Love England

Cali disappeared out of nowhere, and Mr. Thornton's sanity didn't believe the fact, but he saw Cali disappear after walking into the door of the ballroom lounge, and he searched the little resting room. Everywhere in the room, there was no sign of anyone else.With guilt, doubts and apprehensions, he took the shawl and handbag left by Cali and returned to the Thornton mansion in the carriage.Along the way, he stared blankly at the things in his arms, and there was still an elegant and pleasant smell of perfume on the shawl, as if she was still by his side—why did she run away when she saw him?Where did she go?On the day he proposed to her, she said that she was from the future. At that time, he thought it was a joke, and then put it behind him. Could it be true?Did she go back to the future?

When Mr. Lennox saw Mr. Thornton standing dazedly on the porch holding Cali's things and telling him how Cali had disappeared, he took them roughly and said angrily : "You shouldn't have gone to see her!" Without politely saying goodbye to Miss Thornton and Mrs. Thornton, they left angrily.Although Henry didn't know why Cali disappeared out of thin air, he knew that Margaret must know the reason. He must return to the hotel as soon as possible to explain the situation to Margaret. At the same time, he blamed himself for being too immersed in the relationship with Thornton In the happiness of the young lady, he forgot to go to the ball to pick Cali back to the hotel.

"Where have you been, John?" asked Mrs. Thornton, as soon as she saw her son enter the living room.

"John, where's Mr. Lennox?" Miss Thornton followed, not waiting for her brother to answer her mother's question.

"he left."

"Going away? Why didn't you say goodbye to us? Did something happen?" Miss Thornton tensed up.

"Miss Addams has disappeared! Mr. Lennox has to go back and inform Miss Hale of this matter immediately." Mr. Thornton replied lifelessly.This news made everyone present shocked and confused. All eyes were on Mr. Thornton, hoping that he could give an answer.

"What does it mean that Miss Addams disappeared? She disappeared or was kidnapped? How do you know?" Miss Thornton asked.

"She wasn't missing or kidnapped, Miss Addams just walked through a door and disappeared, I saw it with my own eyes."

Such an answer is obviously unsatisfactory, and Mrs. Thornton is also at a loss. She has never seen her son speak so incoherently and so confusingly: "I don't understand, John..."

"That's it, mother!" Mr. Thornton interrupted her. "I feel very tired now. I'll go back to my room first! Good night, everyone!"

All this is so strange, it seems that this party at the Thornton family should end here, and finally ended inexplicably, Mr. Assistant and his wife left soon, and Mrs. Miss Addams was involved, always full of trouble, while Miss Thornton watched her brother leave with sympathetic eyes.

Mr. Thornton was tossing and turning in bed, and every time he closed his eyes, it was the image of Cali running away and disappearing. At this moment, he finally realized that he would never see her again, really not, than the last time she told himself There are deeper feelings about marrying Mr. Bell and also leaving Milton.He always pushed her away, but wanted her to stay by his side.He was too contradictory, he was the one who ran away, but why was he obsessed with her leaving?Every time he meets Cali, he always asks himself the same question, but he never gets an answer—he doesn't want to admit a fact, he doesn't want to believe a fact.He fell into a trance and fell asleep, dreaming that a group of workers were standing outside the mansion, shouting for him to come out, and he walked out of the gate angrily, despite the objections of his mother and sister.Workers with sticks and stones angrily accused him of unfairness, and he shouted at them to leave, which made the workers even more angry, and the workers complained that he had bankrupted the factory and made them lose their jobs.At this time, a team of military police arrived. He thought that the military police were here to drive these workers away, but a man who looked like Mr. Lennox instructed the military police that he represented the bank and his creditor, Mr. Bell, to arrest him. Shot because he owed money to the bank, at which point the gendarmes joined the workers.Feeling desperate, he ran to a high platform, trying to get away from the workers and gendarmes chasing him. Standing on the high place, he saw many factory owners he knew were looking at him with sneers from outside the crowd. Under the nearly crazy crowd, he found that he had no way to escape.He heard Mr. Lennox give the order to the gendarmes to raise their guns, and the gendarmes pointed their guns at him in unison.

"Fire!" Mr. Lennox shouted the order, his voice even higher than the steaming crowd.With a bang, a woman in blue stood in front of him and fell into his arms, covered in blood. "Cali! Cali! No! Cali! No!" He yelled hysterically, his body and hands were soaked with her blood, she looked at him with tender eyes, and slowly closed her eyes.

"You killed her!" A man rushed up and pushed him away, it was Higgins, he snatched Cali from his arms, and shouted to the crowd, "Get him, he's a murderer !" At this moment, two strong workers dragged him away with one arm each, but at this moment he didn't care about anything, he just cried and called Cali's name, but saw Cali's dead body in hope Jinsi's arms slowly disappeared and turned into nothingness.

"Cali!" He woke up yelling, his eyes were full of tears, this dream was so real, as if he had experienced it himself, did she really die like the ending in the dream?The thought made him shudder.He got up and found that it was almost noon, he hurriedly washed his face with cold water, trying to really wake himself up.He came into the drawing-room where Mrs. Thornton was sitting in her usual place, embroidering a handkerchief.

"Happy New Year, John!"

"Happy New Year, Mother!"

"I told the servants to leave breakfast in the dining room."

"Okay, mother."

"Fanny went out in the morning, and she said to go to Hale's house—you know they're going to have an auction today, and I think Mr. Lennox will be there to help Miss Hale with everything, after all. The two families are somewhat related." Mrs. Thornton tried her best to talk, trying to get her son's attention, but to no avail. Seeing that he was still in such a state of despair, "John, your face is not good. Do you want to call Dr. Donaldson to help you?" Do you see?"

"No, I'm all right, mother! I'm going to dinner."

Mr. Thornton came to the dining room and finished his lunchtime breakfast in a daze. Because he deliberately wanted to avoid his mother's probing eyes, he went back to his study.Although today was the New Year, he couldn't be happy at all, he just lay there blankly on the recliner in the study as if he had lost his soul.After an unknown amount of time, he heard someone knocking on the door. He subconsciously said "Come in," and his sister walked in with a tea tray. It seemed that it was time for afternoon tea.

"John, I think you must want some tea. Mom asked me to come and see." Fanny put the tea tray on the table, and obediently pulled up a small chair to sit beside her brother.Mr. Thornton looked at her straight. He hadn't observed his sister for a long time. He felt that she had really grown up, became gentle, beautiful, and even considerate, without the arrogance and coquettishness of the past. Look, when did she become?

"John, I just came back from Hale's house. A lot of people came to their auction, and almost everything was bought..."

Mr. Thornton listened to his sister talking to herself, which annoyed him a little, because how could these people not worry about Cali disappearing at all?Why is she still beaming?How could Miss Hale and Mr. Lennox hold an auction with peace of mind?Why didn't they go to her?Don't they care about her life?Yes, why bother to blame others?Isn't he also hiding in the study, doing nothing, listening to his sister nagging?Didn't he do nothing himself?

"John! John?" Fanny called his name loudly, interrupting his thoughts.

"What?" He focused his attention on her sister.

"I want to tell you something, about Miss Addams, I thought you'd like to know..."

"What about Miss Addams? Is she back? Tell me!" Mr. Thornton's eyes widened, and he clasped her sister's wrist tightly excitedly.

"No, John, it's something else." Upon hearing such an answer, Mr. Thornton slowly let go of his hand, and his eyes dimmed again.

"John, the first thing I want to tell you is still related to Mr. Lennox. Since I got engaged to Mr. Watson, I regret it very much. You and my mother know it, but there is another thing that happened during this period. , I didn’t say anything to you or my mother, since everything is over now, I hope to confess this matter to you—of course, please keep this matter a secret from my mother, I don’t want her to disappoint me— ——If this matter hadn't been helped by Miss Addams, I don't think Mr. Lennox and I would have such a happy ending now..." Afterwards, Miss Thornton told him that he had wanted to elope with Mr. Lennox, and stopped on the train The station was discovered by Cali and persuaded to go home and explained everything to Mr. Thornton.

"So it's true that Miss Addams was at the train station? She lied to hide the scandal between you and Mr. Lennox? Even the gossip and accidents caused by this incident forced her to leave Milton for Oxford, It's all because of you and Mr. Lennox?" After hearing his sister's confession, Mr. Thornton couldn't help but blame himself deeply for the complaint he had made to Cali. He thought of when he saw her at Mr. Hale's house later, When I said to her coldly, "This is our final end", I felt remorse in my heart.

"I know that Mr. Lennox and I were overwhelmed by love and got Miss Addams a lot of trouble. You will forgive me, John! Please don't look down on me! When I think of this now I regret it, please forgive me!"

"You should ask Miss Addams to forgive you, but she's gone now! Fanny!"

"Miss Addams has always been sympathetic to what happened to me and Mr. Lennox. Even when she was in Oxford, she tried her best to help me and Henry, even when she returned to Milton after inheriting Mr. Bell's estate."

"Why do you say that?"

"This is the second thing I want to say - this matter I promised Henry to keep secret, because he promised Miss Addams to keep it secret from you, but I think I should tell you." Mr. Thornton's heart once again Get nervous, "Henry told me that it was not Mr. Bell's last wish to invest in our factory. In fact, it was all Miss Addams's idea. She borrowed the name of Mr. Bell to use the inheritance left by Mr. Bell to invest in our factory. !"

Mr. Thornton suddenly felt dizzy. He had vaguely felt that the factory investment had a slight relationship with Cali, but he did not expect that the real investor was her.She has been helping herself in obscurity, never asking for anything in return, but she has failed her again and again, hurt her, and hurt himself at the same time.She defended him against attacks from others, she restored his family's reputation, she saved their family, but he himself—John Thornton—couldn't even confess his feelings for her in his heart, he was a coward indeed.Thinking of this, he suddenly got up from his chair.

"John, where are you going?" He ignored his sister's inquiry, strode out of the house, called a carriage and drove towards the hotel where Miss Hale and Mr. Lennox were staying.

When the hotel servant informed Ms. Hale that Mr. Thornton wanted to visit her, she was really surprised. She vaguely guessed the reason for this unexpected visitor's visit at this time.Mr Thornton, looking tired, as if he hadn't slept all night, first apologized to Margaret for his surprise visit and then, as expected, asked her about Cali's whereabouts.

"I don't know how much Cali has ever revealed to you about her real identity..." Margaret explained hesitantly.

"I know now, about who she really is - she's from the future, she's a woman who hasn't fully transgendered, she told me exactly the day I proposed to her - I think she must have told you, about I ran away in despair after hearing those confessions that day, and she must have complained to you about my cowardice from beginning to end."

"No, Cali never complained about you, she even complained that she couldn't give you the happiness you deserved—you never really tried to understand her from the beginning to the end, you always focused on your factory and yourself— —I wish that Cali didn't reject my brother's marriage proposal, if so, she wouldn't be in such pain!"

"Miss Hale, I fully accept your accusation. She has done too many things for me. I even know everything about helping my sister and investing in my factory. But I have been willing to be cowardly for a long time. Doubt has blinded my heart and my eyes. I came here with repentance, I just want to know Cali's whereabouts, and I know you will have the answer!"

After hearing these words, Margaret's eyes showed every kind of distrust, "Mr. Thornton, will you really accept everything from Cali? Or is it just because of your whim, knowing that Cali has done so much for you?" After the incident, take guilt and gratitude as feelings for her? Even if you see her now and show her that you love her, she may be overwhelmed by your feelings for you and accept your feelings for a while. But when everything enters On the right track, when the feelings of guilt and gratitude slowly fade away, will you still say you love her?"

"Miss Hale, I've always been cowardly about how to deal with my feelings, but one thing I'm sure of is that my feelings for Clai are not what you call gratitude, and now I just beg you to tell me Some clues about her!" After speaking, Mr. Thornton bowed deeply to Margaret with a sincere attitude.Margaret looked at him without the slightest courtesy, and wondered how much she could trust Mr. Thornton's words.She did have a plan to retrieve Cali in her heart. When she learned about Cali's disappearance from Henry, she had the idea that Cali might return to the future.She must hurry up and go through the space-time door in the attic of Hale's house, confirm her thoughts, and bring Cali back as much as possible.In order to ensure that the time-space door would not be found, and in order for her to come back smoothly in the future, she immediately discussed with Henry to buy the house rented by the Hale family in Milton as soon as possible. She needed the known time-space door to remain unblocked.As soon as the auction ended today, Margaret entrusted Henry to handle the purchase of real estate.

"I won't take you to see her, although I'm not sure where she is now, but I will find her alone!"

"Miss Hale, you have to trust me!"

At this time Margaret turned around and took out a white drawstring bag from the desk. Mr. Thornton saw that it was Cali's drawstring bag. She took out a book and handed it to him and said, "Don't jump to conclusions so quickly. Mr. Thornton. This book was left here by Cali. You can take this book for now. If you still maintain your feelings for Cali after reading this book, you can say what you just said. Mr. Thornton took the book from Margaret. The book was very old and had obviously been turned over many times. The title of the book "South and North" was written on the cover, and the author of the book was Gus Mrs. Kyle, who had never heard of the author, wondered what could this book have to do with Cali?

"I know you must be confused now, but please listen to my advice, Mr. Thornton! When you finish reading this book, you will understand my intentions-this is also Cali's last secret." Margaret's tone softened, "Now I have nothing to tell you, Mr. Thornton!" Mr. Thornton knew that he should leave, he bowed politely to Margaret, then turned and left After leaving the hotel, he sat back in the carriage and impatiently flipped through the novel Margaret had given him.

What surprised him was that the characters at the beginning of the novel were all familiar characters: Margaret, Mr. Hale, Mr. Lennox, etc. It was recorded in the book that Mr. Hale’s family moved to Mill There are some things that he has heard from Mr. Hale more or less, and some things he doesn’t know (such as Mr. Lennox’s proposal to Miss Hale). He is completely fascinated by this book. He did not even notice that he had arrived at Thornton House when the coachman told him he had arrived.As soon as he got home, he went into the study alone and didn't let anyone disturb him.Mr. Thornton finished reading the book in three days without sleeping and eating. He even entrusted his assistant Mr. Thornton to handle the matter on the day the factory was scheduled to open. Mrs. Thornton and Miss Thornton also worked for him for three consecutive days. Shut up in the study and read without going out, feeling worried.The further he read the novel the more amazed he was, for not only the Hales appeared in it, but himself and his mother and sister, and some of the people he had known in Milton.Although some things in the book are different from reality (for example, Mrs. Hale is still alive and healthy, and Miss Thornton is not married to Mr. Watson, etc.), most of the things that happened in the novel, and even the words that were said, were the same as before. It's what he experienced and what he said, the things in the novel are his life, and even the author of this novel didn't even use aliases to cover up their names, which made his hair stand on end.Not only that, but the heroes and heroines in the novel are himself and Miss Margaret Hale: it is Miss Hale who defends him against workers’ riots, the object of his marriage proposal is Miss Hale, and even the money invested in him at the end of the book The factory was also Miss Hale, with whom he eventually married.What made him even more surprised was that the name of Calpernia Addams was not found anywhere in the book. In order to make sure that he didn't miss Cali's name because he read the book for the first time, he read it a second time. Still haven't found her name.

"Who is the author of this book, Mrs. Gaskell? Why doesn't Cali appear in the novel? Could it be that Cali is Mrs. Gaskell?" After reading the novel, Mr. Thornton did not tell Miss Hale Solving the doubts in my heart like that, on the contrary produced more problems.He closed his eyes and reorganized every scene of meeting, acquaintance, and acquaintance with Cali in his mind, trying to find some clues.

Combined with the description in the novel, Mr. Thornton somewhat understood why when he first met Cali, Cali always talked to him about Miss Hale whom he had never met, and always praised her friend Margery to him. How beautiful and smart Miss Te is, how she can't compare with herself, even when he proposed to her, Cali once said that he should marry Miss Hale instead of her - by the way, Fanny also mentioned it to him many times Miss Addams' ability to predict, he has indeed experienced that every prediction of her has come true, such as the workers' strike brought by the Irish workers he invited.Could it be that all that Cali knew in advance were the events of this "North and South" novel?Do you just live in a book?

"This kind of idea is too crazy!" Mr. Thornton sneered to himself. He didn't believe that his fate was determined and manipulated by a novel, and the reality ending didn't go exactly as written in the novel—because he clearly Knowing that he does not love Miss Margaret Hale, what he really loves is Calpernia Addams-is it because Cali's name does not appear in this novel called "South and North", so she disappears?

"I don't believe in any bullshit fatalism! This damn novel!" Thinking of this, Mr. Thornton angrily threw the book into the fireplace, watching the pile of thick paper burn in the flames, he said to himself : "Cali, you are real, because I have never been so consciously aware of how much I need you, no matter where you are, I will find you, because you have never been in my world Disappeared!" Thinking of this, he opened the door of the study and walked out, but to his surprise, the environment he faced was not his own home...