At this same time (1822) , a boyhood friend of (Hugo's), named Delon , son of an officer who had been his father's comrade in arms, fell into trouble with the police, owing to alleged political conspiracy on his part, went into hiding, and was hunted all over Paris. Delon was a "hothead", Victor Hugo thought then, a violent republican who , after going into exile, some years later joined Lord Byron and died fighting for Greek independence. On hearing of Delon's danger, Victor Hugo sat down and wrote a letter to his friend's mother offering her son asylum. He said "I am so good a Royalist, Madame , that the police would never think of coming to look for him under my roof." The letter, sent directly to Mme. Delon's address, was of course opened by the secret police and even shown to the King, who loved to be kept informed of such little details. According to legends of that period, the King laughed over the incident and remarked that Hugo was a young fellow of worthy instinct.