The House of Adventure by Warwick Deeping

There is more folly than sin in the world-but an evil man takes folly and uses it-and in the process makes it evil.

These factory workers came and drank at Louis Blanc's buvette. They talked and talked extravagantly as some men talk after a war-and there were bad men among them. Mademoiselle Barbe, who was as clever and as careful as a cat, and who had nothing but scorn for eloquent fools, kept her eyes in particular on Pompom Crapaud and Lazare Ledoux.