SGB Chapter 44

Chapter 44

The Grand Hall of Gresham College buzzed with the chatter of a crowd, a heady mix of expensive perfumes filling Arthur’s nostrils.

The room was packed with attendees, over seven out of ten being ladies, each adorned in exquisite finery.

Wide bell-shaped skirts, layers upon layers of petticoats forming a cascade of ruffles, rose from their fluffy cotton candy-like dresses, while their waists, constricted by tight corsets, were impossibly slender, like butterflies fluttering with enormous wings.

Though summer was still a ways off, they had all, as if by unspoken agreement, already donned short sleeves, their sleeves blooming like vibrant, fluffy flower buds on their shoulders, adorned with numerous embellishments Arthur couldn’t even name.

The ladies displayed their individual tastes in their choice of necklines. The younger ones favoured a lower neckline, draped with a semi-transparent lace shawl – a mantle – through whose delicate gaps one could glimpse their milky-white skin and the gentle, graceful curve of their collarbones, like a horizon in a landscape painting.

The older ladies, on the other hand, opted for a more conservative approach, most choosing to wear a ruff, a popular collar style from the Renaissance era, to cover other areas, highlighting only their swan-like, graceful necks. Underneath their wide, elaborately decorated hats, their eyes were hidden, but one could faintly catch a glimpse of their bamboo-like, straight noses and the subtle, three-part smile playing on their lips.

The young girls exuded a captivating charm of youth and innocence, while the ladies, with every gesture and movement, displayed a unique elegance and allure.

Eldred was utterly captivated, his eyes darting everywhere. He excitedly tugged on Arthur’s sleeve, his voice though lowered, betraying the surge of hormones coursing through his body, evident in his flushed cheeks and trembling voice.

“Oh, Arthur! Look at that lady! Just look at her, she’s absolutely captivating! Oh, I wouldn’t dare dream of being her lover, even to be a little dog she holds in her arms, I would die a happy man.”

“Hey, Arthur, look, that lady. Oh, my God! She just flicked her skirt at me! My God, is she hinting at something?”

“Damn it! I should’ve brought my sister today, then I could’ve used her to help me strike up a conversation. Approaching her like this, she’ll definitely think I’m uncultured.”

“Damn, science is truly amazing! God! Why didn’t you show me this place sooner? If I had known, I wouldn’t have bothered with studying classical literature. Shelley and Byron, they’re all a bunch of crap! I’ve decided, from this day forward, Sir Isaac Newton is the only sun in my heart!”

The gentleman seated beside Arthur, frowning at Eldred’s ogling, leaned over and whispered to Arthur.

“Officer, the lecture is about to start, could you please ask your friend to be quiet?”

Arthur replied calmly, “No, sir, you’ve got it wrong. I don’t know him, I just happened to sit next to him, just like you. But don’t worry, as soon as the lecture is over, I’ll immediately escort this public nuisance to Scotland Yard.”

Hearing this, the gentleman offered a slightly apologetic smile and, removing his hat, thanked Arthur, “Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome.”

Arthur glanced at Eldred beside him and explained to the gentleman, “You see, it’s well known that Oxford University graduates in classical literature always behave like him.”

The gentleman was taken aback, “Oxford graduates are like this?”

Eldred, catching the keyword “Oxford,” couldn’t help but turn around and ask, “Oxford? What Oxford?”

Arthur gave him a wink and asked, “Sir, which university did you graduate from?”

Eldred initially didn’t understand, only reacting when Arthur gave him a nudge. He snorted, proudly adjusting his collar, “A true Oxford gentleman never hides his alma mater.”

Arthur turned back to the gentleman beside him, “See, just like I said.”

Arthur had just finished speaking when the gentleman behind him chimed in, “Yes, just as this officer said, Oxford graduates are all like this.”

“Where did you graduate from?”

“Me?” The gentleman in the back patted his chest proudly, “Cambridge.”

Eldred was about to respond, but before he could open his mouth, he noticed the previously noisy hall had fallen silent.

Everyone looked up, towards the stage where a middle-aged gentleman had appeared at some point. He wore a bright red bow tie, a white shirt underneath, and a well-worn but clean dark suit. Under his direction, the Royal Society staff were bringing in the experimental equipment to be used in the upcoming lecture.

In the hushed hall, someone shouted, “Mr. Faraday, I’ll always support you!”

The gentleman on stage blushed at the words and offered a shy smile, waving kindly to the audience. The moment he waved, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the hall.

Eldred couldn’t help but exclaim, “My God! My cousin wasn’t lying, Michael Faraday is truly the most popular scientist in the Royal Society! Look at those ladies, they’re all standing up to applaud his achievements.”

Arthur stared at Faraday for a long time before shaking his head, “I think it’s probably not just his scientific achievements, even his appearance and demeanor alone would make him stand out from most of the men here. But seeing him here, it truly feels surreal, I mean, the last time I saw him was in a textbook.”

Eldred was puzzled, “You guys in history teach chemistry too?”

Arthur shook his head, “No, I didn’t learn it at university, it was in middle school.”

Eldred scratched his head, “You guys in Yorkshire have such advanced middle school education? In our place, they only teach grammar, rhetoric, and that kind of stuff. Arthur, no wonder you’re a police superintendent at such a young age, science is truly a good thing.”

The Red Devil, Agareus, crouched on the back of Arthur’s chair, chuckled mischievously, “Arthur, are you jealous of this Faraday? Don’t worry, just listen to me, and you can be like him in the future.”

As soon as Agareus finished speaking, Faraday stood on the stage. He cleared his throat, and his voice, though not loud, was clear and magnetic, just like his research findings.

“Gentlemen, ladies, good afternoon.”

As soon as Faraday finished, another round of applause erupted from the audience.

Faraday raised his hand, and the applause immediately subsided. He smiled and said, “I know, many of you may think I’m going to talk about chemistry again today. But unfortunately, I may disappoint you today. In fact, a few years ago, my mentor, Sir Humphry Davy, assigned me to pursue the field of electricity. However, I’m a slow learner, and I haven’t had any significant breakthroughs in recent years, so much so that I’ve been hesitant to appear on stage as an electrical researcher. But from today onwards, things will be different. I’m going to showcase my latest research findings to you for the first time – the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction!”

(End of Chapter)