Lionel took the contract and saw it was from his notary, Delacroix.
The red wax seal still bore the firm's emblem.
The contract's contents were not complicated.
One part stated that the Sorel family fully entrusted the "Delacroix Law Firm" to handle the fraud case.
A senior lawyer from the "Delacroix Law Firm" would then travel to the court in the Alps.
The fee was substantial, a full 120 francs.
This way, Lionel's sister and parents wouldn't have to testify in court, saving them some face.
Another part of the commission was for the firm to sell the "five-year Panama Canal bond" that would be returned to the Sorel family after the trial.
The firm would take a 2% commission from this.
Along with the contract came a handwritten note from Delacroix, which stated not to be too optimistic about the recovered amount.
According to information he gathered from inside the court, in a situation like the Sorels', they could at most recover sixty percent of their losses, which was about 3,000 francs.
Although Lionel felt a pang of regret for the 2,000 francs that had vanished, he knew this was already the best possible outcome.
His family, far away in the Alps, had now emerged from the gloom—especially after he increased the money he sent home to 200 francs per month.
This was considered a good income throughout the Larragne region, enough to maintain a respectable middle-class family life.
In the last few lines of his note, Delacroix asked Lionel if the bond, once converted to cash, should be sent back to the Alps.
Lionel thought for a moment, then picked up his pen and wrote a reply to Delacroix, entrusting the firm to find a suitable apartment property in Gap, the capital of the Alps region.
The recovered 3,000 francs, plus an additional sum from his manuscript fees—approximately 3,000 to 5,000 francs—would be enough to buy a small apartment suitable for his parents in Gap.
Gap is located in the Durance River valley, south of the Alps.
The Luye River flows through the city, which is known as "one of France's sunniest cities."
Although winters here are cold, they are sunny; summer temperatures are also moderate, making it very suitable for retirement.
Housing prices in central Paris, however, were almost ten times those in Gap, accompanied by the Seine's annual stench and never-ending coal dust.
He planned to persuade his father to resign from his position as town clerk in Montiel within the next few years and move with his mother and sister to Gap;
If his father still wanted to work, he could find some small copying jobs to earn some pocket money.
Gap already had a direct train line to Paris in 1875, so he wouldn't have to transfer trains in Lyon anymore when going home in the future.
After finishing, Lionel called Alice.
Alice took the letter and said,
"I'll type it up tomorrow and then send it out."
Lionel nodded, then suddenly said,
"Later, I'll need to write another letter, one for home..."
Alice was startled, wondering why Lionel would specifically mention such a small matter.
Lionel smiled,
"In this letter, I'll mention that I 'found you' in Paris, and ask my father to tell your parents."
Alice panicked, nearly knocking over the cup on Lionel's desk.
"This... I... they..."
The church's search for her had ended two months ago; they had even revoked her novice nun status.
Logically, she could have returned to Montiel at any time, or at least written a letter home.
But Alice had done neither, as if she were avoiding something.
Lionel's voice was very gentle,
"Telling them doesn't mean you have to go back—or I won't write about you at all, it's entirely up to you."
Alice's expression was changeable, her lips trembling, and after a long time, she sighed,
"Lion, write it as you said.
I... I... actually don't blame them anymore... I shouldn't let them worry again..."
Lionel nodded,
"Okay. The last time I went to 'Rochas Farm,' I could tell they were all very remorseful...
Now your identity documents are with you, you are free to decide where to go, no need to worry."
Alice finally smiled,
"Thank you, Lion!"
But she didn't leave the study, looking as if she had something more to say.
Lionel saw that Alice seemed to have something to say, so he pressed,
"What, something else?"
Alice gave a shy smile, bit her lip, and asked,
"Lion, there's something I'd like to ask your opinion on..."
Lionel asked,
"Go ahead, what is it?"
Alice pondered for a moment before speaking:
"...I'd like to lend some money to Madame Lobert on Rue Mouffetard...
She... she also wants to buy a typewriter... to take on some copying work... She's literate, but she's never actually written anything...
But with a typewriter, that doesn't matter... She's a good person... Her husband died last year, and she has two children, life is very hard for her..."
After speaking, she timidly looked at Lionel, as if waiting for him to reject her impulsive idea.
Lionel merely smiled faintly and asked,
"Madame Lobert, your new friend?"
Rue Mouffetard was a bustling, lively cross street south of Boulevard Saint-Germain, near the Latin Quarter, with a farmers' market.
Alice nodded:
"...She makes a living by mending, her craft is good, but the prices are too low...
Last month, your coat got a tear that neither Patty nor I could mend, so someone at the market recommended her...
She's very kind and diligent... When we chatted, she heard that copying a page earned 15 centimes and was very envious...
Patty and I often run into her when we go shopping at the market, and sometimes we even go to her place for tea..."
Lionel knew that after nearly a year of social isolation, Alice cherished every new friend she made.
This was essentially a psychological compensation.
He considered it for a moment, then asked,
"How much money are you planning to lend her?"
Alice hesitated for a moment, then said,
"About... 200 francs. She herself has 300 francs in savings...
I went to a department store on Rue Richelieu the other day and saw that my model now sells for 500 francs; if she puts her money together, it's just enough to buy one."
Lionel asked with a smile,
"So how did she know you could lend her 200 francs? That's not a small sum."
Alice's face instantly flushed red, and she clasped her hands, twisting the hem of her skirt, unsure what to say.
Lionel then asked several crucial questions:
"Have you calculated how long it would take her to pay back the 200 francs?
Will you charge her interest? Where will her clients come from?"
Alice panicked:
"This... this... I haven't calculated... Interest, I'd be too embarrassed... Clients, didn't we have some old patrons before..."
Lionel interrupted her:
"Those were all my Sorbonne classmates and professors!"
Alice instantly deflated:
"Lion, I understand. I'll tell Madame Lobert tomorrow that I can't lend her the money..."
Lionel shook his head:
"Alice, my intention isn't for you to refuse her, but for you to clearly calculate the finances, so this loan doesn't become a source of pain for you.
If you've calculated it clearly and think it's feasible, I can continue to have my Sorbonne classmates give you manuscripts to copy.
But everything comes with a precondition—I want to see clear accounts, not your overflowing sympathy."
Alice's eyes lit up:
"Okay! I'll calculate the accounts as soon as possible and give them to you!"
Before Alice left, he asked,
"Did you just say typewriters could be bought on Rue Richelieu?"
Alice paused,
"Yes, Rue Richelieu, that's where most of the office supply stores are..."
Lionel had been thinking about changing his writing tool from a quill to a typewriter for a while.
Even though typewriters of this era had various issues, writing efficiency still couldn't compare to typing efficiency.
Alice used to take 15 minutes to copy a page of manuscript; with a typewriter, it only took 5 minutes.
Lionel considered that he not only had to finish the concluding part of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" but also seamlessly transition to "A Study in Scarlet," making an increase in creative speed imperative.
(End of Chapter)