Having got rid of us, the cure hurried back to his siesta, and we strolled round the church.

Beautiful circular arches, with zigzag mouldings, almost perfect, adorned several towers, and showed how admirable must once have been the form of the building.
We found ourselves carried away by the crowd into the street again, and were obliged to pause and take breath by the side of the clear rivulet, which, as in most of the towns here, runs swiftly through the streets, rendering them much cleaner than they would otherwise be.

Here we were accosted, from an open window, by a female who had been watching our proceedings, from the time of our driving into the town, and who seemed quite distressed to see three ladies alone, without a cavalier.
"However," she said, "three of you are company, to be sure, and can take care of each other." She was very eloquent on the subject of Morlaas, and had no idea but that we had purposely chosen the market-day for our visit, in order to be _gay_.
We made our way, with some difficulty--through the throng of persons which filled the market-place, and who were busy buying and selling coarse stuffs and merinos, coloured handkerchiefs, and woollen goods--to the principal facade of the church, against which the ruinous old _halle_ is built; and there we contrived to get a sight of the remains of one of the most splendid portals I ever beheld.

Of gigantic proportions, circle within circle, each elaborately carved, with figures, foliage, and intersecting lines, the magnificent door-way of the church of Sainte Foi presents a treasure to antiquarians: equal in riches to, but more delicate, and larger and loftier, than that of Malmsbury Abbey, in Wiltshire, it has features in common with that fine structure; but I never saw so wide a span as the arch, or more exquisite ornaments.
It appears that the town of Morlaas, which, ruined as it is, is said to be _rich_ (!) is about to restore this fine entrance.

A new town-hall and market-place are being built, and, when completed, the miserable huts which disfigure the church will be cleared away, and the facade allowed to appear.