PALAIS ROYAL. 487 



fedate, others more boifterous, according as the fub- 

 ject of their difcuffions agrees or difagrees with their 

 fettled notions, and promifes more or lefs to their plans 

 and expectations. Thefe groupes are incefTantly in- 

 crealing and diverfifying till towards twelve ; and then, 

 if they began with about fifty difputants, they now 

 amount to fome thoufands. 



About this time the women of the higher claflfes 

 make their appearance ; and thefe till pari one o'clock 

 form an academy of tafte and the newefr. fafhions in re- 

 gard to negligees. They never appear without con- 

 ductors, faunter up and down the allees, or feat them- 

 felves in circles in the chairs placed about them, in 

 order to fee and to be feen by the paffers-by. The 

 parallel walks along the wings, in which the cofFee- 

 houfe de Foi is fituated, continue to be the moft dif- 

 tinguifhed and lively ; in the others, on the oppofite 

 fide, are feen only men and women whofe exterior does 

 not fuit with the former. In thefe the chairs too are 

 more thinly Scattered. 



There are indeed Hone benches, round about the 

 fpaces before the arcades, but they are by no means 

 fufficient, any more than the quantity of chairs, that 

 Hand facing the coffee-houfe du Caveau, de Chartres, 

 and de Foi. To remedy this defect ; they have added 

 hundreds of chairs, placed under the trees, about the 

 walks, and are let out to fuch as chufe to hire them. 

 On fitting down in one of them you pay two fous, and 

 for this fum you may fit in it as long as you pleafe ; 

 but you muft pay again if you wifh to change your 

 place by going to another. Two women make it their 

 bufinefs to walk round all the allees without exception ; 



11 4 and 



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