180 FRESNEL. 



sequel was unexpected. To level small portions of 

 road ; to seek, in the countries placed under his superin- 

 tendence, for beds of flint; to preside over the extraction 

 of the materials ; to see to their deposition on the road, 

 or in the wheel ruts ; to execute, here and there, a 

 bridge over the irrigation drains ; to reestablish some 

 metres of bank which the torrent has carried away in its 

 progress ; to exercise principally an active surveillance 

 over the contractors ; to verify their accounts ; to esti- 

 mate scrupulously their woi'ks, — such were the duties, 

 very useful, though not very lofty, not very scientific, 

 which Fresnel had to fulfil during from eight to nine 

 years in Vendee, in Drome, and in Ille et Vilaine. 

 How heavily must a mind of such power have been 

 affected, when he compared the use which he might 

 have made of those hours which pass away so quickly, 

 with the way in which they were being spent ! But 

 with Fresnel conscientiousness was always the foremost 

 part of his character, and he constantly performed his 

 duties as an engineer with the most rigorous scrupulous- 

 ness. The mission to defend the revenues of the state, 

 to obtain for them the best employment possible, ap- 

 peared to his eyes in the light of a question of honour. 

 The functionary, whatever might be his rank, who sub- 

 mitted to him an ambiguous account, became at once the 

 object of his profound contempt. Fresnel could not 

 comprehend the conduct to which persons, in other 

 respects very estimable, believe themselves bound some- 

 times by an esprit de corps. All fraternity ceased for 

 him, notwithstanding the similarity of title and uniform, 

 as soon as any one lost a probity free of suspicion. 

 Under such circumstances the habitual gentleness of his 

 manners disappeared, and gave place to a sternness, I 



