October， November， December passed away. One afternoon in January， Mrs. Fairfax had begged a holiday for Adèle， because she had a cold； and， as Adèle seconded the request with an ardour that reminded me how precious occasional holidays had been to me in my own childhood， I accorded it， deeming that I did well in showing pliability on the point. It was a fine， calm day， though very cold； I was tired of sitting still in the library through a whole long morning： Mrs. Fairfax had just written a letter which was waiting to be posted， so I put on my bonnet and cloak and volunteered to carry it to Hay； the distance， two miles， would be a pleasant winter afternoon walk. Having seen Adèle comfortably seated in her little chair by Mrs. Fairfax’s parlour fireside， and given her her best wax doll (which I usually kept enveloped in silver paper in a drawer) to play with， and a story-book for change of amusement； and having replied to her “Revenez bient？t， ma bonne amie， ma chère Mdlle. Jeannette，” with a kiss I set out.
The ground was hard， the air was still， my road was lonely； I walked fast till I got warm， and then I walked slowly to enjoy and analyse the species of pleasure brooding for me in the hour and situation. It was three o’clock； the church bell tolled as I passed under the belfry： the charm of the hour lay in its approaching dimness， in the low-gliding and pale-beaming sun. I was a mile from Thornfield， in a lane noted for wild roses in summer， for nuts and blackberries in autumn， and even now possessing a few coral treasures in hips and haws， but whose best winter delight lay in its utter solitude and leafless repose. If a breath of air stirred， it made no sound here； for there was not a holly， not an evergreen to rustle， and the stripped hawthorn and hazel bushes were as still as the white， worn stones which causewayed the middle of the path. Far and wide， on each side， there were only fields， where no cattle now browsed； and the little brown birds， which stirred occasionally in the hedge， looked like single russet leaves that had forgotten to drop.
This lane inclined up-hill all the way to Hay； having reached the middle， I sat down on a stile which led thence into a field. Gathering my mantle about me， and sheltering my hands in my muff， I did not feel the cold， though it froze keenly； as was attested by a sheet of ice covering the causeway， where a little brooklet， now congealed， had overflowed after a rapid thaw some days since. From my seat I could look down on Thornfield： the grey and battlemented hall was the principal object in the vale below me； its woods and dark rookery rose against the west. I lingered till the sun went down amongst the trees， and sank crimson and clear behind them. I then turned eastward.
On the hill-top above me sat the rising moon； pale yet as a cloud， but brightening momentarily， she looked over Hay， which， half lost in trees， sent up a blue smoke from its few chimneys： it was yet a mile distant， but in the absolute hush I could hear plainly its thin murmurs of life. My ear， too， felt the flow of currents； in what dales and depths I could not tell： but there were many hills beyond Hay， and doubtless many becks threading their passes. That evening calm betrayed alike the tinkle of the nearest streams， the sough of the most remote.
A rude noise broke on these fine ripplings and whisperings， at once so far away and so clear： a positive tramp， tramp， a metallic clatter， which effaced the soft wave-wanderings； as， in a picture， the solid mass of a crag， or the rough boles of a great oak， drawn in dark and strong on the foreground， efface the aerial distance of azure hill， sunny horizon， and blended clouds where tint melts into tint.
The din was on the causeway： a horse was coming； the windings of the lane yet hid it， but it approached. I was just leaving the stile； yet， as the path was narrow， I sat still to let it go by. In those days I was young， and all sorts of fancies bright and dark tenanted my mind： the memories of nursery stories were there amongst other rubbish； and when they recurred， maturing youth added to them a vigour and vividness beyond what childhood could give. As this horse approached， and as I watched for it to appear through the dusk， I remembered certain of Bessie’s tales， wherein figured a North-of-England spirit called a“Gytrash，” which， in the form of horse， mule， or large dog， haunted solitary ways， and sometimes came upon belated travellers， as this horse was now coming upon me.
