〃Jeanne；〃　I　said；　pressing　both　her　hands；　〃remain　always　a　good；　truthful；　brave　girl。　　Good…bye。〃
  As　she　left　the　room　with　her　packages　of　chocolate　and　confectionery；　she　happened　to　strike　the　handles　of　her　skipping…　rope　against　the　back　of　a　chair。　　Mademoiselle　Prefere；　full　of　indignation；　pressed　both　hands　over　her　heart；　under　her　pelerine；　and　I　almost　expected　to　see　her　give　up　her　scholastic　ghost。
  When　we　found　ourselves　alone；　she　recovered　her　composure；　and　I　must　say；　without　considering　myself　thereby　flattered；　that　she　smiled　upon　me　with　one　whole　side　of　her　face。
  〃Mademoiselle；〃　I　said；　taking　advantage　of　her　good　humour；　〃I　noticed　that　Jeanne　Alexandre　looks　a　little　pale。　　You　know　better　than　I　how　much　consideration　and　care　a　young　girl　requires　at　her　age。　　It　would　only　be　doing　you　an　injustice　by　implication　to　recommend　her　still　more　earnestly　to　your　vigilance。〃
  These　words　seemed　to　ravish　her　with　delight。　　She　lifted　her　eyes；　as　in　ecstasy；　to　the　paper　spirals　of　the　ceiling；　and；　clasping　her　hands　exclaimed；
  〃How　well　these　eminent　men　know　the　art　of　considering　the　most　trifling　details！〃
  I　called　her　attention　to　the　fact　that　the　health　of　a　young　girl　was　not　a　trifling　detail；　and　made　my　farewell　bow。　　But　she　stopped　me　on　the　threshold　to　say　to　me；　very　confidentially；
  〃You　must　excuse　me；　Monsieur。　　I　am　a　woman；　and　I　love　gloy。　　I　cannot　conceal　from　you　the　fact　that　I　feel　myself　greatly　honoured　by　the　presence　of　a　Member　of　the　Institute　in　my　humble　institution。〃
  I　duly　excused　the　weakness　of　Mademoiselle　Prefere；　and；　thinking　only　of　Jeanne；　with　the　blindness　of　egotism；　kept　asking　myself　all　along　the　road；　〃What　are　we　going　to　do　with　this　child？〃
  June　3。
  I　had　escorted　to　the　Cimetiere　de　Marnes　that　day　a　very　aged　colleague　of　mine　who；　to　use　the　words　of　Goethe；　had　consented　to　die。　　The　great　Goethe；　whose　own　vital　force　was　something　extraordinary；　actually　believed　that　one　never　dies　until　one　really　wants　to　diethat　is　to　say；　when　all　those　energies　which　resist　dissolution；　and　teh　sum　of　which　make　up　life　itself；　have　been　totally　destroyed。　　In　other　words；　he　believed　that　people　only　die　when　it　is　no　longer　possible　for　them　to　live。　　Good！　it　is　merely　a　question　of　properly　understanding　one　another；　and　when　fully　comprehended；　the　magnificent　idea　of　Goethe　only　brings　us　quietly　back　to　the　song　of　La　Palisse。
  Well；　my　excellent　colleague　had　consented　to　diethanks　to　several　successive　attacks　of　extremely　persuasive　apoplexythe　last　of　which　proved　unanswerable。　　I　had　been　very　little　acquainted　with　him　during　his　lifetime；　but　it　seems　that　I　became　his　friend　the　moment　he　was　dead；　for　our　colleagues　assured　me　in　a　most　serious　manner；　with　deeply　sympathetic　countenances；　that　I　should　act　as　one　of　the　pall…bearers；　and　deliver　an　address　over　the　tomb。
  After　having　read　very　badly　a　short　address　I　had　written　as　well　as　I　couldwhich　is　not　saying　much　for　itI　started　out　for　a　walk　in　the　woods　of　Ville…d'Avray；　and　followed；　without　leaning　too　much　on　the　Captain's　cane；　a　shaded　path　on　which　the　sunlight　fell；　through　foliage；　in　little　discs　of　gold。　　Never　had　the　scent　of　grass　and　fresh　leaves；never　had　the　beauty　of　the　sky　over　the　trees；　and　the　serene　might　of　noble　tree　contours；　so　deeply　affected　my　senses　and　all　my　being；　and　the　pleasure　I　felt　in　that　silence；　broken　only　by　faintest　tinkling　sounds；　was　at　once　of　the　senses　and　of　the　soul。
  I　sat　down　in　the　shade　of　the　roadside　under　a　clump　of　young　oaks。　And　there　I　made　a　promise　to　myself　not　to　die；　or　at　least　not　to　consent　to　die；　before　I　should　be　again　able　to　sit　down　under　and　oak；　wherein　the　great　peace　of　the　open　countryI　could　meditate　on　the　nature　of　the　soul　and　the　ultimate　destiny　of　man。　A　bee；　whose　brown　breast…plate　gleamed　in　the　sun　like　armour　of　old　gold；　came　to　light　upon　a　mallow…flower　close　by　medarkly　rich　in　colour；　and　fully　opened　upon　its　tufted　stalk。　　It　was　certainly　not　the　first　time　I　had　witnessed　so　common　an　incident；　but　it　was　the　first　time　that　I　had　watched　it　with　such　comprehensive　and　friendly　curiosity。　　I　could　discern　that　there　were　all　sorts　of　sympathies　between　the　insect　and　the　flowera　thousand　singular　little　relationships　which　I　had　never　before　even　suspected。
  Satiated　with　nectar；　the　insect　rose　and　buzzed　away　in　a　straight　line；　while　I　lifted　myself　up　as　best　I　could；　and　readjusted　myself　upon　my　legs。
  〃Adieu！〃　I　said　to　the　flower　and　to　the　bee。　　〃Adieu！　Heaven　grant　I　may　live　long　enough　to　discover　the　secret　of　your　harmonies。　　I　am　very　tired。　　But　man　is　so　made　that　he　can　only　find　relaxation　from　one　kind　of　labour　by　taking　up　another。　　The　flowers　and　insects　will　give　me　that　relaxation；　with　God's　will；　after　my　long　researches　in　philology　and　diplomatics。　　How　full　of　meaning　is　that　old　myth　of　Antaeus！　　I　have　touched　the　Earth　and　I　am　a　new　man；　and　now　at　seventy　years　of　age；　new　feelings　of　curiosity　take　birth　in　my　mind；　even　as　young　shoots　sometimes　spring　up　from　the　hollow　trunk　of　an　aged　oak！〃
  June　4。
  I　like　to　look　out　of　my　window　at　the　Seine　and　its　quays　on　those　soft　grey　mornings　which　give　such　an　infinite　tenderness　of　tint　to　everything。　　I　have　seen　that　azure　sky　which　flings　so　luminous　a　calm　over　the　Bay　of　Naples。　　But　our　Parisian　sky　is　more　animated；　more　kindly；　more　spiritual。　　It　smiles；　threatens；　caressestakes　an　aspect　of　melancholy　or　a　look　of　merriment　like　a　human　gaze。　　At　this　moment　it　is　pouring　down　a　very　gentle　light　on　the　men　and　beasts　of　the　city　as　they　accomplish　their　daily　tasks。　　Over　there；　on　the　opposite　bank；　the　stevedores　of　the　Port　Saint…Nicholas　are　unloading　a　cargo　of　cow's　horns；　while　two　men　standing　on　a　gangway　are　tossing　sugar…loaves　from　one　to　the　other；　and　thence　to　somebody　in　the　hold　of　a　steamer。　On　the　north　quay；　the　cab…horses；　standing　in　a　line　under　the　shade　of　the　plane…trees　each　with　its　head　in　a　nose…bag；　are　quietly　munching　their　oats；　while　the　rubicund　drivers　are　drinking　at　the　counter　of　the　wine…seller　opposite；　but　all　the　while　keeping　a　sharp　lookout　for　early　customers。
  The　dealers　in　second…hand　books　put　their　boxes　on　the　parapet。　These　good　retailers　of　Mind；　who　are　always　in　the　open　air；　with　blouses　loose　to　the　breeze；　have　become　so　weatherbeaten　by　the　wind；　the　rain；　the　frost；　the　snow；　the　fog；　and　the　great　sun；　that　they　end　by　looking　very　much　like　the　old　statues　of　cathedrals。　　They　are　all　friends　of　mine；　and　I　scarcely　ever　pass　by　their　boxes　without　picking　out　of　one　of　them　some　old　book　which　I　had　always　been　in　need　of　up　to　that　very　moment；　without　any　suspicion　of　the　fact　on　my　part。
  Then　on　my　return　home　I　have　to　endure　the　outcries　of　my　housekeeper；　who　accuses　me　of　bursting　all　my　pockets　and　filling　the　house　with　waste　paper　to　attract　the　rats。　　Therese　is　wise　about　that；　and　it　is　because　she　is　wise　that　I　do　not　listen　to　her；　for　in　spite　of　my　tranquil　mien；　I　have　always　preferred　the　folly　of　the　passions　to　the　wisdom　of　indifference。　　But　just　because　my　own　passions　are　not　of　that　sort　which　burst　out　with　violence　to　devastate　and　kill；　the　common　mind　is　not　aware　of　their　existence。　　Nevertheless；　I　am　greatly　moved　by　them　at　times；　and　it　has　more　than　once　been　my　fate　to　lose　my　sleep　for　the　sake　of　a　few　pages　written　by　some　forgotten　monk　or　printed　by　some　humble　apprentice　of　Peter　Schaeffer。　　And　if　these　fierce　enthusiasms　are　slowly　being　quenched　in　me；　it　is　only　because　I　am　being　slowly　quenched　myself。　　Our　passions　are　ourselves。　My　old　books　are　Me。　　I　am　just　as　old　and　thumb…worn　as　they　are。
  A　light　breeze　sweeps　away；　along　with　the　dust　of　the　pavements；　the　winged　seeds　of　the　plane　trees；　and　the　fragments　of　hay　dropped　from　the　mouths　of　the　horses。　　The　dust　is　nothing　remarkable　in　itself；　but　as　I　watch　it　flying；　I　remember　a　moment　in　my　childhood　when　I　watched　just　such　a　swirl　of　dust；　and　my　old　Parisian　soul　is　much　affected　by　that　sudden　recollection。　　All　that　I　see　from　my　windowthat　horizon　which　extends　to　the　left　as　far　as　the　hills　of　Chaillot；　and　enables　me　to　distinguish　the　Arc　de　Triomphe　like　a　die　of　stone；　the　Seine；　river　of　glory；　and　its　bridges；　the　ash…trees　of　the　terrace　of　the　Tuileries；　the　Louvre　of　the　Renaissance；　cut　and　graven　like　goldsmithwork；　and　on　my　right；　towards　the　Pont…Neuf　（pons　Lutetiae　Novus　dictus；　as　it　is　named　on　old　engravings）；　all　the　old　and　venerable　part　of　Paris；　with　its　towers　and　spires：all　that　is　my　life；　it　is　myself；　and　I　should　be　nothing　but　for　all　those　things　which　are　thus　reflected　in　me　through　my　thousand　varying　shades　of　thought；　inspiring　me　and　animating　me。　　That　is　why　I　love　Paris　with　an　immense　love。
  And　nevertheless　I　am　weary；　and　I　know　that　there　can　be　no　rest　for　me　in　the　heart　of　this　great　city　which　thinks　so　much；　which　has　taught　me　to　think；　and　which　for　ever　urges　me　to　think　more。　And　how　avoid　being　exited　among　all　these　books　which　incessantly　tempt　my　curiosity　without　ever　satisfying　i