antique garden is attractive; and he strolls on, now lifting the.
gooseberry-tree branches to look at the fruit, large as plums,
with which they are laden; now taking a ripe cherry from the
wall; now stooping towards a knot of flowers, either to inhale
their fragrance or to admire the dew-beads on their petals.
A great moth goes humming by me; it alights on a plant at
Mr. Rochester's foot; he sees it, and bends to examine it.

"Now he has his back towards me," thought I, "and he is
occupied too: perhaps, if I walk softly, I can slip away un-
noticed."

I trod on an edging of turf that the crackle of the pebbly
gravel might not betray me; he was standing among the beds
at a yard or two distant from where I had to pass; the moth
apparently engaged him. "I shall get by very well," I medi-
tated.

As I crossed his shadow, thrown long over the garden by
the moon, not yet risen high; he said quietly, without turning --

" Jane, come and look at this fellow."

I had made no noise: he had not eyes behind -- could his
shadow feel? I started at first, and then I approached him.

"Look at his wings," said he; "he reminds me rather of a
West Indian insect; one does not often see so large and gay
a night-rover in England; there! he is flown."

The moth roamed away. I was sheepishly retreating also;
but Mr. Rochester followed me, and when we reached the
wicket, he said: --

"Turn back: on so lovely a night it is a shame to sit in the
house; and surely no one can wish to go to bed while sunset
is thus meeting with moonrise."

It is one of my faults, that though my tongue is sometimes
prompt enough at an answer, there are times when it sadly
fails me in framing an excuse; and always the lapse occurs
at some crisis when a facile word or plausible pretext is spe-
cially wanted to get me out of painful embarrassment. I did
not like to walk at this hour alone with Mr. Rochester in the
shadowy orchard; but I could not find a reason to allege for
leaving him. I followed with lagging steps, and thoughts
busily bent on discovering a means of extrication; but he
himself looked so composed, and so grave also, I became
ashamed of feeling any confusion: the evil -- if evil existent

-264-