Briggs, Wood, Mason, I invite you all to come up to the house and visit Mrs.
Poole's patient, and _my wife_! You shall see what sort of a being I was cheated into espousing, and judge whether or not I had a right to break the compact, and seek sympathy with something at least human.

This girl," he continued, looking at me, "knew no more than you, Wood, of the disgusting secret: she thought all was fair and legal and never dreamt she was going to be entrapped into a feigned union with a defrauded wretch, already bound to a bad, mad, and embruted partner! Come all of you--follow!" Still holding me fast, he left the church: the three gentlemen came after.

At the front door of the hall we found the carriage.
"Take it back to the coach-house, John," said Mr.Rochester coolly; "it will not be wanted to-day." At our entrance, Mrs.Fairfax, Adele, Sophie, Leah, advanced to meet and greet us.
"To the right-about--every soul!" cried the master; "away with your congratulations! Who wants them?
Not I!--they are fifteen years too late!" He passed on and ascended the stairs, still holding my hand, and still beckoning the gentlemen to follow him, which they did.

We mounted the first staircase, passed up the gallery, proceeded to the third storey: the low, black door, opened by Mr.Rochester's master-key, admitted us to the tapestried room, with its great bed and its pictorial cabinet.
"You know this place, Mason," said our guide; "she bit and stabbed you here." He lifted the hangings from the wall, uncovering the second door: this, too, he opened.

In a room without a window, there burnt a fire guarded by a high and strong fender, and a lamp suspended from the ceiling by a chain.