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．
第一部盖茨赫德的孩子
1 红房子
那天下午，我们不能出去散步。寒风刺骨，大雨瓢泼，大家都待在家里，我倒是因此感到高兴。我从来不喜欢走长路，特别是在冬天。过去我最讨厌回到家时天色已暗，手脚冰凉，女仆贝茜总是训斥我而使我痛苦不堪。无论何时我都懂得我和我的表兄妹——里德家的伊丽莎、约翰和乔治娜不一样。他们不仅比我高大、强壮，而且还受宠。
这三个人常常吵闹不休，但今天却和妈妈一起静静地坐在起居室里。我也想参加进去，可我的舅妈里德太太不允许。贝茜告了我的状。
“对不起，简。如果不听到贝茜说或是由我亲眼看到你的确努力要学好，你就不能像我的孩子那样，被当成是快乐的好孩子。”
“贝茜说我干什么了？”我问。
“简，这样问我是不礼貌的。如果你不能好好讲话，就闭嘴。”
我悄悄退出起居室，走进隔壁的小房间，从书架上选了一本图画书。我爬上窗台，拉好窗帘，把自己整个藏了起来。我坐了一会儿，时而望望窗外。11月的午后天气阴沉，大雨倾泻在秃枝枯叶的花园里。不过大部分时候，我认真读着书，完全被书中的图画吸引住了。我沉浸在想像的世界中，暂时忘掉了伤心和孤单，只感到快活。我唯一担心的就是我的秘密藏身处可能会被发现。
突然，门开了，约翰·里德冲了进来。
“老鼠，你在哪儿？”他叫着，没有看到窗帘后面的我。“伊丽莎！乔吉！简不在这儿！告诉妈妈她跑出去淋雨了。真是个畜生！”
“幸好我拉上了窗帘，”我心想。他永远找不到我，因为他并不聪明。可是，伊丽莎一下子就猜出了我在哪里。
“约翰，她坐在窗台上。”她在起居室喊道。于是，我赶紧走了出来，因为我不愿意他来拽我。
“你想怎样？”我问道。
“说'里德主人，您想要什么'，”他坐在椅子子说。“我要你过来。”
约翰·里德已经14岁了，而我只有10岁。他长得又高又胖，常常狼吞虎咽吃得太多，以致闹病。他本该上寄宿学校的，可是他妈妈太宠他，把他接回家一两个月，因为她觉得他身体弱。约翰既不喜欢他的母亲，也不喜欢他的妹妹，对我更只有恨。他欺侮我，惩罚我，不是一星期两三次，也不是一天里一两次，而是随时随地。他一靠近，我就浑身打颤。他有时打我，有时吓唬我，我整天生活在对他的恐惧中，我根本不知道如何阻止他。仆人们不愿得罪他们的小主人，而里德太太根本看不到她的心肝宝贝会有什么错。
于是，我服从了约翰的命令，走向他坐的椅子，心想他那张脸真是丑极了。可能他看出了我的心思，用手重重地打在我的脸上。
“这是罚你刚才对妈妈无礼，”他说，“罚你藏起来的鬼主意，罚你那么瞪着我，你这老鼠！”我已经习惯了被他欺负，从没想过要还手。
“你在帘子后面干什么？”他问。
“我在读书，”我答道。
“给我看看。”我将书递了过去。
“你没权拿我们的书。”他接着说。“你身无分文，你父亲也没给你留下一分钱。你应该上街讨饭，而不是在一位绅士家里过舒服日子。不管怎样，这些书都是我的，几年以后整幢房子也是我的了。我要教训你别再借我的书。”他举起重重的书，狠狠地打在我身上。
我被打倒在地，头碰在门上磕破了。我感到疼痛不堪，平生第一次突然忘记了我对约翰·里德的恐惧。
“你这个残忍的坏蛋！”我喊着，“你欺侮人！你像个刽子手！”
