第91部分(第3/8 頁)

ken　amongst　mountains；　for　I　heard　a　hill…sent　echo　repeat　the　words。　Cooler　and　fresher　at　the　moment　the　gale　seemed　to　visit　my　brow：　I　could　have　deemed　that　in　some　wild；　lone　scene；　I　and　Jane　were　meeting。　In　spirit；　I　believe　we　must　have　met。　You　no　doubt　were；　at　that　hour；　in　unconscious　sleep；　Jane：　perhaps　your　soul　wandered　from　its　cell　to　fort　mine；　for　those　were　your　accents—as　certain　as　I　live—they　were　yours！”

Reader；　it　was　on　Monday　night—near　midnight—that　I　too　had　received　the　mysterious　summons：　those　were　the　very　words　by　which　I　replied　to　it。　I　listened　to　Mr。　Rochester’s　narrative；　but　made　no　disclosure　in　return。　The　coincidence　struck　me　as　too　awful　and　inexplicable　to　be　municated　or　discussed。　If　I　told　anything；　my　tale　would　be　such　as　must　necessarily　make　a　profound　impression　on　the　mind　of　my　hearer：　and　that　mind；　yet　from　its　sufferings　too　prone　to　gloom；　needed　not　the　deeper　shade　of　the　supernatural。　I　kept　these　things　then；　and　pondered　them　in　my　heart。

“You　cannot　now　wonder；”　continued　my　master；　“that　when　you　rose　upon　me　so　unexpectedly　last　night；　I　had　difficulty　in　believing　you　any　other　than　a　mere　voice　and　vision；　something　that　would　melt　to　silence　and　annihilation；　as　the　midnight　whisper　and　mountain　echo　had　melted　before。　Now；　I　thank　God！　I　know　it　to　be　otherwise。　Yes；　I　thank　God！”

He　put　me　off　his　knee；　rose；　and　reverently　lifting　his　hat　from　his　brow；　and　bending　his　sightless