"Attention!"
There was some movement in the crowd which seemed to be invading the
reserved enclosure.
"Let go!"
The balloon slowly ascended; but I experienced a shock which threw me to
the bottom of the car. When I rose, I found myself face to face with an
unexpected voyager,--the pale young man.
"Monsieur, I salute you!" said he to me.
"By what right?"--
"Am I here? By the right of your inability to turn me out."
I was confounded. His assurance disconcerted me; and I had nothing to
say in reply. I looked at him, but he paid no regard to my astonishment.
He continued:
"My weight will disturb your equilibrium, Monsieur: will you permit
me--"
And without waiting for my assent, he lightened the balloon by two bags
of sand which he emptied into the air.
"Monsieur," said I, taking the only possible course, "you are
here,--well! you choose to remain,--well! but to me alone belongs the
management of the aerostat."
"Monsieur," replied he, "your urbanity is entirely French; it is of the
same country with myself! I press in imagination the hand which you
refuse me. Take your measures,--act as it may seem good to you; I will
wait till you have ended--"
"To--"
"To converse with you."
The barometer had fallen to twenty-six inches; we had attained a height
of about six hundred metres, and were over the city; which satisfied me
of our complete quiescence, for I could not judge by our motionless
flags.
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