The Apprentices

The arrangement of the third floor was very different from that of the second. Lucien saw a spacious blue and white living room. On eash side of the living room, there was a row of big windows, through which the sunlight came in and brightly lit up the whole place.

Although the living room was still quite smaller than the hall on the first floor, everything there looked rather lively and energetic - couches that could move around; small-sized tea tables everywhere; small black writing boards hanging on the wall; green plants, etc.

There were some teenagers in that place. The oldest might be around fourteen or fifteen, and the youngest might be only twelve. Some of them were sitting in the couches, calculating and writing something down in a very dedicated way, while others were standing in front of the small blackboards, discussing something seriously. In a second, Lucien thought that he was visiting a study hall or something.