The Sensory Animals of Ston Hill

At the time of the incident, few people realized that this was the beginning of everything that followed.

At that moment, attention is always attracted to things that you can get used to sooner or later; those that really need people's attention are only glanced at once or twice inadvertently, and then thrown into the corner of memory without taking it seriously.

For a long time to come, the most important task is to dig out of those corners, like to dig out an opportunity, a way out, and then sigh: "If only I did this, or didn't do that, it would be fine. "

However, Grace at that time had a rigorous grammar. When he said the correct form of the verb in his mind, he knew that these good ideas could only be assumptions and could never be changed.

When digging the past, the first thing that falls out of the corner of memory are a few golden buttons.

Grace had always liked buttons on men's clothes.In his opinion, those shiny, finely crafted metal buttons are more luxurious and beautiful than the small buttons wrapped in high-grade silk on ladies' skirts, or even those earrings and necklaces.

That afternoon, everyone stood outside the door and waited.The servants are behind and the masters are in front.The Earl of Arundel and Alan Stone both wore military uniforms, double-breasted, one more row than the military uniforms that men usually wear, a total of eighteen pieces, engraved with emblems representing national glory, densely from Neckline to waistband.

They stood tall and straight, wearing top hats with large brims, which were a lot taller for nothing, and wore medals and ribbons on their chests.The Earl of Arundel has more medals, and Alan Ston's medal is newer. The ribbons are the same, and the golden tassels hang down, as dazzling as those golden buttons.

It was only later that Grace remembered that the Earl of Arundel did not hide it on purpose, he had told himself long ago.While professing his fondness for men's buttons, the Earl of Arundel said he thought he would be more suited in those tied with ties.Gently tugging at one end of the strap, the knot unraveled and the jacket unraveled, revealing the inside, saying, "It's like unwrapping a present."

It turned out that he had told himself a long time ago that by putting himself in a beautiful dress, he was wrapping a gift in a beautiful package.

Next, the gorgeous carriage drove out from the corner of memory.

Grace has always loved gold best.Although he could sit in that carriage every day and pass the most beautiful streets in this country, but for Grace, the maid at that time, such a huge gold nugget with wheels was undoubtedly Something that can give him a huge shock.

He was too ignorant at the time, and stared at the carriage together with other servants in a daze.So he could never know whether the Earl of Arundel took the time to look at him when the carriage appeared;

Grace knew it was meaningless, but he had been trying to figure it out for a long time—whether the Earl of Arundel had any regrets.

The villa has given him enough property, and a wise nobleman has money and can accomplish many things.Only a few months after he came to the villa, Mr. O'Dole was elected as the chief justice of the district court and got a lucrative job in the capital.And their priest who is good at telling Bible stories will also be transferred to a diocese near the capital as the acting bishop - of course, Grace only learned about this later, that diocese is very rich, and the bishop there is sick and sick. old.Their nagging priest, once an old friend of Ward's butler, only waited two months to succeed his predecessor as the local bishop.

With the Earl of Arundel's ingenuity, it will take less than five years, maybe only two or three years, to return to the Senate.

Grace's biggest question is this: Can't he wait two or three years?

When he thought of this, he couldn't help but think of that afternoon.

First, before lunch, His Majesty's cavalry guards brought a letter telling them: Your Majesty does not intend to come because the distance is far away.That was the first time he saw frustration on the earl's face, and he left the table without taking a bite.

And the night before that, Alan Ston complained to him after dinner because he called "Father" too much, saying that the title of earl could only bluff a local leopard like him.Earls like Arundel, who are ineffective fiefs and have chosen the wrong side in court battles, are not even considered "lovely titles" in front of those dukes and marquises.

Grace wanted to express her understanding and support to the Earl as the Earl once comforted herself to accept her physical defects.He thought it was the most sincere emotion in the world.But he was clumsy with his tongue, and as soon as he mentioned the cold reception of the Earl of Arundel in the capital, the adults were furious, and it was the first time that he ordered him to get out of the room so severely.

However, in the afternoon, the count asked him to go to see those tulips together.It was still cold, and the buds were still tight, with no intention of opening.Grace looked at him sadly, and the Count turned to look at him too.The count looked at him for a while, kissed him on both eyes, took him into his arms, and said softly: "That's it."

He should have looked up into the count's eyes, and perhaps he would have understood what it was like to be "just like that".But at that moment, he was fascinated by those two kisses, and he leaned softly in the count's arms, leaving only a large piece of tightly hugging little flower buds in his memory.

After that, the buds gradually opened and turned into flower bones, the lower ends of the petals swelled, and the tips were still tightly hugged together.

The golden carriage stopped abruptly, and a man in a light purple long coat jumped out of it, bending down to smell the flower buds.

The cavalry at the front and rear of the golden carriage frantically reined in their horses. A woman in a gorgeous dress got off the carriage and was driven back into the carriage.

Grace heard the servants whispering, saying that the queen is really not in favor, but Mr. Wales hurriedly stopped her.

The man didn't return to the car, he paced slowly along the path beside the tulips, occasionally bent down again, stared at a certain flower for a long time, and then continued to move forward.All the carts and horses had to slow down to the slowest speed and stop and go following him.

When he finally came near, the men took off their hats and saluted, the women knelt and bowed, and Grace knelt and bowed her head.

He saw his toes protruding from under the hem of his skirt, and heard the man say with great interest: "Captain Ston, is the mountain forest suitable for spring hunting that you said over there?"

This is what Alan Stone couldn't forgive himself the most. He followed the Earl of Arundel's advice and wrote an invitation to His Majesty, saying that there is the best natural hunting ground here, and there are tulips that will bloom soon.

Grace didn't blame him.Speaking of which, it was his own idea that those tulips could bloom in advance.

He shared the count's worries and thought of a way to burn a charcoal basin next to the flower garden.The scene was magnificent, hundreds of charcoal basins were lined up neatly on both sides of the flowerbed, and all the servants came out to blow hot air into the flowerbed with their clothes, fans, and all kinds of big things.

It was Grace's own idea, his own petals that made those buds open.

Then he tilted his head slightly, trying to take a peek at His Majesty the King.He always heard the Earl of Arundel say good things about their Majesty, and there are many stories about the wisdom and courage of King Louis, how he saw through the evil of his mother Queen Margaret in his youth, and how he had a relationship with the regent. Kings vie for power, and he has imagined their majesty as a man of might and strength.

However, I was a little disappointed that it turned out to be such a frail face: pale and thin, it seemed that he was not much taller than himself.Dark brown hair, narrow eyes, although smiling, but gloomy eyes, not like a hero at all.

He came over, with long strides, without paying attention to his manners.Grace quickly lowered her head, and saw a pair of thin calves protruding from the trousers embroidered with gold thread, wrapped tightly in white stockings, and a pair of pointed silver leather shoes passing by her vision.Grace suspected that she had read it wrong. Why was there a light-colored violet blooming on the shoe?But he must have read it right. When King Louis passed by him, he smelled a scent of flowers.

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Note: The term "lovely title" comes from the concurrent publication "Edinburgh Review", the original sentence is: "There is only one kind of nobility, and that is the duke. Marquess is just a lovely title. When you hear the duke, everyone will look back. "