gentleman's manor

Years are like starlight, fleeting in the eternal river.

It has been 5 years since I entered Locke to study when I was young. I have grown into a tall young man, my facial features have become tough and profound, and I have become more handsome and beautiful.As a senior, I have excellent grades, extensive social network, and enjoy the love of my classmates, tutors, and the attention of the dean.

As early as the beginning of the year, the dean and monk wrote me a letter of recommendation.Because of my excellent grades in theology, he recommended me to enter the Divinity School of Oxford University for further study in order to obtain the qualification of a priest.

In another month, the students of our grade will be graduating, and they will go their separate ways from then on.Already many students have left school, either looking for work, or busy with entering university.

At this time I was praying in the pews of the school church.

I was sitting deep in the hall, not far from where the choir usually sits. The damp atmosphere in the church was very cold, and the empty hall was unusually quiet.Suddenly, I heard intermittent and regular footsteps coming from behind, and under the high vaults of the church, each step made a loud sound.

I didn't have that curiosity to look up and just focus on praying.

I felt footsteps stop beside me, and sat down somewhere behind me.

After a long silence, a deep male voice made my heart suddenly tumble.

"I'm leaving school today, I'm here to say goodbye to you." His clear voice was very pleasant, but it made my heart pound.

I really didn't expect that he would take the initiative to say goodbye to me. Since that embarrassing afternoon, he has never said a word to me.Like a deliberate evasion, he avoided all the courses I chose, and he could not be seen wherever I appeared. Even if we met, he never looked at me.

That's right, with such an arrogant personality, he probably didn't bother to put me in his eyes after being insulted so much.It would be a lie to say that I am not sad, I miss those days with him infinitely, the precious friendship and pure love he gave me, these are the most precious things I can get.But because of weakness and fear, I threw a piece of his mind on the ground and crushed it to pieces. Whenever I think about it, I feel extremely painful.But I have no choice, everything should be like this, the frivolity of youth will always be forgotten with the passage of time, and one day in the future it may become a ridiculous memory in his heart, so I don't regret my choice.

Now that he took the initiative to see me, a little bit of hope rose in my heart. Maybe we can still maintain our pure friendship and exchange letters in the future.

"I hope my dirty and obscene me didn't make you feel uncomfortable." His next sentence knocked my lofty heart to the ground.

"No, Edward, don't say that." I suddenly turned to look at him.

I see a tall, handsome young man, the plumpness of his teenage years gone through rapid growth, and replaced by a tall, imposing man, six feet tall, with a deep-set face and narrow, ice-blue eyes Bright as a star, his long and narrow aquiline nose made him resolute and calm.

This was the only conversation we had in the past two years. He did not expect that what I said to him back then would cause such great harm to him. He still clearly remembers my insulting accusations at that time.

"You don't have to be nervous, I just came to say goodbye, and I'll leave after I say this." He looked at me and said, "Maybe you hate me, but I... I heard that you will go to Oxford University to continue your studies, I think I wish you success in your studies."

After speaking, he stood up, bowed slightly to me, and left the church without looking back.

I kept looking at his leaving back, unable to say a word.

……

When I was officially out of school, I rode back to Quint House in a carriage.

Originally, I thought I would never set foot here again, but there is still a person I care about here, and I can't leave easily until I settle her down.

In the early spring, a large field of lilacs bloomed in Quint Manor, with the refreshing aroma of licorice, blowing on the face with the morning breeze.The road ahead is a gentle slope extending to depressions on both sides.The green alfalfa grass reveals its sharp corners, extending to the distance along a meandering river.

The coachman I hired was a very talkative man, he was only about twenty years old, and he was often commuting between London and Kent.

"To where in Quint's estate?" asked the coachman.

"Mr. Constantine's house," I said.

"May I ask, are you from the family?" The coachman looked at me suspiciously, as if he couldn't make up his mind about my identity.

"I'm on business." I smiled and said, "Why, is there any news from their house?"

"Oh, it's almost becoming an after-dinner conversation, sir." The coachman said with a smile, "There has been a big scandal at Quint Manor."

I frowned and asked, "Can you tell me the details?"

"I heard that the heir's wife was having an affair outside and was caught on the spot. Master Constantine wore a cuckold and went out to drink and gamble, losing all the inheritance he had just inherited," the driver said.

"God." I sighed, I had never inquired about these things in my previous life, and I never thought such a big scandal would happen.

"What's even more ridiculous, isn't there an illegitimate daughter in their house? She seduced Lord Baron Hall's heir and tried to marry him, but she was rejected. Oh, what a dishonest lady, Quint has passed on It's all over the place. I think what a respectable and respected gentleman old Mr. Constantine was, and now he has been reduced to an object of ridicule."

I paid the coachman 5 pence outside the manor, and then walked into Quint Manor with simple luggage.

My father was surprised by my return, and he even frowned to show his dissatisfaction.

"Have you graduated yet?" He met me alone in the study.

"Yes, Father, I just graduated from school last week," I said.

Dean walked back and forth in front of me with his hands behind his back. The atmosphere in the study was extremely dull. He was smoking a pipe in his mouth, filling the surrounding area with smoke.

"What are your plans?" he asked me.

"I have no intention of anything, my lord father," I said.

He bumped his pipe in the ashtray, then raised his eyes and said to me, "You're old enough to go out and get a job. I don't owe you anything for supporting you until you graduate. You can't stay at home anyway." .”

"You won't let me stay at home, so where can I go? Are you going to let me live on the street? It's not good to spread the word." I said.

In my previous life, I was too arrogant. I thought my father didn't care about me, and I didn't recognize this father, so I refused to go back to Quint. Once again, I will never let him swallow my mother's dowry so easily.

Dean snorted heavily at me: "Useless trash, who has grown so big and still wants to be supported by his father, why don't you hurry up and go to hell!"

I pretended not to hear and didn't refute a word.

My father took out the checkbook, dipped the pen in the ink, wrote a few words, tore off the paper and threw it to me.

I picked it up and saw that my father had given me a check for £50.

"Take the money and go. I don't want to see you in the short term. Even if you knock on the door, I will order the servant to drive you out." He said without looking up.

"Hehe, my lord father is too stingy, are you sending me these beggars?" I said pretending to be foolish.

My father stared at me with wide eyes: "What? You don't think it's enough?"

"Do you think that's enough?"

"Bastard!" He slapped the table and stood up: "You two brothers are exactly the same, you are both debt collectors! You are a waste who only knows to ask your father for money! It is more useful for me to raise a dog than the two of you!"

"You raised it? You're joking! My mother left me a legacy of 1000 pounds. I can't spend it even if I try my best. Not to mention the charity school with a tuition fee of 4 pounds a year. You have the nerve to say that you raised it." I sarcastically said .

As if being stimulated to the point of pain, he stared at me with a ferocious face and said, "That's my money! It's my money!"

"You say it's your money, but it's not legally recognized. Do you want to see me in court?"

"Ha!" Father sneered, "You think you're grown up and capable! You actually want to sue me to court. This is the funniest joke I've heard this year. If you want to sue, you can sue. Let's see if the judge is close to me, or he will face you!"

"Don't talk about the result so badly, how dare I come to see you without any support?" I smiled at him, and said in a low voice, "I heard that you invested your money in overseas smuggling, from Africa and Slave smuggling in the New World."

Dean stared at me and said, "What nonsense are you talking about! I have never done anything illegal. If you want to threaten me, you must have evidence!"

"Dear father, the same sentence, how dare I come to see you without any reliance? Guess how I know about your smuggling." I said with a smile.

Dean's eyes rolled quickly, his face changed and he said, "That old guy Simon gave you something so that you can blackmail me!"

"You better understand," I said.

"What do you want?" he asked me.

"I want the thousand pounds my mother left me."

"Dream! Not a pound!"

"Then let's meet in court and see how Brother William ruined your property after you went to jail." I turned around and was about to leave.

"Stop!" he said suddenly.

I turned to look at him.

"I'll give you a thousand pounds, but you're not allowed to enter Quint from now on!" he said coldly.

"Extremely happy." I bowed to him and smiled.