294 OUR HUMBLE HELPERS 



out paying attention to them. At times the milk 

 turns, as they say ; in other words, it curdles. Why 

 is that! You do not know. I will tell you. 



"Here is a glass of milk just as it came from the 

 goat. It is of irreproachable fluidity without the 

 slightest trace of curdling. I squeeze into it a drop 

 of lemon juice, one only, and stir the liquid. Im- 

 mediately a great change is effected : one part of the 

 milk clots and rises to the surface in thick white 

 flakes; another part remains liquid, but loses its 

 whiteness and becomes like slightly turbid water. 

 If I let the glass stand for some time, the curd col- 

 lects at the surface and floats on a clear liquid. 

 With a drop of lemon juice I have just made the milk 

 turn quickly. ' ' 



Emile examined with lively interest the contents 

 of the glass thus speedily transformed. His uncle, 

 whom nothing escapes, perceived it. "What is it 

 you are looking at so attentively t" he asked. 



"Your experiment/' Emile answered, "reminds 

 me of what happened to my milk one day at break- 

 fast. To my toasted bread, which Jules turns up 

 his nose at, I wanted to add something still better. 

 I had an orange and I took it into my head to squeeze 

 the juice into my cup of milk, thinking to make a de- 

 licious drink of the mixture. Who was the fool that 

 time? It was giddy Emile. The milk instantly 

 curdled, just like this when you squeezed the lemon 

 juice into it. Trying to improve my cup of milk, I 

 only made it so that I had to throw it all away, it had 

 gone so bad." 



