The Shadow of Great Britain

508: Chapter 269: The Mathematical Needs of Soldiers (4K8)_2 508: Chapter 269: The Mathematical Needs of Soldiers (4K8)_2 Recently, while Arthur was busily preparing for a duel, he still managed to spare time to appoint Wheatstone as the Commissioner of Cryptography for the Police Intelligence Department and authorized him to take full charge of organizing and compiling a set of reliable encryption language exclusive to the department—Wheatstone language.

However, this time Wheatstone did not resist as much, partly because he was genuinely interested in encryption language and partly because he had recently made a new friend who had retired from the British forces stationed in India.

This new friend was also extremely interested in encryption language, and they even thought they could use the special funding allocated by the Police Intelligence Department for encryption language to do something to gild the lily.

Although Arthur repeatedly inquired about what big news Wheatstone and his friend were planning, Wheatstone remained tight-lipped and was invariably unwilling to divulge any information on the subject.

Since Wheatstone did not wish to talk, Arthur certainly could not force him.

Those familiar with him knew that Arthur fully respected his friends’ privacy.

That’s why Arthur chose to leave the warm and comfortable secret liaison room today and accompany Louis to the Royal Society’s laboratory, to carry out an unannounced, and among friends, a routine courtesy blitz on Wheatstone, who had been holed up there of late.

Of course, this blitz could not be compared to the operation code-named ‘Barbarossa’, after all, the one accompanying Arthur was not an armored infantry but just the Secretary of Police and the Emperor of the Second French Empire.

As Arthur and Louis chatted, they knew they had arrived at the doorsteps of Gresham College when their black boots collected specks of mud.

Although the weather today was not good and the temperature had dropped quite low in early winter, it did not affect the enthusiasm of middle-class and high-society ladies to learn about science.

Today, the front of Gresham College was still bustling with traffic, and from afar, carriages were neatly lined up along the tree-lined avenue outside the college.

The coachmen who drove for the ladies vigorously rubbed their hands together, occasionally taking voracious puffs from their pipes, trying to warm up their rain-soaked bodies.

The sweepers, who had hoped to earn some gratuity by clearing the carriage ways, shook their heads incessantly, with lips quivering from the cold, and from time to time, they squeezed out a few curse words.

They cursed the damn weather that not only froze their bodies stiff but also took away their work of sweeping the roads.

Arthur took a deep breath; the rain had not only washed the streets clean but had even diluted the strong perfume scents in the air somewhat.

Looking down at his and Arthur’s mud-stained boots, Louis pointed to a shoeshine at the corner waiting for customers and said, “Shall we clean up first?

Wouldn’t it be disrespectful to meet Mr.

Faraday in this state?”

Arthur turned his head to look at the sign placed in front of the college, nodded slightly, and said, “It’s really unlucky, it’s Mr.

Faraday’s lecture again today.

As per usual, his lectures are hardly ever over on time.

Rather than going to the lab early and being questioned left and right, it seems like a good idea to get our shoes shined.”

They approached the shoeshine stand, and the grouchy shoeshiners suddenly put on smiling faces.

They eagerly took the canes from Arthur and Louis, found a clean cloth to cover them, and placed them on the chairs beside them.

Sitting on a long footstool, Louis asked, “Will apprentices in the lab really question you?

I don’t think that should be the case.

If this were in France, I think questioning and discussing freely would be quite normal, as it’s our way of expressing interest.

The French believe that eloquence is a brilliant talent, and being witty and humorous is a noble quality.

Anyone who is reticent would definitely be scorned by everyone.

But this is Britain after all, and from what I’ve observed living here, you British maintain a considerable distance in social situations.

Embracing is considered rude, and slapping someone on the shoulder is also not done; there are so many odd taboos here like the raindrops in London.

Aren’t the Royal Society apprentices locals then?

Otherwise, how could they not understand these basic British etiquettes?”

Arthur, sitting on the stool, took a towel from the shoeshine to wipe his sweat, thanked him simply, and replied.

“The apprentices of the Royal Society certainly know the social etiquette, but aside from being British, they are usually very fond of learning.

Unfortunately for me, once they identified me as another authority in electromagnetism in Britain after Mr.

Faraday, they often would ask me questions I could not answer.

If I answered their questions haphazardly, then I would be neither honest nor rigorous in my scholarly approach.

But if I told them honestly that I did not know, the apprentices would feel I was hiding something or giving them short shrift.

Therefore, after considering the impact of all aspects, I chose to reduce my visits to the Royal Society as much as possible.”

Louis looked incredulous and said, “Come off it, Arthur.

Perhaps there are others in Britain who are more outstanding than you in the field of electromagnetism besides Mr.

Faraday, but I can guarantee they are very few.

Although I’m not as proficient as my uncle in mathematics, astronomy, or other scientific fields and probably have no hope of being elected a member of the French Academy of Sciences in my lifetime.”