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"Is Mr Rochester living at Thornfield Hall now?" I asked, knowing,

of course, what the ansould be, but yet desirous of deferring

the direct question as to where he really was

"No,there I suppose you are a

stranger in these parts, or you would have heard what happened last

autumn,--Thornfield Hall is quite a ruin: it was burnt down just

about harvest-time A dreadful calamity! such an immense quantity

of valuable property destroyed: hardly any of the furniture could

be saved The fire broke out at dead of night, and before the

engines arrived fro was one mass of flame

It was a terrible spectacle: I witnessed it ht!" I muttered Yes, that was ever the hour of

fatality at Thornfield "Was it kno it originated?" I

deuessed Indeed, I should say it was

ascertained beyond a doubt You are not perhaps aware," he

continued, edging his chair a little nearer the table, and speaking

low, "that there was a lady--a--a lunatic, kept in the house?"

"I have heard so of it"

"She was kept in very close confinement, ma'am: people even for

some years was not absolutely certain of her existence No one saw

her: they only knew by rumour that such a person was at the Hall;