1 The red room
We could not go for a walk that afternoon．There was such a freezing cold wind，and such heavy rain，that we all stayed indoors．I was glad of it．I never liked long walks，especially in winter．I ud to hate coming home when it was almost dark，with ice-cold fingers and toes，feeling mirable bccau Bessie，the nurmaid，was always scolding me．All the time I knew I was different from my cousins，Eliza，John and Georgiana Reed．They were taller and stronger than me，and they were loved．
The three usually spent their time crying and quarrelling，but today they were sitting quietly around their mother in the sitting-room．I wanted to join the family circle，but Mrs Reed，my aunt，refud Bessie had complainted about me．
'No，I'm sorry，Jane．Until I hear from Bessie，or e for mylf，that you are really trying to behave better，you cannot be treated as a good，happy child，like my children．' 'What does Bessie say I have done？'I asked．
'Jane，it is not polite to question me in that way．If you cannot speak pleasantly，be quiet．'
I crept out of the sitting-room and into the small room next door，where I cho a book full of pictures from the bookca．I climbed on to the window-at and drew the curtains，so that I was completely hidden．I sat there for a while．Sometimes I looked out of the window at the grey November afternoon，and saw the rain pouring down on the leafless garden．But most of the time I studied the book and stared，fascinated，at the pictures．Lost in the world of imagination，I forgot my sad，lonely existence for a while，and was happy，I was only afraid that my cret hiding-place might be discovered．
Suddenly the door of the room opened．John Reed rushed in．
'Where are you，rat？'he shouted．He did not e me behind the curtain．'Eliza！Georgy！Jane isn't here！Tell Mamma she's run out into the rain—what a bad animal she is！' 'How lucky I drew the curtain，'I thought．He would never have found me，becau he was not very intelligent．But Eliza guesd at once where I was．
'She's in the window-at，John，'she called from the sitting-room．So I came out immediately，as I did not want him to pull me out．
'What do you want？'I asked him．
'Say，“What do you want，Master Reed”，'he answered，sitting in an armchair．'I want you to come here．'
John Reed was fourteen and I was only ten．He was large and rather fat．He usually ate too much at meals，which made him ill．He should have been at boarding school，but his mother，who loved him very much，had brought him home for a month or two，becau she thought his health was delicate．
John did not love his mother or his sister，and he hated me He bullied and punished me，not two or three times a week，not once or twice a day，but all the time．My whole body trembled when he came near．Sometimes he hit me，sometimes he just threatened me，and I lived in terrible fear of him．I had no idea about how to stop him．The rvants did not want to offend their young master，and Mrs Reed could e no fault in her dear boy．
So I obeyed John's order and approached his armchair，thinking how very ugly his face was．Perhaps he understood what I was thinking，for he hit me hard on the face．'That is for your rudeness to Mamma just now，'he said，'and for your wickedness in hiding，and for looking at me like that，you rat！'I was so ud to his bullying that I never thought of
hitting him back．
'What were you doing behind that curtain？'he asked．
'I was reading，'I answered．
'Show me the book．'I gave it to him．
'You have no right to take our books，'he continued．'You have no money and your father left yor none．You ought to beg in the streets，not live here in comfort with a gentleman's family．Aayway，all the books are mine，and so is the whole hou，or will be in a few years'time．I'll teach you not to borrow my books again．'He lifted the heavy book and threw it hard at me．
It hit me and I fell，cutting my head on the door．I was in great pain，and suddenly for the first time in my life，I forgot my fear of John Reed．
'You wicked，cruel boy！'I cried．'You are a bully！You are as bad as a murderer！'
'What！What！'he cried．'Did she say that to me？Did you hear，Eliza and Georgiana？I'll tell Mamma，but first…'
He rushed to attack me，but now he was fighting with a desperate girl．I really saw him as a wicked murderer．I felt the blood running down my face，and the pain gave me strength．I fought back as hard as I could．My resistance surprid him，and he shouted for help．His sisters ran for Mrs Reed，who called her maid，Miss Abbott，and Bessie．They pulled us apart and I heard them say，'What a wicked girl！She attacked Master John！'
Mrs Reed said calmly，'Take her away to the red room and lock her in there．'And so I was carried upstairs，arms waving and legs kicking．
As soon as we arrived in the red room，I became quiet again，and the two rvants both started scolding me．
'Really，Miss Eyre，'said Miss Abbott，'how could you hit him？He's your young master！' 'How can he be my master？I am not a rvant！'I cried．
'No，Miss Eyre，you are less than a rvant，becau you do not work，replied Miss Abbott．They both looked at me as if they strongly disapproved of me．
'You should remember，miss，'said Bessie，'that your aunt pays for your food and clothes，and you should be grateful．You have no other relations or friends．'
All my short life I had been told this，and I had no answer to it．I stayed silent，listening to the painful reminders．
'And if you are angry and rude，Mrs Reed may nd you away，'added Bessie．
'Anyway，'said Miss Abbott，'God will punish you，Jane Eyre，for your wicked heart．Pray to God，and say you're sorry．'They left the room，locking the door carefully behind them．
The red room was a cold，silent room，hardly ever ud，although it was one of the largest bedrooms in the hou．Nine years ago，my uncle，Mr Reed，had died in this room，and since then nobody had wanted to sleep in it．
Now that I was alone I thought bitterly of the people I lived with．John Reed，his sisters，his mother，the rvants，they all accud me，scolded me，hated me．Why could I never plea them？Eliza was lfish，but was respected．Georgiana had a bad temper，but she was popular with everybody becau she was beautiful John was rude，cruel and violent，but nobody punished him．I tried to make no mistakes，but they called me，naughty every moment of the day．Now that I had turned against John to protect mylf，everybody blamed me．
And so I spent that whole long afternoon in the red room asking mylf why I had to suffer and why life was so unfair．Perhaps I would run away，or starve mylf to death．
Gradually it became dark outside．The rain was still beating on the windows，and I could hear the wind in the trees．Now I was no longer angry，and I began to think the Reeds might be right．Perhaps I was wicked．Did I derve to die，and be buried in the churchyard like my uncle Reed？I could not remember him，but knew he was my mother's brother，who had taken me to his hou when my parents both died．On his death bed he had made his wife，aunt Reed，promi to look after me like her own children．I suppod she now regretted her promi．
A strange idea came to me．I felt sure that if Mr Reed had lived he would have treated me kindly，and now，as I looked round at the dark furniture and the walls in shadow，I began to fear that his ghost might come back to punish his wife for not keeping her promi．He might ri from the grave in the churchyard and appear in this room！I was so frightened by this thought that I hardly dared to breathe．Suddenly in the darkness I saw a light moving on the ceiling．It may have been from a lamp outside，but in my nervous state I did not think of that．I felt sure it must be a ghost，a visitor from another world．My head was hot，my heart beat fast．Was that the sound of wings in my ears？Was that something moving near me？Screaming wildly，I rushed to the door and shook it．
Miss Abbott and Bessie came running to open it．
'Miss Eyre，are you ill？'asked Bessie．
'Take me out of here！'I screamed．
'Why？What's the matter？'she asked．
'I saw a light，and I thought it was a ghost，'I cried，holding tightly on to Bessie's hand．
'She's not even hurt，'said Miss Abbott in disgust．'She screamed just to bring us here．I know
all her little tricks．'
'What is all this？'demanded an angry voice．Mrs Reed appeared at the door of the room．'Abbott and Bessie，I think I told you to leave Jane Eyre in this room till I came．'
'She screamed so loudly，ma'am，'said Bessie softly．
'Let go off her hands，Bessie，'was Mrs Reed's only answer．'Jane Eyre，you need not think you can succeed in getting out of the room like this．Your naughty tricks will not work with me．You will
stay here an hour longer as a punishment for trying to deceive us．'
'Oh aunt，plea forgive me！I can't bear it！I shall die if you keep me here…'I screamed and kicked as she held me．
'Silence！Control yourlf！'She pushed me，resisting wildly，back into the red room and locked me in．There I was in the darkness again，with the silence and the ghosts．I must have fainted．I cannot remember anything more．
第一部蓋茨赫德的孩子
1 紅房子
那天下午，我們不能出去散步。寒風刺骨，大雨瓢潑，大家都待在家里，我倒是因此感到高興。我從來不喜歡走長路，特別是在冬天。過去我最討厭回到家時天色已暗，手腳冰涼，女仆貝茜總是訓斥我而使我痛苦不堪。無論何時我都懂得我和我的表兄妹——里德家的伊麗莎、約翰和喬治娜不一樣。他們不僅比我高大、強壯，而且還受寵。
這三個人常常吵鬧不休，但今天卻和媽媽一起靜靜地坐在起居室里。我也想參加進去，可我的舅媽里德太太不允許。貝茜告了我的狀。
“對不起，簡。如果不聽到貝茜說或是由我親眼看到你的確努力要學好，你就不能像我的孩子那樣，被當成是快樂的好孩子。”
“貝茜說我干什么了？”我問。
“簡，這樣問我是不禮貌的。如果你不能好好講話，就閉嘴。”
我悄悄退出起居室，走進隔壁的小房間，從書架上選了一本圖畫書。我爬上窗臺，拉好窗簾，把自己整個藏了起來。我坐了一會兒，時而望望窗外。11月的午后天氣陰沉，大雨傾瀉在禿枝枯葉的花園里。不過大部分時候，我認真讀著書，完全被書中的圖畫吸引住了。我沉浸在想像的世界中，暫時忘掉了傷心和孤單，只感到快活。我唯一擔心的就是我的秘密藏身處可能會被發現。
突然，門開了，約翰·里德沖了進來。
“老鼠，你在哪兒？”他叫著，沒有看到窗簾后面的我。“伊麗莎！喬吉！簡不在這兒！告訴媽媽她跑出去淋雨了。真是個畜生！”
“幸好我拉上了窗簾，”我心想。他永遠找不到我，因為他并不聰明。可是，伊麗莎一下子就猜出了我在哪里。
“約翰，她坐在窗臺上。”她在起居室喊道。于是，我趕緊走了出來，因為我不愿意他來拽我。
“你想怎樣？”我問道。
“說'里德主人，您想要什么'，”他坐在椅子子說。“我要你過來。”
約翰·里德已經14歲了，而我只有10歲。他長得又高又胖，常常狼吞虎咽吃得太多，以致鬧病。他本該上寄宿學校的，可是他媽媽太寵他，把他接回家一兩個月，因為她覺得他身體弱。約翰既不喜歡他的母親，也不喜歡他的妹妹，對我更只有恨。他欺侮我，懲罰我，不是一星期兩三次，也不是一天里一兩次，而是隨時隨地。他一靠近，我就渾身打顫。他有時打我，有時嚇唬我，我整天生活在對他的恐懼中，我根本不知道如何阻止他。仆人們不愿得罪他們的小主人，而里德太太根本看不到她的心肝寶貝會有什么錯。
于是，我服從了約翰的命令，走向他坐的椅子，心想他那張臉真是丑極了。可能他看出了我的心思，用手重重地打在我的臉上。
“這是罰你剛才對媽媽無禮，”他說，“罰你藏起來的鬼主意，罰你那么瞪著我，你這老鼠！”我已經習慣了被他欺負，從沒想過要還手。
“你在簾子后面干什么？”他問。
“我在讀書，”我答道。
“給我看看。”我將書遞了過去。
“你沒權拿我們的書。”他接著說。“你身無分文，你父親也沒給你留下一分錢。你應該上街討飯，而不是在一位紳士家里過舒服日子。不管怎樣，這些書都是我的，幾年以后整幢房子也是我的了。我要教訓你別再借我的書。”他舉起重重的書，狠狠地打在我身上。
我被打倒在地，頭碰在門上磕破了。我感到疼痛不堪，平生第一次突然忘記了我對約翰·里德的恐懼。
“你這個殘忍的壞蛋！”我喊著，“你欺侮人！你像個劊子手！”
