Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 460 "France is probably doomed!"
On stage, the lights illuminated every detail inside the "Golden Sun" café, making it clearly visible.

Smoke swirls around the restaurant, and voices fill the air as waiters nimbly move around with trays, loudly greeting customers.

A diverse group of customers crowded around the rough wooden table: office workers, painters, students, and intellectuals...

Everything came alive, as if a corner of Paris from a hundred years ago had truly been brought to the stage.

Lionel stood in the shadows of the backstage curtain, a small theatrical telescope perched on his face. The audience was watching the play, and he was watching the audience.

When "Rapper Jacques" sang about bread mixed with bran and tax farmers sucking blood, the laughter and applause that erupted from the back row of the stalls and the balcony were the most enthusiastic.

The people sitting there were mostly middle-class and intellectuals, who could best empathize with the lyrics that satirized the hardships of the lower classes and criticized the powerful.

The reactions in the expensive front row of the pool area and the curtained boxes were much more subtle.

The ladies half-covered their faces with fans, while the gentlemen maintained reserved smiles, with only the corners of their mouths twitching occasionally, revealing the turmoil in their hearts.

Their wealth and status were more or less tied to the old system, so even the irony of a century ago made them uncomfortable.

Lionel put down his binoculars, turned to Emil Perrin beside him, and whispered, "See that, Emil? That's the effect I wanted."

Emil Perrin looked somewhat distressed: "It is indeed a remarkable drama, Leon, I have no doubt about it."

However, if that's the case, what about the subsequent box office...?

His gaze swept across the box, filled with worry. The Comédie-Française's box office relied mainly on the wealthy; ordinary people rarely came here.

Lionel patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, Emil, the people of Paris will love it. A good show never lacks an audience."

Émile Perrin muttered to himself, "The people of Paris like it, but the men might not."

However, he still greatly admired Lionel for adding the character of "Jacques the Rapper" before the main drama began.

This stroke of genius brought the otherwise rather dry background introduction to life, allowing the audience to immediately immerse themselves in the world of "The Café".

He couldn't help but exclaim, "Leon, the addition of the character 'Talkative Jacques' is fantastic!"
Thankfully, after you returned from America, you wrote these paragraphs, which elevated "The Café" to a whole new level!

Lionel nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

"Rapper Jacques" naturally comes from "Big Fool Yang" in "Teahouse", but he replaced "Rat Treasure" with the rap of a French street comedian.

In Lao She's original script, there was no "Big Fool Yang" singing Lianhualuo; instead, the opening was a song from a "shadow puppet show."

Mr. Lao She was not a musician, so he entrusted the "Pulling the Shadows" song to another old gentleman to write.

However, Mr. Lao She later had a falling out with this old gentleman, and the old gentleman stopped writing, so he could only change it to the lotus flower ballad that he was familiar with.

In fact, "shadow puppetry" might be more suitable than "lotus flower ballad" in representing the characteristics of the era, but obviously there was no "shadow puppetry" in 18th-century France...

Just then, the actors on stage were getting into their stride.

Like "Teahouse", the beginning of "Café" is relatively light and lively.

Pierre, the shrewd café owner, speaks French with a Norman accent and navigates among a diverse range of customers.

He complained about rising flour prices, about municipal sanitation, and about those poor customers who would sit all day with just a cup of coffee.

Several minor conflicts occurred, such as two students arguing over differing political views and a drunkard trying to renege on his debts, but all were skillfully resolved by Boss Pierre.

The actors' brilliant performances on stage vividly showcased the characteristics of different social classes in France at that time.

The audience calmed down, smiles on their faces, and immersed themselves in the everyday atmosphere of the café.

They only react differently when they hear certain lines.

For example, the Viscount de Saint-Cyr, a well-dressed but outdated minor nobleman, said to a boastful officer:
"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!"

This remark drew a suppressed chuckle and a buzz of agreement from the back rows of the balcony and stalls.

Many ordinary viewers felt relieved, while the gentlemen in the front row and private boxes frowned, feeling that the words were too rude and improper.

An old gentleman even snorted in dissatisfaction. The remark, "We French have mountains of gold and silver, we can never spend them all!" elicited an even more significant reaction.

Upon hearing this, some people smiled knowingly, as if this blind confidence was part of the Parisian character they were familiar with.

However, some people, especially critics and intellectuals, showed a dismissive expression and shook their heads slightly.

They were probably thinking about the financial problems France was facing today and the huge expenses brought about by the expansion of its colonies.

A man who looked like a factory owner whispered to his companion, "Never run out of money? Look at the national debt now! It's really..."

His companion shrugged and curled his lip.

The climax of the first act comes from a few declarations by the wealthy industrialist Lefebvre.

He waved his arms and spoke loudly:
"Not only did I take back the house, but I also sold off the land in the countryside and the businesses in the city!"

"I want to pool my capital and open a factory! A super big factory!"

"Only then can we save the poor, only then can we boycott British goods, and only then can we save the country!"

Finally, he almost shouted:
"Only by doing that can France become strong and prosperous!"

These declarations, brimming with pragmatism and patriotism, elicited expressions of approval from the audience.

Even the most conservative gentlemen nodded frequently at phrases like "saving the nation" and "boycotting British goods."

The progress brought about by industrialization and the prosperity of the nation were a consensus among many French people of this era.

Applause erupted from the audience, more enthusiastic than ever before.

Lefebvre seemed to become a symbol of hope, gaining the approval of all the audience members, who even felt that this industrialist should be the protagonist of "The Café"!

A glimmer of hope appears to be rising that the nation can be saved through hard work and industry!

However, the light only lasted for a few minutes.

Just as the atmosphere in the café was ignited by Lefebvre's declaration, and everyone was buzzing with discussion—

Larcher and Guillaume, secret agents from the café, burst in and were about to take away Viscount Saint-Cyr, who was about to leave.

Larcher: Wait!
Viscount Saint-Cyr: What's wrong?
Guillaume: You just said "France is doomed"?
Viscount Saint-Cyr: I love France, and I fear its demise!

Larcher: (to Debayos) Did you hear that? Did he say that?
De Bayos: We drink coffee here every day, Pierre knows that we are all good people!

Larcher: If you don't tell, we'll take you with us too! When he said "France is doomed," he was aligned with Robespierre's faction!
Debayor: I, I heard it, he said...

Larcher: (to Viscount Saint-Cyr) Let's go!
Viscount Saint-Cyr: Where to? Explain yourself!

Guillaume: Do you still want to resist arrest? I have the King's decree with me! (Takes out a roll of paper)

Viscount Saint-Cyr: Let me tell you, I am a nobleman personally appointed by the King!
Larcher: A nobleman acting as a traitor to the law is doubly guilty! Take him away!

The audience was deathly silent.

The previous ease, laughter, and passionate aspirations for saving the nation through industry were completely shattered by this brutal and cruel scene.

Several ladies instinctively covered their mouths with their hands, while the gentlemen exchanged glances, seeing the same shock in each other's eyes.

The terrifying atmosphere of rampant spies and the fear of being punished for one's words permeated the entire Richelieu Hall through the stage.

For many viewers, they lived through the reign of Napoleon III in the Second Empire and vividly remember the secret police and ubiquitous surveillance.

The chill emanating from this scene was particularly biting.

This play seems to be more than just a comedy that makes people laugh, nor is it simply a story about the distant past.

(Second update, thank you everyone)
(End of this chapter)