beauty and money

Chapter 59

Many years later, there is an unchanging wind blowing in the wilderness of Antrim, and a tombstone stands on a desolate grassy beach, with only heather and February grass all day long.In the wilderness covered with rocks, a red fox ran past occasionally, its fur was inlaid with a layer of gold in the light of the morning sun, and suddenly it let out a cry, as if it had found something.

On the other side of the horizon, a hunchbacked figure walked slowly forward. The morning light dyed his silver-white hair golden red. Just like many years ago, the years paled his hair and matured his face. Wrinkled but still elegant.A pair of emerald green eyes are as clear as ever, he is wearing an old-fashioned suit, the cuffs have been slightly worn out, but it is still clean and tidy, not even a single wrinkle can be found.Walking through the fields with a cane in one hand, and holding a bouquet of purple thistles in the morning dew in the other hand, these are the beautiful flowers he found in the mountains and fields. They grow by the streams and bathe in the pure stream water. Nourished by the sun, at this moment, this beautiful lover comes with this bouquet of flowers.

Years ago he had appeared in the morning light with a bouquet of nameless wildflowers from the English Highlands to give to his lover.At that time, he didn't love her yet, and she also wanted to belong.However, how wonderful the world is, in the end, also in the hospital, he concluded a holy marriage to her.

He went to the tombstone and offered her the bouquet. "Yesterday, my doctor told me that I can no longer live in such a remote place. He said that at my age, I should go to the city to retire." Benest wiped the dusty tombstone. "But, I hate the city. It's noisy. People get up early in the morning, noisier than our chickens. I have the priest come to my house every week, so that when I die, people will find out. And bury me." Benest kissed the tombstone lightly after finishing speaking. "At that time, I will come to you. Look, how clean and undisturbed this place is."

Looking around, a river meanders across the grassy beach in the distance, like a silver ribbon.In spring, everything revives, greenery will cover here, swallows nest in the bushes and bushes not far away, and red-bellied robins, etc., they sing for spring.In summer, weeds grow and clumps of wild flowers bloom, and this place becomes the home of wild animals. The chirping of insects in summer nights is almost dreamlike.In the fall the acorns will be ripe, the squirrels will be busy, and the birds will be flying farther south.In winter, the surrounding fields are quiet and no one visits, and the snow will cover everything, leaving only the footprints of wild foxes.The world fell into silence, the long winter sun was extremely low and beautiful, and at sunset you could see crows returning to their nests.

"By the way, I have to tell you some good news. Edward has a granddaughter. In a blink of an eye, he has become a grandfather. This world is really incredible. The life that you brought into this world can become a grandfather! He also wrote The letter said that I would come to see you today, and I don’t know when he will arrive.” Benest was silent for a while before continuing: “There is bad news, but I think you should have known it a long time ago, maybe you have already met in heaven We've met. Borrant passed away, and we've lost one more from the side of the living. Lady Borrant is heartbroken, and she's moved back to Rosings from Nemer to live out the rest of her life there. Want me to say , everyone thought she would die before him, after all, Mrs. Bolant had been in poor health when she was young, and people didn't expect it. However, this is probably the power of love." Mr. Benest leaned a little tiredly On the tombstone, he has been feeling poorly in recent days and has difficulty breathing.

"Ah, Mary, I miss you, but I can never dream of you. Only through portraits can I remember your voice and smile, and I will forget it in a blink of an eye. Recently, I often read the letters you wrote to me in the past, and I often touch you The books left behind are often alone in a daze. I seem to be used to this. Not long ago, I had a quarrel with the servant who took care of me. He knocked the hairpin you left on the ground and broke it. Now I can only kiss your comb every day." Benest was still indignant when he mentioned this matter, and after a while he was still rambling about some trifles, but his eyes had slowly closed.

At this time, a carriage stopped slowly not far away. There were too many rocks on the road to get here, so I could only walk.A gray-haired old man got out of the carriage with the help of a servant, and a middle-aged woman walked down with him. She was dressed as a servant, and she was holding a straw basket covered with a layer of soft cloth. Something seems to be moving. "Give her to me," said the old man.

"But master, your body." The maid said worriedly, the master is nearly sixty years old, and his body is not as good as before.

"It's okay." He insisted on taking the basket, holding the basket in one hand, and hobbling forward with a cane in the other.When he walked to the tombstone, he saw Benest, and was so frightened that he let him go and almost fell down. "Uncle!"

"Ah? Who is calling me?" Benest opened his eyes. He was a little tired just now, as if he had fallen asleep.Seeing that it was Edward Manardu who came, he was very angry. "You are also a grandfather, why are you still so reckless? It disturbed my sweet dreams. I just saw Mr. Ben and Mrs. Ben, and the four sisters of the Ben family. They look so good. Harriet is still playing games with Elizabeth Woolen cloth."

Edward couldn't laugh or cry, the people Benest said had already left, if he didn't wake him up, wouldn't he wake up. "Haha, where's Aunt Mary? Didn't you dream about her?"

"Mary is very stubborn and just refuses to show up, but I saw her sitting in front of the piano and playing the piano with her back to me." Mr. Benest had heard that Mary loved the piano, but shortly after she met Mary, Mary Had an accident and couldn't play anymore, so he never heard her play the piano. "Ah, by the way, Edward, did you bring it?" Benest blinked.

"Of course." He lifted the cloth covering the basket, and a quiet and lovely girl was lying in the basket. She was still sleeping, and she couldn't be woken up at all, but her little hands twitched slightly, as if she had a dream.After Edward lifted the soft cloth, the sunlight woke her up from her sleep, and she started waving her little hand when she saw her grandfather.

Edward picked her up and walked to the tombstone. He looked at the simple tombstone without any superfluous words, and thought of this aunt who had been taking care of Mr. Ban after his death. When he was handed over to his second brother Henry, everyone felt that he was very pitiful. However, although he did not grow up in wealth, he had a more precious and commendable love than that, the love of his grandparents, the Benest couple Taking care of him with all his strength allowed him to grow.Thinking that tears had soaked his eyes, he said to the tombstone: "Look, she is my granddaughter, her eyes are dark brown, like yours, I decided to call her Mary." Little Mary in his arms There was a giggling sound of waving hands and feet.

Benest took little Mary from Edward's hand and kissed her tender little face.Soft as a piece of cake, little Mary smiled even more.

"Edward, if one day I go to accompany Mary, I want you and your descendants to inherit my land and wealth. After all, Mary and I have no children, and we have always raised you as our own child." Mr. Benest His eyes were moist, and when he looked in the mirror every day, he found that he was older than yesterday, and felt that his time was numbered.

"But, shouldn't your brother's children inherit your land more?" Edward was surprised. He had a deep relationship with Mary and his wife, but Mr. Benest's nephews were more qualified to inherit the land and property.

"No, Edward, I don't even remember their names. I am my father's third son, and he has nothing to give me, and my brothers have taken the title and the land, leaving my mother to me This barren land. And I don't intend to give them these lands, although the wealth of Mary and I is far less than that of the Monadius family, but this is our favorite place, and we want to leave it to our favorite Edward, I only hope that you and your children and grandchildren can protect this land so that we will not be disturbed by the secular world after death. Mary said that she loves the place where she loves to stay away from the hustle and bustle." Mr. Benest said, crying silently at the end , when he hugged the cold body of his beloved wife, he felt that there was only loneliness left in this world. For more than 40 years, he has been waiting, waiting for that day to come.

"I assure you that no one will disturb the peace of you and Aunt Mary." Edward stepped forward to stand beside Benest, who patted him on the shoulder and handed over the will, property, and The certificate of title to the land was given to Edward.

The two talked a lot, until the sun was high, and when Edward left, he glanced at Mr. Benest, who stood alone in the wind, silent for a long time, watching.He handed the child to the servant and said to the coachman, "Let's go." The coachman nodded.The carriage drove slowly through this barren land.The back of Mr. Benest seems to be integrated with the world, as if he himself has turned into a tombstone, accompanying another tombstone.

The man has lived alone in this isolated land for almost 50 years since Mary's death.Great changes have taken place in this world. The craze for the East India Company to colonize India has gradually receded. People traveled across the ocean to seek gold in the United States. The prevalence of black slaves made the United States a giant in the planting industry. an india.After the industrial revolution, the entire social class has undergone earth-shaking changes. Countless nobles have gone bankrupt, countless wealthy businessmen have risen, countless lands have been sold, and countless tenants have entered the city to become workers.Edward saw that the ancient aristocratic system was declining, the original system was dying, and new things were constantly emerging.With the rapid rise of Germany, a tense atmosphere spread across European countries.After the War of Independence, the British Empire began to decline, but they saw new hope from the East, countless benefits and wealth.

However, an ancient empire in the east is declining and is about to go to its grave, and another country is rising at the beginning of the day. The world is different. It belongs to the young people and the future, while they have been abandoned by the times and belong to the past.