rd him comfort, and he went boldly to the
house of M. Foucher and declared his love for Mlle. Adele, asking of her
parents her hand in marriage. Although both were so young, and they had
as yet no means of living, the parents did not deny the suit, only
stipulating that there should be no present thought of marriage. Victor
was very poor at this time, his allowance from his father having been
withdrawn, and he having no settled employment; so the lovers were
unwillingly forced to accept these terms. They were very happy at this
time, despite his privations, which were very real, and hard for one
brought up in comfort, as he had been, to endure. For a whole year he
lived on seven hundred francs, which he earned by his pen, cooking his
own meals in his humble lodgings, and finding them sometimes scanty and
unsatisfactory. He tells us he had but three shirts at this time, and
sometimes found it difficult to be as neat as he desired. It was not
long, however, before the verses of the young poet attracted the
attention of the king, who bestowed a pension upon him of one thousand
francs, from his private purse. This enabled the poet to consummate his
marriage with Mlle. Foucher, which was done in October, 1822. The
bridegroom, whose fortune consisted of eight hundred francs, presented
his bride with a wedding dress of French cashmere. The brightness of the
occasion was destroyed by a sudden attack of insanity which overtook
Victor's brother Eugene,--an attack from which he never recovered.
Victor now began in earnest his literary work, and soon published his
first novel, "Han d'Islande," which is said to bear a marked resemblance
to the works of Walter Scott. He soon followed this with his plays,
"Marion Delorme" and "Hernani," the former of which was soon prohibited
by the Government.

The first representation of "Hernani" was an event long remembered in
Paris. It was supposed that the classical school would receive the new
drama with little favor, and would perhaps drive it from the stage; so
the friends of the new movement in literature determined to organize for
its defence; and as Victor Hugo had decided against having the usual
paid _claquers_, they determined to form themselves into such a body and
carry the play through at all hazards. Fired with zeal, all the young
_litterateurs_ of the day organized in companies, each under a captain
of its own, and at an early hour in the afternoon of the day set for the
performanc