The Shadow of Great Britain

”Fontainebleau, 108 France Street, British Hotel, we’re going there today.” Victor exclaimed, puffing on a cigar, ”Nowadays, few places in Paris can compare to it. You English may not understand cooking, but your wallets have taught French chefs how to perfectly sear a steak.”

Arthur gazed at the scenery out the window and asked, ”Do you often go there?”

”Not very often, just occasionally.” Victor smiled, ”Those journalists who love to drink often go there to stir up trouble, so eating there, you sometimes hear tomorrow’s headlines faster than reading the newspaper. Oh, by the way, George Sand originally lived upstairs at the British Hotel, but she moved to the France Restaurant a couple of years ago.”

”Why?” Arthur asked indifferently, ”Patriotism?”

Victor burst into laughter at this, ”Brother, your sense of humor is always just right.”

Arthur sighed, taking out a cigar box, ”Mr. Victor, you always like to misunderstand me. In many cases, I’m not joking, I’m serious.”

”Really?” Victor tossed a matchbox over, ”Was that article about Liszt one of those times?”

”I didn’t start this, but if he insists on disregarding me, then yes.”

”True enough.” Victor puffed out a smoke ring, ”I also think that kid’s been a bit too full of himself these past two years. Especially with that line, ’I am the concert.’ Using the Sun King’s ’I am the state’—doesn’t he feel any shame?”

Victor paused for a moment before continuing, ”However, even though he’s arrogant, there’s really no one in all of Paris more popular than him on the piano. Hmm... if Chopin could overcome his shyness, he might barely count as one. But other than that, there really isn’t anyone else. If you really want to face him in Paris, you’d better be well-prepared.”

”Who said I wanted to face him in Paris?” Arthur chuckled, ”I want him to come to London.”

”London? Well, that is indeed a good place.” Victor hesitated for a moment, ”But how can you ensure Liszt will agree to come to your home ground?”

Arthur wasn’t worried about Victor selling him out; after all, he held all of Victor’s London business in his hands: ”Her Majesty Queen Victoria is hosting a concert at Buckingham Palace. Given Liszt’s pursuit of fame, I think he is likely to go. If you give him an opportunity to openly defeat Talberg at this concert, I can’t think of any reason for him to refuse.”

Upon hearing this, Victor couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.

Indeed, as Arthur said, if Victor were in Liszt’s position, he wouldn’t refuse either.

After all, this is an excellent opportunity to make a name for oneself. A concert for Queen Victoria would undoubtedly draw top talents, and the music world in Europe would surely focus on this event. If Liszt can defeat Talberg there, he would become not only the King of Piano in Paris, but the King of Piano in the world.

However, even if Liszt does go, Victor still couldn’t figure out why Arthur was so confident, thinking he could beat Liszt on the piano.

Even if Talberg isn’t bad, at least in Victor’s view, the two could at most tie, completely unable to achieve the effect of humiliating Liszt.

Before he could figure it out, Arthur suddenly spoke, ”By the way, Mr. Victor, you have a close relationship with Mr. Balzac, right?”

Instinctively, Victor responded, ”Though we’re not such close friends that we’d go through thick and thin together, we do often drink and chat.”

Upon hearing this, Arthur smiled and said, ”In that case, I have something I’d like to ask you to do.”

”What is it?” Victor already sensed something was off, but he couldn’t outright refuse with the conversation at this point, ”As long as it’s within my capability, I can help—like inviting him out for a drink or... but anything beyond that...”

”Just inviting him out will suffice,” Arthur replied with a smile, ”I have a publisher friend named Eld Carter. Mr. Carter is interested in his new work ’Beatrice’ and wants to publish an English version in London. When you have time, could you invite him out and arrange for them to meet?”