THE BIRTH OF PICCIOLA. 55 



The philosopher understood still better this mute 

 but decisive answer, because the outer surfaces of 

 the vegetable bivalve had been attacked and bitten 

 the night before by little snails, whose silvery 

 traces were still visible. 



This strange discussion, thoughts on one side 

 and action on the other, between the man and the 

 plant, could not rest there. De Charney was too 

 familiar with metaphysics to be vanquished, so 

 readily by a good argument. 



" Very well," he replied ; " here, as elsewhere, a 

 happy combination of circumstances has favored 

 this weak being. To be armed with a lever to 

 raise the soil, and a buckler to protect its tender 

 head, is a twofold condition of its existence. If 

 this had not been fulfilled, the plant would have 

 perished in its germ, like myriads of others of its 

 kind, that Nature has doubtless created imperfect, 

 unfinished, unable to live and grow. How can one 

 guess how many false and impotent combinations 

 she has tried before bearing a single being fitted 

 to live? For thousands of centuries matter has 



stand either vertically, or almost vertically, upwards or downwards at 

 night, has been acquired, at least in most cases, for a special purpose: 

 nor can we doubt that this purpose is the protection of the upper sur- 

 face of the blade, and perhaps of the central bud or plumule, from 

 radiation at night." 



