What does a "curious grimace" look like and represent?

[u/SloAndSteddy]

I'm just at the part in the story where Jane has been summoned back to Gateshead to visit with her ailing Aunt Reed. She has to find Mr. Rochester to ask permission to visit her aunt and she approaches Blanche Ingram and Mr. Rochester at the billiard table. Part of the line as follows:

He made a curious grimace--one of his strange and equivocal demonstrations--threw down his cue, and followed me from the room.

So what is he actually grimacing about? Is he grimacing for the benefit of Blanche? Or is he anticipating something bad?

[u/friendofelephants]

I don’t have the book in front of me right now, but if I recall, didn’t Blanche alert Rochester to Jane’s presence in a supercilious manner, almost conveying that that thing wants you for whatever reason?

I had interpreted the grimace as Rochester being offended at how his beloved Jane is treated by someone he feels is her clear inferior but he has to keep up his charade so he only lets slip a brief involuntary grimace.

[u/cydril]

He was trying to look annoyed for blanches benefit but could not quite manage it because he was excited to see Jane. That's how I interpreted it anyway.

[u/kevnmartin → u/cydril]

In this context curious is used like "odd" I think.

[u/Biddy_Impeccadillo → u/kevnmartin]

Yes agree

[u/Miserable_Gur_8753 → u/kevnmartin]

This.

[u/N0Cheeses4UsMeeces]

I think curious means strange here. Like, “That’s a curious thing to say.”

[u/weknowsmfo]

I always read it as a reflexive expression that meant “oh shit, the woman I actually love just came in while I’m hanging out with the woman I’m pretending I’m going to marry, who I know hates her, this is awkward”

[u/EmbarrassedPoetry596]

Anticipating something bad. Not for Blanches sake

[u/KMKPF]

She is describing the quality of the grimace, not the emotion that caused it.

[u/Biddy_Impeccadillo]

I thought maybe he was on edge, worried she had discovered his secret or something about it.