简爱 Jane47 - Chapter 13 Mr. Mason is Attacked

　　Jane 47 简爱

　　PART THREE - A YOUNG WOMAN AT THORNFIELD

　　CHAPTER THIRTEEN

　　Mr. Mason is Attacked

　　"Wait here," said Mr. Rochester. Quickly he went into the secret room. I heard loud, frightening laughter, and Mr. Rochester speaking in a soft voice. Grace Poole was in there, I thought. She must truly be crazy! Then Mr. Rochester came out, closing the secret door behind him. Suddenly I noticed that Mr. Mason was sitting in a chair. He was covered in blood. Suddenly he opened his eyes and looked at us.

　　"Am I going to die?" he asked.

　　"No, of course not," answered Mr. Rochester. "Now Jane," he said, turning to me, "I'll have to leave you alone with Mason while I find the doctor. Please care for him while I'm gone, but do not speak to him." I nodded, and nervously watched him leave the room. He looked the door when he left.

　　So here I was, locked in a room with a wounded man and a crazy, violent murderer, only on the other side of a small door! It was a long night. I had plenty of time to think about all the strange things that had happened. First, there was the fire in Mr. Rochester's room, and now another attack on a stranger. How was Mr. Mason involved? What was he doing on the top floor? Not many people at Thornfield went up there. Mr. Mason's bedroom was near mine. And, most of all, why was Mr. Rochester so frightened when I told him that Mr. Mason had come to Thornfield?