A MODERN BABEL. 19 



the noise, hubbub, and confusion, the eyes of all at 

 the tables were bent constantly upon the papers be- 

 fore them. In that hot place, they seemed like a 

 host of necromancers and witches, some of the lat- 

 ter young and extremely pretty, practising the black 

 art. 



By degrees we were passed out into the corridor, 

 and here we were brought to a dead stand. Within 

 arm's length was an imp of a boy, apparently the 

 ringleader in this nocturnal orgy, who stood on a 

 platform, rattling a bag of balls, and whose uninter- 

 mitted screeching, singsong cries had throughout 

 risen shrill and distinct above every other sound. 

 At that moment the noise and uproar were carried 

 to the highest. The whole house seemed rising 

 against the boy, and he, single-handed, or rather 

 single-tongued, was doing battle with the whole, 

 sending forth a clear stream of vocal power, which 

 for a while bore its way triumphantly through the 

 whole troubled waters, till, finding himself over- 

 powered by the immense majority, with a tone that 

 set the whole mass in a roar, and showed his dem- 

 ocratic principles, he cried out, " Vox populi est 

 vox Dei !" and submitted. 



Along the corridor, and in the whole area of the 

 patio, or courtyard, were tables, and benches, and 

 papers, and grains of corn, and ponderous sticks, 

 the same as in the sala, and men and women sitting 

 as close together. The passages were choked up, 

 and over the heads of those sitting at the tables, all 



