Jane Eyre — CHAPTER XXIX

Jane endures three days of near-total lethargy, aware of visitors but unable to respond. Hannah’s prejudice unsettles her, while Diana and Mary’s compassionate remarks reassure her. St. John judges a doctor unnecessary, attributing her condition to exhaustion and predicting swift recovery.

On the fourth day, Jane rises to find her clothes cleaned and descends to the kitchen. Hannah, initially blunt and suspicious, questions Jane’s background. Jane asserts she is not a beggar, helps with gooseberries, and gently rebukes Hannah’s contempt for poverty. They reconcile and become friendly as Hannah recounts the Rivers family’s history at Marsh End (Moor House).

Diana and Mary return, gently assert authority, and move Jane to the parlour, where St. John studies her in silence. Over tea, he probes her circumstances. Jane states she has no home or friends and is unmarried. When pressed, she withholds the names of her former residence and connections but asks for help obtaining work.

Jane provides a limited history: an orphan, educated and later a teacher at Lowood, then a governess who left a happy post after a dire catastrophe, arriving destitute. She admits using the alias “Jane Elliott” and refuses to disclose her real name for safety. Diana and Mary support her rest; St. John, reserved yet practical, promises to find her modest employment, while his sisters insist she remain at Moor House until then.