On the streets of London, the rain is pouring down.

Arthur sat in the carriage at a gallop, the jolting of the carriage causing the pipe in his mouth to flutter up and down, and a few sparks drifting out from time to time.

Although it was still work time, Arthur did not choose to travel in uniform, but casually put on a dark trench coat, a large-brimmed hat covered his eyes, and the towering collar covered the corners of his mouth, making it impossible to see his expression.

That's what he's wearing, he doesn't want people to recognize who he is.

Louis, who was sitting next to him, opened the window of the car, and before he could look out, he heard the shouts and protests of the young people in unison with the sound of the rain hitting the bricks.

"Mr. Bentham, we want to see Mr. Bentham!"

"At such a time, we implore Mr. Bentham to continue to lead us, as he has done for more than thirty years!"

"The Westminster constituency desperately needs Mr. Bentham to preside over the situation, we don't believe in the Whigs, we don't believe in the Tories, we voters in Westminster only recognize Jeremy Benthham."

Louis looked worriedly at the young people outside the Bentham mansion, and although the torrential rain was pouring down, it did not affect their enthusiasm to support Bentham.

As these young men say, the Westminster constituency is one of the more than 600 constituencies in Britain.

In the 1807 Westminster election, Bentham's radical liberals unexpectedly won the Tory and Whigs, a seat they rarely lost for more than two decades.

Anyone who knows English politics knows what a miracle it is, as incredible as David the shepherd's victory over the giant Goliath.

Not only did this make Westminster's political position more important than ever, but the election also made Jeremy Bentham's name more important in British politics, and after the Whigs and Tories, Bentham was the banner of a third power.

The strong presence of radical liberals in Westminster also made Bentham's name widely known, and more and more people came to identify with his political views.

It was during this period that John Mill's father, James Mill and Broughham, joined Bentham and became loyal supporters of utilitarianism, and the participation of these outstanding figures also made the formation of utilitarian groups an inevitable trend.

They had their own political organization, the Westminster Federation, and their own publication, The Westminster Review.

In the face of such success, Bentham's supporters inevitably lifted him to the altar.

Although Mr. Bentham himself scorned religion, this did not prevent his followers from citing the Bible to praise him and call him the God of Westminster.

In many subsequent trials, these Davids repeatedly demonstrated this courage to overcome difficulties with faith "in the name of Jehovah Almighty."

"I trust in God, and I will not be afraid. What can the flesh do to me? ”

They quote the Saint Paul as saying, "Do not let anyone look down on your youth. This phrase was an encouragement from the older apostles to the young Timothy, for God would never let people be frustrated by their lack of experience.

We often hear people say, 'One man plus God is the majority.'" This is true because God alone represents the majority. God didn't need an explanation of him, but he wanted someone to do his will.

God rarely uses a large number of people, He often uses a few, or even just one. The glory of God will not be obscured by the world. God loves to use small people to achieve great things! We may think too highly of ourselves to be used by God. But we are never too small for God!

Elijah plus God was able to defeat the prophets of 450 Barals. David plus God was able to conquer the giant Goliath. Daniel, plus God, overcame the enemy's schemes. Gideon's 300 men, plus God, defeated thousands of enemies. A boy who gave five loaves and two fish into the hands of the Lord would feed five thousand. Moses, along with God, saved 2 million people from slavery in Egypt.

Of course, even God Himself will win, except that God prefers someone to carry out His will. ”

It is in the nature of young people to worship great men, and Bentham himself was a qualified teacher, and it was a blessing to be taught by him at a young age.

But for Arthur and the Scotland Yard police, this is definitely not a good thing.

Young people are full of blood and often go out of their way to carry out their plans. In other words, whether things are right or wrong, they are always at the forefront. And at this age, most of them have nothing but enthusiasm, so they are always killed and injured.

And for the boys, the Red Devil leaning against the window only laughed at it to the fullest: "Wars are always waged by old fellows, and young men go into battle." History is always repeating itself, just because human beings don't know how to learn their lessons. What did Pope say about that? ”

As for the ridicule of the Red Devil, Arthur just recited softly: "Mortals have many mistakes, but only God can see them." Pride is a long-term habit of fools. ”

Louis on the side was stunned, he didn't know why Arthur suddenly said this.

But the Red Devil understood what Arthur meant, and he put his arm on Arthur's shoulder and laughed, "Don't you know very well in your heart? You have a chance to become a god, so why should you become a mortal? ”

Arthur didn't answer the question, but turned his head and smiled softly at Louie, "Where do you think things will go?" ”

Louis was silent for a moment, then turned his head to look out the window at the crowd.

Maybe he will become a big man who is not surprised by everything in the future, but at this moment, he can't do that kind of peace of mind.

Louis shook his head: "I...... I do not know. But when I see them, I always think of the time when I was in Italy, of the charcoal revolt in Rome. The look on their faces...... It's almost exactly the same as the charcoal burners. Honestly, Arthur, I don't have a bottom in my heart. ”

Arthur patted Louis on the shoulder and took a leisurely puff on his cigarette: "Don't worry, Louie." I know that everything will be fine in the future. ”

"You know?" Louis frowned, he looked a little puzzled: "How do you know?" Did you receive any reliable messages? ”

"I don't have any news." Arthur chuckled, "But I'm a historian, and the University of London has provided me with the best education in history." ”

"So, is there any connection between the two?"

Arthur jokingly said, "Louie, do you know what the antonym of the historian is?" ”

Louis scratched his head: "What is it?" ”

Arthur turned his pipe on the window and pushed the door open and stepped out of the carriage.

Inside the carriage, his voice was still echoing.

"Prophet."

……

Bentham's butlers and servants stood outside the door, looking at the growing number of supporters gathered outside the mansion, and could only do their best to reassure them.

The butler shouted under the pressure of the heavy rain with his hands: "Gentlemen, Mr. Bentham is old, he is 84 years old, and he has been very unwell lately. When his physical condition improves, we will arrange for Mr. Bentham to continue his speech.

For the past thirty years, he has stood on the podium almost every week. Whether it's on the streets of London, in the lecture halls of universities, or in Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, you can see him everywhere.

He knows your enthusiasm for utilitarianism, your embrace of parliamentary reform, everybody's desire for the country to get better and better, everybody's desire for a good life for themselves, for all people in society.

Over the past half-century, the ranks of utilitarianism have grown from a handful to a well-known figure in Britain, and now we even have the University of London, which can nurture talent. Mr. Bentham has devoted his whole life to the cause of reform, but you should at least give him a nap, right? ”

When supporters heard this, some felt disappointed, while others thought that Bentham must have hidden something about his delayed appearance.

"Sir, did the authorities exert any pressure on you, on Mr. Bentham?"

"It is impossible for Mr. Bentham to back down, and from what we know of Mr. Benthham, he will certainly stand up as he always did at such a critical moment."

"That's right! In 1818, when Mr. Bentham drafted a plan for parliamentary reform, he was not discouraged by a 106-0 rejection in the House of Commons. We do not believe that Mr. Bentham will step back into the background at a time when the situation is good! Mr. Andrew, you must have been silenced by the threat of the opposition, right? ”

"Mr. Andrew, tell me their names. With us, no one can put pressure on Mr. Bentham, even though he is 84 years old, but he still has us behind him. ”

When the butler Andrew heard this, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

These young people are good at everything, but they can't listen to others. He actually wanted to let them in to meet Bentham and let them know that what he said was not a lie.

However, Bentham had already commanded, and he would not see anyone today. And from the housekeeper's point of view, the old man is indeed not suitable for meeting guests, he is so old that he doesn't even have the strength to get out of bed.

The health of the elderly is like the golden leaves hanging on the branches in autumn, although it seems that there is nothing serious, but just one winter can make their physical condition deteriorate rapidly.

This is the case with Mr. Bentham at the moment.

But the butler certainly couldn't say everything in front of his supporters, he knew the young men very well, and if they had seen Bentham as he was, they would certainly not blame the cold of winter, but would have thought of the cholera control some time ago.

Although the housekeeper does not rule out that cholera control also played a negative role, if this group of young people is allowed to associate the deterioration of Bentham's physical condition with cholera control......

It's really hard to imagine what they're going to do.

Storming London's Guildhall?

Arson at the Palace of Westminster, the seat of both houses?

Or an attack on St. James's Palace, Kensington Palace, or Buckingham Palace, the residences of royalty?

Just as the butler was at a loss, he suddenly felt that someone was approaching him.

As soon as he wanted to look up, a familiar voice sounded in his ears: "Mr. Andrew, do you need help?" If necessary, I can send someone to maintain order on the spot. I currently have a team of twenty men on standby nearby. ”

Andrew was shocked: "Arthur, you ......"

He glanced up at his supporters, quickly pulled Arthur aside and asked, "Don't act rashly, young people can do anything." Sending the police over at this time will only exacerbate their emotions. ”

Arthur nodded, "I understand, that's why I didn't directly transfer the police team from Scotland Yard, but carefully selected some shrewd and capable young men from the Police Intelligence Bureau." They were also young people, and they didn't wear police uniforms like me. ”

Andrew's heart relaxed a little when he heard this: "That's fine...... They didn't have weapons, did they? ”

Arthur euphemistically said, "Just in case, they are equipped with a minimum of force. Please understand that while I want to resolve the issue peacefully, I am also responsible for the safety of my subordinates. ”

"Minimum force means...... A stick? ”

"The short-stemmed kind." Arthur spoke, "As long as the scene doesn't get out of hand, they won't make a move." If these young men accept their guidance smoothly, they may be able to go to the tavern for a drink after a while, as my officers call each other. ”

Speaking of this, Arthur also admonished: "Scotland Yard already knows the situation here." Mr. Andrew, if you insist on not letting me intervene, then you won't just be able to bring sticks later. You should know that recently the Guards Cavalry also joined the ranks of law enforcement, and I don't want things to go that far. ”

When Andrew heard this, he also understood that it could not be delayed any longer.

He sighed and said, "I see. But is it really appropriate to dispatch plainclothes police? You should also know that once plainclothes police officers are discovered, their fate can be much worse than that of ordinary police officers. ”

Arthur nodded, "Of course I do." That's why I put a stick around their waists and gave them double the pay for the special period. ”

Andrew shrugged helplessly: "Well, since you have considered it all, I have no reason to refuse." I've just seen Officer Bonaparte, and the next thing is for me to coordinate with him? ”

Arthur smiled, "That's right. But before I do that, I can politely ask you, may I go and see Mr. Bentham? ”

"This ......," Andrew was a little embarrassed, "Mr. Bentham said that he did not want to see a guest today. ”

Arthur took out the cigarette box from his pocket and slapped it in Andrew's hand: "You go and ask for me, just say that I hope to see him, just ask a few words, it won't delay too much time." If Mr. Bentham still refuses, then you will not be here. ”

Andrew glanced at the cigarette case, shook his head and smiled, and slapped the cigarette case back to Arthur.

"Don't play this game with me, I'm not a ruffian hooligan in the East End. I can help you to ask, but whether I see you or not depends on Mr. Bentham's own decision. ”

As soon as Andrew finished speaking, he heard a rush of footsteps behind him.

A valet went downstairs in a panic, walked up to Andrew's side and said, "Mr. Andrew, Mr. Bentham said that he saw an acquaintance through the window, an excellent graduate of the University of London, and he wanted to meet that person. ”

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but look up at the window on the second floor.

In front of the transparent glass window, Bentham sat quietly with a face full of old age spots, his expression a little tired, but he still took out the gentle smile that he often used when he gave speeches on the street and beckoned to everyone.

"Mr. Bentham! It's Mr. Bentham! ”

Bentham's appearance soon sparked cheers among supporters, who waved at Bentham with the same excitement, and the streets were filled with flying hats.

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief: "Their mood is good, it seems that the next work will be much better." ”

Andrew, taking advantage of the cheers of his supporters, pulled Arthur behind him: "Follow me, let's go through the back door, and don't let them find out that I let the others go to Mr. Benthham." ”

(End of chapter)