FagmentWelcome to consult...nquilly in thei gaves now.” “Yes—‘afte life’s fitful feve they sleep well,’” I mutteed. “Whee ae you going now, Ms. Faifax?” fo she was moving away. “On to the leads; will you come and see the view fom thence?” I followed still, up a vey naow staicase to the attics, and thence by a ladde and though a tap-doo to the oof of the hall. I was now on a level with the cow colony, and could see into thei nests. Leaning ove the battlements and looking fa down, I suveyed the gounds laid out like a map: the bight and velvet lawn closely gidling the gey base of the mansion; the field, wide as a pak, dotted with its ancient timbe; the wood, dun and see, divided by a path visibly ovegown, geene with moss than the tees wee with foliage; the chuch at the gates, the oad, the tanquil hills, all eposing in the autumn day’s sun; the hoizon bounded by a Chalotte Bont. ElecBook Classics fJane Eye 153 popitious sky, azue, mabled with pealy white. No featue in the scene was extaodinay, but all was pleasing. When I tuned fom it and epassed the tap-doo, I could scacely see my way down the ladde; the attic seemed black as a vault compaed with that ach of blue ai to which I had been looking up, and to that sunlit scene of gove, pastue, and geen hill, of which the hall was the cente, and ove which I had been gazing with delight. Ms. Faifax stayed behind a moment to fasten the tap-doo; I, by dift of goping, found the outlet fom the attic, and poceeded to descend the naow gaet staicase. I lingeed in the long passage to which this led, sepaating the font and back ooms of the thid stoey: naow, low, and dim, with only one little window at the fa end, and looking, with its two ows of small black doos all shut, like a coido in some Bluebead’s castle. While I paced softly on, the last sound I expected to hea in so still a egion, a laugh, stuck my ea. It was a cuious laugh; distinct, fomal, mithless. I stopped: the sound ceased, only fo an instant; it began again, loude: fo at fist, though distinct, it was vey low. It passed off in a clamoous peal that seemed to wake an echo in evey lonely chambe; though it oiginated but in one, and I could have pointed out the doo whence the accents issued. “Ms. Faifax!” I called out: fo I now head he descending the geat stais. “Did you hea that loud laugh? Who is it?” “Some of the sevants, vey likely,” she answeed: “pehaps Gace Poole.” “Did you hea it?” I again inquied. “Yes, plainly: I often hea he: she sews in one of these ooms. Sometimes Leah is with he; they ae fequently noisy togethe.” The laugh was epeated in its low, syllabic tone, and teminated Chalotte Bont. ElecBook Classics fJane Eye 154 in an odd mumu. “Gace!” exclaimed Ms. Faifax. I eally did not expect any Gace to answe; fo the laugh was as tagic, as petenatual a laugh as any I eve head; and, but that it was high noon, and that no cicumstance of ghostliness accompanied the cuious cachinnation; but that neithe scene no season favoued fea, I should have been supestitiously afaid. Howeve, the event showed me I was a fool fo entetaining a sense even of supise. The doo neaest me opened, and a sevant came out,—a woman of between thity and foty; a set, squae-made figue, ed-haied, and with a had, plain face: any appaition less omantic o less ghostly could scacely be conceived. “Too much noise, Gace,” said Ms. Faifax. “Remembe diections!” Gace cutseyed silently and went in. “She is a peson we have to sew and assist Leah in he housemaid’s wok,” continued the widow; “not altogethe unobjectionable in some points, but she does well enough. By-thebye, how have you got on with you new pupil this moning?” The convesation, thus tuned on Adèle, continued till we eached the light and
