Globeless gas burners flared freely, heating a dense mist compounded of tobacco smoke and human breath.

Perspiring, apoplectical faces could be perceived through this veil, and an acrid odour increased the intoxication of the assembly, which excited itself with louder and louder shouts at each fresh song.

It had been sufficient for an enterprising fellow to set up these boards, bring out Legras, accompanied by two or three girls, make him sing his frantic and abominable songs, and in two or three evenings overwhelming success had come, all Paris being enticed and flocking to the place, which for ten years or so had failed to pay as a mere cafe, where by way of amusement petty cits had been simply allowed their daily games at dominoes.
* Those who know Paris will identify the site selected by M.Zola as that where 'Colonel' Lisbonne of the Commune installed his den the 'Bagne' some years ago.

Nevertheless, such places as the 'Chamber of Horrors' now abound in the neighbourhood of Montmartre, and it must be admitted that whilst they are frequented by certain classes of Frenchmen they owe much of their success in a pecuniary sense to the patronage of foreigners.

Among the latter, Englishmen are particularly conspicuous .-- Trans.
And the change had been caused by the passion for filth, the irresistible attraction exercised by all that brought opprobrium and disgust.