See, there is Darmstadt," said my companion, leaning over the
car. "Do you perceive the chateau? Not very distinctly, eh? What
would you have? The heat of the storm makes the outline of
objects waver, and you must have a skilled eye to recognize
localities."

"Are you certain it is Darmstadt?" I asked.

"I am sure of it. We are now six leagues from Frankfort."

"Then we must descend."

"Descend! You would not go down, on the steeples," said the
unknown, with a chuckle.

"No, but in the suburbs of the city."

"Well, let us avoid the steeples!"

So speaking, my companion seized some bags of ballast. I hastened
to prevent him; but he overthrew me with one hand, and the
unballasted balloon ascended to two thousand yards.

"Rest easy," said he, "and do not forget that Brioschi, Biot,
Gay-Lussac, Bixio, and Barral ascended to still greater heights
to make their scientific experiments."

"Monsieur, we must descend," I resumed, trying to persuade him by
gentleness. "The storm is gathering around us. It would be more
prudent--"

"Bah! We will mount higher than the storm, and then we shall no
longer fear it!" cried my companion. "What is nobler than to
overlook the clouds which oppress the earth? Is it not an honour
thus to navigate on aerial billows? The greatest men have
travelled as we are doing. The Marchioness and Countess de
Montalembert, the Countess of Podenas, Mademoiselle la Garde, the
Marquis de Montalembert, rose from the Faubourg Saint-Antoine for
these unknown regions, and the Duke de Chartres exhibited much
skill and presence of mind in his ascent on the 15th of July,
1784. At Lyons, the Counts of Laurencin and Dampierre; at Nantes,
M. de Luynes; at Bordeaux, D'Arbelet des Granges; in Italy, the
Chevalier Andreani; in our own time, the Duke of Brunswick,--have
all left the traces of their glory in the air. To equal these
great personages, we must penetrate still higher than they into
the celestial depths! To approach the infinite is to comprehend
it!"

The rarefaction of the air was fast expanding the hydrogen in the
balloon, and I saw its lower part, purposely left empty, swell
out, so that it was absolutely necessary to open the valve; but
my companion did not seem to intend that I should manage the
balloon as I wished. I then resolved to pull the valve cord
secretly, as he was excitedly talking; for I feared to guess with
whom I had to deal. It would have been too horrible! It was
nearly a quar