Drouet Juliette – Autograph Letter Signed To Victor Hugo

Autograph letter signed “Juliette” to Victor HUGO. March 13 (1849) Tuesday 3/4 noon; 4 page in-8° Pretty letter from the eternal lover angry about her convalescence which keeps her away from her “toto”. She mopes, reproaching him for not having left her the manuscript of Les Miserables to copy: “I hope for you, my toto and above all I desire you with all my soul. I am very punished for not being able to accompany you but that is completely impossible for me, provided that the brave Father Triger does not prolong my confinement indefinitely? I am at the end of my patience and resignation, so I am able, despite the expense, to cut and chop my own foot to get it over with even faster. If you had given me [the manuscript of Les Misérables] to copy during my forced seclusion it would have made me find the time less long, but you give me nothing to do and the occupations of my household are not designed to distract my heart of your absence, on the contrary if Mr Triger does not come today I will send Suzanne to his house this evening to hurry him, in the meantime I kiss, I rage and I drink Soapwort, a beneficial drink perhaps, but little pleasant. Still, I want to try to get rid of this hideous mask that horrifies me, even myself. I had to die to get there. Besides, the important thing for me is not to live to eat lamb and salad, but to live to be loved. The day when the infirmities of my body will be a serious obstacle to our love I will plant the body and the infirmities as a whole. Now that it's agreed, I will only kiss you when contagion is no longer to be feared. Until then, I keep myself and my love at a distance and I love you in quarantine that I am…”