"Nice to meet you, Mr. Owen. Maybe I shouldn't say that, because I knew the name Washington Irving long before I met you, and your "Notes on Observations" is very interesting. ”

Arthur greeted Owen with a smile on his face.

Although this was not the first American he knew, Washington Irving was clearly much more famous in Britain than Samuel Colt.

Both Blackwood, which disraeli hated, and Gentleman's Magazine, which represented London's tastes, have written feature articles about this representative of American literature.

Both Sir Walter Scott, the leader of British historical literature, and Coleridge, the representative of the Lakeside Faction, once praised the work of Washington Irving.

Even the University of Oxford came to his favor and awarded him an honorary doctorate of laws, which symbolizes Oxford's highest honor.

Of course, Owen's popularity is partly due to the fact that his articles are well written, and partly because of the strong 'nostalgic' tendencies he shows in his work, which resonates with these people.

Both Scott and Coleridge were well-known conservative literati.

And the University of Oxford, which gave Owen a degree, is the stronghold of British conservatism.

Although Mr. Owen does not explicitly express his views, it can be seen in every corner of his words that he always insists that American democracy is not real civilizational progress, but rather the degradation of mankind.

In his view, every step toward democracy in the United States is also a step toward the abyss of destruction.

In the democratic era promised to the electorate by politicians, there is no paradise full of milk and honey, only a group of demagogues, speculators, and nouveau riche who guard the gates of heaven.

Owen was surprised to find that since the United States moved away from Britain and into a democratic republic, the American people have not only paid less taxes to the government, but have paid more taxes to the government than they did under the king.

In order to satirize this, he bluntly said through the mouths of the characters in "Notes on Observations and Experiences": He and the world around him seem to be absurd as if they had been enchanted, and he never imagined that he was living in a chaotic world where right and wrong were reversed and ridiculous. The so-called revolution in the name of equality and freedom is, in the final analysis, nothing more than a new stage for disgusting careerists.

Ignorant and obedient people will eventually become the tools of politicians in their pursuit of profit, like a wild donkey with an apple on a leash in front of them, and the food seems to be placed close together, as if it can be fulfilled by taking two steps further. Unfortunately, the donkeys never ate anything other than the whip.

In addition to looking at the unpleasant government system in the United States, Owen also scoffed at the arguments that "God bless America" and "God has given Americans the right to naturally and legally own the land of the Americas."

He called the political party struggle in the United States "the most cokely farce in history, even better than the one performed in the New York theater", alluded to the mayor of New York City and the president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, and quoted the historical facts of the massacre of Indians by the Dutch colonists in those years, alluding to the fact that Jefferson's westward expansion was not as progressive as he said it was, and that what the Americans brought to the west was not civilization, but war, exploitation, disease, and massacre.

Not only that, but he was often miserrated with the founding of the United States, the Puritans who had been exiled to North America by England.

In Irving's portrayal of the Puritans in New England, who were cynics and persecutors, their descendants who had been working on the killing of heretics and the burning of witches in their early years not only kept the tradition alive, but also continued to enforce a policy of religious persecution in the name of religious freedom.

It can be said that the three major sensitive issues since the founding of the United States, the Independent Revolution, the Puritans, and the Indians have all made Owen feel all over them.

If Owen had only been sarcastic about that, he would obviously not have been elevated to his current position.

After all, although Britain was uncomfortable with the traitors in the North American colonies, it was obviously more powerful to insult the French than to insult the uneducated hillbillies.

In 1815, Mr. Owen, who had to fight with his opponents in newspapers and magazines every day because he had repeatedly touched the sensitive zone of Americans, finally got tired of this kind of political life, and he resolutely went to Britain to relax his mind in line with the purpose of not leaving a grandfather here.

After coming to the UK, his mood was noticeably calmer.

In his own words, unlike most people, his taste has always been 'love of the old and dislike of the new'. In London, he was finally able to get away from the United States, a country lacking historical heritage, away from the rough and foul air of New York, and devote himself to the study of ancient European art.

Compared with the duplicitous American literati that Colt hated the most, Irving's greatest strength was that he was a man of his word and deeds.

Since moving to Europe fifteen years ago, Owen has entered a prolific period of his work, and he is keen to depict the ancient customs of the folk villages, trying to get a glimpse of the landscape of the past with the help of these traditional cultures.

Singing the praises of idyllic life and mourning the rural landscapes that had disappeared into the industrial era naturally resonated with the mainstream of British poetry and the clergy who shared the same idea.

With these people as the backing, Owen's fame in Britain and even the whole of Europe naturally rose as quickly as Arthur's stocks.

What's even more unbearable is that when those Americans who used to scold Owen found out that this guy actually had such a big reputation in old Europe, they immediately began to adapt to the camp and became a staunch supporter of Owen.

Naturally, Owen's identity has changed from a traitor who maliciously slandered the American Revolution, a British spy who falsified the facts with ill intentions, and a corrupt official who accepted the black gold of the Indians, to the pride of the American people, the European spokesman for the new American image, half of North American literature, and Herodotus from New York, the deafening proclamator of independence for American literature.

And every time other American writers try to remind the American people that only four of the works in the collection of the father of American literature are about the United States, they will immediately be drowned out by the angry saliva of the American people, and they will be asked if they are angry about Irving's achievements and whether American literature can be recognized in Europe.

And after the U.S. government saw that Owen had achieved so much, it also hurried to close the distance with this anti-government element.

They first put Owen into the U.S. Embassy in Spain, and within a few years, he was quickly promoted to the position of secretary of the U.S. Embassy in Britain.

And Owen's job in the embassy is actually very simple, he can continue to write his book, and he doesn't have to clock in from 9 to 5. The only request that the American ambassador make of him is that Owen agree to attend banquets and other important occasions.

After all, for ambassadors, there really aren't many things that the United States can show off to outsiders, and Owen happens to be one.

Putting aside Owen's penchant for scolding the United States, he has won glory for the United States by standing in the banquet hall, hasn't he?

If Owen were to fall ill one day, the ambassador would be really empty, and he would feel a head shorter than others wherever he walked in London.

Arthur looked at the face of the American people in front of him, and at first glance he had a good impression, a handsome middle-aged man who was white.

Despite his annoying nature, given that he already had three rebels from Germany and France, the head of the secret police didn't mind extending his jurisdiction to the other side of the Atlantic.

Owen was also looking Arthur up and down, but what Arthur didn't expect was that the way the other party called him was a little special: "Arthur Hastings, at the same time, is also the author of "Hastings Detective Collection" - Mr. Arthur Sigma. ”

Arthur raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, "How did you know about this?" ”

Owen took off his hat and put it on the table: "'British' has been very popular in London lately, so I thought about whether to hand over the British distribution rights of my new book 'Alhambra' to you." For this reason, I made a special trip to our editorial office on Fleet Street a few days ago to have a brief chat with your editor, Mr. Tennyson.

He told me that "The British" would definitely like to release the work, but he couldn't do it alone, and he had to wait for a few shareholders to return from out of town before it could be officially confirmed. So, I asked him where you are and who you really are. But to be honest, I'm not surprised at all that Sigma is Hastings.

If you haven't personally investigated the case, who can write the detective so truthfully? To tell you the truth, I also received a letter from a child a while ago, who probably didn't know where to find a second-hand copy of "The British", so he started a clumsy imitation of you. But IMHO, he wrote badly. ”

The Red Devil, who had just gotten up, wore a nightcap and stretched in satisfaction: "Arthur, that's good! Which guy who doesn't have long eyes has actually begun to imitate our writing style? ”

Arthur just smiled and asked, "Really?" I thought it would be enough to surprise me with a piece of work today. I didn't expect there to be other gains, do you still have the letter from that child? ”

Owen shook his head slightly and said, "Although I keep it, I will keep it in London." And you probably wouldn't want to see that thing, it's the whim of an ordinary American guy. Although he lived and studied in London for a few years as a child, he later moved back to Virginia. When he was in London, Scotland Yard was not even established, and he even knew what uniforms the officers wore from your work, let alone writing detective cases. ”

When Arthur heard him say this, he couldn't help but ask, "Why does it sound like you know him well?" Have you known each other for a long time? ”

Owen was a little thirsty and was about to drink something to moisten his throat, but when he looked down and saw that there was coffee on the table in front of him, he frowned and pushed the coffee aside, took out an empty cup from the tea tray and poured some tea for himself.

"Well, I've known him for years. He arrived in Scotland in 1815 and I arrived in Liverpool in 1815. After that, the kid and I met in London. The boy used to like to write poetry, and after reading a few lines of Byron's love poems, he wanted to imitate his handwriting. I said he didn't have the talent, but he didn't want to believe it, he was like a donkey.

Later, maybe it was because he ran into too many walls in writing poetry, and he was a little sober. But when he wrote to me, he still refused to admit defeat, saying: 'I have long ceased to regard Byron as a role model, and now the popular one is detective.' For the sake of our friendship over the years, I beg you to help me forward this manuscript of Murder on Bond Street to the editorial office of The British, and by the way, Mr. Arthur Sigma, whose author is a fan of his, Edgar Allan Poe. ”

Arthur's fingertips tapped on the tabletop: "Really? Edgar Allan Poe? It's a great name! Now I'll have to read his manuscript. ”

Owen took a sip of tea and waved his hand: "Mr. Hastings, although I also think that kid is a little arrogant, but you are too much to sarcastically mock him. ”

Arthur shook his head solemnly and said, "No, Mr. Owen, I'm not kidding you. I'm telling the truth, and I'm really interested in the work of this fan of mine. "The British" is not like "Blackwood," and we've always been committed to discovering young authors. As the father of American literature, you can't put the hope of American literature in the cradle, right? ”

Owen put down his teacup and commented, "Sure enough, it's Arthur Sigma, who speaks the same way as yours, with guns and sticks everywhere." I kind of know why Blackwood hates "The British" to the core, and so does your literary criticism of "Blackwood" every once in a while. But you just say that the literary level of "Blackwood" is not high, why do you want to ridicule their editor, Mr. Wallace, as Sanmao? ”

Arthur regretted, "Mr. Owen, this is your misunderstanding. Much of literary criticism is the work of Mr. Disraeli. Of course, Mr. Dumas occasionally writes two articles to read. None of this has anything to do with me, after all, I haven't been exposed by Blackwood, and I haven't been rejected by Mr. Wallace. ”

"Okay. That's where the literary stuff comes first. ”

Owen said: "Actually, I came to you today not only to discuss the matter of publishing, but mainly to ask Liverpool if there are any merchant ships leaving the port to the United States, and if so, I want to book a ticket." ”

Arthur asked, "Buy a ticket?" You shouldn't be able to make a special trip to Liverpool, right? There are so many routes to London, there should be a lot of ships going to the United States! I bought one last year to go to Boston. It's just that later, due to various reasons, it didn't work out in the end. ”

"To Boston? Last year? Owen said, "Then your little fan is really unlucky, he almost met his idol." Last year, he had just been discharged from Boston's Harbor Corps, and this year he was on his way to West Point. ”

Arthur smiled and said, "Cadet? It looks like he's going to have a good future. Although I don't know the status of American officers, in Britain officers are the mainstream choice for the children of the aristocracy. Although it is good to be in politics, it is still too difficult to stand out from the crowd. ”

Owen shrugged his shoulders and said, "Unfortunately, in the United States, only the most despicable people are engaged in political work, and serious people should not live by blackmail, deception, and bragging." As for the military, they are charging for these careerists, so they are obviously more stupid. But your little fan is lucky, he was court-martialed earlier this year for writing poems satirizing instructors and deliberately missing classes, and was eventually expelled from the military. ”

Arthur asked, "So you are in a hurry to go back to the United States to comfort him?" ”

"Not really, it's just ...... Some job transfers. ”

Owen said, "They think I'm doing a good job in the embassy, so they're going to transfer me to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." In the words of the British, I was clubbing another section forward on the rod, and yes, I was promoted. The U.S. Foreign Office wanted me to return home by February 1832, but because of cholera, ships in London were now in quarantine and were very tightly controlled. So, when I found out you were on an errand in Liverpool, I wondered if I could try my luck here. If I can't get here, then I'll have to ask for more blessings. ”

"You're in luck, then." Arthur spoke: "As far as I know, there is a ship of the Schwyaw & Sons Company that is about to complete quarantine and can leave the port. The downside is that they specialize in the West Indies, so you may have to make a layover on one of the islands in the Caribbean to get back to the United States. ”

Owen pondered for a moment: "Sounds good, it's better than nothing." But I can take the liberty of asking you, can you be sure exactly when the ship will leave port? ”

"It should be just recently." Arthur took out his pocket watch and looked at it: "At this point, the Port Authority should also be at work." If you don't mind, you can go with me to the Port Authority. Quarantine has always been their business. ”

Owen stood up and put on his hat and thanked him, "Thank you so much, Mr. Hastings. ”

Speaking of which, he didn't forget to take out the key from his bosom and put it on the table.

Arthur glanced down, "This is?" ”

"I have already told Mr. Tennyson the key to my rented house in London, the address. If you don't have time, you can go there directly to pick up the manuscript, and after entering the door, there is a second drawer on the right-hand side, where I also put the letters of the little fan. I'll pay the rent until April of this year, so you can just pick it up before then. ”

When Arthur heard this, he also got up and put on his hat, and he smiled: "I can see that you are indeed in a hurry." In that case, we will not waste time. The carriage is downstairs, let's go over now. ”

Arthur walked downstairs with Owen with a stagger, and just after leaving the lobby of the hotel, a carriage from the town hall was parked in front of the door.

Louis and the others, who were chatting near the carriage, saw him coming, and they also snuffed out their pipes, and said in their throats: "The rest time is over, it's time to work!" ”

Arthura opened the door and was about to get into the car, but when he glanced around, he saw several horse-drawn carriages parked around the corner.

He winked at Sheriff Charles Field, who was leaning on the carriage, and the other party immediately replied with understanding: "Those cars are all staring at us, and it is not clear who ordered them for the time being." But it is estimated that it is those places, the Liverpool Association, the municipal council, the customs department or something. If you don't like it, I'll talk to them later. ”

Arthur glanced at the cars, shook his head and said, "Forget it, just follow if you like, I have nothing to hide from them." ”

The riding boots were on the pedals of the carriage, and Arthur was about to go up with the doorknob, when suddenly a gunshot rang out in his ears.

Then, as if something had slipped past his ear, he heard a thud, and a small hole was instantly drilled into the wooden lamppost standing beside him, and sawdust splattered and sparked.

This was followed by screaming and fleeing crowds and roaring roars.

"Someone shoots! Protect Mr. Hastings! ”

(End of chapter)