hapters　of　St。　Matthew；　and　in　listening　to　a　long　sermon；　read　by　Miss　Miller；　whose　irrepressible　yawns　attested　her　weariness。　A　frequent　interlude　of　these　performances　was　the　enactment　of　the　part　of　Eutychus　by　some　half…dozen　of　little　girls；　who；　overpowered　with　sleep；　would　fall　down；　if　not　out　of　the　third　loft；　yet　off　the　fourth　form；　and　be　taken　up　half　dead。　The　remedy　was；　to　thrust　them　forward　into　the　centre　of　the　schoolroom；　and　oblige　them　to　stand　there　till　the　sermon　was　finished。　Sometimes　their　feet　failed　them；　and　they　sank　together　in　a　heap；　they　were　then　propped　up　with　the　monitors’　high　stools。

I　have　not　yet　alluded　to　the　visits　of　Mr。　Brocklehurst；　and　indeed　that　gentleman　was　from　home　during　the　greater　part　of　the　first　month　after　my　arrival；　perhaps　prolonging　his　stay　with　his　friend　the　archdeacon：　his　absence　was　a　relief　to　me。　I　need　not　say　that　I　had　my　own　reasons　for　dreading　his　ing：　but　e　he　did　at　last。

One　afternoon　（I　had　then　been　three　weeks　at　Lowood）；　as　I　was　sitting　with　a　slate　in　my　hand；　puzzling　over　a　sum　in　long　division；　my　eyes；　raised　in　abstraction　to　the　window；　caught　sight　of　a　figure　just　passing：　I　recognised　almost　instinctively　that　gaunt　outline；　and　when；　two　minutes　after；　all　the　school；　teachers　included；　rose　en　masse；　it　was　not　necessary　for　me　to　look　up　in　order　to　ascertain　whose　entrance　they　thus　greeted。　A　long　stride　measured　the　schoolroom；　and　presently　beside　Miss　Temple；　who　herself　had　risen；　stood　the　same　black　column　which　had　frowned　on　me　so　ominously　from　the　hearthrug　of　Gateshead。　I　now　glanced　sideways　at　this　piece　of　architecture。　Yes；　I　was　right：　it　was　Mr。　Brocklehurst；　buttoned　up　in　a　surtout；　and　looking　longer；　narrower；　and　more　rigid