Sharp police whistles pierced the evening's tranquility, as several London police officers, wearing pointed helmets, pushed through the onlookers and rushed to the apartment door.
The leading police sergeant was burly and stern-faced.
He first cautiously scanned the reporters, then fixed his gaze on Lionel.
The sergeant asked,
"What happened here? A resident reported that a group of 'dangerous Indians' surrounded a gentleman!"
Lionel straightened his coat, which had been ruffled by the reporters, and replied calmly,
"Sergeant, just a small misunderstanding. A few young gentlemen from India had an enthusiastic exchange of literary views with me, and they have now left."
The sergeant raised his thick eyebrows,
"Enthusiastic exchange? We received reports that they tried to harass you, and even involved violence.
Sir, please rest assured, in London, especially in such a community, we will never tolerate anyone harassing a respectable gentleman.
Especially by a group of unidentified 'Indians'. We will find them and give them a good reminder of the rules they should abide by in London."
The sergeant's words were full of disdain for people from the colonies, but Lionel had no intention of getting entangled, merely nodding slightly,
"Thank you for your diligence, Sergeant. I think the matter is over, and they should have received enough of a reminder."
While the police turned their attention to dispersing the reporters who were still trying to ask questions, Lionel quickly turned, opened the apartment door with a key, and slipped inside.
Although the moment the door closed, all the noise was blocked out; Lionel knew that his peaceful life in London had come to an end.
————————
As expected, the efficiency of London's media machine was astonishing.
The next day, almost the entire London press was abuzz.
The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Morning Post, The Daily News...
Regardless of political leanings, conservative or liberal, and regardless of whether their previous stance on Lionel was praise or criticism—
All, without exception, reported prominently on his secret arrival in London and the "duel incident" with young Indian aristocrats.
The reports detailed how Vikram Singh threw down his glove, how Lionel refused to pick it up, and the astonishing conversation that followed.
Lionel's series of challenging questions about "representational qualifications" were quoted verbatim, becoming the core of all reports.
The British public opinion reacted complexly.
Some conservative newspapers, such as The Morning Post, accused Lionel of being "arrogant and rude" and of "maliciously stirring up relations between the Empire and its loyal Indian subjects with sophistry."
They believed his remarks exposed ignorance and prejudice regarding the imperial governance structure.
Liberal newspapers, such as The Manchester Guardian and The Daily News, saw deeper issues.
A commentary in The Daily News wrote:
[Sorel's questions, in fact, sharply point to a paradox in our imperial policy—
We expect colonial elites to accept our civilization and values, to become collaborators in the imperial endeavor;
yet we set up an invisible glass ceiling for them in the realm of political rights.
This disconnect between "honor" and "substance" may well be the root of future hidden dangers.]
But despite differing stances, almost all British media reached a remarkable consensus:
Lionel Sorel's choice to seek exile in Britain was itself the best endorsement of the superiority of the British system!
The Times declared in a representative editorial:
[A writer, prosecuted for his words in his homeland, threatened by thugs, ultimately chose to cross the Channel, coming to London to seek peace and the freedom to continue speaking out.
Although Sorel strongly opposes the colonial policies of any country, his feet, his reason, chose this land that truly champions freedom.
This precisely demonstrates that Great Britain's civilization and freedom are not mere slogans, but are rooted in law and practice.
In contrast, our continental neighbor, though constantly uttering "liberty, equality, fraternity," cannot even tolerate a writer with dissenting political views—
Is this not a brilliant irony?
The degree of a nation's civilization is clearly not determined by whether it is ruled without a king or emperor;
rather, it lies in whether it truly possesses the broadmindedness to tolerate dissent and advanced institutions to guarantee freedom!]
This merciless ridicule of France instantly ignited public opinion in Paris, even forming a tsunami.
France's pride was severely wounded.
French people had always regarded themselves as the lighthouse of civilization in Europe and even the world, a symbol of liberty, democracy, and progress.
Especially after overthrowing the empire and establishing a republic, this sense of moral superiority was even stronger.
Now, they were openly mocked by the "nation of shopkeepers"—conservative, hypocritical Britain—whom they had always looked down upon!
And the accusations were "unfree" and "uncivilized," which was an utter disgrace!
From the right-wing newspapers like Le Gaulois and Action Française, to the centrist Le Figaro and Le Temps, and then to the left-wing La République and L'Intransigeant...
This time, almost all factions of the French media, in a rare display of shared indignation, unanimously aimed their criticism at the root cause of all this—
the Jules Ferry cabinet and the "Youth Guard" who acted excessively.
Le Figaro's front-page editorial expressed profound grief:
[The biggest scandal in a decade! Not only have we driven away a brilliant writer domestically, but we have also brought an indelible shame upon the entire French Republic before Europe and the world!
Britain's mockery lashes us like a whip, and this whip was handed to them by our own hands!]
La République's commentary was even more fierce:
[What do the actions of those military cadets who claim to be 'patriots,' and the authorities who condone such behavior, prove?
They prove that some people wearing the cloak of the Republic still harbor a despotic and tyrannical 'emperor' deep within their hearts!
They treat dissent with book burnings, sieges of private residences, and judicial persecution—how is this different from the imperial era?
It is precisely they who caused us to lose this war of public opinion with Britain, concerning our national image!]
The public's emotions were completely ignited.
In cafes, salons, and on the streets, people angrily discussed Britain's mockery and the government's incompetence.
Many ordinary French citizens, who had previously considered Lionel "unpatriotic" for opposing colonial policies, began to change their attitudes.
Colonies were too distant, but Great Britain was close.
When "France" became a laughingstock across the English Channel, internal divisions seemed to matter less.
Coupled with a series of French military failures in Tunisia and Cochinchina, this sentiment quickly escalated to a new level.
New calls began to brew and gather in the cities, then erupted.
Tens of thousands of Parisian citizens, students, intellectuals, workers... they held placards, chanted slogans, and took to the streets.
The placards read:
"Shame!"
"Where is freedom?"
"Oppose judicial persecution!"
And the loudest, most unified slogans converged into two powerful waves of sound:
"Cancel the prosecution!"
"Let Sorel return to France!"
Crowds surged towards the Palais Bourbon, towards the Palais de Justice, and the banks of the Seine echoed with angry and determined shouts.
Parisians once again proved their political capriciousness...
However, Londoners soon proved they were no less volatile.
(End of Chapter)