The Life of Jean Henri Fabre 



in algebra, a lesson given and not received, of 

 course. 



A young man of about my own age came to me 

 and asked me to teach him algebra. He was pre- 

 paring for his examination as a civil engineer; and 

 he came to me because, ingenuous youth that he was, 

 he took me for a well of learning. The guileless 

 applicant was very far out in his reckoning. 



His request gave me a shock of surprise, which 

 was forthwith repressed on reflection : 



" I give algebra lessons? " said I to myself. " It 

 would be madness: I don't know anything about 

 it!" 



And I left it at that for a moment or two, think- 

 ing hard, drawn now this way, now that by my 

 indecision : 



" Shall I accept? Shall I refuse? " continued the 

 inner voice. 



Pooh, let's accept! An heroic method of learning 

 to swim is to leap boldly into the sea. Let us hurl 

 ourselves head first into the algebraical gulf; and 

 perhaps the imminent danger of drowning will call 

 forth efforts capable of bringing me to land. I 

 know nothing of what he wants. It makes no dif- 

 ference: let's go ahead and plunge into the mystery. 

 I shall learn by teaching. 



It was a fine courage that drove me full tilt into 

 a province which I had not yet thought of entering. 

 My twenty-year-old confidence was an incomparable 

 lever. 



11 Very well," I replied. " Come the day after 

 to-morrow at five, and we'll begin." 



102 



