Chapter 5:  Fire!

It was March. One night, I was in bed. But I was not asleep. The house was quiet. Suddenly, I heard a sound in the corridor outside my room.

‘Who’s there?’ I said. Nobody answered. Then I heard a strange laugh.

I got out of my bed and I went quietly to the door. I listened. I heard another sound. Somebody was walking up the stairs to the top corridor. Then I heard somebody close a door.

‘Was that Grace Poole?’ I said to myself. ‘Yes, it was Grace. Why was she laughing? And why is she walking in the house at night? Is she mad? I must tell Mr.s Fairfax about this. I will speak to her now.’

I put on some clothes and I opened the door. There was a candle on the floor outside my room. The candle was burning.

There was thick smoke in the corridor. I went into the corridor.

I looked around me. The door of Mr. Rochester’s bedroom was open. And the smoke was coming from Mr. Rochester’s room!

I sat in a chair by the window. Time passed. At last, Mr. Rochester returned.

‘Please don’t worry, Jane,’ he said. ‘Grace Poole is a strange woman. But she won’t hurt anybody tonight.’

I stood up. ‘Goodnight, sir,’ I said.

Mr. Rochester held my hand. He looked at me and he smiled. ‘Thank you, my dear friend,’ he said. ‘You saved my life tonight, Jane.’

‘Goodnight, sir,’ I said again.

I went back to my bed. I was very tired. But at first, I could not sleep. Suddenly, I understood something. I loved Mr. Rochester! He had smiled at me. He had held my hand. Did he love me? I did not know. But I thought about Mr. Rochester for a long time.

I did not see Mr. Rochester the next day. He did not send for me.

In the evening, I went down to Mr.s Fairfax’s sitting-room. The housekeeper was looking out of the window.

‘The weather has been good today,’ Mr.s Fairfax said. ‘Mr. Rochester had a good day for his journey.’

‘His journey? Where has he gone?’ I asked. I was surprised.

‘He has gone to Ingram Park,’ Mr.s Fairfax replied. ‘Mr. Rochester will stay there for a week or more. He has many friends. All his friends will be at Ingram Park this week.’

‘Will there be any ladies at Ingram Park?’ I asked.

‘Yes,’ Mr.s Fairfax said. ‘There will be many ladies there. Miss Blanche Ingram will be there. Mr. Rochester has known her for many years.’

‘Is Miss Ingram beautiful?’ I asked.

‘She is very beautiful,’ Mr.s Fairfax said.

‘Will Mr. Rochester marry her?’ I asked.

Mr.s Fairfax smiled. ‘I don’t know, Miss Eyre,’ she replied. ‘I don’t know.’

I was very unhappy. I went up to my bedroom. I looked in my mirror.

‘Jane Eyre,’ I said to myself. ‘You are not pretty. And you are poor. Mr. Rochester will never marry you. He will marry Miss Blanche Ingram. She is a rich lady. You are a poor governess. Forget Mr. Rochester, jane Eyre! Forget him!’