The Shadow of Great Britain

331: Chapter 207: Network Monitoring (5K4)_2 331: Chapter 207: Network Monitoring (5K4)_2 Wheatstone savored the idea for a while, “Then…

perhaps I should invest in him before he gets started.

Is Mr.

Riddle interested in opening a store on Regent Street?

Once I secure a shop there, I might consider reserving half the space for him to sell perfumes.”

Arthur just smiled and tossed a business card from his pocket in front of Wheatstone, “You go and talk to him yourself.

I think Mr.

Riddle probably doesn’t want to see me again for a while, he seems to really dislike the police.

But I can understand that; it seems to be a common trait among the French.”

Wheatstone shook his finger, “It’s different, Arthur.

He dislikes the police because he thinks you were trying to shake him down, but if you could help him make money, then his attitude would quickly change.

Look at me for example, I hate dealing with people, but you and I are getting along quite fine because I’ve made good money from selling records and phonographs, that I even bought a nice house, so all that is in the past now.”

Arthur pulled out a pen and paper from his coat pocket and started taking notes, “Charles, it looks like your social anxiety has largely improved.

In that case, are you interested in giving a speech next month at the Royal Society?

I’ve been putting off Mr.

Faraday for a while, which isn’t good, and by the way, I’ve heard through the grapevine that because of the invention of the phonograph, the Royal Society is planning to set up an acoustics lab and wants you to be the head of the department.

Are you interested?”

Wheatstone stiffened upon hearing this, “A speech is out of the question, and running a lab specifically?

How did they come up with that?

I’m fine doing my own experiments at home, I’m not interested in a lab.”

Arthur asked, “Not even for a specific budget and a salary?”

Wheatstone shook his head, “Arthur, you work at Scotland Yard, so you simply don’t know how low the Royal Society’s offer really is.

Haven’t you seen Mr.

Faraday’s clothes?

His tailcoat for speeches has been washed over and over, and he’s too frugal to buy a new one.

My life now is much more comfortable than it would be at the Royal Society, and being the head of a lab would be less appealing to me than going back to my musical instrument shop.”

Hearing this, Arthur suddenly pondered, “What do you think, then?

Is there any chance of convincing Mr.

Faraday to come out and join the fray?”

Wheatstone considered it a joke, “Come out and join?

Mr.

Faraday would mostly be reluctant; he doesn’t care much about money, just wants to quietly do his experiments.

There were companies that wanted him before, but he rejected them all.

In my opinion, although Mr.

Faraday is highly esteemed, his position is still underestimated.”

“People always say Sir Newton was the closest man to God, as it’s written on his tombstone in Westminster Abbey—’Nature and Nature’s laws lay hid in night; God said, Let Newton be!’ and all was light.”

“But in my view, Mr.

Faraday is the man nearest to Sir Isaac Newton.

The mysteries of electrics and magnetics, equally veiled in obscurity, in darkness; it was Mr.

Faraday who showed us the way.”

However, such an outstanding figure, he suffers from being too straightforward and poor.

If Mr.

Faraday was half as cunning as Sir Newton, he would have been rich or noble long ago.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow, “Cunning?

Are you referring to Sir Newton using calculus on stocks and then losing ten years’ salary in the South Sea Company scandal?”

Wheatstone countered, “Everyone makes mistakes, Sir Isaac Newton was no exception.

Besides, he admitted his error, didn’t he?

He said: ‘I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies but not the madness of people.’ Moreover, Sir Newton had the King’s grant of unlimited tax-free privileges, so losing some money wasn’t a big deal to him.

If Mr.

Faraday could learn a trick or two from Sir Newton, his days would certainly be much better than they are now.”

Arthur heard this but just shook his head, “On the contrary, I think it’s fortunate that Mr.

Faraday isn’t like Newton, Charles; you don’t realize the good fortune you’re in.

I went to a specialty store about Sir Newton on Regent Street recently, so I happened to know a bit about this.”

Wheatstone was curious, “Such as?”

Tasting the slightly bitter coffee in his cup, Arthur began, “Such as Sir Newton’s famous saying: ‘If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.’ Many people think this was his way of being humble, but it really had nothing to do with modesty; he was merely sneering at his rival, Mr.

Hooke.”

“Since Sir Newton ordered all portraits of Mr.

Hooke destroyed after his death, most people are not very familiar with Mr.

Hooke.

I’ll emphasize one point here: Mr.

Hooke was famously short, so now you understand what Sir Newton’s words really meant, right?”

Wheatstone couldn’t help but laugh, “Is that true?

I didn’t know he did that.”

Arthur continued, “So now you see how fortunate it is for Mr.

Faraday to lead at the Royal Society?

If it were Sir Newton instead, those of us who dared compete in the same scientific field as him would soon find ourselves tied up and thrown into the Thames River.”