Jane Eyre

The month of courtship had wasted: its very last hours were being numbered. There was no putting off the day that advanced—the bridal day; and all preparations for its arrival were complete. _I_, at least, had nothing more to do: there were my trunks, packed, locked, corded, ranged in a row along the wall of my little chamber; to-morrow, at this time, they would be far on their road to London: and so should I (D.V.),—or rather, not I, but one Jane Rochester, a person whom as yet I knew not. On the eve of her wedding to Mr. Rochester, Jane experiences profound anxiety about her impending transformation from Jane Eyre to Mrs. Rochester. She cannot bring herself to attach the address labels bearing her new married name, feeling that this new identity doesn't yet exist. The wedding dress hanging in her closet seems ghostly and foreign, belonging to someone she doesn't recognize. A mysterious event from the previous night weighs heavily on her mind—something only she witnessed while Rochester was away on business. The Gothic atmosphere intensifies as Jane ventures into the stormy night, seeking solace in the orchard where she encounters the lightning-split chestnut tree from earlier in the novel. The tree, though damaged and dying, still clings together at its roots, which Jane interprets as a symbol of enduring connection despite destruction. Her restless energy drives her to prepare the house for Rochester's return, but when he doesn't arrive as expected, her anxiety transforms into foreboding. Finally, she ventures out to meet him on the road, where they reunite with passionate affection, though Jane's mysterious secret remains undisclosed.