Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 333 The Price of Loyalty!
Conservative newspapers were the first to attack, vehemently condemning The Sign of Four as a vicious attack on the glory of the British Empire.

The Morning Post published a lengthy editorial:

We regret to see that a French writer who had gained great fame and rich royalties in Britain, instead of being grateful, went to great lengths to distort and maliciously depict the empire's rule in India.

He portrayed a necessary military operation to maintain order and punish rebellion as a brutal massacre;

The individual actions of a few soldiers in extreme circumstances are magnified into a microcosm of the entire colonial policy.

He completely disregarded the laws, order, railways, and modern civilization that the British Empire brought to the Indian subcontinent...

This one-sided narrative not only desecrates history but also insults the countless soldiers and officials who dedicated themselves and sacrificed for the empire!

The Standard newspaper went even further, criticizing Lionel—

[Using fabricated stories as a cover, they spread suspicion and hatred towards the imperial colonial cause!]

They vehemently defended Britain's colonial policies, claiming that British rule ended India's chaos, brought peace and prosperity, and was a conquest of ignorance by civilization.

These newspapers mobilized a group of intellectuals and retired colonial officials.

They wrote articles offering "conclusive evidence" of how British rule "improved" the lives of the Indian people.

How irrigation systems, railways, and schools were built, and how "barbaric customs" such as "saati" (widow burial) were abolished.

They attempted to characterize the descriptions in "The Sign of Four" as irresponsible fictions that deliberately vilified the empire for dramatic effect.

However, not all media outlets sided with the conservatives.

Liberal newspapers such as the Manchester Guardian and the Daily Chronicle published relatively restrained commentary.

While they disagree with the possible literary exaggerations in "The Sign of Four," they believe that the discussions sparked by the novel are positive in themselves.

A commentary in the Manchester Guardian pointed out:
Mr. Sorel's novel, at the very least, prompts us to examine another side of the imperial halo.

Were all the enormous wealth that flowed into Britain from the colonies obtained through such legitimate means?

While emphasizing the 'civilization' it brings, should we also reflect on the plunder and oppression that accompany conquest and rule?

The role of literature is to offer different perspectives and stimulate us to think about facts that have been ignored or obscured.

Some intellectuals and religious figures also expressed their appreciation in small gatherings for The Sign of Four's courage in exposing the dark side of colonialism.

------

Surprisingly, the strongest reactions came from Indian princes and nobles who studied or settled in the UK, as well as the descendants of landowners who had received a British elite education.

They felt an unprecedented sense of panic and anger at the depiction of colonial wounds in The Sign of Four.

Their family status and wealth were deeply intertwined with British colonial rule, and they enjoyed the stability and privileges that the colonizers brought them.

Indian elites published extremely harsh editorials in London newspapers, even more vehemently than local conservative media such as the Morning Post.

Sir Raja Singh, an Indian landowner educated in Oxford, wrote angrily:

This French novelist is maliciously defaming the greatest gift the British Empire brought to the Indian subcontinent—order and the rule of law!

He completely disregarded the fact that under Her Majesty the Queen's benevolent rule, India had bid farewell to the infighting among princely states and ended the chaotic state of rampant banditry.

We, the gentry of India, cherish this hard-won stability more than anyone else; it is the very foundation of our prosperity.

He further criticized Lionel for attempting to sow discord:
What Mr. Sorel is trying to awaken is a dangerous, ignorant nostalgia, which is precisely the shackle that hinders our nation's progress.

He inflammatoryly blamed the temporary chaos on the colonial system, while ignoring the railways, schools, and modern judicial system that were spread throughout India.

We, the enlightened people of India, have long since abandoned those outdated customs and practices that hinder progress, and we are embracing a "greater order."

Because we are not deprived of our dignity before the laws of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and we are equal to any British gentleman!
This Frenchman's remarks are an insult to us Indians who are loyal to the cause of the Empire!

This is a malicious attack on India, the most dazzling jewel in Her Majesty the Queen's crown!

To demonstrate their loyalty, they took action—

Twenty or thirty young Indian elites gathered downstairs at the offices of the Good Words magazine, angrily denouncing The Sign of Four's slander against colonialism.

They were dressed in bespoke Savile Row suits, carrying walking sticks, wearing top hats, and shouting at the top of their lungs!

Led by Sir Raja Singh's son, Vikram Singh, he and his companions unfurled a banner that read, "The Words of Wisdom insult the honor of the Empire and must be apologized for!"

"Defend Her Majesty's honor and condemn slander!"

"India's dignity cannot be slandered!"

Vikram Singh stood before the crowd and addressed the gradually gathering Londoners in fluent English.

His companions echoed him, their words vehement, as if whoever hurled the most vicious insults was the best proof of their loyalty to the empire.

However, less than fifteen minutes later, a squad of Scotland Yard police, led by a stern-faced sergeant, arrived in front of the protesters.

The sheriff's voice was as hard as iron: "Gentlemen, your gathering here is obstructing public transportation and constitutes disorderly conduct. Disperse immediately!"

Vikram Singh paused for a moment, then straightened his back: "Sheriff, you've misunderstood! We are upholding the honor of the Empire!"

We are protesting this magazine's malicious slander against India and the British Empire!

He pointed to the banner behind him and added eagerly, “My father is Sir Raja Singh, personally appointed by Her Majesty the Queen!”

We, our families, have all served the Empire and received medals! We stand with you; we are defending our shared values!

He tried to find a trace of agreement or hesitation on the sheriff's expressionless face.

He hoped that the titles and medals he mentioned would bring privileges and favors, just as they had in India.

But the sheriff's eyes were full of impatience: "I don't know any Indian knighthoods or medals! I only see people illegally gathering and causing a disturbance on the streets of London!"
And here, at this moment, the only British gentleman is the magazine's owner, the esteemed Dr. Norman MacLeod!

Vikram Singh and his companions were stunned!
They looked up and saw a fat man with a cigar in his mouth looking down from the window on the third floor, his eyes full of mockery.

The sheriff gave them no further chance to explain and sternly ordered, "Disperse immediately!"

A commotion broke out among the protesters, and some showed signs of panic and hesitation.

But Vikram Singh persisted, saying, "You can't do this! We..."

Before he could finish speaking, the sheriff, without further ado, waved his hand sharply: "Disperse!"

At the command, the police raised their batons and, like herding livestock, relentlessly charged at the group of Indian elites who called themselves "British gentlemen."

The batons struck their top hats and shoulders with dull thuds.

The silk bow tie was pulled askew, the delicate walking stick fell to the ground, and the top hat was mercilessly trampled by boots.

"Barbaric! You can't treat us like this!"

“My father has met with the Queen!”

"I am a Cambridge graduate!"

……

Scattered protests and declarations of identity were drowned out by the police's harsh reprimands and the jeers of the surrounding citizens.

Vikram Singh was being shoved by a policeman, his face filled with shock, humiliation, and bewilderment after his faith collapsed.

They were ruthlessly driven away from the entrance of the "Good Words" magazine office, swept away like a pile of unsightly garbage.

The passionate protests of moments before quickly crumbled, and the streets were soon restored to order, as if nothing had happened.

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In the editor-in-chief's office of Good Words magazine, Norman McLeod turned from the window and sat back in his large chair.

He patted the "telephone" on the table and said with a smile to the visitor across the desk, "Look, this thing really works! It called the police right away!"

The guest asked with some concern, "Won't this have a negative impact on public opinion?"

Norman McLeod curled his lip in disdain: "A bunch of Indians who think that going to Cambridge or Oxford will put them in high society?"

"Don't worry, this won't appear in any newspapers. Alright, Mr. Stevenson, let's talk about your work, what's it called again?"

Robert Stevenson pulled a thick stack of papers from his bag and placed it on McLeod's desk: "It's a fantasy travelogue called 'The New Arabian Nights'..."

(End of this chapter)