Withthebirthofourchild,thedifficultiesofcarryingonourworkwereaugmented:forIhadtogivemoretimetothehousehold.VeryfortunatelyforusIcouldleavemylittlegirlwithhergrandfather,whomuchenjoyedtakingcareofher.Butwehadtothinkalsoofincreasingourresourcestomeettheneedsofourlargerfamilyandtoenableustosecuresomeonetohelpmeinthehouse,anecessityfromnowon.However,oursituationremainedasitwasduringthefollowingtwoyears,whichweconsecratedtointensivelaboratoryresearchonradioactivity.Itwas,indeed,notrelieveduntil,tothedetriment,itistrue,oftheamountoftimewecouldgivetoourinvestigations.
Allformalsocialobligationswereexcludedfromourlife.PierreCuriehadforsuchthingsanunconquerablerepugnance.Neitherinhisearliernorhislaterlifewouldhepayvisitsorundertaketoinvolvehimselfinrelationswithoutspecialinterest.Bynaturegraveandsilent,hepreferredtoabandonhimselftohisownreflections,ratherthantoengageinanexchangeofbanalwords.Ontheotherhand,hevaluedgreatlyhisboyhoodfriends,andthosetowhomhewasboundbyacommoninterestinscience.
Amongthelatter,E.Gouy,professorofthefacultyofsciencesatLyon,shouldbenamed.HisfriendlyrelationswithPierreCuriedatedfromthetimewhentheywerebothpreparatorsattheSorbonne.Theycarriedonregularlyascientificcorrespondence,andtookgreatpleasureinseeingeachotheragainduringthevariousbriefvisitsofE.GouytoParis,onwhichoccasionstheywereinseparable.ThereexistedalsoafriendshipoflongstandingbetweenmyhusbandandCh.Ed.Guillaume,nowdirectoroftheInternationalBureauofWeightsandMeasuresofSevres.TheymetatthePhysicsSocietyandoccasionallyonSundaysatSevresorSceaux.LateragroupofyoungermenformedthemselvesaboutPierreCurie.Theywereinvestigatorsengaged,ashewas,inphysicalandchemicalresearchinthenewestfieldsofthesesciences.AmongthesemenwereAndreDebierne,myhusband'sintimatefriendandcollaboratorintheworkonradioactivity;GeorgeSagnac,hiscollaboratorinastudyoftheX-rays;PaulLangevin,whobecameaprofessorintheCollegedeFrance;JeanPerrin,atpresentprofessorofphysicalchemistryintheSorbonne;andGeorgesUrbain,studentoftheSchoolofPhysicsandlaterprofessorintheSorbonne.OftenoneortheothercametoseeusinourquiethouseintheBoulevardKellermann.Thenweengagedindiscussionsofrecentorfutureexperiments,orofnewideasandtheories,andnevertiredofrejoicingoverthemarvelousdevelopmentofmodernphysics.
Therewerenotmanylargereunionsinourhouse,formyhusbanddidnotfeeltheneedofthem.Hewasmoreathiseaseinaconversationwithsomeoneorfewpersons,andrarelyattendedanymeetingsexceptthoseofthescientificsocieties.Ifbychancehefoundhimselfinagatheringwherethegeneralconversationdidnotinteresthim,hetookrefugeinatranquilcornerwherehecouldforgetthecompanyashepursuedhisownthoughts.
Ourrelationswithourfamilieswereveryrestrictedonhissideasonmine;forhehadfewrelativesandminewerefaraway.Hewas,however,verydevotedtothoseofmyfamilywhocouldcometovisitmeinParis,orduringourvacations.
In,PierreCuriemadeajourneywithmetotheCarpathiansofAustrianPoland,whereoneofmysisters,marriedtoDoctorDluskiandherselfaphysician,directed,withhim,alargesanatorium.Throughatouchingdesiretoknowallthatwasdeartome,myhusband,thoughheknewlittleofforeignlanguages,wishedtolearnPolish,somethingwhichIhadnotthoughtofsuggestingbecauseIdidnotbelieveitcouldprovesufficientlyusefultohim.Hefeltasinceresympathyformycountryandbelievedinthefuturere?stablishmentofafreePoland.
InourlifetogetheritwasgiventometoknowhimashehadhopedImight,andtopenetrateeachdayfurtherintohisthought.HewasasmuchandmuchmorethanallIhaddreamedatthetimeofourunion.Myadmirationofhisunusualqualitiesgrewcontinually;helivedonaplanesorareandsoelevatedthathesometimesseemedtomeabeinguniqueinhisfreedomfromallvanityandfromthelittlenessesthatonediscoversinoneselfandinothers,andwhichonejudgeswithindulgencealthoughaspiringtoamoreperfectideal.