I was about to turn in the same direction when an omnibus of the Batignolles-Clichy line stopped my way.

In an instant I was overwhelmed by the flood of passengers which it poured on the pavements.
"Hallo, you here! How goes it?
What are you staring at?
My stovepipe?
Observe it well, my dear fellow--the latest invention of Leon; the patent ventilating, anti-sudorific, and evaporating hat!" It was Larive who had just climbed down from the knifeboard.
Every one knows Larive, head clerk in Machin's office.

He is to be seen everywhere--a tall, fair man, with little closetrimmed beard, and moustache carefully twisted.

He is always perfectly dressed, always in a tall hat and new gloves, full of all the new stories, which he tells as his own.

If you believe him, he is at home in all the ministries, whatever party is in power; he has cards for every ball, and tickets for every first night.