What do we learn from the party's discussion of gypsies in Jane Eyre?

In Chapter Nineteen, Bronte provides an amusing twist when it turns out the gypsy is Mr. Rochester in disguise. This light mood is broken, however, when Jane tells Mr. Rochester that Mr. Mason has come to visit. Mr. Rochester's line of questioning foreshadows that Mr. Mason may have some information about Mr. Rochester that might be considered taboo by average society. Identity is a theme in this chapter. Note how the use of disguise allows Mr. Rochester to interview Jane concerning her feelings for him without having to give away his identity. Jane is also torn about the identity of the gypsy. While she doubts the woman is a gypsy, she thinks the woman may be Grace in disguise. While the identity of the gypsy is revealed by the end of the chapter, Mr. Mason's identity, and the news he brings, remains cloaked.