At the same moment light broke in on my mind: "Those people, inside that barrier, have no doubt taken and paid for their places in advance, and it is in order to keep them they are penned in like that."
"Ah! good, I see!" I replied; and I strode over the barrier in my turn, the reverse way; so that, contrary to the action of my place-seller, who had come without from within, I went from the outside within. I did not understand matters at all. After a second, there was a movement forward. They were just opening the offices. I was carried forward with the crowd, and ten minutes later, I found myself in front of the grating.
"Well, monsieur, aren't you going to take your ticket?" asked my neighbour.
"My ticket? What do you mean?"
"Of course, your ticket!" answered someone just behind me. "If you aren't going to take your ticket, at least allow us to take ours."
And a light thrust showed the desire of those behind me to have their turn.
"But," I said, "surely I have bought my place ...?"
"Your place ...?"
"Yes, I gave twenty sous for it, as you saw.... Why, I gave twenty sous to that man who sold me his place!"
"Oh, his place in the queue!" exclaimed my neighbours; "but his place in the queue is not his place inside the theatre."