Year: 1874

Once again l had almost given the
thing up and gone home; but just then
the light disappeared from the window
hhd all was darkness. Was the old man
off to bed, wondered, or had he gone
to grope among the clypts below?
Should see his light presentlyktwink-
ling in those high windows? Did he
crouch in some stony gallery to find a
resting place in the golden ball? Whilst
I was thus speculating I heard door
softly closed, a footstep on the stone
staircase; the iron gate at the bottom
creaked on its hinges. sprung for
ward and met q gray-headed old man
with paid face, who was just opening
the iron grille.


With all the eloquence of which I
am master besought him to do me the
good Office of letting me into the sac
red fame. He hesitated, shook his head;
at last he relented. Very WE'LL" he
said, '.it's against rules; but as you
say, it's long way to the antipodes.
I'll let you in if you don't mind stop
ping inside alone for an hour; it will
be that time before return; and must
lock the door behind me. Do you still
wish TO go inside?"


1 thanked him warmly and said:
Certainly, yes 1 was delighted at
the idea of an hour in perfect silence
and seclusion among the mighty col
umns and arches of St. Paul S. got
under the great dome, which hangs like
q luminous cloud above, full of hazy,
uncertain shadows, q faint circle of
light trimming it round, arches and huge
piers encompassing it. From the west
a subdued crimson glow; eastward the
choir, dark and somber; the windows
of the apse showing as stray luminous
patches, the altar glooming in the dis
tance like some funeral catafalquc.
White figures cleaning here and there
in shadowy recesses, marble warriors,
heroes, statesmen.


Under the dome in the great open
space, was vast crowd of chairs
lashed together in rows, looking to-
ward the east. Choosing one of the
most central of these 1 sat down and
began to dream, peopling this wide
area with vast, invisible congregation.


In soft, long-drawn cadence the bell
of Pauls struck out the hour of ten.
L felt chilled and numb. Enough of
dreams. Let me walk briskly up and
down and think of the busy scenes
awaiting me; the warm, glad welcome;
wife and children holding out eager
arms right at the other side of this
huge world


l paced rapidly up and down the
hot l,,
enough; was anxious to be released,
to get away from the world of shadows
into the living world outside. For a
moment l stood in what seemed to be
the very center of the dome, and looked
upward. A faint circle of light marked
the apex of the soaring vault, and Just
above my head 1 saw--my eyes being
now accustomed to this half-hght-I
saw, l say, a rope hanging down from
the vast height above.


Then l remembered the spider-webs
l had seen outside the ball and cross.
And as stood, and looked, and listened
l heard faint sounds of hammering and
knocking. Men We're Mt work hundreds
Of feet above; light shone here and
there, twinkling like star.


In years gone by used to be ia
nous gymnast, and the sight of the
rope hanging just above my head put
me in mind of my ancient prowess. 1
was heavier now, my muscles less elas-
tic; still, there was some salt of youth
i'll me. How many times, wondered,
could !, hanging to that rope, draw my
chin up to my knuckles?


The rope was just out of reach, but
l leapt up and caught-once, twice,
thrice. felt kind of emulation with
my old self; I wanted to persuade my
self that l had not lost much of nv
former prowess; and so went on draw
ing myself up and down, not touching
the ground, till 1 grew tired, and
stretched myself out, expecting just to
reach the pavement with my toes. But
:! could not reach it. Casting a glance
below me, saw with horror that the
flooring had vanished under me. l
was swinging suspended by my hands
high UP in the dome.


Perhaps, if I had dropped at that
moment, I might have escaped with
only serious shaking; but l hesitated,
and was lost. Slowly and steadily, the
rope was being wound up. shut my
eyes. Surely this was hideous delu-
sion that another moment would dispel.
But no; as looked down, the floor
below was almost lost to my sight.
There l swung, tiny human speck,
half way between heaven and earth. 1
couldn't hope to hang on much longer.
My muscles were weary with the task I
had given them. l made desperate
effort to raise myself hand over hand,
so that l might grasp the rope with my
feet also; but it was impossible; I
could not do it. Even the desperate
energy OF self-preservation could ex-
tract no more force from my muscles;
I could only hold on.


Twas now on level with the plinth
that surmounts the great arches of the