第15部分(第4/8 頁)

narrated；　Miss　Temple；　who　had　written　to　Mr。　Lloyd；　received　his　answer：　it　appeared　that　what　he　said　went　to　corroborate　my　account。　Miss　Temple；　having　assembled　the　whole　school；　announced　that　inquiry　had　been　made　into　the　charges　alleged　against　Jane　Eyre；　and　that　she　was　most　happy　to　be　able　to　pronounce　her　pletely　cleared　from　every　imputation。　The　teachers　then　shook　hands　with　me　and　kissed　me；　and　a　murmur　of　pleasure　ran　through　the　ranks　of　my　panions。

Thus　relieved　of　a　grievous　load；　I　from　that　hour　set　to　work　afresh；　resolved　to　pioneer　my　way　through　every　difficulty：　I　toiled　hard；　and　my　success　was　proportionate　to　my　efforts；　my　memory；　not　naturally　tenacious；　improved　with　practice；　exercise　sharpened　my　wits；　in　a　few　weeks　I　was　promoted　to　a　higher　class；　in　less　than　two　months　I　was　allowed　to　mence　French　and　drawing。　I　learned　the　first　two　tenses　of　the　verb　etre；　and　sketched　my　first　cottage　（whose　walls；　by…the…bye；　outrivalled　in　slope　those　of　the　leaning　tower　of　Pisa）；　on　the　same　day。　That　night；　on　going　to　bed；　I　forgot　to　prepare　in　imagination　the　Barmecide　supper　of　hot　roast　potatoes；　or　white　bread　and　new　milk；　with　which　I　was　wont　to　amuse　my　inward　cravings：　I　feasted　instead　on　the　spectacle　of　ideal　drawings；　which　I　saw　in　the　dark；　all　the　work　of　my　own　hands：　freely　pencilled　houses　and　trees；　picturesque　rocks　and　ruins；　Cuyp…like　groups　of　cattle；　sweet　paintings　of　butterflies　hovering　over　unblown　roses