It was larger than I had expected to find it, and the style of its decorations and general appearance were absolutely different from the cafe below.

The coloring was a little sombre for a French restaurant, and the illuminations a little less vivid.

The walls, however, were panelled with what seemed to be a sort of dark mahogany, and on the ceiling was painted a great allegorical picture, the nature of which I could not at first surmise.

The guests, of whom the room was almost full, were all well-dressed and apparently of the smart world.

The tourist element was lacking.