Except for a broad avenue along the middle, up which we walked, the area was filled with marble benches that would, I presume, have accommodated several thousand people.

But they were empty--empty, and oh! the loneliness of it all.
Far away at the head of the hall was a dais enclosed, and, as it were, roofed in by a towering structure that mingled grace and majesty to a wonderful degree.

It was modelled on the pattern of a huge shell.

The base of the shell was the platform; behind were the ribs, and above, the overhanging lip of the shell.

On this platform was a throne of silvery metal.