The Life of Jean Henri Fabre 



at least enable us to live. If she can't do that, 

 then let her leave us to break stones on the high- 

 way. Oh, yes, I was prepared for the truth when 

 that honest fellow talked to me of frock-coated 

 poverty! I am telling the story of a not very dis- 

 tant past. Since then things have improved con- 

 siderably; but, when the pear was properly rip- 

 ened, I was no longer of an age to pick it. 



However, notwithstanding Rollier's con- 

 fidences, Fabre had deferred rather than defi- 

 nitely abandoned the execution of his project. 

 Since his impecuniosity was the only obstacle 

 to the realisation of his wishes, could he not 

 seek to uplift himself, as others had done, by 

 daring and willing? In the meantime was it 

 not better to make a great effort in this di- 

 rection than to remain for ever sunk in the 

 material anxieties and ungrateful tasks of the 

 lycee? 



The question as to how to free and simul- 

 taneously uplift himself exercised the mind of 

 Fabre at this time. 



And what was I to do now [he writes] to 

 overcome the difficulty mentioned by my inspec- 

 tor and confirmed by my personal experience? I 

 would take up industrial chemistry. The munici- 

 pal lectures at Saint-Martial placed a spacious and 

 fairly well-equipped laboratory at my disposal. 

 Why not make the most of it? 

 190 



