第39部分(第3/8 頁)

drawn　close　to　the　fire；　and　kept　shrinking　still　nearer；　as　if　he　were　cold；　I　pared　him　with　Mr。　Rochester。　I　think　（with　deference　be　it　spoken）　the　contrast　could　not　be　much　greater　between　a　sleek　gander　and　a　fierce　falcon：　between　a　meek　sheep　and　the　rough…coated　keen…eyed　dog；　its　guardian。

He　had　spoken　of　Mr。　Rochester　as　an　old　friend。　A　curious　friendship　theirs　must　have　been：　a　pointed　illustration；　indeed；　of　the　old　adage　that　“extremes　meet。”

Two　or　three　of　the　gentlemen　sat　near　him；　and　I　caught　at　times　scraps　of　their　conversation　across　the　room。　At　first　I　could　not　make　much　sense　of　what　I　heard；　for　the　discourse　of　Louisa　Eshton　and　Mary　Ingram；　who　sat　nearer　to　me；　confused　the　fragmentary　sentences　that　reached　me　at　intervals。　These　last　were　discussing　the　stranger；　they　both　called　him　“a　beautiful　man。”　Louisa　said　he　was　“a　love　of　a　creature；”　and　she　“adored　him；”　and　Mary　instanced　his　“pretty　little　mouth；　and　nice　nose；”　as　her　ideal　of　the　charming。

“And　what　a　sweet…tempered　forehead　he　has！”　cried　Louisa；—“so　smooth—none　of　those　frowning　irregularities　I　dislike　so　much；　and　such　a　placid　eye　and　smile！”

And　then；　to　my　great　relief；　Mr。　Henry　Lynn　summoned　them　to　the　other　side　of　the　room；　to　settle　some　point　about　the　deferred　excursion　to　Hay　mon。

I　was　now　able　to　concentrate　my　attention　on　the　group　by　the　fire；　and　I　presently　gathered　that　the　new…er　was　called　Mr。　Mason；　then　I　learn