The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 916 - 25 Paris Literary Scoundrel_2

He walked back to his hometown half-naked, and before long got involved in daily romps with two girls from a local inn, and later took a fancy to an actress ten years his senior. The actress taught him makeup techniques, allowing him to disguise as the maid’s sister and follow her to Lille, where for more than two weeks, they were inseparable right under the eyes of the actress’s husband.

When Victor joined the army, he became even more uncontrollable.

Whenever the troops relocated, it didn’t take long for Victor to find a new lover. Some married women would even secretly take money from their homes and give it to him, so he could pay other soldiers to stand guard for him, allowing him time to be with them. One maid even stole and sold goods from her employer just to buy him a gift every day.

Victor claimed that he wasn’t indiscriminate with all women. What left the deepest impression on him was when a housekeeper sneaked into his bed at night near the troop’s station. Returning drunk, Victor was startled and almost shot her.

When he left the army, pretending to be a Lieutenant to associate with local noblewomen, a wealthy and enchanting lady fell in love with him, hoping to be with him forever. But Victor still had a shred of conscience; he admitted his humble origins and penniless state, apologizing for deceiving her.

Unexpectedly, the noblewoman didn’t blame him in the least. The next morning when leaving, she slipped a small packet into his hands containing fifteen gold Louis.

Victor took this small fortune to Paris, where he soon paid the price for spurning the lady’s kindness. He became infatuated with a Parisian official’s mistress named Roxane, a stunning beauty and a leading belle of Parisian fashion.

In other words, courting her was extremely costly. Victor was enraptured, covering the bills for dresses, hats, gloves, perfumes, and other such trinkets.

When reminiscing about this with Arthur, Victor mockingly jested at himself: "Do you know what it means to be ungrateful? Back then, I was ungrateful. Roxane was only charming when I was spending, but as soon as my wallet was empty, she would immediately turn cold and harsh. When she discovered I could get more money, she quickly became charming again. But eventually, I realized she was playing me. I intercepted a letter that read, ’Has that fool been dealt with? Can I come home?’ Seeing that, I angrily rushed upstairs, only to find she had vanished without a trace."

Perhaps because of these experiences, Victor ultimately credited his expertise in impersonating women to his extensive and varied encounters.

Whether it’s a barmaid, a fashionable actress, upper-class ladies, or shepherdesses, the tender and righteous, the cold-hearted, the cunning, the clumsy, even chaste nuns and lifelong spinsters, he could impersonate them all with remarkable realism.

The odd couple gently pushed open the door of the inn, and the clear sound of a bell rang out.

The young lady at the front desk, upon seeing the guests, greeted with a slightly accented French: "Good evening, sir, welcome to ’Little Castle.’ What can I do for you?"

Arthur slightly bowed and pulled out a card from his jacket pocket: "Good afternoon, miss. I previously reserved a room, hoping to spend a lovely night here."

The lady took it, checked it carefully, and smiled: "Of course, Mr. Hastings, we’ve been expecting you. Your room is ready, on the second floor with a small balcony facing the street. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the view. Shall I show you up?"

"No need to trouble you."

Arthur gently lifted his hand in refusal, as Victor, holding his arm, accompanied him up the stairs under her watchful eye.

Not until their figures disappeared did the lady slightly pout her lips: "Another young man fond of older ladies, but he looks more impressive than that coffee-loving chubby fellow."

As she finished speaking, the rumble of wheels was heard again outside the inn.

Perhaps sensing her complaints, the guest this time was indeed the coffee-loving chubby fellow she mentioned.

Despite his clever small eyes, he was not tall, with a large build, broad shoulders, and a thick chest. His disheveled hair and somewhat crooked teeth didn’t help his appearance either.

"Madam, I haven’t seen you for quite some time. You can’t imagine what torture it was for me to be locked in a room for a month, unable to see you. Like my sun, I can’t go a day without your light."

The lady looked at the young man much younger than her daughter, only smiling helplessly: "Honoré, save your sweet talk for your letters. I’m already a grandmother, your passion for me is definitely overstated."

Here, the lady paused: "Is your money enough recently? I heard from your mother you seem to owe some debts?"

Hearing this, the chubby fellow turned red: "Madam, believe me, it’s just a small hurdle, I can handle it myself. You funded me forty-five thousand Francs to start the printing shop, which I ran into the ground. I haven’t even repaid you yet."

The lady laughed, shaking her head: "Honoré, it’s fine, the money was not a loan, but an investment. Investment wins some, loses some, I just lost this one. As for your debts, how much exactly, let me pay them off, and you can repay me when you can. Dragging it will only attract trouble, like thugs they might hire to press you, or throwing you into prison."

The chubby fellow contended earnestly: "Madam, I assure you, the situation isn’t as bad as you think. You’ve already helped me so much, like an angel supporting me through my struggles, seeming like my God. Like my mother, my girlfriend, my family, my confidante, and my advisor, you made me a writer, comforted this young man. So, allow me to handle this by myself. My new novel is almost finished, I will repay the money."

Hearing this, the lady merely raised an eyebrow teasingly: "Can you sell a novel for fifteen thousand Francs? Honoré, I believe in your talent, but the price of your manuscript hasn’t reached that level yet."

"Uh..." The chubby fellow was astonished: "How did you know I was short one fifteen thousand Francs?"

The lady, taking his arm, said: "Because I’ve already paid it off. Honoré, you’re a good young man, but if you need to borrow money, you can come to me first. My wealth isn’t vast, but more than enough to give you a conducive environment to create literary works."

"Madam..."

The lady at the front desk, observing this scene, just felt something was off.

Perhaps due to her pickiness about appearances, she felt that no matter how elegantly the lady carried herself, paired with this chubby fellow, there was no way she could muster any sentimental feelings.

Whether or not the chubby fellow was moved by the lady, he rushed to the front desk, quickly placing some Francs on the counter: "Honoré de Balzac, I had a reservation before. Please order a premium meal from the restaurant next door and accompany it with two good bottles of wine, then deliver them to my room."

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