WemetagainatthePhysicsSocietyandinthelaboratory.Thenheaskedifhemightcalluponme.Ilivedatthattimeinaroomonthesixthfloorofahousesituatedneartheschools.Itwasapoorlittleroom,formyresourceswereextremelylimited.Iwas,nevertheless,veryhappyinitforIwasnowfirstrealizing,althoughalreadytwenty-fiveyearsold,theardentdesireIhadsolongcherishedofcarryingonadvancedstudiesinscience.PierreCuriecametoseeme,andshowedasimpleandsinceresympathywithmystudentlife.Soonhecaughtthehabitofspeakingtomeofhisdreamofanexistenceconsecratedentirelytoscientificresearch,andheaskedmetosharethatlife.Itwasnot,however,easyformetomakesuchadecision,foritmeantseparationfrommycountryandmyfamily,andtherenouncementofcertainsocialprojectsthatweredeartome.HavinggrownupinanatmosphereofpatriotismkeptalivebytheoppressionofPoland,Iwished,likemanyotheryoungpeopleofmycountry,tocontributemyefforttowardtheconservationofournationalspirit.
Somattersstood,whenatthebeginningofmyvacationIleftParistogotomyfatherinPoland.Ourcorrespondenceduringthisseparationhelpedtostrengthenthebondofaffectionbetweenus.
DuringtheyearPierreCuriewrotemelettersthatseemtomeadmirableintheirform.Nooneofthemwasverylong,forhehadthehabitofconciseexpression,butallwerewritteninaspiritofsincerityandwithanevidentanxietytomaketheonehedesiredasacompanionknowhimashewas.Theveryqualityoftheexpressionhasalwaysseemedtomeremarkable.Nootheronecoulddescribeinafewlines,ashecould,astateofmind,orasituation,andbythesimplestmeansmakethatdescriptionevokeaseizingimageoftruth.Becauseofthisgift,hemight,Ibelieve,havebeenagreatwriter.Ihavealreadycitedafewfragmentsofhisletters,andotherswillfollow.Itisappropriatetoquotehereafewlineswhichexpresshowhelookedonthepossibilityofourmarriage:
"Wehavepromisedeachother(isitnottrue?)tohave,theonefortheother,atleastagreataffection.Providedthatyoudonotchangeyourmind!Fortherearenopromiseswhichhold;thesearethingsthatdonotadmitofcompulsion.
"Itwould,nevertheless,beabeautifulthinginwhichIhardlydarebelieve,topassthroughlifetogetherhypnotizedinourdreams:yourdreamforyourcountry;ourdreamforhumanity;ourdreamforscience.Ofallthesedreams,Ibelievethelast,alone,islegitimate.Imeantosaybythisthatwearepowerlesstochangethesocialorder.Evenifthiswerenottrueweshouldnotknowwhattodo.Andinworkingwithoutunderstandingweshouldneverbesurethatwewerenotdoingmoreharmthangood,byretardingsomeinevitableevolution.Fromthepointofviewofscience,onthecontrary,wecanpretendtoaccomplishsomething.Theterritoryhereismoresolidandobvious,andhoweversmallitis,itistrulyinourpossession.
"IstronglyadviseyoutoreturntoParisinOctober.Ishallbeveryunhappyifyoudonotcomethisyear,butitisnotmyfriend'sselfishnessthatmakesmeaskyoutoreturn.IaskitbecauseIbelieveyouwillworkbetterhereandthatyoucanaccomplishheresomethingmoresubstantialandmoreuseful."
Onecanunderstand,fromthisletter,thatforPierreCurietherewasonlyonewayoflookingatthefuture.Hehaddedicatedhislifetohisdreamofscience:hefelttheneedofacompanionwhocouldlivehisdreamwithhim.Hetoldmemanytimesthatthereasonhehadnotmarrieduntilhewasthirty-sixwasbecausehedidnotbelieveinthepossibilityofamarriagewhichwouldmeetthis,hisabsolutenecessity.
Whenhewastwenty-twoyearsoldhewroteinhisdiary:
"Women,muchmorethanmen,lovelifeforlife'ssake.Womenofgeniusarerare.Andwhen,pushedbysomemysticlove,wewishtoenterintoalifeopposedtonature,whenwegiveallourthoughtstosomeworkwhichremovesusfromthoseimmediatelyaboutus,itiswithwomenthatwehavetostruggle,andthestruggleisnearlyalwaysanunequalone.Forinthenameoflifeandofnaturetheyseektoleadusback."
Wecansee,however,inthelettersIhavequotedearlier,theunshakeablefaiththatPierreCuriehadinscienceandinitspowertofurtherthegeneralgoodofhumanity.ItseemsappropriatetoapplytohimthesentimentexpressedbyPasteurinwordssowellknown:"Ibelieveinvinciblythatscienceandpeacewilltriumphoverignoranceandwar."
ThisconfidenceinthesolutionsofsciencemadePierreCurielittleinclinedtotakeanactivepartinpolitics.Hewasattached,byeducationandbyconviction,todemocraticandsocialisticideas,buthewasnotdominatedbyanypartydoctrine.However,healwaysfulfilled,ashisfatherdid,hisobligationsasavoter.Inpubliclife,asinprivatelife,hewasopposedtotheuseofviolence.