Chapter 33: The next day Jane is surprised by a visit from St. John. He is very excited, but does not immediately tell her why he has come. Eventually he begins to tell her a story. He says that there was a clergyman and a woman who married and had a daughter. They died, and the girl was sent to a Mrs. Reed and then to Lowood School. Jane is startled, but he continues that the woman then went to live with a Mr. Rochester and was to marry him until it was found out that he was already married. She then ran off and is now missing. He says that he received a letter from a solicitor looking for this woman whose name was Jane Eyre, and bringing out the scrap of paper that he had taken from Jane's paper, she sees that she had absent-mindedly written Jane Eyre on it.
He continues on to say that her uncle had died and left her all his money, a fortune of twenty thousand pounds. Jane is quite surprised at the large amount. She then asks why the solicitor should write to him, and he replies that he is her cousin, the son of her father's sister. Jane is so excited that she has family, especially family such as Diana and Mary, who she felt could have been sisters to her anyway. She instantly decides to split the money with them so that they will each have five thousand pounds and can all live together at Moor House. St. John believes that it is just the surprise and that she will really not want to split the money, but she convinces him. She tells him that she will keep the school open until he can find a replacement.
Chapter 34: By Christmas everything is settled. Jane has left the school to a substitute, and promises to visit and teach, as she sees that some of the students do like her. Mr. St. John asks Jane what she will do now, and she replies that she is going to get the house ready for Diana and Mary's return by cleaning it thoroughly and buying some new things. He says that this will not keep her busy long and she will have to do more after, and she wonders why he is trying to stir up restlessness in her. St. John arrives first on the day all are to come home. He does not speak much to Jane or say anything pleasurable about what she has done with the house. Jane realizes that he would not make a good husband, and that it is a good thing that he and Miss Oliver did not marry. Jane relates that he does not treat her like a sister as he said he would, but that the distance between them has grown. Diana and Mary arrive home, and all are happy to see each other. They compliment Jane on what she had done to the home. A few days later when they are all studying in the library, St. John tells Jane that he wants her to stop learning German and to learn Hindustani instead. He says that it is the language he is learning for his missionary work, and that it would be a help to him to remember how it was when he started learning the language. She complies, but soon feels that she is doing only what he wants and burying a part of herself.
Jane often thinks of Mr. Rochester and even writes to the solicitor to see if he knows anything about him. When he writes back that he does not, Jane writes to Mrs. Fairfax. When she does not receive a reply, she writes again, thinking perhaps her letter was lost, but again she gets no reply. One day St. John tells Jane that she will take a walk with him. St. John asks Jane to come to India with him, and tells her that God had intended her to be a missionary's wife. Jane makes many excuses, but St. John has an answer for all of them, continuing to try to convince her. After a few thoughts, Jane tells him that she will go with him, but as his sister, not his wife. He replies that this is impossible, and that she must marry him. She continues to refuse, saying that they do not love each other, and he replies that she is not refusing him, but God. He tells her that he will be going away for a fortnight to bid farewell to friends and that she should think about it. Later in the evening, when Jane asks if he forgives her, he replies that he had not been offended.
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