"La Joie de Vivre" begun and put aside--"Pot-Bouille"--The outlay at Médan--Zola's first franc--His hypochondria and dread of death--His opinion of drawing-rooms--His idea of writing a book which would never end--"Au Bonheur des Dames" begun--Zola falls seriously ill--He recovers and finishes "Au Bonheur des Dames"--"Le Capitaine Burle"--The decline of Zola's sales--He is still stage-struck--Alphonse Daudet and the French Academy--His popularity and friendship with Zola--"La Joie de Vivre" finished--"Pot-Bouille" as a play--First ideas of "La Terre"--"Germinal"--Zola among the pitmen--A charge of plagiarism--The reception of "Germinal"--"L'Œuvre"--Zola on politicians and young writers--Death of Victor Hugo--Zola's telegram to George Hugo--"Germinal" forbidden as a play--The purport of "Germinal"--Zola, humanitarianism, and artistry--Publication of "L'Œuvre"--Zola prepares "La Terre"--A glance at the French peasantry--Sketch of "La Terre" by Zola--His tour of investigation--Various plays: "Le Ventre de Paris," "Renée," "Jacques Damour," "Tout pour l'Honneur,"--The "Manifesto of the Five" against Zola and "La Terre"--Zola's opinion of it--Daudet and Goncourt unconnected with it--Prolonged denunciation of Zola--M. Lockroy to the rescue--How Zola became a knight of the Legion of Honour. In the year 1881, besides launching the critical volumes enumerated in the last chapter, Zola carried his Rougon-Macquart series a step further. Early in the spring he planned "La Joie de Vivre," a tale of pain and suffering, containing numerous autobiographical passages, descriptive of some of his feelings and peculiarities. But while he was preparing his notes the recollection of his mother's recent death constantly pursued him, and he felt it would be impossible for him at that time to write such a book as he wished. So, after a few attempts, he decided to postpone this particular work. It will be remembered that he had first intended to make the Rougon-Macquart series one of eight volumes only. Next, he had decided on twelve, to which figure he had adhered until the time of "L'Assommoir." But plenty of characters for additional volumes figured on the leaves of the genealogical tree which he had long since prepared,[37] and now that success had come he felt that he might extend his series. "Nana" was its ninth volume, and he resolved to add eleven more. "La Joie de Vivre" having been put aside, he was thinking of what subject he might take in hand when, in the course of his "Figaro" campaign, he had occasion to write an article on "Adultery in the Middle Class." The idea that this was the great evil preying on the _bourgeoisie_ seized hold of him, and he began to prepare the book which he called "Pot-Bouille," a title which might be Englished, perhaps, as "The Stockpot," and which signifies every-day _cuisine_ and by extension every-day life. Some of the incidents that he wove into this work had come under his personal