简爱 Jane81 - Chapter 21 St. John's Secret

　　PART FOUR - LIFE AT MOOR HOUSE

　　CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

　　St. John's Secret

　　I had twenty village girls to teach. Some of them spoke in such a strong, country speech that I could barely understand them. Their words did not seem like the English language. Only three of the girls could read, and none could write. At the end of my first day, I knew there would be much hard work to do. But I told myself that I was lucky to have any kind of work. "Besides, these are good girls, and they want to learn, just like I did when I was their age," I thought.

　　Ever since I had left Thornfield I had thought of Mr. Rochester every day and night. That evening, I stood at the door of my house, looking at the sunset and the quiet fields. I allowed myself to imagine again the life I could have had with Mr. Rochester. He would have loved me very much for a while. "He did love me," I thought, "nobody will ever love me like that again." But I knew that I would only have been his mistress, not his wife. One day, he would have become tired of me. In time, I would be happier here as a school teacher. I would be alone, but at least I would be honest.

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