The Life of the Fly 



gress of science drawn up for the International 

 Exhibition of 1867, which had just closed. 



'Those books are for you,' continued the 

 minister. 'Take them v/ith you. You can 

 look through them at your leisure : they may 

 interest you. There is something about your 

 insects in them. You're to have this too: it 

 will pay for your journey. The trip which I 

 made you take must not be at your own ex- 

 pense. If there is anything over, spend it on 

 your laboratory.' 



And he handed me a roll of twelve hundred 

 francs. In vain I refused, remarking that my 

 journey was not so burdensome as all that ; be- 

 sides, his embrace and his bit of ribbon were 

 of Inestimable value compared with my dis- 

 bursements. He Insisted : 



'Take it,' he said, 'or I shall be very 

 angry. There's something else: you must 

 come to the emperor's with me to-morrow, to 

 the reception of the learned societies.' 



Seeing me greatly perplexed and as though 

 demoralized by the prospect of an Imperial In- 

 terview : 



'Don't try to escape me,' he said, 'or look 



out for the gendarmes of my letter ! You saw 



the fellows in the bearskin caps on your way 



up. Mind you don't fall into their hands. In 



466 



