[Emma] Becoming Jane Fairfax

Just entering late autumn, the weather suddenly turned cold. Wei Lai's carriage was halfway there, and suddenly he heard the coachman say that it was snowing. When he arrived in London, the snow stopped, leaving a wet layer on the ground, and he opened the window slightly. , The icy light raindrops came whistling with the cold wind.

The Campbell's house sat at the end of Burlington Street. As soon as the carriage reached the street, Wei Lai saw a few people standing at the end of the street from a distance through the small window.

They must be from the Campbell family.

The carriage went forward for a short distance, and she looked again, only to find that there were two men and three women standing at the end of the street, both young and old. It seemed that not only Colonel Campbell and his wife had returned from Ireland, but also his daughter and son-in-law. .

When Willie went away, Miss Bates gave her a newly made hat, which was for Mrs. Campbell.

The Bates family was poor, and Highbury didn't have any special products to sell, so the hat he made himself was the most sincere gift.However, Miss Campbell was also there, and a hat would definitely not work. Wei Lai hurriedly dug out a newly bought hat from the box.

Colonel Campbell was the superior of Jane Fairfax's father in the army when his father was alive. Mr. Fairfax had saved Colonel Campbell's life. Therefore, after learning that Mr. Fairfax and his wife had passed away, Belle The Ci family was unable to raise their only daughter, so Colonel Campbell offered to raise Jane.

This is a family that has lived with Jian Zhaoxi for more than ten years. From the moment she got into the carriage, Wei Lai's nerves became tense. She mustered 12 points of energy to deal with it carefully, and she must not let them see anything. flaw.

The Campbells and their daughter and son-in-law wrote to Jane after they returned from Ireland. They thought that staying too long in a backward place like Highbury would not be good for Jane's life, although they admitted that the fresh air of Highbury was weak to Jane. Her health is beneficial, but she is a person who is going to be a tutor after all, so she can't just focus on health, she has to think about her own future.

Wei Lai picked up the suitcase, opened the door and got out of the car, and Mrs. Campbell greeted her immediately: "My dear Jane, you are finally back, let me think about how long we have been apart, it must be a year, maybe not as much as I thought It’s been a long time, but we’ve been apart for too long, and we really miss you very much.”

Mrs. Campbell is over forty years old and well-maintained. Her hands are moist and delicate. One can tell at a glance that she has never suffered. They are completely different from Miss Bates's skinny hands. Too much.

He must be a nice person to get along with.

Standing next to Mrs. Campbell is Colonel Campbell. He is tall. Wei Lai visually judges that he is two heads taller than himself. With a hair-raising majesty, his attitude towards Jane was not as enthusiastic as his wife, he just nodded lightly, and then asked the servant to take the box in.

Miss Campbell, now Mrs. Dixon, is as enthusiastic as her mother. She took Willie's arm and chattered non-stop. They went from London to Ireland and then from Ireland Back to London, Wei Lai didn't need to ask about what she experienced and what she saw on the way, as she finished everything as soon as she opened her mouth.

Her new husband, Mr. Dixon, was as grave and serious as Colonel Campbell.

Wei Lai thought to himself, this is really a family.

The Campbell’s house is a two-story building made of ordinary stone. There are two living rooms downstairs, one large and one small, with painted ceilings. The bedroom and Colonel Campbell’s study are upstairs. The fireplace was lit early in the morning, and there were four exquisitely crafted gilt candlesticks and a bronze clock on the fireplace.

Wei Lai had seen similar candlesticks at Bates's house, but they were all treasures in boxes and would never be put out.

All in all, the Campbells were much better than the Bates's in terms of circumstances alone.

Colonel Campbell and his wife did not treat Jane, the little orphan who was dependent on others, badly. Everything that Mrs. Dixon had, Jane had, maybe a little more. Even Jane's bedroom was bigger than Mrs. Dixon's when she was not married. Some.

After a brief conversation with Colonel Campbell and his wife, Wei Lai went back to the bedroom to pack his things, and Mrs. Dixon followed. She lay down on the bed as soon as she entered the door, propped her head up with one hand, and watched Wei Lai tidy up. and said: "My dear friend, you should really go to Ireland with us. It is a place different from London and Highbury. I thought Ireland was poor and shabby. I didn't expect the scenery there. Very charming, my house with Nicholas (Mr. Dixon) is by the sea, facing a very beautiful sea, I'm sure you will like it. When I look at the sea, I think, if only Jane was there Now, when Nicholas and I go back, you can go with us."

Wei Lai raised his head from the box and raised his eyebrows in surprise: "Going to Ireland? It's not suitable."

Mrs. Dixon tilted her head: "What do you mean?"

"You and Mr. Dixon just got married. You picked up your parents to Ireland, then sent your parents back to London, then took me to Ireland, and then sent me back. Do you still have time to spend alone?"

There was some struggle and confusion in Mrs. Dixon's gray-green eyes, and it was obvious that she hadn't thought about it.

Wei Lai gave her the hat: "Even if you are willing, you haven't thought about whether Mr. Dixon is willing?"

Mrs. Dixon paused, then nodded slowly. Her husband had mentioned to her veiledly that he didn't want others to disturb their two lives until they had their baby.

"But I want to take you to Ireland to see if I can find you a husband."

Now Wei Lai was startled: "Husband!?"

"Yes." Mrs. Dixon sat up straight. "Jane, don't you understand your situation? If you don't get married, you can only work as a governess. The family in Highbury can't support you." Yes. But you and I both know that a governess is nothing more than a nicer, higher-status servant, and it will be hard work for you to get your way. I'm married now, and I've experienced the benefits of having a husband to depend on. .I also hope that you can get married as soon as possible, so that your life will be guaranteed. I can't watch you suffer."

Wei Lai suddenly thought of Mrs. Weston. She came to Hatfield when she was young, brought up the two sisters Emma, ​​and married Mr. Weston when she was nearly forty years old, and her husband was ten years older than her. .

Mrs. Dixon, please hold Wei Lai's hand, and said earnestly: "Jane, we grew up together. Although we are not sisters by blood, our relationship is deeper than that of real sisters. I hope you can live a happy life." , just like here, that's why I want you to go to Ireland with me, I will take you to a few dances, and I believe you will find a suitable husband."

Wei Lai smiled and said: "It's good to not be a tutor, but Alice, I don't have a dowry, or I don't have a dowry that can attract a young man of the right age."

Mrs. Dixon had a dowry of [-] pounds when she got married, which was the life savings of Colonel Campbell and his wife. Jane's parents only left her a few hundred pounds, half of which was given to Colonel Campbell and the other half to the Bates family. It's long gone.

"Of course I know that." Mrs. Dixon stood up from the bed, "but you have to try. I heard in Ireland that a lady who grew up in an orphanage married a rich local Rich businessman, look, this kind of thing can happen, what if you can meet a man who doesn't ask for a dowry?"

who?Darcy?

Wei Lai was amused by his own thoughts.

Even Darcy, Elizabeth still has a dowry of 1000 pounds.

Jane and Mrs. Dixon are sisters who grew up together, but Wei Lai met her for the first time. Mrs. Dixon was still a stranger to her, and she didn't plan to chat further.

Seeing that she was not in a high mood, Mrs. Dixon thought that she had just hit her heart, so she stopped talking and immediately changed the subject: "Jane, do you still remember Mary who used to live across from our house?"

"Hmm." I don't know.

"She got married last month. She married a merchant who sells cloth. I heard that the business is quite big. She will hold a dance next week. She sent us an invitation card. My mother said that the scale is quite large. , invited a lot of good-looking people. I haven't seen Mary for a long time. I don't know what she looks like now. I remember that she was not very good-looking when she was a child. Jane, what's the matter with you? Are you uncomfortable? Have you caught a cold? "

Wei Lai clutched his chest: "It's nothing, I'm fine."

Just don't want to go to the dance.

----

"Lance, has Mr. Jonas Mayer's third article arrived?" Lance's sister, Miss Amedeo, knocked on the door of her brother's study, holding a new newspaper in her hand.

Lance looked up from the book and took off his glasses: "I'm sorry to tell you, my dear sister, no."

"It's a pity. I thought I could read Mr. Mayer's works first as the boss sister of the "Daily Morning News". I was really attracted by his works. He successfully lifted the My appetite is too much. Can you rush him?"

Lance: "...that's why you came to me at night?"

"Of course not." Miss Amedeo sat down and got to the point, "I read this quarter's financial report, thank God, we finally started to make money, I was worried that we would keep losing money, the newspaper that my father worked so hard to build If we can’t keep it, our family will all become homeless, congratulations, my dear brother, see, as long as you are serious, you can manage the newspaper office well, no worse than Dad.”

Lance was not very happy with his sister's compliment, and he couldn't tell his true intentions, his sister and mother would go crazy.

"Anything else?"

"Are you driving me away? Well, I'm in a good mood now, it doesn't matter if you drive me away, I'm not angry." Miss Amedeo stood up, took two steps, then turned around again, "I forgot Just to tell you, there's a dance at Mr Lewis's next week."

"Mr. Lewis?"

"Mr. Lewis, the cloth seller."

Lance put his glasses back on, remembering.

"Well, I'm not going."