 it, since there are not any prisons: I'm afraid
you will think the worse of me for losing my temper. Of course, you, coming from
the outlands, cannot be expected to know about these things. And now I'm afraid
I have made you feel uncomfortable.«
    In a way he had; but he was so generous in his heat, that I liked him the
better for it, and I said: »No, really 'tis all my fault for being so stupid.
Let me change the subject, and ask you what the stately building is on our left
just showing at the end of that grove of plane-trees?«
    »Ah,« he said, »that is an old building built before the middle of the
twentieth century, and as you see, in a queer fantastic style not over
beautiful; but there are some fine things inside it, too, mostly pictures, some
very old. It is called the National Gallery; I have sometimes puzzled as to what
the name means: anyhow, nowadays wherever there is a place where pictures are
kept as curiosities permanently it is called a National Gallery, perhaps after
this one. Of course there are a good many of them up and down the country.«
    I didn't try to enlighten him, feeling the task too heavy; but I pulled out
my magnificent pipe and fell a-smoking, and the old horse jogged on again. As we
went, I said:
    »This pipe is a very elaborate toy, and you seem so reasonable in this
country, and your architecture is so good, that I rather wonder at your turning
out such trivialities.«
    It struck me as I spoke that this was rather ungrateful of me, after having
received such a fine present; but Dick didn't seem to notice my bad manners, but
said:
    »Well, I don't know; it is a pretty thing, and since nobody need make such
things unless they like, I don't see why they shouldn't make them, if they like.
Of course, if carvers were scarce they would all be busy on the architecture, as
you call it, and then these toys (a good word) would not be made; but since
there are plenty of people who can carve - in fact, almost everybody, and as
work is somewhat scarce, or we are afraid it may be, folk do not discourage this
kind of petty work.«
    He mused a little, and seemed somewhat perturbed; but presently his face
cleared,
