第63部分(第1/7 頁)

r　identity；　her　connection　with　yourself；　be　buried　in　oblivion：　you　are　bound　to　impart　them　to　no　living　being。　Place　her　in　safety　and　fort：　shelter　her　degradation　with　secrecy；　and　leave　her。’

“I　acted　precisely　on　this　suggestion。　My　father　and　brother　had　not　made　my　marriage　known　to　their　acquaintance；　because；　in　the　very　first　letter　I　wrote　to　apprise　them　of　the　union—having　already　begun　to　experience　extreme　disgust　of　its　consequences；　and；　from　the　family　character　and　constitution；　seeing　a　hideous　future　opening　to　me—I　added　an　urgent　charge　to　keep　it　secret：　and　very　soon　the　infamous　conduct　of　the　wife　my　father　had　selected　for　me　was　such　as　to　make　him　blush　to　own　her　as　his　daughter…in…law。　Far　from　desiring　to　publish　the　connection；　he　became　as　anxious　to　conceal　it　as　myself。

“To　England；　then；　I　conveyed　her；　a　fearful　voyage　I　had　with　such　a　monster　in　the　vessel。　Glad　was　I　when　I　at　last　got　her　to　Thornfield；　and　saw　her　safely　lodged　in　that　third…storey　room；　of　whose　secret　inner　cabi　she　has　now　for　ten　years　made　a　wild　beast’s　den—a　goblin’s　cell。　I　had　some　trouble　in　finding　an　attendant　for　her；　as　it　was　necessary　to　select　one　on　whose　fidelity　dependence　could　be　placed；　for　her　ravings　would　inevitably　betray　my　secret：　besides；　she　had　lucid　intervals　of　days—sometimes　weeks—which　she　filled　up　with　abuse　of　me。　At　last　I　hired　Grace　Poole　from　the　Grimbsy　Retreat。　She　and　the　surgeon；　Carter　（who　dressed　Mason’s　wounds　that　night　he　was　stabbed　and　worried）；　are　the　only　two　I　have　ever　admitted　to　my　confidence。　Mrs。　Fairfax　may　indeed　have　suspected　something；　but　she　could　have　gained　no　precise　knowledge　as　to　facts。　Grace　has；　on　the　whole；　proved　a　good　keeper；　though；　owing　partly　to　a　fault