As they reached the second floor, Adam suddenly stopped, crouched down in front of an upturned floor, and put his hand into the broken hole in the floor.

After fumbling for a while, he quickly pulled out a palm-sized wooden box and an old book curled up almost straight.

Adam stiffened the book and wiped the dust off it with his sleeve, and Arthur recognized it as a Scourge magazine just by looking at the cover.

This is not because Arthur is so knowledgeable, but because he frequents second-hand bookstores in his spare time, and Scourge is a magazine with satirical comics as its main content, which is popular with the general public of London.

Among the second-hand bookstores, the monthly magazine "Scourge" was the most popular in the three years from 1811 to 1814.

The reason is also very simple, because the main cartoonist of "Scourge" in the past three years is the famous George Crookshank.

Tom asked, confused, "What kind of book is this?" ”

Before Adam could answer, Arthur had already opened his mouth to explain it for him.

"It's a good book, the June 1812 issue of Scourge, and I went to many second-hand bookstores but couldn't find it, but I didn't expect Adam to have one here."

Tony leaned in: "Is there any important information published this month?" Why do you want to get it so much? ”

Arthur took a puff of his cigarette with a blank face: "I don't know if there is any important information, but a month before the June issue was released, the then Prime Minister Spencer Percival was shot and killed several times in front of the Houses of Parliament.

So I guess this issue must be very exciting, as evidenced by the fact that I can't find this book in any used bookstore. ”

Dickens asked: "Do you say that Percival, the prime minister who enacted the Embargo Act and made a mess of the economies of the United States and Britain, and who ordered the suppression of the 'Luddite movement' and hanged many rioting workers?" ”

Tom exclaimed, "Oh my God! Is this book all about attacking politicians? It's a miracle that it wasn't banned at the time. ”

Arthur said: "It's not all about attacking politicians, and attacking politicians is usually a special situation, such as the 'Luddite movement' or something......

Tom breathed a sigh of relief: "I see......"

"In normal times, the main writer of the comics, George Crookshank, basically attacks the royal family, such as George III, who abandoned his wife for the throne, and it was because of his arbitrariness and insistence on violence that led to the independence of the North American colonies.

Oh, by the way, Mr. Crookshank also had the foresight to attack the current King George IV, who would later succeed him, and he has since bitterly commented that George IV, who was still a prince at the time, was "not like a man". ”

As soon as Arthur's words were finished, Tom's newly relieved heart lifted his throat again.

Tom only felt goosebumps trembling all over his body: "How did this gentleman do it when he wasn't thrown into prison?"

I've heard old people say that it wasn't the same then as it is now, and that the king still had a lot of power. And George III was a terrible king, even if he was small-minded, he had a very big temper.

Many people who opposed him were thrown into prison by him, and even if they didn't, they were basically exiled, how did this George Crookshank survive that period unscathed? ”

An indescribable smile hung on the corner of Arthur's mouth: "There are quite complicated reasons for this.

First of all, at that time George III was already mentally deranged due to his age, and the power of the king had been transferred to the regent George IV to exercise.

And because of the old king's mistaken decisions in North America, the parliament has gradually re-limited his authority.

Of course, the most important point is that Mr. Crookshank is a wonderful person.

Both the Whigs and the Tories saw the hidden potential of the hugely circulated Scourge magazine.

So, Mr. Crookshank took money from the Whigs to attack the Tories, and from the Tories to attack the Whigs.

Finally, he collected money from both parties and attacked the delirious and perennial couch of the old king.

Therefore, he not only said everything he wanted to say, but also made a lot of money along the way. ”

Dickens was puzzled: "But even so, Mr. Crookshank's daily attacks on the royal family and politicians will not be labeled as a demagogue and a traitor?" There was a war going on at that time, and the Treason Act and the Sedition Act should not have been repealed, right? ”

"No, no, no." Arthur waved his hand: "Crookshank doesn't always attack royalty and politicians, he only spends half of his time on this in each issue. ”

Dickens was puzzled: "What about the other half?" ”

"The other half?" Arthur said calmly: "To belittle the French, and to insult Napoleon." ”

After hearing this, everyone immediately laughed and couldn't stand up.

"No wonder 'Scourge' was published normally."

"On that basis alone, they really cannot pronounce a verdict on Mr. Crookshank's treason."

Dickens couldn't help but laugh and replied: "It seems that I will visit the used bookstore more in the future, but I didn't expect that there are so many interesting things hidden in there." ”

While everyone was laughing, a crack suddenly opened in the door next door.

Adam looked through the crack in the door and shouted in surprise, "Robin! ”

The door slowly pushed open, revealing a little girl leaning against the edge of the doorframe, a head shorter than Adam.

She wore a small white dress with holes, her thin lips were blue and white, her black and yellow hair was scattered and spread, and her sick eyes seemed to have lost their lustre.

She coughed softly twice, her chest rising and falling, and then she stretched out her small hand, which was so thin that it was almost transparent in the sunlight, and asked in a dumb voice that was so subtle that it was almost inaudible.

"Is it Adam?"

Adam went up with the book and the wooden box and grabbed her little hand, and he rubbed the back of Robin's hand vigorously, trying to warm the other's cold palm.

"It's me, I've been released from prison. I almost went to the gallows, but I met a lot of kind gentlemen, and they saved me, and I brought them to see you.

You see, these gentlemen behind me. The kind-looking is my new father, Officer Tom, whom I mentioned to you earlier and who invited me to his house for dinner.

The one with the mole on his face was Officer Tony, the one with the bag was Mr. Dickens, who wrote the newspaper, and the tallest and biggest one was Mr. Hastings.

Do you remember what I told you? It was the time two months earlier that Mr. Hastings had given me a shilling, and I had used that money to buy candy, and we sat in the yard and ate it together. ”

Robin smiled quietly and listened to what Adam said, then ran his hand along Adam's arm all the way up until he touched Adam's hair, and then touched his head with relief.

"Adam, you are a good man, I heard that good people will be rewarded, and you can meet so many good gentlemen, it is your good reward."

Adam looked at Robin in amazement, even though he was only a nine-year-old child, but at this time, he also saw that something was wrong.

He reached out and shook it slowly in front of Robin's eyes.

Robin felt the sudden silence, and she smiled and asked, "Adam, why don't you speak?" ”

"You...... Can't you see? ”

Adam's hand holding the book and the wooden box let go, and with a thud, the contents fell to the ground.

The contents of the wooden box were not particularly valuable, just a few poorly packaged sugar cubes, and a few pennies left over from the candy.

Adam hung his head, he didn't want to be seen of his face, but the shrugging shoulders and body betrayed him.

"Adam......" Officer Tom took a heavy breath and tried to step forward and hug his son.

But Arthur reached out to stop him, took a puff on his cigarette, and whispered, "Don't go." When a man cries, he doesn't want to see his father. ”

Robin gently stroked Adam's face, warm tears wetting her little hands, she just smiled softly.

"Adam, don't cry. It's not like I'm blind, it's just a joke between God and me, maybe I'll just get some sleep.

But maybe he was making a bit of a joke, I haven't been able to work in the factory for a long time, and I can hear my mom and dad sighing every night.

When you have the opportunity to go to church and pray, be sure to help me talk to God that I need to get better soon!

There are so many bills in the house that if there is no more money coming in, our family will have to be kicked out of here. ”

When Dickens heard this, he couldn't help but cover his eyes, and Robin's words also reminded him of what happened to him.

He pursed his lips and red eyes, took out a ticket from his pocket, and was about to walk up, but suddenly three hands holding tickets stretched out behind him and stuffed them into his palms.

He glanced back, and Arthur, Tom, and Tony all looked up at the ceiling, and even the three battle-hardened veteran police officers could only use this to keep their tears from falling.

Dickens's heart warmed, and he glared at the three of them meaningfully, then leaned over and picked up the wooden box on the ground, stuffed the money in his hand, and secretly handed it to little Adam.

Adam glanced back at him and was about to speak, when he saw Dickens put a finger between his lips and motioned for him to be quiet.

Adam bit his lip and nodded with tears in his eyes, he swallowed and spit, and said in the most cheerful tone he could: "Robin! Look what I found, there are a lot of tickets, and with this money, your family doesn't have to worry about being kicked out for the time being! ”

When Robin heard this, she was stunned at first, and the smile on her face gradually converged, she touched the tickets in the wooden box and counted them carefully.

"Adam, you stole all this money, right? Didn't you promise me never to do those things again? ”

Adam shook his head vigorously, and he denied it, "I really didn't steal this money!" I've done those things a lot, but that's all in the past.

Besides, what if I keep doing it! Those ladies and gentlemen have taken all the good things in the world, why can't they give us a little?

They can eat dozens of pounds in a meal, and I just took a cherry on a cake from them. With all this, your family doesn't have to be kicked out of this place, what's wrong with that?

Robin, look at you, you ...... You've all been killed by them...... Blind ......"

Adam said this, reaching out to hug Robin, the nine-year-old child fell to his knees, lying on the shoulder of the other child and crying silently.

Even when he was confronted with the death penalty charges in the Magistrate's Court, he did not cry as sadly as he did today.

Suddenly, a large hand pressed against his head, and Adam sobbed and looked back at Arthur, who had held his hat low.

Adam choked up and asked, "Mr. Hastings, do you—do you know God?" Maybe he's the only one who can cure Robin now, right? ”

Arthur raised the brim of his hat slightly, crouched down, and under the shadow, a pair of eyes that radiated a dull red glow.

"I'm sorry, Adam, but normally I'm far from God and close to the devil."

When Adam heard this, he only felt like he was falling into an ice cave, he turned his head, sniffed lightly, and tears flowed wordlessly.

But then, Arthur's gentle voice rang out again.

"Still, if it's for Robin, I can try to get to know him."