As Lionel and Sophie left the "Dupré Office Art Museum," the brass bell on the door chimed crisply once more.
This time, the owner personally saw them to the door, bowing repeatedly and promising to deliver the printer to St. Germain 117 today, until their figures disappeared into the bustling crowd of Richelieu Street.
Sophie's eyes were full of curiosity and pride:
"Lion, you were... amazing just now! How do you know so much? The owner's expression, from looking down on us to being utterly impressed, was so amusing!"
Lionel smiled and squeezed her hand:
"Just a little... knowledge from afar. Now, I need to solve a 'moving trouble'."
Sophie linked her arm through his:
"Moving trouble? Are you referring to a carriage? I heard owning a carriage is very expensive and troublesome."
Lionel nodded, ticking off points on his fingers:
"A good horse plus a two-wheeled phaeton would cost at least three to four thousand francs.
The annual stable rent, fodder, maintenance... that's another one or two thousand francs, and it requires effort to manage.
If you don't want to manage it yourself, you'd have to hire a coachman, which costs another 1,200 francs a year..."
Sophie seemed to guess something:
"So you want to...",
Lionel stated his idea:
"I want to buy a bicycle."
Sophie's eyes widened:
"A bicycle? You mean, like this?"
She pointed to the street.
A "high-wheeler" was passing by, its rider perched on the giant front wheel, taller than a person, with a tiny wheel at the back, like a circus act.
Sophie covered her mouth:
"Lion, that's too dangerous! Let's buy a carriage instead..."
Lionel laughed:
"That's not what I want. Sophie, I remember the first time I went to Orby Trading Company, I saw someone promoting a new type of bicycle.
Designed by the British, with front and rear wheels of the same size, only reaching my waist in height, driven by a chain and sprockets to the rear wheel, it looks... well, safer."
Sophie frowned, trying hard to recall:
"It seems... there was something like that. A strange-looking two-wheeled vehicle, called a 'safety bicycle'...
But colleagues said it was too expensive and looked odd, not as impressive as a high-wheeler... then it seemed to disappear from the news."
Lionel's heart leaped with joy:
"Yes, that might be it! What happened to that bicycle? Did Orby Company import and sell it?"
Sophie shook her head:
"I'm not quite sure, but I can ask colleagues in the purchasing or sales department for you."
Lionel said excitedly:
"Great! If that bicycle is still around, I can pay to buy it!"
Sophie smiled:
"Then on Monday when I go to work, I'll ask for you... Do you need to buy anything else?"
Lionel shook his head:
"No, that's all, let's go back."
Sophie's face flushed:
"Go back where?"
Lionel twirled her hand and whispered:
"Let's go back to using 'lambskin' again... The 'rubber' invented by the Americans is simply too thick, only suitable for wrapping bicycle wheels..."
Sophie hadn't expected Lionel to say such things on the street, her face grew even redder, and she punched him hard in the chest.
——————
On Monday noon, at the "Seine Sunset" cafe near the "Orby Trading Company," Sophie came to meet Lionel during her break.
As soon as she sat down, she took the hot coffee Lionel pushed towards her to warm her hands:
"I asked! They do have that bicycle! It's called the 'Rover Safety Model'.
The company imported five of them at the time, just to try, but... they couldn't sell them at all!"
She couldn't help but laugh:
"Everyone thought it looked weird, didn't have the grandeur of a high-wheeler, and wasn't as fast because the wheels were smaller.
And the price was 600 francs, more expensive than some decent high-wheelers.
Those five bikes have been gathering dust in the back of the warehouse.
The sales manager is having a headache over it; I heard headquarters is already considering whether to return them to the British manufacturer or sell them at a discount."
Lionel quickly said:
"Help me, what price are your sales willing to sell them for?"
Sophie couldn't help but smile, although she didn't quite understand why Lionel was so enthusiastic about such a "failed" product.
"I already asked, 400 francs! And it includes a simple repair kit! If you can pay and pick it up today, you can go to the warehouse immediately!"
Lionel almost wanted to pick up Sophie and spin her around!
400 francs was a mere trifle compared to the cost of maintaining a carriage!
After lunch, he pulled Sophie to the finance department to pay and complete the formalities.
The sales manager was indeed efficient; he quickly issued the invoice and sent a handyman to lead them to the warehouse for pickup.
In a corner of the warehouse, piled high with various imported goods, they found those five dusty "Rover Safety Model" bicycles.
Lionel carefully inspected them and chose the one that seemed best preserved.
The frame structure was largely intact, and although its style was archaic, it already had the prototype of a modern bicycle: a diamond frame, two wheels of roughly the same size, chain drive, a simple saddle, and even an extremely rudimentary "brake" mechanism.
However, it lacked front fork suspension, and the wheels didn't look like they used ball bearings, so it probably wouldn't be very stable to ride.
Even so, Lionel was satisfied and quickly pushed the bicycle to an open space outside.
Sophie circled it curiously, still unable to understand its advantages:
"It looks... much shorter than a high-wheeler, but... can it really be ridden? How do you keep your balance?"
Lionel didn't answer, took a deep breath, and straddled the saddle.
The seat height was just right for him; his feet could firmly reach the ground.
He recalled the distant feeling of riding a bicycle, first pushing off the ground to make the bike glide, then finding the pedals and trying to push them.
At first, the bike wobbled a bit, the handlebars seemed stiff, and turning wasn't flexible enough.
The solid rubber tires rolled over gravel on the ground, transmitting a clear sense of bumping...
But soon, he found his balance!
He held the handlebars steadily and began to ride around the open space.
His speed gradually increased, and the wind whistled in his ears.
Although the riding experience was far from comfortable or smooth, it was so much more stable and safe than a high-wheeler!
This familiar yet unfamiliar feeling made him almost want to cheer!
Sophie watched from the side, dumbfounded.
She saw Lionel adapt slightly, and then skillfully ride that strange vehicle in circles in the open space, his movements fluid and natural, as if he had been riding like this for many years!
This was completely different from the people she remembered who would get bruised and battered learning to ride a high-wheeler!
She exclaimed:
"Lion! You... you can actually ride it! When did you learn? This... this is simply amazing!"
Lionel rode a few circles, stopped steadily in front of her, resting one foot on the ground.
His face was flushed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead:
"Perhaps, like a typewriter, some skills... are just innate?
But this bicycle is far from perfect; there are many areas that need improvement... I want to buy another one!"
Sophie quickly waved her hand:
"Buy another one? For me? Women can't ride this thing, it's too unseemly and inconvenient..."
Lionel chuckled:
"You can't ride it now, but you will later! It has a back seat, do you want to sit on it and try?"
Sophie's face flushed again, seemingly having thought of something, and she punched Lionel hard.
(End of Chapter)