The Ergates; the Cossus 



jection and is not afraid of what foolish 

 people will say if ever they get to hear of our 

 banquet. He is a man of liberal views and 

 scientific training, whose mind is always open 

 to admit the truth in any guise. 



The second, Marius Guigne, is blind. A 

 joiner by trade, he wields his saw and plane 

 in the blackest darkness with as sure a hand 

 as any skilled craftsman who enjoys the full 

 use of his eyes can exercise in broad daylight. 

 He lost his sight when a boy, after knowing 

 the blessings of the sunshine and the miracles 

 of colour. To make up for the perpetual 

 gloom in which he lives, he has acquired a 

 gentle and ever-cheerful philosophy, a pas- 

 sionate desire to fill as best he can the gaps 

 left by his meagre primary education, an ear 

 exquisitely refined in musical matters and a 

 sensitiveness of skin which is very unusual in 

 fingers hardened by the labour of the carpen- 

 ter's shop. When he and I are talking, if he 

 wants to know something about this or that 

 geometrical property, he holds out his hand 

 to me, wide open. It is our black-board. 1 

 trace with my forefinger the figure to be con- 

 structed and accompany the light contact 

 with a short explanation. That is enough 

 to make him understand the idea which the 

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