126 LOUIS PASTEUR 



touched a silk worm. If I had a part of your 

 knowledge on the subject I should not hesitate; it 

 may perhaps lie within the sphere of my present 

 studies. The recollection of your many favors to 

 me would always leave me bitter regrets if I were 

 to refuse your pressing invitation. Do with me as 

 you like." To Pasteur's complaint that he was 

 entirely ignorant of the subject Dumas only replied, 

 "So much the better ! For ideas you will have only 

 those which will come to you as a result of your 

 own observations." 



Pasteur with mingled feelings of self distrust and 

 hope soon left for Alais, a town in the thick of the 

 silk worm epidemic. He little suspected that he 

 had embarked upon one of the most arduous and 

 perplexing investigations of his career. The great 

 French naturalist Fabre, well-known for his fasci- 

 nating writings upon the habits of insects, gives an 

 amusing account of a visit which he received from 

 Pasteur upon his arrival in the silk worm district 

 in which Fabre happened to reside. Pasteur sought 

 some instruction from the celebrated entomologist 

 regarding the habits and life history of the silk 

 worm, and requested to see some of the cocoons. 

 "Nothing could be simpler," said Fabre who 

 stepped out and soon returned with a pocket full 



