shadow of britain

Chapter 57 Mr. Hastings, Do You Know God?
When everyone came to the second floor, Adam stopped suddenly. He squatted down in front of a raised floor and put his hand into the broken hole in the floor.

After groping for a while, he quickly took out a palm-sized wooden box and an old book that was curled up and barely straightened.

Adam straightened the book vigorously, and wiped off the dust on it with his sleeve. Arthur recognized it as a magazine of "The Scourge" just by looking at the cover.

This is not because Arthur is very knowledgeable, but because he often visits second-hand bookstores when he is not at work. As a magazine with satirical comics as its main content, "The Scourge" has been welcomed by the general public in London.

In second-hand bookstores, the monthly "The Scourge" from 1811 to 1814 is the most popular.

The reason is also very simple, because the main cartoonist of "The Scourge" in the past three years is the famous George Cruikshank.

Tom asked suspiciously, "What book is this?"

Before Adam could answer, Arthur had already opened his mouth to explain for him.

"This is a good book. The June 1812 issue of "The Scourge". I went to many second-hand bookstores but couldn't find it. I didn't expect Adam to have a copy here."

Tony leaned over: "Is there any important information in this month's issue? Why do you want it so much?"

Arthur sucked a cigarette expressionlessly: "I don't know if there is any important information, but one month before the release of the June issue, the then Prime Minister Spencer Percival was kicked at the gate of the Parliament building He was shot several times and died.

So I'm guessing this issue has to be pretty good stuff, as evidenced by my failure to find the book in any used bookstore. "

Dickens asked: "Are you talking about the Prime Minister Percival who promulgated the Embargo Act, which caused economic chaos in both the United States and Britain, and then ordered the suppression of the 'Luddite Movement' and hanged many rioting workers?"

Tom exclaimed: "My God! Is this book full of attacks on those politicians? It's a miracle that it wasn't banned at the time."

Arthur said: "It's not all attacks on politicians. Attacks on politicians are usually due to some special circumstances, such as the 'Luddite Movement' or something..."

Tom breathed a sigh of relief: "I see..."

"In normal times, comic book writer George Cruickshank basically attacked the royal family, such as accusing George III of abandoning his wife for the throne, and because of his arbitrariness and insistence on using violence that led to the independence of the North American colonies and so on.

Oh, by the way, Mr. Cruikshank also very presciently attacked the current King George IV who succeeded him later. Since then, he has harshly commented that George IV, who was still a prince at the time, was 'unlike others' Jun'. "

As soon as Arthur finished speaking, Tom's heart that had just let go rose to his throat again.

Tom only felt the goosebumps all over his body trembling: "This gentleman was not thrown into prison, how did he do it?
I've heard old people say that it was different back then than it is now, and the king still had a lot of power.Moreover, George III is a terrible king. It's okay for him to be small-minded, but he has a very bad temper.

Many people who opposed him were thrown into prison by him. Even if they didn't go in, they were basically exiled abroad. How did this George Cruikshank get through that period unscathed? "

There was an indescribable smile on the corner of Arthur's mouth: "There are quite complicated reasons for this.

First of all, George III was already insane due to his age, and the power of the king had been transferred to the regent Prince George IV.

And because of the old king's wrong decisions in North America, the parliament has gradually restricted his authority.

Of course, the most important point is that Mr. Cruickshank is a wonderful man.

Both Whigs and Tories saw hidden potential in the huge circulation of The Scourge.

So Mr. Cruickshank took money from the Whigs to attack the Tories, and took money from the Tories to attack the Whigs.

Finally, collect money from the two parties together, and attack the old king who is delirious and bedridden all the year round.

Therefore, he not only said everything he wanted to say, but also made a lot of money by the way. "

Dickens wondered: "But even so, Mr. Cruickshank attacked the royal family and politicians every day, wouldn't he be labeled as a demagogue and a traitor? There was a war at that time, and the "Treason Act" and "Sedition Act" The Assembly Act should not be repealed yet, right?"

"No, no, no." Arthur waved his hand. "Cruikshank doesn't always attack the royal family and politicians. He only spends half of each issue doing it."

Dickens was puzzled, "What about the other half?"

"The other half?" Arthur said calmly, "Belittling the French and insulting Napoleon."

After hearing this, everyone laughed so hard that they couldn't stand their backs.

"No wonder "The Scourge" can be published normally."

"On that alone, they really cannot pronounce Mr. Cruickshank treasonous."

Dickens couldn't help but replied: "It seems that I will visit second-hand bookstores more in the future. I didn't expect that there are so many interesting things hidden there."

While everyone was laughing, the door next door suddenly opened a crack.

Adam looked through the crack of the door and shouted in surprise: "Robin!"

The door was slowly pushed open, revealing a little girl leaning on the edge of the door frame, a head shorter than Adam.

She was wearing a small white dress with holes in it, her thin lips were blue and white, her black and yellowish hair was scattered, and her sick eyes seemed to have lost their spirit.

She coughed twice, her chest heaving and falling, and then tremblingly stretched out her small hand, which was so thin and almost transparent under the sunlight, and asked in a hoarse voice so thin that it was almost inaudible.

"Is it Adam?"

Adam held the book and the wooden box and held her little hand. He rubbed the back of Robin's hand vigorously, trying to warm the cold palm of the other party.

"It was me, I was released from the prison. I almost went to the gallows, but I met many kind gentlemen, they saved me, and I brought them to see you.

You see, these gentlemen behind me.The kind-looking man is my new father, the officer Tom I mentioned to you earlier, who invited me to his house for dinner.

The one with a mole on his face is Police Officer Tony, the one with the bag is Mr. Dickens who writes the newspaper, and the tallest one is Mr. Hastings.

Do you remember what I told you?That's when Mr. Hastings gave me a shilling two months ago, and I bought sugar with that money, and we sat and ate together in the yard. "

Robin smiled quietly and listened to Adam's words, then groped along Adam's arm with his hand until he touched Adam's hair, and then touched his head with peace of mind.

"Adam, you are a good man. I heard that good people will have good rewards. It is your good reward that you can meet so many good gentlemen."

Adam looked at Robin blankly, even though he was only a nine-year-old child, but at this moment, he could see something was wrong.

He stretched out his hand and shook it slowly in front of Robin's eyes.

Robin felt the sudden silence, and she smiled and asked, "Adam, why don't you talk?"

"You...you can't see?"

Adam loosened his hand holding the book and the wooden box, and with a bang, all the contents fell to the ground.

The things in the wooden box were not particularly expensive, just a few candies in poor packaging, and a few pennies left over from the candy.

Adam hung his head, he didn't want his face to be seen, but the hunched shoulders and body gave him away.

"Adam..." Officer Tom took a heavy breath, wanting to step forward and hug his son.

But Arthur stopped him with his hand. He took a breath and said softly, "Don't go. When a man is crying, he doesn't want to see his father."

Robin gently stroked Adam's face, warm tears wet her little hands, she just smiled softly.

"Adam, don't cry. It's not that I'm blind, it's just God and I kidding, maybe I'll get some sleep.

But maybe his joke was a little too big. I haven't been able to go to work in the factory for a long time. I can hear my parents sighing every night.

When you have the opportunity to go to church to pray, you must tell God for me, I have to get better soon!

There are so many bills in the house that if no more money comes in, our family will have to be kicked out of here. "

When Dickens heard this, he couldn't help covering his eyes. Robin's words also reminded him of what happened to him.

With his lips pursed and his eyes red, he took out a ticket from his pocket, and was about to walk up, when suddenly three hands holding the tickets stretched out from behind and stuffed them into his palms.

He glanced back, and Arthur, Tom and Tony all looked up at the ceiling at the same time. Even the three old police officers who had experienced all kinds of hardships could only use this method to keep their tears from falling.

Feeling warm, Dickens gave the three of them a meaningful look, then bent over and picked up the wooden box on the ground, stuffed the money in his hand into it, and secretly handed it to little Adam.

Adam glanced back at him, and was about to speak, but saw Dickens put a finger between his lips, signaling him to keep quiet.

Adam bit his lip and nodded with tears in his mouth. He swallowed, and tried to put on the most joyful tone and said: "Robin! Look what I found. There are a lot of bills. With these money, your family will not be able to use it for the time being." Worried about being kicked out!"

Unexpectedly, Robin was startled when she heard this, and the smile on her face gradually faded. She touched the notes in the wooden box and counted them carefully.

"Adam, you stole the money, right? Didn't you promise me that you would never do those things again?"

Adam shook his head vigorously, and he denied: "I really didn't steal the money! Although I often do those things, it's all in the past.

Besides, so what if I continue to do it!Those gentlemen and ladies have taken up all the good things in the world, why can't they give us some?
They can eat tens of pounds for a meal, and what I take from them may be just a cherry on the cake on their plate.

With this cherry, your family won't have to be evicted from the place, what's so bad about that?

Robin, look at you, you... you were killed by them... blind..."

When Adam said this, he stretched out his arms and hugged Robin. The nine-year-old child knelt on the ground and lay on the shoulder of another child, weeping uncontrollably.

Even when he was facing the death penalty in the Magistrate's Court, he didn't cry as much as he did today.

Suddenly, a big hand was pressed on his head, and Adam sobbed and looked back. It was Arthur who lowered his hat.

Adam choked up and asked, "Mr. Hastings, do you know God? Maybe only he can cure Robin now?"

Arthur raised the brim of his hat slightly, and squatted down. Under the shadows, there were a pair of eyes with a dull red glow.

"I'm sorry Adam, but normally, I'm far from God and very close to the devil."

When Adam heard this, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He turned his head, sucked his nose lightly, and tears flowed down his face silently.

But then, Arthur's gentle voice sounded again.

"However, if it's for Robin, I can work really hard to know God."

(End of this chapter)