"No," replied Alec: "one thing will do just as well as another."
"Then, perhaps you would like to see how two chemicals will combine to make a third entirely different from either of the two."
"Yes," replied Belle, "I should like that very much."
"So should I," said Alec.
"I think I'll call Sue to go into the laboratory with us, as I promised to show her some experiments when you were here;—if you will please excuse me a moment."
Presently Johnny came back with Sue.
As soon as Sue got into the room, she said, "Johnny's going to tell us all about fire, and how the rug came to put the lamp out."
Of course, then Johnny had to explain what Sue meant; and that led to a full account of the accident of the evening before, and how Sue and Kate got out the fire-engine, which interested and amused the visitors very much.
The laboratory was a small room at the end of the upper hall. As there were plenty of rooms up-stairs, there had never been a bed in it; and after Johnny began to have so many chemicals, and to experiment so much, Mrs. Le Bras had taken up the carpet, and allowed him to use the room for a laboratory. Mr. Le Bras had hired a carpenter to put some shelves in the front part of the closet; and here were arranged the various bottles, jars, saucers, tumblers, pipes, tubes, and other appliances which Johnny had collected.
There was a table in the centre of the room, with a chair beside it.