What astonishing clothes! Catch on to the coat-tails! It was a masquerade costume, maybe; that goat Osterman was such a josher, one never could tell what he would do next.
The musicians began to tune up.

From their corner came a medley of mellow sounds, the subdued chirps of the violins, the dull bourdon of the bass viol, the liquid gurgling of the flageolet and the deep-toned snarl of the big horn, with now and then a rasping stridulating of the snare drum.

A sense of gayety began to spread throughout the assembly.
At every moment the crowd increased.

The aroma of new-sawn timber and sawdust began to be mingled with the feminine odour of sachet and flowers.

There was a babel of talk in the air--male baritone and soprano chatter--varied by an occasional note of laughter and the swish of stiffly starched petticoats.