[Sense and Sensibility] Fascinated by you

This afternoon, Colonel Brandon unexpectedly showed a talkative and knowledgeable side. Although his speech is not as refreshing as Mr. Wallace's, and Mr. Borg's self-deprecating and amusing, but his rich experience makes him no matter what. He knows a thing or two about everything. Although his speech and behavior are serious, they are gentle and interesting. Although his face is not as vigorous as a young man's, it is also solemn and reserved, full of the charm of a mature man.

Nor did the gentleman's former reticence appear to be the result of a natural melancholy, but of some repression of the spirit.Andrew once said that he had suffered more serious trauma and setbacks than himself before, and he was still stuck in that emotion. Of course, when it came to this, Andrew turned the topic to the pain he had suffered .This makes Hathaway think that he is an unfortunate person, and the gentleman's care for her in the past has also made her have extraordinary trust and respect for him. It is no exaggeration to say that she thinks she likes him. For Colonel Brandon, of course, there is still a gap between this liking and the love between men and women. The colonel's mind and knowledge won her respect, and his silent help and support won her trust. This kind of liking is more precisely a A kind of love for friends and brothers, but I have to say that no one in her life has won her this kind of love except her father and Philip, not even Andrew.

This kind of love made Hathaway more willing to talk to him among the people sitting here. At least she didn't need to express her joy in a false way. God knows how everyone kept up in such a gloomy weather. mood.

"Colonel Brandon, I hear you were once stationed in the East Indies. Was it beautiful there? What kind of place was it?"

Colonel Brandon looked up at Hathaway and then looked away immediately. This lady was extraordinarily radiant today, and he was very worried that if he kept staring at her, he would do something ridiculous, "Well... yes, I have stayed there for a few years. It is beautiful and the scenery is pleasant, but the climate is very hot. In summer, the sun is so hot that it is almost scorching to death, and the mosquitoes are also very annoying. I believe you I would never want to try it, the planting industry is well developed there, and there are plantations almost everywhere, and the spices, spicy seasonings, coffee, tea, etc. that are eaten in the UK are basically shipped from there.”

"Is it a slave owner's plantation? Do you have it in the East Indies?" Hathaway asked curiously. Of course, she didn't want to condemn the colonel for hypocrisy. She was just curious about it. She had seen Gone with the Wind before. In fact, those kinds of slave owners were not too harsh on black slaves. Even after the Civil War, many slaves were unwilling to leave the manor.

The colonel was immediately stuck by the question. He frowned and answered the question dryly, "Yes. This is not something that ladies should care about."

Hathaway smiled brightly, satisfied with the colonel's honesty.

The colonel glanced at Hathaway and continued the topic just now, "There are some small islands there that are very beautiful, with coconut trees growing into forests, the white fine sand is scorched by the sun, the blue water is crystal clear, and the seabed a little further away There are also large areas of coral reefs. The locals there believe in Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism, and there are some very spectacular buildings, such as the Grand Mosque, the Taj Mahal, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Sea Temple..." because Hathaway is very familiar with these Interested, so this afternoon Colonel Brandon carefully described to her the scenic spots he had visited, from the historical background, architectural techniques to the specific scenery, the Colonel could describe it in detail, Hathaway had to admire, she thought It is very disrespectful to think that if this gentleman went to modern times, he would be more than enough to be a tour guide.But it also made her understand Colonel Brandon better. This gentleman has seen a lot of the world, read a lot of books, and is good at thinking. No matter what questions she asks, he can always answer them very simply, showing a good attitude Upbringing and temperament.

Colonel Brandon wiped his sweat secretly. This lady is by no means as quiet and ladylike as she appeared. She has a lot of curiosity, but the point of her curiosity is always different. She doesn't care about what ordinary ladies are interested in. Expensive spices, shining gems, and even the gold and silver ornaments he threw out couldn't attract her attention. The lady asked about the operation of the plantation and the relationship between slave owners and slaves attentively. Described as a criminal and ugly colonial phenomenon, the lady didn't pretend to be sympathetic and condemned anything. She calmly said that it was the right of the victor, even though it couldn't be called a war at all.

At the end of the conversation, the young lady cast a veiled glance at Andrew, and then asked casually, "Life in the East Indies must be very boring, right? I heard that some soldiers in the army prefer masculinity?"

Colonel Brandon is completely defeated...

***************** I am the dividing line where looks determine destiny****************

After dinner, raindrops finally fell in the gloomy sky all day long, and the temperature dropped a lot. The fireplace was lit early in the lounge, so the room was very warm.The atmosphere among the ladies has returned to normal, as if the influence of that incident has dissipated, and even everyone gets along more harmoniously than before. Perhaps it is because Hathaway is no longer regarded as an opponent, so Huo Miss Fuman and Miss Berger's attitude towards Hathaway was much better.

However, Hathaway knew that if she really thought this matter was over, she would suffer a big loss in the future, and now it was just because everyone was in the same room, she was concerned about the master's face.But she can't grab others to talk about it, so she can only pretend nothing happened.

The gentlemen were playing billiards with great interest. Although Colonel Brandon did not play with him, he was watching with great interest, and had to discuss with Andrew from time to time.

This gentleman was wearing a white silk shirt, black flannel vest, and trousers of the same color. He kept turning around the table, looking for the angle of the shot, but Heather However, Wei noticed that this gentleman's left hand was always pressing the shoulder joint of his right arm unconsciously, and the time it stayed was getting longer each time.

When Colonel Brandon finally sat down quietly to drink a cup of tea, Hathaway finally couldn't help asking.

Colonel Brandon smiled self-deprecatingly, "Maybe he got rheumatism when he was old. The joints of his right arm started to hurt when it was rainy. It was okay a few years ago, but now it's getting more and more obvious."

Andrew, who was still playing in front of him, couldn't help complaining when he heard this, "Forget it, Brandon, don't complain, you forgot that your right shoulder was shot, thanks to the fact that no bones were injured. , you don’t need amputation, and now it only hurts when it’s cloudy and rainy, you’re lucky enough!”

Hearing this, everyone gathered together consciously, and the gentlemen curiously asked what was going on. Andrew told the situation in detail in a very gossipy manner.

The gentlemen couldn't help but marvel at Colonel Brandon's luck. You must know that with the accuracy of muskets in this era, it is possible to hit anywhere. The bullet hit the right shoulder, but missed the bone, and luckily not If it stayed in the body, it should be said that Colonel Brandon was lucky enough to escape the bad luck of lead poisoning. In short, this gentleman had nothing more to do except need to rest in bed for a period of time.Of course, rheumatism is added now.But this is already amazing luck, knowing that in this era, countless people died of amputation due to gunshot wounds or simply infected, this lucky guy is still complaining about rheumatism.

After the gentlemen scolded the damned bullets, they cursed the terrible medical level, bloodletting before sickness, no anesthesia, and patients who really need surgery can only be tied up, or simply knocked out with a stick.

When the topic of the gentlemen became more and more biased, the ladies looked at each other and began to talk in a low voice. These ladies are much more realistic than the gentlemen, and their attention will not be on whether the colonel is lucky to be accepted. Healed from a gunshot wound. Their focus is that this gentleman suffered from a gunshot wound and suffered from rheumatism. Compared with these military officers who earn their way with their bodies, they are still lovely gentlemen who can inherit the family business.

Olivia felt that since this gentleman was already so old, he shouldn't continue to think about marriage.

Hathaway expressed surprise at her point of view. She couldn't figure out why just a little pain in the shoulders would be associated with the word aging, and what does marriage have to do with physical decline?

Olivia went on to publish her high opinion, "I think rheumatism is one of the most common aging diseases, and a 34-year-old man is absolutely impossible to be young again. I doubt whether he can have love." Mr. Wei's usual listless and reticent attitude seemed to prove her point of view. She continued: "If you want to get married, it's better not to be with a young girl. I can't believe that a girl of seventeen or eighteen years old will fall in love with her." An aging gentleman, although he has endless money, but he has no talent, taste, nor vitality, and his heart lacks enthusiasm. In my opinion, if a young lady marries a 34-year-old gentleman, then It's not a marriage at all, it's probably more of a transaction."

When Olivia got excited, she couldn't control her emotions, and her voice gradually became louder. These words were heard by Colonel Brandon on the other side. He kept his face calm but pursed his lips tightly.

Hathaway was very displeased with such remarks, and retorted: "Your words are too arbitrary. If I say that it is impossible for a person to lose the ability to love because of age, that ability will actually become more powerful with age. Mature, although it is difficult for an older gentleman to treat a lady with vigor and enthusiasm, but rich experience and mature handling can take better care of the lady, and those surging feelings are indeed better before marriage. Touched the young lady's heart, but the relationship is hard to last. What marriage needs is continuous management. If a relationship burns from the very beginning, it is hard for me to believe that the relationship can last forever. I am afraid that it will soon be due to lack of nourishment And went out."

Other ladies also expressed their opinions on the relationship between love and marriage. It is up to the benevolent to decide whether to enter into marriage amidst the surging love, or to find a suitable husband to enter into marriage.In the end, Winnies concluded that it is best to have a handsome, young, healthy and wealthy gentleman who pursues you enthusiastically before marriage, allowing you to enjoy the fiery love, and after marriage, he can handle the relationship between the two of you maturely and steadily, and continue to care about you and love you. you.The ladies all laughed and agreed.