Chapter-19
Days rolled by, followed by weeks and months. Jane continued with all her efforts to teach the orphan children in the best possible way. Miss Oliver visited Jane at school from time to time and helped her teach the orphan students. Miss Oliver was gay and lively like Adele.
Slowly and gradually, Jane grew fond of Miss Oliver. One evening, Miss Oliver was highly surprised to see Jane’s drawings. She requested Jane to draw her portrait so that she might show it to her father.
Jane sketched a beautiful portrait of Miss Oliver who showed it to her father. Mr Oliver, having seen the portrait, felt so much pleased that he invited Jane to spend an evening at his house at Vale Hall.
Next evening, Jane reached Mr Oliver’s house. Mr Oliver said to her, “Jane! you are really a good artist.” Then, he expressed his pity that St John with such fine talents had decided to be a missionary. He told Jane that he wanted St John to be the husband of her beautiful daughter. After dining with Mr Oliver Jane returned to her house.
Next day, she was busy completing the sketch of Miss Oliver. St John appeared there and said, “What a beautiful portrait!”
Jane replied, “If you really like it, I can make a duplicate of this portrait for you. Yesterday evening, I was with Mr Oliver who seemed to have interested in accepting you as his son-in-law. Why didn’t you marry Miss Oliver?”
St John remarked, “Jane! Miss Oliver does not have the qualities to be a missionary’s wife. She is always surrounded by several suitors. The moment she comes across a better suitor, she will surely leave me.” Saying these words, he came a little closer to Jane and looked into her eyes. Jane could not figure out what St John was trying to do.
After a few minutes, St John continued, “Jane! I have come to learn of late that you are Jane Eyre, not Jane Elliot. Mr Briggs, a solicitor by profession, has furnished me with all the details related to your past life. He has been trying to know your whereabouts for a month. He has told me that your maternal uncle, John Eyre of Maderia, has breathed his last. He has left all his property in your name. You have become rich now.”
Hearing the words of St John, Jane felt very happy. At the same time, she felt sad as her only relative was no more. She had nobody with whom she could share her happiness and sorrow. It was a blessing in disguise. Jane had inherited twenty thousand pounds. It was a big fortune.
Jane said to St John, “Does Mr Briggs know the whereabouts of Mr Rochester?”
St John replied, “Jane! Mr Briggs wrote a letter to Mr Rochester but got the response from a lady by the name of Mrs Fairfax.”
Jane was dumbfounded. He was sure that Mr Rochester must have left England out of reckless desperation. She felt nervous and cold. She wanted to go back to Mr Rochester who loved her very much. She was all alone in the entire world. She began to weep bitterly.
St John consoled her saying, “Jane! you are my cousin. Mr Briggs has told me about our relationship.”
Jane, at once, heaved a sigh of relief. She exclaimed in joy that she was not all alone in the world. She had cousins—St John, Diana and Mary. Now, Jane decided that she would continue to work in school till a substitute was found.
Christmas was approaching. Before Christmas holidays started, Jane along with St John reached the house at Marsh End to welcome Diana and Mary who were to arrive there. Finally, Diana and Mary arrived. They were really delighted with the renovation and decoration of their rooms at Marsh End. St John told them that Jane was their cousin. They, too, felt very happy. They all were pleased in one another’s company.
Days rolled by. One day, St John came to learn that Miss Oliver was going to marry Mr Granby, a wealthy gentleman. He felt miserable because he loved Miss Oliver in his heart of hearts. But he did not reveal his feelings to anybody in the house. Jane Eyre recognized his emotions.
One afternoon, both Mary and Diana planned to visit Morton. They requested Jane to accompany them. But Jane denied as she had a terrible cold. She stayed back. After Diana and Mary had left for Morton, St John walked into the room of Jane and said,” Dear Jane! would you like to learn Hindustani from me?”
Jane was very fond of learning Hindustani. Thus St John started giving Jane lessons in Hindustani. One day during the course of a Hindustani lesson, St John said to Jane, “Would you like to accompany me to India as my wife?”
Hearing the words of St John, Jane was in a state of shock. She never thought herself fit for it. Moreover, she did not want to be a dutiful wife of St John who would be committed to his work and would never love her.
Jane said to St John, “I can accompany you as a helper, not as your wife.”
St John was not happy with Jane’s reply. He gave Jane time to reconsider her decision. Jane did not want to leave England until she knew about Mr Rochester. However hard St John tried, he could not bring Jane round to his view.
His sisters said to Jane, “Dear! why don’t you wed our brother?”
Jane replied that their brother wanted a suitable fellow labourer, and not a wife, to work with him in India. Diana and Mary, too, agreed to Jane’s viewpoint.
After the evening prayers. St John, once again, came up to Jane and asked her about her decision.
Jane replied, “I hear a voice somewhere cry. It is a known loved and well-remembered voice of Mr Rochester. It speaks in woe and pain. Nobody else except Mr Rochester can be my life-partner.”
St John’s last attempt also proved an exercise in futility. He headed for India the very next day.
