1822—1843 19 



m one sentence the expression of an exalted sentiment. It 

 tjyas with. Chappuis that he exchanged his thoughts, and 

 together they mapped out a life in common. When Chappuis 

 went to Paris, the better to prepare himself for the Ecole 

 Normale, Pasteur felt an ardent desire to go with him. 

 Chappuis wrote to him with that open spontaneity which is 

 such a charm in youth, ''I shall feel as if I had all my Tranche 

 Comte with me when you are here." Pasteur's father feared 

 a crisis like that of 1838, and, after hesitating, refused his 

 consent to an immediate departure. ''Next year," he said. 



In October, 1841, though still combining the functions of 

 master and student, Pasteur resumed his attendance of the 

 classes for special mathematics. But he was constantly think- 

 ing of Paris, *' Paris, where study is deeper." One of 

 Chappuis' comrades, Bertin, whom Pasteur had met during 

 the holidays, had just entered the Ecole Normale at the head 

 of the list after attending in Paris a class of special 

 mathematics. 



*'If I do not pass this year," Pasteur wrote to his father 

 on November 7, "I think I should do well to go to Paris for 

 a year. But there is time to think of that and of the means 

 of doing so without spending too much, if the occasion should 

 arise. I see now vhat great advantage there is in giving two 

 vears to mathematics; ever\i:hin;]^ becomes clearer and easier. 

 Of all our class students who tried this year for the Ecole 

 Polytechnique and the Ecole Normale, not a single one has 

 passed, not even the best of them, a student who had already 

 done one yearns mathematics at Lyons. The master we have 

 now is very good. I feel sure I shall do a great deal this year.'* 



He was twice second in his class; once he was first in 

 physics. **That gives me hope for later on," he said. He 

 Wrote about another mathematical competition, *'If I get a 

 good place it will be well deserved, for this work has given me 

 a pretty bad headache; I always do get one, though, whenever 

 we have a competition." Then, fearful of alarming his 

 parents, he hastily adds, ''But those headaches never last long, 

 and it is only an hour and a half since we left off." 



Anxious to stifle by hard work his growing regrets at not 

 lia\dng followed Chappuis to Paris, Pasteur imagined that he 

 might prepare himself for the Ecole Polytechnique as well as 

 for the Ecole Normale. One of his masters, M. Bouche, had 

 led him to hope that he might be successful. *'I shall try thisi 



