The Shadow of Great Britain

411: Chapter 236 Dickens’s Love Story (4K6)_2 411: Chapter 236 Dickens’s Love Story (4K6)_2 Arthur nodded slightly and said, “It sounds quite lively.

So, were the ticket prices not expensive back then?”

Dickens replied with a smile, “Indeed, they weren’t expensive, and even common people could afford to watch a play occasionally.

I heard people say that during winter, when the theaters opened, residents from all over London, after finishing work at noon or in the evening, would often spend four pennies to buy a ticket in the main hall and enjoy a play.

If the guests were willing to spend an additional two or three pennies, they could buy a large glass of barley beer and a serving of fish and chips in the theater’s pub.

If someone spent about a dozen pennies, they could get several meat dishes, like a devouring cake.”

Arthur found this odd, stared at Dickens for a long time, and suddenly pinching his chin, he started, “Charles.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Are you talking about London?

Why does it feel more like Luzhen to me?”

Dickens was initially stunned, then clapped his hands and laughed, “Arthur, you’re indeed hard to fool.”

“What?

Have you picked up a new pen name, called Zhou Shuren?”

“Arthur, what are you joking about?”

Laughing, Dickens said, “But you’re right, devouring cakes actually come from Luton in Bedfordshire.

The dough, made from flour mixed with water and lard, is rolled up, filled at one end with salty ham and bacon, and dipped in apple sauce at the other.

Although devouring cakes taste great, I still prefer other products from the pub, such as beef and kidney pies coated in gravy, or Cornish pasties.”

Arthur took a sip of tea and rubbed his stomach, “Now that you mention it, I’m quite hungry.

Speaking of which, did the people who watched plays in the main hall often eat these foods you described?”

Dickens shook his head, “How could that be possible?

The patrons in the main hall were mostly dock or factory workers doing manual labor, they generally couldn’t afford such extravagance.

It was only those in tailcoats who would stroll into the pub’s room, order drinks and dishes, and slowly sit and watch the play while dining.

Moreover, hardworking bachelors, even if they had money, were mostly unwilling to spend it on food.

Arthur, you must be aware that prostitutes, in order to attract more business, often bought season tickets to enter the theater.

At that time, there were only two legitimate theaters in all of London, so they always had customers whether in the main hall or the pub.”

Hearing this, Arthur couldn’t help but tap his fingers on the table, “I thought this was a phenomenon only in recent years; has it really been going on for decades already?

Charles, had you not told me, Bishop of Exeter almost had me fooled.”

Dickens asked, “What did he fool you about?”

Arthur replied reluctantly, “Nothing much, just criticizing Scotland Yard for their inefficacy.

He said that the initial purpose of establishing Scotland Yard was to eradicate various evil phenomena in society, yet after more than two years, Scotland Yard’s report card astonishingly listed eighty thousand prostitutes.”

Dickens curiously asked, “I’ve been meaning to ask you about this, is the situation in London really that bad?

Are there really the eighty thousand prostitutes as the bishop said, or is it the eight thousand reported by Scotland Yard?”

Arthur, not wanting to lie to his friend, simply waved his hand, “Neither.”

Dickens asked, “You mean the bishop exaggerated, and Scotland Yard reported fewer?”

Just as Dickens spoke, the room door was suddenly pushed open, and Great Dumas entered with his hair drenched.

Upon noticing the light inside the room, Great Dumas turned his head and exclaimed, “Oh!

Isn’t that Charles?

You wouldn’t be here to submit manuscripts, would you?”

Dickens took out manuscripts from his bag and placed them on the table, “Of course, the manuscripts need to be submitted, but right now, I’m discussing the issue of the number of prostitutes with Arthur.”

Upon hearing this, Great Dumas burst into laughter and set down his umbrella, “Do you even need to ask?

What illness have you caught that makes you want to trust the statistics from Scotland Yard?”

Dickens puzzledly asked, “Alexander, why would you say that?”

Arthur took a sip of tea and began, “That’s because Alexander has been burned by statistical data before.

He once told me that when he was in Paris, the president of the Paris Institute of Statistics, Mr.

Leona, was his friend.

That guy loved to make jokes using Alexander’s number of mistresses and illegitimate children whenever citing statistical examples.”

By then, Alexander had gained some renown in Paris for a play he wrote.

Once during an annual meeting of the Institute of Statistics, they had invited Alexander to give a speech.

But when Alexander spoke, he said just one sentence that left Mr.Leona unable to respond,”

“What did Alexander say?”

Arthur spoke, “He said: ‘All statistics are falsified, including those about me.’”

Great Dumas casually pulled a bottle of wine from the liquor cabinet and poured a glass, “Was I wrong?

Aren’t statistics tailored to needs?

Leona knew making fun of my private life would entertain the audience, so he liked to exaggerate the number of my mistresses and illegitimate children.

According to him, probably half the women in Paris could be linked with me.”

As for Scotland Yard and the Bishop of Exeter, one of you wants to shirk responsibility, and the other wants to deceive the faithful to bring more into the church, so of course, what you say cannot be trusted.”