eel,wherethewholeoflife’sstreamwillbebrokenupintowhirlandtumult,foamandheryouwillbedashedtoatomspoints,orliftedupandborneonbysomemaster-waveintoacalmercurrent—asIamnow.

    “Ilikethisday;Ilikethatskyofsteel;Ilikethesternnessandstillnessoftheworlduhisfrost.IlikeThornfield,itsantiquity,itsretirement,itsoldcrow-treesandthorn-trees,itsgreyfacade,andlinesofdarkwindowsreflegthatmetalwelkin:ahowlonghaveIabhorredtheverythoughtofit,shulikeagreatplague-house?HowIdostillabhor—”

    Hegroundhisteethandwassilent:hearrestedhisstepandstruckhisbootagainstthehardground.Somehatedthoughtseemedtohavehiminitsgrip,andtoholdhimsotightlythathecouldnotadvance.

    Wewereasdingtheavenuewhehuspaused;thehallwasbeforeus.Liftinghiseyetoitsbattlements,hecastoverthemaglaresuchasIneversawbeforeorsince.Pain,shame,ire,impatience,disgust,detestation,seemedmomentarilytoholdaquiveringflithelargepupildilatingunderhiseboneyebroasthewrestlewhichshouldbeparamount;butanotherfeelingroseandtriumphed:somethinghardandical:self-willedandresolute:itsettledhispassionarifiedhistenance:hewenton—

    “DuringthemomentIwassilent,MissEyre,Iwasarrangingapointwithmydestiny.Shestoodthere,bythatbeech-trunk—ahaglikeohoseearedtoMacbethohofForres.‘YoulikeThornfield?’shesaid,liftingherfinger;andtheeintheairamemento,whiinluridhieroglyphicsallalongthehouse-froweentheupperandlowerrowofwindows,‘Likeitifyou!Likeitifyoudare!’

    “‘Iwilllikeit,’saidI;‘Idarelikeit;’and”(hesubjoinedmoodily)“Iwillkeepmyword;Iwillbreakobstaclestohapp