CHAPTER XIV 167
He lifted up the sable waves of hair which lay horizontally over his brow , and showed a solid enough mass of intellectual organs , but an abrupt deficiency where the suave sign of benevolence should have risen .
" Now , ma ' am , am I a fool ?"
" Far from it , sir . You would , perhaps , think me rude if I inquired in return whether you are a philanthropist ?"
" There again ! Another stick of the penknife , when she pretended to pat my head : and that is because I said I did not like the society of children and old women ( low be it spoken !). No , young lady , I am not a general philanthropist ; but I bear a conscience ;" and he pointed to the prominences which are said to indicate that faculty , and which , fortunately for him , were sufficiently conspicuous ; giving , indeed , a marked breadth to the upper part of his head : " and , besides , I once had a kind of rude tenderness of heart . When I was as old as you , I was a feeling fellow enough , partial to the unfledged , unfostered , and unlucky ; but Fortune has knocked me about since : she has even kneaded me with her knuckles , and now I flatter myself I am hard and tough as an India-rubber ball ; pervious , though , through a chink or two still , and with one sentient point in the middle of the lump . Yes : does that leave hope for me ?"
" Hope of what , sir ?" " Of my final re-transformation from India-rubber back to flesh ?"
" Decidedly he has had too much wine ," I thought ; and I did not know what answer to make to his queer question : how could I tell whether he was capable of being re-transformed ?
" You looked very much puzzled , Miss Eyre ; and though you are not pretty any more than I am handsome , yet a puzzled air becomes you ; besides , it is convenient , for it keeps those searching eyes of yours away from my physiognomy , and busies them with the worsted flowers of the rug ; so puzzle on . Young lady , I am disposed to be gregarious and communicative