CHAPTER XXI 282
He was not in any of the lower rooms ; he was not in the yard , the stables , or the grounds . I asked Mrs . Fairfax if she had seen him ; -- yes : she believed he was playing billiards with Miss Ingram . To the billiard-room I hastened : the click of balls and the hum of voices resounded thence ; Mr . Rochester , Miss Ingram , the two Misses Eshton , and their admirers , were all busied in the game . It required some courage to disturb so interesting a party ; my errand , however , was one I could not defer , so I approached the master where he stood at Miss Ingram ' s side . She turned as I drew near , and looked at me haughtily : her eyes seemed to demand , " What can the creeping creature want now ?" and when I said , in a low voice , " Mr . Rochester ," she made a movement as if tempted to order me away . I remember her appearance at the moment -- it was very graceful and very striking : she wore a morning robe of sky-blue crape ; a gauzy azure scarf was twisted in her hair . She had been all animation with the game , and irritated pride did not lower the expression of her haughty lineaments .
" Does that person want you ?" she inquired of Mr . Rochester ; and Mr . Rochester turned to see who the " person " was . He made a curious grimace -- one of his strange and equivocal demonstrations -- threw down his cue and followed me from the room .
" Well , Jane ?" he said , as he rested his back against the schoolroom door , which he had shut .
" If you please , sir , I want leave of absence for a week or two ." " What to do ? -- where to go ?" " To see a sick lady who has sent for me ." " What sick lady ? -- where does she live ?" " At Gateshead ; in -shire ."
" -shire ? That is a hundred miles off ! Who may she be that sends for people to see her that distance ?"