I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

Explanation must be explained, but not here and now.

Rochester glanced at Theodore who was beside Pei Xiang, and then at Bertha Mason who was hiding behind Pei Xiang, who was arrogant and arrogant, and suddenly felt a dull pain in his temple.

Pei Xiangduo knows how to read words and expressions, she rolled her eyes, turned and said to Bertha:

"Bertha, go back to your room and wait for me. I'll look for you in a while. As long as you don't hurt Mr. Rochester, I will help you."

Bertha didn't really want to leave, but many days of getting along with her told her that it was best to be obedient at this time, otherwise, Miss Witch would be unhappy.And once Miss Witch is upset, she won't get what she wants.

"Okay, then I'll go back and wait for you, Miss Witch, don't be fooled by Rochester, he is a bad guy."

Pei Xiang nodded, and said briskly against Rochester's dark eyes:

"Mr. Rochester, let me take Theodore back to the room first, and you take Bertha back, okay?"

Rochester snorted softly with a straight face, as if he was very dissatisfied with Pei Xiang's self-assertion, but he did not object to her arrangement.

So, Pei Xiang took Theodore and continued to walk until he returned to his guest room.

"Theodore, go back, get a good night's sleep, and we will have class together tomorrow morning."

"Sister Adele, Mr. Rochester looks so fierce, will he punish you?"

"No," Pei Xiang rubbed the soft hair on the top of Theodore's head, and smiled gently, "Theodore, Mr. Rochester has other important things to do, and he doesn't have time to discipline the children."

"Important thing? Is it that strange woman?"

"Well, that woman is sick, and Mr. Rochester is trying to take care of her. However, being ill is a very painful thing, and Mr. Rochester and that woman don't want more people to know. Theodore, can you keep it a secret?"

Theodore showed a sweet smile and readily agreed to Pei Xiang.

"Sister Adele, you are becoming stupid. I ran out tonight secretly. How could I let other people know about it? If I was found out, my mother would definitely be angry, and I don't want to be punished."

"It's wrong to run out secretly, especially in unfamiliar places. There will be unexpected dangers. For example, the woman who ran out suddenly tonight, if she didn't see you clearly and bumped you, you will definitely be injured. West Odo, it hurts a lot when you get hurt, you have to take very bitter medicine, you can’t eat sweets, you can’t play games in the garden, and Norton will still laugh at you..."

"Wow, sister Adele, stop talking. I know I was wrong. I promise I won't be naughty."

Pei Xiang comforted the little boy a few more words, sincerely thanked him for his concern for her, and then said goodbye to his little friend.

After escorting Theodore, Pei Xiang walked to the stairs on the third floor with a lamp.Not far away, they heard a burst of hurried footsteps, and then, Rochester's tall figure appeared at the corner of the corridor.

"Adele, before I go to see Bertha, I think we should have a private conversation."

"Mr. Rochester, I think your proposal could not be more wise, and I am very willing to cooperate with you. However, are you sure you want Bertha to wait for a while?"

Rochester looked seriously at the approaching little one, and after a moment of silence, he suddenly smiled mockingly:

"Very well, it seems that you know that crazy woman Bertha very well."

Pei Xiangli replied confidently:

"Because I'm a child, Bertha and I can talk together, and I know what she's thinking. But you adults don't have to, because you always like to complicate things."

Hearing this, Rochester's first reaction was that Pei Xiang was talking nonsense, but after thinking about it, he suddenly felt that this was indeed a difficult reason to refute.

—Bertha's and Adele's brains... are quite extraordinary!

"I hope you don't let your cleverness hurt you, Adele. Sometimes it's not a good thing to be too bold, and cleverness without rules can easily lead you astray."

Pei Xiang agreed with the guardian's teaching very much, and she obediently raised her little hand and promised:

"Mr. Rochester, I know you have a lot of doubts in your mind. After I finish talking with Bertha, I will tell you alone, okay? I promise, I have not done anything bad."

Rochester and Pei Xiang looked at each other, and after a while, he looked away:

"I'll keep waiting for Miss Witch's perfect explanation, huh."

The last sneer was too Roche style, and Pei Xiang stopped talking immediately.

After walking quietly for a while, Rochester asked again:

"Leaving aside the history of your acquaintance with Bertha and...how her madness has been reduced, you can explain to me briefly why you and Theodore Grant appear in the corridor late at night?"

This topic gave Pei Xiang some confidence, she glanced at Rochester with a smile, and said slowly:

"Theodore sneaked out of the room to find me because he was worried about my situation in Thornfield, and he wanted me to visit the Viscount's Mansion in Rio."

Rochester raised his eyebrows puzzled.

Pei Xiang briefly recounted the conflict between her and Miss Ingram, then raised her head and asked:

"I knew you didn't like that kind of woman, so I directly contradicted her. But Theodore didn't know, he thought you would marry Ingram, so he was very worried about me. Mr. Rochester, in the final analysis, it was because of you It made me have to walk Theodore back to his room in the middle of the night."

This ability to shirk responsibility almost made Rochester laugh angrily. Every time he talks to Pei Xiang, he can temporarily forget other bad things.

"Miss Adele really has a pair of discerning eyes. She immediately saw that I wouldn't like Miss Ingram? You can't be too confident. Miss Ingram's background, appearance and talent are all outstanding, and she has a lot of interest in me. Good impression, why am I unwilling to accept her attention?"

Pei Xiang raised his eyebrows and said in French:

"On the day you kneel down to propose to her, I will immediately admit my failure and offer my sincere blessings."

Rochester's face darkened: "That's right, you know I also have a crazy Mrs. Rochester."

Pei Xiang shook his head: "It doesn't matter if there is Bertha or not, anyway, I was right."

"You are such a cunning little rascal." Rochester murmured in French.

While talking, the two entered the secret room on the third floor.

Bertha was staring at the wall in a daze, hearing Richard Mason's annoying nagging. When she turned her head, she happened to see Pei Xiang's small figure, and immediately jumped over excitedly.

"Miss Witch!"

Rochester paused, he picked up Pei Xiang's collar and stuffed her behind him, using his body to block Bertha.

As a result, the couple who looked at each other and hated each other slammed into each other hard.

Rochester staggered: "Damn it, don't you know your size and strength? Do you want to murder that skinny child?"

Bertha was scolded inexplicably. She has often been in contact with Miss Witch like this, and she has never seen Miss Witch scold her. Why can't she do it today?

——Sure enough, the most hated person in the world is Rochester.

Richard Mason looked at Pei Xiang in surprise, and couldn't believe that Rochester would let a child appear in such a place.

"Fairfax, why did you bring this little girl up here?"

Rochester twitched the corner of his lips mockingly:

"That's what I want to know too. Why does Sister Ling ask my protege to help her and call my protege 'Miss Witch'."

Bertha shouted dissatisfiedly: "Of course it's because Miss Witch can help me! I hate you two, I want to leave Rochester, and I don't like Richard either. I want to live freely and don't like being locked up here."

These words drew Mason's attention away from Pei Xiang, and he persuaded anxiously:

"Bertha, you can't live alone, you must be properly taken care of. Rochester is your... relative, he will not abandon you, and you should not resist him so much."

When he said the word "relative", Richard Mason glanced at Pei Xiang hesitantly, as if he was not sure how much the little girl knew the truth, so he didn't directly use the word "husband".

"Why should I be taken care of? Richard, I'm not crazy or stupid anymore, I'm normal."

This conclusion made Rochester on the side snort coldly.

Richard Mason opened his mouth. He wanted to tell Bertha that even if you are no longer mad and hurting others, you are definitely not a normal person.

But when he saw his sister's stubborn eyes, he subconsciously avoided the truth, found an excuse and patiently explained:

"Bertha, it has nothing to do with whether you are crazy or not. Ladies are weak and docile, and should be sheltered. You are the eldest lady of the Mason family. Like the ladies of other families, you are protected by your father and brother before you get married. To be protected by her husband is a rule and a normal person's choice."

"Normal people have to be protected? Do you have to listen to a man who hates you?" Bertha couldn't believe it.

Pei Xiang thought to himself: "That's right, some normal people with weak personalities may not live as happily as you do?"

"You must listen to your husband." Richard Mason glanced at Rochester and raised his voice slightly, "Bertha, Fairfax will change your room for you so that you can go out and enjoy the sun from time to time. As long as you If you don’t attack and hurt others at will, he won’t imprison you like this. Bertha, don’t hate us, we have reasons.”

This remark aroused the dissatisfaction of the other two people. At almost the same time, Rochester and Bertha refuted Richard Mason.

"I won't listen to Rochester, I must leave him."

"I will not continue to be this woman's husband, I want a divorce."

Richard Mason continued to persuade and beg, but Rochester's attitude became tough.He no longer gave the man a chance to speak, but said firmly:

"Richard, I will apply to the Parliamentary Court for a divorce. No matter how troublesome and damaging to my reputation, I will get it done. I long to have a normal family, a smart and kind wife, and one or more living children. Bo healthy children. In my old age, I will have a close companion, have children and grandchildren under Chenghuan’s knees, and have a peaceful and tranquil state of mind. This is the life I yearn for.”

"Fairfax..."

"Yes, I want a divorce!" Bertha interrupted Richard Mason's pleading.

"Sister... What should you do if you get divorced?"

Bertha raised her chin: "I have a dowry, you ask Rochester to return my dowry to me, it is the money my father gave me, I don't want Rochester to keep it."

Rochester immediately nodded and said, "I will repay the £[-] in full, plus the interest for these years, and I will repay it all to Bertha Mason."

Richard Mason looked at the two resolute attitudes, and couldn't say any more words of dissuasion. He sat down on the chair in frustration, and sighed with his hands on his forehead.

"Fairfax, if you apply for a divorce, I don't agree with you damaging the Mason family's reputation, and you can't make Bertha bear the stigma of adultery."

Rochester sneered: "I will not slander anyone or distort the facts. I am not willing to increase my sins before God again."

"In that case, you will have to pay a lot of money, and the Rochester family will be hurt."

"That would be even better," Rochester said with a gleam of pleasure, "Back then, my father and brother lied to me in order to preserve the family business. Now, in order to get rid of the shackles they gave me, I wantonly squandered the wealth of the Rochester family." Ancestry, isn’t it very interesting? If their souls are still there, they will probably be very dissatisfied, but I feel extremely happy!”

Seeing that he couldn't persuade Rochester, Richard Mason had no choice but to start thinking about the follow-up troubles.

"Bertha, if you divorce Mr. Rochester, will you return to Spanish Town with me?"

Bertha immediately shook her head and refused: "I won't go back, the people there are laughing at me, and I don't want to live with you either."

Richard Mason hesitated and said, "If you're used to this place, I can help you arrange accommodation and servants, but... Bertha, I'm still worried about leaving you alone."

Having said that, Richard Mason looked earnestly at Rochester, and said in a low voice:

"Fairfax, my brother, we cannot leave Bertha alone outside. Whether or not she relapses, she is mentally unstable and must be watched, both to protect her and Protect other innocent people."

To be honest, this is also what Rochester is worried about.

Don't look at his decisive attitude now, in fact, he is also very disturbed.If Bertha fell ill again during the long wait for the divorce judgment, he would be in deep trouble again.Of course, he also didn't want Bertha's old illness to recur after the divorce. He hoped that everyone would live in peace and stop torturing each other.

"After the divorce, if she insists on staying in England, I can take care of her for you, Richard, in the name of a friend only, and don't expect more. Besides, I don't think Bertha would like to see me anymore, or be with me. If you have a connection, you should respect your sister."

Richard Mason hesitated to speak, he hoped that Rochester could help him more and help him further.He felt that he could not bear these risks alone. He was too tired and in poor health, and he was powerless for many things.

"Fairfax, my brother, I have only one request, please think it over carefully."

Rochester was silent.

Richard Mason's tone was low and sad:

"I only hope that if one day I die suddenly and Bertha is left alone in this world, you will continue to take care of her for me for my sake. I know, Fairfax, I I know, if you get divorced, you won't be involved anymore, you don't have this obligation... But, I really have no one to trust, my body... I don't know how long it will last. "

Rochester frowned and pondered for a moment, and finally nodded under Richard Mason's begging eyes.

Having received Rochester's promise, Richard Mason breathed a sigh of relief. He turned his head to look at Bertha, and said quickly:

"Sister, if you insist on divorcing Rochester, your dowry will be returned to the Mason family. At that time, I will be in charge of your daily life. Let me ask you again, are you sure?"

Bertha was a little puzzled at first, but after thinking hard for a while, she suddenly showed dissatisfaction:

"Richard, I don't want you to take care of me. If you were really nice to me, you wouldn't stop coming to rescue me and watch me being bullied by Rochester. You were a crybaby since you were a child, and you didn't know how to fight. You are so weak, how can you take care of me?"

Richard Mason said helplessly: "Bertha, someone must take care of you, either me or Rochester, you can only choose one."

"Can you only choose one?"

"Correct."

Bertha looked at Rochester, then turned her head to look at Richard Mason, her eyes and brows were full of strong disgust, she resisted this choice.

As if a certain switch had been touched, Bertha Mason, who had always been able to communicate, suddenly became excited. The three people in the room could clearly feel that Bertha's eyes began to become cloudy, and a disturbing look appeared on her face. Irritable and tyrannical.

—that was the harbinger of Bertha's going mad.

Rochester cursed in a low voice, with dark despair surging in his eyes. At this moment, he really felt that fate was playing tricks on him.

"Adele, get out of here immediately, run out!" he shouted hoarsely.

Pei Xiang grabbed Rochester's cold and trembling hand, and said quickly:

"Don't worry, she doesn't hurt anyone. I've been in that situation before. Mr. Rochester, every time Bertha gets excited, she'll be weak, as if she's going to pass out, um, like those who always need to suck It's not uncommon for a lady to wake up after taking a sniff of smelling salts. She has no strength to do bad things, and no lady who faints can do bad things."

At these words, Rochester's pupils suddenly constricted, and he held Pei Xiang's hand tightly, as if he had grasped the only piece of driftwood in the vast ocean.

Pei Xiang motioned him to observe carefully, not to panic.

Rochester was skeptical, he was still on guard all over his body as before, but the difference was that at this moment he had a faint light of hope in his heart.

Under the gaze of the three pairs of eyes, Bertha's face gradually turned pale.She seemed to want to stand up and hit someone, but her limbs were no longer in control, and she exhaled from her chest in bursts of rapid and heavy panting sounds, which looked like a desperate person trying to calm down a violent emotion.

Pei Xiang jumped over Rochester who was always blocking her, and walked to Bertha's side in a few steps.

"Bertha, calm down, it's not that bad, have you forgotten? You still have Miss Witch."

Bertha's expression was still distorted, but anyone with a discerning eye could see that it was not easy for her to stay awake at this time, let alone hurt and attack others.

Richard Mason was amazed to see the little girl tenderly reassuring Bertha.

"How did the child do it? Fairfax, you let such a little girl have access to Bertha? It's ridiculous."

Rochester's eyebrows gathered, he was still on guard against Bertha, but now he had the energy to sneer.

"Ha, I want to know more than you how these two distinguished ladies became confidants. This is a precious friendship that spans ages and the English and French Channels. Richard, after witnessing this miraculous scene, not only did you not feel deeply To be honored and grateful, and to say the word 'ridiculous' is simply not sensible or informed."

Pei Xiang rolled her eyes in her heart, her hand brushed Bertha's acupoints inadvertently, and slowly input some internal force to help her regain her sanity as soon as possible.

After a while, Bertha, who fell into a dizzy and weak state, gradually turned around. The first time she was able to speak, she raised her request hoarsely:

"I don't want anyone to take care of me. If I must find someone, I want Miss Witch! I want Miss Witch! I want Miss Witch!"

Rochester flatly refused:

"Impossible, you have already ruined my life, do you want to drag another innocent person down?"

Pei Xiang had expected that Bertha would make a similar request, so she was not surprised, but Richard Mason on the side was a little confused:

"Wait, Bertha, why do you trust this child so much? Also, I just wanted to ask, why did you call her Miss Witch? Does she really know witchcraft?"

Rochester sneered and mocked:

"Richard, wake up, there is no witchcraft in this world? Adele is just a child who likes to play tricks. Your sister is crazy, who knows what is going on in her head, she was screaming to suck you dry What about the blood in the heart, is it possible that she is a terrible vampire? Ha, you still want to analyze the cause and result? I really look forward to the day when you publish the paper."

Pei Xiang felt warm in her heart. She glanced at Rochester, knowing that he was defending her, so she followed his words and explained:

"I like to explore in Thornfield House. The third floor is very mysterious, and Mrs. Poole is also very strange. I always want to find out the hidden secrets. Then, then I found Bertha. She is very interesting and can play with me, We're already good friends."

Bertha on the side listened hard, and found that Rochester and Mason had been rejecting her proposal, smashed the bed board angrily, and shouted:

"I only want Miss Witch. If you don't agree, I will set fire to this place and burn you two big villains to death."

Pei Xiang's face became serious: "Bertha, don't plan any actions that attempt to hurt Mr. Rochester, otherwise, you will never see me again."

There was resentment and jealousy in Bertha's eyes, she pursed her lips in grievance, but she didn't dare to refute Pei Xiang.

Seeing this, Rochester and Richard Mason, who were used to being cursed by Bertha, were deeply surprised. They had never expected that Pei Xiang would have such a great influence on Bertha.

Richard Mason showed a thoughtful expression.

After a while, he hesitated and said:

"Rochester, this child can be considered your adopted daughter. Then, that is also Bertha's child. If, if... letting her take care of Bertha for the rest of her life, it is also a good choice."

"It's impossible," Rochester said coldly, "I am Adele's guardian, so it doesn't mean that I should find a lunatic for her to restrain her for the rest of her life."

Mason persuaded unwillingly:

"I heard from your guests that this little girl's parents didn't leave her any property. Rochester, I am willing to sign the gift document and inherit Bertha's property to this little girl, on the condition that she will accompany Bertha well." Sarah Rochester, if you think about it carefully, that is a property of thirty thousand pounds, which is the wealth that many girls dream of."

Rochester showed a bored expression:

"Sure enough, it is the usual style of the Mason family. You used [-] pounds to impress my father and brother, and now you want to use this money to lure a seven-year-old child? If so, you can find someone who is willing to pay for a large sum of money. Adults to look after Bertha, I'm sure there are plenty."

Mason shook his head and sighed, sincerely:

"I don't trust anyone else, my brother. I chose this child because Bertha listened to her, and because you were her guardian. After all, Rochester, I trust you most, and I have always believed in You will treat my sister well, and even...after I leave this world, you will always abide by the previous agreement."

Pei Xiang tilted his head and glanced at Richard Mason.

——This guy is really plucking the wool as soon as he catches a sheep. No matter whether he divorces or not, the Mason family will fight Rochester to the end.