Miss Mary in Pride and Prejudice

The long-awaited dance party has finally arrived.Howards End was really redecorated that day. Since the afternoon, Miss Bingley stayed in the dressing room, tormenting her valet, because she was constantly changing dresses and hairstyles, and did not Any piece of clothing satisfies her, making her feel that it can set off her slim figure and is worthy of the taste of the honored guest, and there is no hair style that can make her look more beautiful.When she finally came out of the dressing room and was sitting in the living room preparing to welcome the guests with her elder brother and sister-in-law, frankly speaking, everyone felt that she looked a little off.Elizabeth whispered to Jane quietly: "It seems that in order to dress herself up, she has exhausted herself."

The most beautiful lady that day was undoubtedly Miss Darcy. She was wearing an elegant and simple white dress with crystal ornaments, sitting there quietly, as if she was out of a painting. A picture of a lady in the hands of a famous artist.Miss Bingley turned pale at the sight of Miss Darcy, for, though she had always been on good terms with Georgiana, there is always no friendship in a woman's case, and jealousy gnaws like a poisonous snake. her heart.

Mary, as usual, did not emerge from the library until the guests' carriage had entered the estate.Under her mother's repeated urging, she also dressed up a little bit, but she was really pale and inconspicuous against the backdrop of the beautiful Miss Darcy and the charming Miss Bingley.Not to mention that she also has two beautiful sisters.

The first guest to arrive was Mr. Austin, the pastor of the parish. He was a kind and kind old man with a gray beard under his gray hair. He was very old and fat. Was exhausted and out of breath.He also brought his nephew——Mr. Austin Jr. It seems that he really wanted Mr. Austin Jr. to inherit his family business, so he went out of his way to attend such a party that was too lively for the elderly.

Mr. Austin Jr. is a gentle and polite young man with a very ordinary face, but the good education revealed in his manner can easily make people feel good about him.After Mrs. Bennet heard that he could inherit the property and position of the old pastor, she became very interested in this young man. This was not a good sign for Mary, because Mrs. Bennet immediately dragged Mary out of the corner Introduced to the pastor's uncle and nephew, and forced Mary to discuss theological issues with the pastor.This was an unusual suggestion for a young lady, so that little Mr. Austen's eyes roved at Mary with interest at once.Mary had no choice but to sit in a corner and listen to the old pastor's lengthy sermon, so that she didn't even have time to get to know the guests from the later families.

When the Earl of Leicester entered the arena, almost all the guests had already arrived, so the scene at that time was really watched by everyone.The neighbors around had heard about the Earl for a long time, but had rarely seen each other. Now, taking this opportunity, they are of course proud to have a chat with this noble man.The earl admired Mr. Bingley's demeanor very much, so he was willing to associate with him, so he attended the party uncharacteristically. After arriving, he did not regret his decision this time. He found that the host and his wife were very elegant and kind, and he It can be said that I hit it off with Mr. Darcy, and the other ladies in the host's house are also very pleasant.When the Earl was introduced to Miss Darcy, Elizabeth noticed that Georgiana's face was suddenly covered with pink, and she, who was originally graceful, seemed a little uneasy.

It is said that a woman's two unchanging hobbies in life are motherhood and matchmaking. Since Elizabeth is a woman, she is naturally not exempt.Although what she desires most now is to be a mother, but when this desire cannot be realized for a while, she can't help but pay attention to the marriages of young men and women around her.When she saw Georgiana's momentary gaffe, Elizabeth suddenly thought that Georgiana and the earl seemed to be a good match, especially because she had a high opinion of the earl's demeanor, so she thought that the two stood together and did not humiliate each other. .

She was very proud of her idea, so she couldn't help finding an opportunity to tell Jane.Jane was a little worried after hearing this, and she knew that Miss Bingley was very obsessed with the Earl, so she couldn't agree with Elizabeth's thoughts.Although Miss Bingley had deliberately sabotaged her association with Mr. Bingley, there had always been some discord between the sisters-in-law, but she was a weak-hearted person, and could not bear to see any friend humiliated and suffered, so she advised her sister to be careful. Engaging in emotional issues, especially between men and women, is best done naturally.

Soon the guests were all present, and when the ball began, Elizabeth paid special attention to who the count's first partner was.When she saw the count walking towards Georgiana, she couldn't help but glanced at Jane triumphantly.Jane felt a little sorry for Miss Bingley, because the latter's face was flushed in an instant, and Jane hurried to her husband, beckoning him to invite her sister to the first dance, because she was worried that Miss Bingley would act out of jealousy. What a disrespectful thing, fortunately Miss Bingley was not jealous to the point of unscrupulous, so although she was jealous of Georgiana in her heart at this time, she still had a smile on her face, and of course she was more polite and affectionate to the Earl .

Georgiana was the most proud woman that night, because the Earl always had a good eye for her. Apart from talking to the hostess and his wife and the Darcys, Georgiana was the one he talked to the most, even if there were Miss Bingley and a group of followers Despite the harassment from the side, he and Miss Darcy enthusiastically exchanged views on books, music, and painting, and were surprised to find that the two agreed on many issues.Fortunately, Georgiana was well educated. Although she was happy and joyful in her heart, her demeanor was still modest and unrestrained, and she did not show the slightest bit of complacency, nor did she proudly reject other dancers like Miss Bingley. Waiting for the count to ask her to dance.

Mary was the most frustrated woman that night, because she was occupied by the old pastor throughout the night, and she was dizzy from listening to the teaching.The old clergyman was delighted to have a young lady willing to listen to him, and talked to her in a ignorant manner, till the end of the ball, when little Mr. rescued.Mary found Mr. Austen Jr. to be a pleasant dance partner, and as a rule Mary could not help being embarrassed by the association of young men, but not at all with Mr. Austen Jr., to whom she talked quite naturally, Finding that he is knowledgeable and insightful, I can't help but think highly of this humble young man.

Mary would have enjoyed her rare opportunity to dance better if Mrs. Bennet had not seen her off the dance-floor, and hadn't given her endless gratified winks to encourage her to charm little Mr. Austen.It's a pity that under the continuous winking of her mother, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed, feeling that she really expected something from Mr. Austin.Fortunately, she has matured a lot now, and quickly suppressed her frustration, ignored her mother's unrefined manners, and concentrated on dancing and chatting with Mr. Austin.

However, the pleasant conversation didn't last long, and the ball ended. Mary couldn't help but feel a little unfinished, and there were many people who shared her feelings.Of course Miss Bingley is one of them, because although the Earl danced with her in the end, after all, Miss Darcy took the lead in the first dance, and when the ball was about to end, the Earl was obviously absent-minded. No one paid attention to anything, let alone asked her to the last dance. In fact, the earl danced only four dances in the whole ball, and the other two lucky partners were Jane and Elizabeth.When the last dance music began, Elizabeth deliberately arranged for Georgiana to stand very close to him, but the earl had no intention of dancing at all. He just watched the dance floor with a serious expression, and Miss Bingley was chattering beside him. He poured out what he thought was elegant remarks and propositions, but he was completely half-heard and half-heard.

At that time, it happened that Mary was dancing with Mr. Austin Jr. When they passed by the earl, the earl nodded slightly. And went to dance with little Mr. Austin.You know, even though she often attends balls, she is rarely asked to dance. She is very worried that she will make a wrong step and make a fool of herself in public, so she dances with all her concentration.But her dance partner became a little absent-minded later on. In the middle of the dance, he changed from talking and laughing to not saying a word, but kept looking in the direction where Earl Leicester was standing.

Now, Miss Bingley went to Jane to complain, half annoyed and half disappointed: "My dear sister-in-law, the Earl of Leicester is really rude. As a lady of the master's family, I have not received the courtesy I deserve." Jane comforted her easily and said: "Catherine, didn't the Earl invite you to a dance?" Miss Bingley said angrily, "But it was neither the first dance nor the last..." Jane finally couldn't stand her dance. Filled with resentment, he walked away helplessly to talk to his sister.

The old pastor took Miss Bingley's place, and was chattering to the Earl of Leicester. Everyone knew that he was lobbying the Earl, and wanted the Earl to agree to leave his priesthood to his nephew.But the old gentleman worked hard in vain, and when the reverberation of the orchestra ended, Earl Leicester turned to him and said flatly, "I'm sorry, what were you talking about just now..." The poor old gentleman swallowed, he misunderstood this The reaction was regarded as a sign of refusal, knowing that it would be boring to say it again, so he bowed dispiritedly, and left with the guests.

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