THE MOTHER OF VICTOR HUGO. 237 monks, one of whom was severe, the other apparently good-natured, but really a keen-eyed spy who reported to his superior all the little pranks or carelessness of the boys, which he appeared not to notice or disapprove. Moreover the food was insufficient and poor, the building wholly unwarmed, and a grim court-yard surrounded by high, walls was the only play-ground. The pupils were all young Spaniards of noble families. It is an odd instance of the strictness of Spanish etiquette that, even when engaged in romping games, they always addressed each other by their titles, never by their names. It would be : " Throw the ball this way, Marquis." " Count, that isn't fair ! " Eugene and Victor were by no means satisfied with their life at this institution, and did not regret the deter- mination, forced on their parents by the renewal of the war, to send them back to Paris. They went back in 1812 to the beautiful garden of the Feuillantines, where they resumed their relations with the Fouchers, whose daughter Adele was now a very pretty little girl. Their lives flowed on tranquilly until one day, the 29th of March, the two boys were awakened early in the morning by the thunder of cannon. They hastened to their mother to inquire the meaning of this startling sound. She told them it was the Russians and the Prussians. The allies were before Paris ; soon, they were in Paris ; and a good-natured Prussian colonel was quartered at Madame Hugo's house, where he tried, with tolerable success, to win the favor of her sons. The Bourbons were restored ! Madame Hugo, still a royalist, entered with her whole heart into the popular rejoicings. It became a fashion to wear green shoes, to signify the treading under foot of the color of the empire ; her shoes were always green. She was present at all the
