Chapter Five: Mr Brownlow

When Oliver arrived at Mr Brownlow's house he was very ill. He almost died. For many days he lay in a clean bed in a sunny room. Mr Brownlow's housekeeper took care of him. Her name was Mrs Bedwin. She and Mr Brownlow were very kind to the little boy.

There was a picture of a lady near Oliver's bed. "What a beautiful lady!"

he said. "But her eyes are very sad!"

When Mr Brownlow came to see Oliver he said, "Mrs Bedwin, look at the picture on the wall and look at Oliver. The head, the eyes, the mouth - they are the same! I can't believe this!" He looked at Oliver and then looked at the picture many times.

When Oliver was better he sat on a chair near his bed. Mr Brownlow had tears in his eyes when he looked at him.

A long time passed and Oliver was finally well. Mr Brownlow and Mrs Bedwin loved little Oliver. Mr Brownlow bought him new clothes. For the first time in his life Oliver was happy. He liked his new home very much.

One day Mr Brownlow asked Oliver, "Do you like it here?"

Oliver said, "I'm very happy, sir. You are so kind to me. I want to stay here. Please don't send me away."

Mr Brownlow said, "Of course you can stay here!"

Mr Brownlow showed him his library. Oliver was interested in the books.

"I want to send you to a good school, Oliver. Then you can read these books."

One sunny day Mr Brownlow said, "Oliver, can you please take these books to the bookshop? Give this £5 note to the man in the shop."

"I am happy to do this for you," said Oliver smiling. He took the books and walked happily down the street.

Nancy was standing in a small street. When he walked into the small street Nancy saw him. She put her arms around him. "Oh, my dear brother! I found you! You must come home with me now. You are a bad boy!"

Oliver cried, "Help! Help!"

Just then Bill Sikes arrived. He said, "It's young Oliver! Come home with us. Mother is waiting for us."

Sikes and Nancy pulled Oliver to Fagin's shop.

When they arrived at Fagin's shop he said, "Oliver, I'm happy to see you!"

Charley Bates took Oliver's new clothes. Sikes took the five pound note and Fagin took the books.

"You can keep me here all my life." cried Oliver, "But please return these books and the five pound note to Mr Brownlow. Please! He mustn't think I am a thief."

"Oh, yes, he must!" said Fagin. Everyone laughed at Oliver.

Oliver jumped up and ran to the door. Fagin hit Oliver with a big stick.

Nancy pulled the stick out of Fagin's hand. She threw it in the fire.

"Don't hit the boy again!" she said.

Sikes pushed Nancy to the floor and Fagin laughed. Then they locked Oliver in a dark room.

It was night time at Mr Brownlow's house. He and Mrs Bedwin waited for Oliver all night, but he never came home. Mr Brownlow was very sad and worried. Where was Oliver?

Chapter Six: The Crime

One rainy night Fagin went to see Bill Sikes. "I want to talk about that big house outside London. There are many precious things to steal! It's perfect for us!" He was very excited.

"Yes, it's a very rich house," said Sikes. "But it will be difficult. The house is completely closed at night. There's one small window at the back. It's easy to open, but only a small boy can enter." "Oliver is the boy for you, Sikes,"said Fagin. "He must start working for his bread."

The next morning Oliver found a new pair of shoes near his bed. He was very happy.

"Tonight you must go to see Bill Sikes," said Fagin.

"Why?" asked Oliver.

"Sikes can tell you. Be careful, Oliver, he's a cruel man. Do what he tells you," Fagin said.

Oliver was afraid. He prayed God to help him.

Nancy came and took Oliver to Sikes. "Be good and quiet. Give me your hand," she said.

When Sikes saw Oliver he put a pistol to his head. "Do what I say or I'll shoot you! Do you hear me?" Oliver heard him and was terrified . He didn't say a word.

"Now come with me!" said Sikes.

Sikes and Oliver walked together in the cold fog. After some time they arrived in the country. They met another thief called Toby Crackit. Oliver walked between the two thieves. Soon they climbed a wall and saw a big country house. The night was cold and foggy.

When Oliver saw the country house he understood their terrible plan. He fell to his knees and said, "Please let me go! I don't want to steal! I prefer to die here."

Toby Crackit put his hand over Oliver's mouth. Sikes opened the small window at the back of the house. Then he put a pistol to Oliver's head and whispered , "Listen! Go in through this small window. Then go to the front door. Open it and we will enter the house. Remember, I'm watching you and I have a pistol!"

Oliver went in through the window. He wanted to warn the family, so he started going up the stairs.

Sikes cried, "Come back!" Suddenly there was a light. Oliver saw two men at the top of the stairs. There was a loud noise, a light and some smoke from a pistol. Oliver felt a terrible pain! He was terrified and ran back to the small window.

Sikes put his arm through the window. He pulled Oliver quickly through the window.

"Oliver is hurt," said Sikes. "Look at the blood!" He carried Oliver to the garden wall. Oliver was very cold, and then he saw and heard no more.

"Hurry!" said Toby Crackit. "The men and their dogs are following us!"

Sikes left Oliver at the garden wall. He ran away with Toby Crackit. Two men and their dogs followed them. They were servants of the country house.

"Do you see anyone, Giles?" asked Mr Brittles. "It's too dark. I can't see anything," said Mr Giles. The two men returned to the country house. They didn't see Oliver's body.

Oliver stayed on the cold wet ground all night.

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Part Five: Mr Rochester Proposes 

Later that day, I received a letter which greatly surprised me. Mrs Reed,

my aunt, was dying, and she wanted me to go and visit her. I set off at once on a long journey to her home.

When I got there, I was told that my cousin John had died. My aunt was very ill. At first she could not speak to me. But one day, as I was sitting by her bed, she showed me a letter. It was from my father's brother, who lived in Madeira. This is what it said.

Dear Mrs Reed,

I am looking for my brother's daughter, Jane Eyre. I am now a rich man,

and I have no children of my own. I want Jane Eyre to live with me. Can you help me to find my niece?

Yours sincerely,

John Eyre I looked at the date on the letter. 'But Mrs Reed,' I said, 'this letter was sent three years ago. Why didn't you tell me about it before?'

'I never liked you, Jane Eyre,' my aunt replied. 'I wrote a letter to your uncle, and I told him that you were dead. I told him you died at Lowood School. Now go away and leave me.'

A few days afterwards , Mrs Reed died. I felt sad that she had disliked me until her death, and I felt glad to leave her house and return to Thornfield Hall.

It was summer, and the fields around Thornfield were very green and full of flowers. For me, it was the most beautiful place in the world, because it was now my home.

'I know that Adele will be pleased to see me,' I thought. 'But what about Mr Rochester? I want to see him so much, but how does he feel about me?

Perhaps he is already married to Blanche Ingram? What if they are going to marry soon? What will I do?' I felt unhappy when I thought about Mr Rochester and Blanche Ingram. 'I can't stay here when they are married,'I thought. 'I must leave this house, which I love, and I will never see Mr Rochester again.'

When I came near the house, I saw Mr Rochester. He was pleased to see me, and so were Mrs Fairfax and Adele. I really felt that I had come back home.

One evening, a few weeks afterwards, I went for a walk in the garden after I had finished teaching Adele. Mr Rochester saw me there. 'Come and talk to me, Jane,' he said.

'He's going to tell me that he is going to marry Blanche Ingram,' I thought.

'Are you happy here, Jane?' he asked.

'Yes, Mr Rochester, I am very happy,' I replied.

'You'll be sad to leave here,' he said.

I could not look at him. 'He is going to tell me that I must leave because he's getting married,' I thought.

'Yes, I will be very sad to leave,' I said.

'But you must leave, Jane,' Mr Rochester said.

'Must I?' I asked. 'Will it be soon?' 'Yes, it will be soon,' He said.

'Is it because you are going to get married?' I asked.

'Yes, Jane, I am going to get married. Adele must go to school, and you must find a new job. I will help you. It will be far from here, though, my little friend.'

'Then I shall never see you again?' I cried.

'You'll soon forget me when you are far away,' he answered.

'But I will never forget you,' I thought. 'You may forget me, when I am not here, but I will never forget you, Mr Rochester.'

I could hardly speak. Tears were in my eyes, and all that I could say was,

'Never!'

He looked at me for a long time, and then, at last, he spoke. 'Perhaps you don't need to go,' he said. 'Perhaps you can stay here when I am married.'

I felt angry now. Did this man think I was made of stone ? Did he not know how I felt? Did he even care how much his words hurt me?

'I could never stay,' I told him. 'When Miss Ingram is your wife, I must go.

I know that I am not rich and beautiful like her. I am poor and unimportant.

But I still feel sadness. If you marry Miss Ingram, I must leave here.'

I was surprised when Mr Rochester smiled. 'But I don't want you to go,Jane,' he said. 'I am not going to marry Miss Ingram. Please stay here with me, because it's you I want to marry.'

I heard what he said but I could not believe it. 'You are laughing at me,' I said. 'How can you be so cruel?'

'I am not laughing at you, Jane,' he answered. 'It is you I want to marry,

and not Miss Ingram. Jane, will you marry me?'

He looked at me so tenderly that I had to believe him. Mr Rochester really did want to marry me! He wanted me, Jane Eyre, to be his wife!

'Yes,' I said quietly, 'I will marry you.'

'We will be happy, Jane. No one is going to stop us,' he told me, with a strange look in his eyes, which I did not quite understand. But I was too happy at that moment to think about it for long.

It began to get dark. The weather changed, and a strong wind started to blow. Rain started to fall as we walked back to the house together.