CHAPTER XXII 



The Pasteur Institute — ^Dreams realised — Metchnikofif at fifty — Growing 

 optimism — Attenuated sensitiveness — ^The Sevres villa — Daily 

 routine. 



Having decided to settle in France, we hastened to 

 make ourselves acquainted with contemporary French 

 literature, thinking to find in it a reflection of the 

 soul and manners of the nation. But the realistic 

 literature of the time, in spite of the great artistic 

 worth of many of the authors, gave us an erroneous 

 idea of life in France, of which it represented but one 

 of many aspects. It was therefore with apprehension 

 that we asked ourselves if we should ever be able to 

 adapt ourselves to the new conditions, and whether 

 our isolation would not be great. 



We arrived in Paris on the 15th of October 1888, 

 and we lodged at a small hotel in the Latin quarter, 

 not far from the rue d'Ulm where the old Pasteur 

 Institute stood, the new one not being completed. 

 There was but little room in the laboratory, and 

 Metchnikofi felt rather uneasy, fearing that he was 

 in the way. But the new Institute soon was suffi- 

 ciently advanced for him to settle there. 



He was given two rooms on the second floor ; I 

 served as his assistant ; he was perfectly happy at 

 being at last able to give himself up in peace to his 

 work. Soon, young physicians came to work under 



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