Chapter 19 Chapter Eighteen

Lucy followed the guests to the garden and the wicker chairs beside the lawn. When she was looking at whether the number of wicker chairs moved out was enough, and whether she could sit down, Bao'er grabbed her: "Miss Ping , you are here! I have been looking for you for a long time, and I want to introduce my family to you." She turned to a couple who were about to take their seats and said, "Look, I finally found Miss Ping." Bo'er's mother is a beautiful woman, just like the best work designed by the most valuable hair stylist in the best beauty salon-of course, she must also have sufficient conditions, Mrs. Nash's twenty-year-old Time must be very similar to Baoer.Even now, in the bright sunlight, she looked no more than thirty-five.Her tailor must also be top-notch. Her dress and temperament are like a woman who has been praised as stunning all her life. She is used to the influence she has on people and is unmoved; so she Can wholeheartedly face anyone who comes.

Mr Nash is definitely what one would call a decision maker.Smooth-skinned, well-tailored, and clean-looking, he appears to be someone who has a horde of servants waiting at his mahogany table to serve him. "I have to change clothes. I'm in a hurry. Let's go first." Bao'er disappeared after speaking. When they sat down together, Mrs. Nash looked at Lucy teasingly and said, "Well, now that you've got yourself, Miss Ping, I'm going to ask you a question we'd love to know. We'd like to know how you did it." of? " "What did you do?"

"It makes Paula so impressed." "Yes!" interjected Mr. Nash, "we really want to know. We've spent our lives trying to impress Paula, but we've always joked that we were only good enough to be her parents, and we just happened to make her." "But now, you seem to have become the protagonist of the family letter." Mrs. Nash raised her eyebrows and said with a smile. "If it's any consolation to you," Lucy tried, "I'm really impressed by your daughter!" "Little Bao is very cute," said her mother. "We love her very much, but I really wish I could convince her a little bit. Before you came, no one except the nanny who took care of her when she was four years old. Paula is convinced."

"But her nurse made her docile because she was too young to fight," Mr. Nash added. "Yes! That was the only day in her life that she ever got slapped." "What happened in the end?" "We have to ask the nurse to go away." "Don't you agree with slap education?" "Oh, we agree, but Paula doesn't." "Xiaobao posted the first sit-in protest in her life." Mr. Nash said. "She went on for seven days," Mrs. Nash explained. "She wouldn't compromise on anything but dressing and force-feeding time, so there was nothing we could do but ask the nurse to leave. She was a first-rate nurse, and we really didn't want her to go."

Music played, and above the heather bushes appeared the junior students in brightly colored silks of the Swedish style.Folk dances began.Lucy sat back in her chair, thinking, not of rebellious Bea, but of Innes, and the mockery of black clouds of suspicion and foreboding in the sun. Since her heart was full of Innes, she was taken aback when Mrs. Nash said, "Dear Mary, so you are here. It's good to see you again." Lucy turned her head and saw Innes Si stood behind them.She is dressed in boys' attire, a tight bodice and stockings in 15th-century style, and a hood that fits close to her face, enveloping all her hair and emphasizing her distinctively thin cheeks.Her eyes were dark, sunken in their deep sockets, and there was a look on her face that she hadn't seen before: as if she wanted to repel people thousands of miles away.

It was a—how should I put it? A “devastating” face.Lucy's first thought was that the world was created by people with this face shape. "You're working too hard, Mary." Mrs. Nash looked at her. "Each of them overworked." Lucy said, diverting the attention of the Nash couple. "Not Paula," said Boa's mother. "She never worked hard in her life." no.Everything Boa owned was offered to her on a tray.It is a miracle that she can come out so generously and pleasantly today. "Did you guys see me make a big fool of myself on the horizontal bar?" Innes asked in a chatty tone.This surprised Lucy more or less, she thought that Innes would avoid this topic.

"My dear, we are really sweating for you," said Mrs. Nash. "What happened? Were you dizzy?" "No," Bao'er came from behind, stretching out a hand to hook Innes' arm, "This is just a way for Innes to steal everyone's attention. This girl is not inferior in physical ability, but has a better mind than anyone else.None of the rest of us came up with this nice stunt. Boa tightened her grip on Innes's arm as if reassuring. She was also wearing boyish clothes, and she looked radiant, covering her beautiful hair without reducing her vivacity one iota. Splendid beauty.

"That's the last act of the lower classes--don't they look very lively against the green background?--and now Innes and I, with a bunch of other fake boys, are going to do British burlesque Skits, and then you can have some refreshments to keep you going until the actual dance performance begins." After speaking, the two left together. "Ah, uh," Mrs. Nash watched her daughter leave, "I think this is better than devoting myself to reforming the dark African residents after all, but I still prefer her to stay at home and be a good daughter." Lucy thought this was Mrs. Nash's wishful thinking. She was so young and beautiful, and it would be an honor for her to have such a big daughter at home.

"Little has always loved gymnastics and competition," Mr. Nash said. "She's free, and when it comes to that, she's always been free." "Miss Ping," said Walnut at Lucy's elbow, "I'm going to do a silly skit with the seniors, can Rick come and sit with you?" She was referring to Richard Geese Bi, he was standing behind Sao Walnut, holding a chair in his hand, with a usual smile on his face, as if he thought everything was very interesting. With her wide-brimmed hat dropped on the back of her kerchief—a fashion from the health resort of Bath—she looked innocent, slightly surprised, and pleasing to the eye.Lucy and Rick exchanged an admiring glance, and he smiled at Lucy as he sat down beside her.

"She looks lovely in her strange attire." He watched Diderot disappear behind the heather. "I guess 'boring skits' don't count as dancing?" "Is she a good dancer?" "I don't know. Never seen it, but from what I've heard, she's pretty good." "I've never even gone to a prom with her. Strange, isn't it? I didn't even know this cousin existed until Easter this year. It's a real pain in my ass to think she's been in the UK for almost a year and I didn't even know about it." It's crazy. Three months is too short a time to impress Diderot."

"Do you want her to impress you?" "Yes." Such a simple and concise answer is enough to explain everything. Senior students in English medieval attire ran out onto the lawn, and all conversation died away.Lucy studied the pairs of legs, trying to recognize their owners, marveling at how alive they were after an hour of strenuous exercise.She said to herself, "Listen, you must go to Handa with that rosette tonight. Well, it's decided. It doesn't matter whether you go to Handa or not, or what happens after you find her." Turns out, you can't be of much help. So put that behind you. You've been waiting for this afternoon for a long time. The weather is fine and everyone is so happy to see you, so you should enjoy it This time. Take it easy. Even if—even if the rosette-seeking sparks anything, it's none of your business. You didn't even know these people fourteen days ago, and there's no way you'll see them again when you're gone .Whatever happens, or doesn't happen, is none of your business." All these good words of gold and jade have not had any effect at all.When she saw Miss Jolie and the maids busy setting up the dessert table for afternoon tea, she stood up happily, glad to finally have something to do and a little distraction. Rick followed without warning. "My favorite sidekick is distributing the cutlery, it must be the feminine side of me that comes out." Lucy said he should stay and watch the skit with the man he liked. "It's the last dance. From what I know of my Diderot, she yields more easily to appetite than to vanity. Quite easily." Lucy thought: he knew his Diderot quite well. "Is there anything bothering you, Miss Ping?" The question startled her. "Why do you think so?" "I don't know, I just feel that way. Is there anything I can do to help?" Lucy remembered how he had seen through her weariness at the rabbit stew in Billington last week, and had done her a favor with great skill.She really wished that when she was twenty years old, she had a considerate, young, and handsome companion like the suitor Sao Walnut, instead of being like Aaron, who only had a big Adam's apple and wore stinky socks full of scars. "I've got to do something right," said Lucy slowly, "but I'm afraid it won't turn out well." "Does this result affect you?" "No, but others will." "Don't worry about it, just do it." Miss Ping put stacks of cakes on the tray. "You know what? Sometimes the good things are not the right things. Or should I say it the other way around?" "I'm afraid I didn't understand you." "Well, you know, it's the kind of question of who you're going to save when you're in trouble. If you know that rescuing a person trapped in a snow fault will cause an avalanche that will bury the entire village below in the snow, So are you going to save this guy? Questions like that." "Of course I will save people." "Will you go?" "If the avalanche buried the village and probably didn't kill anyone—shall I put some sandwiches on the tray you're holding?—then you'd be living a life." "Would you do the right thing and let cause and effect take their place?" "That's it." "It's certainly the easiest way, in fact, I think it's too easy." "Unless you want to play God, one should act in the simplest way possible." "Playing God? Did you know you have two tongues on your sandwich?" "Unless you say you're smart enough to see the 'context' of things changing, that's the best way to go. Oh, the music stopped, and my young woman came here like a cheetah." He With a smile in his eyes, he watched Diderot approaching. "That's a pretty hat, isn't it?" He looked down at Lucy. "Do the right thing, Miss Ping, and let God decide." "Aren't you watching, Rick?" Walnut asked, and Lucy, Rick, and Diderot were overwhelmed by a swarm of juniors who were about to entertain everyone for afternoon tea.After Lucy managed to get out of the crowd wearing white hats and Swedish embroidered costumes, she found herself face to face with the lonely Edward Ardi. "Miss Ping! You are exactly what I'm looking for. Have you heard—" A junior stuffed a cup of tea into Edward Yadi's hand, not expecting him to give her his best smile.At the same time, Miss Morris - still loyal even on the day of the publication of the results - came up to Miss Ping with a cup of tea and a plate of snacks. "Let's sit down, shall we?" Lucy said. "Have you heard of the terrible accident?" "Yes. As far as I know, such serious accidents don't happen very often. It's unfortunate that such a thing happened on the day after the results were published today." "Oh, the accident, yes. But did you hear Kalyn say she can't come to Labeau tonight? She said the accident would upset her. She had to stay here. She's so ridiculous. Did you Heard anything crazier than this? If she's feeling down, she'd better get herself out of here. I've got it all sorted. I even ordered special floral arrangements for our dinner table, and a birthday Cake. It's her birthday next Wednesday." Lucy wondered if anyone in the group of Lai's Academy knew when Kailin Luc's birthday was. Lucy tried her best to express her sympathy, but she also showed that she could sympathize with Mademoiselle Luc.After all, the schoolgirl was seriously injured, which is quite worrying, and it does seem a little heartless to go to Labo Town for fun at this time. "But we're not going to have fun! It's just dinner with good friends. I don't understand why she has to abandon old friends just because a student got hurt. You go tell her, Miss Ping. You have to be kind to her." Lucy replied that she would try her best to persuade, but she couldn't guarantee the result, because she could fully understand Miss Luc's view on this matter. "You too! Oh my gosh!" "I know it's unreasonable, even absurd. But neither of us will be happy to be here tonight, and that will disappoint you too, won't it? Can we meet tomorrow instead?" "No. I'm going straight to catch the train after the show tomorrow night. Of course, since it's Saturday, I have an early show. Besides, I'm playing Romeo tonight, and Kalyn won't like it at all. See I played Richard III and she was already very patient. Oh my gosh, the whole thing is so ridiculous." "Cheer up," said Lucy, "it's not the end of the world. You'll come to Rabotown again, and now that you know she's here, you can meet as often as you want." "I'll never have a day when Kaelin is in a good mood again, never again. This time it's partly because of you, and you know it. She doesn't want to act like a gorgon in front of you Demon. She is even willing to come to my performance, she has never been to it before. If she doesn't come tonight, I will never let her make such a concession again. Please convince her, Miss Ping. " Lucy promised to try to persuade her. "Other than hearing that the appointment tonight was cancelled, how was your afternoon?" Edward Adity seemed to be enjoying himself quite a bit.He wasn't quite sure whether he admired the student's beauty or the display of skills. "Their manners are also very good. No one has come to me for an autograph all afternoon." Lucy watched him carefully to see if he was joking.but.No, his comment was "straight to the point".He couldn't really think of a reason why he wasn't approached for an autograph other than politeness.Poor little fool, she thought, living her whole life in a world she knew nothing about.She didn't know if all actors were like this, walking safely in the cocoon of her heart.It must be good, able to block out the chaotic reality and live comfortably and peacefully.They haven't been born at all, they're still wrapped in amniotic fluid. "Who is the girl who made a mistake on the balance bar?" Couldn't she even be quiet for two minutes without thinking about Innes? "Her name is Innes. Why do you ask?" "Her face is impeccable, like the Borgia family, a tragic noble family in Italy in the 15th century." "No, no," said Lucy sharply. "I've been wondering all afternoon what she reminds me of. I guess it's a portrait of a young man by the painter Giorgio, which one I don't know. I'll see them again All in all, a stunning face, so slender yet so strong, so beautiful and so rebellious, so strangely beautiful. I just can't imagine such a dramatic face in a 20th century women's sports academy." Well, this is a consoling thing, at least someone has the same view of Innes as her, idiosyncratic and meticulous, not like people of this century, with tragic tendencies.She remembered that Handa thought Innes was just a boring girl who looked down on others with less talent. Lucy really didn't know how to distract Edward Addy.She saw the debating teacher coming down the path in a scruffy black tie on a high collar and a dazzling high collar: Mr. Rape.Apart from Dr. Knight, he was the only visiting teacher Lucy knew.Forty years ago, Mr. Rape was also a brilliant actor--it is said that in his time, he was the best choice for Lancelot of the Round Table--and Lucy felt that bringing Edward Ardi and his colleagues together, It should be a good way to make Edward Yadi kill himself.But Lucy was still Lucy, and she still felt relented for all of Edward Adity's preparations—the dinner bouquet, the cake, all the plans for self-expression—and so she decided to act mercifully.She saw O'Donnell gazing at her idol from a distance, so she beckoned her over.Edward Adi should have a real and complete theater fan around to cheer him up, and he never needed to know that O'Donnell was the only theater fan in the whole school. "Mr. Yadi," she said, "this is Irene O'Donnell, one of your most loyal fans." "Oh, Mr. Yadi—" she heard O'Donnell begin. So she walked away.