In the café, Elder and Arthur talk about the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.

Suddenly, Officer Tom, who was listening to Darwin's lecture, suddenly stood up, nodded apologetically to Darwin, and then came to Arthur's side and whispered.

"Arthur, I want to take a leave of absence with you this afternoon."

Arthur asked, "Leave?" Something at home? ”

Tom crossed his hands and lowered his head, looking a little embarrassed: "Indeed...... Something is true. ”

Tony, who was on the side, saw it and couldn't help but scold: "Tom! You're always like this! Can you straighten your waist as a man? If you ask for leave, why do you look like you've done something wrong? Arthur isn't Willocks, do you think he's going to deduct your wages? ”

Tom glared back at Tony in annoyance, "Don't I feel sorry for Arthur?" He asked me to take a leave of absence on the first day I was transferred to the district police station, how embarrassing! ”

Arthur didn't take it personally, but he could see what was on Tom's mind.

So, he pointed to the clock in the café and asked, "It's not a big deal to take time off." But it's almost twelve o'clock, so why don't you stay for lunch before you go? You're welcome today, I'll pay for the meals for the four of you. ”

Elder who was sitting opposite Arthur heard this and said with a grin: "Yo! Arthur! Being a police inspector is different, and it has become so generous. How much do you get in a year now? ”

Arthur glanced at him and said lightly, "About a hundred pounds." ”

"A hundred pounds of income without a backdrop? Scold! You're welcome! ”

Elder turned his head and shouted at the waiter at the bar, "Get me four more oysters!" By the way, be sure to remember to remove the leech eggs! ”

After that, Elder happily asked Tom, "Brother, what do you eat, I'll order it for you." ”

Tom waved his hand again and again: "I don't have to, I'm still in a hurry, so I won't eat lunch." ”

Arthur took a sip of his coffee cup, and asked casually, "Why are you going, in such a hurry?" Is your wife going to give birth? If she's going to have a baby, I can give you a few more days off and don't have to rush back. ”

Tom saw that Arthur cared so much about him, and he was embarrassed to continue to hide it.

He touched the back of his head embarrassedly, lowered his head and said, "My wife is still a while away from giving birth, you don't have to worry." I took my leave of absence for little Adam, and today is the day he gets out of prison. ”

Arthur frowned and asked, "What does Adam's release from prison have to do with you?" Are you going to pick him up? ”

Tony chimed in: "Alas, Tom, you're such a bad guy, it's not the first time that kid has been in prison, he knows the way home." ”

Tom blushed and choked his neck for a long time before he mustered up the courage to speak.

"Arthur, Tony, you two probably don't know. The day before yesterday, Adam's gambler dad got drunk and got into a street brawl and seriously injured a man.

Yesterday's verdict in the Magistrate's Court was handed down, and the final sentence was 14 years' exile in Australia and a fine of 20 pounds.

When I was ordered by the court to go to Adam's house to collect the account, I found out that Adam's mother had run away with the family's valuable things.

His father was exiled, his mother is missing, and you should know what will happen to the children who encounter this situation in these years.

Either enter the factory as a child laborer and die on the production line. Either continue to steal on the streets, and it is not impossible for people to be killed in the street if they are unlucky.

Anyway, there is no way he will live to adulthood.

Last night, after I told my wife about this, she said she would just adopt Adam.

I thought about it, and I thought it made sense for my wife.

Anyway, anyway, children, one is also raised, and two are also bringed, it should, there should be no difference......"

After listening to Tom's words, everyone in the audience didn't say a word, but just looked at Tom and smiled.

Tom's face was red and hot, and he waved his hands in shame, "What are you all staring at me for?" ”

Elder gave Tom a thumbs up with a toothpick in his mouth: "Awesome, brother! ”

Darwin closed the book and said, "Officer Tom, just now you kept apologizing to me that you were too stupid to teach. But in my opinion, stupidity is not the problem, lack of conscience is. ”

Tony waved his head and scolded casually, "Fuck, you kid! I thought you were going to do something unethical! What are you hiding this kind of thing for? ”

As for Arthur, he stood up and patted Tom on the shoulder, pursing his lips and laughing.

"Tom, everybody says I'm the best man in Scotland Yard. But I disagree. Because in my opinion, you are the most breedable man in Scotland Yard! ”

When Tom heard this, his flushed face finally couldn't help but smile.

His face was covered in sweat, but that didn't stop him from standing upright and saluting Arthur with the most standard salute.

"Learn from you, sir!"

Arthur patted his arm, took out two tickets from his pocket and stuffed them into his pocket: "Go ahead." You can skip the meal, but I still have to ask you for today's meal. It is not allowed to refuse, because it is an order. ”

"Yes, sir!"

Arthur watched Tom walk out of the café door, only to feel that the dark clouds and drizzle outside the window had become a little beautiful.

"Everyone, order whatever you want."

He had just finished saying this when suddenly, the bell in the café rang again.

A uniformed police officer pushed the door in, looked around, and immediately ran at Arthur when he spotted him.

"Sir, someone from the district police station has come and said they are looking for you."

"Looking for me? Are you here to report the crime? ”

The officer shook his head and said, "Probably not, that person has been here for several days in a row." But the other day you were on vacation, so he pounced, and today he knows that you are there, and he has to see you to say anything. ”

Elder took a sip of the oysters he had just brought up, and muttered, "Who is it?" So stubborn? ”

The officer, who seemed speechless at the uninvited guest, replied, "Strange person anyway, but not like a thug." He was dressed very modestly, with a cross on his chest, and he looked like a priest. ”

"Pastor?" Elder quipped at Arthur, "Could it be that an ultra-purist from the state religion is here to make trouble for you, a non-state police inspector, on purpose?" Arthur, if you can't fight him later, just change the letter on the spot, and save a lot of money. ”

In fact, Arthur himself didn't care about religious beliefs, he didn't believe in the state religion simply because there were too many state churches in London.

Because Scotland Yard has a troublesome rule that if the police are Anglicans, they need to form a team to go to church every Sunday morning.

Arthur pretends to be a Catholic in order to be lazy on Sunday.

And he has always claimed to be a fundamentalist, so all the churches in London are not authentic or authentic to him, and they do not conform to his perception of the church, so he refuses to participate in all religious activities organized by Scotland Yard.

If it weren't for the fact that the unbelievers were not very socially acceptable in this era, Arthur wouldn't have had to make so much effort.

After listening to the officer's words, he sighed helplessly: "Forget it, you can take me to meet him." ”