n. Motors and broughams succeeded one another in a long
file, putting down the guests of Thomery under an immense marquee,
covering the steps leading up to the vestibule.

All the smart world had been invited to the reception: all Paris swarmed
into the brilliantly illuminated entrance-halls of the mansion.

Two mounted policemen sat as immovable as bronze caryatides on either
side of the entrance, whilst a swarm of policemen made the carriages
move on, and drove away from the aristocratic avenue de Valois the band
of poverty-stricken and ragged creatures who crowded the pavement with
the hope of securing a handsome tip by opening a carriage door or
picking up some fallen object.

It was no easy matter to keep order. One of the police sergeants
accustomed to ceremonial functions remarked to one of his younger
colleagues:

"I have seen balls and receptions enough! Well, my boy, this Thomery
affair is as fine a set out as if it were at the President's!"

Although it was one o'clock in the morning, both on the boulevard
Malesherbes and at the entrance to the rue de Monceau there was movement
and activity. If, as seemed likely, there was a crush in the great
reception-rooms of the Thomery mansion, it was certain that outside the
crowd had to form up in line to get near the counters, where the wine
sellers were serving their customers without a moment's
intermission--serving them with drinks of every description. Thus there
was a hubbub, there was noise and roystering clamour all around. Most of
the chauffeurs, coachmen, and servants knew one another.

Mingling with all this aristocracy of the servant class were
pickpockets, mendicants obsequious and wheedling, who offered themselves
as understudies to these of the upper ten of the servant world, and
these aristocrats were ready to seize this chance of a little liberty,
and at the same time play the generous patron to these poor failures in
life's battle. In fact they gave more generous tips than their masters;
for did they not rub shoulders with misery and thus realise, only too
vividly, the measureless horrors of destitution?

Ernestine and Mimile lost themselves in the noisy crowd. They were all
eyes and ears for everything going on around them, whilst keeping in
view their two accomplices, the Beadle and the Beard. This was more than
usually difficult, because they were disguised almost out of
recognition. The Beard was muffled in a blue blouse and a big soft hat,