Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 307 A Moment of Peace...

Debussy blushed slightly, but still said firmly, "I have decided to accept Madame von Meck's invitation to go to Russia to serve as her family pianist."

Lionel was somewhat surprised, although making a quick buck in the cold Russian lands was a common choice for many Parisian artists when they were in dire straits.

But as far as he knew, Debussy was not short of money recently—his music orders had been non-stop since the huge success of "The Chorus".

Lionel hesitated for a moment, then asked him, "Have you decided? Russia is far away, and the winters are very cold."

Debussy's reply was filled with longing: "Yes. I want to see that land with my own eyes and hear its music."

Mr. Tchaikovsky, there's something different about his music.

"The Choir" helped me gain a foothold, but now I need to step out into the world.

Lionel knew this was Debussy's artistic pursuit, and there was no point in trying to dissuade him, so he patted him on the shoulder and said, "That's a good thing, Achille."

Art needs nourishment, it needs exposure to different cultures. When are you leaving?

Debussy replied, "I'll leave in a couple of days. It's too cold in Russia any later, and there's only one train a week."

I will miss Paris, and I will miss the coffee here.

He made a rare joke, which lightened the atmosphere.

After finishing his conversation with Debussy, Lionel turned to the next "visitor".

He approached Dean Perrin and asked, "Emil, what's going on at the Comedy Theatre lately?"

Émile Perrin looked distressed: "Léon, *A Doll's House* is a huge success! Almost as successful as your *The Choir*!"
Since its premiere in October, the entire Paris theater market and theater critics have been focused on it.

It has been performed 20 times in a row at the Paris Opera, and every performance has been sold out, with people even sitting in the aisles and corridors!
Everyone wanted to snag a ticket to "A Doll's House," and the comedy theater became the audience's 'second choice'...

Lionel interrupted his complaint, asking, "Doesn't the Comedy Theatre have any other new plays? For example, Mr. Dumas fils, his works are always popular..."

Émile Perrin shrugged: "He hasn't submitted a new play to the Comedy Theatre in four years...and Mr. Hugo isn't writing any new plays either."

Lionel also expressed some helplessness: "But it's almost December now, and even if I start writing right now, it's impossible to make it in time for the Christmas season performances."

Emil Perrin quickly replied, "It's too late for the Christmas season, of course. I'm pinning my hopes on next year—"

Next year, if you have any great script ideas, please contact me immediately! I believe our collaboration will be seamless!

Lionel could only nod: "Okay—but that'll have to wait until I have an inspiration."

Dean Perrin knew that pressuring was useless, and he was overjoyed to have received this promise: "Great! Lionel, the comedy theater's box office next year depends on you!"

After seeing off the impatient dean, Lionel was finally able to sit down and face the thick stack of documents brought by Mr. De La Ruwak.

The notary clearly outlined the documents that needed to be signed, mainly concerning the legal documents for the establishment of "Sorel-Peugeot Mechanical Manufacturing Company".

There were also the first batch of typewriter orders, drafted based on Sophie's market analysis, for sale in London and New York.

De La Roche explained, "Mr. Armand Peugeot wants to expand production as soon as possible."

Our bicycle prototypes received extremely high marks in internal testing.

Lionel quickly skimmed through the terms, and after confirming that they matched the previous agreement, he signed his name at the end of the document.

Having dealt with the most urgent legal documents, he finally had the opportunity to approach Pierre Curie and Henri Poincaré, who had been patiently waiting. The two scientists immediately rekindled their enthusiasm, took out draft paper filled with complex formulas, and began to explain their latest calculations on bearings and typewriter hammers.

Despite having advanced concepts, when it came to specific mathematical derivations, he could only act as a "product manager," raising questions and making demands.

He affirmed their direction, but also made it clear that further investment in improving the model would have to wait until after the sales results and user feedback of the first batch of products were obtained.

When only Lionel, Sophie, and Alice remained in the living room, the twilight began to seep in through the windows.

Lionel let out a long sigh of relief, slumped into the armchair, feeling even more exhausted than if he had dictated the entire Sign of Four.

Sophie walked over and handed him a cup of warm tea: "Welcome home, Leon. It seems everyone is eager to see you."

Alice walked over as well, a mischievous smile on her face: "Leon, the apartment has practically turned into a club while you're not here."

Lionel took the cup, took a sip, and felt a little more relaxed.

He glanced at Sophie, then at Alice, and finally his gaze fell on the document they had been studying together.

His tone became much more cautious: "So, what 'big deal' are you two plotting now?"

Sophie and Alice exchanged a smile.

Alice picked up the document; it was the accounts and future plans of the "Sorel-Rorschach Typing Cooperative".

Alice explained, "Miss Sophie gave me a detailed analysis of the cooperative's operations, and simply expanding the scale of copying is indeed not a long-term solution."

We have already made plans to gradually transform into a typing school, training more typists and also promoting our typewriters.

Alice's tone was full of admiration.

Sophie added, "Alice has a great talent for management; she runs the cooperative very well."

We were just discussing some details of the transformation and the difficulties we might encounter.

Looking at the natural and harmonious interaction between the two women, Lionel sincerely praised, "This plan is excellent. It seems you handled everything very well while I was away."

Petty then poked her head out from the kitchen: "Young master, dinner is ready! I made tomato oxtail soup today, and I also added some potatoes!"

Then, she carried a soup pot and placed it on the dining table.

Lifting the pot lid released the aroma of food, dispelling the last trace of noise in the living room, as well as Lionel's weariness.

Lionel stood up and gestured for Sophie and Alice to proceed.

He smiled and said, "Alright, ladies, today's meeting is over."

Now, it's family dinner time. We can continue our conversation at the table.

Outside the window, the lights of Paris lit up one after another, adding warmth to the cold night.

Inside the apartment, the steaming oxtail soup temporarily masked the distractions of literature, drama, commerce, and science, leaving only the simple warmth of everyday life.

Lionel knew tomorrow would be busy again; but for now, he just wanted to enjoy this moment of peace...

(End of this chapter)