The Shadow of Great Britain

146: Chapter 104 Science Freak at the Royal Society 146: Chapter 104 Science Freak at the Royal Society “Sir, the fare comes to 1 shilling and 4 pennies,”

Arthur pulled a few coins from his wallet and handed them to the coachman, then opened the door and stepped out of the carriage.

For him, the greatest convenience of being promoted from Police Superintendent to Inspector was probably the cheaper fare for taking the public carriage to Gresham College.

The Red Devil covered his nose, trying not to let the pervasive perfume in the air penetrate his nostrils, and complained, “Haven’t you finished writing your thesis on electrics?

Why do you still come here?

I’d rather drown in Baal’s cesspool than soak in a pile of human perfume more pungent than the Thames River!”

Arthur lit his pipe, stamped out the spent match with his shoe, and took a puff before speaking, “Give it a rest.

If you can’t handle this little smell, you’d better not come with me to General Cordington’s party this weekend.

If the old butler of the Rothschild Family didn’t lie to me, there should be many noblewomen at the event.

For those who care about appearances, their perfumes are definitely as expensive as their taste.

And of course, ‘expensive’ also means a more intense scent.”

Agares started to get the picture upon hearing this.

“So you mean to say, the reason you made a special trip to the Royal Society today is to learn some scientific experiments from Faraday that you can perform at the party?”

Arthur glanced at him and countered, “What else?

I can’t possibly perform the Hasting Force experiment that I did in Tower Hamlets on the spot, can I?

After all, that experiment requires a piece of hemp rope to tie the wrists and a flintlock pistol; not to mention, the preparations for the experiment are far too thrilling.

It would scare all the ladies out of their wits.”

Upon hearing this, the Red Devil chuckled, rubbing his hands together, “Oh!

My dear Arthur, you might be underestimating the endurance of those noble ladies.

Many of them are far worse than you might imagine.

Compared to them, even you, this little rascal, might be considered clean.”

Arthur just stared at the devil for a moment before saying, “Although I’m not sure what you’re getting at, I suspect Eld would be quite interested in the story you’re about to tell.”

“What about you?”

Arthur didn’t hide his interest and nodded, “Actually, I’m quite curious as well.

If you insist on telling it, I will certainly be all ears.”

Agares laughed and reached out his hand, “How about this, one soul.

If you agree, then I’ll start with the story of Lady Hamilton, the mistress of the sensation of the British nobility, Horatio Nelson.”

Arthur nodded slightly, stroked his chin in thought, and then said, “Perhaps it’s better if I hear it back at home.

After all, this is about the beloved of the soul of the Royal Navy, Horatio Nelson.

I believe Eld would be willing to trade a soul for this story.”

With that, Arthur looked up at Gresham College.

From the crowds leaving the venue, it could be concluded that a scientific lecture had just ended.

But what aroused Arthur’s curiosity was that apart from a large number of beautiful women and gentlemen vying to display their chivalry, there were also a few military police standing guard at the entrance of Gresham College today.

Before Arthur could approach, the head of the military police had already greeted him.

“Mr.

Hastings, do you remember me?”

Arthur sized up the man and, thankfully, his good memory spared them from an awkward moment.

“I think I’ve seen you before; you’re Sergeant John from the 10th Royal Infantry Regiment, aren’t you?

I remember you leaving quite an impression on me during that grave robbery case.”

The other man laughed heartily at this compliment, “No wonder the papers say no criminal can escape your eye, you have an excellent memory indeed.”

Arthur jested, “Deploying a defense contingent from the 10th Royal Infantry Regiment for guard duty means there must be some distinguished visitor to the Royal Society today, doesn’t it?”

Sergeant John replied with a smile, “You really have a knack for guessing, deserving of your reputation as Scotland Yard’s sleuth.

That’s right, Chancellor of the Exchequer Henry Goulburn has made a special visit today.

Sir Peel has proposed setting up pensions for the scientists of the Royal Society, and Goulburn is here to assess their standard of living to determine a fitting award criteria.”

Arthur felt glad upon hearing this, as he had long felt that the income of the scientists working at the Royal Society was truly too low.

The black formal attire that Faraday wore for lectures had been washed to the point of discoloration, with even a few small tears forming around the edges of his sleeves, indicating a relatively low standard of living that was completely disproportionate to his contributions to the field of physical chemistry.

Even a scientist as well-known and skilled in practical applications as Faraday found himself in this position, let alone those focused solely on theoretical fields.

In other words, even someone as strong as Isaac Newton mainly relied on his public service income as Master of the Royal Mint to make a living, with the benefits from his scientific research being almost entirely of honorary, rather than material, nature.

On the other hand, this situation sufficiently reflected the anxious mindset of Wellington’s Cabinet, resorting to desperate measures.

From enacting the Beer Act to diplomatic victories in international waters, and now planning to lure the scientists of the Royal Society with money.

It appears that the Duke of Wellington might indeed have been a military commander not very skilled in offense, yet the reason why many of France’s marshals couldn’t penetrate his defenses was evident.

Arthur was pondering the sudden visit of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Goulburn, to the Royal Society, but just as he was beginning to grasp the reason, a commotion suddenly erupted among the swarming crowd inside the College.

Accompanied by the cries of alarm from ladies and several shouts of ‘catch him,’ Arthur saw a young man in a neat suit desperately trying to squeeze through the crowd, stumbling out in a rush.

Arthur took a brief look and almost mistook him for Eld, his old friend of similar stature; he thought perhaps Eld had done something untoward during the lecture, igniting the gentlemen’s fury.

However, as the young man approached, Arthur realized that he was wearing a pair of oval gold-rimmed glasses and his features were much softer than Eld’s.

Could this be a thief?

Thinking this, Arthur’s instinct as a Scotland Yard officer compelled him to extend his foot subconsciously.

With a thud, the man hit the ground instantly, and right afterward, several apprentices from the Royal Society, familiar to Arthur, swarmed from behind, pinning the man to the ground.

While the young man struggled vigorously, he cried out in fear, “Don’t!

Please, don’t take me back, I don’t have the courage to stand on the podium of the Royal Society, nor do I dare to stay in the small dark room you have prepared for me.”

Watching this scene, Arthur couldn’t help asking, “What in the world is going on here?”

Looking up at Arthur, the apprentices then exclaimed in surprise, “Mr.

Hastings?

Ah, we really owe you one today.

Otherwise, we’d have let this gentleman get away again!

He’s stood us up several times already, and if he managed to escape again, the president and the ladies and gentlemen coming for tomorrow’s lecture certainly wouldn’t spare us.”

“Escape?” At first, Arthur thought the man being held on the ground was a criminal, but from what they were saying, not only was he not a criminal, but he was also a special guest invited by the Royal Society to give a lecture.

He took another look at the man; he appeared quiet and was probably in his mid-twenties.

So young and already with such high achievements, why did the apprentices seem almost resentful towards him?

The apprentices discerned Arthur’s confusion and a few of them escorted the young man back to Gresham College, while one of them stayed behind to explain apologetically to Arthur.

“This can’t be entirely blamed on Mr.

Wheatstone.

After all, not everyone is as well-versed in lecturing as Mr.

Faraday.

While delivering a lecture at the Royal Society is a supreme honor, it simultaneously brings an invisible pressure to the speaker.

Moreover, Mr.

Wheatstone might be the most bashful man I’ve ever met.

We’ve invited him to lecture several times before, but he always sneaks out before it begins.

Just so Mr.

Wheatstone could give a normal lecture for once, the Duke of Sussex even specially amended the Royal Society’s lecture regulations, requiring lecturers to arrive a day early and be confined in a small room specially prepared by the Royal Society until the conclusion of the lecture, at which point we officially release them.

However, despite our thorough preparations, Mr.

Wheatstone still managed to find a gap in our shifts to slip away unseen.

I’m beginning to suspect that if Mr.

Wheatstone hadn’t chosen to study science, perhaps he could have inherited the mantle of London’s king of thieves, Jack Shepherd, last century.

After all, Shepherd only managed to escape from jail five times in his life, and Mr.

Wheatstone is now very close to breaking that record.”

Arthur took a puff of his cigarette, looking up at Mr.

Wheatstone, who was being dragged forward by the apprentices, his expression filled with fright and his demeanor nearing loss of control, and he couldn’t help but be curious, “What field does this gentleman study?

Maybe I could seek some advice from him, and it might even help ease his nerves.”

With Arthur willing to help, the apprentices were naturally relieved, “Thank you for your kind assistance, Mr.

Wheatstone comes from a family of musical instrument makers and was initially such a maker himself, so his field of research naturally falls within optics and acoustics.

If you could soothe his spirits, I’m certain he would be more than willing to share all he knows with you.

After all, as you know, it’s often quite easy to befriend shy people.

And the device Mr.

Wheatstone has concocted, the ‘kaleidoscope,’ is indeed quite fascinating.”