shadow of britain

Chapter 721 Killing three birds with one stone

Ever since humans began inventing things, there have been people who have used them to commit crimes. It is well known that no one is better at taking advantage of the latest scientific advances than criminals. Educated criminals will profit from every new invention if there is a profit to be made. The telegraph is no exception. It has given the unscrupulous a new way to defraud, steal and cheat, and in order to put an end to this new type of crime, Scotland Yard must use the new technology before they can.

—Arthur Hastings, interviewed by The Times, 1834

The first rays of sunlight in the morning filtered through the gaps in the wide curtains of No. 15 Lancaster Gate and streamed into the room. The air was fresh, with a hint of cool moisture.

The sky outside the window was still only slightly bright, but for the maid Becky, her day's work had already begun.

For most servants in London, they would start work at 6am in the summer and 6:7 or 5am in the winter, depending on when the day started. If there was a full day of spring cleaning, the working hours would be brought forward to am.

Of course, compared with most employers in London, the Hastings family's work was not particularly heavy.

There is no need to take care of children, there is no bossy hostess, and there are not many clothes that need to be washed in the closet.

Even on Easter and Christmas, when the Jazz were out all night, she could still luxuriously lie in bed until 8 o'clock and take the opportunity to sleep in.

If you were to ask Becky, what is the difference between Jazz's time in Europe and now?
There is actually no difference.

Her work had not become more or less; every morning she still lit the fireplace, shook out the carpets, polished the dining room furniture, had breakfast, and polished her boots…

But after Arthur returned, Becky always made sure that all the work was completed before her master woke up.

In addition, Becky would carefully place the small flannel blanket that Arthur covered himself with when he was reading on the sofa on the fireplace to warm it up. After a cold night, nothing could warm people's hearts more than a cup of hot tea and a hot blanket.

After putting down the flannel blanket, Becky tiptoed into the kitchen, holding a small basket she had just taken from the pantry.

In the kitchen, a warm flame was already lit on the stove, a pot on the range was hissing softly, and the aroma of puff pastry and baking bread filled the air.

She was used to this kind of early morning hustle and bustle. Although Arthur had never asked for a luxurious breakfast, Becky had to put in all her effort to prove to her employer that she had not wasted her time in London during the past two years.

Becky took fresh eggs and butter from the basket, then used her table knife to cut a few slices of freshly baked bread from the bakery on the street.

Recalling every detail of the instructions in the England Ladies' Home Magazine, she carefully cracked the eggs into the copper pan, heated it over a low heat, and flipped them quickly to ensure that each egg was fried to the ideal tenderness.

Just like a common breakfast in aristocratic families in London at the time, the eggs had to be half-cooked, slightly solidified on the outside but still soft on the inside.

In the copper pan next to it, another meal was taking shape. It was a pancake made with butter and a small amount of sugar. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, emitting an enticing aroma. Becky flipped the pancakes skillfully, waiting for them to color one by one.

"I remember that the jazz liked the thin pancakes at the street coffee stall..." Becky said to herself, "So I made fried eggs, toast and pancakes today, plus warm tea, there should be nothing wrong with these..."

She walked to the table and took out the finest tea from the cupboard.

Arthur has always preferred morning breakfast tea, especially the bright red Keemun black tea with a soft and smooth taste.

Breakfast tea should not be too strong, so Becky carefully measured the tea leaves, put them into the teapot, and then brewed them with boiling water.

Just as the teapot began to bubble, Becky was busy putting the toasted bread on a plate, spreading a thick layer of butter on it and sprinkling it with some powdered sugar.

She deftly placed the pancakes and eggs on the table, then carefully wiped the surface with a napkin.

After making sure everything was perfect, Becky put the kitchen utensils in order one by one, and then walked to the corner of the living room, where was her exclusive seat.

It was a simple wooden chair, placed by the window. The sunlight came in through the window lattice, warm and bright.

Becky sat down, gently picked up the familiar home economics magazine, opened the book and found the article with the yellowed maple leaf.

When Arthur left London, he hired a tutor to teach her how to read and write because he was worried that she would be too lonely at home.

Although Becky was illiterate, reading magazines was still a challenge for her.

When Becky first read the magazine, she felt that the letters on the paper were just various symbols with unknown meanings, which were difficult to understand. She frowned and stared at the article about tips on how to set the table, grasped a few words she knew, and spent the whole morning guessing the main idea of ​​the article.

Two years have passed, and Becky can now recite the article.

"When setting the table, please place the knife and fork on the left and the spoon on the right..."

She recited to herself, as if reaffirming what she had learned.

Just then, there were slight footsteps coming upstairs. Becky raised her head and looked towards the stairs.

A few seconds later, Arthur came downstairs in his dressing gown. His eyes swept across the restaurant and finally stopped on Becky.

"Good morning, Becky."

Becky quickly closed the magazine, stood up, and replied respectfully: "Good morning, sir, breakfast is ready."

Arthur nodded slightly, but his eyes involuntarily drifted to the "Science of Family Life" in Becky's hand: "Hmm? Have you taken a liking to reading home economics magazines recently?"

Becky's face flushed. "Well...other people told me that reading more housekeeping magazines would be good for work, so I joined a women's reading club."

"Women's reading club..." Arthur pulled out a chair and poured tea. "How much is the membership fee? Three shillings? Four shillings? I remember that reading clubs in London all cost this much, right?"

"The book club I joined doesn't have a large collection of books, so the membership fee is cheaper, one shilling a year is enough."

Arthur took a sip of tea and said, "Then change to a place with more books, and I'll make up the difference for you. There's nothing wrong with reading family magazines, but you can't just read family magazines, right? You can read any of the books in the bookcase in the living room, just don't touch the ones in the storage cabinet. Those in the storage cabinet were left with me by Mr. Carter. If they get damaged, when he comes back from the sea, I'm afraid he will nail me to the mast with Poseidon's trident." "Sir, you are so kind." Becky lowered her head slightly, her voice soft and respectful: "But you don't have to spend more money on me. The books in the reading club are enough for me to read for a long time. As for novels, although I want to read them, there are too many new words in them, and I can't understand them now. It's better to consider it when I know more words."

Becky was reluctant, but Arthur didn't force her. He picked up the newspaper on the table and replied while eating breakfast: "That's fine. When you think your vocabulary is sufficient, just tell me."

Becky paused and said softly, "But, Sir, I am flattered by your kindness to everyone. You are always kind and want to give the best to everyone, but I always feel that sometimes some people are not worthy of your gentleness."

Arthur was slightly stunned after hearing this. He did not respond immediately, but just took a sip of tea.

Seeing that Arthur did not respond, Becky quickly added: "I appreciate your kindness, but please take care of yourself and think about yourself appropriately instead of always thinking about others. After all, not everyone can understand your kindness."

"Hmm..." Arthur was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "Becky."

"Sir?"

Arthur looked at her with regret: "If Fleet Street and Whitehall had been half as savvy as you are, I wouldn't be hanging out with college students now."

Becky was annoyed when she heard about Fleet Street and Whitehall.

Although she didn't read newspapers, the street newsboys would still reveal the daily news when they hawked them.

She didn't understand what the Caucasus incident was, nor did she understand what international diplomacy was, but in Becky's opinion, how could such a kind-hearted employer like the Sir become a traitor?
The one who takes the bullet becomes a traitor, while the one who hides behind becomes a hero.

Should good people be pointed at guns?

There is absolutely no such thing in the world!
Becky said angrily, "I don't have much knowledge, but I am straightforward. In my opinion, a good person like you is not suitable to be with hypocritical bad guys. You will only suffer at their hands. If you don't mind my talking too much, I have to say that you are actually doing pretty well now. You are respected in school, and you have a job in the editorial department. Bankers, poets, theater managers, and all kinds of actors all want to please you. Mr. Smith from the Alhambra Theater visited you three times in one day, which is even more frequent than eating. Where have you enjoyed such treatment in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? And Mr. Cook..."

"Mr. Cook?" Arthur paused while holding the teacup. "Which Mr. Cook?"

"It's Mr. William Cooke, the partner of Mr. Wheatstone and the English Electromagnetic Telegraph Company." Becky said, "Didn't you ask me to decline his visit before? Every time he came, I said you were out. Yesterday afternoon was the fourth time he came."

As a partner in developing the telegraph with Wheatstone, William Cook was able to get to know Wheatstone thanks to Arthur's matchmaking at the Royal Society.

It’s just that for Arthur and Cook, friendship is friendship and business is business.

Although Wheatstone was very happy to merge the company into Empire Publishing, Cook was obviously more patient than Wheatstone and more optimistic about the future prospects of the telegraph.

When Wheatstone proposed to sell the company, Cook not only jumped out to strongly oppose it, but even planned to bring in another scientist, Francis Ronald, who had been studying telegraph experiments for many years, to set up a new company.

For Arthur, if Cook opposed the merger and restructuring because of money or shares, then everyone could talk about it slowly, and in the end there would always be a result that everyone could accept.

But if Cook wants to set up his own faction, then we will become fierce competitors.

No one understood better than Arthur how broad the future market for telegraph technology would be, so every potential competitor had to be nipped in the bud.

Arthur had talked to Cook about this matter for several days, but Cook's attitude was too firm and he had no intention of cooperating at all.

Even while negotiating with Arthur, Cook also contacted the Admiralty through personal connections and strongly recommended telegraph technology to them.

However, just as the Ordnance Department rejected Colt's revolver, the Navy Department also refused to provide government orders for Cook's telegraph technology.

Although the British people have always been open to new technologies, the British government, especially the military system, has tended to be conservative since the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

Arthur was therefore not at all surprised that Cook was rejected.

After all, those telegraph lines he had laid when he was in charge of the Police Intelligence Bureau have now been characterized as a waste of public funds by Director Rowan in his annual report.

After being rejected by the Admiralty, Cook approached the Manchester and Liverpool Railway Company and the Great Western Railway Company, demonstrated the working conditions of the telegraph to them, and gritted his teeth and proposed that the English Electromagnetic Telegraph Company could advance funds to build a pilot telegraph line at Manchester Railway Station so that they could try out the results first.

However, this time Cook was also ruthlessly rejected by the two railway companies.

The rejection was not because the railway companies were pessimistic about the prospects of the telegraph. On the contrary, they were very satisfied with the demonstration results of the telegraph.

But unfortunately, before the meeting with Cook, the two companies had already reached a preliminary exclusive agreement with Empire Publishing Company on newsstands and telegraph equipment under the introduction of shareholders Rothschild family and Baring family.

Unable to get orders for the two main application scenarios envisioned, Cook was desperate and had to return to the negotiating table with Empire Publishing. However, due to Cook's previous series of impolite behavior, Arthur decided to leave this guy alone for the time being.

One reason was to cool down his feverish brain so that he wouldn't have any other ideas.

Secondly, he had to prepare an advertising plan tailored for Cable Telegraph.

In human society, how can a new thing instantly gain huge popularity?
That is, of course, to let the public see that the upper class is using it.

So who is the most famous upper-class family in British society?

Of course it’s the royal family.

Becky was vividly describing Cook's distraught and disappointed expression as he returned home yesterday afternoon when suddenly a bell rang outside the door.

She quickly put down the magazine in her hand and opened the door.

"Is Mr. Hastings here? If you will, let him know that old Fagin is here."

(End of this chapter)