Lours A(-,.ISSIZ. r, HAP. 



that all relations between them were at an end, and 

 request him to vacate the house by the first of June, 

 when the lease would expire. I declined to give an 

 answer at once, saying that in twenty-four hours I 

 would make a reply. 



My first impulse was to be out of the way, for I was 

 very much frightened by the responsibility and the awk- 

 ward position in which I was placed. Knowing no one 

 but the inmates of Agassiz's household, I asked advice 

 from every one of them. All denied Desor's accusations 

 as untrue, and all disapproved his conduct towards Agas- 

 siz. Christinat, who I knew represented the mother of 

 Agassiz, took me aside and insisted in the most positive 

 terms on their complete separation. He would not allow 

 compromise of any sort ; and he insisted more especially 

 on the immovable determination of Agassiz's mother, 

 not to permit one of Agassiz's children to join him in 

 America, so long as Desor remained in the house. 

 This part of the information derived from Christinat 

 was decisive for me. However, I wanted Agassiz's 

 own words in regard to his children ; for Desor had 

 repeatedly said in my presence that Agassiz did not 

 care anything about them. Agassiz was in much dis- 

 tress when he heard the accusation, and there was the 

 most pitiful scene imaginable. This idea of not seeing 

 his children around him again was so terrible that he 

 almost fainted away. Next day, after a sleepless night, 

 my decision was made ; I had chosen to side with the 

 father, wife, and children against the adventurer, intro- 

 duced in a fatal moment into the Agassiz household ; 

 and I told Agassiz that I accepted his mission, howevrr 



