88 LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 



tion. She was an idealist, gentle, intelligent and 

 artistic, and, in her youth, had painted and played the 

 violoncello, but a very early marriage and numerous 

 children had forced her to give up the practice of art, 

 to her lifelong regret. Great sympathy arose between 

 her and Elie ; she supported him in everything and 

 became for him a tenderly attached friend. He 

 explained to her his theories on marriage, and then 

 confided to her his feelings towards me. My extreme 

 youth troubled her very much, but Elie endeavoured 

 to reassure her, saying that he fully understood the 

 rashness of his projects, but that he was ready to 

 suffer all the consequences ; in fact, he declared, if 

 he did not succeed in making me happy, he would 

 have the strength to help me to create another exist- 

 ence for myself. I had not suspected my Professor's 

 feelings towards me, and was deeply moved when I 

 was told of them ; it seemed to me impossible to 

 understand that this superior, this learned man could 

 wish to marry a little girl like myself ! I thought 

 with terror that he must be mistaken about me ; I 

 felt as if I were going up for an examination without 

 any previous study. However, I had a great affec- 

 tion and admiration for Elie ; I was attracted by his 

 whole personality, which produced a strong impression 

 upon others as well as upon myself. This is how 

 Setchenoff describes him, in his own autobiography : 



Elie Metchnikoff was the soul of our circle. Of all the 

 young men I have known in my life, young Metchnikoff was 

 the most attractive with his lively intelUgence, inexhaustible 

 wit and abundant knowledge of aU things. He was, in Science, 

 as serious and as productive (he had already done much in 

 zoology and acquired a great name in that branch) as he was 

 full of life and varied interest in a circle of friends. 



