Chapter 14 Chapter Thirteen

Lucy could no longer look at the faces, but she felt the silence go blank.There was an emptiness and dead silence.The difference between them is like switching from the tranquility of summer full of insects and birds singing, and the breeze blowing the grass, to the cold wind of the arctic and the freezing wind.Then, just as they reached the door, out of the dead silence burst the first faint whispers, repeating the same name. "Ruth!" they said, "Ruth!" Lucy stepped into the sunlight, shivering.The sizzle reminded her of the sound of cold wind sweeping objects across the snow.She still remembered the sweeping sound, like that Easter day, when she missed the bus to Grand Town and had to walk step by step into the city, against the gray sky, through the cold wind, to a The feeling of a completely icy world.Now she walked from the sunny garden to the atrium door, feeling far away from home. To her, the color of the sky was as gloomy as Scotland would only see in March storms.For a moment, she wished she was at home, in her own quiet little living room, sitting in the peace of a Sunday afternoon, undisturbed by anyone's questions or sorrows.She thought about finding an excuse to leave, maybe it would give her a good chance when the mail arrived tomorrow morning; but on the other hand, she was like a child, looking forward to the publication of the results on Friday, not to mention personal factors, It was promised that there would be some new performances for her.She knew every senior student, and many junior students; she discussed with them all the details of the publication, shared their slightly dreaded expectations, and even helped them sew clothes.This will be the highest point in their student career, the moment of blossoming and fruiting, she can't help but share it on the spot and participate.

She broke away from the other faculty and staff heading to the front room, just in time to see Miss Wag coming from behind, pasting a notice on the student bulletin board, wiping the sweat from her forehead, and said with relief: "Thank God, it's finally here. it's over. This must be the scariest thing I have to do, I thought.I just couldn't think about it while I was eating. It was only then that Lucy remembered that, indeed, there was a large piece of pie on Miss Wagger's plate that she hadn't finished eating. That's it, that's life.Heaven's gates closed before Innes, and Miss Wagga didn't even finish her pudding pie.

No one had come out from the meal yet—students had much better appetites than staff, and lunch usually lasted another ten or fifteen minutes—so the hallway was still empty by the time Lucy returned to her room.She tries to get out of Lai's Academy before the students run off into the fields.She wants to go deep into the fields intertwined with green, white and yellow, and lie on the grass to feel the rotation of the world, so that she can remember the vastness of the world, and all the sorrow and bitterness in the academy will soon be replaced by others. Things take their place, and these are mere trifles.

She changed into a pair of shoes suitable for walking in the countryside, passed the "old house", ran down the front steps, and went out through the main entrance, so as to avoid the students who were now coming out of the dining room. The "Old House" was very quiet, she guessed that there should be no party in the studio after lunch today.She avoided the main house and went out into the fields past the gymnasium, thinking vaguely of the town of Billington and the Little Teapot Teahouse.To her right was the hawthorn hedge, and to her left was a sea of ​​golden buttercups.The half sky-high elms greeted the light, each anchored safely under its own purple shadow, and the green grass at her feet was dotted with blossoming daisies.The world is lovely, full of grace, and there is no -- oh poor Innes, poor Innes! -- not a single day that can be turned upside down at will.

Just as she was struggling in her heart, not knowing whether she should cross the small bridge to the downstream town of Biton, or go upstream to an unknown place, she saw Bao'er.Beau was standing in the middle of the bridge looking at the stream, but her green linen dress and light hair made her so completely blended in the sun and shade under the willows that Lucy hadn't seen her there until now.It was only when Lucy herself stepped into the shadow that she could see more clearly.Lucy saw Bo'er kept watching her coming, but she didn't say hello at all.Lucy was taken aback by this uncharacteristic Boa.

"Hi," she said, coming to Bea's side and leaning against the handle of the wooden bridge. "What a beautiful afternoon!" Do you have to act like an idiot? she asked herself. There was no response to the remark, but shortly after Boa said: "Do you know anything about this job distribution?" "Yes," said Lucy, "I—I heard the staff discuss it." "when? " "yesterday." "So you knew that when you spoke to us this morning." "Yes. Why do you say that?" "If anyone was kind enough to warn her beforehand."

"Warning who?" "Innes. It's absolutely uncomfortable to lose face in front of everyone." Only then did she realize that Bao'er was mad.She had never seen Bao'er lose her temper, and now she was too angry to speak. "How could I possibly do that?" she asked reasonably.Lucy was feeling quite depressed about carrying the burden of something she felt had nothing to do with her. "Speaking out before Miss He Ju announced her decision would be an act of disloyalty. As far as I know, she may still change her decision. When I leave her, it is possible that she will start from another—" She paused and found herself directing the conversation in another direction.But Bao'er also found out.She turned her head and looked at Miss Ping sharply.

"Oh. You discussed the matter with her. So you disapprove of her choice, too?" "Of course I don't agree." She looked at the other young and angry face next to her face, and decided to speak directly. "As you may know, Bo'er, no one agrees. The staff sees the same way you do. Miss He Ju and I are old friends, and I owe her a lot and admire her, but she is determined to go her own way about this decision. When I first heard about this, I was uneasy. I will do my best to change this so that when I wake up tomorrow morning, it was just a dream.But as for warning anyone--" She held up a hand in a sign of helplessness.

Bao'er turned around and stared at the running water. "A smart woman like you should have some ideas." She murmured and complained. This "smart woman" makes Bao'er suddenly look young and helpless. It doesn't seem like Bao'er, who has always been confident and sophisticated, is asking for help, or she thought that the plain Miss Ping would be a smart person.She was still a child after all, a child who was angry and hurt because her friend was treated unfairly.Lucy had never loved her so much as she did now. "Even if it's a hint," Bao'er continued to murmur into the running water, "even if it's a hint to her, maybe there are other candidates. It's fine to warn her with any words. Let her reduce some shocks. Let her be prepared , don't be so unsuspecting. It can be a punishment, but it doesn't need to be ruthlessly exterminated.

You can at least sacrifice a little for such a well-intentioned scruple, can't you?" Lucy felt that it was too late, she might have really done it earlier. "Where is she?" asked Lucy. "Where is Innes?" "I don't know. She ran straight out of the school before I could catch her. I just know she's coming this way, but I don't know where she's going next." "Will she have a hard time accepting this?" "Did you expect her to brave this mess?" Boa said rudely, before continuing, "Oh, I'm sorry, please forgive me, I know you're sorry about this, too. It's just that I just felt It's not appropriate to talk to people."

"Yes, I'm sorry," said Lucy. "I admired Innes the first time I saw her, and I thought she would be very successful in Allinger." "how did miss ruth react to the news? do you think she was surprised?" "I didn't stay to watch." Bao'er replied briefly.After a while, say, "I think I'm going to swim up. There was a thorn forest there that she liked so much, maybe she would be there. " "Are you worried about her?" Lucy felt that Innes would rather be alone at the moment. "I don't think she's too busy killing herself, if that's what you're asking. But of course I'm worried about her. Nobody can bear the shock of that, especially at a time when everyone's exhausted. But In— Innes always cared too much.,' She stopped and looked at the water again." When we were juniors, Mrs. Leaver was always taunting us—you know, sometimes it's really indescribable Mrs.— —We were only slightly injured, but Innes was like a layer of skin, and the disaster was severe.Others cry because of too many challenges, but she never does.She's just -- deeply wounded.It's not good for people.Once, when—” She paused, she realized she had talked too much. Maybe she thought it ill-advised to go on, maybe she felt that discussing friends with an almost stranger, no matter how nice the person, was too much. Doesn't help." She wasn't strong enough. "She finished speaking. She went down the bridge and began to walk along the path beside the willows. "If I've been rude," she said before the figure disappeared, "forgive me, I didn't mean to." Lucy continued to look at the silent running water, eagerly hoping to get back the red booklet she thought she had put into the running water two days ago, thinking of the girl who was defenseless against the sufferings of the world.The girl could neither sob nor cry, nor smile; instead, her heart was deeply wounded.Lucy hoped that Boa would find Innes after the worst moment; because instead of turning to Boa for comfort, she ran away as fast as she could, and it would be better to leave her alone. Lucy thinks it's good to let Bao'er find out some ugly and disappointing things in the world, Bao'er's life is too carefree.Too bad she had to learn these things from what Innes was hurting. She crossed the bridge to the arena, turned her head to the field, and walked through the gaps in the fence, hoping to catch up with Innes, but determined to pretend not to see her if she saw her.But Innes wasn't there.The scenery on Sunday was undisturbed, and everyone was still enjoying roast beef in the dining room.She was alone, with only the hawthorn hedge and the pasture and the blue sky for company.After a while, she came to the end of a slope. From here, she could see the shallow valleys and mountains connected to each other in the distance. She sat down with her back against an oak tree. Driving away, the shade surrounded her feet.Lucy can be so idle almost forever that her teachers and friends are completely desperate for the idea of ​​reforming her. It was not until the sun was shining on the hedge that she rose to make a decision.The result of her contemplation for a long time was that she could not face the students at dinner.She would keep walking until she found an inn, and then return in the dark of night, when the whole school should be sounded by the sound of the bedtime bell.It took her half an hour to make a long detour before she recognized the steeple of the church in the distance.As soon as she saw the steeple she gave up looking for the inn and wondered if the Little Teapot was open on Sundays.Even if the door didn't open, maybe she could ask Miss Nevill to force open a can and get something to eat.It was past seven o'clock when she arrived in the town of Billington, looking at the only ugly building in the village—the martyr's monument—as a research, but she cheered up when the open door of the Little Teapot Teahouse appeared in front of her eyes. .Ah! dear Miss Nevill.Dear, business-minded, smooth and accommodating Miss Nevill. She walked through the pleasing living room covered by the shadow of the opposite house, only to realize that there were not many people in the house.There was a family gathering by the front window, a young couple sat in the far corner, and the sports car parked at the end of the back garden probably belonged to them.Ms. Navigne is really capable. On June Sunday, when the hustle and bustle emerges, she can still keep the house spotless and fragrant with flowers. She looked around, trying to find a table, when a voice said, "Miss Ping!" Lucy's first reaction was to run away, she was really not in the mood to chat with the students now, but later she found out that it was the voice of walnuts.Sao Walnut is the girl among the couple sitting in front of the window.Her male partner is undoubtedly "my cousin", the same Rick who thinks Lucy is attractive, that is, the "baby boy" that the school rumors refer to. Diderot rose to meet Lucy - charmingly in a formal setting - and led her to their table. "That's great!" she said. "We were talking about you and Rick said he wanted to meet you and you showed up. Amazing. This is my cousin Richard Gisby Well, I'll call him Rick. His christening name was Riccardo, but he thought it was too much like a movie star's name." "Or like a conductor," Richard Gisby shook hands with her and settled her in a chair.His attitude is very British, which neutralizes his Latin movie star features.Lucy could clearly see why the "little white face" came from, with thick black hair, shining eyes, flared nose, and well-trimmed dark mustache, as if tailor-made.For Lucy, that's all there is to it. Although he has the appearance inherited from his Latin ancestors, his demeanor, temperament, and personality are like those of a man trained in an ordinary public school. He was much older than Diderot—Lucy guessed he was about thirty—and seemed a pleasant, responsible man. They seemed to have just ordered when Richard went to the back of the house and ordered an extra Billington rabbit stew for Lucy. “Lots of cheese,” says Diderot, “not the Welsh rabbit stew you get in London teahouses. Lots of cheese in the thick sauce, served with soft toast, and the addition of Strange spices like nutmeg - nutmeg, I think - taste great." With Lucy's current state of mind, she really can't care about the taste of the food, so she can only say along the way: It does sound delicious. "Your cousin is British!" "Yeah, we're not what you call first-degree relatives," she explained when Richard returned. "My father's father's sister married his mother's father." "Simply put," Richard said, "our grandparents were siblings." "Perhaps it's simpler to say that, but it's not clear enough." Diderot's words were full of Latin contempt for Saxon people's indifference to kinship. "Do you live in Rabotown?" Lucy asked Richard. "No, I work at the head office in London. But at the moment I'm in charge of the liaison with Rabo Town." Lucy's eyes wandered involuntarily around Diderot, busy with the menu. "Our company has a collaborator here, and I've been working with them for a week or two." Rick said tactfully, smiling at her with his eyes.Then, to reassure her, he said, "I brought a certificate of identity to Miss He Ju, guaranteeing my relationship with Diderot, my social status, ability to pay debts, degree of etiquette, belief—" "Oh, be quiet, Rick," Diderot said. "It's not my fault that my father is Brazilian and my mother is French. What's a saffron cake?" "Teresa was the perfect person to dine with," Rick said. "Her appetite is like a hungry lion. My other female friends only count calories when they eat, worrying about their waistlines." "Your other female friends," his cousin said with a bit of sour rage, "didn't stay in Lai's Sports Academy for a year, sweating every day, and eating only vegetable noodles." Lucy thought of the bread the students devoured at every meal, and thought Diderot was exaggerating. "When I go back to Brazil, I have to live like a real lady every day and eat civilized food. Then, I can worry about calories." Lucy asked when she was going back to Brazil. "Take a boat at the end of August. This way, after leaving school, I have a little time to enjoy the British summer. I love the British in the summer. There is soft green everywhere. Everything about the British except clothes, winter and teeth All good. Where is Alingo?" After changing the subject, Lucy forgot about Diderot's abrupt personality, but Rick's quick answer surprised her again. "The best girls' school in England." Rick described Alinga. "Why do you ask?" "This is the most important thing in our school now. We have a graduate who will go directly to Alingo from Lai's. Judging from everyone's tone, it seems that she is about to be named a noble lady." "In my opinion, that's a good reason to be excited," Rick said. "Not everyone has that kind of career prospect right out of college." "Really? Do you think it's really an honor?" "I suppose it's a great honor. Isn't it, Miss Ping?" "Great honor." "Well, I'm glad. To think of all the years she wasted in girls' schools, if that's really an honor, then I'm glad." "Who are you talking about?" asked Lucy. "Innes, of course." "Didn't you have dinner together at noon today?" Lucy was greatly puzzled. "No, Rick drove up and we went to Sarakantops in Bowminster. Why? What does that have to do with that school thing?" "It's not Innes who went to Allinger." "Not Innes! But everyone says it's her. Everyone says so." "Yeah, everyone thought so, but it didn't turn out that way." "No? So who's going?" "Ruth." Diderot's eyes widened. "No way, I refuse to believe it. It's simply impossible." "I'm afraid it's true." "You mean--the man--they recommend the scumbag, the--" "Theresa!" Rick reminded Diderot of the misnomer, looking at her with interest. Diderot sat for a moment in silence, brooding. "If I wasn't a lady," she managed to say clearly, "I'd definitely spit!" The people at the table at the family gathering looked over in surprise and alertness.They decided to pack their things and leave, and totaled the bill. "Look at what you've done," Rick said, "make a splash!" At this moment, Miss Nevill in a floral dress came from the kitchen with stewed rabbit meat.Sao Walnut was not moved by the delicious food, but remembered that she had learned about the vacancy of Alingo from Miss Navier, so she started talking about it again. In the end, it was Rick who saved Lucy from this disgusting topic. He said that the rabbit meat was getting cold, and Lucy deeply felt that Rick didn't have that appetite, but he somehow found Lucy Tired and bored of this, Lucy was so grateful to Rick at this time that tears were about to fall. "Anyway," Rick said when Diderot finally turned his attention to the food. "Although I don't know Miss Innes, if she is as good as you say, even if she doesn't go to Alingo, she will definitely get a good job." Lucy consoled herself with this statement all afternoon.This idea is reasonable, logical, and not extreme, but it can only comfort people like a piece of spiritual medicine.But Lucy could see why Diderot rejected the idea. "What would you think if that guy wins and you lose?" Her mouth was full of rabbit meat.That guy was referring to Ruth. "After slapping you in public, how can you trust them to give you the highest honor award?" Just like Baoer said: "I lose face in front of everyone." The reactions of these two people are really similar.The only difference is that Diderot sees humiliation, while Boa sees hurt. "That morning, we met Innes' parents at the same place." Diderot continued, her beautiful eyes lingering on the seat where she sat that day.Likewise, Lucy remembers the same thing. "Nice people, Rick, I wish you'd met them too. We've got some nice people together: me, Miss Ping, Innes's dad and mom, and it's nice to talk about culture over coffee. And now— —” Lucy and Rick took turns trying to induce Diderot to talk about something else, and it wasn't until she got in the car to go back to Lai's College that she remembered the incident again and began to lament.But taking Rick's car, the distance between Billington and Lai's College became very short, so that Diderot couldn't really get into the situation, and the three had already arrived at the gate of Lai's College. Lucy said good night deftly and was about to leave, but Walnut Sao followed. "Good night, Rick," she said casually. "Are you coming on Friday?" "Rain or shine," Rick assured her, "is it three o'clock?" "No, it's half past two. It's written on your invitation card. It's the one I sent you. As a businessman, you are too imprecise." "Uh, I will naturally archive the business dealings." "So where did you put the invitation card?" "On a golden chain between the vest and my heart." With that he ended the conversation with victory. "Your cousin is charming," said Lucy as they walked up the stairs together. ' "Do you think that's good, and I do. He's got all the English virtues, with an un-British twist. It's good that he came to see me dance on Friday. Why are you laughing?" Lucy laughed at the standard Diderot idea that her cousin was coming to see her on Friday.She hastily changed the subject. "Shouldn't you go the other way?" "Yeah, but I guess nobody would mind. In a fortnight I'll be free to go up and down these stairs as I please--I don't really like walking up here--so I'd better use it now." this staircase. I don't like walking up the stairs used by vendors. " Lucy was going to say hello to the staff before entering the wing, but the hall was quiet and heavy, so she relented. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow morning. Sao Walnut finally had a little intention of obeying the school rules. Judging from the quietness of the bedroom corridor, the sleep bell should have been rung a few minutes ago, so they said good night to each other at the top of the stairs, and Lucy walked to her room at the end. bedroom.When she was changing clothes, she wanted to hear if there was any sound in the next room, and it was quiet.When she drew the curtains, she found no lights either.Is Innes not back at school yet? She sits for a while, wondering if she should do anything about it.If Innes hadn't come back, Bao'er would definitely need someone to comfort her.If Innes came back, maybe she should do something, out of kindness, to express her feelings without disturbing. She turned off the lights, drew the curtains, and sat at the open window looking out at the moonlit atrium—it was a novelty here to draw the curtains—and watched the students moving about.Someone combed their hair, someone sewed something on their hands, someone put a bandage on their foot (what a clumsy little girl, and she didn't even think about putting the bandage on first, but she jumped around looking for a pair of scissors), someone Twisted to get into pajamas, and someone flapped a moth. As she watched, two lights went out one after the other.The wake-up bell will ring at 5:30 tomorrow morning. Anyway, the final exam is over, and they don't have to burn the night and bury their heads in the pile of books. She heard footsteps coming from the corridor in front of the door, thinking they were looking for her, so she got up to greet her.Innes' door opened and closed softly.There was no sound of turning on the lights, but she still heard someone lightly getting ready for bed. There were slippers in the corridor and a knock on the door.No one answered. "I'm Bao'er." Someone said, and the door opened.There were murmurs, the smell of coffee, and the slight clink of china as the door closed. Bao'er carefully brought the food.No matter how much Innes was at war between man and nature between one o'clock in the afternoon and ten o'clock in the evening, now he should be able to eat something in front of him with a little bit of emotion.The whispers continued until the lights-out bell rang.The door opened and closed, and the other room melted silently into the silence of Lai's Academy. Lucy lay in bed, too tired to pull the sheets.Angry with Handa, feeling sorry for Innes, but envious of her having a bosom friend like Bao'er. She decided to stay awake for a few minutes, trying to express her deep concern for Innes and her dissatisfaction with the whole thing, but she fell asleep after a while.