[Comprehensive classics] Darcy or Brandon

The snow fell intermittently for more than half a month, but Annie and Lucy couldn't stay at home all the time, because Mr. Robert's wife gave birth to another son. Although it was only the second son, Mr. Robert is now Over 50 years old, getting an old man is definitely a great thing.So Mr. Robert, who has always liked quietness, was so happy that he held a grand ball in Ramsgate for the first time, and invited all the relatives and friends nearby. Naturally, the two single ladies, Anne and Lucy, were not accepted. pull down.

This is the first prom for the two sisters this winter, and it is likely to be the only prom this winter, so the two take it very seriously. They found out their best dresses and put them on They were washed clean, dried carefully by the hearth, and ironed neatly without leaving a wrinkle.Because they didn't have any beautiful jewelry, the two of them put a lot of thought into their hairstyles, trying to make the curls neat and beautiful, so that they could cover up the shortcomings of the jewelry being too old-fashioned.

Walking into the auditorium, Lucy looked at the gentlemen and ladies walking around in the hall, and whispered in surprise: "I thought there wouldn't be too many people in today's dance, but I didn't expect so many people to come, it's really shocking." Surprised! Look, Anne, Mr. Robert actually hung up the crystal chandelier, which cost a lot of candles. I wonder if he will feel that his decision this time is too hasty after the ball."

"Who knows, we just have to enjoy ourselves. Lucy, you can dance as much as you want tonight. As for myself, I believe Mr. Robert won't mind if I eat more snacks." Annie said while taking off her clothes. handed his cloak to the footman at the door.

Mrs. Robert stood at the entrance of the hall to welcome the guests. Mrs. Robert was very quiet and not very hospitable, but today she looked very enthusiastic. Her body was full of visible maternal brilliance, which made her look full of vitality.

"Oh, Anne, Lucy, you guys are here, come here quickly, there are quite a few nice gentlemen here today, all brought by Anthony, you must get to know each other." Mrs. Robert saw Anne and Lu Xi walked over and passed away like a butterfly. She gave each of the two sisters a warm hug, and then whispered in their ears: "They are all single, sir. I heard Anthony say that they are married. The gentleman with the highest income in the middle can earn three thousand pounds a year!"

"Really, then all the single ladies at the ball will be very happy." Annie said with a not very enthusiastic expression. Although the two sisters want to find a rich gentleman to marry, they don't want everyone to be happy. I feel that whenever a wealthy gentleman comes, they will happily post it.

Sisters Steele really do not have noble status and rich dowry, which are born with conditions that make others respect them, so they have to find a way to make themselves respected.

Mr. Anthony Robert's personality is completely different from his parents. He is a young man full of energy, funny and laughing. He is also very helpful and hospitable, so when Annie and Lucy came into his sight, he immediately took them One of his best friends came over and introduced to the three of them: "Stan, come here, let me introduce you to our two best ladies here. Miss Anne Steele and Lucy Stanley Miss Teal. Two young ladies, please allow me to introduce my friend, Mr. Stang Bull from West Yorkshire, North England. Stang is visiting us for the first time. I think the two ladies Would love to have a few dances with Stane?"

The two sisters saluted the gentlemen with appropriate warm smiles.

"Of course I don't mind."

"We'd love to dance with Mr. Bull."

"Ms. Steele, good evening." Mr. Bull saluted the two sisters equally politely. There was no smile on his face, but his peaceful demeanor made him appear very approachable.

Annie observed the overall image of Mr. Bull calmly.The clothes and pants on Mr. Bull's body fit very well, and they were all made of middle and high-grade fabrics. The style of the clothes was not novel, but they were definitely wearable.His bow tie was tightly tied, and the collars of his shirt and vest were all straight up.Every silver button on the clothes was polished very shiny, and there was a gold pocket watch tied to his chest, which he stuffed in his chest pocket, only revealing a delicate golden chain.Mr. Bull wore a pair of shoes that were about [-]% or [-]% new. The uppers were spotless, completely black, without any gold or silver buckles to decorate.

It can be seen that this gentleman is very rich but pragmatic, and he can somewhat match his tough and capable character.All of these made Anne's first impression of Mr. Bull very good, and she was really interested in continuing to talk with him.

Lucy also observed Mr. Bull. The first thing she looked at was Mr. Bull's appearance. This gentleman was not very handsome, but his face was very deep, his eyes were deep, his nose was straight, and his hair was black and shiny. , which makes him look very pompous and manly.

Then Lucy looked at Mr. Bull's attire. Mr. Bull's clothing was not fashionable at all, and it didn't suit Lucy very much, but she was very satisfied with Mr. Bull's wealth seen from these clothes.

"Mr. Bull, I heard that the industry in Northern England is very developed, and there are factories everywhere. Is that true?" Lucy asked curiously.

"I'm not very clear about other places, but there are indeed many factories in Yorkshire, especially where I live. There are a lot of factories." Mr. Bull said, talking about his hometown, his expression seemed to be a little happy .

When Anthony saw the three of them chatting, he smiled and retreated to entertain the other guests.

The three stood in the center of the ballroom, and after Anthony left, they sat in a corner. Anne asked, "Mr. Bull, where do you live in Yorkshire? A friend of ours also went to Yorkshire. "

"I live in Leeds, and my textile factory is also there." Mr. Bull raised his chin proudly as he spoke. Although businessmen are generally looked down upon in today's society, Mr. Bull is quite proud of his identity as a businessman, because this Everything he achieved from scratch is something worthy of respect in Mr. Bull's view.

Anne and Lucy didn't know Mr. Bull's past, but neither of them showed contempt.Annie herself came from a commodity society, and she was a businessman herself, so of course it is impossible to look down on people who are also businessmen.As for Lucy, she has a heart of envy for all rich people, and she only likes single rich gentlemen who may become her future husband.

Mr. Bull is a person with a relatively cold personality, which is almost a must for a successful businessman. After all, as long as the factory owners have a soft heart, they will not be able to strictly manage those workers who seem extremely pitiful.So the approachable demeanor shown by Mr. Bull before is completely out of habit. This is also an important character of a good businessman. It is not necessary, but it is absolutely very important. Keeping smooth at any time and any place is conducive to everything going in the right direction. develop.

Today, Mr. Bull's usual gentle performance once again got him a good result, because he saw that Sister Steele didn't show disdain or even disgust when she heard that he was a factory owner like some superficial ladies. Mr. Bull had a slight liking for these two ladies, especially Miss Anne Steele. He saw the wisdom hidden in the eyes of this lady, which is not the wisdom that ordinary country girls would have. .Mr. Bull was glad that he didn't put on a cold face because of the fatigue of the journey. You must know that the smart ladies would never want to talk to him.

"Then maybe you really know our friend, his name is Charlie Brown, and he is working as a lawyer in Leeds." Lucy said.

"Mr. Brown, I know him. Since May this year, he has been acting as a lawyer for me and several gentlemen who also run factories, helping us solve some legal affairs. He is a very talented gentleman. Although he is very young, I believe he can do a great job." Mr. Bull said with certainty, he seemed very sure of what he said, including the assertion that Mr. Brown would be able to do a big business in the future.

Anne immediately noticed the assertive side of Mr. Bull, but it became quite normal when it was related to his identity. He is a factory owner who needs to make decisions from time to time. Difficult to do.Moreover, women in this era have always been vassals. No matter how gentlemanly men are, they will inevitably be raised with some machismo. Therefore, arbitrariness is a kind of character that almost every man here has. As long as it is not excessive, this kind of character Sex can't be regarded as a shortcoming, men have always been indecisive.

Lucy was very happy to hear about her familiar good friend, and she immediately said: "At the beginning we all said that Charlie is a talented young man, and his little poems are always the most interesting and catchy among the gentlemen. , I still remember quite a few of them..."

Annie thought of those exaggerated little love poems, and immediately interrupted Lucy, who was a little overwhelmed, touched the index finger of her left hand and said:

"Lucy, can you get me a glass of wine? I'm getting thirsty."

The two sisters have many small secret signals. Touching the left index finger means to pause immediately.Seeing this little hint, Lucy knew that she had talked too much, so she immediately stopped talking and said, "I happen to be thirsty too. Annie, what kind of wine do you want?"

"The kind you like." Annie doesn't like drinking, but it seems essential to have a glass of wine in hand before the dance starts, so she just needs Lucy to bring her a random one to pretend up.

Mr. Bull was very happy that Lucy would leave for a while, so that he could be alone with Anne. He motioned for Anne to sit on the rest stool beside her, and then he sat down on the chair next to her. He continued the topic just now: "According to As far as I know Mr Charlie is not from Ramsgate, he grew up in Dorset, went to Plymouth University in Devon to study law, and came to us after graduation, so Miss Steele, How did you and your sister know him?"

"Oh, our uncle lived near Plymouth, and one of our cousins ​​went to college in Plymouth, and after he became friends with Charlie, he invited him over to the house, where Lucy and I happened to be living, and then we became friends. friends." Anne explained that she did not want a respectable gentleman like Mr Bull to think that she and Lucy were the sort of ladies who would befriend young gentlemen casually.

"Mr. Charlie is indeed a good friend. He helped me a lot with the law." Mr. Bull said, and then quickly changed the subject. "Then Miss Steele, would you like to dance with me later?" ? I mean if you haven't agreed with someone in advance."

"Of course." Annie agreed with some difficulty. She knew that there were not many female guests coming tonight, so a lady like her who is not very beautiful should be welcomed by many gentlemen, but she had never thought of dancing. opening dance.