Newton's Binomial Theorem 



brain incapable of taking in those transcen- 

 dental verities. 



'Let us try another method.' 



And I start again this way and that way 

 and yet another way. My pupil's eyes serve 

 as my thermometer and tell me of the progress 

 of my efforts. A blink of satisfaction an- 

 nounces my success. I have struck home, I 

 have found the joint in the armour. The 

 product of minus multiplied by minus de- 

 livers its mysteries to us. 



And thus we continued our studies : he, 

 the passive receiver, taking in the ideas ac- 

 quired without effort; I, the fierce pioneer, 

 blasting my rock, the book, with the aid of 

 much sitting up at night, to extract the dia- 

 mond, truth. Another and no less arduous 

 task fell to my share : I had to cut and polish 

 the recondite gem, to strip it of its ruggedness 

 and present it to my companion's intelligence 

 under a less forbidding aspect. This diamond- 

 cutter's work, which admitted a little light 

 into the precious stone, was the favourite oc- 

 cupation of my leisure; and I owe a great 

 deal to it. 



The ultimate result was that my pupil 

 passed his examination. As for the book 

 borrowed by stealth, I restored it to the 



287 



