[Masterpiece Les Miserables] Paris Sparks

Corona didn't know what Mr. Courfeyrac Jr. had said to his father, but in the end, the Viscount was not angry at this fruitless engagement.They parted peacefully, but Carton did not take her back to Montreuil.

On the contrary, Caton took her to one small city after another in the south, socializing with nobles and negotiating with merchants.After Corona clearly expressed her unwillingness to get married, Carton began to teach her how to manage her own property, how to talk about business, and how to manage her housekeepers. "If you don't learn well," he said to Corona, "it proves that you are not mature enough to make your own decisions, then I'm afraid I'll make a marriage contract for you—even if you don't like it."

For this reason, Corona has learned more attentively than ever.Caton also taught her with his heart. Every day he took Corona with him, and he didn't let her talk very much, only let her listen.When the two sat opposite each other in the evening, Corona told him what information she had observed in the past day, what those merchants and nobles said was true and what was not necessarily true; letter.Then Caton would correct her, and sometimes a matter required the two of them to explore together for a few days and confirm it slowly.Gradually, Coronna was able to speak a few words during the negotiation. She often pretended to be an ignorant little girl, not only cooperating with Caton, but also not embarrassing when she made mistakes.

A month later, she was fully able to participate in the conversation as an equal.

During this month, she has to observe others, ponder in her heart, calculate the price in her heart, and learn new property laws to prepare for Caton's questions; at the same time, she must not be unfamiliar with painting exercises.After a month, she lost a lot of weight and her chin became sharper.Caton saw it, and felt distressed.He even wanted to extend the deadline several times, and wanted to delay the things he had arranged for a few months, but Corona showed great enthusiasm. When he wanted to relax, she urged him to move forward .

This is the busyness she has never had, and the joy she has never had.This is power.

No, it is not the power that drives servants and crushes the people, nor is it the power that responds to everything and is supreme.It's just that as Carton gradually returned, sorted out, and handed over the property to her, and taught her the tricks of selling and buying, she gradually realized that Carton assured her, trusted her, and gave her She - henceforth - holds the power over her own destiny.

This kind of power is enough to make people intoxicated.

She learned how to sell and buy property under her name, how to use a false identity when buying, how to choose an appropriate number as a public property, and use various methods to conceal her net worth without appearing too poor .She was so busy that sometimes it was late at night, and she hurriedly wrote to Fantine by the oil lamp.

In this busyness the winter of [-] passed.

In [-] there was a rainy early spring.

The relentless drizzle kept the winter chill lingering, and the gloomy weather overshadowed any entertainment, at least for Basil Howard.He has never been very willing to socialize, so he simply turned down all invitations and retreated to paint.However, when a painting was about to be completed, he was interrupted by the doorbell.

Basil Howard put down his brush with a sigh.He took off his oil-stained coat, casually wiped his colorfully stained hands on the towel beside him, and went to answer the door.

A beautiful lady stood outside the door.

She wore a rose satin cloak with a hood to keep out the drizzle.I haven't seen her for half a year, and Corona's stature has changed again. She is different from the little girl covered in oil paint in Basil's impression. She is slim and tall, with a dignified and indifferent temperament. Basil has seen her countless times. The appearance of the noble lady.For a moment Basil secretly felt a little flustered, but when Coronna spoke to him with a smile, she immediately changed back to the good student he was familiar with. "Dear Basil, long time no see! What are your favorite works recently?"

"I should be the one to ask you that." The previous unease was quickly dispelled, and Basil let her in with a smile, "Have you been on the road for so long, have you still painted well?"

"I did my best. I have brought some pictures to show you."

Only then did Basil notice that the driver next to her was helping to carry a large suitcase.He took it over, mentioned the studio, and took out a few paintings from it—it was inconvenient to carry during the trip, and the paintings Corona brought were not too big, so they could only be said to be practice.Basil looked at one by one, but finally reached out and picked out the first few: "These are all very good. As for the latter ones, I always feel that you are a little impatient. Isn't that right?"

"Because I'm too busy." Corona bowed her head in embarrassment to admit her mistake, and seeing that Basil didn't mean to blame, she raised her head again and looked at him beggingly: "There is one more thing... I wanted to ask you opinions. If I work very hard, can you help me publish my paintings as a painter within two years?"

Basil raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"In terms of painting skills alone, I don't doubt that you can reach my standard within a year, dear boy. In fact, your current level has already surpassed many third-rate painters who are trying to gain fame. But your identity, or let us say Let me be clearer, your gender is what is worrying. Didn't we already agree that we will not disclose your identity until your level is so good that no one can deny it, so as to be safe? You People who are not greedy for fame, why are they so anxious now?"

"I have an agreement with my father that if I can establish myself as a painter in Paris within two years, he will not force me to enter into a marriage contract."

"'Forcing you' to make a marriage contract? I think the husband your father found for you must be a perfect person for you. Why don't you try to get in touch with him before making plans? Or, do you already have a sweetheart? ?”

"I don't have a lover." Corona said this very calmly. Basil observed her expression and could not see any shyness, reluctance or concealment. "I just don't want to get married."

"Children's words! How can there be a girl who is not married?"

"If you went out of your studio and wandered the streets of Paris, I have no doubt that you would meet three or five young maidens, even in this weather."

"You know it's an 'unmarried old lady,' too, Corona. That's not much of a reputation."

"If I cared so much about fame, I should have devoted myself to learning how to wear jewelry from an early age, instead of learning how to mix paint from you. -- Oh, Basil! After all, you always ask whether I should marry or not. Are you unwilling to help me? Do you think my level is still too low, are you afraid that if I admit that I am your student, it will make you lose face? "

"Of course not! How can you think so, Corona? I have never seen a more diligent and talented student than you."

Basil is a simple, kind and sincere painter, so he is easy to understand and easy to be guided.Corona couldn't help feeling guilty in her heart, but there was nothing she could do about it. "Then, please help me, please allow me to publish my paintings. You also know that I want to be a painter, and I cannot be recognized without you. If you can not care about my gender, sincerely If you think I draw well, then why can't you help me publish my works a year or two earlier?"

"It's not something I can't do, Corona—"

"I know, you are afraid that those critics and audiences will think that my painting is not good when they see me as a little girl. That's okay, which painter or writer doesn't have a few bad reviews? Please believe me Well, I can handle that, or at least I can learn to handle it. I can explain to them, or I can ignore them, I can do both. But, Basil, if you won't help me, I don't know what to do."

It was obvious to her that Basil was softening. "You do have the right to decide when you publish your work. If you really make up your mind."

"I've made up my mind. You are a man, Basil, and you don't know how passive and involuntary a woman is in marriage. I shudder at the thought of living like that! I must, let Those critics are going to question me! But I must complete this agreement, I must become a painter within two years, even if I don’t have much fame.”

"You won't be famous," Basil said, "especially since you're still a lady of the Earl's family. But I don't understand why Sidney is in such a hurry? Even if he was seventeen, or even 20 years old, he made the engagement , for a noble lady, it is not too late. Why is he in such a hurry for these two years?"

"I don't know either." Corona said, under the light of the studio, Basil saw that her face seemed to be a little pale, "I even secretly asked my father's doctor... But he said that my father's health has not deteriorated .In the past few months, my father has gradually handed over the family property to me. As far as I know, we should and have not been in danger of sudden bankruptcy. It seems that everything is normal. I really can't think of what happened. Maybe it's just a whim of his. But—but, I can tell you, the more normal it is, the more flustered I am."

"Oh, it's my fault. I said a few words casually, why did it cause you to worry so much! What is there to panic? Maybe it's just that your father is too concerned about your marriage, and I'm afraid you won't find a good husband in the future, so I deliberately set such a goal to force you to retreat in the face of difficulties. Don’t all the fathers in the world worry about their daughters like this?”

Corona smiled wryly. "I have been studying painting with you for seven or eight years. Do you think that if I set my goal, I will retreat because of an obstacle that seems difficult to achieve?"

"Of course not. I dare God, I've never seen a girl as stubborn as you in my life—or even a boy as stubborn as you."

"Then, do you think father will not understand?"

This sentence stopped Basil. "...Then, what do you think?"

"I don't know! I feel that my father seems to be arranging everything. His arrangement seems to be so that one day he leaves, and I can live smoothly. But I am with him every day, and I really don't understand. What will make him feel that he is going to leave me suddenly. The more I don't understand, the more flustered I am."

Basil was also speechless for a moment.But Corona calmed down for a moment, then changed her tone again, and smiled at him: "Forget it, I will figure it out! You don't have to worry about these things. It's just that since you agreed—"

"I agree, but you still have to come up with paintings of sufficient standard. When I approve, I will introduce you to those gallery owners and critics."

"So, what standard must be met before you will recognize it?"

"If you can reach the level of these few paintings," Basil raised the few pieces of paper selected by him in his hand, "you can be more careful. But if you still maintain the current state of mind, I’m afraid it will take a long time.”