268 JUSTUS VON LIEBIG. 
you mean by not coming to dine with von Humboldt yesterday, who 
had invited Gay-Lussac and other chemists to meet you?” “I was 
thunderstruck,” said Liebig, ‘and rushed off, as fast as I could run, to 
von Humboldt’s lodgings, and made the best excuses I could.” The 
great traveller, satisfied with the explanation, told him it was unfortu- 
nate, as he had several members of the Academy at his house to meet 
him, but thought he could make it all right if he would come to dinner 
next Sunday. He went, and there made the acquaintance of Gay- 
Lussaec, who was so struck with the genius and enthusiasm of the youth 
that he took him into his private laboratory, and continued, in conjune- 
tion with him, the investigation of the fulminating compounds. 
