Shadow of great britain

Arthur and Vidocq stood outside the coffee shop. When they saw Alexandre Dumas in trouble, they were not in a hurry to go in. Instead, they lit a light and took a puff of cigarettes, leisurely watching the dramatic scene unfolding in the coffee shop.

Their figures are reflected in the shop windows, disappearing in the streets and alleys, filled with dust and smoke from rolling wheels and the aroma rising from the bakery. If you hadn't observed carefully, you wouldn't have known that these two gentlemen were originally from London and Paris respectively. Here are the two detectives.

Through the clean glass windows, the two gentlemen focused their attention on an open area in the center of the coffee shop. The coffee tables on both sides had been overturned to the ground at some point. In the cleared space, an exciting scene was taking place. A heart-pounding duel.

There were two opponents, one fat and one thin, also dressed in gorgeous clothes. The fat one did not draw his gun, but knelt down on one knee and begged his opponent for forgiveness.

As for the thin one, it seemed that he was extremely angry, and his originally soft and handsome face was set off by the livid complexion, which made him look ferocious and terrifying.

He held a pistol to the fat man's head and couldn't stop roaring at him: "Alexander, I'm not here today to listen to you begging for forgiveness! I've already heard people say that your "Antony" When it premiered in London, I specially invited Doval to be the heroine. As a friend, I congratulate you on the great success of "Antony" in a foreign country. I heard that the audience in London called you the most talented person in France at the moment. Playwright. But you shouldn’t have hugged Doval in her underwear and kissed her after the show!”

Hearing this, Alexandre Dumas hurriedly clarified: "Pooh, I don't know where you heard these lies. But I swear in the name of a gentleman that I never did any of these things during the premiere! Just look it up. When "Antony" was released in London, you should also know that there were riots in London that day, and I participated in it. Moreover, a friend of mine almost died on that day. He asked someone to shoot him under the Tower of London. I was heartbroken and lay in the coffin for several days before I sat up in a daze."

"What the hell!" Pooh kicked the chair next to him angrily: "Alexander, do you really think I'm a fool? A man suddenly climbed out of a coffin. Was he called Lazarus or Jesus? ?”

"His name is Arthur Hastings."

"Shut up! Alexander, that's not what I'm asking!" Pooh scolded: "I'm talking about the time you hugged Doval and kissed you passionately in front of all the audience on the premiere day of 'Antoni'!"

Alexandre Dumas repeatedly complained: "Pooh, what on earth do I have to say to make you believe me? I really didn't do that kind of thing on the day of the premiere. I didn't even watch the premiere and went to the bottom of the Tower of London that day."

"Really?" Pooh tilted his head slightly, looking a little unconvinced.

"Really, I never lie." Alexandre Dumas gritted his teeth and said, "I actually kissed Doval during the second performance."

"What the hell does that make a difference?!"

"Of course." Alexandre Dumas said sadly: "Winnie, you have to believe me, I have tried to restrain myself. But, Dorval... Dorval is too enthusiastic!"

When Pooh heard this, he was so angry that his whole body was shaking, and he couldn't even hold the gun steady.

"Okay, Alexander, you did a great job!"

Vinnie threw the pistol outward and dropped it to the ground.

Alexandre Dumas was stunned when he saw this: "Pooh, what are you doing?"

Pooh took a deep breath and said: "Alexander, you are an honest person and a considerate friend. You and I have had so many years of friendship and friendship. Without you drawing your gun, I don't want to fight like this one-sidedly." Damn you. But... I can't just forgive you. But fortunately, I had already anticipated your reaction today, so... I also brought an alternative."

As soon as Pooh finished speaking, he shook the package placed on the seat, and there was only a jingling sound, and two French foil swords fell to the ground.

Pooh stared at Alexandre Dumas and said: "Come on, Alexander, you pick a handy one first. I don't want to be said that I am bullying you. Maybe you are afraid that shooting will kill me. Since you are unwilling to use a gun, let's It's a sword fight. Let's fight fair. If there is no blood today, I will feel uncomfortable. "

"Pooh..."

"Shut up! Alexander, pick up your sword! Even if I don't pierce your chest today, I will open your arms!"

Seeing that Pooh's attitude was still so tough, Alexandre Dumas finally said no more words.

In Alexandre Dumas' view, if the two competed with guns, he was very worried that he would miss Pooh and kill him.

But if two people compete with each other, as long as they defend themselves well and exhaust Pooh until he has no strength left, they can get a happy ending.

Under Pooh's gaze, Alexandre Dumas casually picked up a foil sword on the ground and stood up staggeringly.

He glanced at Winnie's furious expression, and feeling guilty, he muttered to himself: "If that doesn't work, why don't we just let him stab him with a sword to vent his anger at the end, just to calm down?"

When Pooh saw Alexandre Dumas pick up the foil sword, he unequivocally picked up another one with his toes.

The two of them started fighting and kept a certain distance on the carpet of the coffee shop.

Suddenly, there was only a sound breaking through the air. Pooh relaxed his shoulders and made a sword show. The tip of his sword drew a tense arc in the air, indicating the life and death conflict that was about to break out here.

The stern faces and sharp eyes of these two French gentlemen soon attracted a group of pedestrians passing by the cafe.

The crowd of onlookers was buzzing with whispers and murmurs, but Dumas and Pooh seemed to be in silence, fully focused on this showdown involving honor and dignity.

Seeing this, Vidocq suddenly remembered Arthur's defeat of the Paris swordsman Bertrand. He took a puff of cigarette and asked: "What do you think of the skills of these two guys?"

Arthur looked at Pooh, who was trying his best to act cool, and made a simple comment: "To paraphrase what you French people often say - clothes cannot make a monk, and a hat cannot make a philosopher. In the same way, a beautiful sword flower can't make a monk." You can’t make a fighter unless he gives his opponent money.”

Vidocq only thought that Arthur was mocking Pooh. He laughed loudly and said, "What do you think of Mr. Dumas's swordsmanship?"

Arthur also commented simply and clearly: "Alexander is a sharpshooter and a good swordsman."

"Have you fought him?"

"Well..." Arthur raised four fingers at Vidocq.

Vidocq asked in confusion: "What does this mean?"

"He can seriously go four rounds under me."

Vidocq glanced at the calm Arthur, looked at the two Parisian playwrights in the coffee shop, and said with a relaxed smile: "That's really good."

I don’t know if he was influenced by Arthur. Alexandre Dumas put his right foot forward, straightened his sword hand and lowered it to the front of his right knee. The tip of the sword stretched forward and pointed upward at the opponent’s face, using Arthur’s usual iron gate. Start with gesture.

The advantage of this position is that holding the sword in front not only prevents the opponent from cutting and stabbing, just like there is a gate blocking you in front, but also allows the swordsman to flexibly change his stance and use various tactics to harass the opponent.

However, compared to Alexandre Dumas' straight iron stance, Arthur obviously has more choices in starting hands, because mature swordsmen usually deal with opponents with different weapons, technical schools, and different handedness depending on the situation.

In other words, Arthur is not only accustomed to using the straight iron gate posture, but also often changes his moves flexibly, withdrawing his sword to the left and right sides respectively, and standing in the iron gate posture on both sides to face the enemy.

Once Arthur gains the upper hand and gets close to him, he will soon give up slashing and stabbing, and instead use quick grappling, wrestling and throwing techniques.

Arthur used this move to defeat all the invincible opponents among the gangsters in the East District. Alexandre Dumas obviously planned to imitate Arthur's "gangster swordsmanship" today, starting with an iron gate stance to solidify the defense, and then waiting for an opportunity to close the distance between swords. , and then looked for an opportunity to drag Pooh into the ground.

But the development of things was obviously not as Alexandre Dumas imagined.

I only saw a gust of wind blowing by, shaking the wind chimes in the cafe. The sunlight shined on Dumas' face through the cafe window, and the dazzling light fascinated his eyes.

The moment he blinked, Pooh, who was highly concentrated, stepped forward and struck with his sword.

As Arthur said, although this gentleman had practiced swordsmanship, most of his energy was spent on practicing swordplay and pretending to be cool.

The movement of the right foot and the left foot were not synchronized. The right foot had already stepped out, but the left heel was still attached behind. This was obviously a desperate thrust, but Mr. Pooh used it for chopping.

Sure enough, before his sword could hit Alexandre Dumas, his head almost hit the tip of the fat man's sword.

Alexandre Dumas was startled by Pooh's action. He couldn't bear to stab his friend and quickly put back his sword. Pooh struck with the sword, but it didn't even touch Alexandre Dumas' white scarf.

Although Pooh was not very good at swordsmanship, his desperate fighting style shocked Alexandre Dumas.

Alexandre Dumas wanted to close the distance with Pooh, but the other party did not leave him any chance. The shining sword tip illuminated by the sun was flying back and forth in the air like a butterfly that had taken the wrong medicine. When others see it, they will never think that Pooh is a playwright or poet, but will probably mistake him for a mathematician.

If not, why would he be waving his foil and drawing 8 in the air?

Alexandre Dumas was forced to do nothing by Pooh's bastard sword skills, so he had to fight and retreat all the way, retreating from one end of the cafe to the other. Judging from the distance he retreated, he was afraid that he would retreat to the kitchen to cook in a short while. .

Pooh was fighting back while panting and cursing: "Alexander, draw your sword? Why don't you draw your sword? Do you think I can forgive you if you don't draw your sword? In today's duel stage, it is destined that there will only be one between us. Winner, just like in Doval!"

Alexandre Dumas complained endlessly: "Pooh, what are you doing? Dorval told me long ago that she and I were just a casual marriage. She only kissed me once, and when she left London to return to Paris, you Do you know what she said to me?"

When Pooh heard this, his attack speed also slowed down: "What did she say?"

Alexandre Dumas said: "I thanked her for coming all the way to London to support me. She just said: 'Ah! You are so polite, my darling! I haven't seen you for a while.'"

"ah!!!!!!!!"

Ding-ding-ding-ding!

Pooh struck out with several swords in succession, but Dumas defended them all.

"Winnie, don't get excited, listen to me first. I told her again: 'If you can't see me, there's nothing you can do about it. In the past two years, I've either been busy being the father of the revolution, or I've been busy being a child. Dad. Can I ask you for another kiss before we leave?'"

Ding-ding-ding-ding!

Their swords were full of sparks.

"Winnie, don't get angry in a hurry, there will be more later. Doval said to me in a somewhat embarrassed manner: 'I'm sorry, I...can't kiss you...because, I've changed for the better.'

I asked her curiously: ‘What caused your ‘revolution’? ’

She told me: 'Alfred de Vigny, I was fascinated by him. Love was his only nature, he treated me like a duchess, called me his angel, and said my body was his only source of inspiration. ’

Pooh, by this time, I know that I have already lost to you in this duel about Doval. In this case, what's the point of our duel? "

When Pooh heard this, he panted with his sword in one hand and his waist with the other: "Alexander, are you telling the truth?"

Alexandre Dumas nodded sincerely and said: "Winnie, I've said it many times. The kiss Doval gave me in the theater that day was just the infatuation of a great actor. You know what an outstanding actor she is. , she has completely put herself into it.”

When Pooh heard this, he suddenly took a deep breath, and his mind seemed to have calmed down: "This... seems to be true. She is such a crazy person, and because of this, she can become the most popular woman in Paris. actor……"

Alexandre Dumas said sincerely: "Pooh, thank God, the misunderstanding between us has finally been resolved. In this case, can I take the liberty to ask, who is instigating the relationship between you and me? That damn villain, that Who is the villain who alienates our friendship?"

Pooh looked hesitant and pursed his lips: "Yes... Balzac told me. As for who he listened to, I... I don't know. But I think Balzac probably listened to it." Hugo said it, Hugo... he probably heard it from others. "

When Alexandre Dumas heard this, a ball of fire suddenly burst into his chest: "Balzac! It's this rogue bastard again!"

When Alexandre Dumas said this, a voice that was neither salty nor bland suddenly sounded in the coffee shop: "Alexander, you are not qualified to say that to others. He just recounted what you did truthfully. Are you sure you don't give it to Pooh?" Sir, do you want to show me your tuxedo and white shirt that were torn because of Mrs. Dorval’s infatuation? I remember you said before that you planned to keep those clothes as a collection.”

"What?!"

When Pooh heard this, the anger he had just suppressed suddenly rose to his throat again. He raised his foil sword and was about to stab Alexandre Dumas.

Unexpectedly, a cane suddenly stood between the two of them. With one movement of the cane, the tip of Pooh's sword was deflected. Then it was lifted lightly. Pooh felt that the hilt of the sword in his hand was like a greased loach. Generally speaking, it couldn't be squeezed tightly and fell to the ground with a choking sound.

He was about to bend down to pick it up when a black riding boot suddenly appeared in front of his eyes and stepped firmly on the tip of the foil sword.

Pooh looked up and met a pair of calm red eyes.

"Sir, according to the law, your behavior has constituted the crime of damaging public property and endangering the personal safety of others. You have the right to remain silent, you also have the right to deny your crime and entrust your lawyer to file a formal protest in the magistrate court. However, Before that, I have the right to arrest you in accordance with the power granted to me by the government and the law. Do you think you will obey my decision, or will you add another charge of resisting arrest?"

Vidocq, who was holding a pipe in his mouth, walked out from behind Arthur. He patted Arthur on the shoulder and joked: "Brother, are you committing occupational disease again and pretending to be a regular soldier? Arresting you in the name of the law is not the right thing to do. That’s what we, Joseph, who is in trouble, should say.”