## Chapter 194: Cabinet Connection (4K)
The gentlemen in the grand hall, who had been engrossed in their card game, abruptly tossed their hands down onto the table. They leaned back in their chairs, whispering amongst themselves about Arthur’s identity.
Although not every gentleman was a music enthusiast, they were all aware of the recent “Paganini Craze” that had swept London. Whether willingly or not, almost every gentleman present had taken their wives or mistresses to Paganini’s solo concerts. Even if they couldn’t decipher the sheet music, the melodies were unforgettable.
“La Campanella?”
“Or perhaps a piano version.”
“When did the London Philharmonic Society produce such a brilliant pianist?”
“Let me guess where he’s from… not bald, maybe from Vienna, Austria, or Paris, France?”
“Judging by hair is unreliable. Even young British gentlemen have thick hair. But once they reach our age, well, it’s what it is.”
Mrs. Cowper, with a radiant smile, watched Arthur showcasing his talent before the club members. A secret pride swelled within her.
She politely placed a finger to her lips, reminding the gentlemen behind her, “Gentlemen, please keep your voices down. After Mr. Hastings finishes his performance, I will introduce him properly to you all.”
The gentlemen, upon hearing this, laughed and closed their mouths. Whether out of respect for the lady, appreciation for the music, or deference to Mrs. Cowper’s esteemed position in the Olmack Club, they all agreed to her request.
As the performance reached its climax, the gentlemen felt as if the glasses on the card table were trembling along with the music. Combined with Arthur’s powerful movements, either from his novice status or from his habit of practicing swordplay, even those who weren’t musically inclined couldn’t help but exclaim in wonder.
“It’s like he’s dancing!”
“Such expressiveness! He shouldn’t be unknown!”
“This playing style is not just technical, it’s also powerful. Look closely, each time he plays a staccato note, he uses the strength of his arm, the arm drives the fingers across the eight-degree interval, then slams down, but manages to linger just right, sounding effortless. This shows his perfect control over the strength of his arm and fingers.”
“You’re talking about piano playing? It sounds like the swordsmanship I practice, the wrist-based slender sword and the arm-based heavy sword. You put it that way, I feel this young man is wasting his talent on piano. If he trained in sword fighting for two years, he’d surely achieve something.”
Amidst the gentlemen’s discussions, the performance gradually drew to a close.
Viscount Palmerston and Viscount Melbourne descended the spiral staircase. One looked towards Mrs. Cowper, the other towards Mrs. Norton.
The two old men quietly approached, standing behind the two ladies.
But women’s sixth sense is always sharp. They detected their arrival immediately.
Mrs. Cowper, with her fair, rosy skin and flushed cheeks, didn’t look a day over forty. She hooked her arm around Viscount Palmerston’s, gently leaning against him, “Henry, did you talk to William?”
Viscount Palmerston removed his hat and said with a smile, “It’s just a small matter, William can handle it himself, no need for me.”
Mrs. Cowper, upon hearing this, also happily grasped Mrs. Norton’s hand, “Caroline, I told you, things will definitely be resolved. Soon, you’ll see Mr. Norton appearing in London’s court. A judge is a good profession, with an annual income of over a thousand pounds, enough for you and your children to live a good life.
With this income, you won’t have to write those poems and novels anymore. Although being a female writer is a good profession, it’s a bit of a waste for an elegant lady from the Norton family. Perhaps you can consider traveling to the European continent with your children after your husband’s work settles down? Whether it’s Iberia, the Apennine Peninsula, or France, the climate there is much better than Britain.”
Mrs. Norton, upon hearing this, forced a smile. She turned to Viscount Melbourne, whose face was filled with a gentle smile, but her face flushed red as she lowered her head, “I… I’ll consider it. But before that, I still want to stay in Britain and resolve my domestic affairs.”
Mrs. Cowper, upon hearing this, simply reached out and patted the face of the lady twenty years younger than herself, “Caroline, don’t be silly. Even if you really can’t stand it, there’s no need to be determined to get a divorce. Divorce is too costly for women, even if you agree to leave with nothing, you’ll likely not get the court’s approval.
Unless you’re truly determined to take this matter to the House of Lords, according to British law, only if you are diagnosed with a mental illness can you separate from him. Do you want to be thrown into the Bethlem Royal Hospital? Caroline, that place is a one-way ticket.”
Mrs. Norton, upon hearing Bethlem Royal Hospital, instantly turned pale. She pondered for a moment, finally bowing her head before the elegant and imposing Mrs. Cowper.
“Madam, I… I understand.”
Mrs. Cowper nodded, holding Mrs. Norton’s hand and comforting her, “Actually, not getting a divorce is fine. If you really can’t reconcile, you can simply live separately. Although the law doesn’t allow divorce, it doesn’t regulate how you want to live. Think positively, my brother faced a situation similar to yours, and he suffered more than you did.”
Viscount Palmerston, upon hearing this, also nodded, “Mrs. Norton, to be honest, you should have married William. Let Ponsonby stay with your husband, two rotten people tormenting each other, they can both get what they deserve.”
Viscount Melbourne, upon hearing this, opened his mouth to say something, but due to the crowd in the hall, he finally swallowed the words on his lips, “Henry, let bygones be bygones. I don’t want to mention those things anymore, and you shouldn’t bring up my scars.”
Viscount Palmerston, upon hearing this, also realized he had misspoken. He nodded apologetically, “William, I didn’t mean to insult her. I just feel, as a friend, that you’ve suffered too much over the years.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Palmerston quickly changed the subject, leaning down to put his face next to Mrs. Cowper’s, “Emily, you haven’t told me yet, who is that gentleman?”
Mrs. Cowper replied with a smile, “Henry, you should remember, I told you about him. The brilliant natural scientist, scientific star, Mr. Faraday, the friend of the great inventor, Mr. Wheatstone, the best policeman in Great Britain, the nemesis of slave traders and smugglers, Superintendent Arthur Hastings of Scotland Yard.”
“Arthur Hastings?” Viscount Palmerston, upon hearing the name, was taken aback for a moment, then a smile spread across his lips, a smile that was hard to decipher, “Ah… I remember, my dear, I think you seem to like him.”
Mrs. Cowper, upon hearing this, simply pinched Palmerston lightly, her face flushed as she whispered angrily, “Not like, but admire. I admire outstanding young people. Henry, I only like you.”
Viscount Palmerston, seeing her like this, couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “Of course, I knew I was invincible in the age group of 40-50. Oh… maybe I shouldn’t say that, after all, my friend William is here. But I’m perfectly content being second to him.”
Amidst the laughter, the music subsided. Arthur took a deep breath, put on his white gloves again, pushed back the stool, and walked towards the stage. He came before Mrs. Cowper, bowed slightly, and said, “Madam, I’ve tried it, the piano is in excellent condition, I think there should be no problem.”
Mrs. Cowper smiled at Arthur and extended her hand. Arthur was stunned for a moment before remembering this was a common courtesy in high society.
He bent down, gently grasped Mrs. Cowper’s fingertips, and frantically recalled the “London High Society Social Guide” he had read earlier.
Just as he was trying to remember how to kiss properly, the delivery boy Elder, carrying a tray and lowering his hat, came to his rescue.
“The other party has a high status, you kneel with your right leg bent, then shake hands and kiss.”
Arthur, upon hearing this, breathed a sigh of relief. He did as instructed, then straightened up, and no one noticed anything unusual about him.
Mrs. Cowper said, “Mr. Hastings, I thought the next time I would see you perform would be at the concert hall, but I didn’t expect to meet you again at the Olmack Club.”
Viscount Palmerston, who was standing nearby, also joined the conversation, holding a glass of wine and said with a smile, “Mr. Hastings, although I knew your name a long time ago, this is the first time we’ve met. Chief Constable Rowan mentioned you to me, a very capable police officer. I’m sure you’ll have a bright future at Scotland Yard.”
Arthur had been observing the situation in the club since the beginning. The fact that he was so close to Mrs. Cowper was enough for him to guess her identity.
However…
Chief Constable Rowan praising my ability in front of outsiders?
And he said it to a political heavyweight who was about to become a key figure in the Cabinet. This sounded like utter nonsense.
But Arthur didn’t reveal his thoughts. He simply smiled and replied, “Compared to Chief Constable Rowan, I still have a lot to learn. To be honest, the newspapers exaggerated my role in police work. Many of my suggestions were actually guided by Chief Constable Rowan.”
The old fox, Viscount Palmerston, couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow upon hearing this. He smiled and asked, “Is that so?”
The old fox dared to listen, and the young fox, Arthur, dared to weave a tale.
Arthur smiled, “Yes, Chief Constable Rowan’s ability is well-known. As you know, when Sir Peel appointed him and Sir Richard Mayne to establish the Metropolitan Police, he was only given a few offices near Scotland Yard. But in less than two years, Scotland Yard has grown into a massive force with nearly four thousand officers.
In addition, most of the regulations in our police manual were drafted by Chief Constable Rowan under Sir Peel’s instructions. You may not know how thick that book is, but he single-handedly made it happen. Sir Peel has always told me to follow Chief Constable Rowan’s orders, saying he’s a capable man with extensive work experience.
And the facts have proven Sir Peel’s point. During the Hyde Park riot, we were almost overwhelmed and wanted to directly request the assistance of the Life Guards to use force to suppress the demonstration. But Chief Constable Rowan, considering the negative impact of using force, finally persuaded the Duke of Wellington, with whom he had forged connections during his military service, and thus the army was not deployed to suppress the riot.
Therefore, as you can see, Chief Constable Rowan’s decision was incredibly correct. He mobilized all of London’s available police force to support me, finally resolving the crisis smoothly.”
Arthur spoke with intent, and Palmerston listened with interest.
The two foxes exchanged smiles. He went to the wine cabinet, poured Arthur a drink and handed it to him, “You’re right, Rowan is indeed very capable. If he wasn’t capable, Peel wouldn’t have appointed him to set up Scotland Yard. However, perhaps you should meet your new boss here.”
“New boss?” Arthur feigned surprise, “Has the new Home Secretary already been chosen?”
Viscount Palmerston smiled and pushed his old friend, Viscount Melbourne, to the front.
He introduced, “Although this is confidential party information, it’s not good to celebrate prematurely. However, for the sake of smooth work in the future, I suggest you have a chat with Viscount Melbourne.”
Viscount Melbourne, suddenly pushed forward, could only helplessly extend his hand to Arthur, “Mr. Hastings, don’t be nervous, nothing is confirmed yet. Let’s just get to know each other as private individuals today. However, I am indeed interested in your work at Scotland Yard. Do you have time for a brief conversation?”
Viscount Melbourne issued the invitation, and Arthur naturally had no reason to refuse.
He removed his gloves and was about to shake Viscount Melbourne’s hand, but at that moment, Mrs. Norton suddenly spoke, “That… Mr. Hastings? Do you remember me?”
Arthur turned to look at her and said with a smile, “Madam, of course I remember you. You were also at General Codrington’s party that day, but you didn’t speak much. I thought you were in a bad mood at the time, so I didn’t dare approach you.”
Mrs. Norton seemed a little flustered. The presence of so many nobles made the twenty-two-year-old young lady uncomfortable. “That day, I… I was indeed in a bad mood, so I forgot to ask you about the phonograph… that… if you’re not busy, could you help me book one from Mr. Wheatstone? I forgot the address of that music store.”
Arthur, upon hearing this, broke into a radiant smile. He readily agreed, “Of course, leave it to me. I’m sure Mr. Wheatstone will be happy to make another sale. By the way, do you need a copy of the record for “The Clock”?”
(End of Chapter)