CHAPTER XX 263
I put my fingers into his . " Warm and steady ," was his remark : he turned the key and opened the door .
I saw a room I remembered to have seen before , the day Mrs . Fairfax showed me over the house : it was hung with tapestry ; but the tapestry was now looped up in one part , and there was a door apparent , which had then been concealed . This door was open ; a light shone out of the room within : I heard thence a snarling , snatching sound , almost like a dog quarrelling . Mr . Rochester , putting down his candle , said to me , " Wait a minute ," and he went forward to the inner apartment . A shout of laughter greeted his entrance ; noisy at first , and terminating in Grace Poole ' s own goblin ha ! ha ! SHE then was there . He made some sort of arrangement without speaking , though I heard a low voice address him : he came out and closed the door behind him .
" Here , Jane !" he said ; and I walked round to the other side of a large bed , which with its drawn curtains concealed a considerable portion of the chamber . An easy-chair was near the bed-head : a man sat in it , dressed with the exception of his coat ; he was still ; his head leant back ; his eyes were closed . Mr . Rochester held the candle over him ; I recognised in his pale and seemingly lifeless face -- the stranger , Mason : I saw too that his linen on one side , and one arm , was almost soaked in blood .
" Hold the candle ," said Mr . Rochester , and I took it : he fetched a basin of water from the washstand : " Hold that ," said he . I obeyed . He took the sponge , dipped it in , and moistened the corpse-like face ; he asked for my smelling-bottle , and applied it to the nostrils . Mr . Mason shortly unclosed his eyes ; he groaned . Mr . Rochester opened the shirt of the wounded man , whose arm and shoulder were bandaged : he sponged away blood , trickling fast down .
" Is there immediate danger ?" murmured Mr . Mason .
" Pooh ! No -- a mere scratch . Don ' t be so overcome , man : bear up ! I ' ll fetch a surgeon for you now , myself : you ' ll be able to be removed by morning , I hope . Jane ," he continued .