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?"