The Shadow of Great Britain

Capítulo 1515: Chapter 253: The Blood Knight Charging for Freedom: Arthur Hastings (Part 3)

“Henry.” Arthur’s fingers remained motionless as he received the letter; upon hearing such good news, Arthur’s voice grew deeper and more robust, sounding as if it echoed from the end of the Winter Palace hallway: “Change my Bordeaux wine to vodka.”

“Today surely calls for something stronger!” Blackwell chuckled and retrieved an unopened bottle of vodka from the office’s liquor cabinet, adding, “You know what expression the Earl of Dalmo had when he just heard the news? He was even happier than the day he received dividends from the New Zealand Company; he smiled at everyone and insisted on throwing a celebration banquet for you tonight!”

While praising Arthur’s capabilities, Blackwell couldn’t help but silently admire his decision to follow the right man.

He had worked diligently for seven years at the Russian Embassy, yet he had never encountered an achievement of this stature even once.

Though the credit for persuading Eckhart primarily belonged to Arthur, as his private secretary, there was no harm in basking in the glory.

This shows that working for the knight may indeed be hard and tiring, but it certainly yields results!

No wonder he once enjoyed such a significant reputation at Scotland Yard; those early officers who followed the knight are now doing extraordinarily well.

Just look at the letters the knight sent to Scotland Yard: Chief Inspector Tom Flanders, Chief Inspector Tony Eckhart, Chief Inspector Ledley King…

All are Chief Inspectors!

If you work well with the knight, promotions are sure to come; on this point, some hardship and exhaustion are worth it.

After three glasses of strong liquor, Arthur used a letter opener to break the wax seal of the newly arrived issue of The Times, carving a deep groove under the headline “Calm in the Caucasus” with its tip, as if to uproot this line of print along with its lies.

While joy permeated throughout the Russian Embassy, only Arthur knew the real story behind it.

David Eckhart’s retreat was not due to persuasion but because he believed Arthur’s promise.

If Arthur cannot fulfill his promise to this staunch liberal warrior, then considering Sir David’s network and social circles in London, the gossip on Fleet Street at that time won’t fall short of the splashes of the Black Sea.

But if Arthur keeps his promise, then Sir David and the Caucasus issue return to the starting point. This problem was never solved but merely temporarily delayed by Arthur.

A week ago, Arthur might have worried about the aftermath, but now…

Haha…

Now Sir Arthur Hastings’s sympathy for the tragic plight of the Chechens is genuine, just like his sympathy for Polish nationalists.

An Eastern proverb goes — a promise is like a knight’s word.

Western knights are also required to uphold chivalry.

As a Junior Knight of the United Kingdom, how could Arthur forget the oath he once swore before His Majesty the King?

Arthur will honor his pledge, be kind to the weak, bravely confront oppression, fight all wrongs, defend the unarmed, and aid anyone who seeks his help.

As for the diplomatic issues that may follow?

By that time, Arthur will no longer be in Russia; it’s not within his job to deal with it.

It’s a matter for Viscount Palmeston or the new Foreign Secretary to consider; Arthur’s words are too insignificant to weigh in.

As for the Earl of Dalmo, though this seems somewhat disloyal to a mentor, David Eckhart was the one moving arms to the Caucasus. I stopped him initially, but he later changed his mind — what’s that got to do with Sir Arthur?

In conclusion, as long as the landmines don’t explode in my hands, let them be.

As for the source of the arms, it comes from an American company, and British law doesn’t prohibit the Samuel Colt Company from manufacturing arms in Britain.

You say “The Times” published anti-Russian articles?

Sorry, the majority shareholder of The Times is Tory Party legislator Mr. Benjamin Disraeli; earlier, Disraeli was quite dissatisfied with Palmerston’s pro-Russian foreign policy. Isn’t it normal for him to publish some anti-Russian articles?

You assert that Arthur also has shares in The Times, but the shareholders in The Times are numerous, even including two who are currently drifting at sea.

Furthermore, why can’t The Times publish anti-Russian articles? Which publication among Blackwood’s, Edinburgh Review, and The Times hasn’t done that?

Among them, Edinburgh Review can even be considered the official publication of the Whig Party; even when catching insiders, should we not distinguish between proximity?

Most importantly, who knows who the next Foreign Secretary will be? Maybe once the policy is in others’ hands, there will be a complete reversal towards Russia.

An insider?

I suspect Palmeston is the insider!

After all, diplomatic ties with Russia have been whispered about by the Foreign Secretary for a while now.

Arthur set down his glass, casually glanced through a thank-you letter from the Ottoman ambassador, and noticed a note from David Eckhart attached at the back, featuring a quote from Byron’s poem — Truth, is always on the side of the foolish fighting for freedom.

For a moment, the emotional Sir Arthur Hastings couldn’t help but shed tears; today was another successful day playing the role of fate.

Blackwell, unaware of Arthur’s inner turmoil, was still immersed in the joy of potentially imminent promotion and salary increase.

When he turned around, he noticed his superior clutching his glass, tears streaming down his face, prompting a startled chill to race through him, “Sir… Sir, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just feeling my days are numbered…” Arthur realized he had misspoken, quickly wiping his tears, sipping his drink lightly: “I was thinking about my young friend being held in the Moscow barracks — what suffering.”