The Memoirs of Victor Hugo Part 50

"You name is Hugo, is it not?"

"Yes, Holy Father."

"Are you a relative of Victor Hugo?"

"His nephew, Holy Father."

"How old is he?" (It was in 1857.)

"Fifty-five years."

"Alas! he is too old to return to the Church!"

Charles tells me that Jules Simon and his two sons pa.s.sed the night drawing up lists of possible candidates for the National a.s.sembly.

Cernuschi is having himself naturalized a French citizen!

January 29.--The armistice was signed yesterday. It was published this morning. The National a.s.sembly will be elected between February 5 and 18. Will meet on the 12th at Bordeaux.

Little Jeanne is a trifle better. She almost smiled at me.

No more balloons. The post. But unsealed letters. It snows. It freezes.

January 30.--Little Jeanne is still poorly and does not play.

Mlle. Periga brought me a fresh egg for Jeanne.

January 31.--Little Jeanne is still ill. She is suffering from a slight attack of catarrh of the stomach. Doctor Allix says it will last for another four or five days.

My nephew Leopold came to dine with us. He brought us some pickled oysters.

February 1.--Little Jeanne is better. She smiled at me.

February 2.--The Paris elections have been postponed to February 8.

Horsemeat continues to disagree with me. Pains in the stomach. Yesterday I said to Mme. Ernest Lefevre, who was dining beside me:

_De ces bons animaux la viande me fait mal.

J'aime tant les chevaux que je hais le cheval_.

February 4.--The weather is becoming milder.

A crowd of visitors this evening. Proclamation by Gambetta.

February 5.--The list of candidates of the Republican journals appeared this morning. I am at the head of the list.

Bancal is dead.

Little Jeanne this evening has recovered from her cold.

I entertained my usual Sunday guests. We had fish, b.u.t.ter and white bread for dinner.

February 6.--Bourbaki, defeated, has killed himself. A grand death.

Ledru-Rollin is drawing back from the a.s.sembly. Louis Blanc came and read this news to me to-night.

February 7.--We had three or four cans of preserves which we ate to-day.

February 8.--To-day, elections for the National a.s.sembly. Paul Meurice and I went to vote together in the Rue Clauzel.

After the capitulation had been signed, Bismarck, on leaving Jules Favre, entered the room where his two secretaries were awaiting him and said: "The beast is dead."

I have put my papers in order in antic.i.p.ation of my departure.

Little Jeanne is very merry.

February 11.--The counting of the votes progresses very slowly.

Our departure for Bordeaux has been put off to Monday the 13th.

February 12.--Yesterday, for the first time, I saw my boulevard. It is a rather large section of the old Boulevard Haussmann. "Boulevard Victor Hugo" is placarded on the Boulevard Haussmann at four or five street corners giving on to this boulevard.

The National a.s.sembly opens to-day at Bordeaux. The result of the elections in Paris has not yet been determined and proclaimed.

While I have not yet been appointed, time presses, and I expect to leave for Bordeaux to-morrow. There will be nine of us, five masters and four servants, plus the two children. Louis Blanc wants to leave with us. We shall make the journey together.