"Oh, you're thinking about my perfect mother, too," said Sibyl. "Yes,
she is perfect, but there are different sorts in the world. My own
mother thinks it is not good for me to lie awake at night and think of
the angels and wait for father. She thinks that I ought to bear the
yoke in my youth. Solomon, the wise King Solomon--you have heard of
him, haven't you?"
Rochester nodded.
"He wrote that verse about bearing the yoke when you are young. I
learnt it a week ago, and I felt it just 'splained about my mother.
It's really very brave of mother; but, you see, father thinks
different, and, of course, I nat'rally like father's way best.
Mother's way is the goodest for me, p'waps. Don't you think mother's
way is the goodest for me, Mr. Rochester?"
"I dare say it is good for you, Sibyl. Now, shall we go and find Lady
Helen?"
"Seems to me," said Sibyl, "I'm always looking for Lady Helen when I'm
with you. Is it 'cos you're so desperate fond of her?"
"Don't you like her yourself?" said the young man, reddening visibly.
"Like her? I like her just awfully. She's the most 'licious person to
tell stories I ever comed across in all my borned days. She tells
every sort of story about giants and fairies and adventures, and
stories of little girls just like me. Does she tell you stories about
men just like you, and is that why you like to be with her?"
"Well, I can't honestly say that she has ever yet told me a story, but
I will ask her to do so."
"Do," said Sibyl; "ask her to tell you a story about a man like
yourself. Make him rather pwoper and stiff and shy, and let him blush
sometimes. You do, you know you do. Maybe it will do you good to hear
about him. Now come along and let's find her."
So Sibyl and Rochester hunted all over the place for Lady Helen, and
when they found her not, for she had gone to the nearest village on a
commission with one of the children, Rochester's face looked somewhat
grave, and his answers to the child were a little _distrait_. Sibyl
said to him in a tone of absolute sympathy and good faith--
"Cheer up, won't you? She is quite certain to marry you in the long
run."
"Don't talk like that," said Rochester in a voice of pain.
"Don't what? You do want to marry Lady Helen. I heard mother say so
yesterday. I heard her say so to Hortense. Hortense was brushing her
hair, and mother said, 'It would be a good match on the whole for Lady
Helen, 'cos she is as poor as a church mouse, and Jim Rochester has
money.' Is my darling Lady Helen as poor as a church mouse, and have
you lots of money, Mr. Rochester?"
"I have money, but not lots. You ought not to repeat what you hear,"
said the young man.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account