Shadow of great britain

There was a thunderstorm outside the window, and the trees in Hyde Park were blown in all directions by the howling wind in London in the evening. Raindrops the size of little fingers hit the window glass and made a banging sound, like bullets.

Arthur and others sat around the fireplace, and the red light of the fire reflected on everyone's faces, bringing a touch of warmth to the cold environment.

Dickens sipped the hot tea. He turned to look at the closed windows in the room and asked, "Every time I come here, the windows are closed. Don't you need ventilation?"

While flipping through the books in his hands, Arthur said, "Isn't it enough to have a vent at home? The nights in London are so cold. If you keep the window open, you will catch a cold."

When Disraeli heard this, he raised a finger and emphasized: "Arthur, haven't you seen the research reports published by Dr. Arnott of the Royal Society in major newspapers? If you put a gold If you hang the canary on the top of the bed tent, you will find it dead when you get up in the morning.

Dr. Arnott said that living in a room with poor ventilation will accumulate a large amount of carbon dioxide, and this carbon dioxide will combine with water in the air to form carbonic acid. Can you imagine your house being filled with carbonic acid? Oh, that's so terrible, it will eventually poison you! "

When Arthur heard this, he just smiled softly and said: "I can't tell, Benjamin, it turns out that you have started to get involved in the field of chemistry."

"Of course, a good person can do a little bit of everything."

Disraeli tugged on his collar proudly, and finally he did not forget to give Arthur some health advice: "If you are really afraid of the cold and don't want to open the window, then put a few bowls of lime water in the room, it will It will continue to absorb the carbonic acid in the room. When you get up tomorrow morning, you will find some turbid sediment in the bowl, which is the culprit that is endangering your life.

Arthur, although you are a researcher in the field of electromagnetics, I still recommend that you read "Family Life Science" more about chemistry and home health. "

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but shrugged and said: "Thank you for your recommendation, but I think I prefer reading the "Weekly Police Bulletin" founded by radical literati than "Science of Family Life". In my opinion, no If I understand the former, I will have trouble sleeping at best, but if I don’t understand the latter, the number of attacks on police officers, which has finally been reduced recently, will increase significantly."

Disraeli heard this and persuaded: "Hey, Arthur, I know what you think. You just despise housework. In fact, I was the same as you before. I despised this magazine at first. , I felt that everything written in it was just for ladies at home to kill time. But at the last banquet, Mrs. Henrietta Sykes took me to read this book together, and I realized what was written in it. How valuable. That knowledge is not only helpful for women, but for men as well.”

"Oh..." Alexandre Dumas, who was reviewing the manuscript, heard this and immediately became interested: "Look what I heard? Mrs. Sikes! Benjamin, I remember you are twenty-six years old this year, then Sykes Madam's age should be around thirty-four to thirty-eight, right?"

Disraeli glared and emphasized: "Alexander, Mrs. Sykes is a very lovely and intellectual lady! And she is also a loyal reader of our "British". She often wrote to our editorial department a long time ago. . The reason why I was able to enter the Tory circle so smoothly this time was entirely due to Mrs. Sykes introducing me to the Earl of Lyndhurst. I will not allow you to make fun of France with her."

Seeing Disraeli's appearance, Alexandre Dumas just shook his head at Arthur and said: "It's really over. It seems that besides Charles, another little fool fell in love today. The main actor of our "The Englishman" The author lost two at once, what a heavy loss!"

Hearing this, Arthur just took a calm sip of tea: "Alexander, you have to hurry up. Benjamin has posted a marriage advertisement for me in The Times for a month. If you are anxious, why not change it next month?" Are you coming?"

Hearing this, Alexandre Dumas pondered: "Speaking of which, how effective is the false advertisement you published in The Times? Is there any response?"

Disraeli nodded slightly and said: "Of course there is a response, not only that, but the response is quite big. This month, I have received a large box full of love letters."

"The effect is so good?" Alexander was surprised: "I thought the ladies in London were very reserved, but now it seems that reserve is just superficial. As long as it meets their criteria for mate selection, they can be as enthusiastic as French girls. Both."

When Arthur heard this, he suddenly interjected: "Ladies are not the only ones who are enthusiastic, gentlemen are the same."

"Gentlemen?" Alexandre Dumas was suddenly shocked when he heard this: "Is it possible that there is something in those love letters..."

Before Dumas could finish speaking, Arthur interrupted: "It's none of my business. Anyway, I have forwarded all the love letters intact to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I hope the General Post Office can look into the sending department." It's for Scotland Yard's sake that I can get the letter there before the Beagle ends its expedition to Brazil."

Alexandre Dumas also nodded in agreement after hearing this: "This method is quite appropriate. Anyway, no matter the number, male or female, old or young, Elder can digest it. After all, if someone writes you a love letter and you don't reply to one, then that's okay. It’s really rude.”

Dickens was holding a tea cup and quietly warming himself by the fire. As soon as he heard the love letter, he couldn't help but think of the holy white lotus in his mind - Miss Maria.

Dickens looked at the fire and sighed melancholy, always feeling that he could not muster the courage in front of Miss Maria in his own capacity.

When Alexandre Dumas saw him like this, he couldn't help but get angry: "Charles, I didn't mean to hit you. But if you want to pick up girls, you must at least show some courage as a man. Isn't she the daughter of a banker? Really? I thought you were interested in the princess of which country!"

Arthur also encouraged him: "Yes, look at Benjamin. The seven thousand pounds he used to take out a newspaper loan have not been repaid yet. However, such a young boy with a lot of debt can actually Dare to woo Sir Francis Sykes' wife."

When Disraeli heard this, he hurriedly refuted the rumor: "Arthur, don't talk nonsense. I do have a crush on Mrs. Sikes. If she is still single, maybe we will develop in the future, but now..."

Arthur just shook his head when he heard this and said: "Benjamin, if you think so, Mrs. Sykes will be angry if she doesn't do it later. Although her marriage to Sir Sykes is still reasonable, it does not hinder them. Everyone plays his own game.

When I went to a gathering of the ladies of the Bluestocking Society last month, I heard them whisper about Mrs. Sykes. Why do you think the Earl of Lyndhurst readily accepted you after Mrs. Sykes introduced you? Benjamin, your proud head had better try to be better at this. You should be able to figure it out. There are all things going on here. "

Alexandre Dumas also nodded in agreement: "Yes, in the French political world, getting a powerful lady will always save you a lot of detours. Ladies are always better than gentlemen in building relationships and spreading news." Advantages. Of course, it would be best if you and her truly love each other.

Having said that, didn't Talleyrand, an old cripple, transform from a young son with no inheritance rights and no attention to an important figure who could influence the fate of France by relying on nepotism everywhere? Although the political ecology of Britain is slightly different from that of France, I think the principles should still be the same. "

"this……"

When Disraeli heard this, he suddenly blushed and coughed twice: "Of course I know this, and there is no doubt about Mrs. Sikes's excellence. Whether it is in terms of repaying her introduction or repaying her kindness to me. Everything I love about "The Young Duke", I am willing to do something for her.

But I feel that just being a novelist is not enough to make her proud of me. A few weeks ago, everyone might have been boasting about Mrs. Sykes's eye for discovering a promising young MP for the Tory Party. But now, I am almost eclipsed by Gladstone's woodcutter. The woodcutter robbed them all. "

Arthur asked: "I understand that you don't like Mr. Gladstone, but why do you always call him woodcutter?"

"Why else? Of course it's because he is really a woodcutter!"

Disraeli said bitterly: "Can you imagine? A young man in his early twenties who graduated from Oxford did not gamble, whore, or drink, nor did he develop violent tendencies due to the decadent university life. And his only hobby is to chop dozens of kilograms of firewood during his break.

Damn it! Why on earth do people like Gladstone exist in this world? Wouldn't it be better for him to become a priest? With his demeanor and style of conduct, he will definitely become the Archbishop of Canterbury in the future. Why should he come to the Tory Party to compete with me for a track? "

Alexandre Dumas yawned and said: "How about you switch to the Whig Party? Isn't the Tory Party useless now?"

Disraeli directly vetoed it without thinking: "Yes, the Tory Party is in decline, but I will never condescend to join the Whig Party. Only a pure aristocratic party like the Tory Party is in line with my temperament, and the Whig Party The Platts look like aristocrats, but their bodies are still mixed with too much toxic smoke from factories and the smell of banknote ink from the Financial City!"

Alexandre Dumas shook his head when he heard this: "Young people choose their political leanings so casually."

Arthur took a sip of tea: "Isn't it the same for you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Arthur did not give Alexandre Dumas a chance to fight back, and immediately asked Disraeli: "So, why do you strongly request to go to Scotland Yard to do moral persuasion like Gladstone? Just to compete with him and prove that Mrs. Sykes is not mistaken?"

"Of course, this is very important."

Disraeli replied seriously: "I am not a prominent figure like the Earl of Lyndhurst. Just having a relationship can add luster to Mrs. Sykes's face. My advantage is that I am young. Being young means that there are more possibilities in me. I want to prove to Mrs. Sikes that I, Benjamin Disraeli, am worthy of letting her in."

Having said this, Disraeli did not forget to encourage Dickens: "Charles, you are the same. Ladies are only concerned about those points. If we can't score in terms of wealth and status, then find a way to use your intelligence. .

You can write such an outstanding work as "The Pickwick Papers", so your talent is at least on the same level as mine. Could the banker's daughter be any more difficult to deal with than Mrs. Sikes?

So you can only succeed this time and not fail. Because if you are emotionally frustrated, you will not only be insulted, but also several other popular authors of "The British" and "The Economist", including but not limited to Benjamin Disraeli, Alexander Dumas, Arthur Hastings, Charles Darwin, Louis Bonaparte, John Mill and, of course, Mr. Elder Carter. "

Alexandre Dumas also laughed and nodded: "You're right. If it doesn't work, go back and tell Miss Maria and ask her if she knows what will happen if she offends Mr. Carter?"

As soon as Alexandre Dumas finished speaking, a flash of lightning and thunder suddenly flashed outside the window.

Only a roar was heard, the flames in the fireplace were swayed by the strong wind from the chimney, thunder struck the window, and after a brief period of light, the house fell into a dark silence.

Alexandre Dumas covered his pounding heart and took a deep breath: "I was shocked. I thought I was teasing Elder, but I ended up attracting something dirty."

Dickens was also frightened. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said: "The wind was strong and the lightning was roaring. This always reminds me of the "Frankenstein" that Arthur asked me to adapt not long ago."

"'Frankenstein'?" Alexandre Dumas thought about it for a moment and immediately remembered: "Oh, that Mrs. Shelley's work? I remember Arthur mentioned to me before that he wanted to adapt it and publish it in "The United Kingdom" It can also be cast in a small theater in London, which can alleviate Mrs. Shelley's financial difficulties a little. She has to publish and sort out so many Shelley's posthumous works, and she also has to raise children. Life is really not easy."

"Well..." Dickens said: "Alexander, have you ever seen "Frankenstein"? A Frankenstein who wanted to create life stitched together various collected corpses into an eight-foot-tall monster. , and then on a stormy night, lightning flashed and roared down, and the stitched monster actually opened its eyes!"

Arthur took a bite of the biscuit with his black tea: "Can you control thunder and lightning? This Frankenstein sounds like Mr. Faraday. Maybe when this play is moved to the theater in the future, the appearance of Frankenstein can be based on Mr. Faraday's appearance. prototype."

As soon as Arthur finished his wise words, no one in the room laughed. The light of the fire shone on everyone's faces, but could not bring out any color. Alexandre Dumas, Disraeli and Dickens all turned pale, and even His lips were trembling slightly.

Arthur frowned and asked: "You are all so weak and frail, and you still want me to open the windows for ventilation on a rainy day? If you feel uncomfortable, just go upstairs and lie down for a while. When the meal is ready, I will Go up and call you. But let me tell you something ugly first. My skills are not as good as Alexander's."

The Red Devil, who was wearing glasses and cotton slippers and leaning on the sofa to warm himself by the fire and read a book, raised his head slightly and glanced out the window. He pushed up his glasses and shouted: "Arthur, I don't think they are feeling uncomfortable. But I was frightened by the thing outside the window.”

"scared?"

Arthur put down the white porcelain tea cup and stood up and looked out the window. He saw a tall, hunched figure vaguely visible on the dark street, behind the shadows of the trees at night.

His back seemed to have a pustule the size of a mound, and there was a sharp and slender saber stuck in his arm. As he took heavy steps, there seemed to be large pieces of broken flesh on his body. Falling down.

Alexandre Dumas took a deep breath. The fat Frenchman stared at the shadow while pulling at the table: "Oh my God! I didn't expect that my new gun would be fired for the first time to deal with this kind of thing. !”

Dickens was also frightened: "Is it possible that the book written by Snow... Mrs. Ley is true? Or is this monster created by Mr. Faraday?"

Disraeli also exclaimed: "Can't the Royal Society learn something? For example, study more on exchanging air and keeping breathing. Why do they do this when they have nothing to do!"

Several grown men hugged each other, too frightened to say a word. Although they were all ready for battle, before the actual battle, they still hoped that the monster would retreat despite the difficulties and that everyone would stay on the same page.

Seeing this, Arthur just stretched out, picked up the tea cup and drank the rest of the tea in one gulp, then turned around and walked out the door.

Dickens exclaimed: "Arthur, what are you doing?"

Disraeli quickly grabbed the musket in Dumas' hand and threw it over: "Even if you are going, you have to bring something for self-defense!"

Alexandre Dumas directly threw the half-drunk bottle of red wine in his hand and said: "What's the point of drinking tea? Just order this to get excited!"

Arthur just frowned and shook his head at the three of them. He gently turned the door handle, and the howling cold wind poured into the room, blowing his neatly combed hair to flutter in the wind.

Alexandre Dumas and others held their breath. Under their gaze, they saw a pair of wet and sticky big hands stretched out from the door, and there were two letters stuffed between the fingers of these big hands.

"Sir, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make your letter look like this. But as you can see, with the terrible weather today, I accidentally fell into a small roadside road when I was crossing Hyde Park. In the mud puddle, I was covered in mud and my mail bag was soaked.

I'm sorry to say this, but could you please check the sender and address on the envelope now? If there is nothing wrong, please sign for it. "

Arthur looked at the honest postman who was all wet, his pants and backpack behind him were stained with mud, he just smiled and said: "It's okay, sir. In this kind of weather, unfortunate things do happen occasionally."

Alexandre Dumas breathed a sigh of relief, and the fat French man slumped down on the carpet beside the table: "I was scared to death. I thought it was Elder's ghost that appeared."

Arthur lowered his head and glanced at the envelope, raised his eyebrows and said: "No, Alexander, you are really right. Elder's ghost did appear. This letter was sent by him. Of course, there is also a bonus at the back. Researcher’s Observation Diary.”