Baron Cuvier. 169 



leaving behind that eternal fame which my ambition, in- 

 dustry, and perseverance, long to enjoy. Not a sub- 

 scriber, Lucy ; no, not one ' 



" I have also been again at Cuvier's to-day, to in- 

 troduce Mr. Parker, to begin his portrait. You would 

 like to hear more of Cuvier and his house. Well, we 

 rang the bell, and a waiter came, and desired that we 

 would wipe our feet ; we needed it, for we were very 

 muddy. This over, we followed the man up-stairs, and 

 in the first room we entered I saw a slight figure in black 

 gliding out at an opposite door like a sylph. It was Miss 

 Cuvier, not quite ready to receive company. Off she 

 flew, like a dove before falcons. However, we followed 

 our man, who every moment turned to us and repeated, 

 ' This way, gentlemen.' Then we passed through eight 

 rooms filled with beds or books, and at last reached a 

 sort of laboratory, the sanctum sanctorum of Cuvier ; 

 nothing there but books, the skeletons of animals, and 

 reptiles. Our conductor bid us sit, and left us to seek 

 for the Baron. My eyes were occupied in the interval in 

 examining the study of this great man, and my mind in 

 reflecting on the wonders of his knowledge. All but or- 

 der was about his books, and I concluded that he read 

 and studied, and was not fond of books because he was 

 the owner of them, as some great men seem to be whom 

 I have known. Our conductor returned direcdy, and led 

 us to another laboratory, where w-e found the Baron. 

 Great men show politeness in a particular way; they re- 

 ceive you without much demonstration ; a smile suffices 

 to assure you that you are welcome, and keep about 

 their avocations as if you were a member of the family." 



"Parker was introduced while Cuvier was looking at a 



small lizard, through a vial of spirits that contained it. I 



.' ee now his speaking eye, half closed, as if quizzing 



its qualities, and as he wrote 'ts name with a pencil on a 



8 



