[Pride and Prejudice] Rich Lady

On the way, Darcy looked serious, and he told Elizabeth to be cautious.

Many speculations flashed through Elizabeth's mind, but none of them could be confirmed.The managers who are in charge of the daily affairs of Havering Hospital are Mr. Darcy and her trusted assistants. There is no doubt about their talents and abilities, but this time the assistants sent to Netherfield Manor to run errands could not be called "big shots". identity of.

The assistants' autograph letters didn't say so, they only begged the two to leave as soon as possible, and the two errands didn't know anything.

If it weren't for the fact that the law and order in England wasn't so bad, Havering, as a hospital for insane patients, didn't have a lot of wealth. Elizabeth would have suspected that Havering was occupied by robbers to deceive them.

Because of this, it shows that the identity of the "big man" is extraordinary, and Netherfield's relatives are extremely nervous.Mr. Bennet also offered to accompany them, and he was willing to stay and wait for news after Elizabeth and Darcy persuaded them together.

"Who do you guess?" Elizabeth asked him.

"There is some conjecture," said Darcy, "that the Valentin district of Havering has treated 32 patients in total, including an admiral of the navy, who is also a nobleman with a title, but this gentleman has never appeared before." In this case - it's not sure who 'invited' us, but what is certain is that we're probably going to have a difficult patient."

Havering Private Insanity Sanatorium is divided into two areas: Valentine and Willow Willow: Valentine means courage and strength, the facilities are gorgeous and comfortable, and the monthly fee is four to six guineas. Patients here can enjoy a private residence similar to that of a country manor; Willow and Willow means strong logical analysis ability. The residence and service are like names with practical and well-organized meanings. They all focus on simplicity and practicality. Every month The fee is less than one pound, and it can also be settled on a weekly basis. Most of the patients admitted are ordinary families.

Darcy paused, lowered his voice, and said in the lady's ear, "For example, His Majesty the King."

"King, king?" According to Elizabeth's original thinking, although she also thought that she would be a patient with a noble and special status, but the lady's thinking was in two directions from Mr. Darcy's, and the lady thought it was some nobleman out of oppression. Scandal considerations.

She tried her best to pretend that nothing had happened, and the spacious carriage fell silent. After a while, she asked Darcy softly why he guessed that the patient was the king.

Havering's errands followed on both sides of the four-wheeled carriage. Mr. and Mrs. paid attention to the volume when they talked. After Mr. Darcy threw out this amazing speculation, the two became more cautious and inevitably got closer.

The heat from the gentleman's body spread to Elizabeth's body. Fortunately, the lady's attention was elsewhere at this time, so she didn't feel uncomfortable.

Following Darcy's explanation, Elizabeth also felt that his reasoning was very reasonable.A certain lady or child she imagined would not be suitable for such a scene.In fact, for scandal reasons, closed attics and cellars at the corners of castles are the first choice for noble families—after they fade out of view and are forgotten by the family, the best end is to be sent to a small manor far away from human habitation. , most likely in the attic or cellar until a tragic death.

The Darcy family has a long history, and its influence in Derbyshire is greater than that of the nobles. The patriarch who works in such a way must have a very special history, especially since they don't think much of him, and the key inviter is actually It was Elizabeth, the daughter of a country gentleman.

Among the important figures in Britain, the only one related to madness is His Majesty the King who had two seizures at family dinners.The Times once revealed that the 50-year-old His Majesty the King suddenly convulsed, foaming at the mouth, and then his eyes were bloodshot like black currants, and he grabbed the Prince of Wales by the hair at a dinner at Windsor Castle, trying to make the prince's head Flowers on the walls.Not only did the king beat the eldest son, but he also had a sudden seizure and chased the terrified maid in the corridor (Note)... Then the king miraculously returned to normal, but just a year ago, the king had a relapse of madness. It was soon announced that His Majesty had once again defeated the illness, and his body was as strong as that of a young man. Judging from the news that Kexi received, His Majesty had not fully recovered, and would often fall into chaos.

Those who are related to Havering must be patients suffering from mental illness. If the patient is really His Majesty the King, then it doesn't matter whether the person visiting Havering is a royal attendant or a minister close to the king.

Darcy and Elizabeth were as prepared as they could be, but they were still stunned by their visitor.

When the owner of Havering was ushered into the reception living room, the aged but still dignified His Majesty (Note ②) was admiring a realistic oil painting of Strelitzia japonica on the wall.

She looked at the painting and muttered bluntly: "This kind of flower looks like a bird's crown and a long beak, because Queen Shalotti likes it the most, and was given the honor of having the same name as the Queen's hometown. Shalotti The queen is loved by her husband, and the bird of paradise symbolizes the king's love and happiness..." (Note ③)

Darcy took off his hat and bowed, Elizabeth curtseyed.

Queen Charlotte nodded, she still had some nostalgia for the painting, so she smiled: "This painting looks so much like a real bird of paradise, it reminds me of an old friend, Ms. Mary Delany, have you heard of it?"

Her Majesty the Queen was like a tourist who happened to pass by Havering and came in to visit. She chatted like a family, and there seemed to be nothing special about it.

The more this happened, the more Elizabeth did not dare to take it lightly. She considered it and replied with a smile: "Yes, Your Majesty, I have had the honor to see Ms. Delany's collages and paper-cut works. They are rigorous and delicate, just like real flowers."

The queen looked at her in surprise, "This is too rare, Miss Elizabeth. People appreciate oil painting or sculpture art more, and Delany's works are regarded as simple and crude things, which are a way for a lady to relieve her loneliness after she gets old. Gadgets. But I know that Delany’s collages cost countless painstaking efforts. Often, there are dozens of small collages for each petal, and sometimes they have to be stained with gouache and watercolor. Those portraits are very real flowers. Our mutual friend Duchess of Portland named these works 'Floral Mosaics'." (Note ④)

"You are such a unique lady, no wonder you can achieve such achievements." She smiled, "I heard that you are still very popular with the wife of the Ming Dynasty envoy, and it is great to cooperate with Mr. Anthony. You don't know anything at your age, and you have nothing to do in Mecklenburg."

Queen Charlotte's English with a German accent sounded a bit difficult to understand, but it was very clear in Elizabeth's ears. She tensed her back slightly, and matched the queen's chatting interest cautiously and appropriately.His Majesty was very kind and kind, she had no airs, most of the time she was talking to Elizabeth, and only occasionally a few words to Darcy, so as not to neglect him.

When the queen was talking with the lady, Mr. Darcy straightened his chest and back, like a silent knight silently guarding his princess. Whenever there were gaps in Elizabeth's speech, he could always politely fill in those small gaps.The two cooperated very tacitly. When talking about certain topics, the lady would never shut down the words, while the gentleman naturally took the conversation and blocked all the small gaps that might become the subject of the conversation.

Following the conversation, the attendants around the queen looked at her carefully from disapproval to serious.She thought, if people who don't know this young lady's background, they will definitely think that she is the daughter of a great nobleman who has been educated by the court. It is really not something ordinary ladies can do to be able to speak so rigorously without being blunt or rigid.Etiquette is not very important in such a private conversation. The nobles pay attention to the skill of communication and the depth of language. Obviously, the daughter of an ordinary squire is better than most ladies with titles.

Apparently, Queen Charlotte was also a little surprised. She looked at the young couple kindly, "You are really a good match, and you will be happy after marriage."

Mr. Darcy glanced at the lady with a smile: "Thank you for your blessing, Your Majesty."

Queen Charlotte looked at them with a smile, like a kind grandmother, and then she looked at the man: "Mr. Darcy made a lot of contributions to the previous cult incident and was seriously injured. I heard that some MPs have already proposed to award you the title. But you are too humble and low-key. If you can enter the parliament, or even hold a certain position in the cabinet, then you will have been honored at the honor ceremony on His Majesty the King's birthday this year. gone."

"A knighthood will make your wedding more beautiful, and it is also the best gift gentlemen can give their wives."

The queen's words are very sincere. According to England's practice, almost all the prime ministers and important cabinet ministers can obtain hereditary high titles. When you are rich.Darcy fits the latter point. His family does not have a title, but his power and wealth are enough to allow him to enter the House of Commons as a member; and when the prime minister forms a cabinet, usually almost all ministers come from the House of Commons. For him, It is impossible to enter the cabinet, but it is not difficult to become a close friend of the cabinet minister.Once you are called the cronies of the ministers that the king relies on, such as the minister of finance or the minister of the interior, the chances of performing in front of the king and the parliament will be greatly increased. Most ex-prime ministers and ministers received peerage titles after they left office. (Note ⑤)

But Elizabeth didn't listen to the queen's kindness at all, and only the words "severely injured" came back to her mind.The lady didn't know about it at all. Darcy never showed any sign of injury. Even when he went north to Manchester, he didn't forget to write her a letter. The scenery along the way, Manchester's Gothic buildings, bustling businesses and factories everywhere And his newly invested cotton business——Mr. Darcy took the young lady to travel all over this northwest city in words, and experienced all the beautiful scenery and customs he experienced.

But if you calculate the time Mr. Darcy was injured and hid alone to recuperate, there is no chance except for the trip to Manchester: he was seriously injured and went north, and he endured everything silently. He never thought of using this to please Elizabeth. In his letter, he only saw a very different scenery and a warm friendship...

In Elizabeth's mind, Mr. Darcy's pale lips, holding his wounded body dipped in ink and writing to her, made her heart ache.

Darcy gently stroked the young lady's back with his hands to comfort her.Elizabeth accepted his meaning of "go back and explain to you", and couldn't help but stare at him bitterly and angrily.

Queen Charlotte saw that the young man in front of her was a little strange, but she didn't care because the topic was finally getting to the point.

"Your relationship is very good," said the Queen. "It reminds me of my youth, when I, like Miss Elizabeth, received the same kindness from His Majesty the King. The King was very kind to me and loved our family. , His friendship has never changed. I wish Miss Elizabeth can also get the same affection from Mr. Darcy, this is the greatest luck for a woman."

Elizabeth and Darcy did not rush to express their thanks, but listened quietly to her.

Sure enough, Queen Charlotte immediately said: "That's why I came here, and I want to ask you to help him heal."

The queen's eyes were filled with tears: "I don't want to hear the people secretly call him the 'crazy king', and it's even more difficult for him to suffer like that!"

The author has something to say: the fish woke up at 04:30 in the morning and just finished writing now...

There is still a chapter of [-] plus changes, little angels, don't wait, just wake up and write after sleeping.

Note: On October 1788, 10, after riding a horse in the rain, George III suddenly had a convulsion, and then the king's words and deeds were abnormal, and he kept talking. On November 16, 1788, George III beat Prince George while dining at Windsor Castle, and tried to make the prince's head hit the wall.The king was muttering to himself, foaming from his mouth, and his eyes were so bloodshot that they looked like two purple grapes. ——Encyclopedia George III

"Not only that, the crazy King George III was full of obscenities and swearing, chasing the terrified maids in the palace, and forcibly begging for sex; one night when he was having dinner at Windsor Castle, he suddenly slapped him. Prince of Wales, the son of "Fatty"; another time he insisted that London was flooded and insisted that his yacht be brought in..." - "King George III, the Crazy Man"

Note ②: In China, after the Qin Dynasty, the word "Your Majesty" became the proper name for the emperor, so the queen can only be called "Your Highness".But according to international practice, the queen is called "Your Majesty" just like the emperor.

Note ③: In the 18th century, the queen of King George II liked this kind of flower very much. The original name of the queen's hometown was Bird of Paradise Village, and the shape of this flower is also like a bird, so it is called "Bird of Paradise". Paradise represents the world of bliss, so it is also called "Bird of Paradise". —— "The origin of the name Strelitzia orchid, the flower resembles the head of a crane and gets its name"

Note ④: "Flower Mosaic": Mary Delany (Mary Deny) was a famous British female naturalist painter in the 18th century. Her most famous work is a collage, known as "Flower Mosaic". The name "Flower Mosaic" was taken by her close friend and patron, the Duchess of Portland. The Duchess was one of the richest people in Britain at that time. She was keen on natural history and had her own park, aviary, zoo and various natural museums. collect.She was engaged in this artistic creation from the age of 72 until her death at the age of 88.Her way of making flower mosaics: homemade black background, cutting petals, leaves, branches, pistils, sepals and other parts of plants with colored paper of various colors, and then pasting them on the black background paper, and as much as possible in shape and color close to real plants. ——"Plant Art: Delaney's Flower Mosaic" "Looking at the "Flower Mosaic" that the female painter started to create at the age of 72 in the British Museum"

Note ⑤: In the 18th and 19th centuries, almost all former prime ministers and important cabinet ministers could be canonized as hereditary nobles after leaving office, usually earls or barons.Dukes are usually awarded only after making military exploits, such as the Duke of Marlborough, Duke of Wellington, etc.There are relatively few separate marquess and viscounts, and they are usually used as subsidiary titles of dukes and earls. ——"The British Royal Family Knighted Those People"

The Cabinet is led by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom uses the power of appointment within the empowered royal prerogative to appoint and dismiss cabinet ministers.The Prime Minister also needs the formal consent of the British monarch to promote any cabinet minister, which has only been symbolic in recent history.Cabinet ministers are almost exclusively composed of members of the House of Commons and, to a lesser extent, members of the House of Lords. ——Encyclopedia British Cabinet

Also, Queen Charlotte, who hails from a small German duchy and did not speak English before her marriage to George III, has a German accent (“Charlotte did not speak English until her marriage. However, she was very Quickly learned English, but with a thick German accent." [Encyclopedia Sophie Charlotte]).When I checked the information, I found that the British royal family at that time especially liked to marry German princesses. George II, George II's son Prince Frederick, and grandson George III all married German princesses for three generations.