The cold evening breeze blew into the box with a light rain, soaking the curtains hanging from the windows.

Bertrand had a bead of sweat on his forehead, and he glanced at the suitcase containing the banknotes, as a master of swordsmanship with excellent eyesight, he seemed to be able to see the sharp edges and corners of each banknote.

Arthur looked at him with a smile and said, "So, Mr. Bertrand, what do you think?" ”

Bertrand snorted, he reached out and pressed his hand against the lid of the suitcase, and closed the suitcase with a snap, he stood up and glared at Arthur, "Mr. Hastings, are you trying to buy my honor with money?" I, François-Joseph Bertrand, the glory of modern swordsmanship, the representative of French foil! Measuring my worth in pounds is simply the greatest insult I have ever suffered since I was born! ”

When Arthur heard this, he just sighed helplessly, he pressed one hand between his eyebrows, and shook his head gently: "Louie." ”

Louis Bonaparte heard the chief speak, but with a cold face, he pulled out a warm check from his bosom and pressed it on his suitcase.

He spoke, "As you can see, Mr. Bertrand, there are nine stacks of tickets in this suitcase, ten in each stack, a pound each, a total of ninety pounds. And the one I have now is a bearer draft from the Rothschild Bank, with a face value of one hundred and twenty pounds. If you add in the appearance fee you get from the organisers, you'll earn a total of £260 for the game. The exchange rate between the pound sterling and the franc is now about one to twenty-five, so two hundred and sixty pounds sterling means six thousand five hundred francs.

As far as I know, this money is enough for you to buy a house with a garden on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Or if you want a steady income, you can also deposit the 6,500 francs in the Rothschild branch in Paris, where the annuity interest rate is about 5%, and the annual income is 325 francs. ”

When Arthur heard this, he just smiled and said, "Louie, I thought you had lived in Switzerland since you were a child, and maybe you didn't know about the prices in Paris. ”

Louis Bonaparte smiled humbly and said, "I really don't know. But have you forgotten? Monsieur Dumas was a connoisseur of Parisian life, and I learned almost everything I knew about the prices there from The Count of Monte Cristo. ”

Arthur nodded slightly, and once again cast his gaze to Bertrand, who was sweating profusely: "Then, Monsieur Bertrand, as you can see, friendship is as heavy as the garden house on the Champs-Élysées. Sometimes, people have to choose between honor and friendship, and the lonely strong always lack friends, just like Master George Silver. I understand his desire to preserve the traditional English swordplay, but sometimes it may be more conducive to the development of his beloved English short sword technique by speaking tactfully and doing things in a more appropriate way.

However, it is precisely because Master George Silver does not know how to be flexible, so now, his silverflow swordsmanship has been swept into dust over time, and as you can see in London, England's martial virtue has been sluggish for a long time. In this regard, Master Michael Hunt has done a good job, he understands that times change, so a master of swordsmanship should sometimes change his sword path.

Truth be told, Mr. Bertrand, though we're about to be rivals in the dueling ring. But I actually appreciate your swordplay thinking very, very much, that you have reduced the traditional eight fencing positions to the usual four, and you have also pioneered the shift of the center of gravity to the middle of the legs, so that the swordsmen's counterattacks can follow the defensive movements.

This kind of move is very avant-garde, and it is also very in line with Master Hunter's unrestrained and ever-changing style of play. When it comes to swordsmanship, you're a true master, and I'm just an entry-level apprentice. But, you know, on the British stage, if we both don't play well enough, if we both adopt ugly defensive postures in order to win, oh my God, I can't imagine what will happen.

In case you didn't know, the London audience is so grumpy that if they lose interest in the opening game, then the rest of the show won't be able to go according to plan. They would have turned the stage over, and the audience would be littered with flying bottles, and you have to trust me, Mr. Bertran, I'm a Scottish Yard policeman, and I'm all too experienced with the riots that can take place in such a big show. ”

Beads of sweat on Bertran's forehead fell on the back of his hand, and his eyes were fixed on Arthur like a scavenging vulture, and his eyes were full of the young superintendent's gentle smile.

He was eager to take the case, to affirm that his honor was unbridled, and to denounce Arthur's immorality.

But, but......

They give so much!

Bertrand took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Hastings, you have always known that I am a person who values honor very much, and it is impossible to abandon it easily. ”

Arthur nodded and smiled: "That's right, valuing honor is a necessity for a strong swordsman." ”

Bertrand stood up and excitedly emphasized, "But I also value my friendship with my friends!" ”

Louis Bonaparte's cold face also had a smile on his face: "Yes, friendship is also very important. ”

Bertrand's face turned red and he proclaimed, "If one day my honor and my friendship clash with me......"

Hearing this, Arthur slowly got up and recited in English: "Fish, I want it, and I want it." You can't have both, and you can't have both, and you can give up the fish and take the bear's paw. Life is also what I want, and righteousness is also what I want. You can't have both, and those who sacrifice their lives to take righteousness are also. ”

When Bertrand heard this, his body shook violently, and he couldn't help clapping his hands and exclaiming, "Mr. Hastings, you really speak to my heart!" Honor is what I want, friendship is also what I want, you can't have both, so give up honor to get friendship! These words are so philosophical, where did you learn them? ”

Arthur smiled and said, "This is the words of an Eastern philosopher, I just borrowed it." ”

"Eastern philosophers! Oh, my God! Mr. Hastings, how can we be so alike! ”

Bertrand exclaimed, "So you also like Eastern philosophers?" You may not know it, but I am like that, and it seems that we can actually talk together. Then again, do you know Mr. Voltaire? I am an admirer of the conscience of Europe, the king of French thought, and I learned about Eastern philosophy from the writings of Monsieur Voltaire. ”

When Arthur heard this, he just smiled lightly, and he teased: "So what is your favorite work of Mr. Voltaire?" ”

"Oh, my God! That's too much. ”

Bertrand racked his brains to reminisce, trying to bring himself closer to Arthur, he felt that his brain had never spun so fast in his life, and the level of rapid operation was almost the same as the sword flower he played.

Bertrand slapped his thigh and said, "There are many books written by Monsieur Voltaire, but my favorite is a little anecdote that he popularized to the French public, an anecdote about Sir Isaac Newton." ”

"Oh?" Arthur was curious: "Mr. Voltaire is still related to Sir Isaac Newton?" ”

Bertrand laughed, "To be exact, it has something to do with Sir Isaac Newton's niece. Mr. Voltaire said that he had heard the story from there. It is said that one day, Newton was walking in the garden of the former residence of Cambridge University, and saw an apple fall from a tree and hit him on the head, so Newton had a flash of inspiration, and the origin of gravity was born. ”

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but mutter: "After a long time, did this story come out of Voltaire's mouth?" ”

Bertrand didn't hear Arthur clearly, he stuck his head out and asked, "What did you say?" ”

"Nothing." Arthur laughed and replied, "I mean, the apple that hit Newton is now sitting in a store on Jermyn Street." Another day, when you're free, I'll take you there. ”

"The apple is still there?" Bertrand was shocked.

Even Louis Bonaparte was a little surprised, and he asked, "Sir, are you telling the truth?" ”

Arthur took a sip of tea, paused lightly, and said, "It's not true, that apple is still wormed." I can't guarantee that the bug had seen Mr. Voltaire, but it had probably seen Newton's niece. ”

Bertrand was amazed and said, "If that's the case, it seems that I have to go there for a pilgrimage." Compared to this friendship with Monsieur Voltaire, my little honour was too insignificant. ”

Arthur waved his hand lightly and said, "No, Mr. Bertrand, don't get me wrong. I don't mean to make you lose your honor completely, I said from the beginning, I'm just here to be friends with you. ”

"Huh?" Bertrand frowned slightly, "What do you mean?" ”

Arthur snapped his fingers and beckoned, "Louie." ”

Louis Bonaparte reopened his suitcase, pulled out two neat and clean document bags from under the banknotes and placed them on the table.

He began, "As you can see, there are two document bags here. The one on the left is the script for you to win, and the one on the right is the script for Mr. Hastings to win. As Mr. Hastings said, our aim is to play the game well and not let the crowd down, not to simply win or lose.

And after this duel, Mr. Hastings had to play his second piano piece, which he had been preparing for many days, so he must not hurt his arm, or rather, not really hurt his arm in the duel. You can choose to have a real duel with Mr. Hastings at this place today, and the final outcome of today's duel will determine which scene the audience will see on the day of the show. ”

When Bertrand heard this, the last little lump in his heart disappeared without a trace, and he turned his head to look at Arthur, who nodded at him slightly, and even had a trace of indescribable respect in his heart.

"Mr. Hastings, I ...... I'm sorry, but I thought you were mean. I should have thought that how a decent Scotland Yard police officer, a well-respected evil nemesis, would do anything to buy people with money? You...... You're not buying me at all, you're genuinely thinking about the audience. I have no problem with what you have done, and I may apologize to you, I, François-Joseph Bertrand, will accept your offer at once here! ”

Arthur smiled and nodded, "Mr. Bertrand, it's not a big deal. I said it from the beginning, and I have a lot of respect for you. It's blasphemous enough for you to put on a stage play at the dueling stage, how dare I change the outcome of the duel? May God witness this battle of honor for us. Louie, lend your police knife to Mr. Bertrand, and we'll rehearse here today while the food is still served. ”

Louis Bonaparte didn't say much, he took off the police knife from his waist and handed it over.

Bertrand took the sword, and pulled it out of its sheath with a choking sound, his stubble reflected on the snow-white and shiny sword, and he couldn't help but sigh: "What a good sword!" The edge of this knife is much stronger than the sword bars used in our sword club. Can an ordinary police officer at Scotland Yard use such a good weapon? ”

"Not really." Arthur smiled and held the officer's knife and stood up: "This knife was specially made by Louie, and it is not part of the standard distribution equipment of Scotland Yard. ”

"Custom-made?"

Bertrand looked up slightly, and finally his gaze was fixed on the hilt of the sword, where two decorative coats of arms were engraved, one was the imperial eagle emblem representing the First French Empire, the other was the golden bee coat of arms representing the Bonaparte family, and under the two coats of arms was the name of the owner of the police knife, Charles-Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte.

Bertran's body shook violently, his palms were soaked with sweat, and even his legs and knees couldn't help but feel a little weak.

He looked up at Louis Bonaparte, who had a sealbeard, and his voice trembled a little: "Dare to ask Napoleon Bonaparte who ......"

Louis only nodded slightly, and there was no trace of emotion in his eyes: "Yes, you guessed right, Napoleon Bonaparte is my uncle." ”

Bertran's hand holding the officer's knife trembled a little, and he didn't know if it was due to surprise or fear.

He swallowed and spat, then asked, "And who is your father?" ”

Louis Bonaparte exhaled, not knowing whether he was happy or lost, his tone was quite flat.

Napoleon's fourth brother, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, was once king of the Netherlands, but was forced to abdicate. By the way, after the coup d'état in the foggy moon, when the French Empire was just established, he also served as the chief of police in Paris. So, as you can see, I didn't become king, but now I'm a policeman at Scotland Yard, and maybe I'll be a sheriff later, and in a sense, I'm a son of my father's business. ”

When Arthur heard this, he just smiled and comforted: "Louie, don't be discouraged. As your boss, I promise you will become a sheriff in the future. As for the king, I don't have that much authority, but I think maybe you can be a bigger king in the future. ”

Louis Bonaparte only thought that Arthur was joking with him, he waved his hand and said, "Arthur, forget it, don't make fun of me, I know how many pounds and taels I have." With the name, I got a lot. On my own, I have nothing. He was born aristocratic, but he was democratic in nature and political.

I could have gotten everything by inheritance, but in reality I was hell-bent on elections. I know that there are people who want to take advantage of me, who flatter me because of my name, and some because of those titles I have.

If I take a step beyond my everyday trajectory, someone will say I'm ambitious. If I had been quiet in the corner, someone would have said that I was indifferent. All in all, my name creates a similar fear for both liberals and absolute monarchists.

Even if I had the intention of doing so, my only political ally would have to be found among gamblers, who thought I could be a useful bargaining chip among the many possibilities. In this respect, my cousin, who was far away in Vienna, had already shown me that he had become a prisoner of the Austrian Empire and of Metternich. ”

As soon as Louis Bonaparte had finished speaking, and before Arthur could reply, he suddenly heard Bertrand's excited voice in the room.

"No, not so, Your Excellency!"

Bertrand knelt on one knee, holding the officer's knife in both hands and handing it to Louis, and he exclaimed excitedly: "Perhaps because you are abroad, you do not understand what the surname Bonaparte means to France." Neither Bourbon nor Orleans today can bring France true glory. I don't care what those people say, I don't listen to what those people say, in our minds, that exalted, supreme position belongs to that man from beginning to end. Remember, Sir, that whatever gossip you hear, the highest honor and the only creed of the Bertrand family is that the manly sword of the Bertrand family will always be wielded only for the people of the House of Bonaparte! ”

When Arthur heard this, he involuntarily leaned back in his chair gently, put one hand to his mouth, and whispered, "Damn! It turns out that he can still do without money? ”

And the Red Devil, who was watching the show, couldn't help but pat his thigh and laughed: "Arthur, you little bastard also has a mistake!" You know that bringing the Bonaparte imps might have an effect on the French, but you didn't expect it to be so effective, right? ”

When Louis saw this, he was stunned for a while, and then he was a little excited and emotional, and he sighed: "Mr. Bertrand, please stand up first." I am grateful for your loyalty to France, but this honor does not belong to me, but, as you say, it belongs to that person. ”

Seeing this, Arthur also nodded slightly: "Mr. Bertrand, just like Louis said, you better stand up first." Even if you want to swear allegiance like a medieval knight, you'll have to finish this duel with me, won't you? ”

Hearing this, Bertrand first trembled and slowly got up on the table, his hands were still trembling slightly, which showed that his excitement was not pretended. For such a staunch Bonapartist, there was nothing more joyful than meeting a core member of the Bonaparte family.

He took a few heavy breaths at first, and then barely managed to squeeze out a smile: "I'm sorry, Hastings first, I lost my temper." But I don't think there's any need to compare today's duel. I can't do it against you, I can't stain my sword with the blood of my close comrades of the Bonapartes, and even more so you're still my friend, I ......"

When Louis heard this, he hurriedly interrupted his words and asked repeatedly: "But if you don't compare, what about the script and your honor......

Bertrand waved his hand, and he seemed to be somewhat relieved.

I saw him draw out the police officer's knife, and restrain himself to play a sword flower: "Your Excellency, for me, being able to serve the Bonaparte family is already the greatest honor. Moreover, it can coincide with Mr. Hastings's friendship. Winning or losing is just a trifle, and if I can't see this thing, what face do I have to call myself the Sword Master of Paris? I am only flattered to be called the foil Napoleon, and at this time, the real Napoleon is standing in front of my eyes, how can I be cheeky to compete with him? ”

In the spirit of his good impression of Bertrand's words, Louis still wanted to continue to advise: "But ......"

But Bertrand had already made up his mind at this time, he grabbed the handle of the suitcase violently, took it in his hand, and announced in a righteous voice: "Your Excellency, don't persuade you anymore!" I've made up my mind! Mr. Hastings, the script, I'll pick the second. Whether it's for honor or friendship, please overcome me! ”

(End of chapter)