Jane Eyre: a simplePrint version

Reader, I married him. A quiet wedding we had: he and I, the parson and clerk, were alone present. When we got back from church, I went into the kitchen of the manor-house, where Mary was cooking the dinner, and John cleaning the knives, and I said —

Mary, I have been married to Mr Rochester this morning. The housekeeper and her husband were of that decent, phlegmatic order of people, to whom one may at any time safely communicate a remarkable piece of news without incurring the danger of having one's ears pierced by some shrill ejaculation and subsequently stunned by a torrent of wordy wonderment. Mary did look up, and she did stare at me; the ladle with which she was basting a pair of chickens roasting at the fire, did for some three minutes hang suspended in air, and for the same space of time John's knives also had rest from the polishing process; but Mary, bending again over the roast, said only —

Have you, miss? Well, for sure!

A short time after she pursued, I seed you go out with the master, but I didn't know you were gone to church to be wed; and she basted away. John, when I turned to him, was grinning from ear to ear. I telled Mary how it would be, he said: I knew what Mr Edward (John was an old servant, and had known his master when he was the cadet of the house, therefore he often gave him his Christian name) — I knew what Mr Edward would do; and I was certain he would not wait long either: and he's done right, for aught I know. I wish you joy, miss! and he politely pulled his forelock.

Thank you, John. Mr Rochester told me to give you and Mary this.

I put into his hand a five-pound note. Without waiting to hear more, I left the kitchen. In passing the door of that sanctum some time after, I caught the words —

She'll happen do better for him nor ony o' t' grand ladies. And again, If she ben't one o' th' handsomest, she's noan faàl, and varry good-natured; and i' his een she's fair beautiful, onybody may see that.

I wrote to Moor House and to Cambridge immediately, to say what I had done: fully explaining also why I had thus acted. Diana and Mary approved the step unreservedly. Diana announced that she would just give me time to get over the honeymoon, and then she would come and see me.

She had better not wait till then, Jane, said Mr Rochester, when I read her letter to him; if she does, she will be too late, for our honeymoon will shine our life long: its beams will only fade over your grave or mine.

How St John received the news I don't know: he never answered the letter in which I communicated it: yet six months after he wrote to me, without, however, mentioning Mr Rochester's name or alluding to my marriage. His letter was then calm, and though very serious, kind. He has maintained a regular, though not very frequent correspondence ever since: he hopes I am happy, and trusts I am not of those who live without God in the world, and only mind earthly things.