After going downstairs, Wickham was just about to go out when he remembered that he had no means of transportation, and that he was not familiar with London at all, and he was afraid that he would get lost before he reached the villa of Viscount Bernard's family on Fleet Street.

Thinking of this, Wickham stopped stupidly, thinking that when he bought his own house, he would buy a carriage that was truly his own, and it would be more convenient for him to travel.

When the innkeeper saw Wickham standing in the hall hesitating, he stepped forward and asked politely, "Sir, do you need any help with anything?" ”

The innkeeper's words reminded Wickham of the shy and enthusiastic coachman William Edward of two years ago, and he said, "Do you know the carriage shop on Green Street in the East End?" If it's convenient, please send someone to find me a young man named William Edward. With that, Wickham shoved two shillings into the supervisor's hand.

The Director's expression was a little surprised, not only because of Wickham's generous move, but also because the officer in front of him knew a coachman who lived in the East End! He couldn't really associate a decent gentleman with the dirty East End, especially when the gentleman across from him was a captain officer in the Marine Corps and lived in one of the most expensive hotels in the West End.

At this time, London's East End was different from later generations, and it was still the most famous slum in Europe. It is infested with penniless proletarians and poor people who make a living from improper occupations, and the original sin of murder and robbery is staged every day but no one manages it. Unless it is a last resort, the gentlemen and ladies of high society will basically not set foot in that place.

However, the tipping supervisor did not ask much questions, but replied respectfully: "Sir, although I do not know the neighborhood you are talking about, I think that the servants of the inn may know, so I will send a few men to the East End to find Mr. William Edward." ”

Although the director of the inn lived in London's West End, most of the servants employed in the inn were from poor backgrounds and were relatively familiar with the East End, so he agreed to Wickham's request. Of course, the two shillings also played a big role in it, and this is the power of money.

"Then I'm bothering you." After thanking the enthusiastic director, Wickham paced to the restaurant on the first floor, found a random table with no one to sit down, and then picked up a copy of the Times and browsed it to pass the wait.

After just a few glances at the newspapers, Wickham noticed that almost all of the pages of the Times were discussing the disastrous defeat of the anti-French coalition at the Battle of Fleurluz three months earlier. After this campaign, the Austro-Dutch army was largely crippled by the Nationalist army composed of men without trousers, and now the entire Dutch lowlands (Belgium and the Netherlands) are completely under French control.

As can be seen from the articles published in the newspapers, there is now a pessimistic mood in England, fearing that one day the French army will land in the British Isles and drag the king out of James's palace for execution. In an article, some political commentators even blamed the fiasco on the unfavorable leadership of the Pitt Jr. cabinet, and demanded that His Majesty the King come forward to dissolve the cabinet to make the people angry, and to rearm and take strict precautions against France on the other side.

Wickham frowned slightly, he didn't expect that in the two years since he went to the East, the situation in Europe has collapsed to this point! It is foreseeable that in the near future, the British government, which has become a frightened bird, will definitely spare no effort to strengthen its own army force in order to increase the defense force of the coastline.

Wickham remembers that at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the British Army alone reached a terrifying figure of half a million. The size of such an army is incomparable to that of the First and Second World Wars, but you must know that the population of Britain in 1800 was only 10 million! With such a high military/population ratio, it can already catch up with the Northern Stick Country, which pursued the politics of the first army in later generations!

This is definitely not good news for Wickham! As a result, Wickham's plans to retire from the army are likely to fall through. Because at this critical juncture of life and death, many squires and children of nobles, as the natural "reserves" of officers, will be called up by the army of the Kingdom of Britain to be loyal to the kingdom, let alone an officer in service like him!

Wickham, who is well versed in history, is well aware of the dangers of the European battlefield, with Napoleon's pervert, the European continent will be a huge pit within twenty years, and it is very likely that they will not be able to get out if they jump into it. Wickham's highest goal in this era is to buy a manor and enjoy the life of a squire and a tyrant, how can he do such a loss-making business?

Just as Wickham was thinking about it, a familiar voice rang out: "Mr. Wickham, it's really you!" God, I can't believe my eyes, Mr. Wickham, you've finally returned from the Far East! ”

Wickham turned his head to see a very muscular young man in a well-tailored suit saluting him with a bright smile, and it could be seen that the young man's smile was heartfelt and made people feel very sincere. That's right, this man was none other than William Edward, a coachman hired by Wickham two years earlier.

It's just that William Edward, who had been wearing cheap and dirty linen two years ago, was now dressed modestly, and the front and back were completely like two people.

Wickham stood up, smiled and gave William Edward a big hug, and said, "William, it seems that you kid is doing well in London, how have you been doing all these years?" ”

William seemed to be a little flattered by Wickham's affectionate attitude, his hands and feet were so stiff that he didn't know where to put it, and it took a long time to hold back a sentence: "Mr. Wickham, thank you very much for your promotion, if it weren't for your funding, I wouldn't be where I am today." ”

It turned out that when Wickham joined the army, he gave most of the pounds on his body to William, so that he could help take care of little Alice, who was studying at St. Margaret's College. William was so moved by this that he silently swore to God that he would take care of Mr. Wickham's sister and never let her be wronged in the slightest.

Later, Wickham made a big deal from the natives in Ghana, sending Alice £200 to William along with his tuition fees. This is not that Wickham is badly kind, but that Wickham has not made any friends worthy of trust since he came to this time and space, so he had to choose William Edward, a relatively simple young man. Wickham hoped that William would take good care of little Alice, who was also alone, for the sake of the two hundred pounds.

After William got the money, he did not choose to squander it, but chose to take a stake in the carriage shop on Green Street. The owner of the carriage dealership, a friend of his who had been sailors with him, had borrowed a loan shark from the vampire Jews, and in order to repay the loan, he had to agree to William's shares.

This shrewd investment allowed William Edward to break away from his precarious proletarian status and reluctantly squeeze into the burgher class. After two years of careful management, William Edward was no longer the destitute sailor he had been, but a propertied man with a fortune of no less than five hundred pounds.

William Edward, of course, knew who had given all this, so when he heard that Mr. Wickham was looking for him, he had to drive a carriage himself, regardless of his change of identity.

"Is Alice's life at the women's college okay?" Remembering the entrustment he had given to William two years ago, Wickham hurriedly asked about Alice's situation. For the past two years, because Wickham has been on a state of travel, his correspondence with Alice is only one-sided, which means that Alice can receive Wickham's letters, but Wickham cannot receive Alice's letters.

Two years of inconsistencies have left Wickham very worried, eager to know Alice's news. Wickham had already made up his mind that when the matter in London was settled, he would rush to St. Margaret's College to fetch Alice.

Thinking of that quirky little girl, William Edward's mouth hung a warm smile on the corner of his mouth, and said: "Mr. Wickham, Miss Alice's life at school is very good, and Miss Darcy and Miss Adella take good care of Alice. In the past two years, William has insisted on visiting Alice at school every month, and after coming and going, he has developed feelings, and slowly treats Alice as his sister.

"Miss Adella?" Wickham is a little strange, at that time he just entrusted Georgiana to take care of Alice, where did this Adele come from?

Seeing that Wickham was a little puzzled, William explained, "Sir, that Miss Adella Burke is Miss Alice's classmate at school, and the two have always had a good relationship. I heard that Miss Adella's father was an earl and came from an unusual background, and Miss Adella invited Miss Alice to her house at Christmas last year. ”

Wickham silently wrote down the name of Adèle Burke, and as he was about to pick up Alice from school, he observed her. According to Wickham's memory, Wickham knew that most of the ladies from noble backgrounds in London were tainted with bad habits, such as drinking and opium smoking, and he didn't want Alice's simple girl to be spoiled by those ladies.

Wickham, immersed in his own thoughts, did not realize that he had a sister-in-control attribute in him, so much so that his brother-in-law later took a lot of effort to marry Alice from him.

Wickham took out his silver pocket watch and looked at it, and knowing that it was not early, he said, "William, do you remember the last time we went to the house on Fleet Street?" You'll just send me there later. With that, he picked up the gift he had given to General Berner and walked out the door.

William Edward took the object from Wickham's hand with a very good look: "Sir, how could I forget? All you have to do is rest in the carriage for a while, and in two quarters of an hour you will arrive in peace. ”