It started with London newspapers reporting the matter with a jocular tone, but it was a tabloid called The Whisperer that truly pushed the "sensational" to its extreme.
Not only did it report the event with sensational headlines on its front page, but it also directly published an "imagined duel scene" drawing by a painter on its inside pages.
The illustration depicted two gracefully curvaceous and beautiful ladies, completely bare-chested and armed with swords, engaged in a fierce confrontation within a magnificent hall.
The overall image was laden with innuendo and tension.
Although the artwork was not of high quality and its details did not stand up to scrutiny, this "imagined illustration" immediately caused a sensation across London, and indeed, the whole of Britain, upon its publication.
It was the first time a publicly circulated newspaper had published images of scantily clad women on its pages! This issue of The Whisperer quickly sparked a frenzy; its entire stock of 500,000 copies sold out within three days.
It was then frantically reprinted and recirculated, with original copies skyrocketing in price on the black market, some even selling for 10 shillings apiece!
The reason was simple: it satisfied countless people's most direct voyeuristic desires regarding that secret duel.
This image also became the most iconic representation of the duel incident in popular circulation, its influence even surpassing countless lengthy commentary articles.
Even The Times reported on The Whisperer's outrageous act, deeming it a blatant disregard for social order and British law!
The London Metropolitan Police quickly moved in, storming The Whisperer's office, only to find it deserted, leaving behind nothing but a mess.
While public opinion in Paris was still hotly debating the duel between the two noblewomen, and tabloids tirelessly dug for and fabricated various "inside stories"...
A theatre announcement, published in the theatre review section of Le Figaro, caught the attention of many.
The announcement stated that A Doll's House, a play written last year by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, would premiere in Paris in October this year, following secret rehearsals at the Paris Opéra.
The announcement highlighted that A Doll's House, with its novel form and bold themes, had already caused a huge sensation and controversy in Scandinavia and German-speaking regions.
This news itself might not have immediately captured everyone's attention, but the theatre review that followed was sharply critical, directly addressing the core of current Parisian public opinion:
[...While our newspapers are still endlessly debating whether two noblewomen should strip their blouses and face each other with swords for honor, and while we are eager to pry into the private grievances of high society with curious eyes—
In the north of the continent, a true master playwright has, with his pen, dissected the facade of a seemingly perfect middle-class family, showing us the true predicament of women within it, as "dolls."
Nora, the protagonist of A Doll's House, does not live in a distant ancient era or a place like Russia; she lives in a civilized European city of our contemporary time.
She does not need to use a sharp blade and a naked body to prove her courage; what she needs is simply the awakening of herself as a "person."
She stepped out of the 'doll' role prescribed for her by her husband and society, a courage far exceeding any woman currently occupying newspaper front pages!
When her final resounding slam of the door echoed through the theatre, the spiritual shock to the audience was far beyond what any merely formal duel could achieve.
Ladies and gentlemen who pride themselves on being enlightened and are fond of grandly discussing "women's liberation" in salons, it is time to look up and watch A Doll's House!
See what truly concerns women's destiny and touches the soul of "awakening," instead of indulging in boring games wrapped in scandal...]
The author of this theatre review was none other than Jean Lemaitre, who had, some time ago, praised Lionel and A Study in Scarlet in a "condemnatory" tone.
It was said that this critic was not yet 30 years old, a truly rising star.
He clearly knew how to stir up controversy.
He juxtaposed A Doll's House against the hotly debated "duel farce" in Paris, directing his critique not only at conservatives but also at liberals.
Conservative newspapers naturally jumped up like cats with their tails stepped on.
Le Gaulois immediately published an article in rebuttal, calling A Doll's House a "poisonous weed that destroys family ethics and advocates wives leaving home."
Its harmfulness was far greater than a mere duel, comparable to last year's The Decadent City, and it called on Parisian authorities to ban the play.
[If even a virtuous wife and loving mother like Nora is to abandon her husband and children, then where is the cornerstone of our society? Are we all supposed to imitate those Northern barbarians?]
Meanwhile, internal divisions also arose within progressive and liberal publications.
Some agreed with the review's perspective, believing Ibsen's play was truly serious art worthy of attention and discussion, and that this opportunity should be used to guide public attention toward deeper social issues.
Others felt the review was too condescending and belittled the symbolic significance of Madame Rothschild's duel with Sophia.
They argued that women's struggles in different classes and situations should be viewed and understood equally.
Discussion topics in salons also quietly shifted.
While whispered conversations about the sensational details of the duel still lingered, terms like "Nora," "A Doll's House," and "women leaving home" began to appear frequently.
People hadn't yet seen the play; they had only read some introductions in newspapers and magazines, but they were already debating whether Nora's actions were reasonable.
And, of course, whether her husband Helmer was an absolute scoundrel.
As Lionel read this theatre review and the related debates, he was filled with mixed emotions.
He, of course, knew the status of A Doll's House in theatre history and the feminist movement, and anticipated that its arrival in Paris would inevitably cause a stir.
He just hadn't expected it to intertwine in such a way with the commotion he himself had caused.
Nevertheless, he was still "grateful" for the play appearing at this time—as one of the "protagonists" of the "duel farce," he had been under immense pressure recently.
Now that the focus of the debate had shifted to the play, he was naturally very relieved.
However, after this period of noise and excitement, he seemed to vaguely perceive that a certain tacit understanding had been reached between Madame Rothschild and Sophia.
Through this duel, Sophia's name naturally appeared more and more in newspapers and in the discussions of high society.
Madame Rothschild also seemed to no longer obstruct this Russian noblewoman's entry into Paris's top social circles.
As for whether there was some sort of deal behind them, Lionel didn't know, nor did he care to know.
Although there was still nearly a month until the premiere of A Doll's House at the Paris Opéra, the play had already become an inevitable topic of conversation in salons.
Just as now, at Zola's Médan villa, Maupassant enthusiastically expressed his anticipation for the play.
Zola, as always, remained calm.
Only after Maupassant had finished venting his passion did he turn his head to Lionel and ask, "Lion, what do you think?"
Lionel pondered for a moment before slowly saying,
"Although I haven't seen A Doll's House yet, everyone knows that the final scene of the play is Nora's resounding slam of the door. That certainly shows great courage, but what I'm more concerned about is—what happens after Nora leaves?"
(End of Chapter)