Author’s notes:
I think my favorite line in this chapter, if not the book is ““Yes, there is your ‘boite’ at last: take it into a corner, you genuine daughter of Paris, and amuse yourself with disembowelling it,” said the deep and rather sarcastic voice of Mr. Rochester, proceeding from the depths of an immense easy-chair at the fireside. “And mind,” he continued, “don’t bother me with any details of the anatomical process, or any notice of the condition of the entrails: let your operation be conducted in silence: tiens-toi tranquille, enfant; comprends-tu?””
The idea of disembowelling a gift makes Christmas so much more moody.
In this chapter Mr. Rochester goes on and on, trying to not say he is falling for her and thereby confuses her a great deal. She does get her wit in and stays true to what she thinks which is what I love about her. There is not much to change here as these are important conversations to the structure of the book, so I had to add a scene at the end to recenter the world were it was.