The English Club in Drutsky Lane was shrouded in a thick gray mist, and the oak door knocker reflected the cold light of icy edges.
When Arthur stepped into the entertainment room, a warm current of Darjeeling black tea and Havana cigar brushed across his nose. The yellowed spine of "King Lear" on the bookshelf just overlapped subtly with Pushkin's fluffy curly hair.
The great Russian poet, who was reclining on a sheepskin sofa chatting with an acquaintance, saw the arrival of the British knight and inevitably said jokingly: "Sir, you are seven minutes late."
Arthur took off his half-gloves and threw them aside, stirring the citrus slices in the cup with a silver teaspoon: "I heard that your Pugachev is about to be published? This year is really a good year for Russian literature. Readers in St. Petersburg can read The Bronze Horseman at the beginning of the year and Pugachev in the middle of the year. I don't mean to flatter you, but to be honest, apart from Balzac and Dumas who was short of money, you should be the most productive writer I know."
When Pushkin heard Arthur mention two French literary masters who were highly sought after in Russia, he immediately became interested.
The friends who were originally talking to Pushkin couldn't help but shut their mouths and began to look up at this big man whose origin was unknown.
Pushkin said modestly: "Highly productive? You should look at our friend Mr. Gogol. That little Russian wrote a five-act satire called "The Inspector General" in just two months."
At this point, he suddenly lowered his voice and said, "You really should watch that play carefully. It tells how provincial bureaucrats kneel down to the fake imperial envoy, the mayor and his wife and family, and the entire officialdom of the small town..."
The middle-aged man in a velvet vest sitting next to me quickly put out the cigar in his hand and reminded me in a low voice: "I have to admit that Gogol's play is indeed very well written. But, Alexander Sergeyevich, His Majesty the Tsar just signed the new drama censorship regulations last month..."
Arthur poured the teapot at the right time, and the amber liquid from Darjeeling washed over the sugar cube at the bottom of the cup. "I was late because of that play. To me, it is indeed a masterpiece that has never been seen before. Anyone who sees it for the first time will laugh until their stomach hurts. Perhaps this play is a little difficult to perform in Russia, but British readers prefer this kind of black humor. Do you know Oliver Twist, which is being serialized in The Brits? The criticism of social phenomena there is much more severe than in The Inspector General, but I heard that even some priests quoted Oliver Twist's lines in their sermons this year."
Pushkin dipped his pen into the coffee stain and wrote the French spelling of "Oliver Twist" on the tablecloth. His face looked a little strange: "The bishop will never quote that..."
"That's exactly what you were thinking of." Arthur cut off a corner of the scone, and the butter knife made a clear sound on the plate. "Imagine that on a Sunday, the priests stood under the stained glass of the church and recited the passage in Chapter 9 - when the orphanage child timidly raised the wooden bowl and said: 'Sir, can you give me some more?'"
The cigar smoke froze instantly, and the gentleman in the velvet waistcoat laughed so hard that tears came out of his eyes: "You use the miserable conditions of the poorhouse as a sermon?"
"It's not just Oliver Twist. The pastor then read the fifth chapter of Matthew: 'Blessed are the merciful.'" Arthur spread a thick layer of strawberry jam on the scones. "Now the Anglican Church in London can receive more than twice as much anonymous donations every day. Thanks to Mr. Dickens, they promised that all these donations will be used for the literacy classes for child workers in the East End."
Many gentlemen around laughed loudly upon hearing this, and the Shakespeare plays on the bookshelf rustled.
Some devout people drew a cross on their chests: "Mr. Dickens has done great deeds."
Pushkin also sighed: "Your writers can shake God with words, but Russian writers can't even write private letters..."
When the poets sitting next to him heard this, their faces turned pale. They kept winking at Pushkin, and some even pointed stealthily at the guards officers who were chatting in the corner with champagne glasses in their hands.
It was almost an open secret in St. Petersburg that the Third Bureau had planted spies in the British club.
When Pushkin saw his friends' reactions, he seemed to want to say something but hesitated, and swallowed the curse that was about to come out of his mouth.
In fact, even if Pushkin didn't say it, Arthur knew what he was worried about.
Just a few days ago, a letter said to be written by Pushkin suddenly began to circulate in the city of St. Petersburg. Even the Tsar, who was recuperating in Tsarskoye Selo, mentioned this matter to the Crown Prince's tutor Zhukovsky.
Pushkin did not take this matter seriously at first, because it was not the first time such a thing had happened, and the content of the letter was mostly a perverted poem full of obscene words, which was fabricated by his literary rivals to slander his reputation.
But not long after, the truth came out. The letter was indeed Pushkin's own letter, and the Moscow post office secretly opened the letter he wrote to his wife Natalia Nikolaevna!
In addition to some family matters, the main content of the letter caused great controversy because of Pushkin's description of the grand ceremony of the Tsarevich's coming of age not long ago.
——On Wednesday of the week after Easter, the prince's coming of age ceremony was held. I did not attend the ceremony, but I heard about the event from others. It was both a solemn state event and a family event. The prince, who was about to become an adult, seemed particularly excited, and he recited the oath in a firm and cheerful tone. However, when he began to recite the prayer, he could not help but stop. He burst into tears. His Majesty and the Queen also cried. After reciting the prayer, the Crown Prince rushed over to hug his father. The father kissed his forehead, eyes and cheeks, and then led his son to the Queen. The three hugged each other with tears on their faces. In St. George's Hall, the oath under the flag was a repetition of the first oath, and people's emotions calmed down.
—Everyone was amazed at this extraordinary scene. Many people cried, and those who were not crying tried to wipe their dry eyes and squeeze out a few tears. The palace was crowded with people. I had to meet Katerina, Ivanovna, and Togliatskaya. I didn't want to meet anyone, so I went to find her by the back stairs, but it was also crowded there. The courtiers complained that the servants would not allow them to enter the church, but it was said that no one stopped others at all.
——However, people always encounter some funny things at the most solemn moments. Filaret arranged the whole oath-taking event. He selected a chapter from the "Records of the Empire" as a motto, in which there is a sentence: The Tsar summoned the commanders of the thousand, the commanders of the hundred and his eunuchs. . Naryshkin said that the word "eunuch" can be regarded as a wonderful metaphor for senior attendants. However, rumors spread in the city that the emperor planned to pray for the eunuchs during the ceremony. Therefore, Filaret had to replace the word "eunuch" in the end.
Although Pushkin's letter was indeed interesting, the staff of the Moscow Post Office obviously did not take it seriously. They found that Pushkin dared not describe the scene of the prince's oath in the official tone in his letter, so they reported the matter to the St. Petersburg Police Department.
The police department did not understand the meaning of the letter, but did not dare to make a decision on its own, so they submitted the letter to Tsar Nicholas I.
At this time, Nicholas I was angry about the unrest in Moscow. He read Pushkin's letter over and over again, and was not sure whether Pushkin was planning anything. He just felt that the letter was full of sarcasm.
Fortunately, Nicholas I finally gave the letter to the prince's tutor Zhukovsky for review. As a good friend of Pushkin, Zhukovsky racked his brains to cover it up, and finally explained to the Tsar that it was just an ordinary family letter, and everything finally returned to peace.
But the Tsar forgave Pushkin, but Pushkin did not forgive the Tsar. The Russian literary leader had been indifferent to his appointment as a low-level court attendant since the beginning of the year, because this position was usually reserved for those young men who had just started their careers. He felt that the Tsar was using this position to insult him, and that it was more like a court jester than a low-level attendant. Therefore, he never expressed gratitude for the Tsar's kindness.
The incident of the post office opening letters privately deepened his dissatisfaction. He asked Nicholas I in person whether the rumors circulating in the city were true. Who would have thought that it would be better if he had not asked. After asking this question, Pushkin's last hope for the Russian system was shattered - because the Tsar actually admitted to the private opening of the letters in person without any shame, and comforted Pushkin not to worry, because Zhukovsky had explained the contents of the letter to him clearly.
But the Tsar's attitude was as if opening letters was the most normal thing. Nicholas I redefined Russia's moral standards, and such behavior had a very bad impact regardless of whether it was from the standpoint of the royalists or the liberals.
Pushkin became angrier and angrier as he thought about it. He finally said, "You probably don't know that last week the postman 'accidentally' tore up my manuscript. Guess what the gendarmerie headquarters explained? They said the wax seal on the letterhead was too hard and it hurt the paper cutter in the bureau. Fortunately, they didn't ask me for compensation."
"That's why Gogol always said that satire should be gilded." Arthur noticed Pushkin's hands twitching under the tablecloth: "Remember his play "Marriage"? The protagonist put the engagement ring on the government document..."
Before Arthur finished speaking, the door of the club suddenly flew open, and the draft blew snow particles and extinguished the three gas lamps.
Blackwell's moccasins tapped to a rhythm, and the ice beads on the tip of his nose trembled with his breathing.
The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!
Arthur glanced at the secretary who had come so hastily and hurriedly, and slowly wiped his silver fork. "Henry, are you in such a hurry to pluck the quails in Paris?"
"Worse." Blackwell slipped a half-written diplomatic report from his collar and whispered to Arthur: "The quail from Paris not only pecked at the Tsar's wheat fields, but also built nests in the granary."
Hearing this, Arthur felt that today's tea had become much sweeter. He stood up leisurely and straightened his collar. "It seems that today's entertainment time is over. Gentlemen, we will talk again at Count Fickelmont's ball another day."
Arthur followed Blackwell out of the club's door. As soon as he stepped into the carriage, Blackwell hurriedly took out the sweat-soaked secret letter from the secret pocket of his shirt.
"The Third Bureau raided the suburban villa of the French agent's mistress this morning. You know what this means. Your plan worked..."
Arthur yawned as he listened. "Is that all the news? It's not uncommon for a Frenchman to have several mistresses."
Blackwell replied strangely, "Of course it's not just that. The most important thing is that in the third round, the French agent was in the villa with the beauty at that time, and the two groups ran into each other. The French agent was furious at the gendarmes, and the gendarmes were half a head lower in momentum, so they could only take out the search warrant approved by Count Benkendorf to give themselves courage..."
"Hmm..." Arthur pinched his chin and analyzed, "If we really look into it according to the law, the French representative's reason for being angry is untenable. After all, the gendarmes did not search the French embassy, but an ordinary country villa."
"That being said, this matter was not handled properly after all." Blackwell continued, "The French representative is now completely furious. It is said that he wrote a letter to Count Benckendorff, demanding that he give him a reasonable explanation."
"Explanation? Do we need Benckendorff to admit that they suspect the French are funding the independence of the Caucasian mountaineers?" The sudden incident disrupted Arthur's steadily advancing plan, but he did not feel much regret: "I have to admit that I overestimated the French's waistband. However, according to the Tsar's character and his always bad attitude towards the July Monarchy of France, the French chargé d'affaires will most likely not be treated well."
Blackwell also agreed, "That's right. After all, when the July Revolution broke out in Paris a few years ago, the Tsar once called on Prussia and Austria to join him in sending troops to suppress the revolution. If the Warsaw Uprising had not broken out in Poland, Russia and France might be at war right now."
The hostility between Russia and France was the most suitable outcome for Britain and Arthur.
For Louis Bonaparte who was in prison, this was a timely lifesaver.
After all, given the precarious domestic situation of the July Monarchy and the harsh external environment, if Louis Philippe now intended to chop off the head of Louis, the leader of the Bonapartist faction, it would really require some extraordinary courage.
As for the external environment, Prussia, Austria and Russia all adopted an extremely hostile attitude towards France.
On the British side, although the Whig Grey Cabinet had a favorable impression of France after the July Revolution, unfortunately, it was only a favorable impression, and if they were not careful, they would soon fall.
As for the internal environment, the Republicans had always been used as targets by King Louis Philippe of France. In order to suppress the Republicans, he had to unite with the Bonapartists, and even had to maintain a conciliatory attitude towards the orthodox Bourbon supporters.
If the external environment is stable, perhaps this centrist king can consider finding a target between the Orthodox and the Bonapartists, but if the Russians quarrel with the French over the Caucasus issue, then he can only choose the lesser of two evils. Not to mention directly releasing Louis and his makeshift "general staff", at least he cannot make a big fuss and push this reckless young man directly to the guillotine, right?
When Arthur stepped into the entertainment room, a warm current of Darjeeling black tea and Havana cigar brushed across his nose. The yellowed spine of "King Lear" on the bookshelf just overlapped subtly with Pushkin's fluffy curly hair.
The great Russian poet, who was reclining on a sheepskin sofa chatting with an acquaintance, saw the arrival of the British knight and inevitably said jokingly: "Sir, you are seven minutes late."
Arthur took off his half-gloves and threw them aside, stirring the citrus slices in the cup with a silver teaspoon: "I heard that your Pugachev is about to be published? This year is really a good year for Russian literature. Readers in St. Petersburg can read The Bronze Horseman at the beginning of the year and Pugachev in the middle of the year. I don't mean to flatter you, but to be honest, apart from Balzac and Dumas who was short of money, you should be the most productive writer I know."
When Pushkin heard Arthur mention two French literary masters who were highly sought after in Russia, he immediately became interested.
The friends who were originally talking to Pushkin couldn't help but shut their mouths and began to look up at this big man whose origin was unknown.
Pushkin said modestly: "Highly productive? You should look at our friend Mr. Gogol. That little Russian wrote a five-act satire called "The Inspector General" in just two months."
At this point, he suddenly lowered his voice and said, "You really should watch that play carefully. It tells how provincial bureaucrats kneel down to the fake imperial envoy, the mayor and his wife and family, and the entire officialdom of the small town..."
The middle-aged man in a velvet vest sitting next to me quickly put out the cigar in his hand and reminded me in a low voice: "I have to admit that Gogol's play is indeed very well written. But, Alexander Sergeyevich, His Majesty the Tsar just signed the new drama censorship regulations last month..."
Arthur poured the teapot at the right time, and the amber liquid from Darjeeling washed over the sugar cube at the bottom of the cup. "I was late because of that play. To me, it is indeed a masterpiece that has never been seen before. Anyone who sees it for the first time will laugh until their stomach hurts. Perhaps this play is a little difficult to perform in Russia, but British readers prefer this kind of black humor. Do you know Oliver Twist, which is being serialized in The Brits? The criticism of social phenomena there is much more severe than in The Inspector General, but I heard that even some priests quoted Oliver Twist's lines in their sermons this year."
Pushkin dipped his pen into the coffee stain and wrote the French spelling of "Oliver Twist" on the tablecloth. His face looked a little strange: "The bishop will never quote that..."
"That's exactly what you were thinking of." Arthur cut off a corner of the scone, and the butter knife made a clear sound on the plate. "Imagine that on a Sunday, the priests stood under the stained glass of the church and recited the passage in Chapter 9 - when the orphanage child timidly raised the wooden bowl and said: 'Sir, can you give me some more?'"
The cigar smoke froze instantly, and the gentleman in the velvet waistcoat laughed so hard that tears came out of his eyes: "You use the miserable conditions of the poorhouse as a sermon?"
"It's not just Oliver Twist. The pastor then read the fifth chapter of Matthew: 'Blessed are the merciful.'" Arthur spread a thick layer of strawberry jam on the scones. "Now the Anglican Church in London can receive more than twice as much anonymous donations every day. Thanks to Mr. Dickens, they promised that all these donations will be used for the literacy classes for child workers in the East End."
Many gentlemen around laughed loudly upon hearing this, and the Shakespeare plays on the bookshelf rustled.
Some devout people drew a cross on their chests: "Mr. Dickens has done great deeds."
Pushkin also sighed: "Your writers can shake God with words, but Russian writers can't even write private letters..."
When the poets sitting next to him heard this, their faces turned pale. They kept winking at Pushkin, and some even pointed stealthily at the guards officers who were chatting in the corner with champagne glasses in their hands.
It was almost an open secret in St. Petersburg that the Third Bureau had planted spies in the British club.
When Pushkin saw his friends' reactions, he seemed to want to say something but hesitated, and swallowed the curse that was about to come out of his mouth.
In fact, even if Pushkin didn't say it, Arthur knew what he was worried about.
Just a few days ago, a letter said to be written by Pushkin suddenly began to circulate in the city of St. Petersburg. Even the Tsar, who was recuperating in Tsarskoye Selo, mentioned this matter to the Crown Prince's tutor Zhukovsky.
Pushkin did not take this matter seriously at first, because it was not the first time such a thing had happened, and the content of the letter was mostly a perverted poem full of obscene words, which was fabricated by his literary rivals to slander his reputation.
But not long after, the truth came out. The letter was indeed Pushkin's own letter, and the Moscow post office secretly opened the letter he wrote to his wife Natalia Nikolaevna!
In addition to some family matters, the main content of the letter caused great controversy because of Pushkin's description of the grand ceremony of the Tsarevich's coming of age not long ago.
——On Wednesday of the week after Easter, the prince's coming of age ceremony was held. I did not attend the ceremony, but I heard about the event from others. It was both a solemn state event and a family event. The prince, who was about to become an adult, seemed particularly excited, and he recited the oath in a firm and cheerful tone. However, when he began to recite the prayer, he could not help but stop. He burst into tears. His Majesty and the Queen also cried. After reciting the prayer, the Crown Prince rushed over to hug his father. The father kissed his forehead, eyes and cheeks, and then led his son to the Queen. The three hugged each other with tears on their faces. In St. George's Hall, the oath under the flag was a repetition of the first oath, and people's emotions calmed down.
—Everyone was amazed at this extraordinary scene. Many people cried, and those who were not crying tried to wipe their dry eyes and squeeze out a few tears. The palace was crowded with people. I had to meet Katerina, Ivanovna, and Togliatskaya. I didn't want to meet anyone, so I went to find her by the back stairs, but it was also crowded there. The courtiers complained that the servants would not allow them to enter the church, but it was said that no one stopped others at all.
——However, people always encounter some funny things at the most solemn moments. Filaret arranged the whole oath-taking event. He selected a chapter from the "Records of the Empire" as a motto, in which there is a sentence: The Tsar summoned the commanders of the thousand, the commanders of the hundred and his eunuchs. . Naryshkin said that the word "eunuch" can be regarded as a wonderful metaphor for senior attendants. However, rumors spread in the city that the emperor planned to pray for the eunuchs during the ceremony. Therefore, Filaret had to replace the word "eunuch" in the end.
Although Pushkin's letter was indeed interesting, the staff of the Moscow Post Office obviously did not take it seriously. They found that Pushkin dared not describe the scene of the prince's oath in the official tone in his letter, so they reported the matter to the St. Petersburg Police Department.
The police department did not understand the meaning of the letter, but did not dare to make a decision on its own, so they submitted the letter to Tsar Nicholas I.
At this time, Nicholas I was angry about the unrest in Moscow. He read Pushkin's letter over and over again, and was not sure whether Pushkin was planning anything. He just felt that the letter was full of sarcasm.
Fortunately, Nicholas I finally gave the letter to the prince's tutor Zhukovsky for review. As a good friend of Pushkin, Zhukovsky racked his brains to cover it up, and finally explained to the Tsar that it was just an ordinary family letter, and everything finally returned to peace.
But the Tsar forgave Pushkin, but Pushkin did not forgive the Tsar. The Russian literary leader had been indifferent to his appointment as a low-level court attendant since the beginning of the year, because this position was usually reserved for those young men who had just started their careers. He felt that the Tsar was using this position to insult him, and that it was more like a court jester than a low-level attendant. Therefore, he never expressed gratitude for the Tsar's kindness.
The incident of the post office opening letters privately deepened his dissatisfaction. He asked Nicholas I in person whether the rumors circulating in the city were true. Who would have thought that it would be better if he had not asked. After asking this question, Pushkin's last hope for the Russian system was shattered - because the Tsar actually admitted to the private opening of the letters in person without any shame, and comforted Pushkin not to worry, because Zhukovsky had explained the contents of the letter to him clearly.
But the Tsar's attitude was as if opening letters was the most normal thing. Nicholas I redefined Russia's moral standards, and such behavior had a very bad impact regardless of whether it was from the standpoint of the royalists or the liberals.
Pushkin became angrier and angrier as he thought about it. He finally said, "You probably don't know that last week the postman 'accidentally' tore up my manuscript. Guess what the gendarmerie headquarters explained? They said the wax seal on the letterhead was too hard and it hurt the paper cutter in the bureau. Fortunately, they didn't ask me for compensation."
"That's why Gogol always said that satire should be gilded." Arthur noticed Pushkin's hands twitching under the tablecloth: "Remember his play "Marriage"? The protagonist put the engagement ring on the government document..."
Before Arthur finished speaking, the door of the club suddenly flew open, and the draft blew snow particles and extinguished the three gas lamps.
Blackwell's moccasins tapped to a rhythm, and the ice beads on the tip of his nose trembled with his breathing.
The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!
Arthur glanced at the secretary who had come so hastily and hurriedly, and slowly wiped his silver fork. "Henry, are you in such a hurry to pluck the quails in Paris?"
"Worse." Blackwell slipped a half-written diplomatic report from his collar and whispered to Arthur: "The quail from Paris not only pecked at the Tsar's wheat fields, but also built nests in the granary."
Hearing this, Arthur felt that today's tea had become much sweeter. He stood up leisurely and straightened his collar. "It seems that today's entertainment time is over. Gentlemen, we will talk again at Count Fickelmont's ball another day."
Arthur followed Blackwell out of the club's door. As soon as he stepped into the carriage, Blackwell hurriedly took out the sweat-soaked secret letter from the secret pocket of his shirt.
"The Third Bureau raided the suburban villa of the French agent's mistress this morning. You know what this means. Your plan worked..."
Arthur yawned as he listened. "Is that all the news? It's not uncommon for a Frenchman to have several mistresses."
Blackwell replied strangely, "Of course it's not just that. The most important thing is that in the third round, the French agent was in the villa with the beauty at that time, and the two groups ran into each other. The French agent was furious at the gendarmes, and the gendarmes were half a head lower in momentum, so they could only take out the search warrant approved by Count Benkendorf to give themselves courage..."
"Hmm..." Arthur pinched his chin and analyzed, "If we really look into it according to the law, the French representative's reason for being angry is untenable. After all, the gendarmes did not search the French embassy, but an ordinary country villa."
"That being said, this matter was not handled properly after all." Blackwell continued, "The French representative is now completely furious. It is said that he wrote a letter to Count Benckendorff, demanding that he give him a reasonable explanation."
"Explanation? Do we need Benckendorff to admit that they suspect the French are funding the independence of the Caucasian mountaineers?" The sudden incident disrupted Arthur's steadily advancing plan, but he did not feel much regret: "I have to admit that I overestimated the French's waistband. However, according to the Tsar's character and his always bad attitude towards the July Monarchy of France, the French chargé d'affaires will most likely not be treated well."
Blackwell also agreed, "That's right. After all, when the July Revolution broke out in Paris a few years ago, the Tsar once called on Prussia and Austria to join him in sending troops to suppress the revolution. If the Warsaw Uprising had not broken out in Poland, Russia and France might be at war right now."
The hostility between Russia and France was the most suitable outcome for Britain and Arthur.
For Louis Bonaparte who was in prison, this was a timely lifesaver.
After all, given the precarious domestic situation of the July Monarchy and the harsh external environment, if Louis Philippe now intended to chop off the head of Louis, the leader of the Bonapartist faction, it would really require some extraordinary courage.
As for the external environment, Prussia, Austria and Russia all adopted an extremely hostile attitude towards France.
On the British side, although the Whig Grey Cabinet had a favorable impression of France after the July Revolution, unfortunately, it was only a favorable impression, and if they were not careful, they would soon fall.
As for the internal environment, the Republicans had always been used as targets by King Louis Philippe of France. In order to suppress the Republicans, he had to unite with the Bonapartists, and even had to maintain a conciliatory attitude towards the orthodox Bourbon supporters.
If the external environment is stable, perhaps this centrist king can consider finding a target between the Orthodox and the Bonapartists, but if the Russians quarrel with the French over the Caucasus issue, then he can only choose the lesser of two evils. Not to mention directly releasing Louis and his makeshift "general staff", at least he cannot make a big fuss and push this reckless young man directly to the guillotine, right?
