Now they joined a great number of other carriages travelling towards the Crystal Palace.
The Times had already informed Sorilda, so that she had no need to ask the question, that over thirty thousand privileged guests with special tickets were to assemble to greet the Queen.
At last she could see the huge building glistening in the sunshine so that it seemed almost dazzling. Although she and the Earl were early, the inside of the huge space under the dome seemed to be filled with Diplomats, Officers of State and other Court dignitaries in gold-embroidered uniforms, quickly ushering everyone to their special places.
There was so much to look at and so much to see that Sorilda felt that she had hardly arrived and had little time to take everything in before the Gentlemen-at-Arms in their
