CHAPTER XVIII 239
hot country: which was the reason, doubtless, his face was so sallow, and that he sat so near the hearth, and wore a surtout in the house. Presently the words Jamaica, Kingston, Spanish Town, indicated the West Indies as his residence; and it was with no little surprise I gathered, ere long, that he had there first seen and become acquainted with Mr. Rochester. He spoke of his friend ' s dislike of the burning heats, the hurricanes, and rainy seasons of that region. I knew Mr. Rochester had been a traveller: Mrs. Fairfax had said so; but I thought the continent of Europe had bounded his wanderings; till now I had never heard a hint given of visits to more distant shores.
I was pondering these things, when an incident, and a somewhat unexpected one, broke the thread of my musings. Mr. Mason, shivering as some one chanced to open the door, asked for more coal to be put on the fire, which had burnt out its flame, though its mass of cinder still shone hot and red. The footman who brought the coal, in going out, stopped near Mr. Eshton ' s chair, and said something to him in a low voice, of which I heard only the words, " old woman,"-- " quite troublesome."
" Tell her she shall be put in the stocks if she does not take herself off," replied the magistrate.
" No-- stop!" interrupted Colonel Dent. " Don ' t send her away, Eshton; we might turn the thing to account; better consult the ladies." And speaking aloud, he continued-- " Ladies, you talked of going to Hay Common to visit the gipsy camp; Sam here says that one of the old Mother Bunches is in the servants ' hall at this moment, and insists upon being brought in before ' the quality,' to tell them their fortunes. Would you like to see her?"
" Surely, colonel," cried Lady Ingram, " you would not encourage such a low impostor? Dismiss her, by all means, at once!"
" But I cannot persuade her to go away, my lady," said the footman; " nor can any of the servants: Mrs. Fairfax is with her just now, entreating her to be gone; but she has taken a chair in the chimney- comer, and says nothing shall stir her from it till she gets leave to come in here."