e Romans, and that it
is mentioned in Domesday as a building of long standing?'

'I shall say that has nothing to do with it,' replied the young man.
'I don't deny that there may have been a castle here in the time of
the Romans: what I say is, that none of the architecture we now see was
standing at that date.'

There was a silence of a minute, disturbed only by a murmured dialogue
between Mrs. Goodman and the minister, during which Paula was looking
thoughtfully on the table as if framing a question.

'Can it be,' she said to Somerset, 'that such certainty has been reached
in the study of architectural dates? Now, would you really risk anything
on your belief? Would you agree to be shut up in the vaults and fed upon
bread and water for a week if I could prove you wrong?'

'Willingly,' said Somerset. 'The date of those towers and arches is
matter of absolute certainty from the details. That they should have
been built before the Conquest is as unlikely as, say, that the
rustiest old gun with a percussion lock should be older than the date of
Waterloo.'

'How I wish I knew something precise of an art which makes one so
independent of written history!'

Mr. Havill had lapsed into a mannerly silence that was only sullenness
disguised. Paula turned her conversation to Miss De Stancy, who had
simply looked from one to the other during the discussion, though she
might have been supposed to have a prescriptive right to a few remarks
on the matter. A commonplace talk ensued, till Havill, who had not
joined in it, privately began at Somerset again with a mixed manner of
cordiality, contempt, and misgiving.

'You have a practice, I suppose, sir?'

'I am not in practice just yet.'

'Just beginning?'

'I am about to begin.'

'In London, or near here?'

'In London probably.'

'H'm.... I am practising in Markton.'

'Indeed. Have you been at it long?'

'Not particularly. I designed the chapel built by this lady's late
father; it was my first undertaking--I owe my start, in fact, to Mr.
Power. Ever build a chapel?'

'Never. I have sketched a good many churches.'

'Ah--there we differ. I didn't do much sketching in my youth, nor have I
time for it now. Sketching and building are two different things, to my
mind. I was not brought up to the profession--got into it through sheer
love of it. I began as a landscape gardener, then I became a builder,
then I was a road contractor. Every architect might do worse than ha