Shadow of great britain

In late autumn, the sun disappears very early in London. In the evening, the shining stars are faintly visible behind the clouds in the night sky.

Under the bright moonlight, the newly installed kerosene street lamps on the streets lit up one after another. The night that was so dark that you couldn't see your fingers has bid farewell to London forever. The shining city that never sleeps is no longer exclusive to Halloween, and the bright streets are not just for Halloween anymore. In order to guide the awakened undead to leave the city.

Outside the semi-open-air Astri Amphitheater, which was modeled after the ancient Roman Colosseum, there was a lot of traffic. Coachmen waving whips could be seen everywhere on the road, as well as decent gentlemen holding their wives or other people's wives. .

But for tonight alone, perhaps non-marital couples still account for the majority.

Since it coincides with the holiday of Halloween, whether it is for tradition or to cover up the private relationship between men and women, almost everyone, ladies and gentlemen, wears a mask that covers the upper half of their face.

There are many styles of masks, and the varieties and paintings are also colorful. Some couples choose to dress up as General Nelson and her mistress Mrs. Hamilton, some couples act out the love story of Tristan and Isolde, and some A little more boldly, they dressed up as Shakespeare's classic Romeo and Juliet.

Of course, there are also many couples who pursue fashion and have novel tastes. Some gentlemen chose to wear a Scotland Yard police officer uniform tonight, while his female companion wore a red skirt and held up a small beige parasol. .

If you are a reader of "British" magazine, you will definitely recognize that they are imitating the protagonists of "The Hastings Detective Collection", Mr. Hastings and his assistant Miss Helen.

Of course, there are also some who dress up as the protagonists of other best-selling novels of "The Englishman", such as Mr. Pickwick, the Count of Monte Cristo, the Young Duke, or the robber Robin Hood who are occasionally found on the street.

But unfortunately, perhaps because it is too difficult to imitate, Darwin's popular science work "The Monkey's Tale" unfortunately failed in the Halloween mask competition. After all, Mr. Elder Carter, who was the most similar to imitate in this regard, was at the moment. Playing Fantasy Rafting in the waters near Argentina.

However, although Mr. Carter's absence has diluted the festive atmosphere of Halloween, the pumpkin lanterns hung in street shops still added a lot of festive atmosphere to tonight's performance.

Under the instructions of the shop owner, the store clerks placed their best-selling products outside the door and shouted to attract customers.

And the scavengers who make a living by picking up horse manure and cleaning the roads for ladies and ladies to get off the bus have also seized the business opportunity. Thanks to the intensive masquerade balls and various salons held across London tonight, they no longer have to fight for an order. They were so noisy that they got into fights over business.

There's enough traffic tonight for them to share.

Although there are many night dances in London tonight, various theaters have also come up with special programs prepared for Halloween night, trying their best to take advantage of the increasingly fierce competition among London's top theaters.

But even so, among the night entertainment projects, the programs at the Astley Amphitheater are still the most eye-catching.

Thanks to advertisements in major London newspapers, Londoners have known about tonight's program at the Astley Theater a few weeks ago. Even British gentlemen who are accustomed to seeing the most elegant and topical performances cannot help but be attracted by their performance list.

Under the same moonlit sky, in the backstage lounge of the Astley Theatre, Arthur put the biscuit into his mouth and picked up the black tea cup.

He was holding a newspaper in his other hand. His arm shook slightly, and lines of headlines suddenly appeared in his eyes.

"The Count of Monte Cristo" and "The Pickwick Papers" have been officially authorized for stage play adaptation"

Alexandre Dumas: "Although I have achieved unprecedented success in the world of fashion novels, don't forget that I am a scriptwriter. The script of "The Count of Monte Cristo" was also written by me, and I guarantee that its quality will not be the same. It is inferior to my previous work, Henry III and His Court."

Charles Dickens: "Although "The Pickwick Papers" is not finished yet, I feel that the current content is enough to stage the first act. As Alexander said, it is indeed a difficult task to put one's work on the theater stage. Exciting things. I think the Astley Theater has the best stage sets and professional actors, and I'm very happy to be able to work with them. Finally, I also hope that the audience can see a performance there on Halloween night. A perfect stage debut, I wish you a happy performance!"

"The London Philharmonic Society announced its Halloween schedule, and Mr. Arthur Hastings, pianist and conductor of the Second Orchestra, came to the Astley Theater"

"It is believed that Mr. Hastings will release a number of new personal songs on Halloween. Music connoisseurs who love Hastings' style should not miss it."

Mr. Jacob Mendelssohn, a member of the London Philharmonic Society and a famous pianist, said in an interview: "I know that there are a lot of criticisms against Arthur in the British music industry. They say that Arthur only has one piece a year, except for He plays nothing except "The Bell". Everyone is wondering whether the Muse's love for him has been exhausted? I once had such doubts. As his friend, I also I was worried about his situation for a while.

But not long ago, Arthur invited me to his home and let me listen to some new songs. It was then that I realized how absurd and rude my worries were. If my tunes represent beauty, nobility and harmony, then Arthur represents passion, restlessness and fanatical love, and behind this love lies an unforgettable melancholy and depth.

I rarely envy someone, but this time, I'm sorry, Arthur, although you are my friend, I still have to say, I am jealous of you, I am really jealous of you! Why is the muse's love for you so crazy? Were you her lover in your previous life?

Sigh... Arthur, I think you meant it. Why did you let me listen to such a thing before I left for Paris? Arthur, you are such a bad person. Now it seems that you working as a policeman at Scotland Yard may be good news for the European music industry. If you compose full-time, where will there be a place for us in Europe? "

"Jacob Mendelssohn temporarily changed his Paris schedule. The romantic pianist who inherited Mr. Bach's legacy announced that he will perform a backing performance for Mr. Hastings' new music at the Halloween performance."

Seeing this, Arthur took a sip of hot black tea and let out a long white breath: "Jacob, you've learned too much! You clearly know that those songs are not mine, but you still do it in front of reporters. It’s no use bragging. Now, counting Mr. Vidocq’s time, I owe you two favors.”

Then, his eyes moved down a little further, and there was a news headline that was equally eye-catching and shocking.

"35 days after landing in London, 49 English fencing masters lost their virginity one after another, and the London Fencing Association was wiped out!" 》

"The London Fencing Association lost hundreds of members in one week, and the practice hall was completely silent"

"The Birth of Foil Napoleon!" Who is François Bertrand? 》

"Can't there be a single person among the 22 million people in Great Britain who knows how to fight with a sword?" 》

"The frog's legs have stepped on Britain's face!" British martial arts lose face! 》

"I hereby call for the immediate organization of the Eighth Anti-French Alliance! 》

"Sad news! In order to safeguard the glory of England's swordsmanship, Mr. Hastings, the upright and brave Superintendent of Scotland Yard, announced that he will have an honorary duel with the Parisian swordsman Francois Bertrand before playing a new song! 》

"The London Philharmonic Society tried its best to prevent this unnecessary bloody struggle. Mr. Moscheles, the president of the Philharmonic Society, angrily said: It is outrageous enough to let a young pianist with a bright future catch criminals, but now he has to To risk losing his life or his hands due to a duel is simply ridiculous! 》

"Mr. Faraday, head of the Royal Institute of the Royal Society, expressed concerns to the newspaper reporter: Arthur is currently working with Mr. Wheatstone and I on an important paper in the field of electromagnetism. I am worried that his departure may have an impact on electromagnetics." causing irreparable damage to the research field"

After the news of the duel was announced, Mr. Hastings's ardent supporters in the fields of science and music went to the Metropolitan Police Station at 4 Whitehall Street to hold a protest demonstration.

Mrs. Codrington, a representative of the demonstrators, said: We, the ladies of the Bluestocking Club, have always supported Mr. Hastings, but he has gone too far this time. But we feel that this cannot all be blamed on him, and we do not understand why a man as distinguished as Mr. Hastings should bear the consequences of the incompetence of British fencing.

Miss Byron, who also participated in the demonstration accompanied by her mother, also agreed with this: I am very familiar with Mr. Hastings. He is not only a very polite and funny gentleman, but also an outstanding police officer and an excellent officer. pianist and a pioneering natural philosophy researcher. I've also heard that he's also very good with a sword, but I don't think he should be the price to pay for covering up everyone else's incompetence.

By the way, during the interview, the reporter also heard many creative solutions.

"If Bertrand dares to stretch his claws at Mr. Hastings, then we will chop off his shoulders too!"

"Don't blame me for not warning Scotland Yard. If you don't stop this duel, I will definitely bring a gun with me when I go to the show that day!"

"Don't disbelieve his words. I prove that the gentleman who just said this is an Oxford graduate! Do you understand the weight of an Oxford gentleman's promise?"

"Scotland Yard announced that it will increase patrols near the Astley Amphitheater on Halloween night and introduce short-term gun control measures in the area"

"Charles Rowan, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police: Arthur Hastings is Scotland Yard's best police officer and an asset to all Londoners. We will certainly respond to the calls of Londoners to ensure his safety."

"Like a formidable enemy!" According to insider sources: 500 police officers will be at the Astley Theater on Halloween night! Relevant citizens are asked not to take drastic measures."

"St. Mary's Hospital will send professional emergency doctors to the duel venue and do their best to ensure that Mr. Hastings is not in danger of life."

Arthur poured the last bit of black tea in the cup into his mouth. He had just put down the newspaper when he saw Bertrand in fighting uniform walking in from the east side of the lounge.

There were beads of sweat on his forehead. It could be seen that even Napoleon was nervous sometimes.

When Bertrand saw Arthur, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief and walked up in two steps: "Mr. Hastings, I am really glad that I made a wise choice to accept your handbag that day... Uh, no, Friendship. No, that’s not right, it’s loyalty to the Bonaparte family and friendship between us. Haha, looking at the situation today, even if I win, I probably won’t be able to walk out of the theater alive. From the moment I stepped in When the gate here started to open, I realized that I had to lie down and go out today."

Arthur chuckled and said: "Don't worry, Mr. Bertrand, as long as you follow the script, I guarantee that nothing will happen to either of us. Relax, it's just a play. Although you and I are not professional actors, At any rate, we have rehearsed several times. And in order to prevent the audience from shooting at you and me, we deliberately set the duel stage a little further away this time, and asked Scotland Yard to tighten gun control. So..."

When Bertrand heard this, he interrupted: "If I had not promised you that day, would Scotland Yard not have implemented gun control?"

"No, I will still do it." Arthur smiled and leaned back on the chair: "But in that case, I cannot guarantee the comprehensiveness of gun control. After all, you also know that the job of the police is not easy to do. Occasionally, There will be one or two fish that slip through the net.”

Bertrand shuddered and said: "I feel more and more now that I have made the right decision. But this is also my fault. I seem to have played too much. If I hadn't chosen venues in so many fencing clubs in London , I won’t have to fall into a duel with you.”

Arthur did not comment on Bertrand's speculation. He just shrugged: "Okay, Mr. Bertrand, you'd better hurry up and prepare the props. There are a lot of big shots coming tonight, including many of your French nobles. , such as Mr. Talleyrand, the French Ambassador. If he takes a fancy to you, it will definitely be helpful to your development in Paris. As I said before, I don’t intend to make your loss too ugly. You can definitely lose. It’s very gorgeous. Overall, I’m all about a win-win situation.”

Bertrand reached out and gave Arthur a quick high-five: "I won't disturb you anymore. You should prepare well. But judging from your calm state, I probably don't need to worry about this performance."

After saying this, Bertrand opened the door and walked out.

Unexpectedly, not long after he left, another familiar face came into the lounge.

It was Lionel Rothschild dressed up in a neat tuxedo and bow tie.

There was a faint smile on the corner of Lionel's mouth, but there was a trace of worry that was the opposite of happiness between his eyebrows.

This young man, who had always been polite and courteous, walked straight towards Arthur, even forgetting to say hello.

He came directly to Arthur and sat down, and asked: "Arthur, are you sure about your chances of winning today?"

Arthur heard something wrong in the words: "Did something happen?"

Lionel took a deep breath and nodded: "It's a good thing, but it's also a bad thing."

Arthur joked: "I thought only civil servants in various departments would talk like this. Does it turn out that bankers are the same?"

Lionel smiled, waved his hand and said: "That's all, I won't joke with you. Now is indeed not the time to joke. Arthur, I have something very important to tell you. You must do this in today's game." Win it.”

Arthur picked up the teapot and poured himself another cup: "Thank you for reminding me, Lionel, but that's what I originally planned."

"Arthur, what I'm talking about is not your determination to win, but that the result of this duel must be that you win! Because I have just received notice from my father that there will be several special guests in the theater today. If you can be with them Performing well in front of others will not only help Rothschild as the organizer, but will also benefit your own future."

"Um?"

Arthur found clues in the other party's words. He thought for a moment and seemed to understand something. He couldn't help but slightly widened his eyes and pointed at the ceiling: "You mean that person?"

Lionel smiled brightly and said, "Yes, that's the one!"

Agares, who was sitting on the chandelier, grabbed his face with both hands and said sarcastically: "Oh! My King Solomon! Arthur, is even God coming to watch the monkey show between you and Bertrand? But I still think That carpenter prefers to watch the Jews hammering nails into the cross! Now that the Jews are here, Arthur, while there is still time, hurry up and saw two more pieces of rotten wood. Since I have been with you for so long, I can do it. I’ll nail you up.”

Arthur ignored the Red Devil's taunt. He just asked: "Why did His Majesty the King come to the Astley Theatre? Don't members of the royal family usually go to the Covent Garden Theater to watch their elegant operas?"

Lionel clapped his hands, pursed his lips and smiled: "This can only be blamed on our publicity for this duel being so successful! Arthur, to be honest, Rothschild's social circle is actually quite wide. . You also know that our main business, in addition to stocks and bonds, is the loan business. You also know that you are one of our loan service customers, and before you, we have also provided high-quality and low-price loans to many people. For example, the Duke of Wellington, the late Duke of Liverpool, or the former Chancellor of the Exchequer Vansitat and the former Chairman of the Board of Trade Mr. Herries are among our service targets.

Among the clients we serve, the ones we value most are the British royal family. Before the current King William IV was lucky enough to inherit the throne, he was just the Duke of Clarence who was not favored by others for a long time. Perhaps because of his extravagant spending in his early years, or because others didn't respect him very much, his financial situation was poor for a long time. During that time, Rothschild provided him with long-term and stable loan services of tens of thousands of pounds, so he won some of his friendship.

He would occasionally invite my father to have a simple dinner or provide him with some appropriate financial advice. It just so happened that this morning, His Majesty suddenly asked about this sword fight. Because he had been serving in the Royal Navy in his early years, he had always been interested in this aspect.

In addition, the whole city of London was in a fuss over the duel between you and Bertrand, so he also came up with the idea of ​​coming to the show. The nobles in the House of Lords may not care about His Majesty the King's order, but for Rothschild, we cannot give up this opportunity. So, Arthur, you know, it's in everyone's interest to win this duel. "

After Lionel said this, he suddenly lowered his voice and said: "Arthur, I asked someone from the London Swordsmanship Association. Bertrand's strength is no joke, and he does not live in vain. So I think, in order to be on the safe side, For the sake of safety, we might as well..."

When Lionel said this, he made a gesture of counting tickets towards Arthur: "Arthur, what do you think? I don't want you to lose your honor, but life is very precious after all, isn't it? You have to play some music later."

Seeing his action, Arthur just stood up seriously and said with some sadness: "Lionel! I really didn't expect that in your perception, I was actually that kind of person..."

Lionel quickly suppressed his smile after hearing this. He stood up and apologized: "Arthur, don't be angry. This is just an immature suggestion. I never meant to offend you. I just habitually applied banker's logic. Sorry, I should have understood this. As a true master of swordsmanship, your honor cannot be tarnished with money."

Arthur sighed and shook his head. He picked up a biscuit and raised it toward the chandelier. Through the small hole in the biscuit, he could just see the mocking smile of the red devil: "Lionel, Mr. Bertrand is already My friend. I won his friendship as Rothschild won the friendship of His Majesty the King."

"Um?"

Lionel was suddenly stunned. He was still thinking about how to apologize to Arthur. When he heard this, he immediately pinched his waist and said, "Arthur, being friends with you is really exciting! I also I thought you were a sensitive person!"

Arthur threw the biscuit into his mouth and chewed the taste carefully: "No, Lionel, you are right. I am indeed quite sensitive to friendship. In order to make friends, my trip was almost in vain. ."

"ah……"

The confident smile returned to Lionel's face. He put one hand on the back of Arthur's chair and lowered his head as he spoke: "Arthur, don't worry so much. The price of friendship has always been very expensive, especially for big shots. Our friendship is simply sky-high. Compared to them, I think Mr. Bertrand is already very cheap. But you like to make friends, and I also like to make friends. Can you take me to get to know him someday? In this case, I think we can just split the price of friendship equally."

After saying this, Lionel stretched out his hand towards Arthur, raised his eyebrows and smiled at him.

Arthur took out his handkerchief and wiped the biscuit crumbs off his hands, and then held his hand familiarly.

Arthur said: "Lionel, I hope our friendship cannot be simply measured by money."

Lionel smiled and nodded: "Of course, but I do have the idea of ​​​​additional investment, because in my opinion, the current valuation of this stock is actually on the low side. Arthur, look, just A copy of The Brit is already a surprise to me."

When Arthur heard this, he just shook his head: "You really don't listen to advice, Lionel. But whatever you want, I have nothing to say about it. Because I am really not an expert when it comes to investment."

Lionel patted Arthur on the shoulder: "Arthur, perform well. The protagonist of today's scene is you, and we all benefit from it. Please don't forget that this Halloween night, the whole of London is Focus on you.”