Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 232 Prostitutes are my muses!
Maupassant's face turned pale and then red.

He glanced at Lionel, sighed, and said with a serious expression, "I... of course I'll take the train to San Lazar! That's the closest to home!"

Lionel laughed: "That's good!"

Maupassant snapped out of his reverie: "Hey, Leon, you're dodging the question—what exactly is your philosophy?"
Sometimes I feel that you and I are very similar. The works you write are exactly what I dream of writing, such as "My Uncle Jules".
Sometimes I feel you have a romantic streak, like in "Letter from an Unknown Woman" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Bouton"...

You're so versatile. Even my teacher once told me, 'Leonard is less about creating and more about experimenting...'"

Lionel laughed: "What 'ism' or what school of thought it is doesn't really matter. What matters is that I'm writing, and that a publisher is willing to pay royalties for it."

Guy, forget about tonight's argument! Tell me what you've been writing lately?

Maupassant perked up at this: "Ha, speaking of which, I'm wide awake now—do you know the Gil Blas newspaper?"

Lionel nodded, impressed by the new newspaper that wanted to get the rights to reprint his "Old Guard" for free.

Maupassant was even happier: "After 'Boule de Suif' was published, they commissioned me to write more!"

Now, they are about to start serializing my "The House of Madame Terrier" for a full three weeks!
Hey, look! I have my own serialized work now! Even before Yusman and the others!

Lionel asked politely, "The House of Madame Thérèse? What's it about?"

Maupassant proudly declared: "Prostitutes! I'm writing a story about a brothel owner leading her girls to participate in First Communion in the countryside!"

Lionel, just as 'children' are the source of inspiration for your work, 'prostitutes' are my muse!

Lionel: "..."

Maupassant's statement is not wrong; in terms of the breadth, depth, and scope of his works depicting prostitutes, few in literary history can rival him.

Maupassant suddenly remembered something and burst into laughter: "I never thought I'd spend so much money on girls, and now I've made it all back!"

At this moment, the outline of the train station became clearer, and a long, drawn-out whistle sounded, interrupting their conversation.

------

In January, Edinburgh, like London, is damp and chilly, the air seeming to seep into your bones.

Arthur Conan Doyle emerged from the medical school laboratory, wrapped his slightly thin coat tighter around himself, and strode towards his residence.

The sky was dark, but his mood was not gloomy, because a thick letter from Paris lay quietly in his mailbox, and the familiar handwriting on the envelope made his heart race.

Back in his cramped rented room, Conan Doyle eagerly opened the envelope.

Inside was a thick stack of manuscript paper filled with French writing, and a short letter addressed to him; he picked up the letter first and read it by the light of a kerosene lamp.

Lionel first inquired about his well-being and expressed his admiration for Dr. Joseph Bell before delving into the detective novel that was based on deductive reasoning.

In the letter, Lionel wrote enthusiastically:

I firmly believe that Dr. Bell’s exceptional observation and reasoning abilities should be presented to the world in a more dramatic way.

I tried to create a consulting detective named "Sherlock Holmes," who lived on Baker Street in London and possessed a keen sense comparable to Dr. Bell, yet also had some eccentricities that were not tolerated by the world. His strength came from knowledge, logic, and insight into details.

Enclosed with the letter was a picture of Mr. Holmes meeting his new roommate, a young doctor named John H. Watson, for the first time.

I tried to demonstrate the so-called 'deductive method' again, the kind I learned from Dr. Bell.

I humbly request that, based on your understanding of Dr. Bell and your rigorous attitude towards medicine and science, you generously offer your guidance and examine whether there are any absurd or illogical points in this.

Enclosed is £50 as start-up capital for the collection work.

...]

Conan Doyle rummaged through the envelope and, sure enough, a 50-pound note fell out. He carefully put the money away, picked up the stack of manuscript paper, took a deep breath, and began to read.

The title on the manuscript was: "A Study in Scarlet".

He quickly became engrossed in it.

Lionel's writing is fluent, accurate, and concise. He saw a character who was similar to Dr. Bell but also completely different—Sherlock Holmes.

He also possesses the astonishing ability to instantly see through the backgrounds of strangers, but Lionel's reasoning process is more detailed and layered than Dr. Bell's on-site teaching in the ward.

He seemed to stretch and amplify a fleeting spark of thought, providing convincing evidence for each step.

From inferring Watson's identity as a surgeon from the condition of his hands, to deciphering the rise and fall of his family through subtle marks on his pocket watch...

Conan Doyle was stunned.

This is not merely imitation, but a refinement and sublimation. Holmes's reasoning is more systematic, more dramatic, and more captivating than Dr. Bell's deductions.

Conan Doyle murmured to himself, “My God… he’s captured the essence… no, he’s even surpassed the essence! He’s turned it into art!”

Especially Holmes's "unapproachable" quirks—

Indifference to everyday social interactions, a fervent focus on knowledge in specific fields, an almost arrogant self-confidence, and a disdain for emotional thinking—

All of this gives the character a mysterious and dangerous charm in addition to his extraordinary wisdom.

This is indeed different from Dr. Bell, who always maintained the dignity of a professor and the rigor of a doctor.

Lionel pushed that pure rational power to its extreme, creating an unforgettable image of an extreme genius.

Conan Doyle felt a surge of intense excitement.

He could almost imagine the sensation such a novel would cause if it were published in a magazine.

At the same time, a faint sense of jealousy quietly swept through my heart:
Why did I never think of literaryizing Mr. Bell's talent in this way?

But this idea was quickly overwhelmed by greater enthusiasm.

It's okay, he's now an "insider" on this great creative project!

Conan Doyle picked up Lionel's letter again, the latter part of which detailed a series of materials that needed his assistance in collecting.

However, this list instantly confused Conan Doyle, who had just been in a state of excitement.

He frowned: "What...what are all these things?"

[Detailed weather records for London over the past two months, including daily temperature, precipitation, wind direction, and whether there was fog, etc.]

Detailed records of the ash form after burning cigars of different origins, brands, and price ranges, including color, texture, and whether it is flaky, granular, or fluffy.

A detailed description of a typical poor neighborhood in London, including architectural style, materials, colors, street width, and ground texture, the more detailed the better.

An overview of the Mormon Church's activities in the UK in recent years, focusing on collecting concrete records of illegal activities or social litigation cases.

A geological survey report on the main clay and terracotta producing areas in and around London, focusing on their characteristics such as color, composition, and viscosity.

A collection of recent "Missing Person Notices" and "Lost and Found" columns from major London newspapers.

...]

This information is strange enough, but there are also some miscellaneous items:
Descriptions of the smells and symptoms of common poisons; a rough layout of London's underground pipe network; structural diagrams of several different types of locks commonly used in London...

Conan Doyle was completely baffled. What did all this have to do with a detective story that took place in London?
(End of this chapter)