I had to let a few days go by before I had the courage to return to my own verses after having heard and re-read those of Hugo. I felt inclined to do to _Charles VII._ what Harel had asked me to do to _Christine_: to put it into prose. Finally, I gathered together some friends at my house, and read them my new drama. But, whether I read badly or whether they came to me with biased minds, the reading did not have the effect upon them that I expected. This want of success discouraged me. Two days later, I had to read to Harel, who had already sent me my premium of a thousand francs, and also to Georges, to whom the part of Bérengère was allotted. I wrote to Harel not to count on the play and I sent him back his thousand francs. I decided not to have my drama played. Harel believed neither in my abnegation nor in my honesty. He came rushing to me in alarm. I laid my reasons before him, taking as many pains to depreciate my work as another would have done to exalt his. But to everything I said Harel took exception, repeating-- "It is not that ... it is not that ... it is not that!" "What, then, is it?" I exclaimed. "The Théâtre-Français had offered you five thousand francs premium!" "Me?" "I know it." "Me, five thousand francs premium?" "I tell you I know it, and in proof ..." He drew five one-thousand franc notes from his pocket. "The proof lies here in the five thousand francs I bring you." And he held out the five notes to me. I took one of them. "All right," I said, "there is nothing to change in the programme; I will read it the day after to-morrow. Only, tell Lockroy to be at the reading." "Well, what about the remaining four thousand francs?" "They do not belong to me, my dear fellow; therefore you must take them back." Harel scratched his ear and looked at me sideways. It was evident he did not understand. Poor Harel! how sharp he was! Two days later, before Harel, Georges, Janin and Lockroy I read the play with immense success. It was at once put in rehearsal and was to appear soon after a drama of _Mirabeau_, which was being studied. I would fain say what the drama of _Mirabeau_ was like, but I cannot now remember. All I know is that the principal part was for Frédérick, and that they thought a great deal of the work. _Charles VII._ was distributed as follows:--Savoisy, Ligier; Bérengère, Georges; Yaqoub, Lockroy; Charles VII., Delafosse: Agnes Sorel, Noblet. This business of the distribution done, I immediately turned to _Richard_; its wholly modern colouring, political theme, vivid and rather coarse treatment was more in accord with my own age and special tastes than studies of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Let me hasten to say that I was then not anything like as familiar with those periods as I am now.