"Knock, knock, knock!"
The crisp sound of knocking interrupted Tocqueville, who was tidying up his work notes. He lifted his head and glanced at the oak door, responding calmly:
The oak door slowly opened, and a youthful face appeared at the entrance. Holding a leather file bag, he said respectfully, "Mr. Tocqueville, we should disembark!"
"Got it, Lale!" Tocqueville nodded and continued packing the remaining items into his luggage.
Lale quickly rushed to Tocqueville’s side to assist him with packing.
Subsequently, with Tocqueville’s luggage slung over his shoulder, they went one after the other along the staircase inside the cabin to the deck.
The sailing ship gently anchored at one of the dock entrances. Under the guidance of a sailor, Tocqueville and Lale jumped onto a small boat to leave the sailing ship.
The small boat carried Tocqueville and Lale through the canal, arriving at the nearest mooring point to the sailing ship.
Setting foot on the land of the United Kingdom, Tocqueville gazed at the thick white smoke rising from distant chimneys, and his eyes were filled with admiration.
In his view, it was the implementation of free trade by the United Kingdom that propelled it forward at an unrivaled speed.
France, with its political turmoil lasting over thirty years, had fallen far behind and needed to catch up vigorously not to be left behind.
As a conservative revolutionary, Tocqueville once also envied the UK’s political system, but now he believed the nascent French Republic could surely catch up with the United Kingdom.
Lale, serving as Tocqueville’s temporary secretary, looked around eagerly. This was his first time stepping onto the land of the United Kingdom.
To him, this country, which had centuries of deep-seated enmity with France, was worth exploring and understanding in every aspect.
If given the opportunity, he also wanted to write a book that could take Paris by storm, just like Mr. Tocqueville.
By then, the doors to high society wouldn’t require Lale’s efforts to open; they would naturally open for him.
[In the 19th century, there were only two ways to ascend into high society. One was to be born noble or to have amassed wealth through generations of effort; the other was to follow Thiers’ path, becoming a lawyer/journalist, writing articles on political commentary, and becoming a regular guest in salons! Once in the sights of high society, becoming a member of parliament would firmly establish oneself there.]
However, these were just fleeting ambitions for Lale. The most crucial thing at the moment was to follow Mr. Tocqueville to their intended destination and complete the mission successfully.
Remember, this assignment was hard-won. If his father weren’t coincidentally a lawyer acquainted with Mr. Tocqueville and his mother a noble lady, and if he wasn’t interning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this position would never have fallen into his lap.
In a Paris where every position is filled, there was no room left for him. He had to seize every available resource he could.
Lale recalled the advice from his lawyer father before departing: If circumstances allowed, try to connect with the Bonaparte Clan.
"Lale! Lale!" Mr. Tocqueville’s voice brought Lale out of his recollection.
Snapping back to reality, Lale hastily apologized to Tocqueville: "I am truly sorry! This is my first time in Britain!"
"Amazed, aren’t you?" Tocqueville wasn’t upset by Lale’s distraction. With a smile, he placed his arm gently on Lale’s shoulder and comforted him: "When I first arrived here, I was equally amazed by everything. However, I always believed that with our efforts, France would be like Britain!"
Tocqueville looked steadfastly at the setting sun in the distance.
"I believe too!" Lale didn’t share Tocqueville’s desire for national salvation, but wanting to climb to the upper echelons of Paris, he could only echo Tocqueville’s sentiments.
Afterward, Lale posed a practical question: "Mr. Tocqueville, where are we heading now? Are we visiting the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs?"
"No need!" Tocqueville shook his head, with a hint of complaint in his voice: "We are here under Lamartine’s order to converse with the Bonaparte Clan; other matters are not within our purview!"
"So are we going there now?" Lale asked again.
"No!" Tocqueville refused, "For now, we find a place to stay, and then we’ll go to the Bonaparte Clan’s residence in the United Kingdom!"
Lale and Tocqueville hailed a carriage on the docks’ periphery and informed the driver they intended to stay at a hotel near Saint James King Street in West London.
After negotiating the price, the two got into the carriage, which took them through the bustling streets of East London.
In the bustling area, Tocqueville was surprised to find many police officers, usually only seen in the West District, appearing in the East District, armed with flintlock pistols and gathering in groups—a rare sight indeed.
Could it be that unrest has also occurred in London?
Staying on the ship, Tocqueville was unaware of the Charter Faction’s petition movement, but this didn’t stop him from making a reasonable deduction based on the current situation.
As the carriage crossed London Bridge at the junction of the East and West Districts, the disarray of barricades on the bridge confirmed Tocqueville’s conjecture.
Even Britain cannot remain unscathed?
Tocqueville felt saddened by the future of the two classes within the French Republic.
Crossing London Bridge led to West London, with the carriage passing St. Martin’s Church, Picardy Street, and Trafalgar Park, eventually arriving at Saint James King Street and stopping in front of a hotel on King Street.
Lale and Tocqueville alighted from the carriage. Lale took out the silver coin he had previously exchanged and handed it to the driver.
"May God bless you, generous sirs!" The driver, beaming, departed after receiving the silver coin.
The two entered the hotel, and after checking in with the hotel owner, they were accommodated.
With luggage set in the hotel, Tocqueville ordered Lale to inquire about the Bonaparte Clan’s residence.
Lale left the hotel alone to gather information on Saint James King Street, while Tocqueville reopened his luggage to work on his writings at the hotel.
After more than an hour, Lale finally returned to the hotel.
"Mr. Tocqueville!" Lale, panting, swallowed and reported, "I found out! The place where Louis Napoleon is located is very close!"
Lale approached the window, pointing to a distant mansion outside.
"There it is, the Louvre Mansion!"