Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 318 Becoming a Superior Person
Just as Lionel was hesitating, the middle-aged man also saw Lionel.

He took out a piece of paper from his pocket, glanced at it, looked up at Lionel, then put away the sign and walked up to Lionel.

The middle-aged man took off his gloves, extended his hand, and said in French with a heavy Russian accent, "Are you Mr. Sorel? Welcome to St. Petersburg!"

"I am Vladimir Ivanov, the administrative secretary of the Alexandrin Theatre. I have come to greet you on the orders of His Excellency Director Veselovsky."

Lionel shook hands with him: "Alexandrin Theatre?" Although he thought to himself, "It's good that it's not one of Sofia's people," he was still very puzzled.

He had no connection with the Russian theater.

Secretary Ivanov explained respectfully, “Yes. We received a telegram from the director of the Comédie-Française in Paris, Perrin, to the director, Veselovsky.”

Dean Perrin is very concerned about your safety during your journey in the harsh winter and has entrusted us to provide you with all necessary assistance.

The Director has long admired you and specifically instructed us to ensure you are treated with the utmost care.

Lionel then realized that it was Emil Perrin who had pulled the strings behind the scenes.

He nodded: “Thank you very much, Director Veselovsky and you, Mr. Ivanov, this is a truly unexpected and thoughtful arrangement.”

Ivanov smiled and said, "You're too kind, it's our pleasure. The carriage is ready, it's cold outside, please come with me."

Lionel followed Ivanov out of the station, where a four-wheeled carriage decorated with the theater's emblem and pulled by two tall horses was waiting by the roadside.

Once on board, Lionel discovered that the carriage was not only covered with thick blankets, but there was even a small heater in the corner, which dispelled the cold outside.

The carriage crunched and creaked as it rolled over the snow-covered streets.

Lionel looked out the window. The buildings in St. Petersburg were magnificent and orderly, with Baroque and Classical palaces everywhere, like a huge stone sculpture museum.

The carriage finally stopped in front of a magnificent classical building; we had arrived at the Alexandrinsky Theatre.

Secretary Ivanov led Lionel through the empty foyer and into the theater, where two men greeted him.

One was a slightly overweight man with a short gray beard, around fifty years old; the other was a beautiful young woman.

The slightly overweight man warmly extended his hand: "Mr. Sorel, welcome to Alexandrin!"

I am Andrei Alexandrovich Karatkin, the stage manager of this theater.

This is our lead actress, Maria Gavrilovna Savina.

His French was almost accent-free, fluent and elegant.

Lionel returned the greeting politely: "I've heard so much about you, Mr. Karatkin, Ms. Savina."

He had heard of Savina and knew that she was the brightest star in the Russian theater world at the time, similar to Sarah Bernhardt in Paris.

Savina smiled and returned the greeting, speaking fluent French: "Mr. Sorel, it is a pleasure to meet you in St. Petersburg."

This spring, I saw "The Chorus" in Paris, which is the most moving play I have seen in recent years.

The combination of music and story is perfect, especially the children's singing!

As she spoke, her eyes seemed glued to Lionel, unable to look away.

Karatkin added regretfully, "We had tried our best to bring 'The Choir' to Alexandrin."

But as you know, the subject matter involves the church and underprivileged children... some people thought it was too sensitive and it ultimately failed to succeed.

This is a huge loss for us and for the audience in St. Petersburg!

Lionel expressed his understanding: "Thank you both for your kindness. This is a common concern for us, whether in Paris or St. Petersburg." After exchanging pleasantries, Karatkin and Savina personally accompanied Lionel on a tour of the theater.

The interior of the Alexandrinsky Theatre is extremely luxurious and opulent, with multiple levels of boxes that rival the capacity of the Paris Opera.

The Alexandrin Theatre has installed hundreds of Yablochkov candles on the walls of the auditorium and the side of the stage.

Karatkin proudly explained, "It was just installed this year. Although it burns more than 50 rubles every two hours, we think it's worth it."

Lionel was taken aback. 50 rubles was nearly 200 francs, and a typical performance lasted about 4 to 5 hours.

As expected of Russia's Royal Theatre, they don't seem to care about spending money at all.

Karatkin asked Lionel with great interest, "I heard your new play will use these 'electric candles'? How about we perform it here first?"
We can offer the highest royalties and box office revenue sharing..."

Lionel was tempted by the offer, but since he had already promised Emil Perrin, he could only politely decline.

Karatkin was somewhat disappointed, but still kindly "advised" Lionel to focus his limited creative energy on theater.

The rich and enduring rewards of drama are the best gift to a writer's talent.

"Like that Mr. Dostoevsky in our town, he spent his whole life writing novels and his whole life in poverty. What a waste of his talent."

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.

After the visit, Karatkin and Savina hosted a banquet for Lionel at the Grand Europa Hotel, one of the most luxurious hotels in St. Petersburg.

A sumptuous French meal was paired with vodka and Georgian wine, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Karatkin was witty and talkative, while Savina was familiar with all the trends in France; they both tried their best to persuade Lionel to stay in St. Petersburg a little longer.

That evening, Lionel was invited back to the Alexandrinsky Theatre to watch Gogol's classic play, "The Government Inspector".

The performance was of an extremely high standard. Savina played a supporting role in the play, with few scenes, but she attracted the attention of all the audience members as soon as she appeared.

However, Lionel's attention was entirely focused on the theater lights.

The sudden burst of bright blue-white light, though somewhat dazzling, did indeed deliver a visual impact that gas lamps could not match.

This gave him more confidence in achieving the lighting effects for "Thunderstorm".

After the performance, Karatkin led Lionel and St. Petersburg's elite to socialize in the theater's foyer.

These Russian dignitaries all spoke French with a strong Parisian accent, making Lionel almost feel like he hadn't left the country.

He fully experienced the treatment of being "superior," and it's no exaggeration to say that Russia admires French culture.

Almost every Russian wants to be invited to stay at his home and constantly boasts about how "French" his estate is.

Several noble widows with titles were practically spitting fire at him, clinging to his arms and refusing to let go.

It wasn't until late at night that Lionel managed to shake off the entanglement, politely declining all invitations before disappearing from the theater.

It was then that he noticed the streetlights in front of the Alexandrin Theatre were also "Yablochkov candles," illuminating the winter night streets with a cool, bright glow.

Secretary Ivanov escorted the exhausted Lionel to a luxurious suite at the "Grand Hotel Europe," a room that was warm and cozy, and furnished with the most extravagant furnishings.

But the day-long bombardment of "Russian enthusiasm," coupled with the fatigue of days of travel, left Lionel almost completely exhausted.

He quickly washed up, lay down on the soft feather mattress, and fell asleep almost instantly.

(End of this chapter)