crypts of former churches, over which stands now a modern
representative of the name; old monuments many; old doorways, and
courts, and corners, and gateways. Come over to London, and I will take
you down into the crypt of St. Paul's, and show you how history is
presented to you there.'

'The crypt?' said Miss Frere, doubting somewhat of this invitation.

'Yes, the old monuments are in the crypt.'

'My dear,' said Mrs. Dallas, 'I do not understand how all these things
you have been talking about should have so much charm for you. I should
think the newer and handsomer parts of the city, the parks and the
gardens, and the fine squares, would be a great deal more agreeable.'

'To live in, mother.'

'And don't you go to the British Museum, and to the Tower, and to Hyde
Park?'

'I have been there hundreds of times.'

'And like these old corners still?'

'I am very fond of the Museum.'

'There is nothing like that is this country,' said Mrs. Dallas, with an
accent of satisfaction.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

_INTERPRETATIONS_.

Miss Betty hereupon begged to be told more distinctly what was in the
British Museum, that anybody should go there 'hundreds of times.' Pitt
presently got warm in his subject, and talked long and well; as many
people will do when they are full of their theme, even when they can
talk upon nothing else. Pitt was not one of those people; he could talk
well upon anything, and now he made himself certainly very
entertaining. His mother thought so, who cared nothing for the British
Museum except in so far that it was a great institution of an old
country, which a young country could not rival. She listened to Pitt.
Miss Betty gave him even more profound interest and unflagging
attention; whether she too were not studying the speaker full as much
as the things spoken, I will not say. They had a very pleasant morning
of it; conversation diverging sometimes to Assyria and Egypt, and
ancient civilizations and arts, and civilization in general. Mrs.
Dallas gradually drew back from mingling in the talk, and watched, well
pleased, to see how eager the two other speakers became, and how they
were lost in their subject and in each other.

In the afternoon there was another drive, to which Pitt did not need to
be stimulated; and all the evening the two young people were busy with
something which engaged them both. Mrs. Dallas breathed freer.

'I _think_ he is smitten,' she said privately to her husband