Shadow of great britain

In the pub, in addition to beer glasses and a few sausages, there were also some banknotes and coins on the table.

The faces of Arthur and Elder were hidden in the shadows that the kerosene lamp could not illuminate.

Each of them held two cards in their hands. Arthur looked down at the cards in his hand. He had a pair of fives.

Elder also glanced at the cards, and then pushed all the chips on the table.

"I went all-in."

Arthur smiled: "Elder, are you crazy about losing? If you lose again, you won't even have the money to ride home in a carriage."

Elder knocked on the table impatiently: "In the worst case, I will swim back from the Thames. Although I am just a draftsman of the Royal Navy, I still make a living on the sea, and I still have some water skills. You can Don't worry about me, Arthur, whether you will follow or not."

Arthur didn't speak, he just glanced behind Elder.

The red devil Agares was standing there, laughing like crazy, even his tongue was hanging out.

"Arthur, this kid is bluffing. He only has a pair of 3s in his hand! Let's follow. We must win all his pants today!"

But after hearing this, Arthur not only chose not to follow Agares' advice, but instead threw his cards on the table.

He said: "Elder, you win, I fold. Your momentum overwhelms me."

When Elder heard Arthur discard his cards, he hugged his head in pain, and he lay on the table with a pale face.

"Damn it, Arthur! Didn't you follow me all the time before? Why can't you win this time? I finally got a big name once."

Elder spread out his cards, holding a pair of kings.

Agares pretended to be surprised and covered his mouth. He lied: "The light here is really too dark. How could I see a pair of kings as a pair of threes?"

Arthur just smiled.

He had known that this devil wouldn't be so kind.

The reason Agares kept leaking Elder's cards to him was because he wanted to gain Arthur's trust and then make him lose a big deal in the last wave.

This is also the old routine of the Red Devil, and Arthur is familiar with it.

Arthur looked at Elder who looked annoyed and said to him: "Come on, Elder. You are not suitable for playing cards. Whatever you have in your hand is written on your face. Put the money on the table Take it back, today we are just playing, not serious."

"Oh! Arthur. Are you serious?"

Elder's eyes sparkled.

Seeing his slow look, Arthur raised his hand to take away the money on the table.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he stretched out his hand, Elder took away the banknotes on the table like a whirlwind.

Of course, he still left five pennies for Arthur, which was Arthur's principal.

"Arthur, you always do things with such magnanimity. Today's wine and meal money are all mine. Let's have a good drink to celebrate your escape from the damn Scotland Yard! Come, let's have a drink for a better new life. !”

Elder picked up the beer glass and bumped it hard with Arthur.

Only a few muffled sounds were heard, and a pint of beer was poured down his throat.

However, Arthur couldn't swallow it after he drank half of it.

He had already been fed four cups of wine by Elder before, and now he really couldn't hold it any longer.

He held his stomach and waved his hands: "Elder, do you people who are trying to make a living on the ship have such a heavy drinking capacity?"

Elder laughed loudly and said: "Of course. On the sea, wine is a good thing. First of all, spirits are durable and fresh water may be contaminated, but wine will never be.

Secondly, if a crew member is injured, wine can also be used to disinfect, and it can also help us fight diseases and keep warm. You may not know how cold it can be when sailing in some places.

The most important thing is that life at sea is extremely boring. For months or even a year, you have to face the same sea surface, the same scenery, the same life, and the same smelly old men.

Only wine can allow us to gain short-term happiness, forget our worries, and temporarily numb ourselves.

Oh, Arthur, you don't know, we who are floating on the sea can't live without wine!

I even heard that some old sailors never drank water in their entire lives. They could live on alcohol alone. "

Arthur covered his dizzy head and asked: "It sounds like these days are pretty fucked up. Haven't you ever thought about getting a good job on land? After all, you are different from me. You have more connections than me." Much more.”

"Of course I have thought about it. But before returning to land, I have to float at sea for a few years. After I have accumulated some experience, my uncle can find an opportunity to transfer me to the Admiralty Headquarters to do some civilian work.

Arthur, you can be like me then. Or you can work on a boat for two years, wait for a good opportunity, and then return to land. Although it was a sluggish time when we graduated, didn't you notice that the economy was slowly getting better?

It seems that railways are being planned everywhere now, and the docks in London are also being expanded. When they are completed, you can find a job with a railway or shipping company.

With your Royal Navy resume out there, it will be much easier for you to find a job in the future. Maybe you can become a university professor. After all, you are comparable to Shelley and Byron, don’t you think? "

Arthur waved his hand. He was really a little drunk: "Come on, Elder, don't compliment me. I am just a little policeman from Scotland Yard, and I am also a little policeman who was fired. Have you ever seen Bai? Are Len and Shelley going to be police officers? That's what they're talking about."

As soon as Arthur finished speaking, a gentle voice of question suddenly came from the side.

"Officer Arthur?"

"Um?"

Arthur turned around with his eyes wide open. It was a young man who looked somewhat familiar.

"I seem to know you. You..." Arthur rubbed his head: "You seem to have been a court clerk, right? I've seen you a few times."

When the clerk heard this, he was surprised and said: "I didn't expect you to know me. This is really great. I didn't expect to meet you even for lunch. I just finished the news manuscript, and I was planning to ask you to help me read it."

Arthur grinned, his body about to slide off the chair: "I don't understand literature, you should check with the gentleman opposite me. He is a top student majoring in classical literature, although he is from the University of London. "

Elder also drank a little too much. When he heard this, he responded arrogantly.

"No, no, no, you'd better find Inspector Arthur. He's comparable to Shelley and Byron, even though he's from Scotland Yard."

The court clerk didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He knew that the two drunkards were drunk and delirious.

But he still handed the rain-stained manuscript to Arthur.

Since the other party was so complimentary, the alcoholic Arthur was not polite and planned to comment.

He took the manuscript and read it loudly in the tavern without thinking.

“This is the best of times and the worst of times.

This is an age of wisdom, this is an age of stupidity.

This is a time of trust, this is a time of doubt.

It's a season of light, it's a season of darkness.

This is the spring of hope, this is the winter of despair.

People have everything before them, and people have nothing before them.

People are on the road to heaven, people are heading to the gate of hell. "

When Arthur read this, the drunkenness accumulated in his head suddenly shook.

He always felt that this line of text was familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it.

When the clerk heard this, his face turned red with embarrassment, and he quickly corrected him: "Mr. Arthur, this is the last paragraph. You should read the previous paragraph first."

"Oh, this is my fault."

Arthur's wine gradually sobered up, and he raised his eyes to where the article was.

"The Strongest Voice from Scotland Yard - Britain's Finest Policeman, Inspector Arthur Hastings"

Author: Charles Dickens