In the Royal Society's lecture preparation room, Charles Wheatstone's sweaty head, white lips and sweat-soaked shirt made his legs tremble at the thought of having to stand on the podium tomorrow in front of hundreds of thousands of listeners.

Wheatstone sat in his chair for a while, but feeling uneasy, he got up and paced back and forth in the room, but after a while, he felt weak in his calves and stomach.

Obviously, this morning, he still felt better than ever, but now, he felt that he was not far from death.

Wheatstone muttered, "Perhaps I should find a chance to escape London until the Royal Society forgets me and come back?" ”

As Wheatstone was talking to himself, he heard a click, and the locked door was pushed open.

Wheatstone was startled, and he took a step back, nearly knocking over the floor mirror behind him.

He exclaimed, "Isn't it me yet?" I'll be on stage tomorrow. ”

He took a look at it and saw that standing at the door was a young man who looked a little familiar in his individual appearance.

The young man took his pipe in his mouth, raised his hand slightly and propped up the large-brimmed hat that covered his forehead, and greeted Wheatstone: "Hello, sir, I have come to apologize to you. ”

"It's you?!"

Of course, Wheatstone knew this guy who tripped over himself at the gate of the academy not long ago, and if it weren't for this kid, he might have escaped this 'hell' by now.

He wanted to compete with Arthur, but when he discovered the physical gap between the two, Wheatstone wisely gave up on the idea.

In the case that he can't beat the other party, he still chooses to love peace.

Wheatstone sighed, "So, who the hell are you?" ”

Arthur took off his pipe and held out his hand to Wheatstone in a friendly manner: "Arthur Hastings, I heard Mr. Faraday say, you seem to want to talk to me?" ”

"Black ...... Hastings? Are you Mr. Hastings? ”

Wheatstone slapped his head on the door: "Oh my God! How could it be you?! I...... I'm sorry, but I can't really associate you with a thug figure who stretches out his legs......"

Arthur couldn't help but touch his chin when he heard this: "Oh? Is it? Didn't Mr. Faraday tell you that I'm a Scotland Yard policeman in addition to being an electromagnetist? There is really no difference between the police and the thugs in Scotland Yard, and the only difference between the two may be that it is lawful for us to use violence. ”

Wheatstone touched the back of his head embarrassedly and replied, "You are a police officer at Scotland Yard, this is ...... I've heard of that. But Mr. Faraday also told me that you are very gentle and polite, unlike ordinary policemen. So in my imagination, you should have a pale face, a little weakness between your eyebrows and eyes, and an aristocratic air in your gestures......"

Arthur shrugged his shoulders and said, "With all due respect, Mr. Wheatstone, his pale face and weak body must be suffering from tuberculosis, which is not an aristocratic atmosphere. But I can understand your thoughts, after all, this is the current social trend, and the aristocracy is always written in this way.

If you want to express their noble birth and handsome looks, you will always write something like 'her delicate neck is like the long neck of a swan, and her fair skin is as pale as the midnight moonlight,' or 'her long and graceful hands and arms are just the right quarter, like heraldic's natural mark for them.'"

This kind of morbid depiction is simply a template. So, it's really a strange society, where people who are really sick wish they weren't sick, and people who aren't sick wish they were sick. ”

Wheatstone laughed twice, "I'm sorry, sir, it's my fault." I...... I'm not as good at words as you are. You may not know that although they call me a scientist, I spend most of my life working in my family's instrument workshop, and I spend more time with the violin than with people. ”

Arthur smiled and said, "I'm just like you, and I'm not that good at words. You may not know that although I am a well-known Catholic, I have spent most of my life in hell, and I have made deals with the devil far more than I have prayed to God. ”

"You...... What are you going to do......"

Wheatstone sensed that something was wrong with Arthur's words, and he stepped back step by step, and the corner of his eye couldn't help but drift to the door behind Arthur.

Arthur, of course, noticed his reaction, and he lightly pulled out a flintlock pistol from his bosom and slapped it on the table in front of him.

Arthur spoke, "Mr. Wheatstone, you study acoustics, so you must know that sound travels at a speed of 343 meters per second. I'm a bullet student, so I can tell you for sure that bullets are faster than they sound. If you don't believe me, we can do an experiment now, after all, practice is the test of truth. ”

Wheatstone's Adam's apple stirred, and he swallowed heavily and spat: "I...... You...... Are we talking about the principles of science right now? ”

Arthur pulled out a chair and sat down, he took a puff of cigarette and let out a puff of white mist: "At the moment, but if you're not honest, it won't be soon." While I may not be better than you in science, I may not be able to match me in ten studies of violence. ”

Wheatstone took a breath and raised his hands slightly: "Okay...... Well, I listen to your ...... You ......"

Before he could finish speaking, Wheatstone suddenly rushed to the door, but before he could jump over the threshold, he heard the sound of opening the pistol safety behind him.

When it was too late, Wheatstone squatted on the ground and yelled, "Don't shoot!" Don't shoot! You're right! Bullets outloud than sounds! Damn it! Why do you have to let me speak on stage? Other than that, I can do anything! Mr. Hastings, why don't I make you a violin, and we'll settle the matter." ”

As soon as Wheatstone finished saying this, the devil on the side couldn't help but whistle: "Oh! A violin! ”

Arthur glanced at the red devil and said, "I'm sorry! Mr. Wheatstone. According to the internal regulations of Scotland Yard, we cannot ask for anything from good citizens. Unless ......"

"Unless what?" Wheatstone slowly crouched on the ground and turned around.

Arthur spun the pistol around and put it back on the table, "Unless this gift is out of friendship." If there is a friendship between us, I may consider making a small request to the Duke of Sussex, such as postponing his speech, for he owes me a favor. ”

"A violin can delay my presentation?"

Wheatstone's eyes lit up, and he rushed forward to hold Arthur's hand as if he had seen a savior, and his expression of excitement spread over his face: "Oh! Hess ...... No, my dear Arthur! You are a trustworthy police officer, and you will always be there for the citizens when they need you. Mr. Faraday is right, you have not only a scientific talent, but also a golden personality! ”

Arthur shook his head while smoking, "Don't get me wrong, Mr. Wheatstone. Even if I help you, it's not because of the violin, but because of friendship. ”

"Yes, friendship!" Wheatstone smirked, "Of course it's because of friendship, how can it be because of the violin?" Arthur, will you accept my friendship? ”

Arthur mentioned that the fish had already jumped into his basket on their own, and he had no reason to refuse.

"Of course, my friend. Of course I am willing to accept your friendship. For the sake of friends, I intend to invite you to join me at a banquet in London's West End on Sunday evening, and you must have no reason to refuse, right? ”

"Banquet?" Wheatstone's smile froze suddenly: "Isn't friendship a violin?" ”

Arthur wasn't going to continue to tug at him, and he leaned down and snapped his hat over Wheatstone's head.

"Mr. Wheatstone, by accepting your violin, I accept your friendship. And accepting my invitation to the banquet is your acceptance of my friendship. I can't owe you the courtesies and rules of communication between friends. I said, do you agree? ”

Wheatstone glanced at Arthur's glowing red eyes, and then noticed a creepy smile on the corner of his mouth.

What's more, if there's a gun pressed against the top of your head, it's really hard to get people to react otherwise.

Wheatstone squeezed out a smile that was more ugly than crying, and he nodded and said, "Your friendship, it's really hard to disagree." ”

Arthur smiled and patted him on the shoulder: "You will slowly get to know me later." You see, Mr. Wheatstone, I've always been very sociable. Well, in return, your science lecture will be postponed until next month, during which time I will train you in the presentation to help you overcome your fears. ”

Wheatstone blinked his eyes twice without tears: "Do you need to point a gun at me during training?" ”

"No, no, no."

Arthur shook his finger: "The training is free, and during this time, if you can make some breakthroughs in the field of acoustics, maybe you can solve the problem of speaking fear once and for all." I've heard Mr. Faraday tell you about the invention of the swanson, and if you can combine it with the sound principle of the music box, maybe you can make something amazing. ”

Wheatstone was stunned when he heard this, Arthur's words flashed in his mind, and he seemed to be about to touch something.

"You...... You mean? ”

Arthur smiled and asked, "Mr. Wheatstone, since your sparkling tube can take on the characteristics of the sound curves produced in different vibration modes, why don't you reverse it?" In this case, wouldn't it be possible to complete the lecture without having to stand on the podium and just swing a machine? ”

(End of chapter)