And I quoted almost the whole of the scene between Didier and Marion Delorme, in the island.
"Ah! that is indeed odd!" he said.
"No! there is nothing odd about it. I simply think Marion Delorme one of the most beautiful things in the world. I had the manuscript at my disposal and have read and re-read it. The lines I have just recited have remained in my memory and I repeated them to you in support of my opinion."
"Then, too," continued my critic, "the plot is taken from de Vigny's novel...."
"Good! that is exactly where Hugo shows his wisdom. I would willingly have been his John the forerunner in this instance."
"Do you mean to say that Saverny and Didier are not copied from Cinq-Mars and de Thou?"
"As man is copied from man and no further!"
"And Didier is your Antony."
"Rather say that Antony is taken from Didier, seeing that Marion Delorme was made a year before I dreamt of Antony "Ah! well, one good thing has come out of it."