[00:00.22] Chapter 16, The next day.
[00:04.73] In the morning, Adele's lessons continued as if nothing had happened.
[00:11.32] But the servants were at work cleaning Mr. Rochester's room and changing the bed curtains.
[00:19.85] Everyone seemed to think the fire had been caused by a candle left in the bedroom.
[00:26.61] I went in to hear what they were saying.
[00:30.97] And there was Grace Pool, calmly sewing on curtain rings.
[00:38.20] Good morning, Grace, I said.
[00:40.81] Wondering how she would explain all this.
[00:44.89] What happened here?
[00:49.59] Master fell asleep with the candle still alight, she said.
[00:55.98] But he woke and put out the fire with water from the jug.
[01:02.39] Did you hear nothing, miss?
[01:07.51] Only a laugh, I said.
[01:12.97] I hope you bolt your door at night, she said primly.
[01:18.32] It's safest too.
[01:21.85] Her calm show of innocence amazed me, and I could not understand why Mr. Rochester kept this dangerous woman at Thornfield.
[01:34.35] I was determined to ask him.
[01:36.99] I knew him well enough by now to do that.
[01:42.71] The way he had looked at me that night, and his way of speaking was in my mind all day.
[01:50.90] I found myself reliving it all, so that I hardly concentrated on lessons anymore than Adele did.
[02:01.01] In the evening, there was no sign of him.
[02:05.55] I joined Mrs. Fairfax for tea.
[02:13.91] Mr. Rochester has had a good day for traveling, she remarked.
[02:20.47] Traveling? I said.
[02:23.36] Oh, yes.
[02:25.34] She settled herself down for a cozy gossip.
[02:32.50] He went first thing this morning to Mr. Eston's house on the other side of Milcoat.
[02:39.68] He will stay for at least a week.
[02:43.53] All the gentry are gathering there, and he is a great favorite with the ladies.
[02:52.86] Will there be many ladies, I asked.
[02:59.05] Oh, yes, and he is very popular with them.
[03:04.83] He may not be handsome, but he is rich and well educated, and that counts for much.
[03:13.07] The Eston girls like him, and there's Blanche Ingram, Lord Ingram's daughter.
[03:23.26] What a beauty she is.
[03:27.67] She and Mr. Rochester sing duets together.
[03:32.45] They both have fine voices.
[03:40.45] Does Mr. Rochester like her, do you think? I asked.
[03:46.53] Maybe, but he is nearly 40 and she is 25, she said.
[03:55.41] So Blanche Ingram was 25, beautiful, accomplished and the daughter of a Lord.
[04:08.07] I was a plain 18-year-old governess with no family and no money.
[04:17.94] As soon as I could, I went to my room and shut the door.
[04:26.83] Since the fire, I had imagined that Mr. Rochester might love me.
[04:35.51] Looking at my uninteresting face in the mirror, I knew it had been a silly day dream.
[04:44.66] Just because he took a polite interest and talked to me, I had thought he liked me.
[04:53.44] He would marry a charming noble woman, like Blanche Ingram.
[05:01.16] Certainly not me.