There were rolling ridges beyond. On the
left rose huge, shadowy, snow-clad hills, rising to one tremendous dome
of snow.
"Where are you going to take me?" I said to Amroth.
"Never mind," said he; "it's my day and my plan for once. You shall see
what you shall see, and it will amuse me to hear your ingenuous
conjectures."
We were soon on the outskirts of the city we had seen, which seemed a
different kind of place from any I had yet visited. It was built, I
perceived, upon an exactly conceived plan, of a stately, classical kind
of architecture, with great gateways and colonnades. There were people
about, rather silent and serious-looking, soberly clad, who saluted us
as we passed, but made no attempt to talk to us. "This is rather a
tiresome place, I always think," said Amroth; "but you ought to see it."
We went along the great street and reached a square. I was surprised at
the elderly air of all we met. We found ourselves opposite a great
building with a dome, like a church. People were going in under the
portico, and we went in with them. They treated us as strangers, and
made courteous way for us to pass.
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