Louis-Antoine-Augustin Guibert, the Archbishop of the Paris Diocese, had been in a good mood lately.
The former Archbishop, Gibert, had been urgently recalled to the Holy See for disciplinary action due to the scandal of the "Grand Exorcism."
The position of Archbishop of Paris was suddenly vacant, and Guibert seized the opportunity.
Through a discourse on "how the Church should consolidate its position and lead public opinion in Paris," he successfully secured ecclesiastical authority in this city of crucial importance in the secular world.
Archbishop Guibert's discourse focused on the idea that the Church should utilize every opportunity to collaborate with Parisian artists to showcase the positive image of the Holy See.
The republican government operated on ballot politics; influencing voters meant influencing the deputies.
If the Church wanted to obstruct the "Ferry Bill," it had to start at the root! If French citizens believed that the Church played a positive role in basic education in France, then the so-called "secularization of education" would fail.
As for "free" and "compulsory" education, without "secularization," it would become a large cake delivered straight into the Church's mouth.
He had also read the script for "The Chorus."
Although he had some reservations, after reading the reports from Monsignor Valette and Brother Duclos, he decided to support the staging of this play.
Archbishop Guibert held no illusions about the Church's image, knowing that blind praise and adulation would only elicit audience aversion and critical ridicule.
He believed "The Chorus" struck a good balance—while the reformatory controlled by the Church might be a little "rigid," with slight changes, it could become a starting point for troubled youths to turn their lives around.
Therefore, he instructed Le Monde and La Croix to create a favorable public opinion for "The Chorus," expecting the premiere of this play, which would "demonstrate the great power of Church administration and its rehabilitative achievements," to be a sensation in Paris.
This could even reverse the Church's disadvantage in the public opinion battle.
He would also personally attend the Comédie-Française, enjoying the glory amidst the praise and applause of numerous believers!
But a piece of news shattered his plans—
According to feedback from various churches, many parishioners complained to their priests that they couldn't buy tickets for the premiere of "The Chorus."
Initially, he thought "The Chorus" was simply too popular and even prepared to pressure the Comédie-Française to increase the number of performances.
But when he learned that an ignorant Russian noblewoman was attempting to buy out the entire premiere of "The Chorus," completely sabotaging this crucial play meant to reverse public opinion for the Church...
The Archbishop was enraged!
"Idiot! An absolute, utter idiot!"
Archbishop Guibert roared at Monsignor Valette.
If the premiere of "The Chorus" fell flat, if no one watched a play so heavily promoted by the Church, then all previous propaganda would become reverse satire, and the Church would become the laughingstock of all Paris!
This was something he absolutely could not tolerate!
His face was ashen as he issued instructions:
"Go immediately to see Baroness Alexeyevna!
Warn her with the Church's strictest tone to control her daughter!
Tell them that if the premiere of 'The Chorus' encounters any problems due to their foolish actions, the Church guarantees they will have no foothold left in Paris!
All salons, all banks, all embassies, will no longer open their doors to them! Let them consider the consequences themselves!"
————
When Monsignor Valette arrived at Baroness Alexeyevna's mansion, the usually arrogant noblewoman truly felt fear.
The Church's threat was devastating to the Sherbatov family's operations in Paris.
Although the Church's power in Paris was showing signs of decline, the powerful would certainly not mind using this opportunity to thoroughly exploit this "fat sheep" from Russia.
The Baroness's face was pale, cold sweat trickling down, winding its way through her beard on her chin, eventually dripping and wetting her chest hair.
She had never imagined that her daughter's momentary impulsive act of spite would anger the most powerful force in Parisian religious circles.
Almost immediately, under the oppressive, cold gaze of Monsignor Valette, she dispatched someone to forcibly retrieve Sophia, who was still feeling triumphant.
For the first time, the Baroness, who usually doted on her daughter, unleashed a thunderous rage upon Sophia.
"You stupid troublemaker!
Do you know what you've done?
You almost ruined everything we have in Paris!
Get rid of those damn theater tickets!
Immediately! Now!
Otherwise, I'll send you to Siberia to live with bears!"
Sophia was completely terrified by her mother's fury and stern warning.
She had only intended to humiliate Lionel, but she hadn't expected to ignite such a huge disaster for herself.
Her previous arrogance and triumph vanished instantly, replaced only by fright and panic.
————
Sophia's "feat" not only reached the ears of the Church but also quickly alarmed Émile Perrin, the director of the Comédie-Française.
Such crude interference with art through money, an attempt to sabotage a performance, was shaking the very foundations of the Comédie-Française.
Émile Perrin, too, was consumed by towering rage:
"Absurd! Shameless!
Who does she think she is?
To use such dirty tactics to disrupt an artistic performance!
This is not only humiliating Lionel Sorell but also trampling on the dignity of our theater!"
The theater's survival depended not just on classic repertoires but also on its inviolable reputation and impartiality.
If a foreign noblewoman were allowed to buy out the box office with money and create an empty house, the Comédie-Française would become a joke in Paris and even across Europe!
Who would respect the theater's artistic choices afterward?
Director Émile Perrin roared at his assistant:
"Investigate immediately! Verify if the news is true!
If it is... issue the sternest written warning to Baroness Alexeyevna in the name of the theater!
Tell them that if a large number of maliciously empty seats appear on the evening of the 26th, the theater will immediately declare all tickets sold for that performance void, refund the money, and reopen ticket sales!
At the same time, all theaters in France will permanently refuse entry to both mother and daughter!"
——————
Under immense pressure, Sophia had to quickly make amends.
The next day, a slightly awkward "announcement" appeared in Le Figaro and Le Petit Parisien, signed by Sophia Ivanovna Durova-Sherbatova:
[Recently, out of ardent anticipation and support for Mr. Lionel Sorell's new work, "The Chorus," and an urgent desire to allow more theater enthusiasts the opportunity to appreciate this play, I entrusted friends to purchase a portion of the premiere tickets on my behalf.
I hereby declare that all these tickets will be donated free of charge to citizens who genuinely wish to see this play.
Specific collection methods will be announced separately by the Comédie-Française box office. I wish "The Chorus" a successful run.]
——————
"Hahaha, 'ardent anticipation and support'? She really had the nerve to say that!"
Albert chuckled as he read the newspaper.
He turned to look at Lionel, who was quietly eating his boxed lunch:
"You knew this would happen from the start?"
Lionel glanced at him:
"Otherwise, why would I thank her? She paid with real money! My biggest worry before was not selling out..."
————
After this incredible farce, "The Chorus" gained unprecedented attention.
All of Paris widened its eyes, wanting to see what kind of masterpiece this play was that had caused newspapers to reverse their stances and a noblewoman to frantically throw money at it!
People who were originally hesitant about watching it now made up their minds.
Long queues formed in front of the Comédie-Française box office window, and the tickets "donated" by Sophia were snapped up instantly.
The premiere on the 26th quickly sold out, and even tickets for the extended performances on the 28th, 30th, and January 2nd and 4th of next year were bought up at astonishing speed.
The box office popularity even surpassed that of classic plays during the same period!
Lionel Sorell and his "The Chorus," before the premiere had even begun, had already ignited the anticipation of all Paris in a way no one could have predicted.
(End of Chapter)
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