The stupid man was shaking and almost crying. I thought he was ill. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Then he turned and went out of the door.
Mr. Nicholls stayed in his own house for three days. He refused to eat, the stupid man, and he sent me some angry letters. But Charlotte wrote to him, to say that she would not marry him. Then Mr. Nicholls said he would leave Haworth, and go to Australia.
On his last day, in church, he had to give people bread to eat. But when he held out to bread to Charlotte, he could not do it, because he was shaking and crying so much. Afterwards, the people of Haworth gave him a gold watch. He cried about that, too.
I thought it was all finished, but I was wrong. I think he wrote to Charlotte, and she wrote back. In April of 1854, he came back to Haworth. Charlotte brought him into my room. I looked at him, but I said nothing. I was not pleased.
Papa, Charlotte said. Mr. Nicholls and I have something to say to you.
I did not like that. Mr. Nicholls and I… It did not sound good to me.
I am busy, I said. I have a lot of work.
Charlotte smiled. That’s because you don’t have s good curate, papa. When Mr. Nicholls was here, your life was easy.
Perhaps, I said. But he was going to Australia, I thought. Why heven’t you gone, sir.
Mr. Nicholls spoke for the first time. He looked very tall and proud, I thought. There are two reasons, sir, he said. First,