TheSchoolofPhysicscouldgiveusnosuitablepremises,butforlackofanythingbetter,theDirectorpermittedustouseanabandonedshedwhichhadbeeninserviceasadissectingroomoftheSchoolofMedicine.Itsglassroofdidnotaffordcompleteshelteragainstrain;theheatwassuffocatinginsummer,andthebittercoldofwinterwasonlyalittlelessenedbytheironstove,exceptinitsimmediatevicinity.Therewasnoquestionofobtainingtheneededproperapparatusincommonusebychemists.Wesimplyhadsomeoldpine-woodtableswithfurnacesandgasburners.Wehadtousetheadjoiningyardforthoseofourchemicaloperationsthatinvolvedproducingirritatinggases;eventhenthegasoftenfilledourshed.Withthisequipmentweenteredonourexhaustingwork.
Yetitwasinthismiserableoldshedthatwepassedthebestandhappiestyearsofourlife,devotingourentiredaystoourwork.OftenIhadtoprepareourlunchintheshed,soasnottointerruptsomeparticularlyimportantoperation.SometimesIhadtospendawholedaymixingaboilingmasswithaheavyironrodnearlyaslargeasmyself.Iwouldbebrokenwithfatigueattheday'send.Otherdays,onthecontrary,theworkwouldbeamostminuteanddelicatefractionalcrystallization,intheefforttoconcentratetheradium.IwasthenannoyedbythefloatingdustofironandcoalfromwhichIcouldnotprotectmypreciousproducts.ButIshallneverbeabletoexpressthejoyoftheuntroubledquietnessofthisatmosphereofresearchandtheexcitementofactualprogresswiththeconfidenthopeofstillbetterresults.Thefeelingofdiscouragementthatsometimescameaftersomeunsuccessfultoildidnotlastlongandgavewaytorenewedactivity.Wehadhappymomentsdevotedtoaquietdiscussionofourwork,walkingaroundourshed.
Oneofourjoyswastogointoourworkroomatnight;wethenperceivedonallsidesthefeeblyluminoussilhouettesofthebottlesorcapsulescontainingourproducts.Itwasreallyalovelysightandonealwaysnewtous.Theglowingtubeslookedlikefaint,fairylights.
Thusthemonthspassed,andourefforts,hardlyinterruptedbyshortvacations,broughtforthmoreandmorecompleteevidence.Ourfaithgreweverstronger,andourworkbeingmoreandmoreknown,wefoundmeanstogetnewquantitiesofrawmaterialandtocarryonsomeofourcrudeprocessesinafactory,allowingmetogivemoretimetothedelicatefinishingtreatment.
AtthisstageIdevotedmyselfespeciallytothepurificationoftheradium,myhusbandbeingabsorbedbythestudyofthephysicalpropertiesoftheraysemittedbythenewsubstances.ItwasonlyaftertreatingonetonofpitchblenderesiduesthatIcouldgetdefiniteresults.Indeedweknowto-daythateveninthebestmineralstherearenotmorethanafewdecigrammesofradiuminatonofrawmaterial.
Atlastthetimecamewhentheisolatedsubstancesshowedallthecharactersofapurechemicalbody.Thisbody,theradium,givesacharacteristicspectrum,andIwasabletodetermineforitanatomicweightmuchhigherthanthatofthebarium.Thiswasachievedin.Ithenpossessedonedecigrammeofverypureradiumchloride.Ithadtakenmealmostfouryearstoproducethekindofevidencewhichchemicalsciencedemands,thatradiumistrulyanewelement.Oneyearwouldprobablyhavebeenenoughforthesamepurpose,ifreasonablemeanshadbeenatmydisposal.Thedemonstrationthatcostsomucheffortwasthebasisofthenewscienceofradioactivity.
InlateryearsIwasabletoprepareseveraldecigrammesofpureradiumsalt,tomakeamoreaccuratedeterminationoftheatomicweightandeventoisolatethepureradiummetal.However,wastheyearinwhichtheexistenceandcharacterofradiumweredefinitelyestablished.
Wehadbeenabletoliveforseveralyearsentirelyengrossedintheworkofresearch,butgraduallycircumstanceschanged.InmyhusbandwasofferedaprofessorshipintheUniversityofGeneva,butalmostsimultaneouslyheobtainedapositionofassistantprofessorattheSorbonne,andIwasmadeprofessorattheNormalSuperiorSchoolforyounggirlsatSevres.SoweremainedinParis.
IbecamemuchinterestedinmyworkintheNormalSchool,andendeavoredtodevelopmorefullythepracticallaboratoryexercisesofthepupils.Thesepupilsweregirlsofabouttwentyyearswhohadenteredtheschoolaftersevereexaminationandhadstilltoworkveryseriouslytomeettherequirementsthatwouldenablethemtobenamedprofessorsinthelycees.Alltheseyoungwomenworkedwithgreateagerness,anditwasapleasureformetodirecttheirstudiesinphysics.
Butagrowingnotoriety,becauseoftheannouncementofourdiscoveries,begantotroubleourquietworkinthelaboratory,and,littlebylittle,lifebecamemoredifficult.InIfinishedmydoctor'sthesisandobtainedthedegree.AttheendofthesameyeartheNobelprizewasawardedjointlytoBecquerel,myhusbandandmeforthediscoveryofradioactivityandnewradioactiveelements.Thiseventgreatlyincreasedthepublicityofourwork.Forsometimetherewasnomorepeace.Visitorsanddemandsforlecturesandarticlesinterruptedeveryday.
TheawardoftheNobelprizewasagreathonor.Itisalsoknownthatthematerialmeansprovidedbythisprizewasmuchgreaterthanisusualinprizesforscience.Thiswasagreathelpinthecontinuationofourresearches.Unhappily,wewereovertiredandhadasuccessionoffailuresofhealthfortheoneortheotherofus,sothatitwasnotuntilthatwewereabletogotoStockholm,wheremyhusbandgavehisNobellectureandwherewewerewellreceived.