Monge was delighted at his success.
Laplace also praised him for the clearness of his demonstrations, and invited Biot to accompany him home.

Arrived there, Laplace took from a closet in his study a paper, yellow with age, and handed it to the young philosopher.

To Biot's surprise, he found that it contained the solutions, all worked out, for which he had just gained so much applause.

With rare magnanimity, Laplace withheld all knowledge of the circumstance from Biot until the latter had initiated his reputation before the Academy; moreover, he enjoined him to silence; and the incident would have remained a secret had not Biot himself published it, some fifty years afterwards.
An incident is related of a French artisan, exhibiting the same characteristic of self-sacrifice in another form.

In front of a lofty house in course of erection at Paris was the usual scaffold, loaded with men and materials.