ght to have
attended to this business before."

"I'll tell you what we can do," said Rollo. "One of us can go on
Wednesday morning, and the other wait here and come on in the night."

"That is the only thing that we _can_ do," said Mr. George, "unless we
hire a carriage to ourselves, and that would be expensive. Should you
dare to go alone?"

"O, yes, indeed," said Rollo.

"But remember," said Mr. George, "that all the people will be speaking
Italian. You will have to ride among them like a deaf and dumb boy."

"Never mind that," said Rollo. "Deaf and dumb boys get along in
travelling very well. Besides, I am almost sure that there will be
somebody in the diligence that can speak French or English."

"And which would you rather do," asked Mr. George, "go in the morning or
in the evening? If you go in the morning coach, you will have to set out
very early, before it is light, and then stay at Civita Vecchia, in a
strange hotel, alone, all night. If you go in the evening, you can
remain here, where you are acquainted, all day; but then you will have
to ride alone in the night."

"I would rather go in the morning coach," said Rollo.

"Very well," said Mr. George. "That's what we'll do."

This conversation between Mr. George and Rollo had been carried on in
English; but now Mr. George turned to the clerk, and said in French
that he would take the two places that were left, one in the morning
coach and one in the evening coach of Wednesday. The place in the
morning coach was upon the banquette. The one in the evening coach was
in the coupe. Mr. George had scarcely uttered the words by which he
engaged the seats, before two gentlemen came in in a hurried manner to
ask for seats in the diligence for Wednesday. The clerk told them that
the last of them had just been engaged.

When Wednesday morning came, Rollo was awakened by the porter of the
hotel knocking at his door before it was light. He got up, and opened
the door a little way, and took in the candles which the porter handed
to him. Mr. George had intended to get up too, and go with Rollo to the
office; but Rollo particularly desired that he should not do so.

"I have nothing to carry," said he, "but my little valise, and the
porter will go with me to take that, and to see me safe through the
streets. So that it is not at all necessary for you to go, and I would
much rather not have you go."

Mr. George perceived that Rollo felt a pride in taking care of hi