Shadow of great britain

On Central Street in Greenwich District, a public carriage drove ricketyly.

In the carriage, Arthur looked at Elder, who was sitting opposite him, whistling and reading a tabloid. He couldn't help but sigh: "Didn't I ask you to buy new clothes? Do you think the clothing stores in Greenwich are better than those in London?" West End?”

Elder turned to the next page of the newspaper without a care. While he was reading the explosive story above attentively, he replied: "It is too expensive to buy new clothes that can be used to attend high-class banquets. Besides, I am not a social person. Master, you may not be able to attend a banquet in a month, and if you buy clothes but don’t wear them very much, it’s such a loss.”

"What should I do? Although I heard them say that the ladies of the Blue Stocking Club don't pay much attention to whether the scientists who give lectures to them are dressed appropriately, but do you understand science? I ask you, what is the left hand? Rule, what is the right-handed spiral theorem? If it doesn’t work, you should at least understand the Hastings force, right?”

Elder took out a pair of delicate scissors from his coat pocket, carefully cut out the content he was satisfied with today along the edge of the newspaper and put it in his arms.

"Arthur, don't worry about me. I usually go directly to my uncle's house to get the costumes for banquets. Anyway, he took a ship to the Ionian Islands, where the Mediterranean Fleet is based, last month. We are about the same size, so what if he lends me his large box of clothes?"

When Arthur heard this, he knew that this kid must not have any good intentions. He asked: "You are thinking about taking things from your uncle's house every day. Can your aunt and cousin agree?"

"Why don't you agree?"

Elder raised his eyebrows and said: "Mrs. Codrington also extended a banquet invitation to them. Didn't I tell you? General Codrington is my uncle's old superior. Since I want to go too, they will always You can't just watch me embarrass the Carter family at the banquet, right? By the way, Arthur, I have to make an agreement with you. If no one asks my sister to dance at the banquet, you have to come to her rescue."

"How to get out of the siege?" Arthur asked with a frown: "I can't dance. If I go up and ask her out, she will lose more than just her face in the end."

Elder held his forehead with a headache: "That's going to be difficult. After that little girl heard that I knew you, one of the guests of honor at the banquet, she pestered me to let her shine at the banquet on Sunday. . Even if you can’t dance, you still have to find a way to show her to me."

Arthur glanced out the car window: "Show it? That's easy to handle. Later, you can ask your sister to replace you and help me rub my hands and crank the generator at the banquet."

When Elder heard this, he couldn't help complaining: "Arthur! Can you not always come up with such bad ideas? The reputation of noble ladies is 'weak' and 'beautiful'. How come it turned out to be so when it came to my sister?" 'Can continue to turn the hand generator'? Is this nonsense? If you think about it again, I am not willing to let her end my colorful life so soon."

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but sigh: "Why do women always pay more attention to their appearance instead of trying to make themselves look smarter?"

When Elder heard this, he couldn't help but snorted and raised his collar: "It's very simple! Because most men are stupid, but only a few are blind."

Arthur raised his eyebrows and asked, "So? Which part do you belong to?"

"Hmph..." Elder waved his hand nonchalantly and said, "Arthur, I am very self-aware in this regard."

"Thank God." Arthur took the half-cut newspaper from his hand: "The original intention of setting up the University of London was not for you to receive such an education."

Agares, who was sitting in the car window looking at the scenery, heard this, smiled mischievously and whistled: "Oh! It seems that the teaching philosophy of the University of London is indeed open, stupid men and blind people who don't understand the style can be equal. Sit in class.”

Arthur glanced at the Red Devil, but before he and Elder could continue to discuss whether he was blind or not, Elder had already forgotten the troubles caused by his sister.

This guy was thinking about what kind of encounter would happen at the banquet: "Oh! Arthur, if I get a love at the ball, do you think I should accept it calmly? Or should I reject it? No mercy?"

Arthur flipped the newspaper and said, "If this had happened before I chased Fred, I might have advised you to refuse. After all, you are about to start sailing around the world. You will be there for five or six years, and the time may be longer." Hurt the feelings between you and your partner. But now, after boarding the Beagle, my attitude has changed."

Elder was stunned: "Why?"

Arthur put down the newspaper and replied seriously: "Because as your good friend, I would rather see you have a relationship with a human being than with a fish. Elder, you have to reflect on yourself. If you continue to do this, You will go to hell sooner or later!"

"Oh! Arthur!" Elder was a little moved: "You finally understand why I always have that impulse. This is not a problem with my personal conduct, but a commonality among sailors who make a living at sea."

"I fully understand you, and I finally understand why there is a chaplain on board the Beagle."

Arthur said: "The reason why Colonel Fitzroy asked Charles to follow the Beagle is so that he can ask him to forgive you on behalf of God anytime and anywhere. Elder, you listen to me and repent to Charles in time after making a mistake. Reduce your own sins. You must go to heaven after you die, and you must not go to hell."

Elder said happily: "Arthur, you always think about your friends."

Arthur shook his head: "No, Elder, you think too much of me. I'm not thinking about you, but for myself. I just don't want to see you in hell after I die."

Elder was a little unhappy when he heard this: "Arthur, damn you! Where did I offend you? Do you hate me so much? How often did I not take you with me when I was drinking or going to the theater?"

Arthur looked a little helpless: "No, no, Elder, there is no problem with our friendship. I just don't want to be ridiculed by the devils in hell after death: 'Look, everyone, that guy standing over there. , he had a friend who went to hell because of sunfish.'

Elder, if you insist on going to hell after death, I will have to work hard to go to heaven. "

Elder rolled his eyes when he heard this, and he punched Arthur on the shoulder: "You fucking have it! I must clarify to you again and again that I have never had sex with a fish. I just want to explain to you the special customs of sailors."

After saying this, Elder quickly changed the subject: "Speaking of which, why did you come to Greenwich today? Aren't you working at the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Department now? You came here specifically to remember your poor and humble self in the past. ?”

Seeing that he didn't want to mention it, Arthur followed suit and said, "I'm looking for a gentleman who runs a musical instrument store in Greenwich. He will also be one of the shining stars at the Sunday banquet."

Arthur stretched out his head and glanced out of the car window, and said to the coachman: "The trouble will stop here. We can walk the rest of the way ourselves."

After saying this, Arthur opened the car door and took Elder through the muddy streets and crowded crowds after the rain. The two passed through the apartment that the real estate agent had introduced to them before. Not far away was a brown apartment. A three-story red brick house with a cedar roof.

There is a billboard next to the red door facing the street on the first floor, which reads - Inherited for three generations, high quality and low price, master craftsmanship, no deception.

The sign on the door marked its name - Wheatstone Musical Instruments.

Through the shop window, you can still see rows of musical instruments hanging on the clean walls painted with white paint.

There are not only court instruments such as violins, pianos and harps that can be used in big scenes, but also rebecs, panpipes or flutes commonly used by street performers.

Of course, the trumpets used in the army to issue orders and control the advancing speed of the troops and the military drums hung around the neck and beaten while advancing are also indispensable here.

Elder squatted by the window and took a look, and couldn't help but nod: "I didn't expect there to be a store like this in Greenwich. The variety of musical instruments in this store is not inferior to the largest musical instrument stores in London." But is the owner of this store out of his mind? Why should he open the store in Greenwich? How many people here have the leisure to buy these things? If he opens the store in the West End, he will definitely make a lot of money. "

Arthur opened the door and said, "Maybe he opened the store here just to avoid having so many customers. Elder, you don't know, this gentleman is a weirdo."

As soon as the two opened the door, the door frame rang the bell hanging behind the door.

There was only a sound of jingling bells, and the few customers in the deserted store couldn't help but look back at the two of them.

But soon, they turned their attention to the eight-stringed harp hanging on the wall.

"Alfred, I have never seen this instrument before. How about we try to use this new thing to accompany the school's poetry and art festival this year?"

"Uh... William, should I use it on your poem or on mine? How about we try to be more stable? New things may not be more reliable than old ones. In fact, I don't think accompaniment is needed, simply You can also chant..."

Elder heard them talking about poetry, and this top student in the Department of Classical Literature at the University of London couldn't help but come closer: "Am I lucky enough to be able to join the discussion between these two gentlemen? I am not talented, but I happen to have some unique ideas about poetry. opinion."

The two young men glanced at Elder warily. One of them seemed a little shy, while the other's eyebrows were full of arrogance.

Several people were silent for a while, and finally the shy one spoke up to help Elder: "Sir, our poems won't be of any use, so I won't bother you."

But the arrogant young man on the other side was a little dissatisfied after hearing this. He corrected: "Alfred, don't always be so humble. Your poetry won the gold medal from our Cambridge last year. You should have more courage." , don’t always be so timid.”

The shy young man touched the back of his head in embarrassment and said: "But...but...William, didn't you write a comedy about my winning poem last year? I think that my poem There may indeed be flaws.”

When the arrogant young man heard this, his tongue couldn't help but get a little knotted: "Alfred, I didn't write that funny scene... not to target you. I didn't know you at that time. Besides, if I think you If your work is not good, will you create a second creation specifically based on your work? Alfred, you have to be confident, and Cambridge students should be confident!"

Elder's eyelids couldn't help but twitch when he heard the other party mention the word 'Cambridge' repeatedly. He took a step back, shook his head at Arthur and said: "God! Did you hear that? Cambridge, you are unlucky to go out today." , We are really unlucky! Listen to what he is talking about? Cambridge actually has poetry, this is simply the most ridiculous thing in the world!"

Elder thought that his voice had been lowered enough, but he didn't expect that his words still fell into the other party's ears.

The arrogant young man took a step forward, frowned and asked: "Sir, what do you mean? Are you looking down on the splendid art and brilliant civilization created by Cambridge?"

Seeing how aggressive he was, Elder couldn't help but take a step back and replied with a sneer: "No, of course not. To be honest, I quite appreciate the works of you Cambridge students, just like that... uh..."

He paused for a long time, but he couldn't recall anything in his head. In desperation, he could only grab Arthur's clothes: "Arthur, do you remember? Just what I told you last time, that is That guy from Cambridge, what he wrote... is pretty good."

Arthur originally did not want to get involved in the conflicts caused by Elder, the troublemaker, but now that it has happened, he has to remember it together.

"Ah! That's the one you're talking about. That's what, um..."

Arthur racked his brains to remember, and suddenly an idea flashed in his mind: "Yes, that's the one. I left quietly, just as I came gently, I waved my hand gently, saying goodbye to the clouds in the western sky... …”