The first comer received the second; then, when the company were sufficiently numerous for whist, piquet, or boston, they began the game without awaiting either the Abbe de Sponde or mademoiselle.

If it was dark, Josette or Jacquelin would hasten to light the candles as soon as the first bell rang.

Seeing the salon lighted up, the abbe would slowly hurry to come down.

Every evening the backgammon and the piquet tables, the three boston tables, and the whist table were filled,--which gave occupation to twenty-five or thirty persons; but as many as forty were usually present.

Jacquelin would then light the candles in the other rooms.
Between eight and nine o'clock the servants began to arrive in the antechamber to accompany their masters home; and, short of a revolution, no one remained in the salon at ten o'clock.