of London, in an
atmosphere cold and damp, where there is rain enough to drown the
fountain, and wind enough to scatter it in the air? Out of the whole
twelve months there are scarce twelve days where this bubbling up of
water in our city does not look a very discomfortable object.

They ascended the broad flight of steps, and seemed now to feel
themselves dwarfs as they mounted--and entered the portico. Here are
several groups of allegorical figures, and to the right and left the
equestrian statues of Charlemagne and Constantine.

"I am not surprised," said Mildred, "at the mistake of a countryman of
ours, who took Charlemagne for St. Paul. One would more naturally look
for the apostle here."

"What! than the great benefactor of the Papacy! I rather suspect,"
replied Winston, "that St. Paul would find himself less at home in this
temple than Charlemagne. What think you of these colossal allegories?
Here we have Truth, with her invariable mirror."

"Which mirror, it has always appeared to me," said Mildred, "has a very
poor significance. It reflects faithfully the surface of all things. But
this is not the sort of truth we care much about."

"But it reflects _faithfully_."

"That would rather illustrate the good moral lesson to _speak_ the
truth, than the exalted effort to attain it."

"Here the lady--and a very sweet face she has--is looking at herself in
the mirror. This must represent, I suppose, metaphysic truth."

"If so, that must be the reason," rejoined Mildred, "that she is placed
here outside the temple. I am afraid she will never enter it. But we
will." And they proceeded into the church.

"What an admirable effect has this high altar!" said Winston, in a
subdued exclamation. "Standing as it does in the centre, just beneath
the dome, and so justly proportioned, it at once occupies the whole
building, and explains its purpose to the eye. I cannot agree with the
criticism which has objected to the twisted column in a position like
this. These four bronze and gilded pillars--how lofty they are!--sustain
nothing of greater weight than the canopy above them, and are here as
much in the character of ornament as support. The dove, in its golden
atmosphere of glory, the representation of the Holy Spirit, which is
indeed at the extremity of the church, seems brought within them, and to
be floating between the columns. In every picture or engraving I have
seen, the contrary effect is produced,