He left the salon. The fireworks were at the end of the garden, and Dubourg fell in with Madame Chambertin, who was coming to see what monsieur le baron was doing, and, it may be, to seek an opportunity for a tête-à-tête. Dubourg offered her his arm; he was in excellent spirits, and, as he recalled the conversation under the table and the stifled sighs, he reflected that he was to pass several days in the house, and that he ought to show himself worthy of the welcome he had received. These considerations led him to take a path which did not lead to the place where the other guests were. "Where are you taking me, pray?" madame asked, now and then. But Dubourg replied: "I don't know at all, but let us go on." They soon came to a small summer-house, which was not lighted and had but one window, a little farther from the ground than an ordinary ground-floor window. Dubourg opened the door, pushed Madame Chambertin in, and entered behind her, taking care to close the door. Meanwhile, Monsieur Chambertin, who had provided the fireworks expressly for his friend the baron, was looking for him in the glare of a Bengal-light; as he did not see him, he ran hither and thither, crying: "Come, monsieur le baron, come, I entreat you! Two pieces have been set off already, and they're just lighting the first transparency!" Dubourg, who was probably not thinking of the transparency at that moment, heard Chambertin's voice, and called to him from the interior of the summer-house: "I am here, I can see very well; don't worry about me; your good wife is obliging enough to explain the fireworks to me." "What! I don't see you at the window." "Because madame is afraid of the rocket-sticks; but we can see very well." "Ah! that's good! I am delighted that you have a good place," said Chambertin, standing under the window. "I arranged the display myself; did you see the sun?" "No, but I smelt it; it smelt something like the moon." "Look at these little serpents; what perpetual motion! they go very well, don't they?" "Wonderfully well." "Pray explain the transparency to monsieur le baron, wife." "Oh! monsieur le baron grasps it all very quickly," replied Madame Chambertin, in a voice upon which the smoke seemed to have had a serious effect. "Look out! there goes the bouquet!" The bouquet exploded amid applause and shouts of _bravo_! The company returned to the house, enchanted by the display, and Madame Chambertin came out of the summer-house with monsieur le baron. "The bouquet was fine," said Chambertin, rubbing his hands. "I am still a little dazed by it," said madame, tremulously. "It was worthy of the lord of this domain," added Dubourg. "Upon my word," said Chambertin, "I believe I am almost that." "You are altogether, my dear friend; it is I who say it." "When a man of your eminence assures me of it, monsieur le baron, I can no longer doubt it."