CHAPTER III 26
" Well, you have been crying, Miss Jane Eyre; can you tell me what about? Have you any pain?"
" No, sir."
" Oh! I daresay she is crying because she could not go out with Missis in the carriage," interposed Bessie.
" Surely not! why, she is too old for such pettishness."
I thought so too; and my self-esteem being wounded by the false charge, I answered promptly, " I never cried for such a thing in my life: I hate going out in the carriage. I cry because I am miserable."
" Oh fie, Miss!" said Bessie.
The good apothecary appeared a little puzzled. I was standing before him; he fixed his eyes on me very steadily: his eyes were small and grey; not very bright, but I dare say I should think them shrewd now: he had a hard-featured yet good-natured looking face. Having considered me at leisure, he said-
" What made you ill yesterday?" " She had a fall," said Bessie, again putting in her word.
" Fall! why, that is like a baby again! Can ' t she manage to walk at her age? She must be eight or nine years old."
" I was knocked down," was the blunt explanation, jerked out of me by another pang of mortified pride; " but that did not make me ill," I added; while Mr. Lloyd helped himself to a pinch of snuff.
As he was returning the box to his waistcoat pocket, a loud bell rang for the servants ' dinner; he knew what it was. " That ' s for you, nurse," said he; " you can go down; I ' ll give Miss Jane a lecture till you come back."