Chapter 33

THE SIEGE OF PARIS.

EXTRACTS FROM NOTE-BOOKS

BRUSSELS, September 1.--Charles* leaves this morning
with MM. Claretie, Proust, and Frédérix for Virton.
Fighting is going on near there, at Carignan. They will
see what they can of the battle. They will return tomorrow.

* Victor Hugo's son.

September 2.--Charles and his friends did not return to-day.

September 3.--Yesterday, after the decisive battle had
been lost, Louis Napoleon, who was taken prisoner at
Sedan, surrendered his sword to the King of Prussia. Just
a month ago, on August 2, at Sarrebrück, he was playing
at war.

To save France now would be to save Europe.

Shouting newsboys pass, with enormous posters on which
are the words: "Napoleon III. a Prisoner."

5 o'clock.--Charles and our friends have returned.

9 o'clock.--Meeting of exiles at which Charles and I are
present.

Query: Tricolour flag or red flag?

September 4.--The deposition of the Emperor is proclaimed
in Paris.

At 1 o'clock a meeting of exiles is held at my house.

At 3 o'clock I receive a telegram from Paris couched
in the following terms: "Bring the children with you."
Which means "Come."

MM. Claretie and Proust dined with us.

During the dinner a telegram signed "François Hugo"
arrived, announcing that a provisional government had
been formed: Jules Favre, Gambetta, Thiers.

September 5.--At 6 o'clock in the morning a telegram
signed "Barbieux," and asking the hour of my arrival in
Paris, is brought to me. I instruct Charles to answer that
I shall arrive at 9 o'clock at night. We shall take the
children with us. We shall leave by the 2.35 o'clock train.

The Provisional Government (according to the newspapers)
is made up of all the Deputies of Paris, with the
exception of Thiers.

At noon, as I was about to leave Brussels for Paris, a
young man, a Frenchman, accosted me in the Place de la
Monnaie and said:

Monsieur, they tell me that you are Victor Hugo."

"Yes."

"Be so kind as to enlighten me. I would like to know
whether it is prudent to go to Paris at present."

"Monsieur, it is very imprudent, but you should go,"
was my reply.

We entered France at 4 o'clock.

At Tergnier, at 6.30, we dined upon a piece of bread, a
little cheese, a pear and a glass of wine. Claretie insisted
upon paying, and said: "I want particularly to give you
a dinner on the day of your return to France."

En route I saw in the woods a camp of French soldiers,
men and horses mingled. I shouted to them: