Chapter 8 A visit from Mr Brocklehurst

1 One afternoon when I had been about three weeks at Lowood, I was sitting puzzling over some arithmetic. Suddenly the whole school, including the teachers, rose, and I saw standing beside Miss Temple the same black pillar that had looked at me so severely in the breakfast room at Gateshead.

2 All this time, I had been fearing the coming of Mr Brocklehurst and the carrying out of his promise to Mrs Reed. Now he was speaking in a low voice to the head teacher.

3 'I wish the woollen stockings to be looked after better. When I was here last, I examined the clothes hanging out to dry. There were many large holes in the stockings.'

4 'Your directions shall be attended to, sir,' said Miss Temple.

5 'And, ma'am,' he continued, 'I find that some of the girls have two clean collars in the week. It is too much. The rule limits them to one.'

6 'I think I can explain how that happened, sir. Two of the pupils were invited to go to tea with some friends last Thursday, and I gave them permission to put on clean collars for the occasion.'

7 Mr Brocklehurst nodded.

8 'Well, for once, it may be allowed, but please do not let it happen too often. And there is another thing which surprised me. I find, in looking at the accounts with the housekeeper, that a meal of bread and cheese has been served out to the girls during the last month. How is this? No such meal is mentioned in the school rules. Who introduced this change? And by whose orders?'

9 'I must be responsible for the action, sir,' replied Miss Temple. 'The breakfast was so badly cooked that the pupils could not possibly eat it. I dared not allow them to remain without food till dinner time.'

10 'Madam, you know that my plan in bringing up these girls is not to accustom them to habits of rich living. If there should be any little accidental spoiling of a meal, they should be encouraged to suffer hunger without complaint.' Miss Temple looked straight in front of her. Her face showed nothing of her feelings. Meanwhile Mr Brocklehurst, with his hands behind his back, let his eyes travel over the whole school. Suddenly he closed them for a moment, as if they had met something that shocked them. Turning, he spoke more rapidly than before:

11 'Miss Temple, Miss Temple, has that girl got curled hair? Red hair, ma'am, curled all over!' And he pointed with his stick. His hand shook as he did so.

12 'Julia's hair curls naturally,' replied Miss Temple quietly.

13 'I have again and again stated that I desire the girls' hair to be arranged closely, modestly, plainly. Miss Temple, that girl's hair must be cut off. And I see other who have too much. Tell all the first class to turn their faces to the wall.'

14 Miss Temple pressed her handkerchief to her lips, as if to hide a smile that formed there. Leaning back a little in my seat, I could see the dissatisfied looks on the girls' faces. Mr Brocklehurst examined the backs of their heads for five minutes, and then gave the order:

15 'All that hair must come off.'

16 Miss Temple seemed about to object, but she was interrupted by the arrival of three other visitors, ladies dressed in silks and furs. They ought to have come a little sooner to have heard the gentleman's remarks, as their hair was arranged in masses of curls. These ladies were the wife and daughters of Mr Brocklehurst, and they had been examining the bedrooms, and had many complaints to make.

17 Till now, while watching the scene before me with the greatest interest, I had not neglected to think of my personal safety. I had sat well back on my seat, and had held my book in such a manner as to hide my face. I might have escaped notice, if my book had not happened to slip from my hand. It fell with a loud crash, and instantly drew every eye upon me.

18 'A careless girl!' said Mr Brocklehurst. 'It is the new pupil, I see. I must not forget that I have a word to say about her. Let the child come forward.'

19 I could not have moved by myself, but two elder girls set me on my legs and pushed me towards the terrible judge.

20 'Fetch that chair, and place the child upon it.'

21 It was a very high one, and I was now on a level with Mr Brocklehurst's face.

22 'Ladies,' he said, 'Miss Temple, teachers and children, you all see this girl? She is very young. Who would think that she was already a servant of the Devil? You must keep away from her. Avoid her company, do not play with her or speak to her. Teachers, you must watch her, examine well her words and actions. This girl, this child, is a liar!'

23 Now there was a pause, during which all the female Brocklehursts shook their heads and said, 'How shameful!'

24 Mr Brocklehurst continued.

25 'This I learnt from her guardian, the generous lady who adopted her and brought her up as her own daughter, until she became so ungrateful that the excellent lady was forced to separate her from her own children, for fear that her bad behaviour might harm them.'

26 He moved towards the door with his family. Turning at the last moment, he said:

27 'Let her stand half an hour longer on that chair, and let no one speak to her for the rest of the day.'

28 There was I, who had said that I could not bear the shame of standing in the middle of the room, now publicly disgraced. No words can describe my feelings. But just as they began to get beyond my control, Helen passed me, and, in passing, lifted her eyes and smiled. In some strange way, she filled me with her own courage. I kept back my tears, lifted my head, and took a firm stand on the chair.