Outside the window, thunderstorms poured down, the trees in Hyde Park were blown around by the howling London evening winds, and the tinky thumb-sized raindrops slammed against the window panes like bullets.

Arthur and the others sat around the fireplace, and the reddish light of the fireplace reflected on everyone's faces, which brought a touch of warmth to the cold environment.

Dickens took a sip of hot tea, then he turned his head to look at the closed windows in the room, and asked, "Every time you come here, the windows are closed, don't you need ventilation?" ”

Arthur flipped through the books in his hand as he spoke, "Isn't it enough to have a vent at home?" It's so cold at night in London, and if you keep the windows open, you'll get cold. ”

When Disraeli heard this, he raised a finger and emphatically said, "Arthur, haven't you seen those studies published in the major newspapers by Dr. Arnault of the Royal Society?" If you hang a canary on top of your bed, you will find it dead when you wake up in the morning.

Dr. Arnault said that living in a poorly ventilated room accumulates a lot of carbon dioxide, which in turn combines with water in the air to form carbonic acid. Can you imagine your house full of carbonic acid? Oh, that's terrible, it's going to poison you eventually! ”

When Arthur heard this, he just smiled lightly and pouted, "I can't see it, Benjamin, it turns out that you have started to get involved in the field of chemistry." ”

"Of course, a good person is a little bit of everything."

Disraeli tugged at his collar proudly, and finally he didn't forget to give Arthur some health advice: "If you are really afraid of the cold and don't want to open the window, then put a few bowls of lime water in the room, it will always absorb the carbonic acid in the room." By the time you wake up tomorrow morning, you'll find more cloudy sediment in the bowl, which is the culprit that is endangering your life.

Arthur, although you are a researcher in the field of electromagnetism, I would suggest that you read the Science of Family Life more often when it comes to chemistry and home health. ”

Arthur shrugged his shoulders when he heard this, "Thank you for your recommendation, but I think I still prefer to read the Weekly Police Bulletin founded by radical literati than The Science of Family Life." In my opinion, if I don't understand the former, I can't sleep well at best, but if I don't understand the latter, the number of attacks on the police that have been going down so hard recently will increase dramatically. ”

When Disraeli heard this, he opened his mouth and said, "Hi Arthur, I know what you think. You just look down on housework, in fact, I used to be like you, I looked down on this magazine at first, thinking that it was all written for home-based ladies to pass the time. But at the last feast, Madame Henrietta Sykes took me to read the book, and I realized how valuable it was. That knowledge is not only helpful for ladies but also for men. ”

"Oh......" Dumas, who was reviewing the manuscript, immediately became interested: "Look what I heard?" Mrs. Sykes! Benjamin, I remember you were twenty-six years old, so Mrs. Sykes must be around thirty-four to thirty-eight years old? ”

Disraeli glared and emphasized, "Alexander, Mrs. Sykes is a very sweet and intellectual lady! And she is also a loyal reader of our "British", and she often wrote to our editorial office a long time ago. The reason why I was able to enter the Tory circle so smoothly this time was because Mrs. Sykes introduced me to the Earl of Lindhurst. I won't allow you to make a joke about her in France. ”

When Dumas saw Disraeli's appearance, he just shook his head at Arthur and said, "It's really over, it seems that in addition to Charles, there is another little fool who fell in love today." The main author of our "British" lost two of them at once, what a huge loss! ”

Hearing this, Arthur just took a sip of tea calmly: "Alexander, you have to hurry up." Benjamin has been asking for a month's notice in The Times for me, if you're in a hurry, why don't you change it next month? ”

Alexandre Dumas pondered, "Anyway, what is the effect of that false advertisement that you published in The Times?" Is there a repercussion? ”

Disraeli nodded slightly: "Of course there is a repercussion, not only that, but also quite a big repercussion." This month, a large box of love letters alone has been collected. ”

"It works so well?" Alexander was surprised: "I thought the ladies of London were very reserved, but now it seems that they are only superficial. As long as they meet their criteria for choosing a mate, they can also be enthusiastically no different from French girls. ”

When Arthur heard this, he suddenly interjected coldly: "It is not only ladies who are enthusiastic, but also gentlemen." ”

"Gentlemen?" Alexandre Dumas was shocked when he heard this: "Could it be that there is still ...... in those love letters"

Before Alexandre Dumas could finish speaking, Arthur interrupted: "It's none of my business, anyway, I have already forwarded all the love letters to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil intact." It is hoped that the General Post Office will be able to deliver the letters there before the Beagle finishes its expedition to Brazil, for the sake of the fact that the sending office is Scotland Yard. ”

Hearing this, Alexandre Dumas nodded in agreement: "This method is quite appropriate, anyway, no matter how many people, men, women, and children, Elder can digest it." After all, if someone writes you a love letter and you don't reply to a letter, it is really rude. ”

Dickens sat by the fire with his teacup in his hand, and when he heard the love letters, he couldn't help but think of the holy white lotus in his heart, Miss Maria.

Dickens sighed wistfully at the fire, feeling that he could not muster courage in front of Miss Maria in his own right.

When Dumas saw him like this, he couldn't help but get angry: "Charles, I didn't mean to hit you. But if you want to pick up girls, you have to at least show some man's courage. Isn't it just a banker's daughter? I thought you were looking for a princess of some country! ”

Arthur also spoke out encouragingly: "That's right, look at Benjamin, he has not paid off the seven thousand pounds he used to take out a newspaper loan." However, such a hairy boy with a lot of debts dared to pursue Sir Francis Sykes's wife. ”

When Disraeli heard this, he hurriedly refuted the rumors: "Arthur, don't talk nonsense. I do have a crush on Mrs. Sykes, and if she had been single, maybe we'd have something to do with it, but for now, ......"

Arthur just shook his head when he heard this, and said, "Benjamin, if you think so, you will be angry if Mrs. Sykes can't get it right." Although her marriage to Sir Sykes was reasonable, it did not prevent them from playing their own games.

When I went to the ladies of the Blue Sox last month, I heard them talk privately about Mrs. Sykes. Why do you think Mrs. Sykes introduced you to the Earl of Lindhurst? Benjamin, your proud head had better try to be a little better at this, you should be able to figure it out, it's all about it. ”

Alexandre Dumas also nodded in agreement: "That's right, in French politics, climbing a powerful lady will always save you a bunch of detours, and ladies always have an advantage over gentlemen when it comes to getting news out of relationships." Of course, it would be great if you were genuinely in love with her.

After all, didn't Talleyrand, an old lame, go from a young son with no inheritance and no attention to it to an important figure who could influence the fate of France? Although the political ecology of Britain is slightly different from that of France, I think the principle should still be the same. ”

"This ......"

When Disraeli heard this, he suddenly blushed and coughed twice: "Of course I know this, and Mrs. Sykes's excellence is beyond doubt. I'm willing to do something for her, both in terms of reciprocating her introductions and in terms of her love for my "Young Duke."

But I don't think it's enough to make her proud of me if it's just a family. A few weeks ago, you might have boasted that Mrs. Sykes had the eye to unearth a promising young councillor for the Tories, but now I'm running out of limelight by that woodcutter at Gladstone. ”

Arthur asked, "I can understand that you don't like Mr. Gladstone, but why do you keep calling him woodcutter?" ”

"What else? That's because he's really a woodcutter, of course! ”

Disraeli said hatefully, "Can you imagine? A young man in his early twenties, who graduated from Oxford, did not gamble, prostitute, or drink, nor did he have violent tendencies because of his rotten university life, and his only hobby was to chop dozens of pounds of firewood during his break.

Damn it! Why is there such a person as Gladstone in this world? Isn't it good for him to be a pastor? With his style and style, he will definitely become the Archbishop of Canterbury in the future, so why should he come to the Tory Party to grab a track with me? ”

Alexandre Dumas yawned and said, "Then why don't you go to the Whigs?" Isn't the Tories out of work now? ”

Without even thinking about it, Disraeli vetoed: "Yes, the Tories are in decline, but I must not deign to join the Whigs." Only a pure aristocratic party like the Tories is in line with my temperament, and the Whigs look like aristocrats, but they still have too much toxic fumes from factories and the smell of money and ink from the city! ”

Alexandre Dumas shook his head: "Young people are really casual when they choose their political leanings. ”

Arthur took a sip of tea: "Aren't you the same?" ”

As soon as he finished speaking, Arthur didn't give Alexandre Dumas a chance to fight back, and immediately asked Disraeli again: "So, the reason why you strongly asked to go to Scotland Yard to do moral persuasion like Gladstone is to compete with him, so as to prove that Madame Sykes is not wrong?" ”

"Of course, it's important."

Disraeli replied solemnly, "I am not a man of illustrious stature as Earl Lindhurst, and the mere mere act of being connected would add to Mrs. Sykes's face." My advantage is that I am young, and being young means that there are more possibilities in me. I'm going to prove to Mrs. Sykes that I, Benjamin Disraeli, deserve to let her go all. ”

Speaking of this, Disraeli did not forget to encourage Dickens: "Charles, you are the same. The ladies are concerned about nothing more than those points, if we can't score in wealth and status, then think of using your wisdom.

You can write such an outstanding work as "The Pickwick Papers", so your talent is at least on the same level as mine. Could the banker's daughter be more difficult to match Mrs. Nexus?

So you can only succeed and not fail this time. Because if you're emotionally frustrated, it's not just you who will be insulted, but the rest of the best-selling writers of The Brit and The Economist, including but not limited to Benjamin Disraeli, Alexandre Dumas, Arthur Hastings, Charles Darwin, Louis Bonaparte, John Mill and, of course, Mr. Elder Carter. ”

Alexandre Dumas also nodded with laughter: "That's right, it's really not good, you go back and tell Miss Maria, and ask her if she knows what the consequences will be if you offend Mr. Carter?" ”

As soon as Dumas finished speaking, a flash of lightning flashed outside the window.

There was only a boom, and the flames in the fireplace were swaying in the wind of the chimney, and thunder swept through the window, and after a brief moment of light, the room fell into a dark dead silence.

Dumas clutched his pounding heart and took a deep breath: "Scared me, I thought I was ridiculing Elder, but I ended up attracting something unclean." ”

Dickens was also frightened, he wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and said: "The wind is strong, the lightning is roaring, this always reminds me of the "Frankenstein" that Arthur asked me to adapt not long ago." ”

"Frankenstein?" Alexandre Dumas thought about it for a moment and immediately remembered: "Oh, that is the work of Mrs. Shelley?" I remember Arthur mentioning to me before that he wanted to adapt it and put it on "The British", and by the way, it could also be cast into a small theater in London, so as to relieve Mrs. Shelley's financial difficulties a little. She has to publish and sort out so many Shelley's posthumous works, and she also has to pull her children, and life is really not easy. ”

"Well......" Dickens began, "Alexander, have you seen Frankenstein?" A Frankenstein who wants to make life sews all kinds of collected corpse pieces into an eight-foot-tall monster, and then on a stormy night, lightning flashes and roars down, and the stitched monster really opens its eyes! ”

Arthur took a bite of the biscuit with black tea: "Do you control the thunder and lightning?" This Frankenstein sounds like Mr. Faraday. Perhaps in the future, when this play is put into the theater, Frankenstein's appearance can be based on Mr. Faraday. ”

As soon as Arthur's witty words were finished, no one in the room laughed, and the glow of the fire was imprinted on everyone's faces, but there was no trace of blood, and Dumas, Disraeli, and Dickens all turned pale, and even their lips trembled slightly.

Arthur frowned and asked, "Just like you guys, you still want me to open the window for ventilation on a rainstorm day?" If you don't feel well, then go upstairs and lie down for a while, and when the meal is ready, I will go up and call you. But I'll start with the ugly stuff, I'm not as good at my craft as Alexander. ”

The Red Devil, who was wearing glasses, hanging cotton slippers, leaning on the sofa and reading by the fire, raised his head slightly and glanced out the window, he pushed his glasses and shouted, "Arthur, I think they are not uncomfortable, but frightened by the thing outside the window." ”

"Scared?"

Arthur put down the white porcelain teacup and stood up and looked out the window, only to see a tall figure with a hunched back faintly visible on the street in the dark night, behind the shadows of the trees at night.

His back seemed to be a pus-filled mound the size of a mound, and he had a sharp, slender saber stuck in his arm, and as he took heavy steps, a large piece of flesh seemed to fall from his body.

Alexandre Dumas took a deep breath, and the fat French man stared at the shadow while pulling around at the table: "Oh my God! I didn't expect my new gun to fire for the first time to deal with this kind of thing! ”

Dickens was also stupefied: "Snow ...... Could it be true that the book written by Mrs. Lay? Or was this monster created by Mr. Faraday? ”

Disraeli also exclaimed, "Can't the Royal Society learn something!" For example, multi-research points to exchange air, keep breathing, they have nothing to do with this thing! ”

Several big men hugged each other, so frightened that they didn't dare to make a sound. Although they were all ready for battle, before the actual battle, they still hoped that the monster would retreat from the difficulties, and everyone would not interfere with the river water.

Seeing this, Arthur just stretched, picked up his teacup and drank the rest of the tea, and turned to walk out the door.

Dickens exclaimed, "Arthur, why are you going?" ”

Disraeli hurriedly grabbed the musket in Alexandre Dumas's hand and threw it over: "Even if you want to go, you have to bring something for self-defense!" ”

Alexandre Dumas directly threw the half-drunk bottle of red wine in his hand and said, "What's the use of drinking tea, let's have this to get started!" ”

Arthur just frowned and shook his head at the three of them, and he twisted the doorknob slightly, and the howling cold wind poured into the room, blowing his neatly combed hair into the wind.

Dumas and the others held their breath, and under their gaze, they saw a pair of large, wet and sticky hands stretched out from the door, and two letters were still stuffed between the fingers of these big hands.

"I'm sorry, sir. It was not my intention to make your letter like this. But as you can see, on this day's ghostly weather, when I was crossing Hyde Park, I accidentally fell into a small mud puddle on the side of the road, and I was covered in mud all over my body, and my mail bag was soaked.

I'm sorry to say that, but can you check the sender and address on the envelope now? If there is no mistake, please sign for it. ”

Arthur looked at the honest postman, who was wet and his pants and backpack were covered in mud, and just smiled and said, "It's okay, sir." In this kind of weather, unfortunate things do happen occasionally. ”

Alexandre Dumas breathed a sigh of relief, and the fat French man sat down on the carpet beside the table: "It scared me to death, I thought it was Elder whose ghost had appeared." ”

Arthur glanced down at the envelope, raised an eyebrow, and said, "No, Alexander, you're not wrong. Held's ghost did manifest, and he sent the letter, along with a researcher's observation diary. ”

(End of chapter)