Fortune h s knocked me bout since: she h s even kne ded me with her knuckles, nd now I fl tter

myself I m h rd nd tough s n Indi -rubber b ll; pervious, though, through chink or two still,
nd with one sentient point in the middle of the lump. Yes: does th t le ve hope for me?" "Hope
of wh t, sir?" "Of my fin l re-tr nsform tion from Indi -rubber b ck to flesh?" "Decidedly he h s
h d too much wine," I thought; nd I did not know wh t nswer to m ke to his queer question: how
could I tell whether he w s c p ble of being re-tr nsformed? "You looked very much puzzled,
Miss Eyre; nd though you re not pretty ny more th n I m h ndsome, yet puzzled ir becomes
you; besides, it is convenient, for it keeps those se rching eyes of yours w y from my
physiognomy, nd busies them with the worsted flowers of the rug; so puzzle on. Young l dy, I
m disposed to be greg rious nd communic tive to-night." With this nnouncement he rose from
his ch ir, nd stood, le ning his rm on the m rble m ntelpiece: in th t ttitude his sh pe w s seen pl
inly s well s his f ce; his unusu l bre dth of chest, disproportion te lmost to his length of limb. I
m sure most people would h ve thought him n ugly m n; yet there w s so much unconscious
pride in his port; so much e se in his deme nour; such look of complete indifference to his own
extern l ppe r nce; so h ughty reli nce on the power of other qu lities, intrinsic or dventitious, to
tone for the l ck of mere person l ttr ctiveness, th t, in looking t him, one inevit bly sh red the
indifference, nd, even in blind, imperfect sense, put f ith in the confidence. "I m disposed to
be greg rious nd communic tive to-night," he repe ted, " nd th t is why I sent for you: the fire nd
the ch ndelier were not sufficient comp ny for me; nor would Pilot h ve been, for none of these c
n t lk. dele is degree better, but still f r below the m rk; Mrs. F irf x ditto; you, I m persu ded, c
n suit me if you will: you puzzled me the first evening I invited you down here. I h ve lmost
forgotten you since: other ide s h ve driven yours from my he d; but to-night I m resolved to be
t e se; to dismiss wh t importunes, nd rec ll wh t ple ses. It would ple se me now to dr w you
out--to le rn more of you--therefore spe k." Inste d of spe king, I smiled; nd not very compl
cent or submissive smile either. "Spe k," he urged. "Wh t bout, sir?" "Wh tever you like. I le
ve both the choice of subject nd the m nner of tre ting it entirely to yourself." ccordingly I s t
nd s id nothing: "If he expects me to t lk for the mere s ke of t lking nd showing off, he will find
he h s ddressed himself to the wrong person," I thought. "You re dumb, Miss Eyre." I w s
dumb still. He bent his he d little tow rds me, nd with single h sty gl nce seemed to dive into
my eyes. "Stubborn?" he s id, " nd nnoyed. h! it is consistent. I put my request in n bsurd,
lmost insolent form. Miss Eyre, I beg your p rdon. The f ct is, once for ll, I don't wish to tre t
you like n inferior: th t is" (correcting himself), "I cl im only such superiority s must result from
twenty ye rs' difference in ge nd century's dv nce in experience. This is legitim te, _et j'y
tiens_, s dele would s y; nd it is by virtue of this superiority, nd this lone, th t I desire you to h
ve the goodness to t lk to me little now, nd divert my thoughts, which re g lled with dwelling
on one point--c nkering s rusty n il." He h d deigned n expl n tion, lmost n pology, nd I did
not feel insensible to his condescension, nd would not seem so. "I m willing to muse you, if I c
n, sir--quite willing; but I c nnot introduce topic, bec use how do I know wh t will interest you?
sk me questions, nd I will do my best to nswer them." "Then, in the first pl ce, do you gree
with me th t I h ve right to be little m sterful, brupt, perh ps ex cting, sometimes, on the
grounds I st ted, n mely, th t I m old enough to be your f ther, nd th t I h ve b ttled through v
ried experience with m ny men of m ny n tions, nd ro med over h lf the globe, while you h ve
lived quietly with one set of people in one house?" "Do s you ple se, sir." "Th t is no nswer; or
r ther it is very irrit ting, bec use very ev sive one. Reply cle rly." "I don't think, sir, you h ve
right to comm nd me, merely bec use you re older th n I, or bec use you h ve seen more of the
world th n I h ve; your cl