mat, after consulting his barometer, declared the ascent to
be practicable, and promised me the two guides and the porter
prescribed in our agreement. I left the selection of these to
him. But an unexpected incident disturbed my preparations for
departure.

As I came out of M. Balmat's office, I met Ravanel, my guide of
the day before.

"Is monsieur going to Mont Blanc?" he asked.

"Yes, certainly," said I. "Is it not a favourable time logo?"

He reflected a few moments, and then said with an embarrassed
air,--

"Monsieur, you are my traveller; I accompanied you yesterday to
the Brevent, so I cannot leave you now; and, since you are going
up, I will go with you, if you will kindly accept my services. It
is your right, for on all dangerous journeys the traveller can
choose his own guides. Only, if you accept my offer, I ask that
you will also take my brother, Ambrose Ravanel, and my cousin,
Gaspard Simon. These are young, vigorous fellows; they do not
like the ascent of Mont Blanc better than I do; but they will not
shirk it, and I answer for them to you as I would for myself."

This young man inspired me with all confidence. I accepted his
proposition, and hastened to apprise M. Balmat of the choice I
had made. But M. Balmat had meanwhile been selecting guides for
me according to their turn on his list. One only had accepted,
Edward Simon; the answer of another, Jean Carrier, had not yet
been received, though it was scarcely doubtful, as this man had
already made the ascent of Mont Blanc twenty-nine times. I thus
found myself in an embarrassing position. The guides I had chosen
were all from Argentiere, a village six kilometres from Chamonix.
Those of Chamonix accused Ravanel of having influenced me in
favour of his family, which was contrary to the regulations.

To cut the discussion short, I took Edward Simon, who had already
made his preparations as a third guide. He would be useless if I
went up alone, but would become indispensable if my friend also
ascended.

This settled, I went to tell Donatien Levesque. I found him
sleeping the sleep of the just, for he had walked over sixteen
kilometres on a mountain the evening before. I had some
difficulty in waking him; but on removing first his sheets, then
his pillows, and finally his mattress, I obtained some result,
and succeeded in making him understand that I was preparing for
the hazardous trip.

"Well," said he, yawning, "I will go with you as far as t