Jane Eyre by Charlotte

207 ‘there are a thousand reasons why liaisons between tutors and governesses should never be tolerated a moment in any well-regulated house’ – And what of liaisons between masters and governesses? Such lowly beings are governesses and tutors are to be denied love according to Mrs Ingram.

207-8 ‘the Rizzio of so divine a Mary…black Bothwell…James Hepburn…the sort of wild, fierce bandit hero whom I could have consented to gift with my hand…I dote on Corsairs’ – It is simplest to take all these references to operatic and Byronic figures and deal with them together. The essential point is that Blanche is implying, in the course of her flirtation with Rochester, that he is the wild, uncontrolled and rather brutal man of her dreams. The whole is, of course, pure imposture: like Celine Varens, her only interest in her ‘Corsair’ is pecuniary. Rochester himself starts the ball rolling with David ‘Rizzio’, called the ‘fiddler David’ by Blanche, because he was a fine musician and singer, as well as being the reputed lover of Mary, Queen of Scots. Blanche rejects this most un-Rochester-like figure for ‘black Bothwell’ (James Hepburn, the fourth Earl of Bothwell) who allegedly waylaid Mary and may even have raped her, though afterwards he gained her hand in marriage. Her reference to ‘Corsairs’ is no doubt related to Byron’s famous poem The Corsair (published 1814).

209 ‘one of your frowns would be a sufficient substitute for capital punishment’ – It is interesting to speculate on Rochester’s motives here. He is clearly intent on tormenting Jane and awaking any feelings of jealousy she may be harbouring. His flirtatious comments to Blanche, however, are so absurd sometimes – as here – that there may well be a tinge of sarcasm in his words.

209 ‘It was Mr Rochester’ – He has obviously been watching her every move.

209 ‘And getting a good deal paler than you were’ – Like the moon, which depends for its illumination on the sun, Jane’s cheeks lose colour the moment Rochester’s love is withdrawn from her. This, of course, is precisely the effect he has been counting on. The whole charade – indeed, the very decision to invite the Ingrams and the other local gentry to Thornfield – has all been for Jane’s benefit. She cannot begin to imagine herself at the forefront of his thoughts in this way.

210 ‘Good-night, my –” He stopped, bit his lip, and abruptly left me.’ – Having nearly brought Jane to tears, he is more assured of her love for him, and has trouble stopping himself confessing his passion for her.
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