1865—1870 161 



apparent confidence, answered, "Never fear; you will recover, 

 you will make many more marvellous discoveries, you will live 

 happy days ; I am your senior, you will survive me. Promise 

 me that you will pronounce my funeral oration. ... I wish you 

 would; you would say nice things of me," he added between 

 tears and smiles. 



Bertin, Gernez, Duclaux, Raulin, Didon, then a curator at 

 the Ecole Normale, Professor Auguste Lamy, the geologist 

 Marcou (the two latter being Franche-comte friends), all 

 claimed the privilege of helping Mme. Pasteur and M. Godelier 

 in nursing one who inspired them all, not merely with an 

 admiring and devoted affection, but with a feeling of tenderness 

 amounting almost to a cult. 



A private letter from a cousin, Mme. Cribier, gives an idea 

 of those dark days (October 26, 1868) : "The news is rather 

 good this morning ; the patient was able to sleep for a few 

 hours last night, which he had not yet done. He had been so 

 restless all day that M. Godelier felt uneasy about him and 

 ordered complete silence in the whole flat ; it was only in the 

 study which is farthest away from the bedroom, and which has 

 padded doors, that one was allowed to talk. That room is full 

 from morning till night. All scientific Paris comes to inquire 

 anxiously after the patient ; intimate friends take it in turns to 

 watch by him. Dumas, the great chemist, was affectionately 

 insisting on taking his turn yesterday. Every morning the 

 Emperor and Empress send a footman for news, which M. 

 Godelier gives him in a sealed envelope. In fact, every mark 

 of sympathy is given to poor Marie, and I hope that the worst 

 may be spared her in spite of the alarming beginning. His 

 mind seems so absolutely untouched, and he is still so young, 

 that with rest and care he might yet be able to do some work. 

 His stroke is accompanied by symptoms which are now occu- 

 pying the attention of the whole Academy of Medicine. 

 Paralysis always comes abruptly, whilst for M. Pasteur, it came 

 in little successive fits, twenty or thirty perhaps, and was 

 only complete at the end of twenty-four hours, which com- 

 pletely disconcerted the doctors who watched him, and delayed 

 their having recourse to an active treatment. It seems that 

 this fact is observed for the first time, and is puzzling the 

 whole Faculty." 



M. Pasteur's mind remained clear, luminous, dominating 

 his prostrate body ; he was evidently afraid that he should die 



M 



