CHAPTER XXIV 338
neighbour was too restrictive to him , in his present fractious mood , she dared whisper no observations , nor ask of him any information .
" Let her come to me ," I entreated : " she will , perhaps , trouble you , sir : there is plenty of room on this side ."
He handed her over as if she had been a lapdog . " I ' ll send her to school yet ," he said , but now he was smiling .
Adele heard him , and asked if she was to go to school " sans mademoiselle ?"
" Yes ," he replied , " absolutely sans mademoiselle ; for I am to take mademoiselle to the moon , and there I shall seek a cave in one of the white valleys among the volcano-tops , and mademoiselle shall live with me there , and only me ."
" She will have nothing to eat : you will starve her ," observed Adele .
" I shall gather manna for her morning and night : the plains and hillsides in the moon are bleached with manna , Adele ."
" She will want to warm herself : what will she do for a fire ?"
" Fire rises out of the lunar mountains : when she is cold , I ' ll carry her up to a peak , and lay her down on the edge of a crater ."
" Oh , qu ' elle y sera mal -- peu comfortable ! And her clothes , they will wear out : how can she get new ones ?"
Mr . Rochester professed to be puzzled . " Hem !" said he . " What would you do , Adele ? Cudgel your brains for an expedient . How would a white or a pink cloud answer for a gown , do you think ? And one could cut a pretty enough scarf out of a rainbow ."