The Shadow of Great Britain

Capítulo 1615: Chapter 28: Master of Masters

Compared to discussing Miss Taglioni’s dance steps, Conroy clearly admired Arthur’s achievements in the fields of publishing and natural philosophy more.

This “Grand Steward” from Kensington Palace was born into the middle class. Though he frequently accompanied the Royal Family, this did not alter the middle-class habits he developed during his childhood.

As the world’s leading commercial power at the time, Britain’s affluent middle class often aspired to emulate the upper class, leading them to develop habits of reading popular science magazines, joining club societies, and regularly visiting libraries and museums.

Just as Gottingen revered scientists like Gauss, in Britain, expressing scientific opinions could earn immense cultural authority and intellectual prestige, which could be extended to all matters, showcasing oneself to the British public as a true arbiter of truth. However, compared to scientists, popular science writers, whose language was closer to everyday life, had an advantage in dissemination.

If you were to ask what the best-selling popular science book in Britain is currently?

Some might think it’s “Knowledge,” while others might consider “Bridget Series” or other entertainment and practical knowledge libraries.

But regardless of which book you think it is, you cannot ignore the significant role “Hastings Case Files” has played in popularizing natural philosophy.

Although this novel rarely dedicates chapters to discussing chemistry and physics, it doesn’t prevent readers from gaining insights into toxicology, pharmacology, and natural history from the cases handled by the great detective Mr. Hastings.

And you can’t deny that this book is indeed more interesting than serious popular science magazines.

Of course, this statement excludes Darwin’s “Beagle Voyage Diary.”

However, Arthur Sigma’s followers still insist that “Hastings Case Files” is the best at popular science among popular novels, the most narrative-driven among popular science magazines, the most suspenseful among philosophical works, the most rigorous in historical application among romantic literature, and the most vivid in character portrayal among medical monographs.

In summary, Arthur Sigma focuses on differentiated competition.

Because, in any field he writes about, there are authors from “British” who are stronger than him. Even in erotic literature, there is Eld, an unsurpassable giant.

Given this, it was better to take an unconventional path, trading breadth for height.

And judging by the fact that the first volume of “Hastings Case Files” sold nine thousand copies within three years of release, the strategy seems quite effective.

Perhaps sales of twelve thousand copies seem insignificant in later generations.

But remember, this is 1834, and to avoid overstocking, publications of that period typically only printed one thousand copies per release.

Thus, selling nine thousand copies means “Hastings Case Files” went through eight additional printings after its initial release.

The sales of nine thousand copies were enough for Arthur to proudly secure a place on London’s recent publishing lists.

Meeting cultural celebrities like Arthur was naturally a great honor for Conroy. Considering his good relations with the British scientific community, his control of the “British,” and his position as the Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of London, it’s only natural that Conroy would even be willing to curry favor with him a bit.

Not to mention that Sir John Conroy is Irish, and Arthur, as the first government official promoted as a Catholic after the passage of the Catholic Emancipation Act, easily won his favor.

As for ballet, although it was Arthur who brought it up, Conroy still felt that discussing ballet in front of such a gentleman wasn’t quite appropriate.

Indeed, under the stage lights, ballet dancers appear glamorous, and a ballet celebrity like Miss Mary Taglioni is regarded as a treasure of art.

However, this doesn’t prevent ballet’s reputation from being poor.

In a society like Britain, where showing an ankle was considered indecent, one can easily imagine the reputation of ballet dancers wearing fluffy short skirts and dancing on tiptoe.

Of course, this isn’t to say that attending the ballet is a heinous sin; watching ballet is a perfectly normal social activity, and not going would seem low-class. If a regular suddenly stopped appearing at the theater, friends would surely speculate that his business might be in trouble and that he might soon go bankrupt.

But watching ballet and the reputation of ballet are two different things and should be discussed separately using British dialectics.

As an educated gentleman from Britain or France, watching ballet does not imply that I hold a positive view of ballet, nor does it mean I like this art. Most gentlemen appreciate it critically.

Additionally, considering that Arthur had previously visited Paris, the birthplace of ballet, Conroy felt it was not wise to delve too deeply into a discussion on ballet when their relationship was not yet mature.

Because if you had some spare money and had been to Paris, you would surely know that Paris theaters have a membership system. If you book three or more box seats per week, you can become a theater member.

The most important privilege of membership is the freedom to enter the backstage and rehearsal rooms of the theater to “meet” those young actresses, especially the ballet girls who often come from the poorest backgrounds. Whether it leads to a fleeting romance or a long-term connection depends on how deep your pockets are.