CHAPTER XI 119
best ; it is a pity that doing one ' s best does not always answer . At Lowood , indeed , I took that resolution , kept it , and succeeded in pleasing ; but with Mrs . Reed , I remember my best was always spurned with scorn . I pray God Mrs . Fairfax may not turn out a second Mrs . Reed ; but if she does , I am not bound to stay with her ! let the worst come to the worst , I can advertise again . How far are we on our road now , I wonder ?"
I let down the window and looked out ; Millcote was behind us ; judging by the number of its lights , it seemed a place of considerable magnitude , much larger than Lowton . We were now , as far as I could see , on a sort of common ; but there were houses scattered all over the district ; I felt we were in a different region to Lowood , more populous , less picturesque ; more stirring , less romantic .
The roads were heavy , the night misty ; my conductor let his horse walk all the way , and the hour and a half extended , I verily believe , to two hours ; at last he turned in his seat and said -
" You ' re noan so far fro ' Thornfield now ."
Again I looked out : we were passing a church ; I saw its low broad tower against the sky , and its bell was tolling a quarter ; I saw a narrow galaxy of lights too , on a hillside , marking a village or hamlet . About ten minutes after , the driver got down and opened a pair of gates : we passed through , and they clashed to behind us . We now slowly ascended a drive , and came upon the long front of a house : candlelight gleamed from one curtained bow-window ; all the rest were dark . The car stopped at the front door ; it was opened by a maid-servant ; I alighted and went in .
" Will you walk this way , ma ' am ?" said the girl ; and I followed her across a square hall with high doors all round : she ushered me into a room whose double illumination of fire and candle at first dazzled me , contrasting as it did with the darkness to which my eyes had been for two hours inured ; when I could see , however , a cosy and agreeable picture presented itself to my view .