Chapter 207: LPS’s New Army (K)

Chapter 205 The LPS’s New Army (5K)

36 Lancaster Gate, Bayswater District, late afternoon.

It was supposed to be dinner time, yet today, the atmosphere in the living room was different from the usual.

Alexandre Dumas, Darwin, next door neighbor Disraeli and even Mr. Elder Carter were all at their table tops, writing away, as they made the final push to fill in the main points of the first issue of the new magazine.

However, in an environment so quiet that only the rustle of writing could be heard, a harsh noise like the renovation of a power drill shattered the harmony of the place.

Elder’s brows frowned more and more tightly as he listened, and when he couldn’t stand it anymore, he only slammed the desktop and roared towards the upstairs, “Arthur! If you intend to open a textile factory specializing in cotton popping, you can go to Lancashire, you don’t have to stay in London and torture us so much.”

No sooner had Elder’s words fallen than a footstep sounded on the stairs and Arthur came down slowly carrying the violin Wheatstone had given him.

He spoke rather helplessly, “I thought music was all connected, but now it seems that there is still a bit of distance between pianists and violinists.”

Elder glared up and snatched the violin from his hand as he opened his mouth and asked, “Can’t you idly write some of your Scotland Yard detective anthologies? The magazine is very short of content right now, and you, as one of the shareholders, have to be on top of it when it’s hardest, right?”

Arthur shrugged his shoulders and said, “A detective anthology? What should we name it? The main title ‘The Hastings Mysteries’? Sub-title ‘A Study in Monkeys’, or ‘The Hound from Nottingham’? I think those titles and topics are perhaps suspected plagiarism when written.”

“Plagiarism?” Elder spoke up, “I haven’t even seen any novels on the market with a detective as the protagonist, who are you going to copy? Besides, isn’t writing novels more profitable than working as a policeman at Scotland Yard? If our magazine is successful this time, the annual dividend of thousands of pounds will not be a problem at all. And when the novel is finished, you can even take it out and print it as a separate volume, and then you can make a fortune again.”

Arthur saw that Elder’s eyes were glowing with gold, so he had to press his hands down to signal him to calm down, “Anyway, what are you going to write about in the magazine?”

Elder heard Arthur’s interest in his masterpiece and finally couldn’t hold down his literary heart that had been dusty for years, he smoothed his collar and opened his mouth in a serious manner.

“You see, now Benjamin intends to serialize The Young Duke in the magazine, Alexander serializes The Count of Monte Cristo, Charles, who is a journalist, serializes The Pickwick Gaiden, Charles, our museum, intends to write a science book, The Monkey’s Tale, and Tennyson, from Cambridge, prepares a collection of Lyrical Poems.

Now we have fashionable, museum, and lyrical content, but only a little heavy history is missing, so I intend to adapt our English legends into an accessible and popular novel. I’ll hint to you, by the way, that the characters I’m going to write about come from the local area of my old hometown, Nottingham.”

Hearing him say that, Arthur immediately guessed what he was going to write about, “You mean Grand Theft Robin Hood?”

Elder exclaimed with a sniff, “Arthur, you are worthy of graduating from the history department of the University of London, our students from the University of London are always on top of their game.”

Arthur looked calm at Elder’s praise, “I think the level of our University of London students can be slightly higher on top of that.”

After speaking, Arthur turned to frowning and cupping his chin, “However, why do I vaguely remember that ‘Grand Theft Robin Hood’ is Alexander’s work?”

Dumas just leaned back in his chair when he heard this, as he spoke, “I’m really letting you get it right, Elder the bastard had to ask me for nine out of ten words, and that novel is almost indistinguishable from the one I wrote.”

Elder sniffed angrily, “What do you mean nine out of ten words come to you to ask once? Whose suggestion was it to create a story based on Robin Hood? Who collected the relevant information? And who has the power to decide on the direction of the story? I just want to ask you a couple of questions. Look at you, you’re so cheap. People who don’t know you think you’re of Dutch descent. If you keep this up, I won’t take you with me next time!”

As the old saying goes, “take a man’s hand and eat a man’s mouth,” Dumas looked at his agitated appearance, and could only skim his lips, and then obediently shut up and did not say anything.

Elder saw that he was silent, then finally satisfied.

He turned his head and rushed to Arthur and said: ”But are you really not considering writing a detective novel? I even asked my sister to ask her girlfriends earlier, and it seems that those big ladies are all very curious about how Scotland Yard detectives handle cases. If you could come up with something like that, you could definitely push the magazine’s sales up another notch.”

Arthur, seeing that Elder was so keen to encourage him to write a book, didn’t just balk.

He just patted the violin that was snatched by Elder and spoke, “Writing a book is certainly possible, but in the meantime, I have to take care of the concert first.”

“Concert?” Elder first froze, then tapped his head and said, “I almost fucking forgot, you promised the London Philharmonic Society to be their pianist? Wow! Damn, Arthur, sometimes I really have to envy you, except for the two of us are neck and neck in terms of personal culture, I’ve been left behind by you in almost every other aspect, especially in terms of earning power, we’re really one in the same place.”

Arthur opened his mouth and said, “In fact, it is not entirely for the sake of making money, have you forgotten that Mrs. Levine and Mrs. Cowper sent someone to find me to book the concert tickets before? The two ladies are of honorable status, so it would not only be ungentlemanly to keep dragging them around, but it would also go against basic social etiquette. So I’m going to take advantage of this period of time to cash in on the phonograph and concert tickets for them first.”

“Mrs. Levine?” When Elder heard this, he couldn’t help but recall the painful memories of that night’s banquet, “Damn, Arthur, what a good thing to get your hands on. Mrs. Levine, that’s Mrs. Levine!”

Arthur heard Elder repeatedly emphasize and immediately smelled the scent of intelligence, Elder this kid might know something.

He pretended to know nothing and probed, “What’s wrong with Mrs. Levine? It’s just the wife of the Russian ambassador, Count Levine, one of the female patrons of the Ormac Club, Mrs. Cowper is no worse than her, you’ve pissed in Mrs. Cowper’s arms, so don’t think about Mrs. Levine.”

Elder stifled a sigh, “Arthur, it’s not the same. Mrs. Levine has had a lot more variety than Mrs. Cowper, and there are plenty of famous politicians and businessmen rumored to have had affairs with Mrs. Levine. If you haven’t had any news with Mrs. Levine, it only means that you’re not much of a person in Europe.”

Arthur asked, “So who are the people who count as big shots in Europe?”

Elder counted them one by one on his fingers, “Like the Austrian Imperial Prime Minister Metternich, our new Foreign Minister Viscount Palmerston, and of course our former Prime Minister, the Duke of Wellington ……”

“The Duke of Wellington?” When Arthur heard this, he couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows and muttered, “Sleeping next to Mrs. Levine’s pillow couldn’t get any information, and His Excellency the Duke actually had the face to send me to probe?”

Elder asked, “Arthur, what are you talking about?”

Arthur muddled, “Nothing, I mean, is there anything about Sir Peel in this?”

“Sir Peel?” Elder shook his head, “Sir Peel is still quite decent in this regard, he and Mrs. Peel are very much in love, everyone sees them as a model couple.”

Arthur nodded slightly, “It is indeed quite difficult. After all, people like Viscount Melbourne who could maintain a marriage with Duchess Ponsonby for twenty years are now looking at flowers elsewhere. Trying to stay out of promiscuous relationships in political circles is indeed quite a test.”

When Elder heard Arthur mention Viscount Melbourne, he couldn’t help but squeeze his eyebrows and ask after him, “That said, have you checked out the relationship between Mrs. Norton and Viscount Melbourne? Between the two of them, isn’t it a bit of that, not too good to say things in public ……”

For Elder’s desire for knowledge, Arthur decided to fulfill it.

He spoke, “According to what I have learned so far, although Mrs. Norton and Mr. Norton are not divorced, the two of them have de facto separated. Moreover, Mrs. Norton often travels to the Home Secretary’s residence, and the two of them have recently attended the Ormac Club’s banquets together, but I currently do not possess any crucial evidence of the two of them breaking through the zero distance. So under the existing conditions, I am inclined to believe that they are both still innocent for the time being.” “Innocent? That can’t be right, can it?” Elder grinned as he poked Arthur with his elbow, “Do you think it’s possible that the two of them are right there in the Home Secretary’s residence, that what ……”

Arthur vehemently denied his friend’s unwarranted suspicions, “Elder, the Home Office isn’t the Royal Navy, we don’t just find a cabin and close the door here. People come and go in Viscount Melbourne’s office every day, and I don’t think they can talk freely about the origin of species in the gaps where the Clerks come and go.”

“Why not? Think of it ……” Elder was about to split hairs with Arthur, but before he could finish his sentence there was a knock at the door outside the house.

Disraeli’s eyes lit up, the newly appointed editor-in-chief of the magazine rushed to the door in a hurry, opened the door with a smile on his face and said, “Is it Alfred or Charles who has come to hand in the manuscript?”

Unexpectedly, after pulling open the door, standing outside the door but two faces he did not recognize, one is wearing a police uniform dusty police officer Tom, as for the other is full of unhappy Scotland Yard brat Aaron Pinkerton.

Arthur saw them both, and could not help being surprised, “Tom, didn’t I tell you to send him back to his father in Glasgow? Why have you led him back?”

Tom looked at Arthur and just sighed sadly as he patted Pinkerton on the back of the head and spoke, “Unfortunately, I took him to Glasgow Police Station, but the officers there told me that the boy’s father died last year after a long illness. His mother had also changed her marriage earlier in the year, and I followed the officers’ directions to his mother again.

But the lady didn’t seem too keen to meet this son of hers, and she only told me politely that Aaron was old enough to be perfectly able to support himself by working as an apprentice. And it seemed that the boy had been apprenticed to a distant relative of his as a hooper before he came to London.

I was going to send him back to that hooping workshop, but the boy told me that if I sent him there, it wouldn’t be long before he ran away again. He doesn’t dislike hooping, but he doesn’t like being in the workshop. If he stays there, he won’t be able to eat if he doesn’t finish his tasks every day ……

Well …… Arthur, I …… I don t know how to mention this to you …… Alas …… I blame it on my uselessness. I also know that the Bureau does not employ child labor, but this kid is inclined to say that he can, and begged me to give him a chance, you see ……”

Pinkerton saw Tom before and after the difficult look, also feel a little sorry for him.

Along the way, he had given Tom a lot of trouble, but this officer not only did not blame him, but also took much care of his rebellious behavior.

For his grievances and complaints, Tom listened patiently to all of them.

For his difficulties and ideas, Tom also try to solve for him.

And now, Tom had to go to his boss to make an unreasonable request for the sake of his momentary caprice.

Although Pinkerton is still a teenager, he has experienced all the human feelings in the world.

He took Tom s hand and gathered enough courage to raise his head to meet Arthur s deep black eyes, “I …… Mr. Hastings, I hope you can give me a chance. Although I have never been a police officer, I have watched my father do it before. You don’t look at me as young, but I won’t drag my feet. If I do a good job, you will support my salary, and if I don’t do a good job, I won’t complain even if you send me straight to the poorhouse.”

Arthur leaned against the door and lowered his head to look at the little brat before him, who was not quite up to his chest, and he inquired in an immaculate tone, “Did Tom teach you to say that?”

A hint of panic appeared on Pinkerton’s face as he sniffed, and he hastily waved his hands, “No sir, you mustn’t misunderstand me, I came up with those words on my own, and they have nothing to do with Officer Tom.”

Arthur just smiled at his words and touched his head, “It seems that I was expecting too much from you, I thought that hefty detectives are all born with it, just like musicians. But now it seems that detectives are slowly cultivated. Aaron, you still have a long way to go before becoming a good detective.”

When Arun heard this, he first froze, and then his eyes were covered with a layer of tears, “Mr. Hei …… Hastings, what do you mean by saying this, do you want to reject me?”

Arthur slowly nodded his head, “I’m sorry, Aaron, Scotland Yard does not consider accepting any minors, this is stipulated by internal regulations, and I do not have the authority to make Scotland Yard change the regulations for you. If you long for that policeman father of yours, you can absolutely wait until you are an adult to apply for the job.”

Tom, who was on the sidelines, although he had long been prepared for this outcome, he couldn’t help but feel a little lost when Arthur put his words into his mouth, and he took off his hat and apologized, “I’m sorry, Arthur, for putting you in a difficult position.”

He pulled Aaron to go back, but no matter how much he tugged, Aaron, who had a donkey’s temper, silently dripped tears and refused to turn around.

In desperation, Tom could only pick Aaron up and carry him on his shoulder, Tom patted his back while comforting, “It’s no big deal, it’s late, let’s go home and eat first. As for your job, I’ll think of another way for you. I remember that your Uncle Tony has a relative in London who is a carpenter, if it is not possible, tomorrow I will take you there to ask.”

But when he was about to step away, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Then, a warm voice sounded behind him, “Tom, I only said that Scotland Yard doesn’t accept children, but I didn’t say that the LPS doesn’t accept child soldiers.”

Tom jerked, and Pinkerton, who was huffing on his shoulder, froze and looked up, and he was right in Arthur’s smiling face.

After being stunned, Tom was filled with joy, “Arthur ……”

However, before he could say his words of thanks, Arthur interrupted him, “But I’ll say it ugly up front, this brat was recruited in by you, so naturally, you’re also responsible for managing his daily routine and job training. If anything goes wrong in the future, you will be half responsible. If you have no doubts about that, I can provide him with a work agreement right now.”

As soon as Arthur’s words were finished, Tom agreed without even thinking, and he excitedly saluted Arthur, “Of course, sir!”

Seeing him do so, Arthur didn’t respond to Tom directly, instead he leaned down and stared into Pinkerton’s eyes, “Kid, working for the LPS isn’t as easy as you think, once I find out that you’re not up to par, I’m not going to send you to a soup kitchen, I’m going to send you to the Royal Navy’s HMS Beagle instead.

You may not know that the pocket watch you stole last time was the personal belongings of one of the crew members of the Beagle. So, you know, if you go there, you’ll never have a good time. Now I’m going to give you one last piece of advice, and if you choose to go back to the hoop now it’s not too late. I’ll give you a minute to think about it, and it’s up to you whether you go or stay.”

Pinkerton stared at Arthur with two dead eyes, his teeth clenched, his body trembling, and his fists clenched, as if he were struggling for serious consideration.

He craned his head to look at Tom, who was sweating on his forehead and wearing a smile on his face, and finally, in a moment of quiet, Pinkerton did as Tom and his father were remembered to have done, and slowly raised his arm and saluted Arthur: “Yes, sir! Sir!”

Arthur just smiled when he saw him like that, he reached out and took Pinkerton’s saluting right hand in his and lifted his palm upwards, “That’s right, the police salute in the same position as the Army, palm outwards, to the temple. Palms facing down is Royal Navy etiquette, the reason for facing down is that they work on ships so their palms aren’t usually very clean.”

Pinkerton was bewildered, “So the police usually have clean hands?”

Arthur shook his head and laughed softly, “Of course not, police hands are also full of blood, that’s why we need to wear white gloves so we can hide the things we’ve done, or intend to do. Aaron, the LPS, which you joined, does something similar to this. Are you, by any chance, ready for that?”

(End of chapter)