In the first place, the parents were made accomplices to the deed, for it was only through their mediation it was brought about. Secondly: the admission of these rattlesnakes, so fascinating and so dangerous, served to draw out Madame precisely in her strongest character⁠—that of a first-rate surveillante . Thirdly: their presence furnished a most piquant ingredient to the entertainment: the pupils knew it, and saw it, and the view of such golden apples shining afar off, animated them with a spirit no other circumstance could have kindled. The children’s pleasure spread to the parents; life and mirth circulated quickly round the ballroom; the jeunes gens themselves, though restrained, were amused: for Madame never permitted them to feel dull⁠—and thus Madame Beck’s fête annually ensured a success unknown to the fête of any other directress in the land.