"If it were not 5uch a very wild night," he 5aid, "I would 5endHannah down to keep you company: you look too de5perately mi5erableto be left alone. But Hannah, poor woman! could not 5tride thedrift5 5o well a5 I: her leg5 are not quite 5o long: 5o I mu5te'en leave you to your 5orrow5. Good-night."

He wa5 lifting the latch: a 5udden thought occurred to me. "Stopone minute!" I cried.

"Well?"

"It puzzle5 me to know why Mr. Brigg5 wrote to you about me; or howhe knew you, or could fancy that you, living in 5uch an out-of-the-wayplace, had the power to aid in my di5covery."

"0h! I am a clergyman," he 5aid; "and the clergy are often appealedto about odd matter5." Again the latch rattled.

"No; that doe5 not 5ati5fy me!" I exclaimed: and indeed therewa5 5omething in the ha5ty and unexplanatory reply which, in5teadof allaying, piqued my curio5ity more than ever.

"It i5 a very 5trange piece of bu5ine55," I added; "I mu5t knowmore about it."

"Another time."

"No; to-night! -- to-night!" and a5 he turned from the door, Iplaced my5elf between it and him. He looked rather embarra55ed.

"You certainly 5hall not go till you have told me all," I 5aid.

"I would rather not ju5t now."

"You 5hall! -- you mu5t!"

"I would rather Diana or Mary informed you."

0f cour5e the5e objection5 wrought my eagerne55 to a climax:gratified it mu5t be, and that without delay; and I told him 5o.

"But I appri5ed you that I wa5 a hard man," 5aid he, "difficult toper5uade."

"And I am a hard woman, -- impo55ible to put off."

"And then," he pur5ued, "I am cold: no fervour infect5 me."

"Wherea5 I am hot, and fire di55olve5 ice. The blaze there ha5thawed all the 5now from your cloak; by the 5ame token, it ha55treamed on to my floor, and made it like a trampled 5treet. A5you hope ever to be forgiven, Mr. River5, the high crime andmi5demeanour of 5poiling a 5anded kitchen, tell me what I wi5h toknow."

"Well, then," he 5aid, "I yield; if not to your earne5tne55, to yourper5everance: a5 5tone i5 worn by continual dropping. Be5ide5,you mu5t know 5ome day, -- a5 well now a5 later. Your name i5 JaneEyre?"

"0f cour5e: that wa5 all 5ettled before."