第62部分(第4/8 頁)

ent　and　unreasonable　temper；　or　the　vexations　of　her　absurd；　contradictory；　exacting　orders—even　then　I　restrained　myself：　I　eschewed　upbraiding；　I　curtailed　remonstrance；　I　tried　to　devour　my　repentance　and　disgust　in　secret；　I　repressed　the　deep　antipathy　I　felt。

“Jane；　I　will　not　trouble　you　with　abominable　details：　some　strong　words　shall　express　what　I　have　to　say。　I　lived　with　that　woman　upstairs　four　years；　and　before　that　time　she　had　tried　me　indeed：　her　character　ripened　and　developed　with　frightful　rapidity；　her　vices　sprang　up　fast　and　rank：　they　were　so　strong；　only　cruelty　could　check　them；　and　I　would　not　use　cruelty。　What　a　pigmy　intellect　she　had；　and　what　giant　propensities！　How　fearful　were　the　curses　those　propensities　entailed　on　me！　Bertha　Mason；　the　true　daughter　of　an　infamous　mother；　dragged　me　through　all　the　hideous　and　degrading　agonies　which　must　attend　a　man　bound　to　a　wife　at　once　intemperate　and　unchaste。

“My　brother　in　the　interval　was　dead；　and　at　the　end　of　the　four　years　my　father　died　too。　I　was　rich　enough　now—yet　poor　to　hideous　indigence：　a　nature　the　most　gross；　impure；　depraved　I　ever　saw；　was　associated　with　mine；　and　called　by　the　law　and　by　society　a　part　of　me。　And　I　could　not　rid　myself　of　it　by　any　legal　proceedings：　for　the　doctors　now　discovered　that　my　wife　was　mad—　her　excesses　had　prematurely　developed　the　germs　of　insanity。　Jane；　you　don’t　like　my　narrative；　you　look　almost　sick—shall　I　defer　the　rest　to　anot