Newton's Binomial Theorem 



His request gave me a shock of surprise, 

 which was forthwith repressed on reflection : 



'I give algebra-lessons?' said I to myself. 

 'It would be madness : I don't know anything 

 about the subject!' 



And I left it at that for a moment or two, 

 thinking hard, drawn now this way, now that 

 with indecision: 



'Shall I accept? Shall I refuse?' continued 

 the inner voice. 



Pooh, let's accept! An heroic method of 

 learning to swim is to leap boldly into the sea. 

 Let us hurl ourselves head first into the alge- 

 braical gulf; and perhaps the imminent dan- 

 ger of drowning will call forth efforts capable 

 of bringing me to land. I know nothing of 

 what he wants. It makes no difference: let's 

 go ahead and plunge into the mystery. I shall 

 learn by teaching. 



It was a fine courage that drove me full 

 tilt into a province which I had not yet 

 thought of entering. My twenty-year-old 

 confidence was an incomparable lever. 



'Very well,' I replied. 'Come the day 

 after to-morrow, at five, and we'll begin.' 



This twenty-four hours' delay concealed a 

 plan. It secured me the respite of a day, the 



279 



