Shadow of great britain

In the evening, 36 Lancaster Gate, Bayswater.

It should have been time for dinner, but today, the atmosphere in the living room was different from the past.

Alexandre Dumas, Darwin, his next-door neighbor Disraeli and even Mr. Elder Carter were all busy writing at the desk. They were making the final push to fill in the main content of the first issue of the new magazine.

However, in an environment so quiet that only the rustling of writing could be heard, a harsh noise like an electric drill for decoration broke the harmony here.

Elder frowned more and more as he heard this. Unable to bear it, he had no choice but to slam the table and roar upstairs: "Arthur! If you plan to open a textile factory specializing in cotton, you can go to Lancashire County, there is no need to stay in London and torture us like this."

As soon as Elder finished speaking, there was a sound of footsteps on the stairs, and Arthur walked down slowly carrying the violin that Wheatstone had given him.

He said with some helplessness: "I thought music was all connected, but now it seems that there is still a bit of distance between pianists and violinists."

Elder stepped forward with a glare, snatched the violin from his hand, and asked: "Can't you write some of your detective stories at Scotland Yard during your free time? The magazine is very short of content now, 伱As one of the shareholders, you have to step in during the most difficult times, right?"

Arthur shrugged and said: "Collection of detective stories? What name should I give it? The main title is "The Detective Collection of Hastings"? The subtitle is "A Study of Monkeys", or "The Hound from Nottingham"? I think these titles and themes , writing it may be suspected of plagiarism.”

"Plagiarism?" Elder said: "I have never seen any novels with detectives as the protagonist on the market. Who are you going to copy? Besides, doesn't writing novels make more money than working as a police officer at Scotland Yard? If we Now that the magazine has been launched, it will not be a problem to distribute thousands of pounds in dividends every year. And when the novel is finished, you can take it out and print it into a volume, and then you can make a lot of money."

Arthur saw Elder's eyes glowing with gold, so he had to press his hands down to signal him to calm down: "By the way, are you going to write something in the magazine?"

When Elder heard that Arthur was interested in his masterpiece, he finally couldn't restrain his artistic passion that had been dormant for many years. He smoothed his collar and spoke seriously.

"You see, now Benjamin is planning to serialize "The Young Duke" in a magazine, Alexander is serializing "The Count of Monte Cristo", journalist Charles is serializing "The Pickwick Papers", and our naturalist Charles is planning to write a popular science book "The Monkey's Tale" ", Tennyson of Cambridge prepared the Lyrical Poems.

Now our content includes fashionable, historical, and lyrical content, but it lacks a bit of heavy history, so I plan to adapt our legendary story in England and write it into an easy-to-understand and popular novel. By the way, I would like to remind you that the characters I want to write about come from my hometown of Nottingham. "

When Arthur heard what he said, he immediately guessed what he was going to write: "You mean Robin Hood?"

Hearing this, Elder exclaimed: "Arthur, you are worthy of graduating from the History Department of the University of London. Our students at the University of London have always been very good."

Arthur seemed very calm about Elder's praise: "I think the level of our London University students can be slightly higher on this basis."

After saying this, Arthur frowned and pinched his chin and said, "But, how come I vaguely remember that "Robin Hood" is Alexander's work?"

When Alexandre Dumas heard this, he just leaned back in his chair and said, "You're really right. This bastard Elder had to ask me for nine out of ten words after he wrote them. That novel is almost the same as mine." There is no difference in writing.”

Hearing this, Elder said angrily: "What do you mean by nine out of ten words? Let me ask you again? Whose suggestion was it to create a story based on Robin Hood? Who collected the relevant information? And who has the final say on the direction of the story? Quan? I'm just asking you two questions. Looking at your stingy look, someone who didn't know would have thought you were of Dutch descent. If you do this again, I won't take you with me next time I go out!"

As the saying goes, if someone is short-handed, he will be soft-spoken. Seeing his excited expression, Alexandre Dumas could only curl his lips, and then obediently shut up and stopped talking.

When Elder saw that he was silent, he was finally satisfied.

He turned to Arthur and said: "But don't you really think about writing a detective novel? I asked my sister to ask her best friends before, and those young ladies seemed to be very curious about how Scotland Yard detectives handle cases. If you can come up with something like this, you will definitely be able to push the magazine's sales to a higher level."

Seeing that Elder was so keen on encouraging him to write a book, Arthur did not refuse directly.

He just patted the violin that Elder snatched away, and said, "Of course I can write a book, but during this time, I have to finish the concert first."

"Concert?" Elder was stunned for a moment, then slapped his head and said, "I almost forgot about this. Did you agree to be the pianist for the London Philharmonic Society? Oh! Damn it, Arthur, Sometimes I really have to envy you. Except for the fact that we are neck and neck in terms of personal cultivation, I am far ahead of you in almost all other aspects, especially in terms of your ability to make money. We are really on a par with each other. "

Arthur said: "Actually, it's not all about making money. Have you forgotten that Mrs. Leven and Mrs. Cowper sent people to me to book concert tickets before? The two ladies have a distinguished status. If they keep dragging Not only are they ungentlemanly, but they also violate basic social etiquette. So I plan to take advantage of this period to cash in the gramophone and concert tickets to them."

"Mrs. Leven?" When Elder heard this, he couldn't help but think of the painful memories of the dinner party: "Damn it, Arthur, you really did all the good things. Mrs. Leven, that's Mrs. Leven. !”

Arthur heard Elder's repeated emphasis and immediately smelled the scent of intelligence. This kid Elder might know something.

He pretended to be ignorant and asked: "What happened to Mrs. Leven? She is just the wife of the Russian ambassador, Count Leven, and one of the female patrons of the Allmark Club. Mrs. Cowper is not much worse than her. You I’ve peed in Mrs. Cowper’s arms, so don’t worry about Mrs. Leven.”

Elder sighed sadly: "Arthur, this is different. Mrs. Leven has much more tidbits than Mrs. Cowper. There are many political and business celebrities who are rumored to have had an affair with Mrs. Leven. If you haven't If there is any news about Mrs. Levin, it only means that you are not a big figure in Europe."

Arthur asked: "So who can be regarded as the big shots in Europe?"

Elder counted them one by one with his fingers: "Like Metternich, Prime Minister of the Austrian Empire, Viscount Palmerston, our new Foreign Minister, and of course our former Prime Minister, the Duke of Wellington..."

"Duke Wellington?" When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and muttered: "You can't find out the news even if you sleep next to Mrs. Leven's pillow. How dare you, the Duke, have the nerve to send me to find out?"

Elder asked: "Arthur, what did you say?"

Arthur confused: "Nothing, I mean, is there anything about Sir Peel in this?"

"Sir Peel?" Elder shook his head and said, "Sir Peel is quite decent in this regard. He and Mrs. Peel are very loving, and everyone regards them as a model couple."

Arthur nodded slightly: "It is indeed not easy. After all, people like Viscount Melbourne who have been able to maintain their marriage to Baroness Ponsonby for twenty years are now interested in flowers elsewhere. I don't want to be in the political circle. Having a messy relationship between men and women is indeed a big test."

When Elder heard Arthur mentioning Viscount Melbourne, he couldn't help but wink and ask: "Speaking of the relationship between Mrs. Norton and Viscount Melbourne, have you found out? Is there something between the two of them that makes them uncomfortable in public? What you said..."

Arthur decided to satisfy Elder's thirst for knowledge.

He said: "According to the information I have learned so far, although Mrs. Norton and Mr. Norton are not divorced, they are de facto separated. Moreover, Mrs. Norton often goes to the residence of the Secretary of the Interior, and the two of them recently attended the Allmark Club together. banquet, but I currently have no key evidence that the two of them have broken through the zero distance. So under the current conditions, I tend to believe that the two of them are still innocent for the time being."

"Innocent? That's impossible, right?" Elder grinned, and he nudged Arthur with his elbow: "Tell me, is it possible that the two of them are in the residence of the Minister of the Interior, then what..."

Arthur firmly denied his friend's unreasonable suspicion: "Elder, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is not the Royal Navy. We can't just find a cabin and close the door to get things done here. People come and go in Viscount Melbourne's office every day. I I don’t think they can talk about the origin of species while the stewards are coming and going.”

"Why not? What do you think..." Elder was about to argue with Arthur, but before he could finish his words, there was a knock on the door outside the house.

Disraeli's eyes lit up. The newly appointed magazine editor rushed to the door, opened the door with a smile on his face and said: "Is it Alfred or Charles who is here to hand in the manuscript?"

Unexpectedly, after opening the door, there were two unfamiliar faces standing outside the door. One was Officer Tom, who was wearing a dusty police uniform, and the other was an unhappy Scotland Yard kid named Alan. Pinkerton.

Arthur saw the two of them and couldn't help but be surprised: "Tom, didn't I ask you to send him back to his father in Glasgow? How did you bring him back?"

Tom looked at Arthur and just sighed sadly. He patted the back of Pinkerton's head and said, "Unfortunately, I took him to the Glasgow Police Station, but the officers there told me that this kid's My father died of illness last year. His mother also remarried at the beginning of the year. I followed the police officers’ instructions and found his mother.

But the lady didn't seem to want to see her son. She just told me tactfully that Allen was old enough and could support himself as an apprentice. Moreover, before coming to London, this boy seemed to have been an apprentice in barrel hoops with a distant relative of his.

I was going to send him back to the barrel shop, but the boy told me that if I sent him there, it wouldn't be long before he would run away again. Although he doesn't dislike hoops, he doesn't like to stay in the workshop. If he stays there, he won't be able to eat if he can't complete his tasks every day...

Hmm... Arthur, I... I don't know how to mention this to you... Sigh... It's all my fault. I also know that the bureau does not employ child labor, but this kid said that he could, so why bother? I'll give him a chance, you see..."

Pinkerton saw Tom's dilemma and felt a little sorry for him.

Along the way, he caused Tom a lot of trouble, but instead of blaming him, the police officer showed concern for his rebellious behavior.

Tom listened patiently to all his grievances and complaints.

Tom also tried his best to solve his problems and ideas for him.

And now, Tom has to make unreasonable demands to his boss for his own capriciousness.

Although Pinkerton is still a teenager, he has experienced all the warmth and coldness of human relationships in the world.

He took Tom's hand and mustered up the courage to raise his head and meet Arthur's dark eyes: "I...Mr. Hastings, I hope you can give me a chance. Although I have never done it Police, but I have seen my father do it before. Even though I am young, I will not hold you back. If I do well, you will pay me a salary. If I do not do well, you will just take me away. I wouldn't have the slightest complaint if I were sent to the workhouse."

Arthur leaned against the door, lowered his head and looked at the kid in front of him who was no bigger than his chest. He asked in an unchanging tone: "Did Tom teach you to say this?"

A trace of panic appeared on Pinkerton's face when he heard this. He waved his hands quickly: "No, sir, please don't misunderstand me. These words were all thought of by myself and have nothing to do with Officer Tom."

When Arthur heard this, he just smiled and touched his head: "It seems that I had too high expectations for you. I thought that famous detectives were born, just like musicians. But now it seems that detectives They are all cultivated slowly. Alan, you are still a long way from becoming an excellent detective."

When Allen heard this, he was stunned for a moment, and then his eyes were covered with tears: "Black...Mr. Hastings, do you mean to reject me by saying this?"

Arthur nodded slowly and said: "I'm sorry, Alan, Scotland Yard does not consider collecting any minors. This is an internal regulation. I have no right to ask Scotland Yard to change the regulations for you. If you admire your police father very much, , you can definitely wait until you become an adult before applying."

Although Tom on the side had long been mentally prepared for this result, when Arthur said the words, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He took off his hat and apologized to Arthur: "I'm sorry, Arthur, for making you embarrassed. .”

He pulled Allen and wanted to go back, but no matter how hard he pulled, Allen, who had the temper of a donkey, was silently weeping and unwilling to turn around.

In desperation, Tom could only pick up Allen and put it on his shoulders. Tom patted his back and comforted him: "It's no big deal. It's getting late. Let's go home for dinner first. As for your work, I'll think of a way for you. I remember that your Uncle Tony has a relative who is a carpenter in London. If it doesn't work, I'll take you there tomorrow to ask."

But when he was about to leave, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Then, a gentle voice sounded behind him: "Tom, I just said that Scotland Yard does not accept children, but I did not say that LPS does not accept child soldiers."

Tom suddenly paused, and Pinkerton, who was sobbing on his shoulder, also raised his head blankly, and he happened to meet Arthur's smiling face.

After being stunned, Tom's face was full of joy: "Arthur..."

However, before he could say his thanks, Arthur interrupted him: "But let me say the ugly things first. You recruited this kid, so naturally you are responsible for managing his daily life and work training. .If something goes wrong in the future, you are half responsible. If you have no doubt about it, I can offer him a working agreement now."

As soon as Arthur finished speaking, Tom agreed without thinking. He excitedly saluted Arthur: "Of course, sir!"

Seeing him like this, Arthur did not respond directly to Tom. Instead, he leaned down and stared into Pinkerton's eyes: "Kid, working for LPS is not as easy as you think. Once I find out that your work is not up to standard, I will Instead of sending you to the workhouse, you will be sent to the HMS Beagle in the Royal Navy.

You may not know that the pocket watch you stole last time was the personal belongings of a crew member on the Beagle. So, you know, you're definitely not going to have a good time if you go there. Now let me give you one last piece of advice. If you choose to go back to hoops now, it’s still not too late. I'll give you a minute to think about whether to leave or stay. It's up to you. "

Pinkerton's eyes were fixed on Arthur. His teeth were clenched, his body was shaking, and his fists were clenched, as if he was struggling to think carefully.

He turned to look at Tom, who was sweating on his forehead and smiling on his face. Finally, in the silence, Pinkerton imitated what Tom and his father had done in his memory, and slowly raised his arm to salute Arthur. Li: "Yes! Sir!"

Seeing him like this, Arthur just smiled. He stretched out his hand to hold Pinkerton's saluting right hand, and lifted his palm upward: "Yes, the police salute in the same posture as the army, with the palm facing outward. Aim at your temples. It’s Royal Navy etiquette to put your palms down, because they work on ships, so their palms are usually not very clean.”

Pinkerton said blankly: "Then the police usually have clean hands?"

Arthur shook his head and chuckled: "Of course not, the police's hands are full of blood, so we need to wear white gloves to cover up what we have done or plan to do. Allen, what are you talking about? The LPS you joined will do things like this. Are you ready?"