There was also a good sprinkling of young men, who would perhaps be looked upon as “swells” by the lower classes, but these young gentlemen did not show any of their distinguishing characteristics, and kept quiet.
As nine o’clock approached the people began to be excited, and their ebullitions of feeling found vent in a series of rushes which produced a swaying, surging movement on the part of the crowd.
This placed in jeopardy the situation of some of the people who had secured what they thought to be good chances of getting in, and they fought manfully to retain any advantage they might have gained.
Their struggles, however, against the surging of the crowd were puerile and utterly inoperative, and their vehement protestations against the injustice of the dispensation was laughed to scorn.
As a natural sequence curses and blasphemy took the place of protestations, but these were alike ineffective, and everybody seemed to devote his attention to swindling everyone in front of him of his position. The slightest rent in the crowd caused by a rush called forth numerous claimants, and angry passions were allowed to rise, without stint in the breasts of those who allowed their chances to pass.
Women as well as men struggled to the front, and as they asserted their rights courtesy retired. Place aux dames was an obsolete idea. The women placed themselves on the same level as the men, and demanding the rights extended to men, received courtesy in the same ratio.
Judging by the looks of some of them they did not enjoy the working of the principle, and they would have been only too glad to sink their rights for a little comfort and convenience.
It was a case of every man for himself, and the hindermost, who were supposed to be left in the care of the prince of darkness, were of course the women.
Nine o’clock struck, and the excitement of the crowd reached fever heat. It was pretty generally known that Peace was to arrive about nine, and it was thought the doors now would soon be opened.
The people on the outside of the crowd saw that it would be hopeless for them to attempt to get into the court, and in the hope of seeing something to recompense them for their trouble they gravitated towards the Castle-green and Water-lane entrances to the Police-offices.