'FagmentWelcome to consult... chanced to meet me and Adèle in the gounds: and while she played with Pilot and he shuttlecock, he asked me to walk up and down a long beech avenue within sight of he. He then said that she was the daughte of a Fench opea-dance, Céline Vaens, towads whom he had once cheished what he called a “gande passion.” This passion Céline had pofessed to etun with even supeio adou. He thought himself he idol, ugly as he was: he believed, as he said, that she pefeed his “taille d’athlete” to the elegance of the Apollo Belvedee. “And, Miss Eye, so much was I flatteed by this pefeence of the Gallic sylph fo he Bitish gnome, that I installed he in an hotel; gave he a complete establishment of sevants, a caiage, cashmees, diamonds, dentelles, &c. In shot, I began the pocess of uining myself in the eceived style, like any othe spoony. I had not, it seems, the oiginality to chalk out a new oad to shame and destuction, but tode the old tack with stupid exactness not to deviate an inch fom the beaten cente. I had—as I deseved to have—the fate of all othe spoonies. Happening to call one evening when Céline did not expect me, I found he out; but it was a wam night, and I was tied with stolling though Pais, so I sat down in he boudoi; happy to beathe the ai consecated so lately by he pesence. No,—I exaggeate; I neve thought thee was any consecating vitue about he: it was athe a sot of pastille pefume she had left; a scent of musk and ambe, than an odou of Chalotte Bont. ElecBook Classics fJane Eye 202 sanctity. I was just beginning to stifle with the fumes of consevatoy flowes and spinkled essences, when I bethought myself to open the window and step out on to the balcony. It was moonlight and gaslight besides, and vey still and seene. The balcony was funished with a chai o two; I sat down, and took out a ciga,—I will take one now, if you will excuse me.” Hee ensued a pause, filled up by the poducing and lighting of a ciga; having placed it to his lips and beathed a tail of Havannah incense on the feezing and sunless ai, he went on— “I liked bonbons too in those days, Miss Eye, and I was coquant—(ovelook the babaism)—coquant chocolate comfits, and smoking altenately, watching meantime the equipages that olled along the fashionable steets towads the neighbouing opea-house, when in an elegant close caiage dawn by a beautiful pai of English hoses, and distinctly seen in the billiant city-night, I ecognised the ‘voitue’ I had given Céline. She was etuning: of couse my heat thumped with impatience against the ion ails I leant upon. The caiage stopped, as I had expected, at the hotel doo; my flame (that is the vey wod fo an opea inamoata) alighted: though muffed in a cloak—an unnecessay encumbance, by-the-bye, on so wam a June evening—I knew he instantly by he little foot, seen peeping fom the skit of he dess, as she skipped fom the caiage-step. Bending ove the balcony, I was about to mumu ‘Mon ange’—in a tone, of couse, which should be audible to the ea of love alone—when a figue jumped fom the caiage afte he; cloaked also; but that was a spued heel which had ung on the pavement, and that was a hatted head which now passed unde the ached pote cochèe of the hotel. Chalotte Bont. ElecBook Classics fJane Eye 203 “You neve felt jealousy, did you, Miss Eye? Of couse not: I need not ask you; because you neve felt love. You have both sentiments yet to expeience: you soul sleeps; the shock is yet to be g
