himself from severe penalties. He has always been too
proud and too conscientious to stoop in this way to either the populace
or the government. In the meantime his house was besieged with
publishers and theatrical managers, who besought him to use his pen for
them.

He wrote, when once at a piece of work, with rapidity, and applied
himself very closely. In writing _Notre Dame_, he was occupied for six
months, and during that time he did not leave his house for a day, such
were the urgent demands of his publisher upon him. He wrote for his
publishers and for the managers and constantly increased his
reputation. _Lucretia Borgia_ appeared on the stage and had an almost
unheard of success. It eclipsed all of his plays which had preceded it.
He also published two or three volumes of songs at this time, which were
enthusiastically received by the French people. He was always the warm
friend of the poor. In 1834 he petitioned the duke of Orleans in favor
of a poor family he chanced to know, and the duke gave a hundred louis
to relieve them. In return the poet addressed the duke in song.

The manager who had brought out _Lucretia Borgia_ offered him ten
thousand francs for another, and very soon _Marie Tudor_ made its
appearance. There seems to have been trouble in its representation, from
quarrels between rival actors. The manager acted dishonorably toward the
poet. He announced his new play in an objectionable manner. Hugo
complained, and he promised amendment the next day. But when the next
day's announcement came Hugo saw no change, and what was worse still,
the manager tried to deceive him by asserting that the bills were
altered according to his wish. Hugo upbraided him for his falsehood, and
demanded the play back. The manager would not give it up, for he had
announced it. Said he:

"To-morrow your play will appear, and I will cause it to prove a
failure."

"Instead of that," replied Hugo, "I will make your theater bankrupt."

The representation came on, and it proved eminently successful. But Hugo
would not forgive such deception and insolence. He wrote a new
play--_Angelo_--for a rival theater. In vain the old manager offered a
high price for it. In a few months he and his theater were bankrupt,
and he found, too late, that it was unwise to attempt to deceive and
insult a man like Victor Hugo.

It is said that M. Hugo has a talent of high order for music, and also
for drawing. During the cholera of 1832, he fi