The Shadow of Great Britain
Chapter 958 - 41: The Fluidity of Upper Society_3

Chapter 958: Chapter 41: The Fluidity of Upper Society_3

Lady Levin blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering: "Perhaps there will be more opportunities in the future. Aren’t you going to St. Petersburg soon to serve as the Ambassador to Russia? Before long, I plan to return and see my siblings."

The Earl of Dalmo removed his hat to bid farewell: "Then let us meet again in St. Petersburg, madam, enjoy your evening."

Lady Levin nodded slightly, then lifted her chin gently and approached several friends in Paris.

The Earl of Dalmo watched as Lady Levin walked away, his smile gradually fading, and chatted casually with Arthur beside him: "What do you think of Lady Levin?"

"What do I think? Nothing."

"Really?"

"I just have a prejudice."

The candid Earl glanced at Arthur and, while puffing on a cigar, curiously asked: "Did you perhaps pursue her and were rejected? That’s quite bold, young man."

Arthur was initially puzzled by the Earl of Dalmo’s assumption, but soon recalled Lady Levin’s extensive ’social circle,’ including former British Prime Minister Duke of Wellington, Austrian Prime Minister Metternich, British Foreign Secretary Viscount Palmeston, and others...

Thinking of this, Arthur humbly replied: "Compared to Lady Levin, my status is still too humble."

Upon hearing this, the Earl of Dalmo immediately showed a ’that’s expected’ expression and encouraged: "Don’t lose heart, young man. When Lady Levin set her sights on the Duke of Wellington, he was already a big figure. However, when Metternich courted her, his status wasn’t that high. As for Palmeston, when he got involved with Levin, he could only be said to have some influence in British politics, far from being a big shot, and he was deeply in debt. As long as you work hard and sweet-talk a little, you’ll eventually have a chance."

Arthur couldn’t believe these words were coming from the Earl of Dalmo’s mouth.

Yet saying these things at least indicated that the Earl genuinely considered Arthur one of his own.

Since the Earl of Dalmo was so open, Arthur decided not to hold back either, and lightly coughed: "Your Excellency, what I mean is that I hold no intelligence value for her. Scotland Yard has always suspected her of being the Tsar’s spy, and judging by her tendency to approach important figures, it seems likely to be true."

"Hahaha!" The Earl of Dalmo laughed so hard tears came out: "Young man, you’re really making a fuss over nothing. What’s the big deal? Everyone knows that among these foreign ladies mingling in social circles, eight out of ten carry out espionage. As long as you can gauge what can be said and what cannot, you’ll be fine. Sometimes, we even use these ladies to pass messages for us, those things that cannot be publicly declared."

"Hmm?" Arthur raised an eyebrow: "Is that so?"

The Earl of Dalmo swirled his wine glass: "Indeed, just as you use informants in Scotland Yard, you must maintain good relations with the ladies, but you shouldn’t get too deeply involved. Their words are useful, but you can’t believe them entirely. Oh, and by not too deeply involved, I mean spiritually, not materially."

Upon hearing this, Arthur was filled with admiration: "Your Excellency, you’ve only been in Paris a short while, yet you’ve already learned the Parisian way."

The Earl of Dalmo replied playfully: "My learning ability still doesn’t match Mr. Bonning; he can speak over a hundred languages."

Continuing earnestly, the Earl said: "Arthur, if you can truly maintain a good relationship with Lady Levin, it’ll be significantly beneficial for our future work in St. Petersburg. You should know that her brother, Count Benkendorf, is the highest officer in the third section of the Russian Imperial Office, and the influence she wields in the European social circle is far higher than you can see. Of course, this isn’t an order, just a little personal advice. I just think young people shouldn’t easily give up on what they like, especially when there’s an opportunity to take advantage."

"Take advantage?" Arthur was puzzled: "Your Excellency, do you mean she dumped Viscount Palmeston?"

The Earl of Dalmo smiled: "No, dumping a man is too commonplace for Lady Levin. Besides, her relationship with Viscount Palmeston remains good, and I don’t see any signs of separation between them for now."

"Then what are you talking about?"

The Earl of Dalmo glanced around to ensure no one was watching them, then leaned down and said softly: "You must know that Tsar Nicholas I was strongly opposed to the July Revolution, right? If it weren’t for Metternich’s persistent persuasion later, he wouldn’t even consider establishing diplomatic relations with the current French government."

Arthur pondered briefly, nodding slightly: "But what does that have to do with Lady Levin?"

The Earl of Dalmo replied: "Although the Tsar ultimately recognized France’s current government, at the time of the July Revolution, the Tsar’s first response was to recall all Russian nobles in France. Russian General Chichagov, who has since retired and resides in Paris and in Brighton, wrote to the Tsar hoping to be exempt from this directive. But Tsar Nicholas I’s response to Chichagov was stripping him of all property, honors, titles, and even nationality in Russia.

Lady Levin was also in Paris at that time and still frequently resides in Paris. In other words, she also disobeyed the Tsar’s regulation. Although she has not suffered the same level of punishment as Chichagov, from what we learned from intelligence, she has been alienated by the Tsar, and even her brother has voluntarily severed ties with her..."

Piecing these matters together, Arthur suddenly gained a deeper understanding of the explosion case in Liverpool.

No wonder this old woman took such a big risk to work for the Tsar; it turns out she wanted to win Tsar Nicholas I’s favor, hoping to regain her position in the Russian court.

Arthur pondered while holding his teacup: "So on the surface, she seems calm, but in reality, she’s like a drowning person trying to grasp any rope she can?"

"Perhaps." The Earl of Dalmo sipped his tea: "After all, the Tsar doesn’t handle things as gracefully as Britain. If she angers him, who knows when—after a banquet—Lady Levin might be sent flying by a bomb? As far as I know, Russian spies are numerous in Paris. Those seemingly harmless Russian nobles that suddenly appear and disappear quietly, what do you think they’re doing?"