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"Mr Rochester!" I exclaimed "Who is he?"

"The owner of Thornfield," she responded quietly "Did you not know

he was called Rochester?"

Of course I did not--I had never heard of hiard his existence as a universally understood

fact, hich everybody ht," I continued, "Thornfield belonged to you"

"To me? Bless you, child; what an idea! To me! I am only the

housekeeper--the er To be sure I am distantly related to the

Rochesters by the ye yonder on the

hill--and that church near the gates was his The present Mr

Rochester's mother was a Fairfax, and second cousin to my husband:

but I never presu to ht of an ordinary housekeeper:irl--my pupil!"

"She is Mr Rochester's ward; he cooverness

for her He intended to have her brought up in -shire, I believe

Here she coma then was explained: this affable and kind little as

no great dame; but a dependant like myself I did not like her the