I noticed that people couldn't help looking at me rather hard, and
considering my clothes and theirs, I didn't wonder; but whenever they
caught my eye they made me a very friendly sign of greeting.

We walked straight into the forecourt of the Museum, where, except
that the railings were gone, and the whispering boughs of the trees
were all about, nothing seemed changed; the very pigeons were
wheeling about the building and clinging to the ornaments of the
pediment as I had seen them of old.

Dick seemed grown a little absent, but he could not forbear giving me
an architectural note, and said:

"It is rather an ugly old building, isn't it? Many people have
wanted to pull it down and rebuild it: and perhaps if work does
really get scarce we may yet do so. But, as my great grandfather
will tell you, it would not be quite a straightforward job; for there
are wonderful collections in there of all kinds of antiquities,
besides an enormous library with many exceedingly beautiful books in
it, and many most useful ones as genuine records, texts of ancient
works and the like; and the worry and anxiety, and even risk, there
would be in moving all this has saved the buildings themselves.
Besides, as we said before, it is not a bad thing to have some record
of what our forefathers thought a handsome building. For there is
plenty of labour and material in it."

"I see there is," said I, "and I quite agree with you. But now
hadn't we better make haste to see your great-grandfather?"