the memoirs of victor hugo-第39部分

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I　decide　that　the　third　reading　of　_Les　Chatiments_　shall　be　given　at　the　Opera　gratis　for　the　people。



November　19。Mme。　Marie　Laurent　came　to　recite　to　me　_Les　Pauvres　Gens_；　which　she　will　recite　at　the　Porte　Saint　Martin　to…morrow　to　raise　funds　for　a　cannon。



November　20。Last　evening　there　was　an　aurora　borealis。

〃La　Grosse　Josephine〃　is　no　longer　my　neighbour。　　She　has　just　been　transported　to　Bastion　No。　41。　　It　took　twenty…six　horses　to　draw　her。　　I　am　sorry　they　have　taken　her　away。　　At　night　I　could　hear　her　deep　voice；　and　it　seemed　to　me　that　she　was　speaking　to　me。　　I　divided　my　love　between　〃Grosse　Joséphine〃　and　Little　Jeanne。

Little　Jeanne　can　now　say　〃papa〃　and　〃mamma〃　very　well。

To…day　there　was　a　review　of　the　National　Guard。



November　21。Mme。　Jules　Simon　and　Mme。　Sarah　Bernhardt　came　to　see　me。

After　dinner　many　visitors　called；　and　the　drawing…room　was　crowded。　　It　appears　that　Veuillot　insulted　me。

Little　Jeanne　begins　to　crawl　on　her　hands　and　knees　very　well　indeed。



November　23。Jules　Simon　writes　me　that　the　Opera　will　be　given　to　me　for　the　people　（free　reading　of　_Les　Chatiments_）　any　day　I　fix　upon。　　I　wanted　Sunday；　but　out　of　consideration　for　the　concert　that　the　actors　and　employés　of　the　Opera　give　Sunday　night　for　their　own　benefit　I　have　selected　Monday。

Frédérick　Lemaitre　called。　　He　kissed　my　hands　and　wept。

It　has　been　raining　for　two　or　three　days。　　The　rain　has　soaked　the　plains；　the　cannon…wheels　would　sink　into　the　ground；　and　the　sortie　has　therefore　had　to　be　deferred。　For　two　days　Paris　has　been　living　on　salt　meat。　　A　rat　costs　8　sous。



November　24。I　authorise　the　Théatre　Fran？ais　to　play　to…morrow；　Friday；　the　25th；　on　behalf　of　the　victims　of　the　war；　the　fifth　act　of　〃Hernani〃　by　the　actors　of　the　Théatre　Fran？ais　and　the　last　act　of　〃Lucrece　Borgia〃　by　the　actors　of　the　Porte　Saint　Martin；　and　in　addition　the　recitation　as　an　intermede　of　extracts　from　_Les　Chatiments_；　_Les　Contemplations_　and　_La　Légende　des　Siècles_。

Mlle。　Favart　came　this　morning　to　rehearse　with　me　_Booz　Endormie_。　　Then　we　went　together　to　the　Fran？ais　for　the　rehearsal　for　the　performance　of　to…morrow。　　She　acted　Do？a　Sol　very　well　indeed。　　Mme。　Laurent　（Lucrèce　Borgia）　also　played　well。　　During　the　rehearsal　M。　de　Flavigny　dropped　in。　　I　said　to　him：　〃Good　morning；　my　dear　ex…colleague。〃　He　looked　at　me；　then　with　some　emotion　exclaimed：　〃Hello！　is　that　you？〃　　And　he　added：　〃How　well　preserved　you　are！〃　I　replied：　〃Banishment　preserves　one。〃

I　returned　the　ticket　for　a　box　that　the　Théatre　Fran？ais　sent　to　me　for　to…morrow's　performance；　and　hired　a　box；　which　I　placed　at　the　disposal　of　Mme。　Paul　Meurice。

After　dinner　the　new　Prefect　of　Police；　M。　Cresson；　paid　me　a　visit。　　M。　Cresson　was　the　barrister　who　twenty　years　ago　defended　the　murderers　of　General　Bréa。　　He　spoke　to　me　about　the　free　reading　of　_Les　Chatiments_　to　be　given　on　Monday　the　28th　at　the　Opera。　　It　is　feared　that　an　immense　crowdall　the　faubourgswill　be　attracted。　More　than　25；000　men　and　women。　　Three　thousand　will　be　able　to　get　in。　　What　is　to　be　done　with　the　rest？　　　〃The　Government　is　uneasy。　　Many　are　called　but　few　will　be　chosen；　and　it　fears　that　a　crush；　fighting　and　disorders　will　result。　　The　Government　will　refuse　me　nothing。　　It　wants　to　know　whether　I　will　accept　the　responsibility。　　It　will　do　whatever　I　wish　done。　　The　Prefect　of　Police　has　been　instructed　to　come　to　an　understanding　with　me　about　it。

I　said　to　M。　Cresson：　〃Let　us　consult　Vacquerie　and　Meurice　and　my　two　sons。〃　　He　replied：　〃Willingly。〃　The　six　of　us　held　a　council。　　We　decided　that　three　thousand　tickets　should　be　distributed　on　Sunday；　the　day　before　the　lecture；　at　the　mairies　of　the　twenty　arrondissements　to　the　first　persons　who　presented　themselves　after　noon。　　Each　arrondissement　will　receive　a　number　of　tickets　in　proportion　to　the　number　of　its　population。　　The　next　day　the　3；000　holders　of　tickets　（to　all　places）　will　wait　their　turn　at　the　doors　of　the　Opera　without　causing　any　obstruction　or　trouble。　　The　〃Journal　Officiel〃　and　special　posters　will　apprise　the　public　of　the　measures　taken　in　the　interest　of　public　order。



November　25。Mlle。　Lia　Felix　came　to　rehearse　_Sacer　Esto_；　which　she　will　recite　to　the　people　on　Monday。

M。　Tony　Révillon；　who　is　to　make　a　speech；　came　to　see　me　with　the　Gens　de　Lettres　committee。

A　deputation　of　Americans　from　the　United　States　came　to　express　their　indignation　with　the　Government　of　the　American　Republic　and　with　President　Grant　for　abandoning　France〃To　which　the　American　Republic　owes　so　much！〃　said　I。　　〃Owes　everything；〃　declared　one　of　the　Americans　present。

A　good　deal　of　cannonading　has　been　heard　for　several　days。　　To…day　it　redoubled。

Mme。　Meurice　wants　some　fowls　and　rabbits　in　order　to　provide　against　the　coming　famine。　　She　is　having　a　hutch　made　for　them　in　my　little　garden。　　The　carpenter　who　is　constructing　it　entered　my　chamber　a　little　while　ago　and　said：　〃I　would　like　to　touch　your　hand。〃　I　pressed　both　his　hands　in　mine。



November　27。The　Academy　has　given　a　sign　of　life。　I　have　received　official　notice　that　in　future　it　will　hold　an　extraordinary　session　every　Tuesday。

Patés　of　rat　are　being　made。　　They　are　said　to　be　very　good。

An　onion　costs　a　sou。　　A　potato　costs　a　sou。

They　have　given　up　asking　my　authorisation　to　recite　my　works　which　are　being　recited　everywhere　without　my　permission。　　They　are　right。　　What　I　write　is　not　my　own。　I　am　a　public　thing。



November　28。Noel　Parfait　came　to　ask　my　help　for　Chateaudun。　　Certainly；　with　all　my　heart！

_Les　Chatiments_　was　recited　gratis　at　the　Opera。　　An　immense　crowd。　　A　gilt　wreath　was　thrown　on　the　stage。　I　gave　it　to　Georges　and　Jeanne。　　The　collection　made　in　Prussian　helmets　by　the　actresses　produced　1；521　francs　35　centimes　in　coppers。

Emile　Allix　brought　us　a　leg　of　antelope　from　the　Jardin　des　Plantes。　　It　is　excellent。

To…night　the　sortie　is　to　be　made。



November　29。All　night　long　I　heard　the　cannon。

The　fowls　were　installed　in　my　garden　to…day。

The　sortie　is　being　delayed。　　The　bridge　thrown　across　the　Marne　by　Ducros　has　been　carried　away；　the　Prussians　having　blown　open　the　locks。



November　30。All　night　long　the　cannon　thundered。　The　battle　continues。

At　midnight　last　night　as　I　was　returning　home　through　the　Rue　de　Richelieu　from　the　Pavilion　de　Rohan；　I　saw　just　beyond　the　National　Library；　the　street　being　deserted　and　dark　at　the　time；　a　window　open　on　the　sixth　floor　of　a　very　high　house　and　a　very　bright　light；　which　appeared　to　be　that　of　a　petroleum　lamp；　appear　and　disappear　several　times；　then　the　window　closed　and　the　street　became　dark　again。　　Was　it　a　signal？

The　cannon　can　be　heard　at　three　points　round　Paris；　to　the　east；　west　and　south。　　This　is　because　a　triple　attack　is　being　made　on　the　ring　the　Prussians　have　drawn　round　us。　　The　attack　is　being　made　at　Saint　Denis　by　Laroncière；　at　Courbevoie　by　Vinoy；　and　on　the　Marne　by　Ducros。　Laroncière　is　said　to　have　swept　the　peninsula　of　Gennevilliers　and　compelled　a　Saxon　regiment　to　lay　down　its　arms；　and　Vinoy　is　said　to　have　destroyed　the　Prussian　works　beyond　Bougival。　　As　to　Ducros；　he　has　crossed　the　Marne；　taken　and　retaken　Montédy；　and　almost　holds　Villiers…sur…Marne。　　What　one　experiences　on　hearing　the　cannon　is　a　great　desire　to　be　there。

This　evening　Pelletan　sent　his　son；　Camille　Pelletan；　to　inform　me　on　behalf　of　the　Government　that　to…morrow's　operations　will　be　decisive。



December　1。It　appears　that　Louise　Michel　has　been　arrested。　　I　will　do　all　that　is　necessary　to　have　her　released　immediately。　　Mme。　Meurice　is　occupying　herself　about　it。　She　went　out　this　morning　for　that　purpose。

D'Alton…Shée　came　to　see　me。

We　ate　bear　for　dinner。

I　have　written　to　the　Prefect　of　Police　to　have　Louise　Michel　released。

There　was　no　fighting　to…day。　　The　positions　taken　were　fortified。



December　2。Louise　Michel　has　been　released。　　She　came　to　thank　me。

Last　evening　M。　Coquelin　called　to　recite　several　pieces　from　_Les　Chatiments_。

It　is　freezing。　　The　basin　of　the　Pigalle　fountain　is　frozen　over。

The　cannonade　recommenced　at　daybreak。

11。30　　　A。M。The　cannonade　increases。

Flourens　wrote　to　me　yesterday　and　Rochefort　to…day。　They　are　coming　round　to　me　again。

Dorian；　Minister　of　Public　Works；　and　Pelletan　came　to　dine　with　me。

Excellent　news　to…night！　　The　Army　of　the　Loire　is　at　Montargis。　　The　Army　of　Paris　has　driven　back　the　Prussians　from　the　Avron　plateau。　　The　despatches　announcing　these　successes　are　read　aloud　at　the　doors　of　the　mairies。

Victory！　　The　Second　of　December　has　been　wiped　out！



December　3。General　Renault；　who　was　wounded　in　the　foot　by　a　splinter　from　a　shell；　is　dead。

I　told　Schoelcher　that　I　want　to　go　out　with　my　sons　if　the　batteries　of　the　National　Guard　to　which　they　belong　are　sent　to　the　front。　　The　batteries　drew　lots。　　Four　are　to　go。　　One　of　them　is　the　10th　Battery；　of　which　Victor　is　a　member。　　I　will　go　out　with　that　battery。　　Charles　does　not　belong　to　it；　which　is　a　good　job；　he　will　stay　behind；　he　has　two　children。　　I　will　order　him　to　stay。　　Vacquerie　and　Meurice　are　members　of　the　10th　Battery。　　We　shall　be　together　in　the　combat。　　I　will　have　a　cape　with　a　hood　made　for　me。　　What　I　fear　is　the　cold　at　night。

I　made　some　shadows　on　the　wall　for　Georges　and　Jeanne。　　Jeanne　laughed　delightedly　at　the　shadow　and　the　grimaces　of　the　profile；　but　when　she　saw　that　the　shadow　was　me　she　cried　and　screamed。　　She　seemed　to　say：　〃I　don't　want　you　to　be　a　phantom！〃　Poor；　sweet　angel！　　Perhaps　she　has　a　presentiment　of　the　coming　battle。

Yesterday　we　ate　some　stag；　the　day　before　we　partook　of　bear；　and　the　two　days　previous　we　fared　on　antelope。　These　were　presents　from　the　Jardin　des　Plantes。

To…night　at　11　o'clock；　cannonading。　　Violent　and　brief。



December　4。A　notice　has　been　posted　on　my　door　indicating　the　precautions　to　be　taken　〃in　case　of　bombardment。〃　　That　is　the　title　of　the　notice。

There　is　a　pause　in　the　combat。　　Our　army　has　recrossed　the　Marne。

Little　Jeanne　crawls　very　well　on　her　bands　and　knees