This woman， as I said， was the last： but there were plenty of empty chairs beyond her， as if the room had been intended for a much larger collection of images.
“I do wish we knew the story that‘s behind all this，” said Digory. “Let’s go back and look at that table sort of thing in the middle of the room.”
The thing in the middle of the room was not exactly a table. It was a square pillar about four feet high and on it there rose a little golden arch from which there hung a littlegolden bell； and beside this there lay a little golden hammer to hit the bell with.
“I wonder... I wonder... I wonder...” said Digory.
“There seems to be something written here，” said Polly， stooping down and looking at the side of the pillar.
“By gum， so there is，” said Digory. “But of course we shan‘t be able to read it.”
“Shan’t we？ I‘m not so sure，” said Polly.