5 Looking for work

I do not remember everything they did．

Charlotte and Anne worked as² governesses for some months，teaching rich children in big houses， and Branwell got³ a job like that too，for a while．But they didn't like their work．At home my children were full of talk and laughter，but away from home they were shy，quiet，unhappy．

They wrote⁵ a lot of letters in their search⁶ for work—some－times to famous⁷ people．Branwell wanted to be a writer，so he wrote to writers；but not many of them wrote back．He began to look pale⁸ and sad in those days，and he was⁹ often in the vil－lage pub，drinking and talking to the people there．Then he got a job selling tickets on the railways，and left home．

The girls had¹⁰ an idea．I remember the day when they told me about it．Charlotte and Anne were at home on holiday，and we were all in the sitting-room¹¹ after dinner one evening． Anne was playing the piano，and singing quietly¹² to herself．She was the prettiest of the three girls，I suppose．She had long wavy¹⁵ brown hair，and a gentle，kind face Emily sat¹⁷ on the floor be-side her，stroking the ears of her dog，Keeper．Charlotte sat op- posite me on the sofa，like a little child with a serious，thought¹⁸- ful face．She was the smallest；her feet were no bigger than my hands．

She looked at me carefully．'Papa，'she said．'We want to start a school．'

'Really，my dear？ Where？'

'Here．'

'But Charlotte，my dear，we have no room．This house is full already．'

'Oh，but we could²³ change the house，papa．We could build a schoolroom．'

'Well，yes，I suppose¹⁴ so，'I said．'But—why do you want to do this？Isn't it better to work as governesses，in some big fine house？'

'Oh no，papa！'All three girls spoke²⁴ at once．Anne had stopped playing，and Emily looked very angry and frightening．I could see they had thought hard about this．

Charlotte said：'The life²⁶ of a governess is terrible，papa！A governess has no time of her own，no friends，no one to talk to，and if she gets angry with the children，they just run to their mother．I couldn't possibly be a governess all my life！'

'It's true，papa，'Anne said．'It's an awful²⁷ life．We're so lonely²⁸ away from each other．Why can't we have a school，and all live here？Then we can take care¹⁹ of you and Aunt Branwell when you get old．'

I looked at Emily．Her eyes were shining；I could see that the idea was important²⁹ to her too．

'But why will people send their children here？' I asked．'Haworth is not a big town，or a beautiful place．How will you find children to teach？'

'We have thought of that too，papa，'Charlotte said．'We must learn more，and become better teachers．I have spoken³⁰ to Aunt Branwell，and she will give us the money，if you agree．Emily and I want to go to Belgium，to learn French．If we can speak French³² well，then parents will send their children to us to learn that．'

'Emily will go？'I said．I looked at her．Emily had only been away from home twice，and each time she had been very un-happy．But now she looked excited．

'Yes，papa，'she said．'I will go．Charlotte is right— we must do something．And this will help us to stay together．'

'And Anne？'

'I will stay as a governess with the Robinson family，'Anne said²¹ sadly．'There's not enough money for us all to go，and ...the Robinsons are not so very bad．'

It was always like that．Anne was a gentle¹⁶ girl；she did¹ not fight³⁵ as hard as the others．Perhaps³⁷ her life was easier because of that．I don't know．

But I thought it was a wonderful idea．I wrote to Belgium，and found³⁸ them places in a school in Brussels，which was owned³⁹ by a Monsieur Héger．I agreed⁴⁰ to take the girls there，and for a month I wrote down French words in a little pocket⁴¹ book，to help me on the journey．Then，one afternoon in 1824，we caught the train to London．

I had not been to London for over twenty years，and my daughters had never been there．We stayed for three days，and then we took⁴³ the night boat to Belgium，and arrived at a tall，fine school building in the centre⁴⁴ of Brussels．

Héger himself⁴⁵ was a very polite，friendly man—very kind．He did not always understand my French，but he showed me round the school，and talked a lot，very fast．I smiled， and tried to answer．

The two girls were very excited³³ when I left them．As I came⁴⁶ home on the boat，I thought：'This is a good thing，a fine thing，perhaps．My daughters will start a good school， and Ha－worth will become famous．I hope⁴⁷ Branwell can make a success⁴⁸ of his life，too．Then my wife⁴⁹ Maria will be pleased⁵⁰ with us all．'

5 找工作

我已记不清他们做过的每一件事情了。

夏洛蒂和安妮做过几个月的家庭教师，在高大的房子里教有钱人家的孩子们。布兰韦尔也暂时找了个类似的工作，但他们都不喜欢这种工作。在家里我的孩子们谈笑风生，可离开家后他们就变得害羞、沉默、很不开心。

他们为找工作写了许多信，有时是写给大人物的。布兰韦尔想当作家，他就给作家写信，却很少有人回信。那些日子他变得伤心疲倦，经常在乡村酒吧和人喝酒、闲聊。后来他找到一份在火车站卖票的工作，就离开了家。

女儿们另有想法。我还记得她们跟我谈话的那天。夏洛蒂和安妮回家休假，晚饭后我们都坐在客厅里，安妮弹着钢琴，一边弹一边还轻轻地唱着歌。我觉得她是3个女儿中最美的，有一头鬈曲的褐色长发，还有着一张温柔善良的脸。爱米丽坐在她旁边的地板上，抚摸着她那只叫“管家”的狗的耳朵。夏洛蒂坐在我对面的沙发上，看上去像个孩子，却又带着深思熟虑的表情。她个子最小，脚还没有我的手大。

她端详着我，说：“爸爸，我们想开办一所学校。”

“真的，亲爱的？在哪儿？”

“就在这儿。”

“可是夏洛蒂，亲爱的，我们没有地方啊！这栋房子已经很满了呀！”

“哦，但我们可以，爸爸。我们可以盖一间大教室。”

“嗯，是啊，我觉得行。”我说，“不过为什么你想干这个呢？在别人家的大房子里做家庭教师不是更好吗？”

“噢，不，爸爸！”3个女儿一起对我说。安妮停下来，不弹琴了，爱米丽看上去很生气，样子非常吓人。我看得出她们已经好好想过了。

夏洛蒂说：“当女家庭教师的生活太可怕了，爸爸！一个家庭教师没有属于自己的时间，没有朋友，没有说话的人。如果对孩子发脾气，他们就会立刻跑到自己母亲那里去。我不可能一辈子都干这个！”

“真的，爸爸。”安妮说，“那种生活很可怕。我们不得不分开，都那么孤单。为什么我们不能有所自己的学校，就住在这儿呢？这样等您和布兰韦尔姨妈老了我们就可以照顾你们了。”

我看着爱米丽，她的眼睛熠熠发光，看得出这主意对她也很重要。

“但是人们为什么要把孩子送到这儿来呢？”我问，“霍沃斯既非大城市，又不是风景区。你们怎么找到孩子来教呢？”

“我们也已经想到这一点了，爸爸。”夏洛蒂说，“我们必须多学一些，成为更好的教师。我和布兰韦尔姨妈谈过了，如果您同意，她会给我们钱的。爱米丽和我想去比利时学法语。如果我们能讲流利的法语，那些父母就会把孩子送来学法语。”

“爱米丽会去吗？”我说。一边看着她。爱米丽只离开过家两次，每次她都很不开心。但这回她看上去却相当兴奋。

“是的，爸爸。”她说，“我要去。夏洛蒂是对的，我们必须做些事情，这还能使我们待在一起。”

“那安妮呢？”

“我还在罗宾逊家里当家庭教师，”安妮难过地说，“我们的钱不够大家都去的，况且罗宾逊家的人也没那么坏。”

事情总是那样。安妮是个温柔的孩子，她不像别人那样努力地去争取。或许正是如此，她的生活倒更轻松些。我不知是否如此。

不过我还是认为这是个好主意。我写信去比利时，在布鲁塞尔的一所学校为他们找到了去的地方。那所学校是埃热先生的。我同意送她们去那儿，在一个月内我在小笔记本上记下了许多法语单词，以备旅途之需。然后，1842年的一个下午，我们坐上了开往伦敦的火车。

我已有二十多年没去伦敦了，女儿们还从来没去过。我们在伦敦住了三天，然后搭夜班船去比利时，最后到达布鲁塞尔市中心的一座高大美观的学校楼前。

埃热本人是一个很有礼貌、很友好的人——非常和气。他并不总能听懂我的法语，但还是带着我在学校转了一圈，他讲了许多话，速度快极了。我微笑着，努力有所应答。

当我离开时两个孩子非常兴奋。坐在船上我心想：“这也许是件好事，一件妙事。我的女儿们将开办一所好学校，霍沃斯也将因此而出名。我希望布兰韦尔的生活成功，那样我妻子玛丽亚会为我们都感到高兴的。”