The soirée hosted by Baron Achille Fuld officially began after the arrival of two heavyweight guests, Jerome Bonaparte and Mathilde.
All those "upper-class" invitees by Achille Fuld gathered in threes and twos in the drawing room, forming one relatively independent small circle after another. Of course, the personnel in each small circle didn't remain constant. Some of them, if they grew bored with one circle, would take a wine glass from the tray of a servant in the hall and move from one small circle to another, using various slogans (such as "Long live the Republic" or "Long live Napoleon") to urge people in another circle to also raise their glasses and drain their wine, thus seamlessly blending into the circle amidst the clinking of glasses.
Jerome Bonaparte and Mathilde, under the guidance of Achille Fuld, approached General Oppel.
