"Must we fasten the ladder?"
"I want to try if it be solid; I have an affection for my spine, such as it is, and do not want to break my neck to save it from another fate."
"You are the first captain of the day, La Jonquiere."
"Bah! I have made plenty of others," said La Jonquiere, tying the last knot in the ladder.
"Is it finished?" asked Gaston.
"Yes."
"Shall I pass first?"
"As you like."
"I like it so."
"Go, then."