But at that moment the summons sounded for dinner; all re-enteredthe house. The odour which now filled the refectory was scarcelymore appetising than that which had regaled our nostrils at breakfast:the dinner was served in two huge tin-plated vessels, whence rose astrong steam redolent of rancid fat. I found the mess to consist ofindifferent potatoes and strange shreds of rusty meat, mixed andcooked together. Of this preparation a tolerably abundant plateful wasapportioned to each pupil. I ate what I could, and wondered withinmyself whether every day's fare would be like this.。,
。, 'What more have you to say?' she asked, rather in the tone in whicha person might address an opponent of adult age than such as isordinarily used to a child.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------。, 'The fall did not make you ill; what did, then?' pursued Mr.Lloyd when Bessie was gone.
'Nonsense! But you are rather put upon, that's certain. My mothersaid, when she came to see me last week, that she would not like alittle one of her own to be in your place.- Now, come in, and I'vesome good news for you.'。, Soon will the twilight close moonless and dreary
In uttering these words I looked up: he seemed to me a tallgentleman; but then I was very little; his features were large, andthey and all the lines of his frame were equally harsh and prim.。,
'Yet it would be your duty to bear it, if you could not avoid it:it is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what it is your fate to berequired to bear.'。,
。, 'I'll kiss you and welcome: bend your head down.' Bessie stooped;we mutually embraced, and I followed her into the house quitecomforted. That afternoon lapsed in peace and harmony; and in theevening Bessie told me some of her most enchaining stories, and sangme some of her sweetest songs. Even for me life had its gleams ofsunshine.
。, Soon after five P.M. we had another meal, consisting of a small mugof coffee, and half a slice of brown bread. I devoured my bread anddrank my coffee with relish; but I should have been glad of as muchmore- I was still hungry. Half an hour's recreation succeeded, thenstudy; then the glass of water and the piece of oat-cake, prayers, andbed. Such was my first day at Lowood.
'Miss Scatcherd is hasty- you must take care not to offend her;Madame Pierrot is not a bad sort of person.'。, I was a discord in Gateshead Hall: I was like nobody there; I hadnothing in harmony with Mrs. Reed or her children, or her chosenvassalage. If they did not love me, in fact, as little did I lovethem. They were not bound to regard with affection a thing thatcould not sympathise with one amongst them; a heterogeneous thing,opposed to them in temperament, in capacity, in propensities; auseless thing, incapable of serving their interest, or adding to theirpleasure; a noxious thing, cherishing the germs of indignation attheir treatment, of contempt of their judgment. I know that had I beena sanguine, brilliant, careless, exacting, handsome, romping child-though equally dependent and friendless- Mrs. Reed would haveendured my presence more complacently; her children would haveentertained for me more of the cordiality of fellow-feeling; theservants would have been less prone to make me the scapegoat of thenursery.