[Pride and Prejudice] First impressions

"Miss Bennet, it is said that you are engaged to Mr. Collins?"

Just when Elizabeth gave up chatting, stared at one side of his shoulder, and silently began to count the beats in her heart, calculating how long it would take to end the dance music, suddenly, such a sentence came from above her head.

This……

Elizabeth looked up at him.

He was looking at himself with a serious expression.

"It doesn't seem to have anything to do with you?"

She answered casually.

"Indeed. But as my aunt, Mrs. de Boer, is involved in the matter, I think I should warn you, after much consideration."

Darcy looked away from her.

"You should also be able to see that Mr. Collins is obedient to my aunt, and he can even be called obedient. You may not know that my aunt is actually not an easy person to get along with. And you..."

He glanced at Elizabeth out of the corner of his eye.

"With all due respect, I don't think you are her type, so it will never be pleasant to yourself if you go to Hunsford and have to deal with her from time to time."

"Thank you for your reminder, Mr. Darcy, I didn't expect you to be so enthusiastic."

Elizabeth smiled, making a half-truthful joke.

In response to being teased, his expression became more serious, and his tone was a little more rigid than before.

"Mr Collins though..."

He glanced at Collins, who was dancing awkwardly with Charlotte, and seemed to be thinking about his words.

"Although he behaves badly on weekdays, as the head of the Diocese of Hunsford, I think he is still qualified for this position. At least he can make the diocese peaceful, so I personally hope that he can marry someone who is also qualified for the role of the pastor's wife." Wife. You know, I am also one of the benefactors of that parish, and there is nothing wrong with hoping for peace."

The dance music just stopped at this time, and after Darcy bowed to Elizabeth, he immediately left her and turned to leave.

Elizabeth stared at the back of his head, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable.

Finally, I saw how conceited this man was, he was almost exactly the same as his aunt.To actually talk to her in this tone, isn't it just a little feud with him before!If it weren't for his current attitude, she would have forgotten about that stupid thing long ago!

Charlotte was still full of praise for him, saying that he was very considerate of the partner's feelings. Is this his gentlemanly demeanor?

----

At the end of the ball, Elizabeth and Charlotte bid farewell, and boarded the carriage home with their family.Everyone was still immersed in the atmosphere of the dance party, talking about the prominent figures of the night.

Mr. Collins and his two youngest cousins ​​sat together, his huge body was shaken from side to side by the carriage, and he had to sincerely apologize to the cousin he accidentally bumped into from time to time. Lydia didn't think he existed at all. He kept saying, "Mom, you saw that George asked me to dance twice! He is really good-looking. Although he is not as good as Mr. Wickham, he is still cute!"

"Yes, my dear! I really like this cheerful and talkative young man!"

"And Oliver! He was like a girl, and when he came to ask me to dance, his face was red! I couldn't help laughing at him on the spot, and his face became even redder, and he even became stammered when he spoke. Baba! Oh yes, he says he's from Poole, South Dorset, what the hell is that, I've never even heard of it!"

"I don't know either! But my little cutie is so beautiful, it's only natural that the boys are attracted to you!"

Mary finally got the chance to speak, so she said: "Pool is a port city in the south, located 64 kilometers west of Portsmouth, close to the English Channel, where there is beautiful scenery, rich in pottery, and a famous tourist attraction. , and many precious birds live here..."

"Oh, come on, I get a headache hearing this!" Lydia interrupted Mary's science, and continued to talk about her achievements at the dance tonight.

Mr. Collins, who had been seriously ignored, disapproved of the ladies' behavior of talking about the opposite sex openly, so he picked a good time and interjected wittily: "Cousin Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy is finally invited by you tonight. What can you gain from asking you to dance with me?"

Everyone's attention was immediately attracted, and they all looked at Elizabeth.

"He said to me, Mr. Collins, you are a very outstanding talent. You have your own deep and unique insights into many things. The diocese is flourishing under your management. He appreciates you very much. In fact, if you can spend your busy schedule Excuse me, I think you can give Mr. Darcy selfless and sincere help in terms of doctrine, and I think he will be happy to accept it, because it is also a good thing that will benefit him."

Elizabeth looked at Collins and said seriously.

Everyone was stunned, and Mr. Collins reacted, regardless of being in the carriage, he stood up abruptly.

"My God, did Mr. Darcy really say that?"

"Yes!" Elizabeth nodded vigorously.

When Collins was dancing with excitement, the carriage jolted, he couldn't stand upright, and fell to the ground, his mouth almost biting the shoe on Mrs. Bennett's foot.

After everyone was silent for a while, the two youngest cousins ​​couldn't help it at last, covered their mouths and giggled, but Mrs. Bennett sternly stopped them, and Jane kindly stretched out her hand to help him up.

Mr. Collins was still immersed in the huge surprise and couldn't extricate himself. He had already started to think about the content of the teachings he would tell the nobles when he went back, so he didn't pay attention to the ugliness he made. After getting up and thanking Jane, he was very happy sat back down.

Elizabeth imagined the scene when Darcy met Collins next time, and her mood finally improved a lot.

----

After the ball at the Lucas House ended, despite the objections of his wife and several young ladies, the Bennett House continued to implement control measures.So everyone can only go for a walk nearby and breathe the fresh air in the fields.

This activity was strongly approved by Mr. Collins, and Mrs. Bennett was also very happy to let her daughters accompany this cousin to enjoy the beautiful scenery around Longbourn. It seemed very reasonable.

But from the point of view of the ladies of the Bennet family, seeing the scenery with this cousin is not very interesting, especially for Lydia and Kitty, this cousin is getting more and more annoying, because he often When they were discussing the little brothers of the militia group, they interrupted and interrupted the lecture, and they just wished that he would leave immediately, but he was also a distinguished guest of his mother, so he lived a good life, not to mention how aggrieved he was.

A few days later one morning, the air was clear and the sun was shining brightly, and the morning mist that hung over the fields of Longborn was gradually lifting.After breakfast, according to the practice of the previous few days, the sisters accompanied Mr. Collins for a walk around the neighborhood.After walking for a while, Elizabeth asked Jane and the other sisters to accompany Collins on the pretext of forgetting to take the parasol, and turned around and walked back by herself. When their backs gradually reached the small mound, Elizabeth stopped and changed And go in the other direction.

Not far in this direction, across a small river, there is an abandoned chapel with large yellow briars growing beside it.In this season, although the flowers are not as blooming as in midsummer, the dots of yellow dotted in the green are pleasing to the eye. At least, it is much more pleasant than listening to Collins talking nonsense—— Thinking of this, Elizabeth wished to slap herself.

What the hell, why did I have to "translate" Darcy's words in front of Collins for a moment that day, so that the pastor began to expand himself infinitely afterwards.If it is said that his previous arrogance was still within the tolerable range, in the past two days, it has reached an unbearable level.

Elizabeth crossed the small stone bridge alone, and arrived at the field where wild roses bloomed beside the chapel, thinking that she could pick one back and put it in a bottle to decorate the table. A bunch of pretty flowers bloomed on the branches on the wall, so I stood on tiptoe to pick them, but I was not tall enough, just a little short, and when I was trying to reach them, there was a sound of rustling footsteps behind me, and I looked back. , because it was so unexpected that it was taken aback.

Wickham didn't know when he appeared, but he stood behind him like a ghost!

Of course, he would never think so himself.Because at the moment he was wearing a straight uniform, with a charming smile on his handsome face.

"Miss Elizabeth, do you need my help?"

He bowed to her politely, then took a step forward, raised his hand to pick the flower, and handed it to her.

Chapter [-]

"Sneaking secretly and appearing suddenly in a way that you think is chic, Mr. Wickham, is this the so-called smug you are always proud of?"

Elizabeth naturally didn't pick up his flowers, just looked at him and said coldly.

Wickham raised his eyebrows, twisted the flower branch and brought it to his nose to smell it.

"Miss Bennett, you are just as I imagined! Beautiful, intelligent, and eloquent," he snapped his fingers, "like a rose with thorns!"

Elizabeth was not interested in continuing this shallow flirting with him, so she walked away.

Wickham caught up at once, and walked beside her.

"Miss Bennett, allow me to apologize to you for my rudeness just now. I didn't mean to offend you. I just happened to see you coming this way when I was passing by, and I remembered the meeting on the road that day. Your demeanor is still fresh in my memory. , so I couldn't help it for a while, so I followed up..."

His tone sounded very sincere.

Elizabeth stopped, looked at Wickham, nodded, and smiled.

"A face that fascinates all living beings, a brain of extraordinary intelligence, and a mouth smeared with honey, Mr. Wickham, let me be narcissistic, are you trying to hook me up?"

Wickham was startled, looked at Elizabeth carefully, and then grinned, revealing a pair of white teeth.

"I prefer to pursue this statement. I wonder if you can give me this opportunity?"

Elizabeth smiled even wider.

"Mr. Wickham, I'm afraid I shall disappoint you. I have a property which does not add up to a mere thousand pounds, and, worst of all, I shall lose the house of Longborn. Not only me, but every one of my family." The sisters are all facing the same dilemma as me."

She closed her smile, stared at Wickham's blue eyeballs without blinking, and her tone was deliberately aggravated, "If some people who want to rely on the woman's property to save themselves from struggling for 20 years want to move their minds If it is on the head of my family, then I sincerely advise that he has made a wrong decision, it is better to retreat as soon as possible, so as not to waste time."

Wickham laughed so loudly that it would have attracted attention had anyone been around.

Being told what was on your mind, so you hilarious to cover up your embarrassment?

old-fashioned.

Elizabeth sneered in her heart, and when she turned to leave, Wickham spoke, but the peach blossom smile at the corners of her brows and eyes was still obvious.

"Miss Elizabeth, I'm very surprised why you can make such a precise judgment about me. We shouldn't have known each other before, right? Yes, you are right, but to be precise, you are only half right."

"My affection for you comes from here," he pointed to his heart, "not here", and he pointed to his mind.

Elizabeth looked at him with eyes like watching a theater.

"Miss, as you said, I am the kind of man who would marry someone I don't love for money. Since I am good at this, how can I blindly make a move before setting the target? Let's put it this way, although I I just came here not long ago, but I know much more about the property status of the young lady nearby who can be my target than you. If you know it, I naturally know it, and if you don’t know it, I know it too.”

Elizabeth began to wonder.It was the first time for her to look at Wickham so carefully, but she found that there was no embarrassment on that handsome face, but a hint of happiness.

"Take the Lucas family as an example," he continued. "Although she has a knight title, the lady only has a dowry of [-] pounds, which is not as good as your house. Miss Donaldson has a property of [-] pounds, Lytier The family has three thousand pounds, the Thornton family has four thousand pounds, and the richest one is Miss Jin, who has five thousand pounds."

"Of course," he shrugged, and finally added in a nonchalant manner, "compared with some ladies who really come from rich families, her five thousand pounds are nothing at all."

Elizabeth was so surprised that she couldn't speak for a while, and could only stare at the other party with dumbfounded eyes.

I have seen brazen ones before, but I have never seen such brazen ones!Today is an eye-opener.

"Now do you understand what I just meant? Miss Elizabeth, I don't want to hide the wonder you gave me when I first met you. How should I put it..." He tilted his head slightly, as if immersed in some kind of thought , After a while, there was a "boo", snapped his fingers, and his eyebrows immediately danced.

"My eyes light up, yes, that's the feeling. Frankly speaking, you are not the most beautiful lady I have ever seen, and your sister is also prettier than you, but you just have a sense of amazement that can attract my attention. Actually I've been wandering around the area for the past few days, just looking forward to a chance encounter like this one, my luck is good, I actually met it!"

The better he smiled, the more unreal it seemed to Elizabeth.The sun was shining above her head, but the hairs on her arms were still erect, and she couldn't help but get goose bumps.

Is this the rhythm of taking the wrong script and breaking into the shooting scene of a vomit drama by mistake?

"Stop, Mr. Wickham!" she called off hastily.

"I don't care what your purpose is. Listen carefully. First, I have no interest in you. Second, stay away from my family and don't get close! If you can do these two things, I will Grateful!"

After Elizabeth finished speaking, she turned and left.

She took big steps, and when she walked five or six steps away, she suddenly heard a voice behind her.

"Miss Bennett, do you think I don't have any property and I'm not someone worth wasting time on, that's why you don't even want to talk to me?"

Elizabeth turned a deaf ear and kept on walking.

A voice came from behind again, but this time, it was a self-deprecating laugh.

"Yes, if I have a lot of money, such as the great Mr. Darcy who is also present here, you will not be completely indifferent to such a confession?"

Elizabeth's footsteps stopped suddenly.

Turning around, she looked at the handsome man opposite, and said coldly: "Mr. Wickham, a man can have no money, but he can't be spineless. A weak bone who wants to rely on women for food, even if he grows bigger than you are now." Zhang's face is ten times more handsome, but in my eyes, there is no charm at all."

Wickham stared at Elizabeth without blinking, and the smile on his face gradually disappeared.

Suddenly, he strode up to Elizabeth.

"Well said, Miss Bennett! I am indeed a soft bone who wants to eat women. But do you think I was born this way?" He sneered, "God is not fair. Someone was born with a golden spoon in his mouth. I have no family background or background, but I am just the son of someone who has been a lifelong servant of someone else's family. I have no property. The only three thousand pounds I invested in the ship of the East India Company The team encountered an accident on the way back from Bangalore, India for the first time. Not only did the property go to waste, but even my life was almost lost. I had nothing, so I wanted to rely on horse racing and gambling for luck. The first way. When I was the poorest, I almost fell down on the street. Now I got a lieutenant position in the militia with the help of my friends. I am not afraid of death. If I live my whole life like this, I would rather die on the battlefield, of course , It would be even better if I could get ahead by relying on my military exploits. But this damn battle has been delayed for a long time! So, now I am so poor that I only have this face."

He raised his hands mockingly, and moved his face towards Elizabeth, "Look, this is the only face left. I can only make a fortune with it. With the principal, I have a chance to turn around Now you can continue to laugh at me as much as you like, but Miss Elizabeth, I want to tell you that the world has always laughed at the poor and not at the prostitute. As long as I turn over in the future, who remembers how I turned over? They can only see it All that golden gold that I have!"

Looking at the handsome face in front of her that was less than a foot away, Elizabeth suddenly thought of Julien in red and black, the son of a carpenter who made his fortune with women and died at the hands of women, and finally sighed.

"Well, Mr. Wickham, I understand your conduct, if it makes you feel more comfortable."

She changed the subject.

"But understanding does not mean agreement. I must still say that there is nothing wrong with trying to get ahead. I also think about how to get rich, but as a man, choosing the shortcut of relying on women is the most despised. Of course, This is purely your personal choice, as long as you can maintain your rationality and refrain from doing things that violate morality and ethics, others have no right to judge your behavior."

After she finished speaking, she stretched out her hand to take the briar rose that he had been holding in his hand, put it into the one in her hand, smiled, turned and left.

"Miss Elizabeth, I hope we will have such a chance to meet next time!"

After she walked a dozen steps, she heard Wickham's voice from behind.

Elizabeth didn't look back, she just raised her hand and shook the bouquet of wild flowers in her hand, and replied with a pun: "Forget it, I don't want to be frightened more than this again next time!"

Wickham stood where he was, watching her back gradually disappear from sight, with a smile on his face, and when he finally turned to leave, he suddenly stopped, and the smile on his face stagnated.

On a gentle slope tens of meters away, a man in a hat sitting high on horseback was stopping there.

It was Fitzwilliam Darcy!

He is looking this way.Although the distance is a bit far away, it is not difficult to distinguish.The expression of his face was cold marble, and the eyes under the brim of his hat were dark and stared at himself.

Wickham hesitated.

From the day he dared to do that thing, he felt that he had completely got rid of his status as a servant of the Darcy family.

So at this moment, he really wanted to turn his head and leave, leaving the other party with a back view.But after struggling for a while, he found that he still couldn't break free from the deep shadow of the strict status of master and servant that had been engraved in his heart since he could remember.

"George, my child, you must always remember that he is your master, and you must obey him for the rest of your life."

When he was young, his father pointed to the little boy of his own age who was playing on a horse in the distance, and the voice of earnest admonition seemed to ring in his ears again.

Wickham gritted his teeth and raised his hand slowly with great difficulty. Just when his fingers were about to touch the brim of his hat, the man on the horse suddenly turned his face and pulled the rein, and the steed immediately galloped away with its master on its back. One man and one horse in the field disappeared without a trace in a blink of an eye.