Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 10 Madame Rothschild (Seeking votes at the beginning of the month!)

“I want you two to understand that what happened this morning is extremely serious!” Dean Henry Patan said sternly to the two students in front of him, sitting behind his large desk.

This dean's office was converted from the former aristocratic prayer room of the Sorbonne Theological Seminary. It is spacious, with a soaring dome and rows of icons. In the winter afternoon, the sunlight shines through the stained glass windows, changing into unpredictable and colorful hues.

The dry firewood in the fireplace crackled and popped, and the flickering flames made Henry Patan's serious face appear even more somber.

Lionel and Albert both lowered their heads and kept their hands down, not daring to utter a sound.

Henry Patan leaned forward slightly: "Do you know who's in my carriage today?"

Upon hearing this, the two raised their heads slightly and looked at the Dean.

There's a reason why such a small matter alarmed him—otherwise, even when students from the "Royalists" and "Republicans" fought back then, because it happened inside the school and didn't make the news, it was only handled by the academic affairs director, and he didn't even show up.

Dean Henry Patan's voice turned somewhat annoyed: "That's Mrs. Rothschild! One of our college's main benefactors! She intended to make a low-key visit today, but you..."

At this point, he sighed: "Luckily, she was sitting in the carriage and her ears weren't polluted by your nonsense! But your ugly faces and the chaos of others watching the spectacle left a 'deep impression' on her."

"God, look what you've done!"

Only then did the two understand why Dean Henry Patan was so angry.

“Rothschild…” Lionel was naturally very familiar with this surname.

On the Chinese internet in the 21st century, the "Rothschild family," along with the "Freemasons" and the "Illuminati," can be considered among the "super organizations" that secretly control the world in popular online literature.

These super-organizations share a common characteristic: on the one hand, they are "incredibly mysterious" and "those who know the truth are in mortal danger"; on the other hand, they are publicized in great detail, making them known to everyone.

Of course, the evil plans of these "super organizations" are also very grand - such as wiping out 98% of the world's population, leaving only 2% of the elite; then these elites happily begin to do the work of the 98% of humanity that were wiped out.

……

Lionel, of course, did not believe these rumors, so he was not "shocked".

However, he didn't know much about what the Rothschild family was doing at that time. But judging from the fact that this Mrs. Rothschild was able to fund the Sorbonne, she must have been very wealthy, and was probably still engaged in her old profession, finance.

As a national university, the Sorbonne receives government funding primarily to ensure the basic operation of the colleges, but to conduct more research activities, it often relies on these generous funders.

Every year before the Easter holiday, the Sorbonne hosts a grand campus poetry festival, inviting donors and outstanding students selected by the college to gather together.

On stage, young, handsome students recited poems praising their benefactors and their families, hoping to win favor and perhaps secure additional funding for the college.

Whether a dean is competent or not does not depend on how "virtuous and respected" he is, but on how much funding he can bring to the college.

Now that the two have angered the college's key sponsor, the consequences will naturally be severe.

Lionel wouldn't argue with the dean at this point, saying something foolish like "It was Albert who humiliated me first." Instead, he sincerely apologized: "I am truly sorry, Mr. Patan! I apologize to you, to Madame Rothschild, and to all the teachers and students of the Sorbonne for my rudeness and harshness!"
If I have the opportunity, I hope to apologize to Mrs. Rothschild in person!

I believe she will understand that this was just an unintentional joke between impulsive and ignorant young people, and does not represent the true nature of the 'Sorbonne'!

Dean Henry Patan's expression softened slightly.

He then turned his gaze to Albert beside him, his eyes filled with anticipation.

To everyone's surprise, Albert muttered under his breath, "...that snobbish Jewish woman, back when my father was the deputy minister..." Although his voice was very low, Dean Henry Patan could definitely hear him, and his eyes clearly showed panic.

Lionel sensed something was wrong and quickly kicked Albert in the shin. Albert, wincing in pain, turned and glared angrily: "You…"

In the blink of an eye, Lionel had already pulled a shriveled piece of bread from his pocket and shoved it into Albert's wide-open mouth.

Then, calmly and composedly, he said, "Mr. Dean, Albert spoke too much during class and his voice is a little hoarse. He just mentioned that when his father was still a deputy minister, he praised the Rothschild family's important contributions to France."

I believe he feels the same deep remorse as Mrs. Rothschild and as much as you. We made up on our way to the office! Isn't that right, Albert?

As he spoke, he stared intently at the other person.

Albert, after all, came from a noble family. Although he was an idle and good-for-nothing playboy, he was still good at reading people. Seeing the reactions of the dean and Lionel, he knew that something was amiss. However, his mouth was stuffed with hard bread, so he could only nod repeatedly.

Lionel stepped forward, hugged Albert tightly, and slapped him hard on the back several times, almost making Albert vomit blood: "Albert, we are all 'Sorbonne people,' we are family! Right?"

Albert, with bread stuffed in his mouth, was struck hard on the back, and his vision went black as he nearly passed out. But at that moment, he could only go along with Lionel's performance.

Dean Henry Patan breathed a sigh of relief and waved his hand, saying, "Go back now! I will have the provost report on your situation. If this happens again, you are not worthy of being called 'Sorbonne'!"

Upon hearing this, the two felt as if they had been granted a pardon. After bowing to Dean Henry Patan, they quickly left his office.

Once in the corridor, Albert finally pulled the hard, salty bread out of his mouth, threw it into the yard, spat a few times, and then looked up, glaring fiercely at Lionel.

Lionel remained unfazed: "This is my lunch; you need to compensate me for it."

Albert's face darkened: "Then you'd better explain yourself!"

Lionel glanced back at the closed door of the dean's office, and after confirming that no one was following them, he whispered, "If I'm not mistaken, Mrs. Rothschild should be in her office, but we just can't see her."

Albert was stunned by what he heard, his mouth agape, unsure of what to say.

After a long while, he said to Lionel with a blank expression, "This time... I owe you."

He then pulled a 10-franc note from his pocket and handed it to Lionel: "This is your lunch money... It's enough for a decent set meal at the Louvre Hotel."

Lionel accepted it without hesitation: "Helping you is actually helping me... Of course, you'll definitely be in a worse situation than me."

Albert knew he was telling the truth. If Mrs. Rothschild had heard his complaints, Dean Henry Patan would have certainly punished him severely, and no one would have escaped punishment.

Just as the two were talking, Mrs. Rothschild, dressed in elegant casual clothes, sat down opposite Dean Henry Patan and asked with a smile, "What did the young man from the Roon family just say?"

This wealthy lady looked no more than 30 years old, with a head of golden hair as bright as the early summer sun and a pair of emerald green eyes, as if she had just stepped out of a Baroque-style aristocratic portrait.

Dean Henry Patan smiled slightly: "What he wanted to say has already been conveyed by Lionel, and I believe that was his intention as well."

Mrs. Rothschild's smile became ambiguous: "Really? That's not like him at all... But that Lionel is quite interesting. Will he attend this year's poetry festival?"

Dean Henry Patan chuckled: "Of course, he's excellent! You'll see his wonderful recitation at the poetry recital..."

Mrs. Rothschild's eyes lit up immediately.

(End of this chapter)