Shadow of great britain

"When the uprising broke out in Warsaw last year, I was preparing for a small concert performance in Vienna. Not long after, I received a letter from my father from my hometown. He asked me to stay in Vienna and not return to Poland. However, whenever I When I think about my motherland being shrouded in smoke and the people in Warsaw being attacked by artillery fire, I can't suppress my emotions.

My heart couldn't be at peace. For two months, I tossed and turned and couldn't sleep. I couldn't write any music. When my fingertips touched the keys, I could no longer feel the happy emotions I used to. Mr. Hastings, you are also a pianist. You should be able to understand how I felt at that time, right? "

Arthur sat next to the sofa and listened quietly to Chopin's story. When he was asked by the other party, he just nodded slightly and said: "Yes, I understand your mood. Since I learned to play the piano, practicing for a short time before going to work every day will make my mind abnormal. Calmness can also bring me a good mood before going to work. If I can't play the piano in the future, I really don't know how I can live. Frederick, I am attached to the black and white notes jumping on my fingertips, I also like to appear at concerts every Sunday. Only when the lights go out and everything falls into nothingness can I feel the meaning of my life.”

The red devil, who was leaning against the wall and yawning, heard the words and continued: "Yes, yes, the meaning of your life is to go to the concert every Sunday to earn the reward of ten pounds. After learning piano for a year, Now you can still only play one piece of music. The most damning thing is that you, little bastard, can get by with your eloquent mouth every time. You even call it the perseverance and concentration of a grand pianist. force."

Arthur glanced at the red devil, but in an instant he put on a gentle smile, and pushed the tea cup containing warm coffee in front of Chopin: "Frederick, drink something hot, I hope this It can make you feel better."

Chopin nodded gratefully, picked up the tea cup and drank it all in one gulp: "Thank you, Mr. Hastings, I feel much better now."

Alexandre Dumas was fascinated by the story, and he urged: "Frederick, go on, your story is more legendary than I imagined."

Chopin smiled shyly and said: "When I found that the music I loved most in the past could no longer bring me happiness, and the hot keys could no longer warm my heart, I finally understood my fate. I don't I should have sat in the concert hall in Vienna when Poland needed me most. I should have returned to Warsaw, even if it was covered with dark clouds. I should have returned to my homeland, even if the Russians wanted to bury me there.

In the evening, I was upset, my chest felt tight, and I just wanted to go for a walk to relax. I was walking in the streets of Vienna in despair, and I didn’t know how far I had walked. But when I stopped, I looked up and saw Mr. Beethoven's former residence. It was a two-story apartment that was not too high, and the walls were painted with white glue paint.

The streets nearby were very quiet, not many pedestrians were seen passing by, everything was quiet. Vienna was very quiet in the evening. In the quiet environment, I closed my eyes. I seemed to hear Mr. Beethoven playing the piano in my ears. The passionate melody and the ups and downs of the rhythm were Beethoven's unyielding Soul, that is the "Symphony of Destiny", that is the joy from music that I have lost for a long time and now regained. From that moment on, I also understood my destiny.

That night, I did not say goodbye to the friends I had made in Vienna, nor to Messrs. Czerny, Krutzel, Hummel and Girovic who had helped me a lot. Because I know that once I say goodbye to them, they will definitely not watch me return to Warsaw and die in a hail of bullets. I packed my bags, picked up my parcel and set off towards the border between Austria and Poland.

But the development of things was beyond my expectation. Arthur, I am not afraid of your ridicule when I say this. I am indeed a useless person. I know absolutely nothing about life except playing the piano. When I arrived at the border between the two countries, I learned that Austria had sealed the border and prohibited all materials and people from entering Poland through the border.

In order to bypass the Austrian blockade, I searched for a long time along the border. Only then did I find a gap that was not noticed by them, and followed the gap to reach Poland. But when I entered Poland, I found that the journey back to Warsaw was more difficult than I imagined. Carriages from all villages and towns are unwilling to move towards Warsaw. Everyone knows how dangerous it is now. Therefore, my only option was to walk.

But I got lost not long after I left. I couldn’t tell where I was, and it had been raining for days. The road that was already difficult to walk became muddy. Every time I walked a certain distance, I had to ask the villagers along the way for the way to Warsaw, and I also needed to buy some food supplies in the villages and towns. Before long, almost all the money I had with me was spent.

Fortunately, I was not far from Warsaw at this time. Then before I could be happy, I saw a group of broken troops coming from the front. They shouted that Warsaw had been occupied and that the rule of the Tsar had once again enveloped the land of Poland. This was undoubtedly a thunderbolt in the sky for me. I wanted to continue to move towards Warsaw, but those people stopped me. After they learned of my intention, they forcibly took me with them to evacuate despite my objections.

My memory of what happened next is a little blurry. I only remember that I lived in a trance during those days. I followed them for a long way, passed through some villages and towns, and finally followed them on the ship and arrived in London. After I got here, I didn't want to see anyone for weeks. I felt like a funny clown, full of passion but ultimately accomplishing nothing.

I once had a dream, I wanted to be the greatest pianist in the world. Later, I wanted to live and die with my motherland. But in the end, I could only live in a small bed in a cheap apartment in London, with a cold and damp quilt covering my head. I'm such a useless person, that's what I was thinking at the time.

But one day, Mr. Mickiewicz knocked on my door. He sat on the edge of my bed and shared his experience with me. Only then did I realize that he and I were the same. We both wanted to return to Warsaw to support our motherland, but in the end we failed to achieve our goals. But Mr. Mickiewicz was perhaps a little more miserable than I was, because I was even closer to Warsaw than he was when we were forcibly taken away to retreat.

Perhaps because of the same experience, he and I instantly became friends. Mr. Mickiewicz told me that many Polish people retreated with us to London because they did not want to live under Russian rule. There were adults and children, men and women.

But many of them don't speak English, so no one wants to hire them even for the lowest-paying, lowest-status jobs. Now, many of them are living in extremely difficult circumstances. At this time, people like us with special skills should step forward to help them. In other words, we should at least help them get through this difficult time before they learn English.

Mr. Mickiewicz said that he was currently earning money by writing for "The Englishman", and that a pianist like me might be able to go to various theaters in London to inquire about any opportunities to perform. Mr. Mickiewicz’s words inspired me. For the first time, a person like me who was not good at socializing desperately looked for performance opportunities everywhere.

However, perhaps because I am not fluent in the language, or perhaps because of their distrust of foreigners, they were not even willing to give me a chance to go on stage and try out the piano. Just when I thought all was lost, Prince Czartoryski found out about me from Mr. Mickiewicz. He invited me to his residence, where I also met the British Foreign Secretary.

He kindly told me that he knew an outstanding pianist, a young man with brilliant talent. Most importantly, he also has a compassion for the suffering Polish people. If I could find him, he would definitely lend me a helping hand. "

Having said this, Chopin lowered his eyebrows. From the beads of sweat on his temples and the nervous and inconsistent sentences, it can be seen that he must have been preparing these words for a long time.

As a young man who is relatively introverted by nature and does not have a large social circle, it is definitely more difficult for him to prepare such a long self-monologue than for him to compose a piece of music that will be handed down casually.

But even though he was uneasy, even though he felt a little ashamed, he still said these words in front of Arthur.

Chopin clenched his fists and shook his shoulders. He was silent for a long time.

After a long silence, he finally raised his head and mustered up the courage to speak: "Mr. Hastings, please forgive me for being straightforward and rude, but I really need money now."

Arthur held a white porcelain cup in his hand. He stared at the calm coffee in the cup and suddenly laughed.

Alexandre Dumas and Disraeli also looked at each other, and they both showed a tacit smile.

Chopin was confused by the smiles of the three people. He looked a little embarrassed: "You...why are you laughing?"

Arthur put down the tea cup and raised his head to look at Chopin sitting opposite him: "Frederick, are we friends?"

When Chopin heard this, he was at a loss: "Mr. Hastings, I...I don't know what you are talking about..."

Arthur didn't speak either. He just stretched out his hand to Chopin and nodded slightly to him.

Chopin was stunned when he saw this. He hesitated for a moment, and finally slowly raised his arm, leaned forward and held Arthur's hand.

Arthur smiled gently: "Frederick, we are friends now. Remember, don't call me Mr. Hastings, just call me Arthur. Hastings is too foreign. ”

Alexandre Dumas also nodded and said: "That's right, Frederic, I am also your friend now. Reacquaint yourself, I am Alexandre Dumas, an upright French republican, and at the same time a A novelist. Your story moved me, and I very much hope to do something for your compatriots. By the way, let me introduce to you, the person next to me is the Prime Minister of Britain."

When Disraeli heard this, he glared at Alexandre Dumas, and he said to Chopin: "Mr. Chopin, don't listen to this fat man's nonsense. I am Benjamin Disraeli, and I am the editor-in-chief of "Britain", which publishes Mr. Mickiewicz's works. "Guo" is my industry, or our industry.

Let me introduce you formally. The person sitting on my left is the head of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Metropolitan Police, a hero of the high seas fighting against slave ships, the best-selling novelist and one of the shareholders of "The British". Mr. Arthur Hastings, review editor of The Economist, researcher of electromagnetic direction in the field of natural philosophy, and pianist of the Second Symphony Orchestra of the London Philharmonic Society.

The person sitting on my right is a leader in British fashion novels, a French romantic playwright, the creator of "Christine", "Henry III and His Court" and "The Count of Monte Cristo", and the popular author of "The Anglican". Literary Editor-in-Chief Mr. Alexandre Dumas.

As for me, Benjamin Disraeli, I am not yet Prime Minister, but believe me, I will be in the future. "

When Chopin heard this series of garish titles, he felt that his mind was so full that he had not yet realized what was going on.

Seeing him like this, Arthur just smiled and said: "Don't worry, Frederick, since we are friends now. Your concert will be left to me. As you said, this is not only for You, and also for the Polish people. Since we have published Mr. Mickiewicz’s article, we will not refuse to hold one more concert.

Besides, your resume has already said everything. You are an outstanding pianist. It’s not that you don’t have the ability to play, you just lack an opportunity. Frederick, I will give you a chance, I will give you the best platform to show yourself, if you can grasp it, you will soon be famous in the entire London music industry.

Although London's concert hall is far less famous than Vienna's, it will bring you the money you need. Generally speaking, money in London smells like copper, but you can give it a noble purpose and use it to make your compatriots live a better life. I simply can't find anything more meaningful than this. of usage. "

When Chopin heard this, he froze there.

He had prayed to God that the trip would go smoothly, but he still didn't expect it to go as smoothly as this. Arthur didn't even ask him to play a song on the spot to prove his ability. This was simply the best news he had heard in the past six months.

His lips were slightly trembling. Chopin pursed his lips and said, "Arthur, I really don't know how to thank you. It seems that His Royal Highness the Prince and His Excellency the Viscount did not lie to me. You are really a person with a great sense of justice." People of empathy, I...I have to say thank you on behalf of my fellow citizens. Arthur, I...I really appreciate you."

Arthur smiled and waved his hand and said: "Frederick, there is no need to be so open-minded. I said, we are friends now. Since we are friends, it is right to help you. Alexander knows, Benjamin also knows, I treat Friends have always been like that. Besides, in a few days I may not have the opportunity to play the piano again, and if I am gone, the people of London will definitely need a more outstanding pianist as a substitute."

"Can't play the piano? You...what's wrong with you?" Chopin asked blankly: "Is something going to happen in a few days?"

Arthur smiled and nodded: "Yes, in a few days I will have a life-and-death duel with the French swordsman Mr. François Bertrand. This duel has attracted a lot of attention. I heard that as early as a few days ago Tickets for the duel had been sold out days before.

The audience who came to watch the duel included not only ordinary London citizens, but also many celebrities in the London social circle, so I also plan to arrange your premiere in London on the same day, on the stage where Mr. Bertrand and I will duel. .

Frederic, promise me that if I no longer have the opportunity to perform a final song for my beloved audience, you will continue to live on the stage in my place. I know that you not only have the playing ability that matches the London Concert Hall, but also a precious and sincere heart. You will do better than me. "

"This..." When Chopin heard this, he felt his heart tremble suddenly. He never expected that Arthur would actually say such a last words: "Mr. Hastings, if my performance must be At the expense of your curtain call, I think such a performance is completely unnecessary. I implore you to carefully consider the suggestion you just made."

Arthur shook his head and said: "Frederick, the duel has been decided long ago. Don't put too much psychological pressure on you. Whether I live or die in a few days is not your problem. On the contrary, I I'm very glad that you showed up at this moment. You made my duel extra meaningful. You took this duel directly to another level. This is no longer a public performance like monkey tricking. If I die , then this is just a necessary sacrifice to save the Polish people."

The red devil on the side couldn't help grinning when he heard this: "Arthur, you little bastard is getting worse and worse. After you have deceived the old and the young, you have deceived the women, and then you have deceived the men. You... As soon as the words are spoken, no matter what the outcome of this performance is, this young man named Chopin will feel guilty."

"But, Arthur..."

Chopin wanted to continue persuading him, but before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Alexandre Dumas.

Alexandre Dumas gave Arthur a thumbs up appreciatively, and then said loudly: "Man enough, Arthur, you really didn't let me down! This is how a duel should be. If you don't have the determination to die, why bother to play with this man?" Game? As for you, Frederic, don't worry. As long as I, Alexandre Dumas, am here, I won't watch my eldest brother die on the duel stage. The matter of the duel is left to Arthur, Benjamin and I will take care of it. I’ll leave all the piano matters to you.”

Disraeli was startled when he heard this: "What's my business involved in this? Alexander, I can't shoot accurately!"

"If you're not allowed, go and practice!" Alexandre Dumas rolled his eyes at him angrily: "It's already bad enough that the Prime Minister of Britain can't sail a ship. If you can't use a gun, what kind of Prime Minister will you be? Benjamin, you should You don’t want to admit that even Elder can be better than you in this area, right?”

Disraeli originally wanted to argue, but when he heard that Dumas had brought Elder out, the naturally strong Jewish boy was immediately unconvinced.

He stared and tugged on his tie and said: "Alexander, who are you looking down on? I just don't practice much, but as long as a good person picks up a gun, it won't take long for him to develop the ability to shoot through an enemy with a hundred steps!" Don’t forget, my competitor is a master of playing axe. Although I have no intention of competing with him in terms of strength, I can compete with him in terms of technique.”

When Arthur heard this, he ignored them both. Instead, he looked at Chopin and raised his eyebrows and smiled: "So, Frederick, are you confident now? For the sake of the Polish people, the three of us are risking our lives now. . If you really want to thank us, then don’t say anything else. Please show your true skills on stage and on the keys to the British public. Show your talent and your love for your homeland of Poland. , you express on the keyboard the suffering that the people of Warsaw are suffering, Frederic, use your bright light to blind their eyes!"

When Chopin heard this, he felt a breath in his chest, but he didn't feel congested. It was an indescribable feeling, as if there were hands helping him straighten his waist, giving him a powerful and great feeling. strength.

His heart felt warm, and the shyness and shyness could no longer be seen on his face. He just felt that the energy in his whole body was almost endless.

He held Arthur's hand suddenly, nodded heavily and said: "Arthur, whether it is for your efforts or for the Polish people, I must respond to your trust! Please believe me, just as I believe You too!"