Jane takes a coach as far as her money will carry her, and is dropped off at a crossroads. She spends several days exposed and looking for work. At the point of losing all her strength, she makes her way to a house, where she begs for something to eat, but the maid turns her away. She is let in, however, by the homeowner, whose family nurses her back to health. She tells them some of the story, but lets them know she can’t tell all, and that she must hide her name. The St. John family accepts her in. St. John proposes that Jane be headmistress of a country school for girls, which she accepts. There is some stir in the family over a recently dead rich uncle, who they had hoped would provide them with a small endowment, but he left his entire fortune to another heir.

She opens the school and admits that the work can be a drudge at times, nonetheless, Jane is grateful for the work, the place to stay, and the place within the community.

After some time, St. John tells Jane that she is the recipient of a fortune. After the initial shock, she wonders why the lawyer found her through St. John, at which point she finds out they are related, and that the uncle who had promised to leave her a fortune, was the one who had cut them out. She is overjoyed at having family and immediately cuts them all in.  

Jane fixes up Moorhouse and calls her cousins Diana and Mary back for a celebration during the Christmas holidays. During that time, St John wants Jane to learn Hindi with him. She is increasingly drawn into his world, but finds it more restrictive. She wants to please him, but feels that in doing so, she must disown half her nature, and force herself into a mold.

Jane informs the reader that she had not forgotten Rochester at all. She had in fact inquired of him through her correspondence with the lawyer, but received no answer.  

As the time for St. John to leave for India draws near, he proposes marriage to Jane. She is willing to go as a fellow laborer, but knows he does not love her. He insists it must be as a wife, at which point Jane refuses. As she refutes him, she notes that the veil had fallen and she saw his hardness and despotism. He attempts to argue, and even guilt, her into the covenant, but she stands firm again. He rebukes her and threatens that she would be relegated to a meaningless life if she would refuse the marriage.  

St. John stayed for another week, but was cold. Jane suffers through this recognizing his changed attitude after he didn’t get what he wanted. Contrasted this with Rochester, who she knew she needed to flee from because she wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation endlessly.  

The night before he leaves, he entreats Jane one last time, and she is on the verge of surrendering, when she hears a voice call: Jane! Jane! Jane! It is Rochester’s voice she hears and she is filled with a desire to go to him.

There is a real contrast in these two men that are attracted to Jane. Rochester sees her for who she is, and loves her for it. St. John sees her for what she can do for him, and loves her for that.

St. John has the sanction of religion, and it is to God and his work, to eternal purposes, that he petitions Jane. That is powerful for believers. All of us want to serve the Lord and fix our eyes beyond this world. But St. John seems to use his belief in his calling as proof of Jane’s. And that’s where it’s not necessarily so. All of us as believers have to be wary of other men who hear God’s call for OUR lives. They may, in fact do that, but it doesn’t happen without the Lord telling US about it. God can confirm things through others, but when we let others become the exclusive mouthpiece through which God speaks, then we are open to manipulation. Undoubtedly, St. John truly believes what he is saying, but the world has never lacked men with conviction. Even when they are dead wrong, men can still speak with all the conviction of the rightness. Especially when men are charismatic, then we are especially open for manipulation. St. John has these qualities, but Jane is intuitively aware of it, and on guard for being manipulated. She has recognized his demanding and despotic nature over her, and ascertained that his nature and his work didn’t raise her up, it tired her out.