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68 A VISION. But here, where I had so unluckily come by accident, the arches and pillars, though scarcely less venerable than those others, were disfigured by daubings of untempered mortar," and overlaid with memorial tablets of every shape and size, disturbing the uniformity of the perspective, and leading the mind away to earthly memories ; while the hideous straight lines of conventicle-like pews with their buttoned-up doors, seemed fixed there as if in mockery of the ecclesiastical character which had so clearly once belonged to the edifice I had made a vexatious mistake, and felt fretted; besides dreading still more the character of the services and singing in store; when suddenly it occurred to me that I was a free agent, and need not stay! Who constrained me ? Accordingly, I raised myself half up, and laid my hand gently on the outside button that held the pew-door, with a view to slipping quietly out; but just at that moment my friend, the verger, came sweeping by, conducting a family party to some other pew. As he passed he glanced at my arm, then at my face, and our eyes met. This was enough. I withdrew