[Pride and Prejudice] Rich Lady

The life of Tauris College, which is on the right track, is busy and fulfilling. Newly enrolled girls are not allowed to step out of the college gate for the first month, and even worship is held in the chapel that originally came with the manor.

Laura told Elizabeth privately: "The proportion of religious courses in the college is much smaller than that of private girls' schools in London. Some girls' schools even require teachers to be members of the National Church, and the content taught must also conform to the teachings of the Church."

"It's so boring. The ladies can't learn anything except being taught to be pious believers, obedient and dedicated." Laura was disgusted and worried about Tao Lisi: "Some far-sighted gentlemen have joined forces to start Lots of Sunday schools, I've heard the Duchess and the Stokes support it, and people praise it as an evangelical movement. But this has drawn a lot of resentment from many of the Church of England's overseers, who think it means the Church of England has failed to retain workers My son, is the result of the failure of Sunday school education. The state sects have begun to tighten their control over Sunday schools."

"Sunday schools, you are talking about those Sunday schools. I heard from Uncle Gardner that it was a free school that started more than ten years ago to teach child laborers working in factories on Sunday. But these schools are not only literate, It's religious education, how could it cause dissatisfaction with the state religion?" When Elizabeth asked, she didn't need Laura to answer, she understood: "So most of the Sunday schools are dominated by non-state religions."

"Are you afraid that the state church will be dissatisfied with the Duchess?" Elizabeth asked.

Laura hugged her and whispered: "Dear Lizzie, you always know what I mean. In fact, I'm worried! We're Anglicans anyway, and we all know that in England, How powerful is the State Church."

Elizabeth is equally clear: Taurice College is a paradise, and she provides girls with the help and conditions to take off, which is completely different from the girls' schools controlled by the church.But this also means that she is weak and has no allies, and the only reliance of Taurus College is Countess Anne.If the Duchess showed signs of decline and was targeted by the National Church, it would be a disaster for Taurus College.

"If the Duchess is defeated, even the Stoke family will not help save it. A rich nobleman will not have only one outstanding child. What's more about Stoke is that they would rather support another than oppose the Church of the Church. .” Laura worried.

Elizabeth thought about it, and shook her head after serious thinking, and said, "Honey, I think you probably worry too much. The Countess' biggest backing has never been Stoke. Have you forgotten her mother clan? As long as England needs to understand China’s porcelain, silk and tea, as long as the Ming Dynasty is still strong and intimidating, the Duchess will not be easily defeated. Taolis Academy and us will naturally have no worries.”

"Because the viscount Bull's despicable behavior completely annoyed the Countess, the scandal involving General Nelson quickly disappeared. This is evidence that the fortress is still solid. After the end of this summer semester, some senior students They will officially graduate and leave Taoris. They will be the first batch of seeds for the Countess to expand her territory and influence. Some of these seeds have grown into seedlings, just waiting for the flowers to bloom. We will be like this in the future, as long as the ladies are good enough, Taoris's The impact is going to get bigger and bigger.”

Elizabeth just recalled the memory of Mrs. Darcy, but unfortunately, that lady's life seemed to revolve around Bennet and Pemberley, and her social circle was beyond imagination. It is living in seclusion and not knowing the world.Elizabeth could not get useful information about Doris from it.

What a pity, thought Elizabeth.Even though the lady raised her social status through love and marriage, she still subconsciously resisted change. After she labeled the upper class as a hypocrite in her heart, she indulged herself ignorantly and without contact.The world is so vast and develops so fast, but she never tried to take the initiative to understand and pursue—this is really like Mr. Bennet, who used a library to imprison their lives until the enlightened became conservative. self-knowledge.

"Good Lizzie, your words have comforted me." Laura interrupted Elizabeth's thoughts and told her friend why she was so frightened: "The conflict between sects has always had a huge impact and can be described as horror. My brother wrote to tell I, Sunday school has become a 'battlefield' for both the Anglican and the Nonconformist missionaries to win over their respective congregations—manufacturers and workers are mostly nonconformists, while nobles and country gentlemen are mostly Anglicans: in some places far from London In a small place, there have been fierce conflicts between churches belonging to the diocese of the State Church and small churches that do not believe in the Church of the State Church, and there have even been casualties. My brother said that the Duchess is in a bit of an embarrassing situation now, so I..."

Elizabeth hugged her friends, perhaps because she had a father who was obsessed with politics, and Laura cared extraordinarily about current affairs: "Conflicts are inevitable, but they will never expand, let alone the 'jihad' you worry about." .People's eyes and thoughts are attracted by the British pound. To put it bluntly, values ​​are changing.” Elizabeth said, “Just like you and I are pursuing something completely different from our parents, launching a war to drive out heretics in the name of God is now Lack of soil, if it is exchanged for benefits and gold, there may be more blind followers."

"Gold coins are lovelier than God."

While hurriedly covering her companion's blunt and sharp mouth, Laura couldn't help but leaned on her shoulder and sniggered.

"My dear Lizzie, you're cuter than Kim Guinee."

Elizabeth slapped off her little friend's hand. There was too much lace on Laura's long gloves, which made her face hurt from rubbing.She said mercilessly: "Don't love me, there is no result! My favorite is Kim Guinea."

Laura covered her mouth and shook her head with a smile, "God, you always have some weird words. But it's really funny!"

"Ladies! Manners! Manners!" Madam Judith's voice suddenly came from behind, and the two girls raised their heads in fright, and turned around with smiles on their faces: "Good day, madam!"

Mrs. Judith looked up and down with hooked eyes, and saw that the two ladies were dressed decently, so she frowned and looked away, and she said dissatisfiedly: "I thought the two ladies knew that this is a public resting place." bedroom instead of the ladies' bedrooms?"

Both Laura and Elizabeth secretly groaned in their hearts, but they still had to answer gracefully: "Yes, ma'am."

"Very good!" Madam Judith raised her chin. "No next time! If so, please sit in the seat farthest from me consciously, ladies!"

After finishing speaking, the etiquette teacher walked gracefully in front of the two of them, bringing a smell of spices.

"Oriental incense." Laura sniffed, "expensive and rare."

Elizabeth hurriedly stopped her: "Don't! If Mrs. Judith's housekeeper sees it, the two of us will really have to move to the bottom. You know how much I have suffered to keep my current position."

Yes, with the help of her friends who spared no effort, Elizabeth finally managed to secure her second seat on the right hand side of Mrs. Judith.So much so that Elizabeth kept her back straight all the time, and her sitting posture and gait became almost instinctive, just like her soldier brother in her previous life, and the difference could be recognized at a glance.In the words of little Daisy, Lizzie can't even walk now if she is asked to leave the lady's norms.

"Poor Lizzie!" Laura sighed without much sincerity. "It's a process, I've been through it too." It's just not as sick as Lizzie.

Elizabeth's posture seemed flawless, but she said angrily: "It will be a month soon, and Mrs. Poulang said that some of us can leave Taolisi every Sunday and go to the city to go to church. Could it be You don't want to go out?" Mrs. Judith's words are very important, she will never let a lady with substandard etiquette leave the academy, if she is kicked out to the bottom, with Lydia's brain, she knows that the chance of going out is absolutely the same as The two of them missed.

Jane told Elizabeth in a recent letter that their little sister always couldn't remember the most basic rules at the dinner table, and she was shaking like a thorn on the seat, crying because of the knife stuck in the back of her chair. Twice.

Elizabeth didn't intend to belittle her little sister, but she almost cried because of Lydia's short memory.

"I want to take the opportunity of leaving college to visit my uncle's family in London." Elizabeth thought, "Uncle Gardner and aunt Gardner have helped me a lot."

"Besides, you still need to go to the store." Laura's eyes stopped at Elizabeth's gem-studded hairpin on her hair, and she suggested sincerely, "It's always these pieces of jewelry that come and go, Judy Mrs. Silk has been looking at your hair clips, necklaces and earrings for longer and longer. My dear, please believe me, if you still only wear these few things when you get the chance to leave the academy, it will be a long time before you move to the last seat. The time is really not far away.”

The mention of shopping and buying jewelry always excites the ladies, even Elizabeth is no exception.

She still had a few dozen pounds in her hand, more than enough for some decent jewelry for a young girl.

"We can go to the business under the name of the Duchess. I heard that there is a shop called 'Miss Phoebe' on Chipside Street. The things there are exquisite and affordable." Daisy who just entered the lounge said happily.

Lily behind her sat in an armchair and echoed: "I have visited before, and I can find a lot of exquisite small objects there. Next door to the store is the silk shop, we can buy some fine gauze and lace, which are similar to those provided by the college. Fabrics with different patterns. The sewing and weaving class will officially start next month, and my craftsmanship is as clumsy as Lizzie's etiquette a month ago."

No one thought that the gentlest girl, Miss Lily Peel, was a stupid girl who was not good at sewing or knitting.

Lily was not embarrassed about this, she only worried about her homework: "Peel's family has never had a dexterous girl, my married aunt, and even my cousins ​​are the same. What's more pitiful is that my mother is also not good at manual work, She never managed to weave a lace."

"I think I'll have to start practicing first." She looked at her partners. "Will you help me?"

The three of Elizabeth still didn't understand how clumsy her mouth was. Out of love for their friends, the three girls obliged to agree.Little Daisy even patted her small chest, "My hands are the most dexterous. Regardless of my age, I dare say that I am no worse than Lizzie and Laura!"

Laura still teased her closest friend: "Don't worry, Lily. Teaching you to sew can't be harder than teaching Lizzie manners."

Only Elizabeth looked at Lily who was smiling awkwardly, something flashed through her mind.

This missed thought made Elizabeth forget what she was about to say to her companions, that her venerable Uncle Gardiner's shop was in Chipside.The uncle’s family can afford a manservant, and his life is good, which shows that he is well-run—this is also what makes Elizabeth proud. Old Gardner is a lawyer and has no business knowledge. Uncle got it all on his own. Achievement.