[Comprehensive Book] A Rose for Catherine

Mrs. Bennet would not really want to sever ties with them, and she said such things mostly because of her sadness and anger.

Their behavior, as far as Mrs. Bennet was concerned, was about as startling as her children's sudden jubilation and announcement: I'm going to a dangerous crime.On this level, Catherine can understand Mrs. Bennet's hysterical behavior—she takes her daughters too seriously and her own life too lightly.

Elizabeth wrote tactfully in the letter, only urging her to come back quickly, but did not write how Mrs. Bennet found out and brought about the current situation.I am afraid that this matter can only be answered when she returns home.

Near dusk, Catherine's carriage arrived near Longbourn Manor. Lydia stood at the door, and when she saw Catherine, she ran over with her skirt.She didn't care about complaining about Catherine's behavior of leaving her and running out, and while telling what happened in a few words, she dragged Catherine into the house.

Knightley knew that it was inappropriate for him to go there at this time, and watched the two sisters enter the house, then touched the brim of his hat lightly, and left here temporarily.

It turned out that Mary returned home not long ago and confessed to the Bennets that she hadn't been a lady companion for a noble lady in London at all in the past six months, but had gone to university in Cambridge disguised as a lady companion.Mr. Bennet had been prepared for a long time, and he didn't even raise his eyebrows, but Mrs. Bennet couldn't bear the news, and Mary clutched her chest in irritation.

"What did you say?"

"I said that I have been studying in Cambridge for half a year, and I am going to study in Europe soon. I prefer German philosophy, although they are more abstract."①

Mary recounted it calmly, and added a new thrill.

Mr. Bennet couldn't sit still anymore. He pressed his temples and looked at his wife again, waiting for the mother to go crazy first.Mrs. Bennet never disappoints, she yelled in disbelief: "What nonsense are you talking about, how dare you go to the European continent alone! You are a girl!"

She muttered nervously: "My God, haven't you met a promising young man in the past six months? I'm so old and I still have to worry about your marriage! No, I shouldn't refuse Mrs. Lang's prom invitation from..."

Mary didn't appreciate it: "Mom, do what you want! But I won't stay for the ball, I'm going to Europe soon."

They had one of the most violent quarrels in the history of the family.

Mrs. Bennet was dizzy with anger, and sat on the sofa "whooping" angry.At this time, her head suddenly understood.

"—So that girl Kitty was helping you deceive me from the very beginning! Does she also want to go to college! I will never allow it! That kind of place is full of men, but she is a girl! If she is found out What should I do? Not all the men outside are gentlemen—"

She screamed and jumped up, but Catherine was not with her.Mrs. Bennet had quite a fit of temper, and was not quiet until dinnertime.

The next day, she visited Sir Lucas's house as usual, but Lydia did not follow her.

But then they knew what happened in just one hour that day.

On the morning Mary packed her luggage and got her ticket to leave home, she found the door locked from the outside.

She can't get out at all.

Bennet stood on the stairs holding the key, "Don't even think about running out alone! How dangerous it is outside! Especially when the war is still going on!"

Mary checked the door and windows, and they were all shut.The gap in the window wasn't enough for her to get out, and the height was too dangerous for an untrained country gentleman.

Mary had to give up.

She yelled to Mrs. Bennet unwillingly: "Mom, I can decide my own life. I am an independent person, and you have no reason to interfere with me!"

Mrs. Bennet yelled louder than she did.

"You have the right to decide for yourself, and I have the right to decide whether every door and window in my house is open or locked!"

After she finished speaking angrily, she rushed downstairs to Eliza.

"I don't care who writes to Kitty, if she doesn't want to be mad I'll be right back! Oh God, what has she done! Is that what a girl is supposed to do? You read newspapers every day and none of you I've been told! You've got to kill me! If Mrs. Lucas' eldest son hadn't come back from London, I wouldn't have known about it!"

"You people, are you still thinking of deceiving me for the rest of your life?"

Mrs. Bennet yelled incoherently, with no regard for manners.

She repeatedly forced the other two daughters in the family. Elizabeth couldn't bear it, so she had to write a letter to Catherine.

"That's the way it is, Mom is so angry." Lydia puffed up her mouth, "She doesn't even want to pay attention to me."

"Mom should be in the bedroom now." Lydia gave Catherine a gentle push. "Go, Kitty. If you can't persuade her, you can only call Jane back."

"She's the only one not involved." Lydia shrugged.

In fact, Jane also knew and participated in that auction.

But Catherine didn't say anything, bit her lower lip, and went directly into Mrs. Bennet's bedroom.

The mother seemed to be sitting on the edge of the bed holding a newspaper, pointing her finger along the lines of the text, whispering in her mouth.

Catherine seemed to hear words like "girls' school" in her staccato voice.

She walked over and squatted down in front of Mrs. Bennet, her eyes were at the same level as the woman who was nearly fifty years old.Catherine put her hand on Mrs. Bennet's and whispered, "Mom, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Mrs. Bennet put aside the disturbing newspaper and looked at the grown-up daughter, her voice still shrill.

"Do you all think it's right to keep it from me?"

She said that her eye sockets were instantly moist, as if the tears she had accumulated for a long time finally found the right time after seeing Catherine, and all of them flowed out "swipe".

"I know, you guys think I'm a nuisance as a mother. I just knew..."

"You wish I wasn't in this family."

Mrs. Bennet was always smiling, she would lose her temper, she would be complacent that she had found a young talent for her daughter, but she never cried.

Catherine hurriedly handed over the handkerchief, "Mom, I'm sorry. We just didn't want to make you angry, and we didn't tell Dad..."

Mrs. Bennet interrupted her: "Are you trying to say I'm stupid and don't understand you like your father?"

Catherine was not refuted by her opponents, but was bewildered by Mrs. Bennet.She had to emphasize again: "Mom, we really didn't mean that. You see, as you know, it is difficult for you to support our approach, and we don't know how to persuade you. But we don't want you to be angry... ..."

"To be honest, I actually don't know how to get along with you. Mom." Catherine covered her eyes in frustration, "I know that all your actions are for us, but we already have the ability to think independently, just like I didn't want to marry anyone at random, and Mary wanted to go to college, which would seem to you to be utterly absurd, but it was our truest thought."

"I don't know how to tell you all this, and I'm afraid you'll be angry because you can't accept it."

Although Mrs. Bennet is a little eccentric and too persistent in the girls' marriage, she is a very responsible mother in life.She was no different from most mothers of this era.

Just an ordinary woman.

"I really can't accept that my daughters are all going to do such a dangerous thing." Mrs. Bennet calmed down a little, she rubbed her head that was starting to have a headache, "but I can't accept that you are all trying to deceive me ! Even Lydia!"

she said stubbornly.

Catherine knew she was a little loose.

She got up, rubbed her tingling calf, and sat down beside Mrs. Bennet.

"Mom, I know I'm wrong, and I know you'll be mad if you find out, and even I know things can't be hidden forever."

Catherine was not so naive as to think she could keep Mrs. Bennet from life, she admitted she was wrong.Neither she nor Mary had the feeling that Mrs. Bennet's objections would be useless if things were done.They did not consider proactively solving the problem because they had assumed that Mrs. Bennet would not understand.

But this is ridiculous.

"Mom, I apologize to you. Let's try to communicate, shall we? I want to tell you that what I'm going to do is what I want to do, even if it's not so safe for the world, and even what I do is not necessarily Yes, but I want to do it."

……

It is rare for mother and daughter to get along peacefully.

When Catherine went downstairs holding Mrs. Bennet's arm, the restless Lydia almost dropped her jaw in surprise.

"God!"

She pinched her arm to confirm that she wasn't dreaming, and then murmured back to herself.

"Could it be that Kitty went to London to give a few speeches, and her ability to brainwash people is already strong enough to convince Mom?"

Elizabeth took out her enamel pocket watch to check the time.

One hour four 10 minutes.

They talked for a long time.

Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief.

Catherine stood beside Mrs. Bennet and gave her a gentle tug.Bennet coughed dryly: "Lydia, you take the key, go and release Mary, let's have a talk. Lizzie, if your father is willing to participate, tell him to come out of the study!"

A quarter of an hour later.

All of the Bennet family sat in the living room except for the eldest daughter Jane who was married.

Mrs. Bennet said awkwardly: "I talked to Kitty, she was right, we have to solve the problem!"

Mrs. Bennet said and raised her head again.

Catherine sat in a corner and took the initiative to take Mrs. Bennet's words: "A lot of things have happened during this time, and I think we can take the opportunity to explain everything clearly."

"I've decided to help Kitty manage the school." Elizabeth glanced at her and said cooperatively.

Mrs. Bennet answered immediately: "I will try to teach the students some work, and there is no one in Longbourne who is better at decorating hats than I am. I want to see what is good about this school!"②

Instead of blaming Elizabeth, she said triumphantly.

The father and daughter looked at each other in blank dismay.

Mr. Bennet rapped on the arm of the chair in deep thought, and watched silently.

……

It was an unprecedented conversation, and although they almost quarreled in the end, they all kept their tempers in check.Even about the fact that Mary wanted to go to Europe, Mrs. Bennet reluctantly let go, promising that if Mary could find a reliable companion who could take care of her, she would agree to it.

"Although there are still many problems, we are trying to solve them instead of running away. In terms of family relationships, I have made many mistakes in the past, and I want to try to reduce them. I always seem to think that I am too right, and my mother So wrong." Catherine, in a blue dress, walked with Knightley across the fields.

"But my plan to go to a county farther away from London may be temporarily put on hold. My mother is always worried that they will stone me, and I may be assassinated by crazy people." Catherine bent her lips helplessly, "Fortunately, I This year’s plan is only for a few nearby counties. Farther afield, Charlotte and I decided to send some like-minded people there. Fortunately, many people took the initiative to spread them to their hometowns.”

"You don't intend to give up." Knightley saw Catherine's intention at a glance.

"Well." Catherine nodded without hesitation, and she has always been frank with Knightley, "I will try my best to convince my mother that I cannot compromise this decision. Because this is my ideal."

"And I have to check it out myself." Catherine stopped, "We plan to establish elementary schools in many areas as branch schools."

The selection of the area and the establishment of the school are very troublesome, especially Catherine wants to go there in person, investigate the local situation, and then make an appropriate decision.This kind of school is more of a charitable nature, allowing many girls who cannot afford to go to school to have books to read, and the main purpose is to eliminate illiteracy.

Under the circumstances that education cannot be popularized to the lower classes, and their funds are not particularly sufficient, the establishment of each elementary school must be carefully considered.

It is not possible to provide higher education to all at once. This is a gradual process, and the emergence of elementary schools for girls will be a good start.

From then on, they will gradually get more opportunities.

What Catherine wants is not that only some people can get benefits.

The author has something to say: [The collection has exceeded [-]! !Happy circle around, good night. 】

①: There is a saying that French philosophy is more abstract than British philosophy, and German philosophy is more abstract than French philosophy.This statement is not entirely accurate.Everyone understand.

②: Work here refers to the mending work that women do at home, which can be understood as "female red". The original text of "Pride and Prejudice" mentioned that "working" refers to this kind of sewing work.