Chapter 20 Chapter VII

During his two weeks at home, Frank watched his parents carefully and realized for the first time the sacrifices they had made for him.Regardless of the weather conditions, Mr. Herrier Sr. would drive out to visit his scattered clients and take afternoon walks.From five to seven he saw patients in the outpatient room, and was often woken in the middle of the night to see a patient at a farmhouse five miles away.My father had a long practical experience, and although his medical knowledge might not be comprehensive, it was adequate; his ancient prescriptions, his drastic operations, were more popular among the country folk and peasants than any new cure.Plus, he brings his patients a lot of extras, cheery advice, and voices when they do things they shouldn't.He was, therefore, without a doubt the most popular and trusted physician within twenty miles.But his life is monotonous, and there is no rest throughout the year. Even if there is income, the income is very meager.For thirty years, this good man and his wife had saved the little money they earned for their only son.Neither at Oxford nor in London did they ask their son to save, but to give him money.They were so proud of their son and had insisted on renting him in the best possible house in Harley Street, despite knowing that he might depend on them for a long time.Long hours of hard labor brought pure bliss, for the boy who was loved showed so much talent that they simply thanked God for his mercy and completely forgot about their own toil.

"Father, are you ever tired of the hard work?" Frank asked. "It's just a matter of habit, and that's what I'm for - country doctor. Then, I'm rewarded, because one day you might be the leader in your field; There's a chapter about old Frank Ferney, the guy who first made you fall in love with medicine." "But we won't be working much longer," said Mrs. Herrier, "because before long we'll save enough for retirement and live closer to you. Frank, sometimes we wish I see you often. It’s hard to be away from you for such a long time every time.”

There was a tremor in the voice, which made Frank feel powerless.How could he destroy the hopes they had worked so hard for for years for reasons they couldn't understand?This must have caused them incomparable pain.As long as his parents lived, he must bear the chains they put on him and continue his decent and stable life in London. "You guys have been so good to me," he said, "I will keep working hard and I want to prove to you that I appreciate everything you have done for me. I will be more aggressive and let you pour your heart and soul into me. become more valuable."

But when Frank comes to Jeston - the Castingyans' Dorset home - his wit turns into irony.Considering her own health, Miss Ley did not go to the party in the end, but Mrs. Barlow Bassett and Reggie took the same train as Frank; Paul's mother, who organized with several friends The people who started the party also arrived a few hours later. A thin, white-haired woman in a curious hat appeared, and the old Mrs. Castinyan kept babbling about insignificant things; at Bainbridge's, Somerset, She is the only surviving representative of the family.Always immensely proud of her ancestry, she never concealed her disdain for those with less noble names than her own.Ignorant, narrow-minded, and ill-bred, she despises these earthly misfortunes and prides herself on her superiority in this world; not only while her husband was alive, but even now when Paul replaced her, she still clings to the purse , brutalized the people of Jeston and the surrounding villages.Ever since she found herself the heiress of an ancient family, she had developed that obnoxious character, and she was often directed at her companion, Miss Johnston, a modest maiden of about forty, who The tempers of those who sat with her and served her contentedly;Only Paul can influence her, because Mrs. Casting Young believes that, just like ducks can swim, people with their family name are also representatives of God among mankind, people with extraordinary gifts, and their language is the law , their demands must be complied with.Frank used to only know that Mr. Casting Yang was notorious in London, but now he found that he was also the arbitrator of all issues.In matters of opinion, as in fact, his judgment was always unquestioned; his views on art and science, like his political theories, were the only truths that honest men could hold.Once he speaks, everything is beyond doubt, and to refute him is to argue with things like earthquakes.Even Paul, however, is usually relieved after his mom's regular visits are over, because her obsessive habits and unique witty repartee make real communication extremely difficult.

"I'm not Kastin Young, thank God," she said habitually. "I'm from the Bainbridges, and I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a better family than ours in this part of England. In my Before marrying into your family, your Kastingyang family didn't have a single extra son." At dinner, on the first day of his arrival, Frank tried to join their conversation wisely, but he soon found that he had absolutely no words to interest those around him; A man's ancestry is a very ill-bred thing, but now he finds that in some of the families here it is the chief topic of conversation.Among those who liked to talk about such subjects were old Mrs. Castingyoung, Mr. Castingyoung, and his cousin Bainbridge--an estate agent, a stout man with a scraggly beard and a very well-dressed man. Untidy and often dressed in shabby clothes; he spoke slowly and with a thick Dorset accent, and in Frank's opinion he was no better than the peasants he befriended.They discuss all kinds of local gossip, the gentleman next door, and the vulgarity of the parish master of ceremonies.Afterwards, Grace Kastinyang walked over to Frank.

"Aren't they dreadful?" she asked. "I used to have to live with it day in and day out. Paul's mother always weighed me down with her money and her family; He eats with us, doesn't like to be with us very much, he always talks about the weather and crops with those inferior people; Paul thinks he is Almighty God." However, Mrs. Barlow Bassett, fascinated by the luxurious scene before her, once again seized the opportunity to read carefully the content of the family she was visiting as given in the valuable Burke pamphlet; It was found that these pages had been turned over many times, and some of the records were heavily bolded with a blue pen.Every item in the room has its history, and the old Mrs. Castine Yang especially likes to tell everyone about these histories. Although she sincerely despises the family she married into, she has to admit that this family is indeed better than Lots of other families.Here are the books collected by Mr. John Castingyoung—he is the grandfather of the current Mr. Castingyoung; our present Mr. Castingyoung also has an uncle who is an admiral of the navy; and some permutations Orderly portraits of sickly ladies in the time of Charles II and red-faced gentlemen at the hunt in Georgian times.Faced with all this, Mrs. Bassett felt humbled as never before.

Two days later, Frank retreated to his room and wrote a letter to Miss Ley, full of anger. style and Sheraton style furniture, paintings by Pete Riley or Romney on the walls, and fine tapestries; next to a park with deep swamps and lush trees, where In front of a landscape, people can't help but kneel down to worship.The hills around the village are lovely and fertile; it belongs to people who have no lofty ideals, whose daily conversation has no thought, and all emotion is petty and dirty.Realize that they despise me from the bottom of their hearts because I am what they call a materialist.Which leads me to say that this beautiful place is owned by a pompous jackass, a ignorant woman, a grumpy old shrew and a rude young man, if it continues like this , can only fall into the end of living in the back room of the grocery store.Unless Mrs. Castingyoung can conceive a child of her own, Bainbridge will inherit everything in the family, and that will be a very interesting thing: he went to Eton and spent a year at Oxford, But then got kicked out for failing every subject and behaving like one of those thirteen-shilling-a-week laborers.He's always here, except for visiting the agricultural show in London every other year.But I'd better not mention him again.Every day, Mrs. Barlow Bassett always listened to Mrs. Castingyoung's anecdotes about her family with great interest, Reggie ate and drank with Mr. Castingyoung, and I was trapped in my own despair and pain.I always wished I could be amused by old Mrs Castingyan's companion, Miss Johnston, but it was very difficult for me to be amiable; she was, however, very good at flattering.When I asked her if she was ever bored, she looked at me very seriously and replied, "Oh no, Dr. Herrier, I'm never bored by high-class people." Or when Mrs. Kastingyang loses control of her emotions, she will always point to some pictures or decorations that she is already quite familiar with, and ask how these things came to this home—in fact, she has already heard about the origin of these objects. It has been done thousands of times. "You don't know that!" the old woman would cry, and start babbling about the dead Castineyans, or the smirking women in the pictures--from the pictures. It can be seen that their livers must have been deformed under the pressure of their corsets.That's what a woman does for thirty pounds a year, board and lodging!How I miss the smoking room in old Queen Street and talking to you!I have now come to the conclusion that I like only two kinds of people's lives--your kind of life, and the kind of third-rate actors: in that group, all the men are scoundrels, and the women are nothing. Undisguised debauchery, even if you misspell some words while speaking, it's totally fine.I feel very comfortable with those two types of people.I don't always think about saving exhalations, but it's a huge relief to be around people who don't make a fuss when I occasionally make such mistakes.

If it had been Miss Ley, she would have observed more in Jeston, and seen some comedy in the tragedy.Tired and unhappy Grace Kastinyoung sees Reggie's visit as a temporary relief from anxiety; for she has been increasingly tormented by conscience lately, only when her lover comes to her , she can get rid of her guilt towards Paul.She's learning to appreciate the tenderness behind Paul's arrogance, his endearing confidence that underscores the despicability of her behavior.In front of her husband, she always felt guilty, so she was not in a good mood.But with Reggie by her side, Grace can forget everything else but that insatiable passion; she begins to compromise with herself, to see only the good in Reggie, and to forget how despicably he has used her ; it seemed that she could only hold on to Reggie's love so poorly that she could keep her poor self-esteem, and once she lost it her world was nothing but nights of despair and shame.Besides, she is now very content, because in Jeston, there is no one, nothing, or thing to compete with her for Reggie; they can happily walk together, and relive their first together in the quiet country The warmth of that time.

But to Mrs Castingyoung's dismay, Reggie seemed to avoid being alone with her.On the morning of his arrival, she asked him to go for a walk in the park, which he readily accepted, but when Mrs. Castinyan went up and put her hat on, she found Paul and Mrs. Bassett also waiting for her in the hall. "Reggie said you wanted to show us the park," Mrs. Bassett said. "It's really nice of us to go for a walk." "Of course." Mrs. Castingyoung replied. She glanced at Reggie angrily, and he didn't want to escape the look, but just looked at her calmly with a hint of a mischievous smile; after going out, he also tried to keep within earshot of other people .After lunch he stayed with Frank, and it was late in the evening that Mrs. Castingyoung found an opportunity to speak to him alone.

"Why did you ask your mother to go out with us this morning?" She lowered her voice and asked quickly, "You know I want to talk to you alone." "Honey, we have to be careful. Your mother-in-law is staring at us like a cat, I'm sure she must have seen something. I don't want to get you into trouble." "I have to talk to you alone." Mrs. Kastingyang cried out in despair. "Do not be silly!" "After everyone falls asleep, I will come here and wait for you." "Then you'll have to wait, because I don't want to take any risks."

She gave him a hateful look, but before she could respond, Miss Johnston joined them, and Reggie, more wary than usual, actively drew Miss Johnston into their conversation .Grace felt very unhappy at the moment, but tried to suppress her grief, just stared straight at Reggie, wondering what was going on in his wickedly smug mind.She felt powerless against him—even though she felt sick at the thought, he would play with her as cruelly as a kitten, until he had his fill, and only then would he make a last resort. hit.For the next two days he performed the same trick, only more carefully so that he would not have to be alone with Mrs. Castingyoung in the absence of the others; Take pleasure in hurting her.He said a lot of flattering things, much to Paul's delight, and used, teased, and laughed at her like a chum.Old Mrs. Castinyan, who was very fond of such jokes, was especially fond of Reggie, and even if she found her distasteful daughter-in-law very distressed by such kind jokes, she did not in the slightest lessen her affection for Reggie.Grace faced it all with a smile and giggles from time to time, but her heart was clearly bleeding.In this regard, the insensitive Reggie was especially happy, because he stabbed the bleeding wound with a red-hot knife.When she was alone and had no more need to hide, she would weep bitterly, wondering, madly and bitterly, why her ardent love was rewarded with such inexplicable hatred.In order for Reggie to fall in love with her, she has exhausted almost all her efforts. In addition to loving him with all her heart, she has always been very good to him. "He never took me seriously," she cried, "but I did everything I could to help him." Recently, she even tried to have some good influence on him, she advised him to drink less and not to be too extravagant.She admired him very much, and was even willing to make any sacrifice for him, but it aroused his resentment.She can't understand all this.Eventually, she couldn't stand the torture anymore, and since Reggie wouldn't give her any chance, she decided to do whatever it took to create one.However, this was the last day of their visit here, and he raised his vigilance even further.With a premonition that Grace might force a meeting with him, he had been careful not to let himself be alone.After saying good night and retreating to the smoking room with the other men, Reggie sighed deeply.But Mrs. Castingyoung was determined not to let him go until he had an explanation for his actions, and she was determined to achieve her goal, though she knew very well that her conception was dangerous.When Reggie returned to his bedroom, smiling triumphantly because he had avoided her, he found Mrs. Castingyoung sitting in his room waiting for him. "My God! What are you doing here?" he cried, losing his composure for the first time. "Frank will probably come in with me." She didn't answer his question, but stood up and faced him. Against the backdrop of her fine clothes and sparkling diamonds, Mrs. Castingyang looked even more haggard and pale.She tried to calm herself down and spoke to Reggie calmly. "Why are you avoiding me these days?" she asked. "I need an explanation. What do you really want?" "Oh, thank goodness, stop bringing this up! I feel disgusted. You don't think I'm just here to be with your husband and to fool you, do you? No matter how you look at it, I'm proud of being a gentleman." Mrs. Castingyoung gave a small laugh very angrily. "It's too late to talk about glory now, isn't it? Can you tell me a better story?" "Who do you think I am? Why do you always think I'm lying to you?" "Because past experience tells me you're always lying." He shrugged, lit a cigarette, and looked at Grace calmly, as if thinking about what he should do next. "Don't you have anything to say to me?" she asked in a voice that was suddenly no longer calm. "Nothing, just one thing, you'd better go back to your own room. It's too dangerous for you to stay here, tell you, I don't want to get into any trouble." "But what does that mean?" she cried desperately, "you don't care about me anymore?" "Well, since you insist on asking, I might as well tell you. I think it's time for our business to come to an end." "Reggie!" "I want to start a new life. I want to give up the bad habits of drinking and drinking, and I want to settle down. I feel sick about the past." He didn't look at Grace at the moment, but looked away uneasily.Grace suddenly couldn't breathe because her worst fears had finally come true. "I think you have someone else." "It's none of your business, is it?" "Ah, you bastard! What a fool I am to care about people like you!" He sneered, but didn't answer her.She walked up to him quickly and took his hand. "Reggie, you must be hiding something from me. For God's sake, tell me everything now!" He slowly turned his eyes to hers, and Grace saw the familiar face sullen with anger again. "Well, since you want to know, I'll tell you that I'm getting married soon." "What?" At that moment, she couldn't believe it. "Your mother never mentioned this to me." he laughed. "You don't think she knows?" "Well, what if I go and tell her?" whispered the distraught Grace quickly, all she knew was that this horror had to be prevented, "You can't marry, you don't have that right now. It's too Shameless, I will not let you marry. I will do anything to stop it. Oh, Reggie, Reggie, don't leave me! I can't live without you!" "Don't be silly! It's a matter of time. I want to get married and settle down." Mrs. Castingyang looked at him, expressions of despair, anger and hatred appeared on her face in turn. "We'll see!" she said viciously. Reggie walked up to her, gripping her shoulder so hard that the pain was unbearable. "Listen, don't play tricks with me! If I find out you put spokes on my wheels, I'll shake you out. You'd better keep your mouth shut, my dear; if you can't , then, I will send every letter you write to me to your mother-in-law." Grace's face suddenly turned pale. "You promised me you'd burn those letters." "I tell you, I'm not just dealing with you as a woman. So I've always liked to keep a weapon or two in my hand, so I thought it might be useful to keep your letters. They're good reading, aren't they?" ?" He saw the effect these words had on Grace, and he let her go; she staggered into a chair, trembling with terror.Reggie had no intention of stopping at all. "I'm not a curmudgeonly jerk, but if someone tries to plot against me, I know how to fight back." For a moment, she just stared blankly ahead, suddenly, her eyes flashed, and then said in a hoarse voice: "I don't think you'd really go public with a scandal involving yourself." "Don't worry about me, honey," he replied, "Why do you think I care about these things? My mother might be disgusted, but it really doesn't matter to a man." "Don't you care if it is made public that you took a lot of money from me? Don't you forget, I paid for you, I paid for you, my friend. In the last six You have taken two hundred pounds from me in a month; do you think that if other people know this, they will continue to associate with you?" She saw a wave of embarrassment creep up his dark cheeks, and continued her assault with a triumphant tone. "When I first sent you money, I didn't expect you to accept it; and because you accepted it, I knew what a low-ranking rascal you were. I also had you write me asking for money and thanking me for giving me money. Letters from your money. I keep them, not to have weapons against you, but because I love you and treasure everything you touch." She stood up and said these words with contempt.She wanted it to hurt Reggie; she wanted to hurt his pride, to hurt him, to embarrass him. "I'll do whatever it takes to create a scandal and let everyone know that you're nothing but a dirty scoundrel. Oh, I'd love to see you kicked out of your club, I'd love to see people despise you in the street! Wouldn't you I don't know, does the law put in jail those who got their money by means no less despicable than you?" Reggie strode toward her, but Grace was no longer afraid.She laughed at him; he put his face close to hers. "Listen, get out or I'll give you a beating you'll never forget. Thank goodness we're all over now. Get out—get out!" She walked past him quickly, without saying a word, and went straight to the door.She didn't worry about anything anymore, and walked directly from Reggie's room to her own room, her thoughts were constantly churning, as if the devil was beating her brain; At the end, it's like the end of life, like the end of everything.There was still anger and resentment on her pale face.As she walked to the door of her own room, she met Paul; for a moment she panicked, but the danger soon passed her. "Grace, I've been looking for you," he said, "I've been wondering where you've been." "I was chatting with Mrs. Bassett just now," she replied quickly. "Where do you think I'm going?" "I can't figure it out. I just went downstairs to see if you were there." "I hope you're not following me and watching my whereabouts," she yelled petulantly. "Honey, I'm sorry, I didn't want to do that." He just stood there at the door. "My God, come in or get out," she said, "but don't leave the door wide open like that." "I'll be leaving in two minutes," he said softly. "what do you want?" She removed the jewels that burned her neck like rings of fire. "There's something I want to tell you. I'm sorry that something went wrong with the property." "Oh, dear Paul," she cried impatiently, "for God's sake, leave me alone tonight; you know I don't care about the property. Why don't you ask Ben Bridge, didn't we pay him to take care of this?" "Honey, I want to hear your advice." "Oh, you have no idea what a headache I have right now! I feel like I want to scream out loud." He took a few steps forward, looking concerned. "My poor boy, why didn't you tell me sooner? I'm sorry I bothered you. Did it hurt a lot?" Grace looked up at him, a spasm in her mouth.He loves her so deeply and is so tolerant, no matter what she does, he will always forgive her. "What a scumbag I am!" she cried. "How can you like me so much after I've done something terrible to you?" "Honey," he said with a smile, "I don't blame you for your headache." Suddenly, an impulse came over me; she put her arms around his neck and began to burst into tears. "Oh, Paul, Paul, you've been so kind to me. I wish I was a good wife. I'm not doing my job." He hugged her and kissed tenderly her powdered, pale, haggard, already wrinkled face. "Honey, I already have the best wife." "Oh Paul, why can't we be alone together? We always seem to live apart. Let's get out of here together, to a place where we can be ourselves. Shall we leave England together? I'm tired of seeing people, I Tired of socializing." "Honey, what do you say, let's do it." He suddenly felt extremely happy, and he thought about what he could do to get all of this.He wanted to stay with his wife and help her undress, but she begged him to leave. "My poor child, you look so tired," he said, kissing her forehead tenderly. "It will be fine tomorrow morning, then we can start a new life. I will try to be better to you - I will try to make myself worthy of your love." "Good night, dear." He closed the door softly, leaving her in his thoughts.