shadow of britain

Chapter 467 The old noble and the new emperor

If London is the mystery, Paris is the answer.

——Gilbert Keith Chesterton

The dazzling crystal chandeliers cast soft and brilliant light, decorating the ballroom like a dream.

The air is filled with the aroma of roses and violets, intertwined with the soft champagne bubbles to create a luxurious overture.

Liszt, dressed in a gorgeous evening dress, attracted everyone's attention. His fingers trembled and slid like flying peaks. The melody gradually turned from gentle to passionate. Every note seemed to be alive, jumping and rotating.

Although Heine often slandered Liszt's playing in front of Arthur as having only technique and no emotion, in the eyes of Arthur, a simple piano player, Liszt's performance was not only a display of technique, but also an outpouring of emotion. , sometimes as delicate and smooth as a clear spring in the mountains, sometimes as passionate as a violent storm, the switch between intense and gentle does not make people feel abrupt at all. This is not something that can be achieved with just skill.

"Symphonie Fantastique" is the representative work of Mr. Berlioz, the conductor of tonight's orchestra. It is an outstanding work that won the Gold Medal of Rome Composition. This love song is absolutely suitable as a waltz.

The audience was deeply attracted by this magical sound of Liszt, and the gentlemen who were chatting on the side couldn't help but close their eyes and listen, as if guided by the notes, they felt the passion of Berlioz's love when he was composing the music.

Some people stared at Liszt's magician hands and marveled at how he could create such rich colors and emotions from those black and white keys.

The skirts of the ladies swayed gently to the rhythm, while the men involuntarily slowed down their pace. The entire ball seemed to be conquered by the music and turned into a huge resonance box.

Arthur's focus was obviously on the music, so much so that he failed to notice the subtle emotions of his dance partner.

Miss Dresset asked softly: "Have you not gone to the Opera House to hear Mr. Berlioz's concert since you came to Paris?"

Arthur came back to his senses slightly and replied with a smile: "Originally I had this plan, but because one of my enthusiastic friends caused me some trouble, so now when I meet these big figures in the Paris music industry, I usually can only Choose to go around.”

"Did you cause trouble?" Miss Dresser asked curiously: "Is your friend a professional writer who writes music criticism?"

"Um……"

Arthur thought about Heine's livelihood and found that the German poet's main occupation was really difficult to evaluate: "Not really, his main occupation is writing poetry, but he also likes to criticize, not just criticism. Music, and he also criticizes literature. However, what he likes to criticize most is politics. That is his interest. From a certain perspective, I think he criticizes music and literature only to provide funds for criticizing politics. It’s usually not profitable and there are risks involved.”

"Really?" Miss Draisaitl asked doubtfully: "I usually don't care about politics, but if you don't make money by writing political commentaries, why are there so many political commentaries in newspapers in Paris? Aren't those people afraid of hunger? Die?"

Arthur smiled when he heard this and said: "Madam, I'm not saying that you can't make money by writing political commentaries, but that you can't make money by criticizing politics. If you are willing to praise politics, you can not only make money, but you can even become an official."

Miss Dresser asked: "Why, then, does your friend not praise politics?"

Arthur recalled Heine's character and said with a helpless smile: "Just let him go. For him, in order to be able to integrate into this society and become a decent person both materially and spiritually, he has put all his efforts into the world." He sacrificed everything he could. In terms of faith, he abandoned his nation and became a Protestant. In terms of money, he left his hometown and came to Paris, even relying on means that were close to blackmail to survive. As for politics, he could have praised Prussia's "enlightened rule" after graduating from the University of Göttingen. Why did he wait until he went into exile in Paris to start praising the "liberal democracy" of the French government? "

Miss Delesset asked in confusion: "You mean that your Prussian friend is still criticizing the government after he came to Paris? Isn't he afraid of being arrested and thrown into prison? Last year, the Saint-Simonian newspaper " The newspaper "Globe" was raided by the police, and its editor-in-chief, Mr. Michel Chevalier, was sentenced to one year in prison. If Mr. Thiers had not come forward to intercede, he would probably not have been released by now. "

Arthur laughed and said: "What you said made my impression of Mr. Thiers even better. As for my friend, you don't have to worry at all. Since he suffered a lot in Prussia in his early years, He has become much more tactful now. Although he will still criticize the government, he has made it clear to what extent he will not be arrested."

Miss Draisaitl saw Arthur talking, and followed the conversation and asked: "You seem to be very familiar with political things. Have you ever been a member of Parliament in Britain? Or are these all yours?" Did your elders teach you?”

Arthur did not shy away from his former occupation. Anyway, even if he didn't tell him, this lady would have known what he, a Yorkist soldier, did in the past by asking around at the British Legation.

"Actually, like you, I don't care much about politics, because not caring about politics is what my job requires. As for why I know this, it's very simple, because I used to be a policeman who raided newspaper offices. Of course, now In Britain, it was not more than ten years ago that we now advocate freedom of the press, so we cannot directly block newspapers or anything like that.

But if there is demand from above, we have to keep filing lawsuits with newspapers. Although in most cases, judges and juries do not support our reasons for suing, if we sue every few days, it will always cause trouble for those newspapers. No problem. If a small newspaper office has been harassed by the police for several months, it will be exhausted and have to admit defeat. "

"What about the big newspapers?"

"Big newspapers? There are reasons why big newspapers can become big newspapers. Their stance is more flexible than the government. They will fall in whichever direction the wind blows. For example, The Times, for example, They all follow the trend of society. If The Times suddenly starts to lash out at the government, it means that this matter has reached an irreversible level at the social level, and we are generally unwilling to get in their way."

Speaking of this, Arthur suddenly joked: "Actually, since I came to Paris, I have discovered a lot of surprising things. For example, although Paris has stricter control over political speech, public opinion in Paris is more critical than in London. Government. When I passed by the Place des Vosges the day before yesterday, I saw pictures of ducks and pears everywhere on the wall. At first, I thought they were planters advertising their products, but the poor artist who was graffiti told me. Me, what he painted was actually King Louis Philippe. The pear was just a general outline, and passers-by added the facial features in their minds and it was done. "

When Miss Draisaitl heard this, she gently tugged Arthur's sleeve and whispered: "You can't tell this kind of thing. This is a tacit little joke in Paris."

Arthur smiled and blinked his eyes when he heard this: "You must have forgotten that I am not a Parisian, but an authentic British guy who doesn't understand the rules. Foreigners only have this benefit in Paris, pretending to be confused, pretending to understand, The authorities are not free to accuse me. You don't know, but as a London policeman, I was almost exhausted."

When Miss Dresset heard this, the doubts in her heart were finally slowly resolved.

He was originally a policeman and later became a diplomat, and even Paris Police Chief Henri Zhisouquet respected him...

Miss Draisaitl thought carefully and said carefully: "Then you...didn't you take your wife with you when you went to Hanover this time? I remember that diplomats often bring their families with them when they travel. "

"If I had a wife, I would definitely bring her with me." Arthur joked: "After all, I even brought my secretary and cook with me this time. Not bringing my wife seems like I have something wrong with me. To be honest "If my other banker friend hadn't been busy with business in London, he would have come to Paris with me to relax."

"Banker friend?" Miss Dresser's eyes lit up: "Can I take the liberty to ask, who is your banker friend? Maybe my father still knows him. Most bankers in Europe are like him. Our family has business dealings.”

"Lionel Rothschild, he came to Paris more than two years ago, during the July Revolution. Your father probably met him."

Rothschild!
Miss Draisaitl felt dizzy after being hit on the head. The surname Rothschild was not generally resounding in the banking circles in Paris.

Everyone knows that James Rothschild, the spokesman for the Paris branch of the Rothschild family, is the most trusted person in the financial circle of King Louis Philippe.

Although the Banque de France, which the Draisaitl family participated in establishing, is the central bank of France and holds the monopoly on issuing banknotes, the credit of the Bank of France does not entirely depend on itself, but rather relies to a certain extent on large banks holding large gold and silver reserves. Private banks, and Rothschild Bank is the most powerful private bank among them.

After the July Revolution, if the Rothschild Bank had not provided a large amount of gold and silver as guarantee for the Bank of France, the price of French government bonds would never have stabilized in such a short period of time. And Rothschild stood on the side of the July Dynasty at the critical moment, which naturally won them the trust of the new king Louis Philippe.

In this banker dynasty in France, the influence of the Rothschild family cannot be underestimated.

And their influence was not limited to London and Paris. In Vienna, the Austrian Empire, Rothschild was even more popular. After all, whether it is Britain or France, no matter how powerful Rothschild is, he is still limited to the financial circle. In Vienna, four of the five Rothschild brothers were canonized as barons. The Rothschild family's label in the European banking world, apart from the damn Jews, is particularly famous for its unique vision and ability to cling to powerful people.

In other words, being treated as a guest by Rothschild is a status in itself.

They were either royal aristocrats who were born in the purple royal family, or they were the princes of Wu Lixun's family, or they were young uncles, sons, and barons who, despite their low status, had a bright future and might join the cabinet in the future.

Miss Draisaitl was stunned by the sudden news. Although it would be a pity not to be a duchess, being the wife of the Prime Minister would be a difficult challenge. What's more important is that as long as this young gentleman does not die while serving as prime minister, even if his father's title is not high, he can be made an earl based on his merits in the future.

It may be difficult for people in the future to understand Miss Draisaitl's obsession with aristocratic status.

In today's Paris, the life situation of a banker's daughter is far better than that of most noble daughters.

Since the 17th century, the best locations in Paris, including Place Royale, Ile Saint-Louis, Place Vendôme and all the highlights of fashionable districts, have been the property of these bankers.

These people occupy a place in French society and have their own sphere of influence. Although these people lived an aristocratic life, enjoying the influence and lifestyle traditionally reserved for princes and nobles, most of them were not noble by blood.

And one after another such people with not noble blood have risen in the city of Paris one after another. In this ever-growing new Paris, people began to believe that anyone had a chance to make a fortune. A poor country boy from the provinces could come to Paris penniless, become a real estate or financial tycoon in just a few years, and leave a fortune that was beyond the reach of others before he died.

It is because of this urban legend that young people like Vidocq rushed to Paris.

However, although this group of bankers and real estate developers, regarded as "outsiders" by the famous French Prime Minister and Cardinal Richelieu, participated in most of the urban transformation and expansion of Paris. However, the transformation of penniless poor people into powerful financiers has always been viewed poorly.

Parisians can accept meeting people of many different classes on the Pont Neuf or the Tuileries Garden, but they do not welcome the new social scene of ordinary people becoming rich overnight.

Although this group of people will still say stubbornly: "In our century, money is everything. Money represents absolute power, and having money means domination. Even if you come from an extremely humble background, you can still become a noble with money."

But most people do not agree with their views, and even they themselves are not so confident in their hearts.

From political pamphlets to personal memoirs, from legal documents to novels and plays, bankers are often the subject of fierce criticism.

Writers from all walks of life, whether they are high-ranking officials or unknown satirists, use the term "blood-sucking leeches" to describe these new rich, saying that these people drain the blood of the country and make honest citizens miserable.

Even French dictionaries have to add some special meanings to the new word Parvenu: a humble person who makes a lot of money quickly. The corresponding verb Parvenir (to earn) extends the meaning of 'nouveau riche's extravagance'.

As for the comments by novelists and playwrights, they were even more merciless. They used the words of the characters to speak bluntly about this group of people: "Yesterday they were humble servants, but today they are landlords."

In the eyes of the public, they are just a group of barbarians with two bad tastes and low-level interests.

Isn’t the king of beggars still a beggar?
Miss Draisaitl always thinks of this, even if she is wearing the most fashionable dress in Paris of the season, using the most high-end perfume in France, and receiving the family education of the most knowledgeable scholars in France, but she always shows up at social banquets. When meeting those real aristocratic daughters, you still feel like a dwarf without realizing it.

If their outfits do not have their own luxury, they are pursuing the beauty of simplicity and simplicity, which is the embodiment of elegance and style.

If their attire is more luxurious than her own, it is a reflection of aristocratic heritage and the accumulation of hundreds of years of family tradition.

If their conversational skills and artistic attainments are not as high as mine, then it means that the aristocratic ladies adhere to tradition. Even if they don't learn anything, just going there is the embodiment of art.

If their conversational and artistic attainments are higher than mine, it will be even worse. Everyone will say that the nouveau riche is still a nouveau riche. It is not something that a small bourgeois can achieve in one or two generations if they want to talk like an aristocrat.

Miss Draisaitl became more and more angry as she thought about it. At the same time, she also had higher expectations for the future Prime Minister from London.

If Arthur understood what this young lady was thinking, he would probably introduce her to the Jewish boy Disraeli. After all, when it came to the future Prime Minister, Mr. Disraeli's expertise was more suitable.

But if Miss Draisaitl really comes to Mr. Disraeli, she will most likely be furious with the boy who likes to wear red trousers and a green waistcoat.

Because Mr. Disraeli does not like a young girl like her, but a young lady who specializes in seniority, especially seniority ladies with aristocratic status.

If it weren't for this hobby of his, this guy wouldn't have been able to become a member of parliament so quickly, and there would be no chance of him becoming prime minister in the future.

But at the moment, what worries Miss Draisaitl most is not the problem of seniority, but her discovery that Arthur is missing.

The Assistant Superintendent, who was double-dealt by Scotland Yard, maintained his elusive travel habits as always. Miss Draisaitl disappeared without a trace as soon as Miss Draisaitl was distracted, not even smelling like a pig. dance partner stayed.

"Sir?"

Miss Draisaitl looked around and saw that there were indeed many knights at the ball, but she could not see anyone who looked like he could be the Prime Minister.

Oh, maybe Mr. Thiers, who is dancing passionately with his partner, counts as one, but he is not as tall as Miss Draisaitl, so he can easily be filtered out at first glance.

Miss Dresser was about to go to the lounge to look for Arthur, but before she could start, she heard the piano suddenly stop.

Immediately afterwards, there was a burst of uniform footsteps.

She turned around and saw that the stairs on both sides were already filled with guards lined up.

King Louis-Philippe of France, wearing an evening gown and his iconic pear face that can be seen on the walls of Paris streets, greeted his subjects cordially.

Beside him, there was a young man with a seal beard and a handsome military uniform who could barely squeeze out a smile.

Louis Philippe smiled and said: "Gentlemen and ladies, please allow me to introduce to you the young man next to me, Mr. Charles-Louis Napoleon Bonaparte."

(End of this chapter)