I made no reply.
“What would you? I could not pay for my voyage; I was obliged to take you by surprise.”
“No one has asked you to descend!”
“A similar occurrence,” he resumed, “happened to the Counts of Laurencin and Dampierre, when they ascended at Lyons, on the 15th of January, 1784. A young merchant, named Fontaine, scaled the railing, at the risk of upsetting the equipage. He accomplished the voyage, and nobody was killed!”
“Once on the earth, we will converse!” said I, piqued at the tone of lightness with which he spoke.
“Bah! do not talk of returning!”
“Do you think then that I shall delay my descent?”
“Descent!” said he, with surprise. “Let us ascend!”
And before I could prevent him, two bags of sand were thrown out, without even being emptied.
“Monsieur!” said I, angrily.