Passingoutintothestreetsonthiserrandhefoundthatthecollegeshadtreacherouslychangedtheirsympatheticcountenances：somewerepompous；somehadputonthelookoffamilyvaultsaboveground；somethingbarbaricloomedinthemasonriesofall。Thespiritsofthegreatmenhaddisappeared。
Thenumberlessarchitecturalpagesaroundhimheread，naturally，lessasanartist-criticoftheirformsthanasanartizanandcomradeofthedeadhandicraftsmenwhosemuscleshadactuallyexecutedthoseforms。
Heexaminedthemouldings，strokedthemasonewhoknewtheirbeginning，saidtheyweredifficultoreasyintheworking，hadtakenlittleormuchtime，weretryingtothearm，orconvenienttothetool。
Whatatnighthadbeenperfectandidealwasbydaythemoreorlessdefectivereal。Cruelties，insults，had，heperceived，beeninflictedontheagederections。Theconditionofseveralmovedhimashewouldhavebeenmovedbymaimedsentientbeings。Theywerewounded，broken，sloughingofftheiroutershapeinthedeadlystruggleagainstyears，weather，andman。
Therottennessofthesehistoricaldocumentsremindedhimthathewasnot，afterall，hasteningontobeginthemorningpracticallyashehadintended。Hehadcometowork，andtolivebywork，andthemorninghadnearlygone。Itwas，inonesense，encouragingtothinkthatinaplaceofcrumblingstonestheremustbeplentyforoneofhistradetodointhebusinessofrenovation。Heaskedhiswaytotheworkyardofthestone-masonwhosenamehadbeengivenhimatAlfredston；andsoonheardthefamiliarsoundoftherubbersandchisels。