The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 942: Chapter 35 Young Italy_3

Arthur took a sip of coffee: ”Heinrich, you make it sound easy. If it were so simple, why don’t you take on Liszt?”

Heine, unfazed, replied: ”Arthur, you should know, I am a poet. I am not concerned with such vulgar matters; I have more refined interests. As a friend, I am willing to let you have all these worldly successes.”

Arthur savored the slightly astringent and bitter coffee: ”Heinrich, being friends with you is truly a blessing for me.”

”No problem.” Heine pulled out a bill from his pocket and said: ”If you don’t mind, you could sign this.”

Arthur glanced at the eye-catching number on the bill and gently pushed it back: ”Heinrich, I would be more than happy to clear your bill, but this depends on you quickly sending your article ’On Romanticism’ to London.”

Although Arthur didn’t immediately pay, he still gave Heine hope of clearing the bill, and considering Arthur’s reliable credibility as a long-term financial supporter in British Pounds, Heine reluctantly agreed to this ’losing deal’.

”’On Romanticism’ is about to close submissions soon, don’t worry, this time I’ll make sure to give ’Blackwood’s’ a good smack on behalf of the ’British’. Isn’t it just literary reviews and criticism? I’m more adept at that than writing poems.”

Great Dumas didn’t pay attention to the conversation between Heine and Arthur, but rather emphasized to Victor: ”Mr. Victor, I assure you, this assignment definitely has something to do with the Austrian Government. Because I found that most of the people under investigation are members of ’Young Italy’.”

Arthur’s attention was immediately captured upon hearing the name ’Young Italy’.

He carelessly picked up the file on Victor’s desk, and with just a casual glance, he noticed that the first name on the investigation report was the renowned Giuseppe Mazzini.

Flipping to the next page, Arthur found another gratifyingly familiar name—Giuseppe Garibaldi.

While flipping through the documents, Arthur asked casually: ”How do you know these people are connected to ’Young Italy’?”

”Initially, I didn’t know about this organization, but when I was in London, I once chatted with Louis about his experiences with the Charcoal Party uprising in Italy. At the time, Louis told me that the leader of the Italian Charcoal Party was Giuseppe Mazzini. A few days ago, at a gathering of a literary circle, I met him in person.

He told me that since the Charcoal Party uprising failed, he has been exiled to Paris and has been actively gathering those who, like him, are persecuted and exiled Charcoal Party members in France. We also talked about Louis’ matters, and he said he was pleased to see his revolutionary comrade Mr. Louis Bonaparte still standing strong on the ground.”

Listening to this, Arthur couldn’t shake the feeling of something being off.

Revolutionary comrade Mr. Louis Bonaparte?

Though Mazzini was likely sincerely praising Louis, the title sounded to Arthur’s ears much like how ”The Times” would ironically call him ’Friend of the People’.

But leaving that aside for now, Arthur was most concerned whether there still existed any connection between Louis and the Italian Charcoal Party.

For this young man eager to challenge the leader of the Bonaparte Family, the opportunities to show face before the French public were rare. Even though the King of France, Louis Philippe, might not particularly like Austria, he wouldn’t allow Louis to replace him in lifting the banner of freedom, even if it meant supporting the Italian Charcoal Party.

Arthur tossed the file on the table: ”Regarding Mr. Mazzini and Mr. Garibaldi, if they truly are the leaders of ’Young Italy’, then even if the Breaux Detective Agency doesn’t take the case, the Austrians would find their way to investigate them. There are over eight thousand Polish refugees alone in the suburbs of Paris, not to mention the Italians, Deutsch, and Spaniards; who knows how many spies are mixed in among them? In my view, Alexander, if you are truly considering ’Young Italy’, then Mr. Victor should indeed take on this case; he has far more integrity than those spies.”

Victor glanced at Arthur, then at Great Dumas, and with his legs propped on the desk, the veteran detective laughed: ”Indeed, Alexander, not to mention I still need to eat. Speaking of eating, shouldn’t we be heading to that banquet being held at Kaidao Sai Mansion?”