The Shadow of Great Britain

Arthur went on, ”First of all, my relationship with Lord Brougham belongs to the realm of private friendship; it has no institutional connection either with his position in the House of Lords, or with your literary views.”

”Second...” Arthur raised a finger. ”In my capacity as a Civil Servant, I strictly observe the principle of political neutrality. It is not my responsibility to sift the speeches of any Your Excellency’s friends, nor to hunt out arguments in defence of any particular bill.”

Dickens stared at him for two seconds, as though trying to determine whether there were any hidden clauses concealed in that statement.

”Thirdly.” Arthur lowered his finger, and his tone suddenly grew a shade more casual. ”Everyone has his own political position; nothing could be more normal. If differences of opinion over certain trifling details were enough to damage private friendships, the London clubs ought to have shut their doors long ago.”

Disraeli laughed. ”It sounds as though you are offering a moral guarantee on behalf of the whole upper class.”

Arthur said coolly, ”I am merely stating facts.”

But Dickens did not laugh. He had sharply caught something, and asked in a low voice, ”What you just said was ’certain trifling details’.”

”Yes.”

”But the English Poor Laws, to me, do not count as trifling details.”

”I know.” Arthur looked at him, his gaze steady and candid. ”That is precisely why I am bringing you into the Palace. Her Majesty the Queen is not looking for pleasant phrases of good omen; she wants the truth. Do you really intend to mislead her?”

Eld opened his mouth, then chose in the end to say nothing.

Dickens was taken aback for a moment. ”You... are not worried?”

”Worried about what?” Arthur shot back.

”Worried that I might speak too harshly and get you into trouble.” Dickens hesitated. ”After all, Lord Brougham...”

Arthur cut him off. ”In this matter, I do not support him.”

His tone was as level as ever, even mild; yet the sentence itself dropped like a stone, solidly striking the surface of the water.

Darwin lifted his head without thinking.

Eld nearly knocked over his glass.

Disraeli narrowed his eyes, and at last a flicker of genuine interest appeared there.

”What did you say?” For a moment Dickens even wondered if he had misheard.

Arthur shrugged, as if speaking of some everyday business unworthy of fuss. ”I said that, on the question of the new English Poor Laws, Lord Brougham and I do not see eye to eye.”

”But previously, in the House of Lords...”

”That was he in the House of Lords,” Arthur corrected him. ”Not me.”

He said it as a matter of course, as though this point had never required explanation.

”I respect his judgment in matters of finance and institutional design,” Arthur continued. ”And I understand why he believes that rigorous enforcement is a necessary means of preserving order. But understanding is not the same as agreeing, still less as taking upon myself the moral consequences of that system.”

He paused, and for the first time a trace of personal feeling coloured his voice. ”Besides, the men under my command have already paid the price on behalf of this bill.”

Eld seemed to recall the things Arthur had said to him earlier. He gave a slight twist of his mouth, and the words at his lips did not come out.

Adam’s apple bobbing faintly, Dickens swallowed.

”So...” Arthur looked at him, his tone once more assuming an official, businesslike air. ”Tomorrow, before Her Majesty the Queen, whatever you wish to say, say it. What you are speaking of is the reality you have seen, not some mistake by a particular Your Excellency, and certainly not a personal accusation against anyone.”

”As for Lord Brougham...” Arthur smiled faintly. ”We are both disciples of Mr. Bentham. If he were to bear me a grudge over such a trivial matter, then I would have to reconsider whether the ’freedom’ and ’reason’ that London University taught me are genuine or not.”