nce."

"The baggage must be at the office two hours before the time for the
diligence to set out," continued Rollo, passing to the next regulation
on his paper.

"What is that for?" asked Mr. George.

"So that they may have time to load it on the carriage, they say," said
Rollo.

"Very well," said Mr. George, "you can take it to the office the night
before."

"They don't take the risk of the baggage," said Rollo, "or at least they
don't guarantee it, they say, against unavoidable accidents or superior
force. What does that mean?"

"Why, in case the diligence is struck by lightning, and our trunk is
burned up," replied Mr. George, "or in case it is attacked by robbers,
and carried away, they don't undertake to pay the damage."

"And in case of _smarrimento_," continued Rollo, "they say they won't
pay damages to the amount of more than nine dollars, and so forth; what
is a _smarrimento_, uncle George?"

"I don't know," said Mr. George.

"It may mean a smash-up," said Rollo.

"Very likely," said Mr. George.

"Every traveller," continued Rollo, looking again at his paper, "is
responsible, personally, for all violations of the custom-house
regulations, or those of the police."

"That's all right," said Mr. George.

"And the last regulation is," said Rollo, "that the travellers cannot
smoke in the diligence, nor take any dogs in."

"Very well," said Mr. George, "we have no dogs, and we don't wish to
smoke, either in the diligence or any where else."

"They are very good regulations," said Rollo; and so saying, he folded
up the paper, and put it back into his wallet.

On the evening before the day appointed for the journey, Rollo took the
valise which contained the principal portion of his own and his uncle's
clothes, and went with it in a carriage to the office. Mr. George
offered to accompany him, but Rollo said it was not necessary, and so he
took with him a boy named Cyrus, whom he had become acquainted with at
the hotel.

The carriage, when it arrived at the diligence station, drove in under
an archway, and entered a spacious court surrounded by lofty buildings.
There was a piazza, with columns, all around the court. Along this
piazza, on the four sides of the building, were the various offices of
the different lines of diligences, with the diligences themselves
standing before the doors.

"Now, Cyrus," said Rollo, "we have got to find out which is our office."

But Rollo was saved any trouble on