Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 194 Program Schedule? A Bomb! (Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Alice had actually considered this issue.

If this clipping had appeared six months ago, she would have chosen to return to Montiel and the Rorschach farm at the foot of the Alps without hesitation.

But now, the situation is much more complicated...

Lionel suddenly asked, "Alice, I remember paying close attention to news about education before—free primary education, women's teacher training colleges..."

Alice paused for a moment, then blushed: "That's all nonsense... I only went to elementary school in Montiel, what qualifications do I have to be a teacher?"

Lionel laughed: "You copied books for me for almost a year. I remember at first you would ask me this and that, but later you would correct the words I misspelled."

Alice was still hesitant: "That's...impossible, Leon. I didn't even finish my studies at the monastery..."

Besides, who would hire a woman like me with such an unknown background as a teacher?

Lionel's voice remained calm: "What if there were a path? A path that would allow you to receive formal training and become a true female teacher?"

Alice looked at him, puzzled.

Lionel took another envelope from his inside pocket.

The envelope was more exquisite, with beautiful heraldic sealing wax. He solemnly handed it to Alice: "Open it and take a look."

Alice took the envelope and carefully removed the sealing wax.

Inside was a formal letter, printed on high-quality paper.

The letter recommended that Alice-Clémence Rochau be admitted to the Lyon Women's Normal School.

The inscription at the bottom bears the signature and seal of Count Louis-Philippe de Rohan.

Alice murmured the name: "Lyon... Women's Normal School?"

Lionel explained, "This is one of the earliest and most famous secular normal schools for women in France, completely controlled by the government and unrelated to the church."

Alice's hands trembled so much she could barely hold the letter: "Count Rohan? A count? How could this be..."

Lionel simply said, "The Count of Rohan is now the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Public Education and Arts, and promoting secular education is his political stance."

Recommending a young woman who is eager to learn and dedicated to education to enter a teacher's college would be a win-win situation for him.

The important thing is that this letter is valid. If you wish, you can go to Lyon to enroll next spring.

The environment there is completely different; no one knows your past, and tuition, room and board are all free, so you don't need to worry about anything.

Alice stared blankly at the letter of recommendation, then looked up at Lionel, her eyes showing no joy, only a complex and incomprehensible light.

Lionel could only sigh inwardly as he watched her hesitate to speak.

"Let's go back first, Patty is waiting for you."

------

In late November, the festive atmosphere gradually intensifies in Paris.

The trees lining the Champs-Élysées were adorned with colorful ribbons, shop windows were filled with exquisite Christmas gifts, and the air was filled with the aroma of roasted chestnuts and mulled wine.

For Paris's cultural scene and high society, the most important social season of the year has also reached its climax.

The Christmas programs announced by the Paris Opera and the Comédie-Française are undoubtedly the most anticipated cultural events of the season.

This beautifully printed program was posted on the bulletin board at the entrance of the comedy theater and also sent to major newspapers, clubs and salons.

Typically, this program list doesn't offer many surprises—it always consists of timeless classics performed by the most renowned actors to ensure box office success.

People's eyes habitually search for Molière's *Tartuffe*, Racine's *Phaedel*, Corneille's *Le Cid*, or Hugo's *Hernani*...

These names represent the glory and tradition of French theater and are the foundation upon which theaters survive.

However, this year, many people's eyes stopped on an "unfamiliar" name when they scanned the program of the Comédie-Française.

Amidst the magnificent works of Molière, Racine, Britannicus, and Corneille, such as Sina, a somewhat jarring title and name are inserted:

【The Choir, a five-act musical comedy. Playwright: Lionel Sorel.】

Starring: Jean Mounet-Sulli, François Jules Edmond Gautier-Lüzarche
Special musical composition: Achille-Claude Debussy
演出时间：12月26日、28日、30日，及1月2日、4日】

Inside a salon in Paris.

An elderly gentleman wearing a top hat and holding a gilded cane frowned: "Lionel Sorel? Who is this?"

His companion shrugged: "He's a young writer, quite famous for his novels—but I've never heard of him writing screenplays."

The old gentleman sighed: "What's wrong with the Comedy Theatre? Why are they putting on a new play by some nobody for the Christmas season?"

Another stylishly dressed woman half-covered her mouth with an ivory fan: "The Choir? That name doesn't sound very appealing. Is it a choir?"

Someone noticed the cast: "Look, the leads are Mune-Suri and Gautier-Luzarche! These two are the pillars of the comedy theater!"

"For these two to star in the same film, this production must be quite something?"

"It must have been sponsored by some noblewoman, right? Balzac did the same thing back then..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Whispers and speculations quickly spread through Parisian art salons, cafes, and clubs.

Lionel was already somewhat well-known in literary circles, but novel readers and theatergoers did not completely overlap; theater had a much higher barrier to entry, and theatergoers were much more arrogant.

After all, the price of a theater ticket can buy a stack of novels.

But at the Sorbonne, this program was like detonating a tube of nitroglycerin explosives invented by Nobel a few years ago.

Lionel's classmates could hardly believe their eyes.

A student, waving a newspaper, rushed into the smoke-filled rehearsal room of the Sorbonne Theatre Lovers' Association.

"My God! Look at the comedy program schedule in Le Figaro!"

"Lionel Sorel! Is that our Lionel Sorel?"

"Which Lionel? Does our academy have another one?"

Another student snatched the newspaper, his eyes quickly scanning the pages, then he gasped: "The Choir, the screenwriter—it really is him!"

"That's impossible! The Comédie-Française? That's the stage for Mounet-Sulli and Gautier-Luzarche! What makes him worthy of it?"

"But it's printed in black and white! And look, there's also music composition... a person named Debussy... I've never heard of him."

Shock, doubt, jealousy, disbelief... a mix of emotions mingled among the drama club students.

Many of them were still racking their brains for a chance to perform in the Sorbonne's in-house drama salon, while their classmate had quietly made such an amazing leap—

They brought their own play to France's highest theater, and during the most lucrative season of the year!

This is completely beyond their comprehension.

Publishing a novel can be attributed to "talent"; but conquering the Comédie-Française requires more than just talent, it also requires status, connections, and unimaginable opportunities.

When Sofia heard the news, she was spending time at the Café de Flore with Louis Alphonse and a few of his entourage.

Her first reaction was rage; she smashed the coffee cup in her hand: "That lowly commoner! How could he possibly!"

Her wealth and status seemed particularly pale and powerless in the face of this commoner's astonishing rise to power.

She couldn't even imagine how high Lionel would have gone if "The Choir" had actually been a success.
Sofia forced out a few words through gritted teeth: "I! Absolutely! Will! Not! Allow!..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In Parisian media circles, the news also sparked a fierce debate.

However, amidst this chaotic battle, the stances of several newspapers underwent a startling reversal...

(3 chapters yesterday + 3 chapters today, 6 chapters complete. There will be an extra chapter tomorrow for every 1000 votes, for a total of 4 chapters. Please give me a monthly ticket!)

(End of this chapter)