Shadow of great britain

For Arthur, it is not that difficult to beautify Schneider's dark history into a case of desperate struggle with foreign spies. After all, before beautifying the experience of this 'pure' British gentleman, He had already done this for Elder.

For a fictional story, muskets, bullets, love, misunderstandings, blood, the separation of life and death, these elements that can arouse human interest can be cleverly arranged into the storyline.

After euphemistically depicting a male-female spy case that was like a classic Greek tragedy, Emily's impression of Schneider quickly changed.

"Two people who love each other can only become enemies who kill each other because of their different positions. However, when she was dying, she left her last tenderness to you and asked you to live on her behalf."

Emily put her hands on her chest, and the little girl couldn't stop shaking her head: "If I hadn't heard it with my own ears, I would have thought that such stories would only appear in novels."

"Innocent silly aunt! This kind of plot can only appear in novels!" Agares lay on the fireplace and threw a banana peel at Emily's head: "What kind of madness have you got? Do you believe the words of two diplomats?”

Schneider showed a sad expression without changing his expression and heartbeat: "Just like Arthur said, she is a master of using whips. She could have used the whip to shoot down my pistol, and I thought so too. But in the end, she deliberately missed it and let my bullet penetrate her heart."

If it were in other fields, Arthur might not have a say, but when it came to bullet penetration, no one here should know better than him.

He pretended to comfort Schneider: "August, I understand your mood. I thought that after so long, you should finally get over the sad past, but..."

When Schneider heard this, he walked down the slope and covered his forehead and said, "Arthur, you don't understand, this love is too unforgettable for me."

After hearing this, Emily tried to trick the two big smokers out with wine: "Maybe a little absinthe will put you in a good mood. Mr. Schneider, I must apologize to you. I didn't know you were like this before." A soulful person.”

"Where there is." Schneider, the most affectionate person in Hesse, took off his hat politely and said: "It is inevitable for people to have misunderstandings. I am very happy that you can now see the German ancestry in me. Something else. Thanks for the advice, by the way, I think I might actually need a drink to numb myself right now.”

Emily's plan succeeded. She couldn't help secretly clenching her fists with joy, and then she pretended to be calm and said to Arthur on the side: "Then please have a drink with Mr. Schneider. I have to invite my uncle." Come here, sir, I remember he mentioned he had a business deal with you before.”

"Then I'm sorry to trouble you."

Arthur helped Schneider, who was in a state of distress, and walked toward the drinks table. However, as soon as Emily left their sight, Schneider, who had been grief-stricken just now, immediately regained his smile.

He poured a glass of wine for Arthur and handed it over: "What do you think of Miss Draisaitl?"

"Miss Draisaitl?" Arthur thought for a moment: "Her speech and behavior are both elegant and appropriate, which is in line with her educational background."

When Schneider heard Arthur's words, he just hugged his shoulders and laughed loudly: "Brother, are you kidding me? Don't tell me that after you came to Paris, you attended all these parties and salons, and met all the It’s a guest like Miss Draisaitl.”

Arthur leaned against the wine table and thought for a long time before raising his eyebrows and asking: "Huh? August, you mean, is a lady like Miss Dressette atypical?"

"Oh my God!" Schneider punched Arthur in the chest: "Arthur, you really haven't gotten into the Paris social circle yet! Don't you have many friends in the literary and art circles? They haven't shown you until now The other side of Paris?"

Arthur recalled the interests and hobbies of the group of friends in the literary and art circles, and immediately understood what Schneider meant: "Although they didn't take the initiative to show it, I still saw it passively."

Schneider nodded slightly and said: "That's not too bad. In this case, you should understand what kind of virtue most decent ladies have in banquet venues, especially public dances. For many upper-class ladies, dances are It is the most convenient and the only opportunity to have fun wholeheartedly.

Only at this time can they completely surrender to their inner passions and allow others to kiss them passionately for a while. The freedom of the ball allows them to do it all. The masquerades and charity balls in Munich, the series of entertainment evenings in Berlin, and the balls given by artists in Paris are notorious examples of this. "

Having said this, Schneider also thought about taking Arthur to see the world: "After you came to Paris, did you meet our ambassador to France, Count Granville?"

Arthur explained in detail: "I had met him earlier at the Charlotte mansion where the legation was located, but Earl Granville had something to go out in the afternoon, so I spent most of that afternoon with Granville. Mrs. Vere was having tea. She was a very gentle and dignified lady, but she preferred to talk to me about country life and the children of which she was proud, if things went well. The eldest son, Lord Granville, is about to graduate from Christ's College, Oxford University, and she is worried about how to arrange her son's future. "

"worry?"

Schneider said: "What is there to worry about? There are three steps to education for aristocrats, two routes. Either you are sent to the Naval Academy at the age of 10, and then you float at sea for six years and return to the Navy Ministry for exams. After that, you can look at opportunities, abilities and relationships. If you are lucky, you can become a general. If not, you can be a colonial official. Or you can be more stable and go to Harrow or Eton, then go to Oxbridge, and finally serve as an officer in the army, and then come back and be elected as a member of parliament.”

"That's the problem." Arthur said: "Mrs. Granville is not willing to let her son serve in the army because she is afraid that the child will be infected with all kinds of weird infectious diseases in the rainforests of Southeast Asia or the grasslands of Africa. She knew I had worked for Scotland Yard, so she specifically asked me if I had a future as a police officer."

"Oh..." Schneider couldn't help laughing: "It seems that Scotland Yard's 'royal' title has really enhanced the reputation of the police. There are actually nobles starting to inquire about serving in the police force."

"But I think it's a bad idea."

Arthur shrugged and said: "In Britain, the police profession is not suitable for gold plating. With Lord Granville's background, his father was a well-known diplomat and a leader of the Tory Party. He once served as ambassador to Russia and ambassador to France. , so expanding in the diplomatic field is obviously a better choice. Even if this young man is not interested in diplomacy, he can still follow his mother's path. The Cavendish family, hereditary Duke of Devonshire, is the patriarch of the Whig party. Even if he doesn't want to serve overseas, I think his uncle, the Earl of Northumberland, can find him a job in the Northumberland Infantry."

Although Arthur was right in saying that the police profession was indeed not popular in the UK, he still had personal selfishness in not recommending that Mrs. Granville let her son go to Scotland Yard for training.

The worst thing that could happen to Arthur would be to add sand to his home base, the Metropolitan Police.

If this place were to be regarded as a gilded destination by the aristocracy, all his years of hard work in running Scotland Yard would be in vain. After all, it is impossible for nobles to work as patrol officers at the grassroots level here, and filling the leadership with nobles means that the path of 'progressive youth' is blocked.

If Ledley, Plunkett, Jones, Tom and Tony couldn't get up, wouldn't Sir Arthur Hastings's gun be in vain?

"Northumberland Infantry Regiment? You mean the Fifth Regiment?" Schneider held his chin and thought: "I think this may be the problem. Have you forgotten the nickname of the Fifth Regiment? Wellington Guards , this is His Excellency the Duke's year-round headquarters guard. Although serving in the Fifth Regiment does not require being transferred to the colonies, donating officers in the Fifth Regiment is just a high price, and it is not an ordinary effort to clear the channels. "

"That's true." Arthur pondered for a moment: "Perhaps after he graduates from Oxford, he can go to the four major law firms to further study law, and then find a job as a judge, which will best suit Mrs. Ranville's wishes."

"Whatever, he's not my son." Schneider turned and said, "No wonder you've been in Paris for so long and haven't set foot in their real core field. It turns out that you were misled by Mrs. Granville."

"What's wrong?"

"Of course, I don't mean to slander Mrs. Granville with what I say below. But..."

Schneider cleared his throat: "Mrs. Granville is undoubtedly qualified as a banquet organizer and ambassador's wife. But her character is not actually suitable for Paris. She is just forcing herself to do things she doesn't like. . She is so classical that she seems to be living in the Renaissance. Although she can smile and chat for hours at a banquet, our ambassador's wife has no regard for French aristocrats. Last year. When the Earl of Granville returned to London to report on his duties, I personally heard Mrs. Granville privately complaining at the banquet that most of the Paris aristocrats were superficial and empty. She was not so much playing hostess at the banquet. Nanny, treat these guests like children."

Arthur put down his glass. He seemed a little drunk, so much so that his normally less revealing opinions were revealed.

"Isn't it? From what I have seen and heard these days, they are all quite smart and knowledgeable, but they have nothing to do but indulge in sex, wander the years, be intoxicated with themselves, think that all sins are just a show, and use their food and drink to satisfy their desires. It is exaggerated into spiritual needs, and the love between men and women is reduced to sensual pleasure.”

"Oh, look what I heard? Arthur, you're like a philosopher."

Schneider winked at him and said with a smile: "But listen to me, being a philosopher in the diplomatic field will not end well. You can be vulgar, lustful, and sinful, but you must not pretend to be noble. In this line of work, No one likes this. Even if some people claim to be noble, they are just using this appearance to attract those who are dazzled by various desires, so that they will be deceived and hand over information. "

"I understand what you mean. But, August, I still have to tell you how ridiculous my recent experience was."

Arthur was not shy about talking about his gains in the Paris theater: "You know? I just watched a play at the Saint-Martin Theater two days ago. In fact, there is nothing new in this play. It just expresses The scene of a couple taking off their clothes. But in order to conceal this plot, the playwright went to great lengths to make this scene more complicated so that not only the audience can see it, but also other people in the play can see it.

As for ballet, I used to really think it was a great art. Ballet is not as popular in London as in Paris because the audience in Paris has a higher level of artistic appreciation. But now I realize that I was wrong. The reason why ballet is more popular in Paris is because Paris theaters know how to do tricks. "

"Trick? What trick?" Schneider instantly caught the key word: "Can you talk about it in detail?"

Arthur poured some more wine while he was minding his own business: "Actually, there is nothing new, a ditty with frivolous lyrics, an actress without underwear, and old dance shoes thrown towards the audience during the curtain call. August, You have no idea what an incredible experience it was. I was almost trampled to death by a group of spectators who were trying to steal my dancing shoes. They started fighting until the dancing shoes were torn into pieces. What surprised me the most was what happened in the newspapers afterwards. More space was given to this incident than to the July Revolution and last year’s Republican uprising.”

Schneider's mouth went dry after hearing this, and he downed a whole glass of absinthe in one gulp: "I guess that issue of the newspaper sold well."

"It's not just newspapers." Arthur took out a ticket from his pocket: "That ballet is also popular. I heard that their tickets have been sold until next month, but I have one more ticket here. Sent."

"oh!"

That ticket seemed to be magical. Wherever Arthur's fingers holding the ticket floated, Schneider's eyes would turn.

"Who gave you this ticket?" Schneider was too embarrassed to ask for it. He could only hint: "Arthur, you really have a bunch of good friends."

"You also know." Arthur put the ticket back into his coat pocket: "I have some friends in the literary and artistic circles. As I said before, they did show me another side of Paris, although only passively. However, August, thank you very much for your suggestion. I will take the initiative to integrate in the future, such as visiting the backstage of the theater or something."

"Backstage at the theater?!"

Schneider's eyes rolled up and he covered his head. Stimulated by alcohol and words, the diplomat looked almost crazy.

He raised his finger and pointed at himself: "Arthur, that, I...I..."

"Oh, of course." Arthur put his arm around Schneider's shoulders: "Of course you should come with me. As far as I know, there are quite a lot of dancing shoes backstage. The theater probably wouldn't mind you taking two pairs back as souvenirs."

"Oh, Arthur!" Schneider patted his chest: "Having a friend like you is the greatest luck in my life. Fortunately you didn't ask anyone to beat you to death under the Tower of London. You are truly the best I have ever seen. Of course, please believe that I am not complimenting you so much because you took me backstage, I just think you are an outstanding person."

"I believe you, August. You never lie."

Arthur nodded and said: "These are just some trivial personal hobbies, and it does not mean that you are a lecher. Just like the famous saying left by Frederick William I of Prussia who liked to build an army: 'The most beautiful in the world Girls or women mean nothing to me, but tall soldiers - these guys are my weakness. 'You are a simple-minded person like Frederick, but you happen to have completely opposite interests. It’s just the opposite.”

"Yes, that's right, Arthur, you really understand me."

"Young man?" Schneider and Arthur were chatting so happily that they didn't notice Miss Emily Dresset walking beside them.

It's just that the two British people talked too fast. For Emily, who was half-familiar in English, she could only intercept some snippets from it.

Emily's mind was a little dazed, and she almost suspected that she heard wrongly.

But she was not allowed to think too much, and the old uncle who was attracted by her as a foreign aid had already dismissed her with a smile.

"Sir, oh, Mr. Schneider is here. I almost forgot, you are colleagues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs now. But it doesn't matter, let's get down to business now, and then I will entertain you two."

While greeting everyone to take their seats, the old uncle talked about the matter of the promissory note: "The remuneration has already been received. It's just that... our company has not yet established an relationship with the remittance bank you mentioned that day. Partnership. This bank seems to be a new bank, just established?”

Arthur hadn't spoken yet, but Schneider on the side took the responsibility of explaining out of loyalty.

"Mr. Draisaitl, I know you may be doubting the reliability of this new bank. But please rest assured that this bank is our dedicated bank for foreign remittances."

"We?" Draisaitl opened his eyes wide and said, "You mean... the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? If I remember correctly, don't special funds for government agencies usually come from the Bank of England?"

"There are always some special cases."

Schneider was completely overwhelmed by the dancing shoes at this time, and he didn't even realize how big a pit he had stepped on: "Besides, the Bank of England's business scope is not that wide. Perhaps for the Ministry of the Interior, the Bank of England is obviously enough. But for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, relying solely on the Bank of England is far from enough. We occasionally have to go to the Rothschild Bank account, or other trustworthy channels."

"Well..."

Although Mr. Draisaitl is not in the political arena, the financial circle is not far from politics, so he can certainly understand Schneider's implication.

This little-known bank is most likely used by the British Foreign Office to do dirty work.

Using small banks to avoid the review of the Ministry of Finance and avoid the eyes and ears of foreign governments is their common method.

This can also explain why this small bank has incomplete business procedures.

Most people would be scared to death and at a loss when hearing this news, but for an old hand like Draisait, this is a good opportunity to get close to the British Foreign Office.

Laundering money for government agencies is a business that is sure to make money.

When the old uncle thought of the opportunity to make a fortune, his heart was beating like his niece's daughter: "Although it is impolite to say this, I insist that even if you two want to find a safe and secret channel, it should not be such a simple new bank. If you need it, we can also do it for you."