gentleman's manor

Three years later, I graduated from college and was officially qualified as a priest.

When I applied for the position, I reported that I was going to preach in India.

"Are you going to India?" Mike was surprised by my choice: "Why bother? Brother, even if the national Holy See encourages monks to go to the colonies, you don't have to be so brainy. It's the sea. In case of strong winds and waves, you can just Left in the ocean to feed the sharks."

"There's nothing wrong with going to India." I said to Mike: "As long as you go and stay for two years, you can get a higher position and salary when I come back. Otherwise, with my current status, I can only go to a remote town as a Poor priest."

"Ha! I never knew you were such an ambitious person. I thought you were living in poverty." Mike said with a smile.

"I'm different from you Mike. My father is very stingy and won't give me any inheritance, so I have to fight."

"But the sea is dangerous, you know, and I must advise you as a friend," said Mike.

"I'm going anyway." I said seriously.

Mike was very helpless to me, he sighed and said: "Actually, you are because of that kid Edward, he has been away for three years, can you still not forget him? I almost want to call you a lover, you have to Look ahead brother."

"You...what did you say..." I said nervously.

"Oh, don't pretend, you can't fool me. Look at the way Edward looked at you back then. A blind man can't see that he likes you." Mike waved his hand and said, "Since you insist on going, then I just Good luck to you, and give him my regards if you see him, if he's alive."

It’s early summer now, and it’s time to take a boat from London, around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, to the port of Kolkata, India. With the help of the monsoon, it will take less than three months, so I must hurry up.

So I went back to the small town on the outskirts of London to say goodbye to my sister.

Our house is located in front of a pond. The banks of the pond are covered with maple and cypress trees. The reflections of the green trees in the pond are like graceful dancing girls, swaying in the wind.A small river meanders into it, and a small bridge is built on it. Diagonally opposite the small bridge is a forest, which hides the overall gray house.

Several women tidied up the small house very warmly. They planted roses and lilacs around the fence and under the corner of the wall, and wrapped pink wisterias around the fence.Looking from a distance, this small house is surrounded by flowers, all kinds of colors are intertwined, gorgeous and colorful, and countless white butterflies are flying around.

After I applied for the post of monk stationed in India, I received an annual salary of 120 pounds, which was enough for Anna and I to live comfortably. I also hired a cook and a servant to help. It looks like home.

After the carriage stopped, the coachman helped us take our luggage into the house. John came back with me. He planned to go to the London court to find a job as a lawyer. I asked him to look after my sister when he was free.

Anna is already 15 years old, but she still looks like a little girl. Thanks to Miss Daisy, she has a much brighter personality.When we got home, she was carrying a basket and trimming the flowers in the garden. When she saw me coming back, she ran over and threw herself into my arms.

Miss Daisy curtsied gracefully to John and me.

Seeing the young and beautiful Daisy, John's eyes lit up, and he said, "Hello, Miss Pan."

"Hello, Mr. Martin." Daisy said with a shy smile.

After entering the door, the servant Hughes handed me an invitation card, which was sent by the most prestigious Baron Hall in the town.

We have settled here for more than three years, and only now have I acquired the status of a gentleman and been able to enter the circle of high society. He invited me to take my relatives to a ball in three days.

Of course, such an invitation must go. After all, it is the first time I have been invited. If I don’t go, I will be regarded as rude and arrogant, and my reputation will be stinked. I will never want to live here safely in the future.What's more, I'm about to go on a long journey, it would be great if Anna could be taken care of by the baron.

"A prom? That's great! How long has it been since I've been to a prom." John said excitedly, and then he looked at Miss Daisy beside him: "I don't know if I have the honor to invite you to be my female partner? "

Miss Daisy was obviously flattered, she nodded with a flushed face and said, "I'm very honored, but Mr. Martin, I don't have a dress for the party."

I called Hughes, the servant, and said, "Go and prepare the carriage, and send Anna and Miss Daisy to the city to make two dresses."

"No, sir, this is too extravagant, I..." Daisy hastily refused.

"Don't be nervous, this is to thank you for helping me take care of Anna, you deserve it." I said.

"Am I going to the dance too?" Anna asked me nervously, "Can I not go?" "I remember Miss Daisy taught you how to dance." I said.

"But I've never been to a ball, I'm afraid I'll make a fool of myself." Anna said with a sad face.

"Honey, this is just a country dance, there are not so many etiquette rules, not to mention you still want to be my dance partner, or you let me go alone?" I said with a smile.

"Okay, but I have a lot of new clothes, so I don't need to make a dress." Anna said.

John shook his head and said, "My little sister, the baron's ball is different from the afternoon tea you have at your neighbor's house. You can't lose face, or your brother will lose face."

Hearing this, Anna immediately became nervous again.

Hughes came over and reported, "Sir, the carriage is ready, and the ladies are ready to go."

I said to Hughes: "You can follow the two ladies to measure the clothes. Be sure to make them more detailed, and you can relax in terms of money."

So the ladies boarded the carriage to the town, and the living room suddenly became empty.

Looking at the departing figure of Miss Daisy, John said, "She is so charming, don't you think?"

"Her father was a clerk in a bank, but he had brought up eight children. Although this lady is charming, she doesn't have a dowry of a pound, and her annual salary with me is only five pounds." I said.

John shrugged and said, "What are you talking about?"

"Remind you not to think of her. She still wants to help me take care of Anna. I'm afraid that driving her away will make Anna sad."

"Are you going to drive her away because I'm interested in her? Oh...Adam, I never knew you were such a jealous man, I swear no one can take your place in my heart." John smiled joked with me.

"I'm telling you the truth. When I saw your father last time, he told me to watch you and forbid you to associate with women casually. I guess in the eyes of Uncle Martin, that Miss Daisy definitely belongs to" Whatever's the ranks of women." I said with a look at John.

John's face changed and he said: "I know what my father wants. He hopes that I can marry a gentleman's daughter, but a gentleman's family doesn't look down on me who comes from a businessman. Instead of marrying a wife whose eyes are higher than the top, why not marry me?" The women you like are together."

"I understand what you're thinking, but John, even if you can't marry a gentleman's daughter, Uncle Martin won't let you marry a woman like Miss Daisy without any dowry, he will find you a fellow merchant wives of high class, with a large dowry."

John sighed deeply and said, "Adam, do you think the prerequisite for marriage is love or money?"

I thought for a while and said, "I can't answer your question John, you know about my parents. My father married my mother in order to get the right of inheritance, but after marriage he left her out and hung out with the woman he fell in love with early on. My mother has always been in pain, and we children have suffered because of it. Maybe love is more important than money in marriage. But I don't approve of you going against Uncle Martin's decision. You always know that you are His pride, he expects a lot from you."

"The higher the expectation, the heavier the burden. I would rather be a poor ordinary person, I can learn the painting I like, rather than reluctantly study the law that I hate." John said silently: "I still don't want these troubles It's over, let's visit the nearby squires before the ball."

Three days later, we were invited to a dance.

The dance scene was very interestingly arranged. They wrapped ivy around the walls to create an atmosphere of wild flowers. The piano played a brisk waltz. Dozens of young men and women lined up in two rows and danced lively group dances.

My girlfriend is Anna. She wore a snow-white satin dress tonight. Her hair was partly loose and tied up with hairpins. She wore a string of pearl necklaces the size of rice grains around her neck. She always dressed very simply. Unobtrusive.Even Miss Daisy, who accompanied her, made a pink silk dress, which looked extraordinarily charming, and John, like a fool in love, stared at her with a look of fascination.

Anna has never been to a ball before, and she stumbles and dances, looking down at her feet all the time, as if she is worried about stepping on someone else's feet.

"Don't you like it? Let's stop after this dance." I whispered to her.

Anna breathed a sigh of relief and nodded vigorously.

I took her by the arm and sent her to a group of ladies and wives, and said to one of the ladies: "Madam, please take care of my sister. She is a little nervous when she comes out to a dance for the first time." The husband of this lady I visited a few days ago, so she said to me straightforwardly: "Don't worry, your sister is very well-behaved, just leave it to me."

Then I went to the corner where Lord Hall chatted with some gentlemen.

Baron Hall was an old friend of my father, and the man who rejected Elizabeth was his son, Mr. Carlos Hall.Mr. Carlos was also at the ball. He was in his twenties, handsome, and the eyes of women were always on him. I could understand why Elizabeth was chasing him madly.

I bent over to the old Baron Hall and said, "My lord, thank you for inviting me to your ball. It was a great ball. My friends and I had a great time."

"Oh, young man, as long as you like it, go ahead and dance. Your father and I are old friends. We should have invited you long ago. I hope you don't feel left out." The baron said decently.

"It's my honor to be invited by your lord. I still have some things to ask your lord for. I will visit India in a few days, and I'm afraid I won't be able to return until two years later." I said.

The baron looked at me in surprise, and suddenly laughed: "So, don't worry, your sister is always welcome to visit my manor. My wife and daughter are hospitable people."

At the same time, the ladies and ladies among the guests were quietly discussing the new guests tonight.