The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1550: Chapter 3: Mr. Disraeli Doesn’t Want to Struggle Anymore (2)

Dickens couldn’t help but tease, ”Really, Benjamin? Did you move to Duke Street merely to seek a better future? I recall you telling me otherwise before. Didn’t you move there to resolve your nearly 20,000 pounds of foreign debt?”

”Twenty thousand pounds?” Tennyson exclaimed in surprise, ”Benjamin, what have you been spending your money on? Your income isn’t low, why would you owe such a large sum?”

Disraeli defended himself, ”Part of it is foreign debt from when I was younger, managing newspapers and investing in American bonds. As for the other part... do you guys really think the expenses of a political career are low? The costs of preparing for election campaigns are unavoidable. Moreover, there are countless relationships to maintain. Though the ladies, gentlemen, and Your Excellencies seldom wish to be directly associated with money, making them happy requires spending! Do you know how much I spent on those art pieces for the Earl of Lyndhurst? A full 2,500 pounds!”

Arthur scratched his cheek, not fully understanding Disraeli’s meaning, ”Benjamin, pardon my bluntness, but if you want to resolve your debt, seeking political advancement is naturally a good way. However, such advancement isn’t achieved overnight. In the meantime, you’d be better off moving back to be my neighbor. Or, if you prefer, you can stay with me directly. As for social circles, you’re already a member of the Carlton Club; surely you’re not worried about meeting influential people there? Of course, if your ambition is to enter the core circle of the White Club...”

”I know, I know, Arthur,” Disraeli interjected, ”a Lower House Member and Military Colonel are only the thresholds to the White Club, and it might take me another decade or two to get into its core circle, but...”

Disraeli coughed, ”We’re discussing resolving debts, which has nothing to do with mixing in the White. Although ’The British’ has brought me considerable income, my financial situation is dire. And unlike you guys, I, Benjamin Disraeli, do not marry for love. I aim to sell myself for a high price, targeting only those with an annual income of 25,000 British Pounds.”

Arthur’s eyes opened in realization, ”Have you made progress in your relationship with Lady Henrietta Sykes?”

Arthur’s statement hit the mark; in Britain, there aren’t many wealthy women who meet the 25,000 pounds criteria, and Mrs. Sykes, with whom Disraeli had an ambiguous relationship, happens to be one of them.

Lady Sykes’ husband, Sir Francis Sykes, owns numerous properties, and she comes from a wealthy brewing family; their union is a powerful alliance.

Unfortunately, Sir Francis Sykes is frail and often requires treatment abroad, which gave Disraeli the opportunity to meet Lady Sykes at the opera.

Arthur still remembers the scene when Disraeli, upon first meeting Lady Sykes, was so inspired to write poetry in front of his friends.

The great poet Benjamin wrote: ”My birth was not a fortune, born with fearsome gifts, ambition and burning passion, battling all year, occasionally ecstatic.”

Disraeli firmly denied Arthur’s speculation, ”Lady Sykes is a married woman. Although my relationship with her isn’t purely platonic, still...”

Before Disraeli could finish, Arthur quickly turned to Dickens and Tennyson and asked, ”When did Sir Francis Sykes leave?”

The two, grasping the implication, answered in unison, ”Early January or February.”

Arthur stroked his chin and nodded slightly, ”Where did he go?”

Dickens replied, ”Venice.”

Tennyson added, ”It’s likely he’ll be away for a year or so, he’s quite ill this time.”

Arthur cast a meaningful glance at Disraeli.

Could it be that, instead of moving into a new apartment on Duke Street, he moved directly into Lady Sykes’ residence?

Disraeli quickly changed the subject, ”Speaking of which, Arthur, have you decided not to return to Russia this time?”

Arthur didn’t expose Disraeli’s ulterior motive but instead played along with the conversation about work, ”Why go back? Wait for the scandal to break and then let Palmerston strip me of my position entirely? Instead of being dismissed, I’d rather resign first. Besides, with Britain’s political situation currently so chaotic, returning to London ahead of time might not be a bad thing.”

Disraeli’s eyes shifted shrewdly, and he lowered his voice to ask, ”Did the Earl of Dalhousie not come back with you?”

”No,” Arthur said, wiping his mouth with a napkin, ”but I wouldn’t rule out His Excellency the Earl resigning as Ambassador to Russia in the next two or three months. After all, if I can see the opportunities in London, he might too. He always believed half the credit for the parliamentary reform should go to him, yet after the reform was passed, he only got a ceremonial post as Minister of Seal, which angered him into retreating abroad to sulk. But now the situation is different; the Cabinet might be reorganized at any moment, and he would not be wrong to want to come back and make a play for it.”

Disraeli listened with interest, doing some calculations in his mind, ”Arthur, if the Earl of Dalhousie returns to the country, do you think you could...”

”Help introduce you?” Arthur raised an eyebrow in surprise, ”Are you looking to switch to the Whig Party?”

”No, no, no,” Disraeli waved his hands repeatedly, ”I merely want to privately ask you to help resolve a certain grudge. You know, before I ran for MP, I...”

Disraeli didn’t finish his sentence, but Arthur knew what he was referring to.

In fact, Disraeli was not initially planning to embrace the Tory Party; before formally running, he had summer meetings with the Radical Party’s Whig leader, Earl of Dalhousie, and Ireland’s provocateur O’Connell and had autumn meals with the Earl of Lyndhurst, arrogantly claiming himself to be a ”steadfast ally” who could arrange a dialogue with the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos.

This behavior of his directly offended the Tory Party manager, Sir Charles Granville, who outright called Disraeli the ”ultimate opportunist vacillating between Lyndhurst and Dalhousie.”

Although Disraeli excelled at being opportunistic, Arthur couldn’t resist asking, ”Are you under pressure within the party?”

”A bit,” Disraeli implied. ”Mainly from my competitor, you know, Gladstone, that woodcutter. Compared to me, Granville and Peel favor him more. Although I have the support of the Earl of Lyndhurst, it’s essentially two against one. I fear that in the next election, the Carlton Club might not provide me with ample financial support...”

Arthur shook his head lightly, ”You’re coming at the wrong time, because even if you join the Whig Party now, the resources they can offer you won’t surpass those of the Tory Party. Besides, I can’t guarantee that once you switch to Whig, the Earl of Dalhousie would back you. While party-switching isn’t uncommon in Britain, not everyone can be like Viscount Palmeston. Palmerston was smoothly accepted by the Whig Party because he was one of the leaders of the Canning Faction, and Whig’s acceptance of him equated to gaining dozens of seats from thin air. Moreover, Palmerston was moving from a strong party to a weaker party, which was lending a hand amidst adversity. But you, Benjamin, if you jump from Tory to Whig now, it’d be switching from a weaker party to a stronger one. Even if you succeed, you’d most likely be seen as the quintessential defector.”