noon
Two thousand of these would come from France alone . An international committee had assembled in Paris to organise everything and select the pilgrims , which last had proved a delicate task , as a representative gathering had been desired , a commingling of members of the aristocracy , sisterhood of middle-class ladies , and associations of the working classes , among whom all social differences would be forgotten in the union of a common faith . And the Viscount added that the pilgrimage would bring the Pope a large sum of money , and had settled the date of its arrival in the Eternal City in such wise that it would figure as a solemn protest of the Catholic world against the festivities of September 20 , by which the Quirinal had just celebrated the anniversary of the occupation of Rome . The reception of the pilgrimage being fixed for noon , Pierre in all simplicity thought that he would be sufficiently early if he reached St. Peter 's at eleven . The function was to take place in the Hall of Beatifications , which is a large and handsome apartment over the portico , and has been arranged as a chapel since 1890 . One of its windows opens on to the central balcony , whence the popes formerly blessed the people , the city , and the world . To reach the apartment you pass through two other halls of audience , the Sala Regia and Sala Ducale , and when Pierre wished to gain the place to which his green card entitled him he found both those rooms so extremely crowded that he could only elbow his way forward with the greatest difficulty .