On Fleet Street, London, Arthur, who was resting today, came to the editorial office as usual to pass the time.

If there's one more difference in today's newsroom than in the past, it's that there's one more wire to the newsroom.

From Scotland Yard to the London Police Intelligence Service to Fleet Street, and from Fleet Street to the private laboratory of the new Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of London, Mr Wheatstone.

In the blink of an eye, AssHole was able to communicate remotely with Mr. Wheatstone.

If you had to find a famous quote to praise this great new invention, it would be better to interpret it than Mr. Wheatstone's quote: "Damn it!" I hate electromagnetism! ”

Of course, Mr. Wheatstone was not only the same love and hate for this new invention, but also several police stations that also had cable telegraphs, as well as the telegraph commissioners of the Confidential Intelligence Division of the Police Intelligence Bureau.

Although this new invention does make the speed of messaging faster, in the face of the ultra-thick codebook that requires skilled memorization, the police officers can only quietly 'greet' the inventor of this new technology in private.

Of course, not all police officers are averse to this new technology.

For those mounted police correspondents who retired from the cavalry unit, there is nothing more worthy of praise in the world than the cable telegraph.

They agreed that Mr. Wheatstone was worthy of this year's Royal Society Copley Medal and hoped that he would continue to work hard to bring the cost of the technology down sooner rather than later.

If every police station in London were equipped with such a device in the future, they would not have to ride in the wind and rain in the future.

Alexandre Dumas yawned and pushed open the door to the editing room, and when he looked up, he saw Arthur working at his desk.

He casually threw his leather bag on the sofa chair and made a cup of tea unhurriedly: "I thought my energy was strong enough, but I didn't expect you to be more than me." But it's not like I've never seen someone like you before, but unlike you, you are active, while he is passive and forced by debt. ”

Arthur straightened his waist and stretched slightly: "So, who are you talking about?" ”

Alexandre Dumas took a sip of his tea, "You've read his book, the one that Monsieur Vidocq brought me before." ”

"Honoré Balzac?" Arthur bit the tip of his pen and said, "I know he is diligent, but I don't know that he is diligent because he is in debt." ”

"And what do you think he's for?"

"Well......" Arthur thought for a moment, "I thought he was pure love." ”

"Hahaha! You can't help but think too highly of him. ”

Alexandre Dumas almost squirted out the tea in his mouth with laughter: "If it's not because of debt, who would write so desperately?" If Balzac's printing and foundry had continued, or if he had not lost money on his investment, perhaps he would have had a virtuous wife, two or three children, and a happy life with several hot lovers. Why not write about the bitter night until dawn every day, even if you are sleepy and want to sleep, you have to pour a few cups of coffee to refresh yourself? He's a poor bastard. ”

When Arthur heard this, his face couldn't help but turn strange.

"Alexander, sounds like you're having a holiday with him?"

"Holidays? Arthur, you're going too far. ”

Arthur asked, "Isn't it?" ”

Alexandre Dumas took a bagel and threw it into his mouth: "What is Balzac, and he deserves to have a holiday with me?" Except before I came to London, I was one of the hottest new stars in Paris. When my "Henry III and His Court" premiered in Paris, from the beginning of Act IV to the end, it was not just a success, but a rising climax that enchanted everyone in the room.

When the actors took the curtain call, everyone gave a standing ovation, which lasted for three minutes. After the performance, Louis Philippe, then Duke of Orleans, also sent someone to congratulate me. Although Louis Philippe was not a thing, he still had a good taste for theater.

And what about after I came to London? I made a comeback with The Count of Monte Cristo, and in just one year, I became one of Britain's most striking fashion leaders.

As for Balzac, he was a failure in life. People are like books, and his life experience is a "human comedy", and he is full of fun. But this is the kind of guy who dares to make a big fuss at me at the literary salon, saying: 'When my talent is exhausted, I will go and write the script.' ’

He thinks he is very high, but in my opinion, drama is the superlative form of expression in all literary categories. I don't write because I can't write, but because I feel that theater is a more difficult challenge. You see, when I came to London, I tried my hand at it, and I didn't immediately make a difference? ”

When Arthur heard this, he finally understood what was going on.

It is true that there was a festival between Alexandre Dumas and Balzac, and listening to his tone, it was almost incompatible.

Arthur remembered the letter he had just received this morning, and suddenly he didn't know how to organize the language.

However, his silence made Alexandre Dumas realize that something was wrong.

"Arthur, what's wrong with you? Your fangs and sharp mouth would stop in such a place, it's not like you! ”

Arthur lit his pipe and took a puff, and instead of answering Alexandre Dumas's question directly, he began to guide gradually.

"Alexander, although I did not tell you directly, you should know that I have been in constant correspondence with Mr. Vidocq. In fact, this kind of communication is not limited to the exchange of information between friends, but also plays the role of the two heads of the British and French criminal intelligence departments to exchange new criminal technology and exchange information on transnational dangerous elements.

Of course, our conversations weren't always so formal, and we often talked about some of the things that we didn't. I don't like to inquire into people's private lives, but you know, Mr. Vidocq, though generally a man of secrecy, is very talkative when it comes to unclassified information, sometimes even close to Mr. Hugo's big mouth. ”

When Dumas heard this, he felt more and more uncomfortable: "You even know Hugo's big mouth? In this way, Balzac's careful eye, Vidocq should have told you too, right? ”

"Hmm...... In a sense, I know a lot more than that. And Hugo's big mouth, Balzac's careful eyes, and the matter I am going to talk about next are almost strung together. ”

"What the hell do you know?!"

Arthur pulled out the lawyer's letter from Paris and the letterhead enclosed by Vidocq from his desk.

"Monsieur Vidocq told me on letterhead that Marie Doval, the best-selling actress in Paris, had left for London to star in your new play, Antony. This is confirmed by the information I have heard from the Astrid Amphitheatre, and the manager of the theatre has told me that they had brought this brilliant young lady from Paris at your suggestion at great expense.

Of course, if it's just a purely commercial act, there's not much to say. You have worked in the theatre in Paris for a long time, as a director, as a stage manager, as a stage assistant, and I trust your professional judgment in this regard.

It is a pity, however, that you did not assess the legal risks of this before you decided to do so, nor did you ask our professional lawyer in the editorial department, Mr. Disraeli, nor did you inform the other shareholders, Mademoiselle Doval, of her complicated personal relationship in Parisian literary circles. ”

As the No. 1 figure in the Parisian literary scene, Alexandre Dumas can be said to be well aware of Madame Doval's personal relationship.

But for a small police officer like Arthur in Scotland Yard, who had an ordinary life and was shot occasionally at most, the message revealed by Vidocq on his letterhead was really eye-opening.

When Madame Doval first arrived in Paris, she was just an actress at the lowest level. According to Vidocq, this is a woman with a melancholy expression, a square face, a high forehead, a thin nose, a very sensual mouth, and black hair curls scattered around her face.

Perhaps it was her big dark eyes that impressed the director, and she finally hit the ground running in Paris with her role in "Thirty Years or a Gambler's Life" after a long period of time.

After that, the clever Madame de Dorval took full advantage of her rising position and moved her residence to the corner of Rue de Merle leading to Rue Saint-Martin.

She knew that the poor literati who aspired to get ahead in Paris were all around here.

It was through this location that she became acquainted with the serializers Soulier, Sainte-Beuve, Hugo, and the composer Persini, who are now or will be famous in the future, and developed some male and female affection with some of them according to their personal tastes, and most of those who did not have male and female affection also formed friendships.

In this way, since then, Madame Dorval has had endless new plays.

And when Madame Doval was in Paris, Alexandre Dumas was just a stunned young man with little reputation. But even though the fat man was not yet famous, Madame Dorval still tried her best to show Dumas his kindness.

Dumas, who was very honored by this, was naturally quite happy to introduce his writer friends to this lovely and kind lady.

Among the friends introduced by Alexandre Dumas, a playwright from an aristocratic background with curly blond hair almost killed Madame de Doval.

This is Alfred de Vigny, one of the three giants of Parisian theatre.

Although Pooh is married, he is clearly not in good shape with his English wife, who is ethnically prejudiced and unwilling to learn French.

And Doval also fell in love with the playwright who was both talented and good-looking.

All in all, the two of them got together.

The relationship between the two is like glue, and they get tired of being together almost every night.

But the problem is that both Doval and Pooh have a character flaw – extreme suspicion.

Vinnie couldn't even tolerate Doval's arm being touched, and Doval kept demanding that he be true to him.

However, they never trust their lover to keep their promises.

As a result, the two fall into a cycle of mutual suspicion - choosing betrayal in retaliation for the other's disloyalty - discovering the other party's betrayal and continuing to retaliate with betrayal.

That's why Madame de Doval burst into laughter when she shouted in Victor Hugo's Marion de Lorme that 'Your love keeps me alive'.

This situation further exacerbates Pooh's suspicion and desire for control, and he even carries personal goods in the repertoire and preaches to Doval on stage through the mouths of the characters in the play.

- Madame, I tell you that women should no longer trust people like us. The poets' emotions are erratic, and it is better not to love them. To be honest, poets don't love anyone, they are all selfish ghosts.

Of course, Doval certainly didn't listen.

Even if she doesn't love poets, she falls in love with something else.

Although Pooh is suspicious by nature and keeps an eye out for those who might be courteous to his lover, his vigilance is to no avail. If a man is rejected by Doval, it can only mean that she herself is not happy.

Among Doval's enthusiastic suitors, there is a fat man who has been ill-intentioned for a long time, but has never dared to show his admiration before, and he will not name who he is.

Legend has it that the fat man had secretly sent letters to Madame Doval's house at night.

- Beautiful neighbor, I will spend two more hours alone in sorrow until twelve o'clock at midnight. Are you at home? Can I go see you and ask for a cup of tea by the way? I assure you, I just want to kiss your beautiful hand and don't dare to think anything else.

After that night, Alexandre Dumas and Doval met by chance at the theater, dined together, and visited each other's homes noticeably more.

Maybe this fat man felt guilty after doing all this, and felt that he couldn't get away with his friend Pooh, so he pretended to invite Pooh, who was in the dark, to a meal, and took his hand and said.

"Dear Alfrey.

There are two things I must tell you: you are one of the most wonderful friends I have ever made; There are only three poets in the world today, Lamartine, you, and Hugo.

If I do something that makes you feel even a little uncomfortable, it's not your fault, it's because I'm not a thing. ”

When Arthur saw this place before, he couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness in his heart that he was not married and had no lover.

Then again, Dumas and Doval's relationship would have faded as he fled to London.

But with the cancellation of the man's wanted warrant in France by Talleyrand, and his rising stature in London's literary scene, he began to think about his old lover in Paris.

The big-mouthed Hugo, after learning that Doval was about to leave for London, inadvertently revealed Dumas's good deeds to Balzac in small talk.

And Balzac, who held a grudge, stabbed Pooh with a rod.

As for the furious Pooh, he immediately announced that he wanted to draw a line with Alexandre Dumas, and at the same time used his influence in the Parisian playmaking scene to pressure Doval not to go to London.

As for Dorval, this woman just wanted to be angry with Pooh, so she didn't care if she didn't warn or not. Even if she doesn't play Pooh's play, the play that asks her to play the starring role will still have to be scheduled until next year.

And Pooh, who was in a hurry, spent a lot of money and began to collect Alexandre Dumas's black material in Paris.

As the saying goes, there is nothing difficult in the world, only those who are afraid of it.

He was so angry that he really picked out a heavyweight from the black history of Alexandre Dumas.

(End of chapter)