Chapter 8

           IfoundthePalaceofGreenPorcelain,whenweapproacheditaboutnoon,desertedandfallingintoruin. Onlyraggedvestigesofglassremainedinitswindows,andgreatsheetsofthegreenfacinghadfallenawayfromthecorrodedmetallicframework. Itlayveryhighuponaturfydown,andlookingnorth-eastwardbeforeIenteredit,Iwassurprisedtoseealargeestuary,orevencreek,whereIjudgedWandsworthandBatterseamustoncehavebeen. Ithoughtthen—thoughIneverfollowedupthethought—ofwhatmighthavehappened,ormightbehappening,tothelivingthingsinthesea. 

           ‘ThematerialofthePalaceprovedonexaminationtobeindeedporcelain,andalongthefaceofitIsawaninscriptioninsomeunknowncharacter. Ithought,ratherfoolishly,thatWeenamighthelpmetointerpretthis,butIonlylearnedthatthebareideaofwritinghadneverenteredherhead. Shealwaysseemedtome,Ifancy,morehumanthanshewas,perhapsbecauseheraffectionwassohuman. 

           ‘Withinthebigvalvesofthedoor—whichwereopenandbroken—wefound,insteadofthecustomaryhall,alonggallerylitbymanysidewindows. AtthefirstglanceIwasremindedofamuseum. Thetiledfloorwasthickwithdust,andaremarkablearrayofmiscellaneousobjectswasshroudedinthesamegreycovering. ThenIperceived,standingstrangeandgauntinthecentreofthehall,whatwasclearlythelowerpartofahugeskeleton. IrecognizedbytheobliquefeetthatitwassomeextinctcreatureafterthefashionoftheMegatherium. Theskullandtheupperboneslaybesideitinthethickdust,andinoneplace,whererain-waterhaddroppedthroughaleakintheroof,thethingitselfhadbeenwornaway.