"Whatwouldyouthink,"bewroteme,"ofapersonwhowouldknockhisheadagainstastonewallwiththeintentionofoverthrowingit?Suchanideamightbetheresultofverybeautifulfeelings,butinrealizationitwouldberidiculousandstupid.Ibelievethatcertainquestionsdemandageneralsolution,anddonotadmit,today,ofspecificsolutions,andthatonewhobeginsacoursethathasnoissue,maydomuchharm.Ibelieve,further,thatjusticeisnotofthisworld,andthatthestrongestsystemorrathertheonebestdevelopedfromtheeconomicpointofviewwillbethatwhichwillstand.Amanmayexhausthimselfbywork,andyetlive,atbest,miserably.Thisisarevoltingfact,butitwillnot,becauseofthat,cease.Itwilldisappearprobablybecausemanisakindofmachine,anditisofeconomicadvantagetomakeeverymachineworkinitsnormalmanner,withoutforcingit."
Hefeltthesamenecessityforclarityandunderstandinginconsideringhisowninnerlifeasinexaminingageneralproblem.Agreatnecessityofloyaltytohimselfandtowardothersmadehimsufferfromthecompromisesimposedbylife,eventhoughhereducedthemtoaminimum.
"Wearealltheslavesofouraffections,"hewrote,"slavesoftheprejudicesofthosewelove.Besides,wemustmakealiving,andthisforcesustobecomeawheelinthemachine.Themostpainfularetheconcessionsweareforcedtomaketotheprejudicesofthesocietyinwhichwelive.Wemustmakemoreorfewercompromisesaccordingaswefeelourselvesfeeblerorstronger.Ifonedoesnotmakeenoughconcessionsheiscrushed;ifhemakestoomanyheisignobleanddespiseshimself.IfindmyselffarfromtheprinciplesIheldtenyearsago.AtthattimeIbelieveditnecessarytobeexcessiveineverything,andtomakenoconcessionswhatsoevertoone'senvironment.Ibelieveditnecessarytoexaggerateone'sfaultsaswellasone'svirtues."
Thiswasthecredoofthemanwho,withoutfortunehimself,desiredtosharehislifewiththatofastudentalsowithoutfortune,whomhehadmetbychance.
Aftermyreturnfrommyvacationourfriendshipgrewmoreandmoreprecioustous;eachrealizedthatheorshecouldfindnobetterlifecompanion.Wedecided,therefore,tomarry,andtheceremonytookplaceinJuly,.Inconformitywithourmutualwishitwasthesimplestservicepossible,——acivilceremony,forPierreCurieprofessednoreligion,andImyselfdidnotpracticeany.Myhusband'sparentsreceivedmewithgreatcordiality,andreciprocallymyfatherandmysisters,whowerepresentatourmarriage,werehappyinknowingthefamilytowhichIwastobelong.
Ourfirsthome,anextremelysimpleone,consistedofalittleapartmentofthreeroomsintheruedelaGlaciere,notfarfromtheSchoolofPhysics.Itschiefattractionwasitsviewofalargegarden.Itwasfurnishedverysimplywithobjectsthathadbelongedtoourfamilies.Ourmeansdidnotpermitourhavingservants,sothatIhadtoassumepracticallyallthehouseholdduties,asIhadbeeninthehabitofdoingduringmystudentdays.
ProfessorCurie'ssalarywasfrancsayear,andweheldthatheshouldnotundertakeanysupplementarywork,atleastinthebeginning.Asformyself,Iwaspreparingtotaketheexaminationfortheagregationofyoungwomen,inviewofobtainingateachingpost.TheseIpassedin.Weorderedourlifetosuitourscientificworkandourdayswerepassedinthelaboratory,whereSchutzenbergerpermittedthatImightworkwithmyhusband.
Hewasthenengagedinaresearchonthegrowthofcrystals,whichinterestedhimkeenly.Hewishedtoknowifcertainfacesofacrystalhadapreferentialdevelopmentchieflybecausetheyhaveadifferentrapidityofgrowthorbecausetheirsolubilityisdifferent.Hequicklyobtainedinterestingresults(notpublished)buthehadtointerrupthisinvestigationstoundertakeothersonradioactivity.Andheoftenregrettedthathewasneverabletoreturntothem.Iwasoccupiedatthistimewiththestudyofthemagnetizationoftemperedsteel.
ThepreparationofhisclasslectureswasforPierreCurieagenuinecare.TheChairwasanewone,andcarriednoprescribedcourseofstudy.Hedividedhislectures,atfirst,betweencrystallographyandelectricity.Then,asherecognizedmoreandmoretheutilityofaserioustheoreticalcourseinelectricityforfutureengineers,hedevotedhimselfentirelytothissubject,andsucceededinestablishingacourse(ofaboutlectures)thatwasthemostcompleteandmodernthentobehadinParis.Thiscosthimaconsiderableeffort,ofwhichIwasthedailywitness;forhewasalwaysanxioustogiveacompletepictureofthephenomenaandoftheevolutionoftheories,andofideas.Hewasalwaysanxious,too,thathismodeofexpositionshouldbeclearandprecise.Hethoughtofpublishingatreatisesummingupthiscourse,butunfortunatelythemanypreoccupationsofthefollowingyearspreventedhimfromputtingthisplanintoexecution.