The Sensory Animals of Ston Hill

Grace thought she was dreaming when she saw the two figures on horseback in military uniform.

He was going to pick chestnuts in the woods, but unfortunately the season has passed, and the children of the nearby farmers are more diligent than him, and they have already swept away all the chestnuts.

Dejectedly, he came out of the woods with an empty basket, put his cold hand to his mouth and breathed.He looked up into the distance, and saw a group of men on horseback appearing on the other side of this vast gentle slope.Two of them walked in the front, and they were not riding fast. The horse's four hooves bounced briskly, allowing them to talk.

Their riding postures are exactly the same tall and straight, and the clothes they wear are also similar dark green uniforms. Even the horses under their crotches are the same tall and dark, except that one of the men is taller and has wider shoulders...

Grace's chest was burning hot, and he couldn't believe it at all, but he was still so excited that tears filled his eyes, clutching the basket tightly in one hand, and running towards the group of people with the hem of the skirt in the other.

He ran to them, and they came to him.

Grace suddenly stopped, standing on the highest point of the gentle slope, the empty basket hung on his weak fingers, swinging back and forth.

The Earl of Arundel and Alan Stone simultaneously urged the steeds under their crotches, and the two horses quickened their pace, and climbed up the wide gentle slope in a blink of an eye, and came to Grace.

The Earl bent down and touched Grace's head happily: "Why are you running? In such a hurry?"

Grace looked up at him, then at Alan Stone, both of them were in an unusually good mood.

Alan Ston's horse, like his owner, was still young. Before he could calm down the excitement of the whole day, he paced around in circles restlessly, leading his owner to turn his back, and he had to twist hard. Turning your head, you can see this little maid running towards them inexplicably.

Like the Earl of Arundel, he also wanted to know why Grace ran so fast and why she stopped.

Grace lost the wit of the past. He lifted the empty basket in his hand and replied dully: "The children have picked up all the chestnuts."

The Earl of Arundel laughed, bent down suddenly, put his hands under Grace's armpits, and carried him onto the horse amidst Grace's unprepared screams.

Grace became bright again, her face was covered with red clouds, she lowered her head and flattened her skirt in a panic.

He nestled in Arundel's arms, without a saddle, and sat directly on the horse's neck. Haimi, who was so energetic, couldn't lift his head under his pressure, and snorted twice in dissatisfaction.

Grace adjusted her posture uneasily, and leaned deeper into the earl's arms, so as to make the smart Haimi feel better.The count wrapped his arms around his waist and scratched Haimi's suffering neck with the other, "Let's go, baby."

That "baby" spit in Grace's ear.He curled up his hot neck and peeked at others, and the men in military uniforms didn't look sideways, including Alan Stone, who had been walking side by side with the earl, and consciously lagged behind by a horse at this time.

It turned out that this was the army.

Grace thought they were hunting, but it turned out to be a drill.At the dinner table, the two men kept talking about the exercise, and Grace understood that it was just a very small-scale exercise, and they only practiced the matching of military types, without even guns.

"We will have an artillery course next semester." Alan Stone said to Earl Arundel.

Mrs. Stone has been isolated from their topic, and finally couldn't help interrupting them at this time, and asked worriedly: "Cannon? Will it be dangerous?"

"No, mom, there are such courses every year, and the coaches are very experienced."

Mrs. Stone looked at her youngest son lovingly, and complained to the Earl of Arundel: "I originally wanted him to go to the seminary, but he wanted to learn from his brother and be a soldier like his brother. My eldest son has already been on the battlefield. , I don't want my youngest son to go through the same danger, or I will definitely not be able to sleep all night."

The Earl of Arundel and Alan Stone glanced at each other, and Grace, who was standing in the corner, was deeply interested in the tacit understanding between men.

The Earl of Arundel wiped the traces of food left on his lips with a napkin, with a very elegant posture.

He refolded the napkin and put it back on the table, and looked at Mrs. Stone comfortingly: "In fact, even if a real officer goes to the battlefield, he doesn't need to be at the forefront."

He looked at Alan Stone with great admiration, and complimented his mother on how quick his mind was, how concentrated he was, how calm he was in emergencies.

calm?Grace almost laughed out loud, and Alan Ston was the most impulsive and angry person he had ever met. He quickly closed his mouth and puffed up his cheeks to hold back the sound of laughter, thinking that the Earl of Arundel must be exaggerating, But he felt that there was no need for him to please Mrs. Stone so much.

"In short, for a young man with military talent like Alan, it would be a pity if he didn't go to the battlefield to make meritorious service. Times have changed, and the future honor belongs to soldiers. For a young man without a noble title, there is no better There is a faster shortcut to making military achievements. The war is about to expand, and if you don’t seize the opportunity at this time, I’m afraid others will take the lead.”

Mrs. Stone's pupils shrank with excitement, but she still couldn't help worrying: "However, the battlefield is still very dangerous."

The Earl of Arundel smiled brightly: "Madam, is there no danger in being a farmer or a businessman?" This is an interesting question. Didn't Old Ston die at sea as a businessman?The count turned his eyes to the young man, "How can a man not have the guts to succeed?"

Alan Stone said immediately: "Mom, I'm not a coward, I want to go to the battlefield, I want to make military achievements!"

"Allen—" Mrs. Stone cried out softly, as if asking her son not to continue this terrible topic, and as if suggesting that the Earl of Arundel would say more assurances that would reassure her.

"Madam, I have been on the battlefield, and I can tell you what war is like. War is only a threat to low-ranking officers, but to high-ranking officers sitting in the rear, what awaits him is honor, not danger."

Mrs. Stone's face was a little rosy, and she looked at Earl Arundel eagerly: "But Alan is only a military student, at least he has to graduate before he can become a second lieutenant—"

The Earl of Arundel stood up suddenly, and walked in front of Mrs. Stone in a graceful manner.Mrs. Brown covered her mouth with her hands in astonishment, and other servants who stood further away exchanged furtive glances, reminding each other not to miss such a wonderful drama.

The Earl of Arundel took Lady Stone's hand.The woman's dry and long fingers rested on the Earl's generous palm uneasily, and she heard him say: "It seems a bit hasty, but it can't hide my respect and expectation for Madam. Alan is an excellent young man, only lacking one identity, if As my stepson, he can have the trust and help of my old friends in the old Japanese army, and I can write a letter of recommendation for him, and let him enlist directly as a second lieutenant—just like his equally outstanding brother. A pair of handsome And the young brothers fought side by side and made great achievements in battle, which will surely become exciting news for the entire upper class society and even the imperial palace."

He knelt down on one knee, raised that withered hand to his lips and kissed, "Madam, would you please give me such an opportunity to guide two young people into the real high society and become real noble?"

Like a woman who really married for love, Mrs. Stone's cheeks flushed with excitement. She looked at her youngest son who made her so proud, and then at the man with a real noble title who proposed to him, her chest heaved more and more. Awesome, "Yes, I am willing, thank you."

Grace applauded vigorously along with the servants.It never occurred to him that what finally prompted the earl to make up his mind was that Mrs. Ston gave birth to two good sons.