The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1571: Chapter 11: The Double-Talk of London’s Officialdom (Part 3)

Although Palmerston didn’t mention a word about what Arthur did in Russia, and instead kept talking about seemingly unrelated matters, Arthur couldn’t help but feel something was off.

The old fellow first emphasized that the Duke of Wellington was not very satisfied with his diplomatic report, and then used the topic of the Duke of Wellington to discuss discipline and management style.

When talking about his meeting with Police Chief Bresson in Paris, he specifically mentioned that there was also a Swiss banker present.

And now?

Now he started talking about how most of Napoleon’s family were quite foolish, and mentioned something about not being too arrogant, otherwise what is given can also be taken back.

Arthur certainly admitted he was a suspicious person, but every paragraph Palmerston spoke seemed to hit a nerve, wasn’t there something off about that?

But then again, perhaps Palmerston himself might not even know how precisely he was hitting those points. After all, it’s not common for someone to know both Napoleon’s family, disregard diplomatic discipline, defraud diplomatic funds through the French Bank, often ”recruit” privately at Scotland Yard attempting to turn the Police Intelligence Department into personal private soldiers, and have a whole host of things hidden from the government and superiors like Arthur does.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that other people within the government are all virtuous individuals, but most at most commit one or two transgressions, while Arthur seems to have hit every mark, which is very intriguing.

Palmerston might not know what’s in Arthur’s heart, or perhaps he knows but chooses not to reveal it.

In any case, he continued with his story: ”During a reception one afternoon, a messenger delivered Napoleon’s urgent letter. Nelvins, who had previously grumbled about Jerome, had once privately advised Napoleon to reprimand Jerome, so he was naturally pleased. He deliberately suggested that King Jerome tell the court of Westphalia what the Emperor said in the letter. Thus, Jerome opened the envelope and calmly read the letter to the officials and others present.

According to what he read, Napoleon was very pleased with the progress of affairs. The Emperor praised Jerome’s prudent rule and noted that he was deeply loved by the people. His financial situation was so good, and the military so well organized, that each passing day only further proved how wise the Emperor was in appointing Jerome to govern this land. In conclusion, Jerome noted that the Emperor’s affection and care for him were ever-growing.

Nelvins brushed it off with a smile, observing that when Jerome read the letter, there was a tall light cavalry officer standing behind him, using his height to peer over and glance at the letter’s contents. After leaving the palace, he asked the officer what he thought of the letter. The officer replied, ’Thoughts? I’ve never been so shocked in my life. Why, you know? I looked over his shoulder and saw the contents of the letter, and every word in it was exactly the opposite of what he read to us. The Emperor clearly scolded him in the letter.’

Palmerston paused at this point, keeping his eyes on Arthur for quite a while without speaking, as if he was asking for his thoughts on the matter or wondering whether Arthur preferred the ’scolding in the Emperor’s letter’ or ’Jerome’s embellished lie.’

Arthur collected his thoughts a bit. If Palmerston was so confident in having evidence of his ’crimes’ in Paris and Scotland Yard, he wouldn’t need to call him to the office for this riddle but should directly drag him to the courtroom trial.

And even if his matters in Scotland Yard were exposed, they’re long past. After all, from the hints he got from the Duke of Wellington and Sir Peel, they apparently had no intention of dealing with it.

After all, Arthur left Scotland Yard as a hero. Doing such a self-slapping thing would be unseemly, and they were currently in need of Arthur, thus having no motivation to pursue the matter.

As for the Whig Party?

Neither the previous Home Secretary, Viscount Melbourne, nor the new Home Secretary, Earl Callier, came to settle old scores with Arthur.

Palmerston as the Foreign Secretary interfering in this matter not only lacks justification but also seems inappropriate.

As for the Paris affair...

Ha!

If Arthur was in trouble, then Mr. Auguste Schneider, who just brought him here, wouldn’t escape either.

However, looking at Schneider’s calm demeanor as if sitting firmly at the forefront of fishing, clearly didn’t seem like a reaction to exposure.

Moreover, Louis’s recent attempt at a Napoleonic restoration in Strasbourg, which Arthur not only knew nothing about in advance but even found out about afterward through letters from Great Dumas, had failed.

If it’s merely because Louis once served as his intelligence secretary, planning to stir up trouble in this regard...

Then perhaps the Foreign Office should get a new name, the Imperial Office Third Bureau’s office in London, which would be more fitting to the department’s nature.