IThasbeenthoughtthatalltheworkspublishedunderthenamesofCurrer，Ellis，andActonBellwere，inreality，theproductionofoneperson。ThismistakeIendeavouredtorectifybyafewwordsofdisclaimerprefixedtothethirdeditionof\'JaneEyre。\'These，too，itappears，failedtogaingeneralcredence，andnow，ontheoccasionofareprintof\'WutheringHeights\'and\'AgnesGrey，\'Iamadviseddistinctlytostatehowthecasereallystands。
Indeed，Ifeelmyselfthatitistimetheobscurityattendingthosetwonames-EllisandActon-wasdoneaway。Thelittlemystery，whichformerlyyieldedsomeharmlesspleasure，haslostitsinterest；circumstancesarechanged。Itbecomes，then，mydutytoexplainbrieflytheoriginandauthorshipofthebookswrittenbyCurrer，Ellis，andActonBell。
Aboutfiveyearsago，mytwosistersandmyself，afterasomewhatprolongedperiodofseparation，foundourselvesreunited，andathome。Residentinaremotedistrict，whereeducationhadmadelittleprogress，andwhere，consequently，therewasnoinducementtoseeksocialintercoursebeyondourowndomesticcircle，wewerewhollydependentonourselvesandeachother，onbooksandstudy，fortheenjoymentsandoccupationsoflife。Thehigheststimulus，aswellastheliveliestpleasurewehadknownfromchildhoodupwards，layinattemptsatliterarycomposition；formerlyweusedtoshoweachotherwhatwewrote，butoflateyearsthishabitofcommunicationandconsultationhadbeendiscontinued；henceitensued，thatweweremutuallyignorantoftheprogresswemightrespectivelyhavemade。
Oneday，intheautumnof1845，IaccidentallylightedonaMS。
volumeofverseinmysisterEmily\'shandwriting。Ofcourse，Iwasnotsurprised，knowingthatshecouldanddidwriteverse:I
lookeditover，andsomethingmorethansurpriseseizedme-adeepconvictionthatthesewerenotcommoneffusions，noratalllikethepoetrywomengenerallywrite。Ithoughtthemcondensedandterse，vigorousandgenuine。Tomyeartheyhadalsoapeculiarmusic-wild，melancholy，andelevating。
MysisterEmilywasnotapersonofdemonstrativecharacter，noroneontherecessesofwhosemindandfeelingseventhosenearestanddearesttohercould，withimpunity，intrudeunlicensed；ittookhourstoreconcilehertothediscoveryIhadmade，anddaystopersuadeherthatsuchpoemsmeritedpublication。Iknew，however，thatamindlikeherscouldnotbewithoutsomelatentsparkofhonourableambition，andrefusedtobediscouragedinmyattemptstofanthatsparktoflame。
Meantime，myyoungersisterquietlyproducedsomeofherowncompositions，intimatingthat，sinceEmily\'shadgivenmepleasure，Imightliketolookathers。Icouldnotbutbeapartialjudge，yetIthoughtthattheseverses，too，hadasweet，sincerepathosoftheirown。
Wehadveryearlycherishedthedreamofonedaybecomingauthors。
Thisdream，neverrelinquishedevenwhendistancedividedandabsorbingtasksoccupiedus，nowsuddenlyacquiredstrengthandconsistency:ittookthecharacterofaresolve。Weagreedtoarrangeasmallselectionofourpoems，and，ifpossible，togetthemprinted。Aversetopersonalpublicity，weveiledourownnamesunderthoseofCurrer，Ellis，andActonBell；theambiguouschoicebeingdictatedbyasortofconscientiousscrupleatassumingChristiannamespositivelymasculine，whilewedidnotliketodeclareourselveswomen，because-withoutatthattimesuspectingthatourmodeofwritingandthinkingwasnotwhatiscalled\'feminine\'-wehadavagueimpressionthatauthoressesareliabletobelookedonwithprejudice；wehadnoticedhowcriticssometimesusefortheirchastisementtheweaponofpersonality，andfortheirreward，aflattery，whichisnottruepraise。
Thebringingoutofourlittlebookwashardwork。Aswastobeexpected，neitherwenorourpoemswereatallwanted；butforthiswehadbeenpreparedattheoutset；thoughinexperiencedourselves，wehadreadtheexperienceofothers。Thegreatpuzzlelayinthedifficultyofgettinganswersofanykindfromthepublisherstowhomweapplied。Beinggreatlyharassedbythisobstacle，I
venturedtoapplytotheMessrs。Chambers，ofEdinburgh，forawordofadvice；THEYmayhaveforgottenthecircumstance，butIhavenot，forfromthemIreceivedabriefandbusiness-like，butcivilandsensiblereply，onwhichweacted，andatlastmadeaway。
Thebookwasprinted:itisscarcelyknown，andallofitthatmeritstobeknownarethepoemsofEllisBell。ThefixedconvictionIheld，andhold，oftheworthofthesepoemshasnotindeedreceivedtheconfirmationofmuchfavourablecriticism；butImustretainitnotwithstanding。
Ill-successfailedtocrushus:themereefforttosucceedhadgivenawonderfulzesttoexistence；itmustbepursued。Weeachsettoworkonaprosetale:EllisBellproduced\'WutheringHeights，\'ActonBell\'AgnesGrey，\'andCurrerBellalsowroteanarrativeinonevolume。TheseMSS。wereperseveringlyobtrudeduponvariouspublishersforthespaceofayearandahalf；
usually，theirfatewasanignominiousandabruptdismissal。
Atlast\'WutheringHeights\'and\'AgnesGrey\'wereacceptedontermssomewhatimpoverishingtothetwoauthors；CurrerBell\'sbookfoundacceptancenowhere，noranyacknowledgmentofmerit，sothatsomethinglikethechillofdespairbegantoinvadeherheart。Asaforlornhope，shetriedonepublishinghousemore-Messrs。
Smith，ElderandCo。Erelong，inamuchshorterspacethanthatonwhichexperiencehadtaughthertocalculate-therecamealetter，whichsheopenedinthedrearyexpectationoffindingtwohard，hopelesslines，intimatingthatMessrs。Smith，ElderandCo。
\'werenotdisposedtopublishtheMS。，\'and，instead，shetookoutoftheenvelopealetteroftwopages。Shereadittrembling。Itdeclined，indeed，topublishthattale，forbusinessreasons，butitdiscusseditsmeritsanddemeritssocourteously，soconsiderately，inaspiritsorational，withadiscriminationsoenlightened，thatthisveryrefusalcheeredtheauthorbetterthanavulgarlyexpressedacceptancewouldhavedone。Itwasadded，thataworkinthreevolumeswouldmeetwithcarefulattention。
Iwasthenjustcompleting\'JaneEyre，\'atwhichIhadbeenworkingwhiletheone-volumetalewasploddingitswearyroundinLondon:
inthreeweeksIsentitoff；friendlyandskilfulhandstookitin。ThiswasinthecommencementofSeptember，1847；itcameoutbeforethecloseofOctoberfollowing，while\'WutheringHeights\'
and\'AgnesGrey，\'mysisters\'works，whichhadalreadybeeninthepressformonths，stilllingeredunderadifferentmanagement。
Theyappearedatlast。Criticsfailedtodothemjustice。Theimmaturebutveryrealpowersrevealedin\'WutheringHeights\'werescarcelyrecognised；itsimportandnatureweremisunderstood；theidentityofitsauthorwasmisrepresented；itwassaidthatthiswasanearlierandruderattemptofthesamepenwhichhadproduced\'JaneEyre。\'Unjustandgrievouserror！Welaughedatitatfirst，butIdeeplylamentitnow。Hence，Ifear，aroseaprejudiceagainstthebook。Thatwriterwhocouldattempttopalmoffaninferiorandimmatureproductionundercoverofonesuccessfuleffort，mustindeedbeundulyeagerafterthesecondaryandsordidresultofauthorship，andpitiablyindifferenttoitstrueandhonourablemeed。Ifreviewersandthepublictrulybelievedthis，nowonderthattheylookeddarklyonthecheat。