Allwasblurr，hurry，confusion，tumult。YetIremember，aswepressedonwardswiththestreamandpartofit，certainsharpoutlines。Icaughthereandthereaglimpseofapalescaredfaceatawindow，ahalf—cladformatadoor，ofthebig，wonderingeyesofachildhelduptoseeuspass，ofaChristatacornerruddyinthesmokyglareofalink，ofawomanarmed，andinman’sclothes，whowalkedsomedistancesidebysidewithus，andledoffaribaldsong。Iretainamemoryofthesethings：ofbriefburstsoflightandlongintervalsofdarkness，andalways，aswetrampedforwards，myhandonPavannes’sleeve，ofanever—growingtumultinfront——anever—risingfloodofnoise。
Atlastwecametoastandstillwhereasidestreetranoutofours。Intothisthehurryingthrongtriedtowheel，and，unabletodoso，halted，andpressedabouttheheadofthestreet，whichwasalreadyfulltooverflowing;andsosoughtwithhungryeyesforplaceswhencetheymightlookdownit。PavannesandI
struggledonlytogetthroughthecrowd——togeton;buttheeffortsofthosebehindpartlyaidingandpartlythwartingourown，presentlyforcedustoapositionwhencewecouldnotavoidseeingwhatwasafoot。
Thestreet——thissidestreetwasablazewithlight。Fromendtoendeverygable，everyhatchmentwasglowing，everywindowwasflickeringintheglareoftorches。Itwaspavedtoowithfaces——humanfaces，yetscarcelyhuman——alllookingoneway，alllookingupward;andthenoise，asfromtimetotimethisimmensecrowdgroanedorhowledinunison，likeawildbeastinitsfury，wassoappalling，thatIclutchedPavannes’armandclungtohiminmomentaryterror。IdonotwondernowthatIquailed，thoughsometimesIhaveheardthatsoundsince。ForthereisnothingintheworldsodreadfulasthatbrutebeastwecalltheCANAILLE，whenthechainisoffanditscowardlysoulisroused。
Nearourendofthestreetagroupofhorsemenrisingisland—likefromtheseaofheads，satmotionlessintheirsaddlesaboutagateway。Theyweresilent，takingnonoticeoftheriotingfiendsshoutingattheirgirths，butwatchingingrimquietwhatwaspassingwithinthegates。Theywerehandsomelydressed，althoughsomeworecorsletsovertheirsatincoatsorlaceabovebuffjerkins。Icouldevenatthatdistanceseethejewelsgleaminthebonnetofonewhoseemedtobetheirleader。Hewasinthecentreoftheband，averyyoungman，perhapstwentyortwenty—one，ofmostsplendidpresence，sittinghishorsesuperbly。Heworeagreyriding—coat，andwasaheadtallerthananyofhiscompanions。Therewasprideintheveryairwithwhichhishorseborehim。