Love England

While Dixon was making my supper, I wrote my letter to Margaret and slipped it through the crack of the attic door, praying that she would hear of Mr. Hale's death as soon as possible. return.When I went downstairs, Dixon was opening the door for Nicholas and Mary. I was so happy to see my long-lost friend.I hugged Mary and shook hands with Nicholas excitedly too.

"I just received a note from Ms. Dixon to Mary, saying that Mr. Hale passed away. Mary and I rushed to see if we can help, Cali!" Nicholas tightened his smile at this time, with sadness and regret Said.

"Miss Addams, you don't blame me for talking too fast, do you?" Dixon asked me apologetically.

"No, Dixon, you're not wrong. It's good to see old friends now!"

"How are you, Cali?" Nicholas interjected.

"It happened so suddenly, and Mr. Bell and I were a little caught off guard. It was as if God and Mr. Hale had played a joke on us. Mr. Hale was the same as my father. Now I can't believe it's true. of."

"Yeah! Mr. Hale is as if he has never left us. He talked to me as if it just happened yesterday. I know the feeling of losing a loved one. I really hope that Mrs. Hale and Miss Hale can get through this. !” There was sadness in Nicholas’ eyes, and I knew he missed his dead daughter all the time.

I kept Nicholas and Mary here for dinner, and Dixon did his best to keep the two, and the father and daughter accepted our invitation.At dinner, Nicholas and Mary took me to Oxford. What happened in Milton during these times—in fact, it was mainly what happened in the Thornton factory. You told me one by one, and focused on the employees with pride and pride. The cafeteria thing, even Dixon sometimes added to it.In addition, I also learned from several of them that Miss Thornton's wedding has been temporarily postponed. In my opinion, this news is quite helpful to Henry; the Thornton factory seems to be in some kind of debt problem again , let Mr. Thornton work late every day recently; and when Nicholas told the news that Mr. Watson's sister, Miss Watson, came to Thornton Mansion as a guest, I suddenly became less calm.

"Miss Addams, you know that workers often see Miss Watson come to the factory to deliver lunch and sometimes dinner to Mr Thornton. It is said that the two will get married sooner or later. I think Mr Thornton has dealt with the difficult situation recently. I will propose to the rich and considerate Miss Watson after the matter, and everyone says so, and I think Mary will confirm my statement!" Dixon glanced at Mary confidently, and Mary nodded forcefully , to confirm her statement.

"Didn't Nicholas just say that Mr. Thornton ate with the workers in the cafeteria?" I asked suspiciously.

"Mr. Thornton came to the cafeteria to eat in the last week. It was Miss Watson who delivered the meals to him before." Mary explained.

Although I have great doubts about whether Mr. Thornton and Miss Watson are close enough to propose marriage, but I still remember the last time I met Mr. Thornton, he said that he has nothing to do with me, and Watson It is not impossible for the young lady to form a well-matched marriage.Even if Mr. Thornton did not love her, the rich dowry of the rich Miss Watson would have made Mr. Thornton consider marrying her for the benefit of the factory.While my mind was running wild, Nicholas stopped Dixon and Mary from continuing to talk about these things and shifted the conversation to the question of how I planned to do these days.He said he was going to take two days off to help me with some business Mr. Hale had left in Milton.His topic has a very deterrent effect on me. During the two days waiting for Margaret, I really have to settle some things left by Mr. Hale.The first thing to do is to inform the families Mr. Hale was a governess in Milton about the death of Mr. Hale, so that these families can find someone else, and if possible, settle with these families Mr. Hale as a family Teacher's salary.Through the notepad in Mr. Hale's study, I found out that Mr. Hale has served as a tutor for five families.The next morning, I wrote to these families. Although I had refused Nicholas' request to help me at dinner the day before, he came the next morning and told me that he had asked for leave. You can deliver the letter for me.His way of cutting first and playing later forced me to agree to his request. I gave him four letters and asked him to send them to the four families.I will deliver the last notice of Mr. Hale as a tutor, because the last family is Mr. Thornton. I can't help being curious. If I have the opportunity, I want to witness this Miss Watson and Thornton with my own eyes. Is the matter of Mr.It was nearly noon when I finished writing these letters, and Nicholas was in charge of delivering the other four, while I went alone to Badler Street, where Mr Thornton's factory and Thornton House were.

Walking into Mr. Thornton's factory again, I was still so familiar. I walked towards the factory office building, and suddenly found Mr. Thornton's assistant and a lady with a basket not far in front of me talking, "Are you here again to help Mr. Thornton?" Mr. Thornton is here to deliver lunch, miss! You are so kind! Mr. Thornton will be very happy to see you!" At this moment, the assistant found me and greeted me warmly, and beside him The young lady showed a curious look at my sudden appearance.

"Long time no see, Miss Addams! Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Assistant! I've come to visit Mr. Thornton on purpose. Is he in the office?"

"Yes, he's in the office. It just so happens that Miss Watson is also looking for Mr. Thornton! Miss Watson, this is Miss Addams!" The assistant hurriedly introduced us, and as soon as Miss Watson heard me I could see her name clearly on her face, as if I knew her already, she must have heard of me.We both curtseyed to each other and greeted each other "good afternoon".Miss Watson is not beautiful, but her look reminds me a bit of Mrs. Thornton. Her facial features are very stiff, and she is very dignified in her long off-white dress.

"Miss Thornton always mentions you, Miss Addams, I finally got to see you today, you are as beautiful as in the legend, I hope we can become good friends!" I didn't expect her to show affection to me, her demeanor and Her demeanor is generous and her voice is very gentle and pleasant. She is not as arrogant as an heiress as I imagined in her head, nor is she as tough and overly serious as Mrs. Thornton, "Mr. Assistant, hurry up and go to lunch , leave it to me! I will take Miss Addams to find Mr. Thornton!" Hearing Miss Watson say "have lunch", I realized that I was thinking about coming here at home just now, and ignored the sudden arrival at lunch What an impertinence of etiquette to come and visit here.I also hurriedly persuaded Mr. Assistant to go to lunch and accepted Miss Watson's help so that he could leave safely.

Miss Watson and I were left alone now, and we walked together along the road leading to the office building. Miss Watson spoke first: "Miss Addams, I heard you went to Oxford for a holiday, I never went How about Oxford?"

"The climate in Oxford is very good, not as cold as it is in Milton now. I am very happy there, and Mr. Bell takes good care of me."

"As far as I know, my brother and Mr. Bell seem to have business dealings. They have recently made a fortune investing in gold mines."

"I have also heard it from Mr. Bell."

"My brother was very dissatisfied with Mr. Thornton for not listening to his advice and investing with him. I don't think it's a big deal. After all, Mr. Thornton is a man of action and the investment risk is too great. It shows understanding." Ms. Watson's evaluation was very objective and she had her own ideas, which surprised me a little.Then she asked. "May I take the liberty of asking, Miss Addams, what is your business in visiting Mr. Thornton?"

"I have come to inform Mr. Thornton of the death of Mr. Hale at Oxford. Mr. Hale was Mr. Thornton's teacher."

Miss Watson stopped at this point and looked at me, took my hand with concern, and said, "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry to hear that, Miss Addams! Mr. Thornton will be very sad to hear that too. I know you've been with the Hales, and I don't think you're feeling well!"

"Thank you for your concern, Miss Watson! Mr. Hale was like a father to me. He and Mrs. Hale protected me all the time I lived in Milton. Mr. Hale's death is a disgrace to everyone who knew him. Small blow."

"Although I have never met Mr. Hale, I often hear about Mr. Hale from Mrs. Thornton and Mr. Thornton. I know he is a very knowledgeable and respectable person." Miss Watson is very sincere, It softened her hard-lined face.Now, my bad preconceived impression of Miss Watson has been completely broken, and I have a good impression of this Miss Watson.Though Henry had spoken to me of Miss Watson's seriousness, it now appeared to me only to have been caused by the rigidity of the lines of her face.Although she doesn't look outstanding on the outside, she is very kind and thoughtful in her heart, and she doesn't have the temper of a spoiled rich lady at all.Although she was not as lively as Miss Thornton, it was evident from her manners that she was as well-bred as a lady, without the slightest affectation.

As we walked on, I looked at the large basket she was carrying and asked, "Is this lunch for Mr. Thornton, Miss Watson?"

She replied with some embarrassment, "Yes, I helped Mrs. Thornton deliver lunch to Mr. Thornton. Mrs. Thornton is an admirable lady, and I received her very warm reception here, besides, my brother is about to Marry Miss Thornton, and we'll be a family right away. Since Mrs. Thornton said she didn't trust the servants, I thought I should help Mrs. Thornton share some things." I could see the reason for what Miss Watson said. There were other reasons too, her flushed cheeks said it all, and there was no doubt that she had a crush on Mr. Thornton.

"Here we are, Miss Addams!" Miss Watson said with a kind of joyful vitality at the moment, and the expression on her face became vivid.Mr. Thornton's office is on the second floor, and I followed Miss Watson up the relatively narrow stairs.Looking at the back of Miss Watson, I suddenly realized that I should let go. Mr. Thornton will never untie the knot in my heart, maybe just like what Mary and Dixon said yesterday, Mr. Thornton will be with this Miss Watson married.Since Mr. Thornton has already finished with me, why should I have any illusions like a mirror in the mirror?Miss Watson has a dowry of ten thousand pounds. She will help Mr. Thornton get out of the factory. Even if money is aside, from my short contact with Miss Watson, this Miss Watson seems to be a reasonable person. , the more important point is that her feelings for Mr. Thornton are sincere.Can't I, like Mr. Bell, make the one I love happy?John Thornton would get from Miss Watson all that a real woman could give him, and she would even bear him children--something I could never do now.

Suddenly, I became relieved, and I really understood what Mr. Bell said to me when I left Oxford.I fumbled in my pocket, and the ring Mr. Bell had given me was still inside.I followed Miss Watson, secretly took out the ring as I went up the stairs, and put it on the ring finger of my right hand.

When I saw Mr. Thornton again, after explaining my purpose to him, seeing his staring eyes at me, and seeing Miss Watson behind him thoughtfully taking lunch out of the basket for him, I I thought I should announce to Mr. Thornton my engagement to Mr. Bell before I went.Facing Mr. Thornton's tense face, I didn't expect that I could talk about the engagement so calmly. Even I felt incredible.Mr. Thornton then politely said "Congratulations" to me, and Miss Watson was obviously much more enthusiastic and sincere than Mr. Thornton's. is a beautiful bride.I have also invited Miss Watson to attend my wedding as a matter of courtesy.Miss Watson seemed delighted at my invitation, and accepted it with alacrity.I did not continue to invite Mr. Thornton, but just said goodbye to him and Miss Watson as a routine. I will not pay attention to Mr. Thornton's conspicuous surprise. I know that his surprise is the inevitable result, but now this is not the same as What does it matter to me?For I will marry Mr. Bell, and he will marry Miss Watson, as everyone expects, and this will be the end of both of us.

When we got home, Nicholas had already returned, and Dixon was just preparing lunch and waiting for me to come back.Nicholas completed his task, and brought back the wages that the four families paid to Mr. Hale, which totaled nearly 80 pounds.I gave Dixon the money so she could use it to pay her most recent bills.I thanked Nicholas for his help and invited him to have lunch with me, but Nicholas politely declined because he had to go home to take care of a few children.

In the afternoon, I wrote another letter to Mr. Bell, telling him that I accepted his marriage proposal, and sent the letter before the post office closed that day.When I returned home from posting the letter, Marguerite appeared in the living room, looking worried, waiting for me clutching the letter I had given her.

"God! You're finally back!" I walked over and hugged her excitedly, we both burst into tears, and Dixon heard our cries coming from the kitchen downstairs, and she saw her young lady came back , weeping with the two of us, mourning Mr. Hale's worthy father, I don't know how long the three of us grieved like this before we stopped crying.When the tears returned to calm, Margaret proposed to go to Oxford at once, when Nicholas and Mary interrupted us again.Mary had just finished working in the cafeteria, and because she was worried about me, she begged her father to accompany her to see me. The father and daughter were very happy to see Margaret came back, but at the same time, they felt sorry for the lost man. Miss Hale regretted the loss of her father.Margaret once again expressed her eagerness to catch the train to Oxford that night, and Dixon, who was next to her, also hoped to leave as soon as possible. Sent us three ladies to the train station, and finally Margaret, Dixon and I packed up as quickly as possible with the help of Mary, and Nicholas called a cab for us and escorted us to the train station.

Before leaving the house, I announced the news of my engagement to Mr. Bell. Everyone was a little surprised by the news: Margaret had a solemn expression, but Dixon and Mary immediately congratulated me, and Nicholas used After a while I recovered from my astonishment and congratulated me on my engagement.

"When's the wedding?" Margaret asked, and I could hear her worry.

"Mr. Bell and I haven't decided yet, maybe after everything is settled," I replied.

"Okay, my ladies, let's hurry up and go to the train station! Mr. Higgins, can you lift the suitcase to the carriage for me? Thank you!" Dixon urged, and Margaret also Stopping here, Nicholas and the coachman put the luggage on the car for the three of us, and then set off for the station.As for how to get to the station and how to take the overnight train to Oxford, I won't describe them any more.It's just that during this journey, Margaret has been silent to me, only occasionally staring at the ring on my hand. I'm glad she couldn't hold back the question why I married me because of Dixon. Mr. Bell's cross-examination, while Dixon was in a comatose state on the train.

On arriving at Oxford, Mr. Bell was very pleased with Margaret's arrival so soon, and told us that Mrs. Hale had sent word that she would arrive in Oxford tomorrow afternoon.I knew that the letter I wrote earlier must not have arrived here, so I reached out to Mr. Bell specifically and told him that I had accepted his marriage proposal.He was pleased when he noticed the ring on my finger, and it was probably the first time he smiled since Mr. Hale died.He was older than before I returned to Milton. Mr. Hale's death took more than half of his vitality. I heard from the housekeeper that the ventilation sickness that had been bothering him also had an attack the day before I returned to Oxford, so this makes him feel better. Mr. Bell now walks without that tall and straight figure at all, showing his limping old appearance, which makes people feel heartbroken when they see it.

Margaret noticed the change of Mr. Bell as I did. Margaret looked at me with eyes full of tears and said to me: "Mr. Bell seems to be 10 years older, and I am the same as Mr. Bell now." , I suddenly realized that everything seemed to me no longer recognized, I didn’t even dare to think that my father was lying in a cold coffin at this time, I just feel so powerless now.”

"I need you to cheer up now Margaret, your mother still needs you, you are just too tired! Mr. Hale always said to trust God's arrangements, now you and I need to be like Mr. Hale often said Rely on God like you do! I will let Dixon take care of you now to rest, and leave everything here to me!"

Margaret nodded, "Yes, we should all rely on God, just like my father said. Cali, I don't want to rest, I want Mr. Bell to take me to the funeral home to meet my father right away." Margaret's this I couldn't refuse a request, and after Dixon had hurriedly unpacked both of us, Mr Bell took Margaret to the funeral home.The two came back very late. They walked into the house with each other's support, and they walked into the house with heavy steps. Their faces were suffocatingly serious. Both of them had tears on their faces. The old and the young expressed their love for Mr. Hale. comfort each other.

Mrs. Hale arrived at Oxford the next afternoon, and Aunt Shaw, the Lennoxes, and Henry came with them.Mrs. Hale was devastated. Although everyone comforted her, everyone knew that no words could alleviate the grief of losing a loved one.Then the fourth day was Mr. Hale's funeral. Everything was arranged in an orderly manner by Mr. Bell. Mr. Hale was buried in a quaint and quiet chapel in Oxford. Mrs. Hale was very satisfied with Mr. Bell's arrangement.She thought the same as Mr. Bell, she didn't want Mr. Hale to be buried in the cold Milton, and she didn't want his husband to go back to Hellstone, which once abandoned them. No doubt, Mr. Hale couldn't forget the past. Oxford is his best resting place.Mr. Hale's old classmates in Oxford and the friends he made during his short stay in Oxford all attended the funeral. Everyone stood in front of the tombstone and remembered him together under the priest's prayer.

When the funeral was over and people dispersed from the cemetery, thin snowflakes fell from the sky. People’s black clothes made the fine snowflakes look whiter. The church bells and the silence of the cemetery made the atmosphere more sad than sad. It is solemn.Mr. Bell and Aunt Shaw entertained and bid farewell to the friends who came to the funeral; Edith stayed in the hotel because she caught a cold after coming to Oxford, and Mr. Lennox rushed to the hotel immediately after attending the funeral. I went back to accompany my wife; Henry and I were not far from Mr. Hale's cemetery, waiting for Margaret and Mrs. Hale.I watched Margaret supporting Mrs. Hale not far away. The two of them wanted to be alone with Mr. Hale who had just been buried. In this cemetery, the mother and daughter looked lonely and helpless.

"Christmas is one week away. This year is really short and long. Who would have thought that we would have experienced so many things?" At this time, Henry's question broke the silence around.

"If you didn't remind me, I wouldn't have noticed that it's Christmas soon!" I couldn't help but sigh.

"What are your plans after the funeral?" Henry asked.

"I'm going to marry Mr. Bell, you know that."

"Of course! Of course!" Henry cleared his throat and continued, "Maybe everyone is focusing on the funeral, and the engagement between you and Mr. Bell has been ignored by others. I have another thing to do this time is to help Bell Mr. Bell amended the will, I think Mr. Bell also told you to amend the will?" I don't want to talk more about the matter with Mr. Bell, so I also understate Henry's question and don't answer too much: "Yes , he talked about it."

Henry saw my intention, and then we were silent for a while, he seemed hesitant, it seemed that he had other questions, and finally he said: "Cali, when you went to Milton, did you hear about Miss Thornton?" What about the postponement of the wedding to Mr. Watson?"

"Yes, I've heard that. It's good news, isn't it?" Thinking back to Milton, Mr. Thornton did not come to Mr. Hale's funeral, although Mr. Bell told me , he sent an urgent letter to Mr. Thornton on the morning when Margaret and I returned to Oxford that the funeral was to be held today.Maybe the reason why he didn't come was because of my engagement to Mr. Bell—if that's the case, I didn't regret accepting Mr. Bell's marriage proposal at all. Lonely--in the end I ascribed it to the influence of Mr. Hale's funeral.

"It's just drinking poison to quench thirst!" Henry sighed.

"I know your worries, Henry. Too many unfortunate things have happened recently. I don't think Mr. Bell has much thought to intercede with Mrs. Thornton for you now, and persuade her to dissolve Miss Thornton's engagement."

"Yes, I understand the current situation. I wrote a few letters before to confess my state of mind to Mr. Bell. He replied that he would consider my matter, but he didn't elaborate on how to help me. I was just a little impatient. — Forgive me, Cali, I'm being selfish for saying this at this time!"

"I believe that Mr. Bell will help you. He sympathizes with you and trusts you, otherwise he would not ask you to revise his will. Fortunately, the wedding is postponed now, and we have more time to persuade Mrs. Thornton." Henry just nodded after listening, and didn’t mention anything anymore.At this moment, we both saw Margaret and Mrs. Hale coming towards us, and Mr. Bell and Aunt Shaw also saw the guests off, and waited for us to leave together in the carriage at the gate of the cemetery.