Shadow of great britain

Chapter 417 Rain, Police and the Tower of London - Arthur Hastings’ 1832

In a quiet house in Chelsea, London, the residential studio is bathed in the soft and changing light of the afternoon.

The large windows face north and south. Friends who are familiar with the owner of the studio know that he arranged the windows in this way so that the unique uncertainty of the London sky can become a source of inspiration for his canvases.

The interior furnishings are simple and practical. On the easel, an unfinished work occupies the center position. It has begun to show the delicate interplay of light and shadow and hazy fog. This layout is also his signature strong personal style.

Scattered across the floor are various tubes of paint, including some of the bright colors the owner loves, especially those used to capture the majestic rays of sunrise and sunset in gold, orange and purple.

Stacked by the window are stacks of manuscripts and sketchbooks soaked in oil paint, recording his momentary impressions after returning from various places. The air smells of turpentine mixed with fresh paint, and the surrounding walls are covered with completed works and experimental sketches.

As for the painter himself, he is wearing work clothes stained with the traces of time, holding a paintbrush in his hand, staring at the picture with concentration, sometimes painting it quickly, sometimes applying it carefully and evenly, as if he is capturing the invisible power of nature and the fleeting moments of life. The beauty of the moment.

Perhaps he was too tired from work, so from time to time he would go to the window, look into the distance, observe the flow of clouds and changes in light, and then quickly return to the easel to transform the impression he just had into vivid brushstrokes on the canvas.

At this moment, the studio is like a small theater. He is both a director and an actor. Here he puts on a wonderful play that talks with nature. His paintbrush is the key that opens the mysterious door. Through it, he not only records the real world , and even created a visual universe full of poetry and emotion in his dreams.

Boom, boom, boom.

The servant knocked on the door of the studio and bowed to him humbly: "Mr. Turner, the poet you admire, Mr. Alfred Tennyson, is here."

"Mr. Tennyson is here?"

William Turner put down his paintbrush in surprise, picked up the latest issue of "The British" placed on the table, and ordered to the servant: "Invite him in quickly."

Not long after, a tall man with thick curly hair appeared outside the door. He was wearing a loose robe and a woolen cardigan. The gentle and deep smile that often hung on his lips was gone.

Instead, there was a pair of melancholy eyes and the Bible he pressed on his chest.

Perhaps it was because of the impactful rainy night the day before yesterday, or perhaps it was because he was so inspired that he stayed up all night for two consecutive days. The twenty-three poems published in "The British" and named "In Memoriam" are what he is today. The best explanation for being in a trance.

With a smile on his face, Turner stood up to greet Tennyson's arrival. However, before he could reach him, the young and famous painter already noticed something was wrong with Tennyson's mood.

"You don't look well, maybe you need some rest? Well...Mr. Tennyson, although I do want to chat with you about your new work,...that can actually happen some other time."

Tennyson shook his head: "Thank you for your concern. I really need to rest, but I can't let myself close my eyes. Whenever I think about lying in bed for a while, the terrible scene of that rainy night in the Tower of London will appear in front of my eyes." . The shouts of the crowd, the fire from the muzzle, the smell of gunpowder smoke, and...blood all over the floor. Mr. Turner, I can't sleep, and I don't dare to close my eyes."

"I knew it." Turner took a deep breath and said, "You must have been in the Tower of London that night."

"also?"

Tennyson was stunned for a long time, and his reaction had become a little slow: "Are you saying that you were also there at the time?"

Turner called the servant and thoughtfully ordered a cup of refreshing Earl Gray tea for Tennyson, and then pulled him to sit down.

"To be precise, I was not at the Tower of London, but at Tower Bridge on the Thames. I was originally waiting for the sunrise there, preparing to paint a busy scene of the Thames at dawn. But you should know that from dusk At first, the situation in London suddenly became very tense.

There were police, military and demonstrators everywhere. My assistants were worried that they might get into unnecessary trouble if they wandered around at this time, but I found better subjects for painting, and an unprecedented surge of emotion filled my chest. , I plan to use my brush to depict the riots sweeping the city. "

Tennyson seemed to have remembered something. He held the hot tea cup and smiled reluctantly: "Is your creation going well?"

Just like Tennyson, Turner has not yet fully recovered from that stormy night. He seemed a little excited, and his eyebrows raised inadvertently when he spoke.

"To be honest, it is not an easy task to express this theme well. At that time, the sun had set and all the tones had become gray. I made several drafts in a row, but I couldn't make it out of my mind at that time. That strange feeling in his chest manifested itself.

It was not until later that the rioting crowd began to attack the Tower of London, and a bloody battle broke out between them and the Tower Guards. Then, the police from Scotland Yard also came. The leader was a police officer riding a black horse. He waved his white glove and the gunfire illuminated. In an instant, the colors between heaven and earth lit up.

The fire, the dark red blood, everything changed instantly, and my creative desire was completely released at this time. At first, I was a little afraid of stray bullets flying past my ears, but later, I didn't care about anything anymore. All I was thinking about was finishing the painting. "

When Tennyson heard this, his expression became more and more dazed. He stopped him and said, "No, Mr. Turner, I respect you very much, but you cannot publish such a work. This is wrong."

Turner opened his eyes in surprise when he heard this and said: "How did you know that my work was wrong? My God, it seems that our inspirations were indeed intertwined that night, and some incredible things happened. Resonance. I finished typing the manuscript with satisfaction and was about to put it away, but at that time I heard the roar of horse hooves. It was the newly entered Guards Cavalry. After that, I saw a figure leaping up. …”

When Tennyson heard this, he couldn't help but cover his head in pain, hunched his body and begged: "That's enough, Mr. Turner, I don't want to continue to remember it."

Turner saw Tennyson's reaction and instantly understood where his sudden bursts of poetry came from.

He held Tennyson's back and asked cautiously: "So, is that police officer the one you are mourning? That Superintendent Arthur Hastings who is currently being attacked by Fleet Street? You don't want to The reason why I published the previous work was because I was worried that my work might bring him further negative reputation?"

Tennyson nodded slightly: "Mr. Turner, there are many hidden things in this that you don't know."

"Um……"

Turner didn't say anything, but stood up directly and opened the curtain covering the huge painting beside him.

It was the Thames covered with fog, and the Tower of London standing on the bank of the Thames illuminated by fire. The rioting crowd held high torches, and behind them were the chasing cavalry and the police holding civilized sticks. The fierce raindrops hit the slightly shiny stone road, causing waves of water to splash.

In the center of the picture, there is a dark horse. The tall police officer jumped down, and a beautiful and sad blood flower bloomed on his chest.

Tennyson stared at the painting and was stunned for a long time. He was speechless for a long time. At the end, he asked as if he had just woken up from a dream: "What is the name of this painting?"

Turner took a sip from the teacup and said, "Rain, the Police and the Tower of London - Arthur Hastings's 1832."

At this point, Turner turned to Tennyson and asked: "If it is possible, Mr. Tennyson, can you take me to see Hastings? Even... even just for a glimpse. That night was really... It was so dark that I couldn't see his face clearly. Well...it may be a bit rude to say this, but I wanted to paint a portrait of him as a last reminder for those of you who mourn him. "

…

London, Westminster, Whitehall Street, Home Office, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

After the parliamentary reform bill was passed, Earl Gray accepted the king's appointment that day, returned to the post of prime minister, and took on the important task of forming the cabinet.

Perhaps the matter of forming a cabinet seemed to the Duke of Wellington to be a very difficult task, but for Earl Gray, the process of forming a cabinet was extremely easy.

He did not even need to convene a new meeting of the Whigs. He only needed to resubmit the list of members of the previous Gray Cabinet to St. James's Palace to complete the process.

And this also means that Viscount Melbourne will return to the position of Minister of the Interior.

At this moment, the lazy gentleman was sitting in the office he had been away from for a month, and standing opposite him was Charles Rowan, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Viscount Melbourne looked up at the expressionless Rowan, pursed his lips and sighed: "Rowan, can you explain to me what this letter is about?"

He pushed the letter on the desk forward. It was the work summary on the London riots that Rowan had just submitted yesterday.

…

To sum up, during the riots that broke out on June 5, most of the Scotland Yard police officers showed amazing courage and extraordinary work ability. Among them, the one who showed the most loyalty to the police profession, was the bravest in quelling the riots, and made the greatest contribution should be the first to be mentioned, Officer Arthur Hastings, followed by the police officers under his leadership.

According to subsequent investigation and verification, Officer Hastings and his subordinate police teams handled the emergencies at the London Stock Exchange and the Tower of London perfectly. It is a great honor for me to forward this work report to your Excellency the Minister, because it truthfully records how fearless, wise and courageous the hero of Scotland Yard was in the critical moment.

Officer Hastings has now become a role model for the entire London Metropolitan Police Force. He has made great achievements in protecting public order and the dignity of the law. What is even more commendable is that Officer Hastings does not take credit personally. From beginning to end, he never asked for any reward from His Majesty the King or the government.

However, as the top leader of the Metropolitan Police, I, Charles Rowan, will bring disgrace to the entire police force if I cannot stand up for my subordinates and allow his honor to be tarnished. I therefore venture to submit to the Home Secretary's judgment whether this small request of mine can be approved by His Majesty, if His Majesty really thinks it worthy of praise.

Luo Wan stood upright. He didn't even glance at the letter: "Sir, I have nothing to explain. Everything I want to say has been written in this letter, and I don't think about it casually. Change my point of view. I am a soldier. Although I have retired from the army now, veterans still speak with spit and nail. If officers can keep their words, how can I get the boys to listen to me in the future? "

Viscount Melbourne did not expect Rowan to act so tough. Not only did the retired army colonel not intend to give in, he was not even willing to say a soft word.

Melbourne glanced at the newly scabbed wound on Rowan's chin, stood up and poured him a glass of wine: "Does it still hurt?"

Luo Wan drank the glass of wine in one gulp and replied: "A little injury, that's what I do."

Melbourne said helplessly: "Charles, I know you are emotional. I also like Officer Hastings very much. Everyone knows that he is a good young man, but..."

Rowan interrupted: "Sir, it doesn't matter that I have emotions, but these are not my emotions alone. If you don't believe it, you can go to Scotland Yard now. Tell them in front of those young men, They had taken so many beatings and suffered so many injuries that day, and it was all for nothing.

The next time they encounter a riot, they should not take action. If they don't believe it, Arthur Hastings is their role model. The end result of doing one's duty is to be put on the news pages of London's major newspapers and be treated like a pig. "

Seeing this, the Viscount of Melbourne quickly comforted him: "Charles, I assure you, those accusations against Officer Hastings were definitely not instigated by the government. The reason why there are so many different opinions is simply because Britain is a country with a free press. s country."

When Luo Wan heard this, he took off his hat and took a deep breath. His eyes seemed to be on fire.

"You are right. If it were not for the freedom of the press provided by the law, I would have sent people to Fleet Street to destroy their newspaper office. But I can also understand that there are always all kinds of people in this world. There are all kinds of opinions, and some of them are weird but it doesn’t matter. Therefore, I did not recommend in the work report that the Fleet Street news media be closed down.

But, Sir, what I am talking about now is not the attitude of the newspapers, but the attitude of the government. At this moment, posthumously conferring a knighthood on Officer Arthur Hastings as originally planned would be the most straightforward supportive attitude of the government. I have to remind you that within Scotland Yard, morale among the officers is extremely low.

What we need is not an insignificant verbal praise, but real recognition that all police officers carry out their duties on the job. If you feel that Scotland Yard is an irrelevant institution and that the work we do is meaningless, then please apply to Parliament to abolish all police agencies. In this way, my boys can find some high-paying jobs, and my old boys and I can return to the army. It just so happens that the army also recognizes us old guys very much. "

Viscount Melbourne heard that Rowan had already spoken for this reason, and instantly understood the seriousness of the situation.

Because of the passage of the Parliamentary Reform Bill, the British Army itself was already suffocating at this time. If there were another riot or other emergency in London, it would be almost impossible at this juncture to persuade the army to help the Whig government. They will just stand aside and watch the fun.

Under this situation, if Scotland Yard is not appeased, then at least in this three-thirds of an acre of land in London, he, the Home Secretary, will basically become a complete decoration in terms of public security.

Of course, he can also ask His Majesty the King to replace some of the top leaders of Scotland Yard.

Under normal circumstances, the king would not get involved in such minutiae. But the bad thing is that this is not an ordinary situation right now.

Although William IV agreed to support the Whig Parliamentary Reform Bill, this did not mean that he liked the plan. From the king's point of view, it was not a good idea to weaken the power of the nobles who supported him. Not to mention that the process of parliamentary reform also caused turmoil in London.

In this context, William IV is likely to veto proposals to adjust the administrative staff of Scotland Yard. This is not nonsense, because according to what Viscount Melbourne knows, such signs have already appeared.

At the royal meeting held yesterday morning, William IV, in front of all members of the Privy Council, emphatically praised the important role played by Scotland Yard and the Army in the London riots, and also requested that the new Whig cabinet should The current priority is to restore normal order in the country.

Although the Viscount of Melbourne was worried about the influence of public opinion from Fleet Street, the king's attitude and the support of Scotland Yard were more important than the vicious reporters and newspaper editors.

After the London riots, Prime Minister Earl Gray's political stance seemed to have become much more conservative. The Whig leader, who had been a radical in Parliament for more than thirty years, had a long talk with his ministers after his re-election.

He talked about a lot, but the sentence that impressed Viscount Melbourne the most was: "We can launch a war at any time as long as we want. But we must also consider that if a war is launched, it will not Because we don’t want to fight and stop. In short, we need to learn the lesson of France, where there was turmoil for twenty or thirty years, but in the end, all that was left was a piece of chicken feathers.”

Viscount Melbourne thought of this, and suddenly Arthur's energetic face appeared in his mind. It was a difficult decision, but fortunately, he finally convinced himself, even if doing so cost some of his political reputation.

"For your sake, for Mr. Faraday's sake, for my sister Cowper's sake, and for the sake of the greater good. Well, Rowan, you've convinced me. I'll go Talk to the Prime Minister and His Majesty the King."

Viscount Melbourne picked up the bottle and gave Rowan a little more, clinked glasses with him and said: "Although it is not the season for honors, I think that a brave and fearless young man like Arthur Hastings deserves an exception."