Whentheyreachedthetown，myfatherwasrelievedatfindingthatMr。Balmyhadfriendsonwhomhewishedtocallbeforegoingtothetemple。Heaskedmyfathertocomewithhim，butmyfathersaidthathetoohadfriends，andwouldleavehimforthepresent，whilehopingtomeethimagainlaterintheday。Thetwo，therefore，shookhandswithgreateffusion，andwenttheirseveralways。Myfather’swaytookhimfirstintoaconfectioner’sshop，whereheboughtacoupleofSunchildbuns，whichheputintohispocket，andrefreshedhimselfwithabottleofSunchildcordialandwater。Allshopsexceptthosedealinginrefreshmentswereclosed，andthetownwasgailydecoratedwithflagsandflowers，oftenfestoonedintowordsoremblemsproperfortheoccasion。
Myfather，itbeingnowaquartertoeleven，madehiswaytowardsthetemple，andhisheartwascloudedwithcareashewalkedalong。
Notonlywashisheartclouded，buthisbrainalsowasoppressed，andhereeledsomuchonleavingtheconfectioner’sshop，thathehadtocatchholdofsomerailingstillthefaintnessandgiddinesslefthim。HeknewthefeelingtobethesameaswhathehadfeltontheFridayevening，buthehadnoideaofthecause，andassoonasthegiddinesslefthimhethoughttherewasnothingthematterwithhim。
Turningdownasidestreetthatledintothemainsquareofthetown，hefoundhimselfoppositethesouthendofthetemple，withitstwoloftytowersthatflankedtherichlydecoratedmainentrance。Iwillnotattempttodescribethearchitecture，formyfathercouldgivemelittleinformationonthispoint。Heonlysawthesouthfrontfortwoorthreeminutes，andwasnotimpressedbyit，saveinsofarasitwasrichlyornamented——evidentlyatgreatexpense——andverylarge。Evenifhehadhadalongerlook，IdoubtwhetherIshouldhavegotmoreoutofhim，forheknewnothingofarchitecture，andIfearhistestwhetherabuildingwasgoodorbad，waswhetheritlookedoldandweather-beatenorno。Nomatterwhatabuildingwas，ifitwasthreeorfourhundredyearsoldhelikedit，whereas，ifitwasnew，hewouldlooktonothingbutwhetheritkepttherainout。IndeedIhaveheardhimsaythatthemediaevalsculptureonsomeofourgreatcathedralsoftenonlypleasesusbecausetimeandweatherhavesettheirsealsuponit，andthatifwecouldseeitasitwaswhenitleftthemason’shands，weshouldfinditnobetterthanmuchthatisnowturnedoutintheEustonRoad。
Thegroundplanheregivenwillhelpthereadertounderstandthefewfollowingpagesmoreeasily。