Inside, the footfalls fell dumbly upon a great carpeted floor. It was
very like a great church, except that there was no altar or sign of
worship. At the far end, under an alcove, was a statue of white marble
gleaming white, with head and hand uplifted. The whole place had a
solemn and noble air. Out of the central nave there opened a series of
great vaulted chapels; and I could now see that in each chapel there
was a dark figure, in a sort of pulpit, addressing a standing audience.
There were names on scrolls over the doors of the light iron-work
screens which separated the chapels from the nave, but they were in a
language I did not understand.
Amroth stopped at the third of the chapels, and said, "Here, this will
do." We came in, and as before there was a courteous notice taken of us.
A man in black came forward, and led us to a high seat, like a pew, near
the preacher, from which we could survey the crowd. I was struck with
their look of weariness combined with intentness.
The lecturer, a young man, had made a pause, but upon our taking our
places, he resumed his speech. It was a discourse, as far as I could
make out, on the development of poetry; he was speaking of lyrical
poetry.
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