[Pride and Prejudice] Mary's Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 10 Finding someone to work for Mary

There was not much work on the first day. Of course, it was impossible for Mr. Bennet to hand over the money directly to Mary. He just handed over last year's account book to Mary to look through.He arranged tables and chairs for Mary in the corner of the study, but Mr. Bennet couldn't stand it for just one day. The study was his only paradise.So he arranged for Mary's seat in a lounge on the first floor, but he soon discovered that it was completely unnecessary. The place where the family used Mary was not next to the table and chairs at all.

Within a few days, Mary encountered her first decision since she took office. Their uncle, aunt, and Mrs. Gardiner invited Mrs. Bennet and her daughters to live in London for a while, because Mr. Bennet hated London so much. Not listed here.The remaining daughters were originally intended to be taken away by Mrs. Bennet, but Mary decided to stay. The distance between London and Longborn is only more than 20 miles. It's not new to Mary.Mary thought that the absence of Mrs. Bennet would be a good opportunity for her to show her strengths.

Jane will be 16 soon, and she will officially enter the society in more than a year. Mrs. Bennet must take Jane there, and she will buy clothes and jewelry for Jane in London to enter the society.Unexpectedly, she was opposed by Mary. She said to Mrs. Bennet: "Clothes and jewelry are popular every year. If you buy them this year, they may not be fashionable next year. You will have to change them at that time, so I think These should be bought next year, and this time I just need to buy some common supplies.”

Mrs. Bennet was very angry: "How can you be so stingy, Jane is going to socialize soon, how important is this to a girl? How can we not prepare earlier? Famous people want How many years earlier?"

"But Mom, we're holding a dance for Jane in the country, not in London, so there's no need to be so extravagant. Besides, Dad's going to prepare three hundred pounds for Jane's clothes and jewelry, which is not a small amount, and I'm not Let you spend it, I hope you will spend it in half a year."

Mrs. Bennet never agrees, she thinks Mary’s approach is extremely absurd, it’s all out of jealousy and envy for Jane, she was so angry that she even went to find Mr Bennet, but very soon It's a pity that her husband didn't speak to her either: "Dear wife, since you have given your daughter the right to restrict us from spending money, you must keep our promise."

"My lord, you have indulged Mary too much. Mary did it out of jealousy. Jane can't enter the society without new clothes and jewelry. This will make her look down on for the rest of her life."

"I have prepared three hundred pounds for Jane. She will certainly have enough new clothes and jewelry." Mr. Bennet was extremely impatient with such a conversation. The trip to London paid another fifty pounds to Mrs. Bennet to caress her, so that she could buy some odds and ends that Jane could use.

Afterwards, Mr. Bennet said to Mary: "Look, you said you would save me money, but I had to spend an extra fifty pounds for you."

Mary resolutely denied the relevance of this matter to herself: "If I had asked me in advance, I would never agree to spend the extra fifty pounds! How much can fifty pounds sell for, Dad! Don't do this again in the future, It is very detrimental for you to carry out my work like this!"

Mr. Bennet finally had to apologize for this and promised not to repeat it, and Mary had no choice but to agree to let the matter pass by without anyone mentioning it.

Later, Mary specially asked Jane to explain this matter. Jane is such a magnanimous and magnanimous person. She would never think of her sister in a bad way. She said to Mary: "I agree with what you said, what you said That's right, clothing materials and jewelry are popular every year, and I won't enter the social network for more than a year, so there is no need to prepare now. I completely think that you are doing it for my own good, and want me to use the most fashionable and perfect image at my social dance, and I shall not misunderstand you at all."

Mary felt beyond words: "Oh, Jane, a kind person like you is fully worthy of the greatest happiness in this world. Even the most gorgeous clothes and the most precious jewelry cannot match your character."

On a breezy morning, Mrs. Bennet took her four daughters into the carriage bound for London. Everyone said goodbye to Mr. Bennet and Mary who stayed behind, but Mrs. Bennet ignored Mary and sat straight. In the carriage she was still angry with Mary.

Jane hugged Mary gently, and said to her: "Mother will calm down as soon as she arrives in London. She is never angry for a long time, and she will miss you as soon as she leaves here."

Elizabeth raised her brows lightly: "That's not necessarily true. Maybe she will become more angry with Mary when she sees a wide range of products when she is shopping."

Mary sighed, and begged, "If that's the case, please try to divert her attention, so that she won't always be angry at all of London."

The three looked around and laughed. Mrs. Bennet sat in the carriage and urged the two eldest daughters to get in the carriage quickly. Kitty and Lydia couldn't wait any longer. Elizabeth had to promise Mary that she would write letters every day and leave in a hurry .

Just after seeing off her mother and sisters, Mary turned her head and was about to carry out her plan.

The first link in this plan is the maid Alice.

Alice was a farm girl, and not the family's alcoholic father, who depended on her to support a group of young siblings.

There is a well-known story when Alice came to the Bennet family: when Alice was 14 years old, the last sister in the family was just born, and her father decided to throw the child at the gate of the orphanage in order not to raise the child. Alice secretly picked up the child and hid it in a kind neighbor's house, but the matter was soon discovered. The angry father chased the market and beat up the vegetable seller's daughter in public. The young Banner Mrs. Tate drove by here, ordered the coachman to save poor Alice, and called the sheriff.When Mrs. Bennet knew the truth of the matter, she planned to help the poor girl, so she decided to hire her to be a maid in Bennet's house, and gave her some old clothes, which made Alice very grateful.

At that time, Mrs. Bennet chose Alice as a maid out of good intentions. In fact, there was no need for such a servant in the family. Her greatest role was to take care of Lydia who was running around and prevent her from getting hurt.Now that Lydia was nine years old, there was no need for such a servant.Alice is also afraid of being dismissed, so she is extra diligent and always helps other servants with work, so the Bennet family likes her very much.

Since Mary often asked Alice to help in the kitchen, she has almost become Alice's exclusive maid. After two years of training in the kitchen, Alice has fully mastered all the new food making skills.Originally, Mary thought she could decide whether Alice would stay or not, but when Mary proposed to let Alice leave Longbourne to work in Meriton, Mr. Bennet had to object: "I mentioned it to your mother, Liddy. Ya doesn't need a babysitter anymore. But your mother is such a kind person, Mary. When I first wanted to do something so unkind, your mother called her old friend, Miss Neurosis. Exhort me, and out of respect for them, I solemnly renounce the matter. And, I agree with your mother, an upright gentleman cannot see a poor family starve to death without helping them."

Miss Alice is Mrs. Bennet's number one celebrity. She is not smart, but she is also very stubborn. It is because of this character that she will always remember Mrs. Bennet's help in the past. Whenever she has a chance, she will She wants to thank Mrs. Bennet from the bottom of her heart, but this is not flattery, but gratitude from the heart, which makes her gratitude look extraordinarily noble. Her behavior It also made Mrs. Bennet feel very proud. Alice's position in Mrs. Bennet's heart was second only to Hill, the oldest housekeeper in the Bennet family.

But Alice had to leave Bennet's house. Mary had arranged for Alice to escape. She told Mr. Bennet that she would talk to Alice in person and try her best to make Alice leave Longbourne happily.Finally Mr. Bennet agreed to let Mary try it first.

Alice had no sense of what was going to happen to her. The servant said that when Miss Mary came to her, she just thought Mary needed his help.When she pushed open the door of the lounge and Mary looked at her with a serious face, she couldn't help feeling nervous.

She rubbed her fingers and said respectfully, "Please tell me, Miss Mary."

Mary smiled and said, "Please sit down Alice, don't be nervous."

Alice became even more nervous. She thought to herself that she should have done nothing wrong, otherwise Miss Mary shouldn't be so gentle.But Mary's next words shook her heart.

Mary said to her, "I'm going to give you another job."

Alice jumped up from her seat, her eyes quickly filled with tears, and she asked Mary with a trembling voice: "Did I do something wrong? Miss Mary, please don't fire me, I will work hard."

Mary reassured her gently and said, "No, Alice, Lydia has grown up, and there should be no more children born in the Bennet family, so I don't think we need a maid to be a nanny."

Alice burst into tears when she heard this. She needed the wages, and her master was very generous, and she didn't want to leave Longbourne.Mary watched her cry quietly for a while. The girl kept crying, looking desperate, but she didn't beg Mary to keep her.

Mary suddenly said, "I don't want to fire you, Alice, you can continue to work for the Bennet family."

Alice's crying stopped abruptly, and she raised her tear-stained cheeks to look at Mary, and Mary suddenly felt that it was a bit unreasonable for her to speak like this, so she said a little embarrassedly: "I mean, I arranged for you to do other things." Not at Longborn, but at Meriton. You will go there and continue to work for the Bennet family. Your salary will depend on your performance, but as long as you are as hardworking as you are now, I promise you will be more or less .”

Alice heaved a sigh of relief when she heard this. Thankfully, she didn't have to lose her job, and it was no problem for her to work anywhere, and Meridon was not far away.

Mary said to Alice, "I'm going to open a shop in the town and make some money."

"Open a shop? Make money?" Alice was taken aback by such words. "My dear lady, how can you do such a thing? This is done by inferior people. You don't have to do this at all." Alice was almost incoherent. Miss, you just need to stay in the house, drink tea and read books, no, don't do this, it will only make you laugh at others."

Mary said, "Don't stir Alice up like this, I've thought about it, and I must."

Unexpectedly, Alice was more frightened than she just thought that she lost her job. She was almost crying: "Please miss, please, how can such an honorable person like you do such a thing, not only you will be killed Sneer, your sisters and lords and wives will be looked down upon, think of the noble and kind lady, she is such a good person, tolerant and kind, she is the most respected lady of Longborn, you do such a thing It will make her miserable..."

Alice admired Mrs. Bennet so much, and it was no wonder Mrs. Bennet liked her so much.

Mary patted Alice on the shoulder and said reassuringly, "Yes, Alice, if others find out about this, our family's reputation will be ruined by me."

When Alice heard this, she thought that Mary would look back, she happily wiped away the tears on her face, and was about to continue persuading Mary, but Mary quickly said to her: "So, Alice, this food store is What I invested in you is just an investment, I am to help your family out of the predicament, I know you are the eldest daughter, your mother is sick all the time, and you have eleven younger siblings to support."

Alice whispered: "Yes, miss, so I am very grateful for the help my lady has given me. I pray for her every day. God bless, if the lady can give birth to an heir, it will be perfect."

Mary nodded and said, "Yes, that's the only bad luck for my mother—she didn't give birth to an heir for my father. In the future, the Langborn family property will be inherited by outsiders who don't know where, and my mother and us orphans I don't know where I'm living, I'm poor..."

Mary covered her mouth and begged: "Please don't say it, Miss, I feel very uncomfortable when I think that Madam will encounter such a situation, but I think a good person like Madam should not encounter such a bad situation." Given the circumstances, she is sure to have an heir, and my mother had three children after the age of 40."

"Hopefully my mother will have three more, so there's always a better chance of a boy. But we've all given up hope of that, Alice, and we've got to plan ahead—if The day will come when we will be thrown out by the heirs of Longborn, and we will need a sum of money to live in. And you, Alice, if you have any gratitude for my mother's kindness to you, I beseech you to do the same now. repay us with kindness.”

Alice stared blankly at Mary, and asked anxiously, "What do you need me to do, Miss Mary?"

Mary said to Alice with a serious face, "I have a sum of money that I can use to open a shop for you."

Alice opened her mouth to say something, but Mary quickly interrupted her: "Don't say anything, this is not what I should do, Alice. All gentlemen with estates have some investments. They put money in textiles. factories, ores, fleets, and even overseas manors and plantations, they will be talked about when they make money, so why can't we poor ladies who can't live a life? We are hard To survive, we just don’t have as much money as them, so we should invest in some small projects, shouldn’t that be taken for granted?”

Mary's gentle tone was full of persuasion: "Besides, if we don't say anything, no one will know. I won't show up in public. I'm still a decent lady. And you are a decent and respectable female shopkeeper."

Alice's eyes kept blinking, which meant that she was constantly thinking and hesitating, and her face was full of struggle.

Mary continued to encourage her: "I will give you 10 pounds a year as wages and 15% of the store's dividend. If the two sums do not add up to 15 pounds, then I will pay you 15 pounds. If it is more than [-] pounds If you want more, then I will pay you the full amount. Of course, the premise is that you have to be as diligent and obedient as you are now."

Alice feels that this is wrong, a decent lady should not show her face to work, even worrying about a job like a store is not decent for Miss Mary.But if Mrs. Bennet faces bad luck in the future, it seems that some money is a good choice for her. For Alice's background, money can indeed give a lonely woman the highest sense of security.As for Alice herself, she was a farmer's daughter. She rolled up her pant legs and worked in the fields with her arms folded since she was a child. Without the daily labor of wind and sun, this place is simply paradise.In the past two years, Miss Mary even taught her to spell, and now she can simply read some recipes.If, as Miss Mary said, working in a shop can earn a salary of 15 pounds a year or more, then... Thinking of the amount of 15 pounds a year, Alice's heart is full of fire. It was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Alice whispered: "Is today my lucky day, miss, do you really want to pay me at least 15 pounds a year? My God, who can earn so much! I can rank No. [-] besides Hill and Galen." There are three."

"If you work hard, I guarantee that you will earn more than Galen in the future, and even more than Hill." Mary said bewitchingly.

Alice felt unbelievable: "How is it possible? Galen is a personal servant. He is the highest-paid servant of the Bennet family, and Hill, she has worked for the Bennet family for more than 30 years."

"So," said Mary, "we will try our best to run the shop well. As long as the profit of the shop reaches 50 pounds a year, you will have more wages."

"So," Alice clenched her fists nervously, "what kind of store are we going to open?"

"It's very simple, it's the fried food we usually make."