124 LOUIS PASTEUR 



his discoveries to enhance his own wealth. Pas- 

 teur replied that, "In France scientists would feel 

 that they lowered themselves by such a procedure." 

 Napoleon III, as well as the Empress, conceived 

 a personal liking for Pasteur and occasionally had 

 him at the palace. They enjoyed having him ex- 

 pound the mysteries of the world of minute life, and 

 sometimes the scientist would show them and their 

 guests some of his organisms under the microscope. 

 On one of these visits he required for one of his 

 demonstrations some live frogs which he carried 

 in a bag. Absent-mindedly he forgot the bag 

 when he went away, and during the night some of 

 the frogs made their escape and wandered about 

 freely through the palace, some of them invading 

 the bed chamber of the Empress. The Empress, 

 happening to get up in the night, set her foot upon 

 the cold and clammy back of one of these innocent 

 wanderers and experienced a fright which only a 

 person of feminine sensibilities can imagine. Not- 

 withstanding this experience, so unusual in the 

 royal circles, Pasteur continued to be in favor at 

 court. 



