Love England

The train to Oxford was moving slowly. The coldness of early winter could not cover up the beauty of the wilderness in the British countryside. The endless dark green wilderness reminded me of the wilderness covered with yellow sand in the western United States. Although the two colors are different, they both give people a sense of beauty. The thoughts brought infinite reverie, let oneself suddenly feel very small.The pleasant scenery outside the window and the company of the two gentlemen made me forget my worries for a while. Mr. Hale and Mr. Bell took good care of me along the way. Mr. Bell always told some amusing anecdotes, and Mr. Hale also He always told me the story of when he and Mr. Bell went to school in Oxford, and the two always recalled the old friends who went to school together in the past, talking about those years and the old classmates now, whether they are sinking, sad, or successful , or the mundane present.

After getting off the train, the carriage sent by Mr. Bell's butler had been waiting for us for a long time, and the three of us took the carriage and entered Oxford, the world-famous capital of colleges.There are no factories and chimneys like Milton, no black smoke, no red brick houses blackened by soot, and no workers and trucks rushing to and from get off work.Here are the best universities in the UK, majestic church buildings, thriving parks, fresh air, carefree students and calm and solemn professors. It is different from any place I have ever lived in - peaceful , full of vitality and profound.

Mr. Bell's mansion is just right for a bachelor and shows its status: two guest bedrooms are just right for me and Mr. Hale, the living room is just right, a nice and tidy little dining room, a An enviable study, a small garden with a conservatory, and an able butler, his wife, the cook, and a servant tended all this to make Mr. Bell's residence comfortable and agreeable.In addition, Mr. Bell specially hired a maid temporarily for me to take care of my daily life.Mr. Bell also prepared a lot of activities for us in Oxford: class reunions, field trips, university visits, concerts, operas... Mr. Hale enjoyed it, and I tried my best to put aside all my wild thoughts and integrate into Oxford social life up.

During the afternoon tea that day, Mr. Bell entered the living room with great enthusiasm and said to me: "Cali, my little girl, I want to tell you some news, I think you will like it. Henry is coming here to stay with us for two days , maybe you will be very happy to see him, after all, always staying with us old men and young ladies will always feel bored!"

"Mr. Bell, I always have a good time with you and Mr. Hale, this is the truth!" I went up and took his hand, pulled him to sit down like a father, and poured him a cup of tea , Mr. Hale smiled happily when he saw it.

"I'm really glad you think so, Cali!" said Mr. Bell sincerely.

"Of course, I'm really glad to see my old friend Henry!" I added.Then Mr. Bell explained in detail why Henry came here. It turned out that he had dealt with Mr. Bell's investment in a gold mining company in London a while ago.According to Henry's letter, the gold mine he invested in earned a lot of money with interest. Mr. Bell did not expect to get his investment back so quickly, and Henry wanted to come to Oxford with several documents related to the gold mine investment. Get Mr. Bell to sign.

"It's a pity that Mr. Thornton didn't take advantage of this investment opportunity, otherwise he might make a lot of money, don't you think so, old man?" Mr. Hale asked Mr. Bell, shaking his head.

"Mr. Thornton has his own reasons. He is a cautious person." Mr. Bell looked at me as he said, I just lowered my head and took a sip of tea to let my mind remember what Mr. Thornton said to me If you say "I hope you understand, I am no longer foolishly in love with you, I want to focus on the future, this is our final conclusion!", let yourself understand once again that everything is irretrievable, let yourself once again Forget about Mr. Thornton.

"Yes, I should think about Henry's matter. For now, this matter is the most important thing!" I told myself in my heart, trying to erase Mr. Thornton from my mind.

It feels like I haven't heard from Henry for a long time since he left by train last time and received his letter. I still don't know where he and Miss Thornton will go in the end, because this is beyond Stories other than novel stories, besides, Miss Thornton is already engaged, and even the wedding date is getting closer, which is the biggest obstacle between her and Henry.Maybe when I meet Henry this time, I can have a good chat with him face to face about this matter.

A day later, Henry came here from London on horseback.Henry was as usual, a man who can hide his emotions very well, and when he saw me, he just greeted me politely and seemed very distant from me.It made me realize that he must have been embarrassed to meet me this time.Mr. Bell kindly invited him to go to the concert after dinner with us, and he reluctantly agreed under the persuasion of Mr. Hale.

Mr. Bell specially reserved a box so that the four of us would not be disturbed by outsiders while listening to the concert.During the intermission, Mr. Hale and Mr. Bell walked out of the box together, because they found out that an old school friend was also at the concert, leaving Henry and me alone.This is a rare opportunity for me to break out of the embarrassment I am currently in and to talk to him alone about something that has been on my mind.

"Henry, I am really delighted to have you at Oxford! I have been looking forward to seeing you again since I last heard from you."

He first looked at me with wide eyes, showing a guilty look, and said: "I thought you would not forgive me. Before I came to Oxford, I was always worried, not only because of the matter between me and Miss Thornton, but also It's all my fault for causing you so much trouble at the train station."

"I don't need you to admit your mistake, that trouble has passed, and what you should focus on now is how to be with the person you love—of course, in a more upright way, which is good for you and her. "I am very happy to hear his sincere apology, at least it can prove that the barriers he had against me have been broken.

"But I don't know what to do, it's too late, it makes me feel powerless and hopeless. Every letter from her makes me love her more and hurt me more. Imprisoned by the ring, there is nothing I can do."

"Yeah, that's really the biggest problem right now..." I sighed with Henry, who was as visibly brooding as he was.Although Miss Thornton can repent of the marriage, the result may be that Mrs. Thornton will be furious, and Mr. Thornton will also intervene to force Miss Thornton to marry someone she does not love. If things go on like this, the result may be that Henry and The ending of Miss Thornton's elopement is the last thing I want to see again, and it is the one I want them both to try to avoid.I looked up at the people in the concert hall and saw Mr. Bell and Mr. Hale talking to another old gentleman in the box opposite us, which gave me an idea at this time.

"Henry, I'm imagining a situation..."

"what's the situation?"

"Let Miss Thornton bring up the situation after regretting the marriage."

"I don't think Mrs. Thornton and Mr. Thornton will agree to her doing this. They will force her to marry Mr. Watson!"

"Listen to me imagining such a situation: after Miss Thornton repents of her marriage, Mrs. Thornton and Mr. Thornton will of course strongly oppose the matter, but if Mr. Bell comes forward to persuade Mrs. Thornton to agree with Miss Thornton's approach, it will There is a chance to make the marriage repentance successful! As long as there is no bondage of engagement, there will always be hope for you and Miss Thornton." Henry frowned after hearing this, and he shook his head and said: "Mr. Bell's factory in Thornton is in urgent need of turnover. I helped them a lot when it came to funding. I believe that Mr. Bell has the ability to persuade Mrs. Thornton, but if I do this, it means that I have to tell everything like Mr. Bell. The biggest problem is that he is willing to help me?"

"Mr Bell is a liberal man, and he thinks highly of you, and I think he will help you, as long as your feelings are genuine."

"Mr. Bell will sign the documents in two days, and I have to return to London. I will consider this matter." Henry nodded and replied.

At this time, the intermission time was over, and Mr. Bell and Mr. Hale came back happily. With what I just talked about with Henry in my heart, I also lost my initial interest in the second half of the concert. He glanced at Henry beside him, he was as preoccupied as I was.During the two days that followed Henry's stay at Oxford, when we had a chance to be alone together, we discussed the feasibility of asking Mr. Bell for help. He had written to Miss Thornton about this and wanted to consult Her opinion, after all, this is not a matter of one person.A week after Henry's departure from Oxford I had letters from him, and from Miss Thornton.I was surprised that Miss Thornton was able to write to me, in which she said that Henry had told her what he had said to me at Oxford, and thanked me for being so helpful. Apologizing for some of my prejudice and injustice, she contemplated agreeing to defer to Henry's decision.And Henry stated in his letter that he was going to ask Mr. Bell for help, and hoped that I could help him and plead with Mr. Bell.The letters written by the two people are touching, and it can be seen that Henry and Miss Thornton really love each other. I immediately wrote back to the lovers, expressing my willingness to help as much as possible.

Unknowingly, I have been in Oxford for nearly a month. The matter between Henry and Miss Thornton has made me appear to be preoccupied recently. Although I have promised to help persuade Mr. Bell, I have not thought about how to speak.One day, I was drinking tea alone in the living room. Mr. Bell came in to see me, and asked vigorously: "My little girl, why are you drinking tea alone here with a sad face and not going for a walk with me?" ?"

I looked up at him, and with a smile to hide myself, I replied, "Didn't you go out with Mr. Hale? I thought you didn't come back until after tea time!"

"Old Hale and I passed by Trinity College just now. He met a classmate who used to study theology together. You know that although he is no longer a pastor, he can't move his legs when encountering God. The two people talked a lot about it. Special talk about religion, but I don't have the good fortune to enjoy this kind of talk, hurry up and be a layman—how about going for a walk with me, an old vulgar thing? I see you are always making a sad face these two days, go outside Come on, how about talking to me?"

I readily agreed to Mr. Bell's invitation to go for a walk with him in the park near the mansion.As I walked the park paths with Mr. Bell on his arm, I tentatively asked him a question.

"Mr. Bell, I have a question that I would like to ask you, please don't be offended!"

"Of course, my lady, please ask!"

"Have you ever loved anyone?"

Hearing this question, he stopped, looked at me inquisitively, trying to figure out why I was asking this question, and replied, "Yes, I did!"

"Do you still love that person?"

"You can say that! But I think that person may not know my love, because there are many reasons, we can't be together. You are from the future, you should know the constraints of this era: class, status, fame, money, etc. Wait, wait, I think not only in this era, but also in your era, there will be those bondage troubles, isn't it? Fortunately, there are many old bachelors like me in the UK now, and I can refuse a secular marriage because of my persistence. "

I can't deny his doubts, and at the same time, I'm curious and speculate about the kind of person Mr. Bell loves, but it's not my main purpose to mention these words. "I understand what you mean, sir! Just like Romeo and Juliet, this kind of story happens every day, if we have the opportunity to help lovers get married, there will be no tragedy like Romeo and Juliet .Do you say so, Mr. Bell?"

"Of course, if I have the opportunity to help lovers who truly love each other get married like Father Lawrence (note: the priest who helped Romeo and Juliet), I will do my best."

"If there is a pair of lovers who are not hindered by social status or money, it is only because of family prejudice and parents' snobbery that force the people who really love each other not to be together. If you have the opportunity to help this pair of lovers, will you help?" I asked more boldly.

With an incomprehensible smile on Mr. Bell's face, he looked at me again and asked back: "I am really surprised by what you said, Cali! Let me take the liberty to ask you a question - Thornton Has Mr. ever expressed anything to you?" This unprepared question made me feel that my face was burning, and I quickly turned my face to the side and pretended to admire the scenery next to me to hide my uneasiness.Mr. Bell actually noticed what happened to Mr. Thornton, and I hesitated how to answer his question.

"Does Mr. Bell think that I am talking about myself? But you are wrong, I am not referring to myself. There is nothing between me and Mr. Thornton. He has nothing to do with me. I just now It’s just a hypothesis.” I tried my best to calmly say these words, Mr. Bell just raised his eyebrows, slightly nodded to me to express his apology and said: “Please forgive my reckless lady, I understand, I promise not I will ask you such a question again. Regarding what you said just now, if there is really a pair of lovers who really love each other that cannot be combined, maybe I will help!"

Mr. Bell's answer made me feel at ease. If Henry can sincerely express his love for Miss Thornton to Mr. Bell, Mr. Bell will definitely agree to help him persuade Mrs. Thornton and Mr. Thornton not to force Miss Thornton to marry her people who don't love.

"Cali, it's snowing lightly, we should go back, I think old Hale must be waiting for us at home!" Mr. Bell said to me with a smile, and I nodded in agreement.We then came back home by the way we had come, and Mr. Hale was already in the living room, as Mr. Bell had predicted.He was standing by the fire at this moment, with his eyes closed, and his face flushed and pained, which surprised Mr. Bell and me.

"What's the matter with you, my old buddy!" Mr. Bell hurriedly stepped forward to hold Mr. Hale's hand, and I also walked over to feel the pulse of Mr. Bell's other hand, which was very weak—think of the novel Mr. Bell died at Oxford, and I shuddered. Couldn't I, like Mrs. Hale, save Mr. Hale's life?

Mr. Hale slowly opened his eyes, looked at me and Mr. Bell in a dazed way, forced a smile, and slowly said to Mr. Bell: "I felt a little short of breath after I came back, maybe I was too tired. Why! I have had this symptom recently when I was in Milton, but it always passes in a while, and this time it may take a little longer."

"You may feel bad in Oxford now because you've lived in Milton's air for too long," Mr. Bell said, although his words were irresponsible excuses, but they were obviously intended to make Mr. Hale Don't worry, let him relax, or make him happy.

"I'm tired," said Mr. Hale, "but not because of the Milton air. I'm fifty-five years old, and that very fact alone accounts for any decline in physical strength."

"Nonsense! I'm over 60, and I don't feel the slightest decline in physical or mental strength. Don't let me hear you say that. 55! Hey, you're still young!"

Mr. Hale shook his head. "In recent years, I have become particularly old!" He said.He had been half reclining in one of Mr. Bell's comfortable easy chairs, and after a pause he raised himself up, and said in a tremulously earnest tone:

"Bell! You don't necessarily think that if I could have foreseen my change of opinion, and all that my resignation from the priesthood would entail,--oh! if I could have known how she would suffer from it. ,—would I not have done that?—I mean, openly, that I no longer believe in the creed of the church of which I am a pastor. I feel now that even if I could foresee The cruelest suffering sacrifice I will face,--through the suffering of a loved one,--as far as stepping out of the church openly, I will still do it. At least for my family afterwards I might do things differently, and act smarter. But I don’t think God has endowed me with too much wisdom and strength.” He leaned back and returned to his original posture, Add one more sentence.

Mr. Bell blew his nose in a mock manner before answering.Then he said:

"God empowers you to do what your conscience tells you is right. I don't see how we need any higher, more divine power, or wisdom. I know I don't have that power or Wisdom, and yet they write me down in their stupid books as a wise man, an independent man, strong-willed, and all that cliché. A man who abides by his own simple laws of right and wrong, The big fool who always wipes his shoes on the doormat is smarter and stronger than me. But how easy it is for ordinary people to be deceived!" * (Note 1)

There was a silence between the two, and there was a sadness in the room such as I had felt for the first time since I came to Oxford, and I suggested that Mr. Bell should send for a doctor to look at Mr. Hale. "Yes, yes!" Mr. Bell seemed more irritable than ever before, "Cali, my dear! Can you please tell the butler to ask Dr. Fox to come immediately." I immediately followed what Mr. Bell said, I told the housekeeper to fetch the doctor, and when I returned to the living room door, I heard Mr. Hale and Mr. Bell talking. I stopped involuntarily, not wanting to intrude into this slightly heated conversation.

"About Margaret."

"Hmm! About Marguerite. How is it?"

"If I die..."

"Bullshit!"

"Her mother isn't as strong as she used to be, and I'm terribly concerned that Mrs. Hale will die soon. What will become of Margaret—I've often wondered.* I think the Lennoxes will probably invite She went to live with them. I tried to think they would. Her Aunt Shaw always loved her so unobtrusively, but she often forgot to love when she wasn't there."

"Well, Halle. You know that girl of yours is almost terribly fond of me. I've told you that. Of course, as your daughter, as my goddaughter, the last time I saw her I used to be very interested in her. But the time I came to Milton to see you, made me almost her slave. I am an old man willing to sacrifice myself and go behind the conqueror's chariot. Because Indeed, she looked so serene and dignified, like one who has fought, and may still be fighting, and yet is sure of winning. It is true that, in spite of all her present troubles, her face That air indeed. Therefore, if she wants, all I have is at her disposal, and after my death, whether she likes it or not, it will be hers. Besides, I will be her preuxchevalier ( French: chevalier), although I am sixty and suffering from gout. Seriously, old friend, your daughter is my main care in life, my intelligence, my learning, my willingness I give her all the help my mood can give. I don't single her out as a reason to be upset. I've learned before that you've got to have something to bother you, or you won't be happy. But you'll live many years longer than me. You little people are always tempting death and deceiving death! Only a short, rosy man like me walks first." *(Note 2)

"Also, about Miss Adams, she is a good girl, but I actually don't think her identity is what she said, and I feel that she has been very lonely. During the time Margaret was not in Milton, she Taking care of me and Mrs. Hale like a daughter, not only saved Mrs. Hale's life, but also helped Frederick get out of trouble. I originally wanted Frederick to marry her, but she refused. It also defeats the purpose of making her part of the family. I can't imagine what it would be like without Cali in the Hale family. She is now the person I am always worried about, even more than Margaret Be worried!"

"Okay! Okay! Hale, I don't want to hear your sentimentality anymore. I will take care of your Margaret and Cali. Don't think about it anymore! Dr. Fox is also a rejuvenating person, no less than You have Dr. Donaldson in Milton, you will be fine!" Hearing Mr. Hale talk about me, I didn't expect Mr. Hale to have seen me through, but he didn't expose or blame me, and sincerely She cared for me like a daughter, and even worried about me all the time.Tears flowed down my cheeks involuntarily, and I hastily wiped them away, fearing that the two gentlemen in the living room might see my red, swollen eyes, so I went back to the servants' lounge to ask the housekeeper, Dr. Fox, what time he would be arriving.

The steward had sent the footman on horseback to fetch the doctor, who finally came in the evening, and I had persuaded Mr. Hale to go to the bedroom and lie down and rest.When Dr. Fox came out of Mr. Hale's bedroom, Mr. Bell and I waited outside, and seeing the seriousness of the doctor's face, we knew that he would not bring good news.Sure enough, according to Dr. Fox, Mr. Hale was suffering from serious heart disease. Because he was in a hurry when he went out to see the doctor, he didn't bring any medicine, so Mr. Bell sent someone to his clinic to pick up the medicine tomorrow morning, and told us not to Let Mr. Hale do vigorous exercise and don't stay up late. Let him rest as much as possible and keep his mood happy.Mr. Bell and I escorted Fox graciously out of the house and returned to Mr. Hale's bedroom.Mr. Hale's complexion has obviously recovered at this time, and he doesn't look sick at all. He said that he has no problem and wanted to get out of bed, but he reluctantly returned to bed under the obstruction of me and Mr. Bell. Bed rest.Mr. Hale chatted with Mr. Bell as usual, and Mr. Bell asked the housekeeper to bring Mr. Hale's supper into the bedroom.

"Now you make me eat in my bedroom and don't even let me out of bed, you're treating me like a noble lady, I'm a gentleman!" Mr. Hale protested to Mr. Bell, but this protest But it was ineffective, and even made Mr. Bell laugh out loud.

"Then you can be Mrs. Bell for a few days!" Mr. Bell jokingly walked away, and when he left the bedroom, he also asked me to take care of his "Mrs. Bell" to have a good dinner.Mr. Hale looked aggrieved. Although he complained to me from time to time, saying "I didn't expect you and Mr. Bell to have such a good relationship", "Mr. Bell always treats me like a child", but he still obediently followed Mr. Bell's instructions. "Order", finished dinner under my "supervision".After dinner, Mr. Bell reappeared cheerfully, bringing with him a collection of Shakespeare, to amuse Mr. Hale in bed.Mr. Hale's bedroom is now the living room, and Mr. Hale and I listen to Mr. Bell's sonnets.To my surprise, the poem chosen by Mr. Bell turned out to be Shakespeare's sonnet No. 116 "Love Is the Everlasting Tower Light". I clearly remember that Mr. Thornton also read this poem.Mr. Bell's voice is not deep, but because of his accumulation of years and rich emotions, this love poem sounds more affectionate, gentle and delicate.

"Mr. Thornton also read this poem for me and Margaret, and Mrs. Hale was also there. You two have your own merits!" Mr. Hale said after listening.

"Then which person's poem do you like more?" Mr. Bell asked, obviously intending to compete with Mr. Thornton.

"Mr. Thornton is my favorite student. Of course I want to vote for my student!" Mr. Hale's tone was full of provocation, obviously he was worried about Mr. Bell forcing him to have dinner in the bedroom. .

"Oh—?" Mr. Bell obviously expressed doubts, deliberately prolonging the end of the question, turned to me and said, "Old Mr. Hale is partial to his students, so it is not fair. I think you will be very good, Cali." Evaluate this matter objectively. After all, you and Mr. Thornton have no other relationship. Which one do you prefer to read poems?" I didn't expect Mr. Bell to be so cunning, and this question was more like a further test of my daytime problems .

"The way a poem is read also shows a person's personality. When Mr. Thornton read this poem, his voice was deeper, sonorous but slightly rigid, just like the impression he gave to everyone; and Mr. Bell Your way of interpreting this poem is calm and slightly tactful, which makes it more lively, but at the same time it seems very forbearing and more touching. It is indeed like what Mr. Hale just said, the two have their own merits. Since I am in Oxford , as your guest, of course I have to thank the host, then I will vote for Mr. Bell!" After I finished speaking, Mr. Hale quickly clapped his hands and said yes, and Mr. Bell also smiled at me, and stopped asking any more questions. .

"Okay!" Mr. Bell closed the book at this time, stood up and said, "It's time for Cali and I to leave and let you have a good rest. The doctor specifically asked us to give you a good rest. I will go to Dr. Fox's clinic in person tomorrow morning to give you a good rest." Bring me the medicine. This Shakespeare sonnet just now is a goodnight love poem to my Mrs. Bell!" He said, pulling me away, not forgetting to joke with Mr. Hale.

"Okay, my husband! Good night!" When Mr. Bell opened the door, Mr. Hale suddenly answered. This was obviously a joke, but Mr. Bell was suddenly stunned, and he turned to look at Mr. Hale. , even a little surprised.

"Looks like I've taken my joke a bit too far, old Bell! I'm sorry! I meant to get back at you--well! I'll go to bed as soon as I've been ordered, and good night!" said Mr. Hale.

"Okay, good night! Halle!" After saying that, Mr. Bell went straight back to his study, and I also returned to my bedroom after saying good night to Mr. Hale.

I didn't expect so many things to happen today. Thinking of the conversation with Mr. Bell during the day and who Mr. Bell's love would make me contact involuntarily. Although I have an answer in my heart, I feel incredible.And Mr. Hale's illness is even more of a problem now. I pray in my heart that God will not let the ending of Mr. Hale in the novel happen like this.

I was woken early next morning by the maid, who told me that something had happened to Mr. Hale, that the housekeeper was in a hurry to get the doctor, and that Mr. Bell wanted my help.As soon as I heard the news, I couldn't help becoming nervous, and hurriedly asked the maid to help me change my clothes in a hurry, and then walked out of the bedroom alone.In the early morning when this apartment should be lively, it is quiet at this time. Usually at this time, Mr. Hale and Mr. Bell can always be heard reading the newspaper or chatting in the dining room, and even the butler and the valet are busy in the room. figure.As the maid said, the butler and the footman must have gone out together for the doctor, while Mr. Hale was ill in bed.When I came to the door of Mr. Hale's bedroom, I heard someone weeping in a low voice. There was a gap in the door, and I could see Mr. Bell sitting on the bedside and hugging Mr. Hale. The crying sound came from As for him, I felt dizzy at the sight of Mr. Hale's lifeless face.I next saw Mr. Bell kiss Mr. Hale on the lips, and I was even more overwhelmed with surprise.I wanted to leave for a while, but my feet kept moving. I held on to the wall and tried not to let myself fall, when I saw Mr. Bell put Mr. Hale's lifeless body back on the bed, and stood there watching. When he was there, I boldly knocked on the door.

"Is that Cali? Come in!" Mr. Bell said hoarsely.

I pushed open the door, looked at Mr. Bell's pale face like Mr. Hale's lying on the bed, and heard him say: "Cali, when the valet came to wake up Mr. Hale this morning, he was found dead!"