shadow of britain

Chapter 209

Bayswater, Lancaster Gate, Arthur's mansion.

Alexandre Dumas and Elder squeezed sideways behind Arthur, staring intently at the letter on the table that had just been taken out of the Russian embassy, ​​and kept urging to hold the English letter. Arthur of the German dictionary hastened to translate.

"Arthur, can you do it? No, let me do it. You don't know how to rush this kind of thing! This is your job, please take care of your work, okay?"

Alexandre Dumas also echoed: "I know a little bit of German, why don't I do the translation? Maybe it will be faster."

Arthur glanced at the two anxious animals, and said calmly while working: "Don't you two have your own work to do? I don't see you when I'm busy with Scotland Yard's documents. That you care so much about me."

Elder replied: "Can that be the same? Didn't you say that the documents you deal with are highly confidential? We didn't come together to make it difficult for you. You guy, why don't you understand the kindness of the brothers?"

Alexandre Dumas also nodded and said: "That's right, I have never cared about the plots of you British guys, but this time it involves Russia and Austria, I think it is necessary for me to take time out of my busy schedule to learn about it."

Agares, who was sitting by the side, put his legs on the table, and the Red Devil whistled: "Look, that's all the vulgar human beings care about. They may not know who the new prime minister is, but Whenever he gets a chance, he has to find out if so-and-so in the neighbors is having an affair."

As Agares said, Dumas and Elder are inseparable from Arthur today, all because of this letter from the embassy.

At first, Arthur thought it must be an important piece of information.

But later he discovered that Pinkerton, a clever little ghost, was really fucking accurate at stealing an important document in the Russian embassy, ​​but he preferred to take the Austrian Prime Minister Metternich to death. The love letter to Mrs. Levin was stolen.

It stands to reason that such personal items must be properly kept by Mrs. Levin.But maybe because the old lover came to meet with her today, Mrs. Levin deliberately took out this letter to relive the good memories of the past with him.

But this pair of wild mandarin ducks revisited their memories, which made Arthur miserable. He spent so long in the embassy, ​​and finally only got this little piece of paper that is useless except to prove that Metternich and Mrs. Levin did have an affair. thing.

But fortunately, he has also arranged for a backup. When the Sunday concert is held, he can send someone to the embassy again. When the next time, Arthur has to prove what he says, the London Statistics Bureau under his management There's a bit of extra value beyond investigating extramarital affairs.

Arthur spent a lot of effort and finally translated the love letter in front of him, but before he could read it from beginning to end, the translated manuscript was snatched by Elder.

Mr. Elder Carter, who is full of literary cells, recited with great emotion.

"On October 22, we met for the first time at Mr. N's home. I saw that your keen insight into things that day was by no means comparable to that of other women. For a long time, everyone respected Ms. to praise their judgments, but they are nothing compared to yours in my eyes."

Alexandre Dumas snatched the letter and used his broad chest to make a rich voice unique to tenors.

"On the 26th, we had a common opinion for the first time on an unimportant matter. Do you remember the first time I asked you, would you be my travel companion? You took my seat in the car, for a Man, how can you be so rude? I was not very happy about it. But we talked to each other freely afterwards, and I like you very much because of your kindness and simplicity."

Elder continued: "On the 27th, I was very happy to see you. So I proposed to you to change to your carriage so that I could be with you. I gradually believed in the words of those people, and they praised You're adorable. My arrogance doesn't allow me to identify with other men, but my honesty compels me to say they're right."

Alexandre Dumas sang: "On the 28th, I visited you for the first time with a solemn ceremony. When I returned home, I felt that you and I were acquainted as before. I don't complain about the loose appearance of the two gentlemen in your family." , maybe it’s Aiwujiwu, but I think that’s pretty good.”

Elder held Dumas' hand and looked at him affectionately: "On the 29th, I didn't see you."

Alexandre Dumas looked out of the window dejectedly: "Thirty days, I felt how boring and indifferent the day before was. My dear Dorothea, from this day on, I finally know, the beating in my chest The blazing heart of yours already belongs to you..."

As soon as the words fell, Arthur calmly picked up his teacup and asked: "Elder, as the number one literary critic in Britain, please briefly summarize the thoughts and feelings of this letter, and I will report to the Duke of Wellington later. when you need to use it.”

Hearing this, Elder pinched the letter, put one hand between his eyebrows, and sighed word by word with his head down: "I really want to be Mrs. Levin's dog!"

Arthur said calmly: "Elder, Christmas hasn't come yet, please wait until next month to make a wish."

"Arthur! Fuck you!" Elder blushed angrily and said with a thick neck: "You asked me to summarize it! I am not making a wish!"

Dumas nodded and said, "It's true, anyway, if you make such a wish, it won't come true."

"Alexander!" Hearing this, Elder rushed towards Dumas in a rage.

Alexandre Dumas was obviously prepared for his attack. The French fat man fought and retreated all the way, smashed open the door and ran away. Elder gave full play to the fine tradition of the Royal Navy's pursuit of French ships when they encountered them. Chased him and ran out.

When the Red Devil saw this, he couldn't help but slapped the table and waggled his tongue and laughed wildly: "Arthur, you just heard it, this is Metternich, the big man who dominates the destiny of Austria and has been in Europe for decades. He is like this Anyone who is so fascinated by a woman's skirt and is willing to kneel down and be a dog can become a big shot in Europe. What's impossible for you, a rare bastard and villain in the world?"

Arthur took a sip from his teacup.

"Agares, you don't have to flatter me so much. Whether I can become Metternich is not important at all, and I will not underestimate him because of this love letter. After all, it is normal for human beings to have emotions.

As Lord Byron put it, to love to be loved is to be human.Love for love's sake, is God.Hmm... Maybe it's not appropriate to bring up Lord Byron here, after all, his own private life is also a mess, but that's what it means. "

The Red Devil leaned back on the chair, and with a flick of his fingertips, a gust of wind blew through, delivering the love letter to his fingertips: "But it's all jokes, what are you going to explain to Wellington later? Said that you spent a lot of effort and finally smashed the good thing about Mrs. Levin and Metternich?"

Arthur embraced his hands and said, "Maybe I don't need to inform the Duke of Wellington about this kind of thing. Isn't there a rumor that there is something wrong between him and Mrs. Levin? Well... So, I suddenly felt that maybe Stealing Metternich's love letter today is not a bad thing, if I got the love letter written by the Duke of Wellington, then I don't know how to face him."

The Red Devil laughed and said, "Is there anything difficult to face? When you faced the Viscount Melbourne and Mrs. Norton at the Almark Club that day, didn't you behave quite naturally?"

Arthur raised his eyebrows and said, "How can it be the same? Mrs. Norton and Viscount Melbourne are still physically innocent at least for now."

The Red Devil rubbed his hands and said with a smirk: "Oh! My dear Arthur, so you don't care about the spirit?"

As soon as Arthur heard this, he knew that the other party must have nothing good to say, and he replied: "Of course not, but Agares, you know, I am a Scotland Yard policeman, and the police must use evidence to handle cases. Our Scotland Yard It’s not the third hall of the Imperial Office of Tsarist Russia, you can be exiled to Siberia just because you have the idea of ​​treason.”

Agares said with a smirk: "But... my dear Arthur, whether you cheated or not is not something you, an outsider, can determine. If you are not involved in it, you naturally have no right to speak."

Arthur was planning to drink tea, when he heard this, he suddenly paused when he picked up the teacup.

He frowned slightly, staring straight at the red devil with two eyes, and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"It's not interesting." Agares smiled: "I'm just chatting with you and stating a fact by the way."

Arthur looked at him and thought for a long time, but he couldn't figure out what the red devil was referring to.

As far as he knows, there are far more than one couple who engage in extramarital affairs, and even one person can involve several couples.

Instead of entangled in these irrelevant matters, it is better to find a way to solve the most urgent London meeting at the moment.

Although Lord Brougham now supports him, the decision to revoke the temporary agency of the London Bureau of Statistics is still in the hands of the Viscount Melbourne. .

Now he is no longer in charge of a specific police district, and the criminal investigation department currently under his jurisdiction is a small department with only four people, so the office expenses at hand are naturally stretched.

Even for the future development of the Bureau of London Statistics, Arthur has to let the Viscount of Melbourne and even the entire cabinet see the value of the Bureau of London Statistics. Only in this way can it be convenient to ask for money.

Holding the love letter from Metternich in his hand, Arthur read it over and over again, until his peripheral vision settled on the place where the signature was signed, and he suddenly noticed a vague taste.

—1818.11.28, written in Brussels.

The capital of Belgium, Brussels?
Arthur pinched his chin and thought for a while, then turned around and went around, but he still couldn't avoid the Belgium issue.

Mrs. Levin must have received many love letters from Metternich, but it was obviously not an accidental act to take out this one today to reminisce.

Did she want to use the opportunity of recalling the love letter to extract Austria's attitude towards Belgian independence from Metternich?

Arthur's eyes suddenly stopped on a paragraph of the love letter.

——Our correspondence should be on a large scale, and you can see everything in my letters that you haven’t known within a month.You will always know me better than anyone ever knew me.I hold tightly, you are my own.All the beauty and happiness in the world are not enough to be your substitute.Dorothea, you are my happiness, you are my happiness.

Seeing this, Arthur couldn't help muttering: "If it wasn't the sweet words of the old rascal, then maybe Mrs. Levin could really pry something out of his mouth."

After finishing speaking, he couldn't help rubbing his temples again: "Your Excellency, if you have three points of Metternich's skill in writing love letters, there is no need for me to find out information for you."

(End of this chapter)