Mary Bonn was a famous 19th-century residential area in London for the wealthy.

This small area is home to the best of British art, culture, education and the environment.

The Royal College of Art, St Mary's Bonn Church, Regent's Park, London Zoo and Queen Mary's Rose Garden in Regent's Park, the British Museum and Arthur's alma mater, the University of London, surround it.

And, of course, there's Baker Street, a place of pilgrimage for detective enthusiasts for generations to come, and in a few decades' time, the Sherlock Holmes statue and memorial will be erected at the Mary Bone intersection where Arthur just passed.

And just five years later, Madame Tussauds, a French socialite who has moved to London, will set up her first wax museum here, ahead of the great detective Sherlock Holmes.

It's just that Madame Tussauds's wax figure making experience is not as romantic as most people think, and the reason why she is so proficient in wax sculpture is actually because too many people were beheaded in the French Revolution.

Therefore, Madame Tussauds, who worked as a housekeeper with the medical scientist Curtis at that time and learned the art of wax figures from him, has never lacked fresh and vivid materials.

Not far ahead, there is a restaurant that specializes in sandwiches, which is also interesting, and this sandwich restaurant is the property of the Count Sandwich family.

Why is this two-slice snack sandwiched with vegetables, eggs and meat called a sandwich?

You can guess it, of course, because the sandwich was invented by John Montagu, the fourth Count of Sandwiches.

The three-time Lord of the Admiralty had contributed greatly to the reform and exploration of the Royal Navy, but in London, he was talked about not for his exploits but for his gambling personality.

Many Londoners say that sandwiches are a quick and easy snack that the Earl of Sandwiches invented to keep them from the table.

Legend has it that whenever he gambled to the point of hunger, the count would shout 'Bring me a sandwich', and so the name has been passed down.

Although the Montague family has always claimed that this is a rumor made up by political opponents to attack the noble Count, over time, this matter has become an anecdote, and no one wants to go up to the table to find out whether it is true or not.

It's like the Duke of Wellington's nickname, 'The Iron Duke', and perhaps after a hundred years, people will forget that he got his nickname because the newspapers ridiculed him for blocking parliamentary reform, and as a result, the mob had to replace the windows of his house with iron.

And when it comes to the surname Montagu, we have to talk about another Montagu, the Montague Lady Mary Montagu.

The founder of the 'Blue Sox Society' is known as the most distinctive woman in England in the 17th century.

She rejected a marriage arranged by her father, the Earl of Kingston, and eloped with a Whig lawmaker, Edward Montagu, but the relationship was not particularly smooth, and their relationship quickly cooled after her husband became British ambassador to the Ottomans.

After that, she became infatuated with the Italian writer Algalotti Francisco, who visited London, but the relationship soon ended when Francisco was recruited by Frederick the Great, the king of Prussia.

After that, Madame Montagu, who was living in France, fell in love with a young Italian viscount, this time for a long time, and their relationship lasted for ten years.

After a long period of sojourn, Madame Montague finally set out for her home.

Happily, during her lifetime, Madame de Montague was not only inspired by her uncle Henry Fielding, but also engaged in literary work for many years, opening up many themes and models for later generations. Of course, the most important thing is that she made full use of her travel experience and brought back the method of growing cowpox to prevent smallpox for the UK, which really saved many lives.

Arthur's thoughts were racing, and before he knew it, the open-top carriage he was riding in slowly stopped in front of a courtyard gate with a red brick façade for protection and black iron carvings.

The coachman took off his hat and turned back to Arthur and said, "Mr. Hastings, I'll have dinner at the nearby Ponsonby restaurant, and then I'll be back here until nine o'clock in the evening, and the bill for this trip will be sent to your mansion by the London Luxury Coach Hire Company within a week." ”

Arthur looked at the coachman, who was as well-dressed as he was, put on his top hat and quipped, "Maybe I should change my profession, and I am afraid that I can make more money as a decent coachman in your company than a policeman in Scotland Yard, right?" ”

The coachman smiled when he heard this: "You are serious, we are just making some money to make a living." You're just a police officer at Scotland Yard, not really a Scottish person. If you're Scottish, I have to admit that I might be a little better off than you are. ”

When Arthur heard this, he knew what he was talking about, and he replied with a smile: "Yes, after all, everyone knows that grooms in England feed their horses with oats, and in Scotland, oats are their national delicacy." Because of this, the horses of England are as strong as the Scottish people. ”

When the coachman heard this traditional English joke, he couldn't help but laugh as if he had heard it for the first time.

He raised his horsewhip and lightly touched his brow, and said, "Mr. Hastings, although I have not known you for long, we have a very good time. If you still need to rent a carriage next time, you can always come to the company and nominate me. Well, don't bother you, and have a great night tonight. ”

"Have a nice time at Ponsonby's restaurant, and for the sake of you taking me home, don't get too drunk there. Finally, this is a little thank you for the high quality of your service. ”

With that, Arthur took two shillings out of his pocket and left them in the carriage seat, and then stepped out of the carriage and watched the coachman drive away.

It wasn't until he could no longer be seen on the street that Arthur breathed a sigh of relief with some distress: "What is high society?" High society is the usual travel expenses for the whole journey, and only tips can be offset here. ”

Hearing this, Agareth, who was squatting on the iron fence of the red brick wall and looking out, couldn't help but smile and nodded: "Arthur, it seems that you have comprehended some of the essence. ”

Arthur didn't pay any attention to the Red Devil, he just walked to the dark door and gently shook the brass bell with the red ribbon tied in front of the door.

Only a tinkling sound was heard, and the vestibule, supported by ivory marble columns, soon opened its double doors.

Two people walked out of it, one was a middle-aged male butler wearing a simple and smart tuxedo, wearing white gloves, and half-long hair, and the other was a young maid wearing a lace-trimmed turban, woolen stockings on her legs, a black linen dress, and a white ruffled patterned apron.

Arthur glanced at the butler, then at the maid, and nodded slightly.

There are indeed similarities, but they are definitely not as pompous as those drawn in Japanese manga.

He took out a business card from the pocket of the handkerchief pinned to his chest, handed it over, and said with a smile: "I would like to inform Lord and Mrs. Codrington, the Superintendent of the East London Region of the Greater London Metropolitan Police and a researcher in the field of electromagnetism, Arthur Hastings, who are invited to visit." ”

The butler stretched out his white-gloved hands to take the business card, and after examining it carefully, he quickly bowed with a smile on his face.

"Mr. Hastings, I didn't expect you to come so early. Lord Codrington thought that you might be a little late, as a scholar like you might need some time to prepare your lab equipment and thoughts. ”

Arthur smiled, "After all, this is my first time attending General Codrington's banquet, and it's always good to arrive a little early." But you reminded me. In order to be able to demonstrate today the progress made in the field of electromagnetism, I have borrowed something from Mr. Faraday. There should be a Royal Society carriage carrying the equipment in the near future, and if they do, please let me know when they do. ”

The housekeeper bowed slightly: "Please rest assured, wrap it on me." ”

After that, the butler ordered the maid behind him, "Jenny, you take Mr. Hastings to the lounge first." By the way, inform the kitchen that the snacks prepared earlier are ready one after another. ”

The maid named Jenny stepped forward and curtled slightly, then said, "Mr. Hastings, please come with me." ”

Arthur followed what was taught in the "Guide to Social Studies in London", raised his right hand and touched the brim of his hat in return, and then followed the maid three or two steps to the antechamber and entered the three-story mansion of Vice Admiral White Flag of the Royal Navy.

As soon as you enter the vestibule, the first thing that catches your eye is a portrait of General Codrington hanging on the wall.

His Excellency Codrington's appearance is indeed reasonable, and his uniform of the Navy also makes him majestic, and the smooth part of the head also gives a good indication of the veteran's past history, which makes it clear at a glance that he must have served as the commander of the Mediterranean Fleet.

Of course, in order to prevent rudeness, Arthur was relatively restrained and did not publish his artistic review of the portrait in public.

He just asked softly, "Am I the first to arrive today?" ”

Jenny pressed her hands on her abdomen and smiled reservedly, and she replied as she led the way: "There are already a few guests in the lounge, they are chatting and playing cards there, if you think one person is boring, you can join them, or read a book." ”

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but ask, "Can you reveal who they are?" ”

"Hmm...... The early arrivals were usually young men, and I think they were all current or former subordinates of His Excellency Codrington, all of whom were from the Royal Navy. Examples include Colonel John Franklin of the Royal Navy Reserve, Colonel Robert Fitzroy commanding HMS Beagle, and Sir George Elliott, Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty's Naval Attaché and commanding HMS Victory, the flagship of the Portsmouth Naval Base. ”

When Arthur heard this, he roughly understood the scale and level of this banquet, and his heart was at ease, and his mood was naturally relaxed, and he couldn't help but quip: "I can remember it so clearly, ma'am, it seems that you will definitely be able to be the head maid here in the future." ”

When Jenny heard this, she couldn't help but blush and laughed, "Mr. Hastings, you are really joking. ”

After that, she knocked lightly on the mahogany door of the lounge, and then bowed slightly, "Ladies and gentlemen, there is a new guest here. ”

(End of chapter)