"I've been calc'latin' that you
could range along this middle aisle about eighteen good-sized
Protestant churches, and eighteen more along the side aisles. You
could pile them up three tiers high. You could stow away twenty-four
more in the cross aisle. After that you could pile up twenty more in
the dome. That would make room here for one hundred and fifty-two,
good-sized Protestant churches, and room enough would be left to
stow away all their spires."

And to show the truth of his calculation he exhibited a piece of paper
on which he had pencilled it all.

If the interior is imposing the ascent to the roof is equally so.
There is a winding path so arranged that mules can go up carrying
loads. Up this they went and reached the roof. Six or seven acres of
territory snatched from the air spread around; statutes rose from the
edge; all around cupolas and pillars rose. In the center the huge dome
itself towered on high. There was a long low building filled with
people who lived up here. They were workmen whose duty it was to
attend to the repairs of the vast structure. Two fountains poured
forth a never-ceasing supply of water. It was difficult to conceive
that this was a roof of a building.

Entering the base of the central cupola a stairway leads up. There is
a door which leads to the interior, where one can walk around a
gallery on the inside of the dome and look down. Further up where
the arch springs there is another. Finally at the apex of the dome
there is a third opening. Looking down through this the sensation
is terrific.

Upon the summit of the vast dome stands an edifice of large size,
which is called the lantern, and appears insignificant in comparison
with the mighty structure beneath. Up this the stairway goes until
at length the opening into the ball is reached.

The whole five climbed up into the ball. They found to their surprise
that it would hold twice as many more. The Senator reached up his
hand. He could not touch the top. They looked through the slits in
the side. The view was boundless; the wide Campagna, the purple
Apennines, the blue Mediterranean, appeared from different sides.

"I feel," said the Senator, "that the conceit is taken out of me.
What is Boston State House to this; or Bunker Hill monument! I
used to see pictures of this place in Woodbridge's Geography; but
I never had a realizing sense of architecture until now."

"This ball," said Buttons, "has its history, its associati