IfIidledforaday，nooneexceptmyfellow-studentswhoevidentlyhadnoaweformeremarkedit。Noonesawmymidnighttaper；noonepointedmeoutasIcrossedthestreetasanastonishingintellectualphenomenon。InthenextplaceIbecameinconsiderable。InWimblehurstIfeltIstoodforScience；
nobodythereseemedtohavesomuchasIandtohaveitsofullyandcompletely。InLondonIwalkedignorantinanimmensity，anditwasclearthatamongmyfellow-studentsfromthemidlandsandthenorthIwasill-equippedandunder-trained。WiththeutmostexertionIshouldonlytakeasecondarypositionamongthem。Andfinally，inthethirdplace，Iwasdistractedbyvoluminousnewinterests；Londontookholdofme，andScience，whichhadbeentheuniverse，shrankbacktothedimensionsoftiresomelittleformulaecompactedinabook。IcametoLondoninlateSeptember，anditwasaverydifferentLondonfromthatgreatgreyly-overcast，smoke-stainedhouse-wildernessofmyfirstimpressions。IreacheditbyVictoriaandnotbyCannonStreet，anditscentrewasnowinExhibitionRoad。Itshone，paleamber，blue-greyandtenderlyspaciousandfineunderclearautumnalskies。aLondonofhugelyhandsomebuildingsandvistasanddistances，aLondonofgardensandlabyrinthinetallmuseums，ofoldtreesandremotepalacesandartificialwaters。IlodgednearbyinWestBromptonatahouseinalittlesquare。
SoLondonfacedmethesecondtime，makingmeforgetaltogetherforawhilethegrey，drizzlingcityvisagethathadfirstlookeduponme。Isettleddownandwenttoandfrotomylecturesandlaboratory；inthebeginningIworkedhard，andonlyslowlydidthecuriositythatpresentlypossessedmetoknowmoreofthishugeurbanprovincearise，thedesiretofindsomethingbeyondmechanismthatIcouldserve，someuseotherthanlearning。Withthiswasagrowingsenseofloneliness，adesireforadventureandintercourse。IfoundmyselfintheeveningsporingoveramapofLondonIhadbought，insteadofcopyingoutlecturenotes——andonSundaysImadeexplorations，takingomnibusrideseastandwestandnorthandsouth，andtoenlargingandbroadeningthesenseofgreatswarminghinterlandsofhumanitywithwhomIhadnodealings，ofwhomIknewnothing。
Thewholeillimitableplaceteemedwithsuggestionsofindefiniteandsometimesoutrageouspossibility，ofhiddenbutmagnificentmeanings。
Itwasn’tsimplythatIreceivedavastimpressionofspaceandmultitudeandopportunity；intimatethingsalsoweresuddenlydraggedfromneglected，veiledanddarkenedcornersintoanacutevividnessofperception。CloseathandinthebigartmuseumI