The Shadow of Great Britain

Rainy London always carries an indescribable chill.

The Earl of Dalmo’s carriage traversed the cobblestone roads near Grosvenor Square. He watched the rainwater dripping down from the eaves, feeling a peculiar unspeakable anger within.

The Earl of Dalmo doesn’t have a good temper, in fact, it could be considered quite terrible.

Or perhaps, these representatives of the Radical Liberal Party never had a good temper.

Dalmo is such, Brougham is such, O’Connell is such. If you want to find a gentleman in the traditional sense, you’d better look in the Conservative Party.

The ”Portrait of John George Lampton, First Earl of Dalmo,” painted by British artist Thomas Phillips in 1820, is currently housed in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

However, even though the Earl of Dalmo is proud, wilful, and hot-tempered, this does not prevent him from being the dream lover of countless young British girls.

For not only is he handsome, but at the age of five, Dalmo inherited the ancestral home Lampton Castle and the coal mines on the surrounding lands from his father.

To say he is the largest coal mine owner in Northeast England might be an exaggeration, but even if he’s not the largest, he is only two or three people away from that goal at most.

The income from the coal mines alone would be enough to rank him among Britain’s top hundred rich, but this restless fellow, at the age of 33, along with friends, embarked on colonial ventures, founding the New Zealand Company and collectively electing Dalmo as the chairman of the board.

Such a high-achieving individual being popular with the opposite sex is not particularly surprising.

However, this ideal marriage partner in the hearts of British ladies had already secretly decided his life with the Earl Chomley’s illegitimate daughter, Miss Harriet Chomley, at the age of 20.

And after the untimely death of Miss Chomley, he was quickly chosen by his father’s old friend, Earl Grey, and remarried the next year to Miss Louisa Grey, becoming the Earl Grey’s esteemed son-in-law.

The ”Portrait of Miss Louisa Grey (Countess of Dalmo)” was painted by British artist Thomas Lawrence in 1815.

Although Miss Grey is gentle and committed to art, embodying the traits of a classic noblewoman.

Furthermore, the couple shares a harmonious relationship, but the perfect family life has not captivated the Earl of Dalmo, nor has it changed his fiery temper.

In fact, as Earl Grey’s esteemed son-in-law, the Earl of Dalmo’s political position could have been one of the most stable in all of London.

His father-in-law completed the significant parliamentary reform and was the former leader of the Whig Party, his wife is well-regarded in social circles, and the Lampton family’s wealth allows him to boast, ”A gentleman with an annual income of forty thousand pounds can live quite comfortably.”

In other words, he could have easily lived like many noble scions, leisurely strolling through the House of Lords, sipping tea on Downing Street, discussing the migration routes of foxes in the hills north of York, and occasionally casting a vote in Westminster Palace in support of liberalism.

But unfortunately, Dalmo wasn’t that kind of person.

His temper, ideals, ambitions, and character, like his old friend Lord Brougham, were ever passionate, ever progressive, ever unyielding, and ever troublesome.

But in comparison to Brougham, Dalmo, also a proponent of liberalism, in some ways resembled Arthur more.

Brougham’s style was to treat Parliament as a theater and newspapers as a battlefield. Whoever dared provoke this former High Chancellor in the chamber might find themselves subjected to a three-hour tirade, pursued and lambasted from Westminster to Piccadilly Square.

Though Dalmo also had a bad temper, he rarely engaged in public disputes, instead focusing his anger on actions. Cabinet seats coveted by others, he would resign without a second thought; positions like the Governor of Lower Canada, he would abandon without hesitation.

As for Arthur, who inherited the ”pride” of the University of London, he too was not easy to provoke, but he was more accustomed to sneaking up behind his enemy and silently cracking them over the head with a stick.

Brougham’s pride was in his tongue.

Dalmo’s pride was in his bones.

Arthur’s pride was in places where others thought he wasn’t proud.

Although Dalmo’s departure from the position of Governor of Lower Canada was due to his resignation.

But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t angry, and his anger stemmed mainly from the fact that Viscount Melbourne didn’t try to retain him!

In the Earl of Dalmo’s view, the reason he was ostracized within the Whig Party was never because of mistakes, but because he knew the correct answers too early.

The abolition of slavery, parliamentary reform, and now his call for Canadian autonomy—all are reasons!

The British political scene has always been such: mediocre people making mistakes may not lose favor, but prophets with accurate foresight always find no place here.

The carriage glided through the rain, its wheels splashing water half a foot high. Dalmo watched the scenery flash past outside the window, his mouth slightly downturned.

Those familiar with him knew that this suppressed silent anger often terrified more than anger itself.

His return could hardly be considered a triumph, and certainly did not deserve a hero’s welcome.

That mess in Lower Canada would invite criticism no matter who was sent, yet Viscount Melbourne chose him, the ”easiest to blame,” to take the fall.