Writer 1879: Solitary Journey in France

Chapter 569 What meaning does true love have in the face of death?
The back cover of this issue of *Modern Life* also features a brief promotional message:
A transoceanic journey destined for tragedy, a forbidden love that transcends class, and a profound reflection on technological arrogance.

—From the man who returned from London.

The first readers to receive the magazine were mostly long-time subscribers of Modern Life. They paid for it, tucked the magazine under their arm, and hurried back to the warmth of their cafes or homes.

Upon opening the cover, many people had the same question in mind: "Wasn't Lionel just shot in the UK?"

In a café in the Latin Quarter, a young student said to his companion, "The newspaper said he had surgery at St. Thomas' Hospital, and it's only been a few days?"

His companion took the magazine and flipped to the table of contents: "Why don't you take a look and you'll know?"

It wasn't just them. In small apartments on Montmartre, in salons on Boulevard Saint-Germain, in tiny offices near the stock exchange…

All readers in Paris—whether they admired or hated him—turned to the latest issue of Modern Life with intense curiosity.

After all, the French writer's experiences in Britain have occupied a large portion of French newspapers over the past two months, and talking about what he went through is quite fashionable.

He testified for civilians in court, he was arrested and imprisoned in Scotland Yard, he was stabbed at the entrance of the courthouse, and a bullet pierced his left leg...

Parisians were fully aware of all of this through continuous reports in Le Figaro, Le Petit Parisien, and Les ...

People thought he would need at least a few months to recover before he could write again. But now, "The Sinking of the Titan" has suddenly appeared.

With these questions in mind, readers quickly skipped the preceding articles and poems and went straight to the beginning of the novel's serialization.

The novel opens by describing the HMS Titan, a Royal Mail ship with a displacement of over 30,000 tons, in the harbor of Southampton, England.

This is not a ship. At least, those who stand on the dock and look up at it would find it hard to imagine it as a ship. It's more like a building temporarily placed on the water, a floating palace, a moving city.

……

It's not as if it's waiting to depart, but rather as if it's scrutinizing: scrutinizing those who are about to enter its belly, scrutinizing their clothes, accents, luggage, and fate, and then silently deciding where they will be placed, through which door, and what kind of sea they will see.

……

First-class passengers would enter the main hall, decorated with oak wainscoting and crystal chandeliers, directly via a special gangway covered with a red carpet; second-class passengers would board via a regular passageway, crossing two wide wooden planks; and third-class immigrants would board via an iron walkway on the other side of the dock, passing through a narrow gate marked "Staff Entrance" to descend into the depths of the ship.

...]

When readers in Paris reached this point, they all looked up, their expressions varied.

In a high-class café near the Tuileries Palace, several well-dressed gentlemen sat around a table.

"Thirty thousand tons. The British actually made it! Although it's just in a novel."

"Only the British would build something like this. To prove they're the best in the world. But what's the use? It's just a ship."

"No, it's not just a ship. Look at this description—'a building temporarily placed on the water,' 'a moving city.'"

Lionel grasped the key point. This wasn't a means of transport; it was a symbol. Britain wanted to use this symbol to tell the world—

Look, we can still build things like this; we are still the most powerful.

One of the bystanders laughed: "Then this symbol will sink."

He pointed to the title on the magazine cover: "Look at this title—'The Sinking of the Titan.' Lionel really doesn't give us any face at all."

Someone nearby chimed in, "He was just expelled from Britain and shot in the leg. How could he possibly give the British any face?"

"But to be honest, just like in the novel, 'only the British had the ability and motivation to build such a giant ship.'"

"Of course we in France have shipyards, but we don't build things like this. It's too extravagant, too ostentatious, too...British."

Immediately, someone scoffed: "That's what the British like! They use the biggest, most expensive, and most conspicuous things to cover up their inner unease."

The group smiled knowingly. After the events Lionel had stirred up in Britain, the French were beginning to feel that Britain was no longer the undisputed hegemon.

It is declining, but it hasn't completely collapsed yet. A giant ship like the Titan is like a patient's final, brilliant burst of energy before death—brilliant, but fleeting.

“Keep reading. I want to see how this ship sank. And I'm even more curious to see what kind of characters Lionel would have on board.”

They turned to the next page, which described a conversation between Thomas Andrews, the builder of the Titan, and Joseph Ismay, the chairman of the White Star Line.

"She's gorgeous, isn't she?"

"She is indeed very beautiful. But I still think the number of lifeboats..."

"Thomas, you're too cautious. Look at her! Look at the thickness of the steel plates, look at the watertight compartment design! She's the Titan, she'll never sink!"

“'Unsinkable'... I’ve thought about that word in my mind. But I never say it in front of God.”

“You’re always thinking about the worst-case scenario. Relax, Thomas. Today is a big day. Even Her Majesty the Queen sent a congratulatory message!”

Joseph Ismay patted Thomas Andrews on the shoulder—"This is yet another victory for humanity in conquering nature. The Titan is more than just a ship; it's a declaration—"

The sea is no longer an obstacle, but a broad avenue. The will of the British Empire will reach every corner of the world via such a mighty vessel.

Parisian readers who read this far wore mocking smiles.

"Unsinkable"? This phrase sounds less like a guarantee and more like a curse. The French have long since stopped believing in anything "never to be..."

Whether it's a dynasty, an emperor, or a revolution, everything that claims to be eternal will eventually perish.

However, they had no time to mock the British; their attention was quickly drawn to an argument taking place in first class.

Experienced Parisians know that the main characters are now beginning to appear—

Ruth DeWitt-Buckert stood at the porthole, overlooking the vast, grey-blue Atlantic Ocean.

"What's wrong with you?" Carl Kaneci's voice was tinged with impatience.

He is thirty-five years old, twelve years older than Ruth. His father is the founder of "Carnet Steel Company," the largest steel producer in the American Midwest.

"I didn't throw a tantrum."

"Then why did you refuse to attend the Captain's Dinner tonight? Mr. Ismay specially invited us. It's an honor, Ruth."

"I do not feel well."

“You’ve been uncomfortable ever since you boarded the ship in Southampton. Listen, I know you didn’t want to come to America. But your mother and I have already reached an agreement.”

The wedding is in June, at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. All the newspapers will be reporting it. You'll be the center of attention during New York's social season, everyone will envy you…”

"What do you envy about me? Do you envy that I married a man who bought me with money? Do you envy that my mother paid off my debts with my money? Do you envy that I became just an ornament for you?"

Carl Canage was sent to England for his education from a young age, where he learned the British accent, British etiquette, and the superficial reserve of the British.

But deep down, he was still the son of a Pittsburgh steel magnate, believing that everything has a price, including people.

“Watch your words, Ruth. The phrase ‘buy you with money’ should not come out of your mouth.”

"Shouldn't? Fine, then tie me up, take me to America, and put me in the living room of your Manhattan mansion like a vase."

Every day, I would wipe it clean and show it to the guests, saying, "Look, this is a genuine piece I brought back from England, with noble lineage."

Carl took a deep breath, walked back to the sofa, sat down again, and took a big gulp of his wine.

"I don't want to argue with you. This trip should be enjoyable. The Titan is the most luxurious cruise ship in the world, our suites are the best, and the service is top-notch."

Try to enjoy it, Ruth. Try to enjoy the new life that's about to begin.

"This is not my life. This is the life you have arranged for me."

"So what kind of life do you want to live? To continue living in your leaky manor and watch your mother take the last piece of silverware to the pawnshop?"

Or should I become a governess, earning only four pounds a month and having to mend clothes for the mistress of the house?

...]

Readers in Paris almost simultaneously smiled knowingly upon reaching this point.

In the back room of a small bookstore in the Marais district, the owner and several of his regular customers were gathered around a copy of "Modern Life".

An old man took off his glasses and wiped them with a handkerchief: "Look, the British aristocracy is just an empty shell now. They're broke, and the mother is in a hurry to sell her daughter to an American nouveau riche."

This is Britain today—it looks glamorous on the outside, but it's rotten inside!

A young man chuckled: "But American nouveau riche like to spend money to buy an aristocratic title, as if that can wash away the soot on their hands. It's ridiculous."

A middle-aged woman who runs a tailor shop has a different focus: "But this Miss Dewittbucket has a bit of a temper; she doesn't want to be just a pretty face."

The old man shook his head: "What's the use of not wanting to be one? In the end, she still has to give in. She has no choice. Either she marries a rich man, or she has to live a poor life!"

The young man shook his head: "But Lionel won't let her give in. Otherwise, the story wouldn't be interesting. Look at the title, 'The Sinking of the Titan.'"

The tailor shop owner nodded. "That's right. I bet when the Titan sinks, Miss Rose will meet someone who truly understands her!"

"Will she find true love with the person who truly understands her?"

The old man put his glasses back on: "Keep reading. The ship is sinking; what meaning does true love have in the face of death?"

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(End of this chapter)