[Comprehensive Classics] Detective Mary

"It's useless to be bored, how about going out for a walk?"

After Mary's invitation, Lydia was still depressed.Fortunately, upon hearing this, she stood up from the window: "Then I'll get the basket."

"Huh? What are you doing with the basket?"

"You're definitely going to take me to some slum again," Lydia said unhappily, "It was like this in Milton last time. If you talk to me, you will definitely not go to any good place."

"..."

Mary couldn't laugh or cry.

It seems that the same routine cannot be used a second time even against Lydia.But Mary didn't want to teach her a lesson this time. She had quarreled with her little sister, discussed and discussed, and had seriously done "deals" between sisters. It's not like Lydia can't listen to it now. Words, just say what you have.

"Just out for a walk, I just got back from the laundry, we're just going to look around again," said Mary, "you don't have to take the basket."

Lydia thought for a while: "Let's take it with you. Even if you don't know those laundresses, they should still need daily necessities."

Mary: "As you wish."

Lydia wanted to help the poor, so Mary wouldn't stop her.The two Bennet sisters went out and went to the grocery store to buy some bread and butter. Mary thought for a while, the French love coffee, and cheap coffee is also an essential daily drink for ordinary people, so she suggested to Liddy Ya bought some packets of ground coffee.

The two well-meaning girls came to Jindi Street again, bringing free food, and naturally they got a warm welcome from the laundresses.

Gervais Makar, who had just brazenly begged for favors from Mr. Holmes, rarely showed light on his haggard face caused by years of alcoholism when he saw Mary's return.Lydia distributed the food to several female workers, and Gervais got his own bread, coffee, and even butter and dried meat. He weighed the food in his hands and asked tentatively, "Is there any more?"

Lydia: "...the two of us can take so little, ma'am."

The washerman didn't hide his regret at all, but still nodded and bowed: "That's good, that's good, miss, you are really a kind angel. It's different for a decent lady from a foreign country like you."

"Isn't it?"

The other laundrymen who got cheap for no reason agreed one after another, and an extremely aggressive-looking aunt couldn't help admiring: "As soon as I saw this Miss Mary, I knew she was a good person. If she wasn't really kind, which lady would not dislike her?" Dirty, come to visit the laundress himself."

Mary hooked her lips indifferently: "My sister bought the food with money."

When the laundryman's mother heard this, she immediately beamed and said, "This lady is amazing! She has a good looks and an angelic heart. In the future, she will definitely marry a prince and nobleman and become a countess!"

Two years ago, Lydia would have been delighted by the washerman's flattery.But today, the aunt praised her to the sky, but Lydia felt it was weird.

Especially after the aunt finished speaking, she couldn't help complaining: "The decent lady is different from those who run out of the house. Not to mention being kind and decent, she is also generous in her actions."

Upon hearing this, the alcoholic laundress Gervais immediately echoed, "Isn't this obvious?"

A few laundresses were chattering, and they couldn't help but speed up their speech.

Lydia wanted to communicate with the laundress, so she naturally asked Mary to translate for her.But Mary's French level is not very good. Several women speak fast and speak in dialect, and Mary can't keep up.

The two girls looked at each other, feeling a little out of place.

Especially Lydia.

In Milton before, although the daughter of the Higgins family did not care much about the things Lydia sent, she sincerely appreciated the kindness of the two girls.The food and supplies that come in are not as endearing to her as the little toys, helping Higgins care for her daughter and making Lydia feel equal.

But talking to these laundresses is different.

They thanked Lydia for her handouts, but they didn't take her seriously—even if they didn't understand the language, even if their gestures were respectful, Lydia could clearly see the difference.

Seeing a few laundry workers chatting, Mary did not take Lydia to stay for a long time, and left after politely saying goodbye.

The two sisters walked out of the house. Before Mary could take a step, she was grabbed by Lydia: "Wait a minute, Mary."

Mary: "What?"

Lydia: "I want to hear what they say about us behind our backs."

Mary:?

She wanted to ask, how do you know that people are talking about you and me behind their backs?But before Mary could ask a question, Lydia had already dragged her to the corner, right next to the open window.

The two ladies on the front foot left, and the laundresses started chattering on the back foot.

"Let me tell you," the aunt who was still kind just now commented seriously, "If these ladies are really kind, why don't you bring money here, what's the use of food? What can a few pieces of bread do? My family But there are five children waiting to eat."

Mary: "..."

It really makes Lydia right.

The little sister of the Bennet family lowered her voice and asked, "What did they say?"

Mary relayed aunt's complaints to Lydia, and Lydia snorted coldly: "I know. The embroiderers in those millinery shops in Meryton are often one thing on the surface and another behind the scenes. As much as they know , told me other people's embarrassing things, but turned around and didn't know what to say to arrange me."

It seems that often inquiring about neighbors' gossip is not bad.At least Mary wasn't good at it and didn't care about it, and didn't have the awareness that these laundresses would complain behind their backs.

"Yes."

Qiervez weighed the bread. Although she had the rations for today, she still said greedily: "Just now I asked that gentleman to give me some money, but he not only refused to give it, but also stopped the accompanying lady. What kind of evil is that?" People, I don't think that Miss Mary and him are husband and wife, who knows what kind of relationship they are."

Mary: "..."

Lydia raised her eyebrows when she saw Mary restrained her expression.Without Mary's translation, Lydia vaguely guessed that the laundrymen must have said something bad.

Who didn't know what kind of temper Lydia was in Meryton?The last daughter of the Bennet family frowned, holding her skirt and wanting to rush into the room: "I'll ask them to—"

Mary: "Shh, wait!"

Fortunately, Mary has quick eyesight and quick hands, and grabbed Lydia who was about to quarrel with the laundryman.Lydia staggered a few steps and bumped into Mary, and the two girls retreated rashly into the yard.

"What are you doing—ah."

Lydia was about to turn around to question Mary when she saw a woman walk into the yard.

Obviously, Mary stopped Lydia when she saw someone coming.The lady looked a little older than Irene, with a tired look on her face.The clothes on her body should not be cheap, at least the laundromats in the room couldn't afford to wear them, but they have been washed slightly whitish, and they are a bit old.

The two unmarried girls pushed and shoved, and the strange lady gave her a surprised look, but when she saw the panicked expressions of Mary and Lydia, the lady just smiled and walked straight into the laundryman without saying anything. where it is.

"I'm here to find Gervais." The lady said as soon as she entered the door.

Hearing her words, the aunt who had just flattered Mary and Lydia raised her voice and shouted: "Jervis, your regular customer is here again."

Gervais: "What kind of regular customer, I—damn it."

The lady said calmly, as if she hadn't heard the washerwoman's swear words, "I'll get my clothes."

"Get it yourself," said the laundress perfunctorily.

Is it a customer?

Mary quietly translated the situation in the room to Lydia, who also showed a surprised expression.You must know that these laundresses work for hotels or laundromats.If customers want to get clothes, they should also go to the front of the store. What are they doing here?

The lady didn't speak. She picked up the clothes she had entrusted to Qiervez without saying a word, looked at them twice, and said, "The clothes haven't dried yet, why did you put them away?"

"Okay, okay!"

Qierweisi said impatiently: "Do you think you are some kind of noble princess, Miss? It's fine for a girl who has not left the cabinet to give us food if she is not sensible. You asked me to work, so you brought two days' rations , I don’t even give you my size, it’s good to have some clothes washed, and I won’t do this job for others.”

It turned out to be a laundryman to pick up private work.

Mary was slightly surprised.

She looked at the lady's attire and knew that her financial situation was not very good.But the old clothes turned white from washing, and she knew she was not a worker just by looking at the fabric.

Ask someone to do the laundry, it may be a down-and-out lady, or a wife who has a problem at home.And this lady's French has the same accent as Mary, so she is probably not French.

"If you refuse, you don't have to take the job," the lady argued, "Since you have accepted the job, you should do it well."

"Are you still leaving?!"

Qierweisi made a big fuss and said: "A woman who has been abandoned by her husband does not dislike shame in showing her face. Next time I don't bring money, I will definitely not be kind enough to help you work. Go, take your clothes and go!"

Lydia: "What are they arguing about?"

Mary simply relays to Lydia the quarrel between the lady and the laundress, which pisses her off.

Lydia, who has been restrained in London for a long time, thinking that she can no longer do stupid things, finally got a chance to explode.Lydia rushed straight into the laundry room without Mary alone.

She doesn't know French, but quarrels are never about convincing each other with reason.The menacing Lydia stood decisively in front of the strange lady, even showing a bit of heroism in the face of injustice.She opened her mouth in English that the laundresses could not understand at all. Her unquestionable attitude and speed of speech stunned the laundresses for a moment.

And Lydia scolded happily, and knew how to accept it as soon as it was good.Taking advantage of the washerwoman's lack of response, she grabbed the strange lady, and not forgetting to snatch the food from Gervez's hand, she picked up the basket and walked out of the laundry room.

Mary hurried up: "Are you two okay?!"

Lydia snorted angrily, her pretty face flushed red.But hearing Mary's concern, she raised a smile that belonged to the winner: "I got everything back! Who is it bad to give it to, these white-eyed wolves?"

Strange lady:? ? ?

The lady who was pulled out of the laundry room subconsciously picked up the basket containing the clothes and looked at the two Bennet girls blankly.

Mary cleared her throat: "Excuse me, ma'am, my sister has some issues with these laundresses. You just arrived when you were about to look for trouble."

Such an explanation is enough for the strange lady to understand why Lydia is helping her.She blinked her eyes, then pursed her lips, and gave the two girls a smile: "Thank you, this is really a coincidence."

Mary thought so too.

Lydia: "Tell this lady to stop doing laundry here."

Mary conveyed the same, and the strange lady nodded: "I will find another laundry room. The two ladies are really kind. By the way, my name is Nora, and you are also here to find the laundry lady."

Mary: "..."

Lydia: "What did the lady say, Mary?"

Mary: "..."

Nora?

Mary's heart skipped a beat when she heard a familiar name, but she couldn't be sure to pay attention—you must know that it is not uncommon to have the same name, and this lady did not report her last name.

You know, in Ibsen's famous play "A Doll's House", the heroine who runs away from home is named Nora, and just now the washerwoman showed contempt for a lady who "run away from home"... Wouldn't this be another coincidence?

The author has something to say: The plot of "A Doll's House" is very simple. Girls who haven't seen it before can just Google it. If you are too lazy, Baidu will be my original character. It doesn't matter.The summary of this chapter comes from Mr. Lu Xun’s speech "What Happened After Nora Gone". Taking Ibsen's "A Doll's House" as the title, it analyzes more acute practical issues.

The role of Gervais comes from Zola's "The Lougon-Makar Family", is Etienne's mother in "Sprout", and the heroine in "The Tavern".But you Jiang Hua haven't watched "The Tavern", the role of collapse is inevitable, let's be an original character.

And, some girls have already guessed what the professor wants to do!