Aside from Lionel, no one had been more vexed these past few days than Count Louis-Philippe de Rohan, Deputy Minister of the French Ministry of Public Instruction and Fine Arts, and Chairman of the French Reader Compilation Committee.
He certainly didn't believe that nominating Lionel's works for committee discussion violated any principles; although Lionel was a bit young, he had risen to prominence over the past year and was indeed qualified for selection.
But three selections—that was a different story.
At its inaugural meeting, the French Reader Compilation Committee roughly outlined the authors and works that "must be selected."
Besides biographies of historical figures such as "The Baptism of Clovis," "Joan of Arc's Resistance to the English," and "The Justice of Louis XI," as well as various moral tales promoting diligence, frugality, and law-abiding behavior—
For lower grades, essential reading included Jean de La Fontaine's fables, such as "The Crow and the Fox" and "The Ant and the Cicada."
There were also poems and short fairy tales by Charles Nodier, such as "The Shamrock."
For middle and upper grades, the reading list was greatly enriched, with names of many modern and contemporary writers beginning to appear.
Racine, Molière, Corneille, Voltaire, Rousseau... the list essentially covered the most important authors in French literary history.
Among authors still living or recently deceased, only Victor Hugo was definitively selected; his works were diverse and often extensive, appearing in the reader in excerpted forms.
The rest remained pending.
Take Gustave Flaubert, for example; he was excellent, but Madame Bovary certainly couldn't be considered primary school reading.
Only "The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitalier" from Three Tales could be considered.
George Sand was also good; she had over 200 works, of varying quality and fluctuating tone, but perhaps only Rustic Tales and Little Fadette would be suitable for children.
Chateaubriand was certainly a great poet, but look at the titles of his collected works—The Genius of Christianity, The Martyrs—these were far too "un-republican"!
Émile Zola had written some good novels, such as his recent The Attack on the Mill... but the bloody scenes and ambiguous portrayal of "patriots" could not ignite enthusiasm for France in children's hearts!
Among contemporary writers, Alphonse Daudet was undoubtedly very suitable; his Letters from My Mill and The Little Thing were good, and "The Last Lesson" from Monday Tales was particularly touching...
But even so, no one dared to nominate more than one of Daudet's works for inclusion in the French Reader.
After all, the history of French literature was too brilliant, and the French Reader had too limited space...
As for Lionel Sorel, a 22-year-old university student, with three selections—even if he was merely friendly with the Republican government, or even if his surname was "Ferry," it would still be unacceptable.
Yet, the more outlandish the rumor, the more people loved to spread it.
Ever since Le Gaulois published that questioning article, whether at the Ministry of Education or at his own doorstep, he was invariably hounded by reporters.
Even at balls and salons, he would be teased by many old friends—
What was even more infuriating was that Count Rohan didn't know who the puppet master was behind the scenes.
——————
A winter morning in Paris was still shrouded in a layer of grey mist, and the smell of coal smoke was never absent.
However, the office of Arthur Meyer, editor-in-chief of Le Gaulois, was already brightly lit.
He was accustomed to reviewing the proofs one last time before the paper went to print, especially for articles that might cause a sensation.
As the assistant editor carefully placed a letter signed "A Parisian with a strong sense of justice" on his large desk, Mr. Meyer was in a rage over a few minor typesetting errors.
He impatiently picked up the letter; the paper was coarse, and the handwriting slightly messy, not appearing to have been copied.
However, after reading a few lines, his tightly furrowed brow suddenly relaxed, his lips curled almost to his ears, and his eyes were filled with wild joy.
He forgot to drink his coffee, muttering to himself,
"Good heavens... this is even more exciting than expected!"
The letter's content "solemnly declared":
According to "absolutely reliable inside information," not only would three of Lionel Sorel's articles be selected for the French Reader, but even his other short story, Father Milon—a grim tale describing a farmer's revenge against the Prussian occupation forces—was conspicuously on the list!
The contributor wrote in an indignant and impassioned tone:
[This is a blasphemy against the literary tradition of France, a trampling upon the sacredness of education, a blatant political deal! Count Louis-Philippe de Rohan and Lionel Sorel are criminals against France!]
Editor-in-chief Meyer could almost imagine the earthquake this letter would cause once published tomorrow.
He immediately wielded his quill, swiftly writing a highly provocative "Editor's Note" in the blank space of the proof:
[This newspaper has always upheld justice and conscience, dedicated to exposing all misconduct that harms the spirit of France and the values of the Republic.
Today, with immense heaviness and indignation, we publish this letter from an upright citizen.
If the contents of this letter are true—and we are inclined to believe the sincerity of the correspondent and the source of their information—then this is no longer a simple matter of literary preference, but an outright scandal!
The French Reader is a sacred temple for enlightening the wisdom of the next generation and shaping the national soul. How can it be reduced to a tool for some to repay personal favors?
We call upon the Compilation Committee, the Ministry of Education, and Count Rohan himself to immediately clarify this matter!
The future of France must never be built upon such absurd foundations!]
Mr. Meyer forcefully rang the brass bell on his desk and called his assistant:
"Quick! Immediately replace that rubbish about wine tariffs on the second page and put this in its place!
Increase the font size! Add a border! I want all of Paris, no, all of France, to see this first thing tomorrow morning!"
The assistant editor took the manuscript, bowed repeatedly, and hurried out.
In the printing workshop, the nearly finished printing presses were forced to halt, and workers hastily began adjusting the lead type.
Mr. Meyer walked to the window, gazing at the gradually awakening Paris outside, a triumphant smile on his face.
He knew that this time, Le Gaulois would once again lead the trend and become the focus of public opinion.
As for whether the young man named Sorel would be ruined as a result, that was not within his consideration.
News, after all, had to be explosive!
The next day, just as Editor-in-Chief Meyer had anticipated, Le Gaulois detonated a cartload of dynamite in a pond, instantly stirring up colossal waves.
"Absurd! Shameless! Outrageous!"
During breakfast, similar exclamations and condemnations echoed through countless cafes, clubs, and family dining tables.
"Four articles! That greenhorn's four articles are going into the reader? How many did Molière and La Fontaine have combined?"
"Father Milon? Let our children read that kind of bloody revenge story? My God, does he want to incite our children to become murderers?"
"Has Count Rohan gone mad? Or has he really been completely bewitched by that young Republican?"
"This is the Republicans' counterattack against us! They not only want to seize control of education but also poison our next generation!"
Doubt, anger, jealousy, panic... all these emotions intertwined, converging into a powerful wave of public opinion that instantly swept Lionel Sorel and Count Rohan into the eye of the storm.
(End of Chapter)
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