ths?"

"No, sir," said the clerk, "we have no plan of the steamer. And besides,
we cannot positively promise you any berths. It depends upon how many
passengers there are from Naples. The passengers from Rome take the
berths that are left vacant. They take them in the order in which they
take passage here."

"Are there many that have taken passage before us?" asked Mr. George.

"No, sir," said the clerk, "only two. Your numbers are 3 and 4."

"Then, if there are more than two berths that are not occupied by the
Naples passengers, we can have them?"

"Yes, sir," said the clerk.

"And suppose there are not more than two," asked Rollo, "what shall we
do then?"

"Why, then you will have sofas or cots," said the clerk.

"O, that will do just as well," said Rollo. "I would as lief have a sofa
or a cot as a berth."

So Mr. George paid the money, and took tickets numbers 3 and 4, and
then, having inquired the way to the diligence office, they bade the
clerk good morning, and went away.

"And now," said Mr. George, "we must go directly to the diligence
office, and secure our places for Civita Vecchia. If we put it off, the
places might all be taken, and then we should lose the passage money we
have paid for the steamer."

"Would not they pay us back again?" asked Rollo.

"I am afraid not," said Mr. George. "But I think we are in season, for
it is now Tuesday, and we do not sail till Thursday."

On entering the diligence office, Mr. George saw one or two clerks
standing behind a counter. They seemed busy talking with persons who had
come in to engage places, and entering their names in great books. As
soon as one of the clerks was at liberty Mr. George accosted him, saying
that he wished to get two places in the diligence for Civita Vecchia on
Wednesday.

The clerk looked at the book, and said that all the places were taken
for Wednesday, except one.

"That's bad," said Mr. George. "We shall have to go down on Tuesday,
then, and stay a day at Civita Vecchia. Are there any places for
Tuesday?"

The clerk looked, and said that every place for Tuesday was engaged.

"But there is a coach on Wednesday night," he added, "that arrives at
Civita Vecchia in the morning in time for the steamer."

Then turning over to another place in his book, he looked at the list of
names, and then told Mr. George that there was only one vacant place for
Wednesday night.

"Dear me, Rollo!" said Mr. George, "how unfortunate! We ou