Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 330 "A nobleman who commits adultery is doubly guilty!"

Lionel took a sip of brandy and began to sketch the scene in his mind: "Imagine the early summer of 1789, the eve of the storming of the Bastille."

Rumors were rampant on the streets of Paris, and people were filled with anxiety, but on the surface, life went on. Our story begins in an ordinary café.

The curtain rises, revealing not a prison van and the Marseillaise, but the café's busiest evening, filled with all sorts of customers.

The minor nobles, now reduced to mere titles, discuss the latest opera; students loudly debate current events; and idlers gossip about the most absurd rumors…

Two secret police officers sat in the corner, dressed in plainclothes, talking in hushed tones and glancing around at the others from time to time…

"The owner of this café, Pierre, is a shrewd Norman who has been in Paris for many years and just wants to run his little shop peacefully."

As he fiddled with his coffee cup, he complained to a familiar milkman about the rising price of flour and the terrible sanitation in the city…

Of course, they also complained about those poor, pretentious intellectuals who talked big in the shop but only ordered a cup of coffee and sat there all day…

Lionel's description is very concise, with almost no superfluous details.

Through just a few simple dialogues between the owner Pierre and the milkman and regular customers, he vividly portrayed the daily life of Parisian citizens at the end of the old dynasty.

"Then, the regulars began to appear. One of them was the Viscount de Saint-Cyr, a fallen nobleman, who wore an outdated silk coat and had an elegant demeanor."

Next to enter was the small merchant Lefebvre, who was filled with worry and whispered with his companion about whether the recent political turmoil would affect his cloth business…

As Maupassant listened, the excitement on his face was gradually replaced by shock.

His original idea was a dramatic opening filled with conflict and contradiction, which would attract the audience.

Lionel, however, layered the sense of unease before the storm through everyday conversations and clashes in the characters' personalities.

This style of writing is undoubtedly more restrained, but also more intriguing.

After Lionel uttered a few famous lines, Maupassant fell even more silent—

"If you want to show off, go fight the British! The British are awesome! They took Canada, and you're living off their taxes, but we haven't seen you go out and fight!"

"We in France have mountains of gold and silver, enough to last forever!"

"Viscount, I think France is doomed!"

"I love France, and I'm afraid it will perish!"

"When he said 'France is doomed,' he was aligned with Robespierre's faction!"

"A nobleman who commits a crime against the law is guilty of an even greater offense! Lock him up!"

……

Maupassant stared blankly at Lionel, his eyes filled with a mixture of admiration, sudden realization, and barely concealed frustration.

He originally thought that he had collected a lot of historical materials and conceived a very impactful scene, and had already touched the soul of the play.

But Lionel's few words reveal a grander story in a simple way.

This method of reflecting history through ordinary daily life made him realize how hasty and superficial his previous ideas seemed.

Maupassant's tone was somewhat somber: "God, Léon, you...you always see things deeper."

I... I was like a child who was pleased with myself for finding a pretty seashell, unaware that you had already discovered a great treasure!

Lionel walked over to him, patted him on the shoulder, and encouraged him, “No, Guy, don’t say that. Your concept actually has a lot of tension, which is very important. I only provided a framework, a perspective. The flesh and blood of this play—those vivid details, the dialogue that fits the era, the fate of each character—is what truly matters.”
"—We need you to fill in the gaps with solid research. Your keen observation skills and familiarity with everyday life are exactly what this play needs."

He picked up Maupassant's stack of manuscript paper filled with notes and said seriously, "The information you have collected is very valuable, but it is still lacking some more specific details."

For example, what were people from different social classes specifically concerned about in the early stages of the Great Revolution? Prices? Rumors? Political events? What topics were trending? What tone of voice were they using?
These details are key to bringing the play to life. Your irreplaceable value lies in making the scene I just described more concrete!

Maupassant raised his head, and the frustration in his heart was gradually replaced by a renewed fighting spirit.

He nodded vigorously, grabbed his notebook and pen: "I understand, Leon! I was too impatient, always thinking I could achieve everything at once."

You're right, giving it life is my job! I'll go back right now and gather more information; we'll definitely write a solid script!

He downed the rest of his brandy in one gulp, grabbed his hat and cane, said goodbye in a hurry, and rushed out of the apartment like a gust of wind.

Lionel looked at the door that had closed again and breathed a sigh of relief. Entrusting "The Café" to Maupassant for further refinement was undoubtedly the best choice.

He now has to focus on dealing with "Thunderstorm" and the renovation project of the Comédie-Française.

In two weeks, the lighting system installed under the supervision of Nikola Tesla will be ready for its first test!

------

Just as the renovation of the Comédie-Française was in full swing, a piece of devastating news from the south shocked the entire country.

On March 23, 1881, a fire broke out at the municipal theater in Nice, southern France, which ultimately resulted in the deaths of more than sixty people.

The fire was caused by a gas leak in the stage footlights, which ignited instantly upon contact with an open flame, and the fire quickly spread to the audience area and the stage.

The scene was chaotic, exits were blocked, countless people were injured, and the theater was almost completely reduced to ashes.

[Nice Theater Tragedy! Gaslights Again a Deadly Culprit!]

More than sixty lives were lost in the fire; the alarm bells for theater safety must continue to ring!

Similar headlines dominated the front pages of all Parisian newspapers.

Public anger and fear were instantly ignited, and theater safety, especially the safety of the lighting system, became the hottest topic of conversation.

Amid this storm of public opinion, the Comédie-Française, which is undergoing "electrification" renovations, and the play "Thunderstorm" have once again been thrust into the spotlight.

Le Figaro was the first to praise the project:
Fortunately, in our city, a revolution to improve theater safety is quietly underway—the electrification of the Comédie-Française!
It is reported that, under the impetus of writer Lionel Sorel, the Comedy Theatre is attempting to replace dangerous gas lamps with more stable and safer electric lights.

This is not only for the artistic effect of his new work "Thunderstorm," but also a solemn commitment to the safety of the audience!

Despite its consistently conservative stance, *Le Gaul* had to admit this time:

The Nice tragedy serves as a stark reminder that the price of continuing to use gaslights is lives!
The Comédie-Française's experiment may be bold, but its direction is commendable.

Electric lights, this emerging lighting method, are precisely the guarantee of safety in future theaters.

Le Parisien took an even more direct approach, linking Thunderstorm to safety:
Looking forward to "Thunderstorm"! Not only are we looking forward to Mr. Sorel's new play, but we also hope it will be performed in a safer theater!

Public attention was quickly drawn to the renovation of the Comédie-Française.

This also put Dean Emil Perrin in a kind of moral dilemma...

(End of this chapter)