Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 45 People from My Hometown
All the students in the classroom were focused on Albert and Lionel.

Last week, everyone witnessed Albert proposing to Lionel to test his courage at the "Old Mine," only to be outmaneuvered by Lionel and sent to "Hell Street." However, no one knows exactly what happened that day.

The students only saw that Lionel came to school as usual on Monday, but Albert and others took leave, and for several days at a time.

On Monday, Lionel was called away by Dean Dunn again during the first period and didn't return until almost the end of get out of class—given that Lionel was wearing a new outfit, one can roughly guess what happened that Sunday night:

The mysterious, wealthy, widowed noblewoman who "sponsored" Lionel has made her move! She dispatched her butler and guards to give Albert a sound thrashing on "Hell Street"!
He then "stood up for justice" for Lionel at the Sorbonne, forcing the academy to promise Lionel that they would protect his safety!

As for the well-made but slightly worn old clothes on Lionel, they belonged to the noblewoman's prematurely deceased husband. She liked to have Lionel wear these old clothes to enjoy herself with her and relive their past dreams.

This reasoning is absolutely flawless! Even Edgar Allan Poe would find it reasonable!

In the past few days, many students have been looking at Lionel with envy, rather than disdain.

In France, it is not shameful for a young university student to hook up with a wealthy woman; on the contrary, it can be seen as a way to showcase his charm and talent.

Although the Rohan family of Albert had lost power in Paris, their wealth, status, and connections were still considerable, and they were not to be trifled with—the power of that noblewoman was evident.

Even those from noble or wealthy families yearn to win the favor of such charming ladies at balls or salons.

So everyone is looking forward to something else happening between Albert and Lionel.

Only Albert and Lionel knew that the same image was flashing through their minds:
Albert, Michel Verne, and others sat on the floor of the "Hall of Bones," still in shock and panting. Several of them had wet groins, and one of his henchmen simply rolled his eyes back, foaming at the mouth and fainting.

Only Lionel, carrying a gas lamp whose green light had faded and whose flame had returned to a yellowish-white, stood smiling before them.

This was the greatest humiliation of Albert's more than 20 years of life, but he no longer had any thoughts of revenge, and his eyes were filled with awe when he looked at Lionel.

In his view, having the audacity to go to the "old mine" during the day to see those skeletons was already incredibly daring, but for Lionel to be able to act so nonchalantly and pretend to be a ghost there went far beyond the scope of "pranks".

Only then did he realize that the Alpine country bumpkin in front of him was actually a true, fearless atheist.

He not only did not believe in God, but also in the existence of devils, evil spirits, witches, and all other supernatural beings. His spiritual power was far greater than he could demonstrate.

Was Lionel a terrible materialist?
Albert also felt the pressure from the gazes of the other students. He tried his best to control his expression and tone, and greeted Lionel by extending his hand: "Good morning, Mr. Sorel."

Lionel was also somewhat surprised. After hesitating for a moment, he shook hands with Albert.

Seeing that Lionel did not refuse him, Albert was somewhat excited and turned to everyone, saying, "Mr. Sorel is a noble, brave, and wise gentleman with extraordinary demeanor and magnanimity!"
From now on, he is a friend of the Roon family!

Lionel was somewhat taken aback, neither confirming nor denying, but simply patted Albert on the shoulder and asked, "What about Michel Verne? Wasn't he supposed to transfer in?"

Albert breathed a sigh of relief. Although Lionel's reaction wasn't exactly positive, it wasn't bad either. His biggest fear was that the other party would reveal what happened last Sunday night.

Upon hearing Lionel's question, Albert quickly replied, "Michel has already returned to Amiens; he said Paris is not suitable for him..."

Lionel finally couldn't help but laugh: "Is it really that serious?"

Albert blushed and stammered, unable to speak. If it weren't for the fact that his "base" was in Paris and it was too embarrassing to tell his family about this, he would have simply dropped out of the Sorbonne.

He had intended to ask for a week or even longer leave, but his father, upon receiving the message, sent him back to class with a stern telegram.

He wanted to say something more, but Lionel didn't indulge him. He went straight to the back row, sat down, and took out his textbook to read.

Albert had no choice but to return to his seat, feeling rather embarrassed.

At noon, after class, Lionel declined Albert's invitation to lunch and took leave to go to "Orbi Trading Company".

This time, the bear—the gatekeeper Artur—not only didn't ask him for any invitation or other proof of identity, but also said, "Have a good time, sir."

For the first time, Lionel entered this large trading company, which has an annual turnover of over 3 million francs, through the main entrance.

This time, he still went to the "Office of Colonial and Overseas Communications" first, and as soon as he opened the door, he saw Sophie Deneuve working at her desk.

Hearing the noise, Sophie looked up and was surprised to find that it was Lionel, whom she had met a few weeks ago. "What brings you here?" she asked.

Seeing Lionel's new clothes, Sophie's expression relaxed considerably—Lionel's improved financial situation meant he had successfully stopped that conman named Emil.

Sophie was genuinely happy for Lionel.

But Lionel's next words surprised her: "Sophie, I'm too late. That 'Emil' has already run off with my family's 5000 francs."

Sophie panicked—5000 francs! That was five years' worth of her salary! She couldn't imagine how miserable the Lionel family must be now after suffering such a blow.

She stood up, clutching her chest, her voice filled with sympathy, pity, and determination: "It's so unfortunate... I'm so sorry to hear this... Is there anything I can do for you?"

She was even prepared to pay 200... no, 300 francs if Lionel asked to borrow money from her. Even though it was her only savings from two years of work.

Lionel pulled an envelope from his pocket, and from the envelope he pulled out two pieces of paper. One had some words written on it, and the other had a portrait drawn on it.

Although the portrait was not particularly well-drawn, one could still make out the general appearance of the young man, who was handsome and looked to be under 30 years old, with a faint smile on his lips, which made him appear very approachable.

“Is this… that ‘Emil’?” Sophie asked.

Lionel nodded. "Yes, the family had this portrait painted by the pastor they had met in town. He used the name 'Émile de Dumont' when he was swindling people in the Alps."

Sophie nodded, but she still didn't understand why Lionel had come today. Hadn't it already been found out that "Emil" was a fraud?
The rest should be left to the police.

When he raised this question, Lionel gave a sly smile: "What does the deceit of the Alps have to do with the Paris police? Sophie, what I want to know is—"

If "Émile de Dumont" is the manager of "Orbi Trading Company," but has defrauded my family, which department should I report or file a complaint against him?

Sophie was completely lost on Lionel's train of thought. Wasn't "Emil" impersonating her own company's manager? How could he possibly have successfully reported her within her own company?

Lionel, still smiling, explained unhurriedly, "How do I know 'Emil' isn't? If 'Orbi Trading Company' doesn't handle my complaint, it's protecting him, and that's what the Paris police should be dealing with!"

Sophie suddenly realized...

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After having another pleasant dinner with Sophie at "Seine Sunset", Lionel took a public carriage back to 12 Rue Antanne.

However, he noticed a woman squatting by the steps at the entrance. In the dim light of the streetlights, she was not clearly visible, but the gatekeeper was watching her warily.

As soon as Lionel alighted from the carriage, the gatekeeper came forward and said, "Mr. Sorel, she says she is your friend..."

The girl looked up as soon as she heard the voice, and jumped up happily when she saw Lionel: "Leon, you're finally back? What brings you to such a fancy place?"

Lionel searched his memory before asking uncertainly, "Alice?"

(End of this chapter)