Miss Mary in Pride and Prejudice

They headed south all the way towards the Riviera area. As soon as they left Paris, they found that the people in the French provinces were completely indifferent to politics. As long as you have enough gold coins in your pocket, you can get warm reception and Awesome services.Mary also found that the French countryside is significantly different from the English. It is majestic and informal at the same time, just like the gorgeous but not refined features of Paris. The most beautiful scenery in the world and the poorest and dirty It is astonishing how seamlessly the countryside can be united.

While admiring the changing scenery on the European continent, Mary was deeply shocked by the destitute, lazy and oily people she saw along the way.She has traveled all over the English countryside, and she has never seen a farmhouse without lawns and flowers outside the door, and she has never seen any peasants who are hungry because of poverty, but in the French countryside, a piece of bread can feed a half The older children go through fire and water for you, but almost no one cares about their fate. The friendly relationship between the lord and the villagers that is common in the English countryside cannot exist here.The difference between the rich and the poor and the disparity in status have split the society into two irreconcilable parts.

However, what Mary cares most about is the situation in Paris and the safety of the Earl of Leicester. Every time she goes to a hotel where she stays, she can't wait to inquire about the news. You know, after General Napoleon returned to Paris, he launched a coup d'état and successfully seized power. Now he has become the consul of the First French Republic.But it seems that the people in the hotel are more interested in talking about the scandal between him and his wife. It is said that this couple has countless lovers, but they still love each other and kill each other.

The French in the provinces were talking about the coup d'état in Paris as if they were talking about stories on the moon, while they were still doing their own things slowly. Natural optimists, content with a glass of wine, they drink their last coppers in taverns, even when their wives and children are starving at home in their nakedness.

In such an atmosphere, there was no sense of urgency, so Mary and Anne stopped and stopped, and arrived in Antibes after five days. This is a beautiful coastal town, across the Bay of Anges from Nice. , it is well-known for its rich cultural and artistic atmosphere and unique elegant and aristocratic charm, and has become the favorite resort of European dignitaries.

As soon as their carriage stopped at the post station, Mary saw the priest of Lisbon coming from the other side of the cobbled street. Unlike the casual clothes they met last time, he changed into the priest's brand again. The white mass dress, as you walk, the corner of the robe flutters in the wind, giving you a strange and otherworldly feeling.He was still so peaceful and peaceful, his deep blue eyes gave people a soothing power, and everyone felt that everything was safe with his presence.

The Lisbon pastor placed them in a small but distinctive local hotel. The outer walls of the mottled old house were covered with green ivy, and there was a long step leading to the main entrance. With flowing water and a wet promenade, in such a materialistic resort, this small shop magically maintains the tranquility and indifference of the world.

The priest of Lisbon told them calmly that he estimated that they would not be in the mood to go sightseeing before getting the definite news from the Earl of Leicester, so he arranged this quiet place for Anne to recuperate for a while .Both Mary and Anne thought the arrangement was perfect.

Then they stayed. There are flowing mountain springs everywhere near the hotel, and the soil seems to be particularly suitable for plant growth. In addition, it is close to the Mediterranean Sea. Although it is winter, the surrounding area is infiltrated with thick green and fragrant flowers.Mary likes to walk along the promenade in complete relaxation in the afternoon, looking at the dots of flowers on the side of the road, listening to the ding-dong of the spring water, and savoring the tranquility here.

One day, when she was walking like this and thinking about something, she happened to meet Mr. Lisbon who was passing by this road. It was a pleasant thing to see this handsome young man walking down the path surrounded by flowers, so Mary stopped and stood by the side of the road, waiting for him with a smile.She didn't know that her appearance standing on the side of the road could also be a painting in the eyes of another person.

Mr. Lisbon has come to deliver a secret letter which has just been sent by the Earl of Leicester.The Earl told them in the letter that he was safe and sound, and that he had reached a consensus with the new government. The agreements and transactions he had signed with the Directory had been approved by the Napoleonic government, so he would be able to set off to visit them soon.

Upon receiving the news, Mary's face glowed with joy, and she joyfully read the letter several times before carefully folding it and putting it in her pocket.Mr. Lisbon, who had been watching her silently, began to walk with her.Mary just wanted to ask him a lot of questions: "Mr. Lisbon, it seems that General Napoleon is not as unreasonable as the legend says, the count has made progress in Paris."

The Lisbon priest smiled and said: "I have never doubted this. Earl Leicester's skills in using money to achieve his goals can be said to be perfect. No matter who comes to power, he needs to use money to arm the army. It is absolutely impossible to maintain one's own rule without a steady stream of funds. The Earl of Leicester took advantage of the drastic changes in the situation since the French Revolution to grab a lot of money. There are countless connections, but I still have to buy his account. However, the British government and the church still hope that the French royal family can be restored, and the Earl of Leicester has done a good job in this regard."

When he said the last sentence, a trace of dissatisfaction was accidentally revealed. Mary suddenly remembered that the Earl had told her that Mr. Lisbon had served as the private secretary of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and she suddenly asked, "So, you Was it sent by the church to monitor the Earl of Leicester? Is it because he is worried that he will disregard the interests of the British government?"

Mr. Lisbon did not expect her to be so straightforward, and he explained with a little embarrassment: "I did come here on a mission, not just to visit friends. However, Miss Bennet, please don't take me as a secret agent." My duty is to assist the count to restore the ruling status of the French royal family, and remind and urge him when the time is right, please believe that the count of Leicester fully understands my position and responsibilities, and there is no deception between me and him."

Mary smiled slightly and said, "These things about politics are really boring, and we women can't understand them. Let's go back to the hotel. Anne should have woken up from her afternoon nap, and Mrs. Jenkinson has prepared afternoon tea."

Mr. Lisbon accompanied her silently back to the hotel, where they were the only three guests, and therefore free to use the living room.Mrs. Jenkinson's afternoon tea is French-style, with rich goat cheese and various fruit tarts. These delicious diets and abundant sunbathing have played a great role in Anne's recovery. When I first came, I was much healthier, and my cheeks were a little rosy.

Mary told Anne the good news, and everyone began to plan excitedly for the earl's journey. They planned to enjoy the scenery of the Mediterranean coast along the Cote d'Azur, and travel throughout Provence and the Alpes.The Lisbon priest was a bit uncharacteristically silent, and then he looked at Mary and said: "People like to go to Nice in winter, where there are hot springs, sunbathing, and various places to have fun, and Provence is the best until July season, because lavender blooms in that season, and the sky is bluest at that time."

Mary said without hesitation: "I don't like Nice. I think it's like Bath in England, full of materialistic hustle and bustle. I want to enjoy the natural scenery, especially in the season when there are few tourists. What a treasure that most tourists miss, that is such an exciting thing, why bother to see the scene when lavender is in full bloom? I would rather take the time to observe a lavender in my flower garden from budding, long leaves to flowering and fruiting During the whole process, I don’t want to have a flower field as vast as the sea.”

The Reverend Lisbon left soon after tea, and Anne said to Mary, "My dear, are you impatient with Mr. Lisbon? Has he offended you?"

Mary told Anne that Mr. Lisbon had monitored the Earl of Leicester on behalf of the church and the British government. Anne was a little surprised when she heard this, but she really didn't want to slander such an outstanding young man, so she couldn't help but say a few good words for him: "Even if This is understandable. Dear Mary, have you protected the Earl to such an extent that you do not allow anyone to touch his interests?"

This joke kept Mary from being too serious, and when the Vicar of Lisbon came to visit again, she was able to receive him calmly.Every time he comes, he brings some small gifts, sometimes an amethyst bottle of lavender perfume, sometimes a basket of freshly picked black truffles, sometimes a new Parisian tabloid...

After a long time living in the village, life in the village becomes a little boring, so gradually, not only Anne and Mrs. Jenkinson welcome Mr. Lisbon's regular visits, but even Mary expects him to bring some new news about Paris.Such news is changing with each passing day, but the Earl of Leicester did not come to join him as soon as he said in his letter. There were many days and nights, and Mary could only find a quiet place in a corner of the sea of ​​books. Only then would she not miss him too much.

During these days, Anne gradually suspected that Mr. Lisbon was in love with Mary. Although she thought that her friend was so cute, it was not unusual for her to have many admirers, but she still tended to match Mary with the Earl of Leicester.After all, although Mr. Lisbon is young and handsome, and at the same time has a bright future, but compared with the earl, Anne still feels that although the earl is not good at expressing, he treats Mary sincerely.

But in many afternoons, when Mary bowed her head to read or paint, Mr. Lisbon would sit there silently and stare at her. The eyes were so deep, and at the same time, there were so many meanings worthy of deep meaning, which made Anne feel Uneasy, she began to look forward to the arrival of Earl Leicester soon.

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