Summary
St. John still teaches Jane Hindustani, but is exceedingly cold and detached. Also, he’s nicer to his sisters in contrast just to show Jane what she’s missing. She again asks him to forgive her, and he again claims he already has. He once more asks her to marry him, and she once more refuses. He is very angry, but is suppressing it. He says that he will pray for her. When Jane goes inside the house, Diana is there. She saw Jane and St. John’s argument, and wants to know about it. When Jane fills her in, she too is horrified at the loveless marriage he proposed. Diana agrees that Jane should not marry St. John. Jane sums it up, “He forgets, pitilessly, the feelings and claims of little people, in pursuing his own large views. It is better, therefore, for insignificant to stay out of his way lest, in his progress, he should trample them down” (483).
That night, St. John reads an inspiring passage out of the Bible. He is so sincere and reverent that Jane is touched, and when he asks her to marry him again after, she almost agrees out of duty. Suddenly, she hears a voice cry out in the night. It’s the voice of Mr. Rochester! He sounds urgent and despairing. Jane, troubled and excited, tells St. John she needs to be alone. He leaves without any questions. In her bed, Jane makes up her mind to do – something – tomorrow.
Reaction
Wow! A touch of the supernatural? I’m not quite sure how Jane heard Mr. Rochester’s voice, but this is getting interesting indeed. Hopefully, the voice means Mr. Rochester is alive. St. John, however awful he might be, is a very sincere, devout, and good Christian. He is generous and eloquent, and he speaks so authoritatively about God’s will that Jane is swayed. I’m so glad Jane does not get carried away and agree to marry him. When I reread the mysterious voice part, I realized that while Jane is running outside and replying to the voice aloud, St. John is still there, watching her talk to the sky, probably very confused. That mental image just cracks me up. He likely was so obedient when Jane told him to leave because he was afraid she was possessed or something.
