Miss Mary in Pride and Prejudice

In the following two weeks, they visited the picturesque hilly area along the Hoddle Valley, which was completely different from the beautiful scenery on the lake, including large green pastures and deep canyons. , and the vibrant swamps, and of course the old mills, stone bridges, castles and churches.Wherever they went, they were looking for places to visit, and they were interested in hearing the anecdotes of countless princes, dukes and ladies.

However, the most interesting thing for them is the beautiful half-timbered houses in different villages and towns, the exquisite cobblestone streets and alleys, the interesting patterns inlaid on the stained glass windows, and the original and lively places held by the simple villagers. Festivals, and those ancient legends and customs...

Coming out of Hoddle Valley, they walked along a clear river for about ten miles on a mountain road, and they came to an open plain, where Miss Darcy's uncle, Earl Blaine's domain, was Ward Manor. Brother of the late Lady Anne Darcy.The Ward Manor has a vast area, and the luxurious mansion standing on the hillside was designed and built by Queen Elizabeth's advisor, the fourth Earl of Bryan, Mr. Burley. It adopts the Renaissance style as a whole and is extremely luxurious. It looks really majestic and majestic.

The village near the estate is called Cravington, a small, empty village with a post office and a bakery, and a few lovely stone cottages and black and white half-timbered houses scattered on the roofs. The numerous chimneys and well-proportioned glass windows reveal an antique elegance and a simple and natural beauty.For a long period of time, the entire village and the surrounding areas were owned by the Blaine family. Of course, it is not what it used to be, but Blaine's surname is still prominent in the village and widely respected by the villagers.

The current Earl of Bryan is an old man with a stern face, a thin figure, and an unsmiling face. However, it can be seen that he likes Georgiana very much and treats Mary very kindly. However, he strictly abides by ancient etiquette. Let me solemnly inform you that the earl has an obsession with the meal time, and he will never allow you to be late, which inevitably makes Mary feel a little scared.

Even without Georgiana's special explanation, Mary could tell that the Ward Manor was in financial difficulties. Although the mansion was magnificent and majestic, many places had been in disrepair for a long time, and the walls were peeling off everywhere. Quaint, yet the fibers above have been polished so that in places the floor below is exposed.There are fewer servants in the manor than needed, and there is a deserted atmosphere everywhere. The food served on the table is very rough, not to mention inferior to Pemberley, and even Mary's daily diet in Longbourn is better than here. a little better.

Earl Bryan turned a blind eye to all of these, and what he talked about to the new guests at the dinner table was the glorious history of Ward Manor.It is said that just over 100 years ago, the Blaine family also funded the construction of a workhouse in the village. King Richard II once visited Ward Manor to hunt, and the Blaine family held a grand welcome ceremony for the king in return. , Richard II rewarded the Blaine family with a group of fine Nubian dairy goats, which was solemnly recorded in the genealogy by the Earl of Blaine at that time.Later, Mary did see herds of goats on the hillside of the back garden, but she didn't know whether they were descendants of the royal goats.

However, the most sensational event in the history of the Bryan family, Earl Bryan is reluctant to mention it. Georgiana told Mary some anecdotes. It was when they explored the secret passages in the manor together. Georgiana told Mary that these passages were built in Catholicism. During the terrible years of being banned in England, the owner of the manor at that time believed in Catholicism and used these secret channels to help his friends escape the persecution of the authorities. One of the most sensational things was that the second son of the owner Francis wrote a letter to Scotland in code Queen Mary was sentenced to death by Queen Elizabeth after the incident was revealed, and the Bryan family lost most of their fiefdoms and never recovered.

At night, Mary lay alone on the big bed in the spacious guest room, looking at the colorful murals on the dome, unable to fall asleep for a long time. The color of the murals has faded, and many places are mottled and difficult to recognize, but Mary can still see that the theme of the picture is Shale in the Bible. The story of Mei dancing for Herod in exchange for killing St. John.In addition, there are the Virgin Mary wearing a crown and the three wise men of the East. The materials and folds of the clothing on the characters are all depicted in detail, which shows that they were determined by famous masters at that time.

In addition to the usual gloomy atmosphere of ancient houses in Ward Manor today, there is also a stale and decaying atmosphere, which makes people feel uncomfortable.So when Mary was a guest at the Ward Manor, as long as the weather allowed, she went outdoors as much as possible. The garden in the manor was deserted because no one took care of it. Only a small herb garden in the southeast corner was well preserved.It is said that it was the favorite place of the late Countess of Blaine, so the count tried every means to keep the herb garden in its original style. There was a fountain in the garden, which attracted many waterfowl to play here. Mary and Georgiana loved it the most. In this corner of the manor, sometimes you can stay for a long time, read books under the octagonal pavilion here, draw some small watercolor landscape paintings, or talk softly and talk about your heart.

Georgiana was not a gossiper, but sometimes, under the inducement of Mrs. Agnesley, she would unknowingly talk about old things about the master of the manor.It is said that when Earl Bryan was young and unmarried, his family eagerly hoped that he would marry a wife with a generous dowry to improve the increasingly difficult economic situation of the manor. Unexpectedly, the young Earl fell in love with a penniless and An innocent woman, and insisted on marrying her.His two younger sisters were fed up with this kind of life when they had to swell their faces to pretend to be fat, but they both married rich and noble families. One became Mrs. Darcy and the other Mrs. De Bourgh. food life.

After Earl Bryan took over the family business, he was not good at managing it, and the family business gradually withered, so he hoped that his son would be able to undertake the things he was unwilling to do back then.It seems that God is against him. His eldest son, George, also fell in love with a girl from a declining family. Earl Bryan completely forgot his love in the past, exercised the authority of the parents, and once threatened to sever the father-son relationship with George. Under the tremendous pressure of the family, the poor girl fell ill due to her long-term depression, and soon passed away.And Mr. George became disheartened from then on, he didn't care about the family business, and made it clear that he would never marry for life, so Earl Bryan had to pin his hopes on his second son, Colonel Fitzwilliam.

Mary already knew about the following things, but Fitzwilliam obediently followed his father's order and got engaged to his cousin Anne. Seeing that Rosings' property was at his fingertips, Ward Manor could also use it to restore its former glory. Foolishly, Annie, who has always been obedient and has no temper, elopes with a gardener.When the news came, Earl Blaine was astonished and annoyed beyond words. In addition, Fitzwilliam, who had been depressed since then, resolutely sought overseas positions and traveled far away from home. Earl Blaine and his sister, Mrs. There was a heated argument and contact has been severed for some time.

The story gave Mary a somewhat unfavorable opinion of the stern old man, and genuine sympathy for Mr. George Blaine, an outwardly easy-going man with a mild temper and good manners. However, he often stays alone in the study, does not go out for a long time, or walks around the mansion, has been walking along the stream to the valley. According to the old housekeeper who knows him best, the girl he loved was once Live in a thatched-roof farmhouse in a valley.

Because she was moved by Mr. George's infatuation, Mary, who never took the initiative to associate with men, would often find topics to talk to him when George was in the library. She found that George was a rare man with rich experience and knowledge. He is a good teacher and helpful friend, and Mr. George also thinks that this young lady who is obsessed with reading is different. He praised Mary's unique and profound insights at the dinner table several times, and lamented that there are very few young ladies who are eager to learn in the current world.

Mary was very lucky to know such an older and well-informed gentleman, and often sat side by side with Mr. George on the stone bench in the herb garden to read books and discuss issues informally.Neither she nor George thought it unusual, until one day, when Georgiana, accompanied by Mrs. Annesley, went to visit an old acquaintance in the village, Mary sat alone in the herb garden reading a book of John Bunyan's masterpiece "The Pilgrim's Progress", at this time, a shadow covered the pages of her book.

Mary looked up and found that it was Earl Blaine. He was holding a cane in his hand, and a tall shepherd dog was walking at his feet. It seemed that he had just inspected his territory.Mary smiled and stood up to say hello. Earl Bryan just nodded slightly and said, "I hope I didn't bother you, Miss Bennet."

"Interruption is not unwelcome, Earl, please sit down." Mary said politely to Brian, thinking that he would turn around and go back to the mansion, but what she didn't expect was that the Earl actually sat down, and And chatted with her.Mary also had no choice but to accept the earl's cross-examination respectfully.Yes, it was a cross-examination. The count asked about Mary's family situation in an unquestionable tone, her father, mother, sisters...

Mary had the patience to answer one by one truthfully, but she equated Earl Blaine and Mrs. De Bourgh in her heart. In terms of like giving orders and controlling others, the two siblings were surprisingly similar. She didn't know that they had passed away. Did old Mrs. Darcy have the same temper.

They chatted in this way for a while, and Earl Blaine suddenly said: "Very well, Miss Bennet, I think you and George are very suitable, and you will be a good housewife - it is not easy to manage this manor However, I believe that you are so meticulous and frugal, and you have not developed the habit of extravagance because of your birth, so you will take on the responsibility of the future housewife of Ward Manor very well."

Mary almost jumped up from the stone bench in surprise: "What are you talking about, count?" Her face was flushed with anger and amused at the same time, but the count waved his hand at her in a disinterested manner, and continued, "Your hypocrisy is not necessary for someone who has experienced the world like me. After you came here, you have had a close relationship with my son George. Isn't that just thinking about it? If so Three years ago, I would never approve of a woman like you who has no property marrying into the Bryan family... However, since that unfortunate incident, George has been depressed, and now I just want to make him happy, I'm sorry for Janet..."

He looked around the herb garden a little lonely, as if he was recalling the past years, and then he continued as if waking up from a dream, "Please rest assured, after you marry George, I will never say a word about your dowry." talk."

Mary watched the earl go on talking nonchalantly. At this moment, she felt that he had to wake up the old man, so she stood up, tried to imitate the solemn expression of the earl, and said, "It's really nice to have such approval from you." My honor, but unfortunately I cannot accept it. Earl, please make sure that your son Mr. George has not proposed to me, nor do I think he will propose to any woman, so you tell me this It can only be offensive. Besides, I may offend you, because if your son proposed marriage to me, I would not accept it, because I am not in love with him."

After saying this, she left without looking back, leaving the stunned Earl Blaine alone in the herb garden.It was time, Mary thought as she walked, to leave Ward Park to see Anne, and her heart jumped with joy at the thought of dear Anne.