor？I had heard his host showing him to a bedroom near mine，on the second floor．And why was Mr Rochester so frightened when Mr Mason came to Thornfield？

At last Mr Rochester arrived with the doctor，who cleaned and bandaged Mason's wounds．

Strange！'remarked the doctor，'The skin on the shoulder has been torn by teeth，as well as a knife！'

She bit me，murmured Mason，when Rochester managed to get the knife from her．'

Well，I warned you not to see her alone，'said Rochester．'You should have waited till the morning，then we could have seen her together．Den't worry，man，when you get back to the West Indies，you can forget her．Think of her as dead and buried．Now，doctor，is Mason ready to be moved？I have a carriage waiting outside You'll take him home with you to avoid gossip，and then in a few days he'll be fit enough to leave the country．

Although it was now early morning，the house was still in total silence，and so there were no witnesses to see Mason being helped downstalrs and put in the carriage．

Look after him，doctor．'said Rochester．'Goodbye，Dick．'

Edward，make sure she's taken care of，make sure she's treated well… Mason could not continue，but burst into tears．

I'll do my best，Dick，as I always have done，'replied Rochester，shutting the door of the carriage，which rolled away．'But I wish there was an end to it！'he murmured to himself．

As we were walking back through the garden to the house，he said to me，'Jane，you've had a strange night．You look pale．Were you afraid when I left you alone with Mason？'

Not of Mason，sir，but of Grace Poole in the secret room．'

But I'd locked her door．I would never leave you in danger．'

Will she go on living here，sir？'I asked．

Oh yes．Don't think about her．'

But I'm sure your life is in danger while she's here．'

Den't worry，I can take care of myself．I'm in more danger while Mason's in England．I live in constant fear of a disaster.'

But Mr Mason's weak！You have great influence with him！'

Yes．He wouldn't knowingly hurt me，but by one careless word he could destroy，if not my life，at least my chance of happiness.Sit down with me on this bench，Jane．I want to ask you something．

The early sun warmed the bench and the birds were singing．Now，Jane，suppose a boy in a foreign country makes a mistake，not a crime， mind you．The results of this mistake have a terrible effect on his whole life．He comes home aftef years of suffering，and meets someone，who is fresh and good and pure.Now，can he ignore society，can he forget the past,and live the rest of his life with her in peace？'

It was a difficult question to answer．In the end I said，

You can't rely on a human being to cure you of evil and give you peace．You must ask for God's help．'

But I think I've found the cure！It's… He paused．I held my breath．I almost thought the birds would stop singing to hear the name he was going to say．

Yes，'he said in quite a different，hard voice，you've noticed my love for Miss Ingram，haven't you？Don't you think she'll cure me of my wickedness，Jane？Oh，I can hear some of the guests in the garden．Go into the house by the back door．'As I went one way，and he another，I heard him say cheerfully to the gentlemen，'Mason's already left．I got up early to say goodbye to him．'

■ 13 陌生人遭襲擊

由於我忘記拉好窗簾，一輪滿月照在我身上，我被弄醒了。突然，一聲可怕的狂叫打破了寂靜，在整幢房子裡迴盪。我的心跳都停了。這是怎麼回事？聲音從頂層傳來，接著我聽到就在我樓上有死命掙扎的聲音。

“救命！救命！救命！來人啊！救救我！羅切斯特！羅切斯特！看在上帝的份上，快來啊！”樓上有人喊著。

許多臥室的門打開了，客人們都被吵醒了。“出什麼事了？”“拿蠟燭來！”“著火了嗎？”“有強盜？”“羅切斯特呢？他不在自己屋裡！”

“我在這兒！”房子的主人喊道，他拿著蠟燭從頂樓走了下來。“沒事兒。女士們，別怕。一個僕人做了噩夢，然後開始喊叫，就這樣。沒什麼好擔心的。請回屋吧，不然會著涼的。”他安慰著客人們，把他們勸回屋裡。

但是我知道我聽到的聲音跟什麼僕人的噩夢毫無關係。於是我穿好衣服，等在屋裡，以防要我幫忙。大約一小時後，特恩費得已恢復了平靜，有人小心地敲我的門。

“簡，你醒著嗎？”我期待的聲音問道。

“先生，醒了，還穿好了衣服。”

“好，我需要你，來幫幫忙，帶上一塊乾淨的布。”我們悄悄走上頂層，他打開了其中的一扇小黑門。

“你見到血暈不暈？”他問。

“我想不會。”我答道。我們走進屋裡，只見簾子掛在牆上，其中一個已卷好，露出一個暗門，通向另一間小屋子。從那兒傳出了憤怒的嚎叫聲，幾乎像一隻狗似的。

“等在這兒。”羅切斯特說完走進密室，一陣狂笑迎接了他。啊，格麗絲·普爾在裡面！他很快退身出來，關上了暗門。然後他指給我為什麼他需要我。扶手椅上躺著梅森先生，他的衣服上和手臂上都有血。當我們俯身看他時，他睜開眼睛呻吟著。

“我會死嗎？”他虛弱地輕聲說。

“不會的，別傻了，不過劃傷了一點兒。”羅切斯特說。他轉過身來對我交待著：“簡，我要你留在屋裡陪梅森先生，我去請醫生。你必須用溼布擦淨血跡，像這樣，然後給他喝點兒水。但切莫對他說話，明白嗎？”我點點頭，害怕地看著他離開了房間，聽到他把門鎖上了。

於是我就這麼半夜被鎖起來陪伴一個流血不止、就要死去的人，而殺人的瘋女人就在門那邊！夜顯得那麼漫長，只有梅森的呻吟和不時從密室裡傳出的野獸般的聲音不時打破長夜。我有許多時間猜測為什麼會發生這些暴力事件，先是羅切斯特先生房間著火，現在又是陌生人遭到襲擊。梅森先生是怎麼捲進來的？他為什麼會在頂層呢？我聽到主人把他領進二樓我隔壁的臥室的。梅森先生來到特恩費得，為什麼羅切斯特先生那麼害怕？

終於，羅切斯特先生帶著醫生來了，那醫生為梅森清洗、包紮了傷口。

“真奇怪！”醫生說，“肩上的傷既有牙咬的，也有刀扎的！”

梅森低聲說；“羅切斯特奪她手裡的刀時，她咬了我。”

羅切斯特說：“我警告過你不要單獨見她。你應該等到早晨，然後我們一起去看她。別擔心，夥計，你回到西印度群島，就可以把她忘掉，就當她死了．被埋掉了。醫生，梅森先生能動了嗎？我有馬車等在外面。你把他帶去你家，免生議論，幾天後他就可以休養得離開這個國家了。”

儘管已是清晨，整幢房子仍是寂靜一片，因此沒人看到梅森被扶到樓下，坐進了馬車。

“醫生，好好照顧他。”羅切斯特說，“迪克，再見！”

“愛德華，保證照顧好她，保證好好待她……”梅森說不下去了，哭了起來。

“狄克，我會像以前一樣盡最大努力的。”羅切斯特回答說。他關上車門，車走了。“可我希望有結束的一天。”他自語道。

我們穿過花園回到屋裡時，他對我說：“簡，你過了奇怪的一夜。你看上去臉色蒼白。我留下你陪梅森時你害怕嗎？”

“不是怕梅森，是怕暗室裡的格麗絲·普爾。”

“可我已經鎖了門，我不會讓你處在危險中的。”

“她還會在這兒住下去嗎？”我問。

“噢，是的。別想她了。”

“可我肯定她住在這兒你就會有生命危險。”

“別擔心，我會照顧好自己。梅森不離開英格蘭，我會更有危險。我總是擔心災難會降臨。”

“但是梅森先生很脆弱！你對他影響力很大！”

“是的，他不會故意傷害我，但不小心說錯一個字，他如果不是毀掉我的生活，也會奪走我尋求幸福的機會。簡，和我一起坐在凳子上。我想問你點兒事。”

晨曦照暖了長凳，小鳥在唱歌。“簡，如果一個男孩在國外犯了錯誤，我提醒你不是犯罪，錯誤的結果嚴重影響了他的整個生活。經過多年的痛苦之後，他重返故里，遇到一個人，清新、善良、純潔。那麼，他能否不顧社會，忘記過去，和她一起平靜地度過餘生？”

這個問題很難回答。最後我說：

“你不能依靠人來醫治你的邪惡，給你安寧，你必須請求上帝的幫助。”

“但是我覺得我已找到了出路，是……”他停住了。我屏住呼吸，我覺得連小鳥都會停止歌唱，聽聽他要講出的名字。

“是的。”他換了完全不同的生硬語調，“你已經注意到我對英格姆小姐的愛慕，是不是？簡，你不覺得她可以醫治我的惡習嗎？噢，我聽到有客人來花園了。從後門進屋去。”我們分頭走開時，我聽到他高興地對先生們說：“梅森已經走了，我一早起來和他道別。”