THE LAST DAYS 207 



science in his case had in no way destroyed 

 faith, and throughout his life he had remained 

 a practical Catholic. His pupils took turns in 

 watching beside him, thus showing that he had 

 not only been able to arouse their scientific en- 

 thusiasm, but had also attached them to him by 

 his kindliness and bigness of heart. 



"At the end of December," writes M. Vallery- 

 Radot, "we began to have hope. On the 1st of 

 January, after receiving all of his collaborators 

 down to the youngest of the laboratory attend- 

 ants, Pasteur saw one of his colleagues of the 

 Academie Frangaise enter the room. 



"It was Alexandre Dumas. He had a bou- 

 quet of roses with him, and was accompanied 

 by one of his daughters. 



" 'I wanted to begin the year well/ he said; 

 'I bring you all my best wishes.' " 



Ever since they first met, twelve years be- 

 fore, on a certain Thursday at the Academie 

 Frangaise, Alexandre Dumas and Pasteur had 

 felt themselves mutually drawn towards each 

 other. Pasteur, charmed at first by the swift 



