There was a sound of loud laughter; the auctioneers shouted at the top of their voices; the dealers who had filled the benches in front of the auction table tried in vain to obtain silence, in order to transact their business in peace.
On riait fort; les commissaires criaient à tue-tête; les marchands que avaient envahi les bancs disposés devant les tables de vente essayaient en vain d'imposer silence, pour faire leurs affaires tranquillement.