There are more foreigners and provincial people in Paris than Parisians.
——Balzac
As the carriage rattled along the banks of the Seine River, Arthur scrutinized the city's silhouette through the radiant sunlight, unable to resist comparing the scene before him with his memories from four years ago.
Four years, even in a person's life, is not a short period.
But for a city, four years can sometimes seem fleeting, and sometimes it can feel extensive.
In 1833, when he first came to Paris, the aftermath of the cholera had not yet fully subsided, and the political atmosphere here was still tense due to the influence of the June uprising in 1832. At that time, the streets were permeated by a sour smell covered with lime, many gutters in the small alleys were still filled with decaying garbage, and on rainy days, sewage would overflow.
He still remembered that occasionally, if he wasn't careful, stepping on the cobblestone streets would splash mud spots onto his pant legs.
