“My dear love, it is superb! it is beautiful! it is dazzling! I am sorry that you are so far away.”
“But, my dear, suppose it should set the house on fire!”
“Don’t be afraid; Jasmin is prudent; he has undoubtedly notified the firemen at the station close by; besides, the courtyard is very large and there is no danger.”
The loving Aménaïde was not thoroughly comforted; she would have preferred that there should be no fireworks to celebrate the baptism; but everybody seemed pleased, and she dared not deprive the company of the pleasure which they took in the spectacle.
Soon applause rose on all sides; Jasmin had just lighted the transparency with the moon, calling out as he did so:
“A portrait of our child, young Chérubin de Grandvilain.”
At that everybody applauded on trust, although they squinted in vain to discover a face painted in the moon on the transparency; but they ascribed that to the smoke, and several persons went so far as to cry out:
“It is very like, on my word! anyone could recognize it! A very pretty idea! such things as this are not seen anywhere except at the Marquis de Grandvilain’s.”
While the company was admiring the transparency, Mademoiselle Turlurette, still intent upon her idea of setting off something, went to Jasmin and said:
“Give me your slow-match, it’s my turn; what am I going to set off?”