taining
precisely what they were, he told Vittorio that he would decide the next
morning, and he appointed ten o'clock as the time when Vittorio was to
call to get the decision. Mr. George and Rollo then went back to the
hotel.

"Why did not you engage him at once?" asked Rollo, as they walked along.
"It was such a good carriage!"

"Because I want first to see what terms and conditions I can make with
Mrs. Gray," replied Mr. George.

"Why?" asked Rollo; "don't you think she will be willing to pay her
share?"

"O, yes," said Mr. George. "She says she is willing to pay the whole, if
I will only let her go with us."

"And shall you let her pay the whole?" asked Rollo.

"No, indeed," replied Mr. George. "I shall let her pay her share, which
will be just two thirds, for she has four in her party, and we are two."

"And so her portion will be four sixths," said Rollo, "and that is the
same as two thirds."

"Exactly," said Mr. George.

"So then it is all settled," said Rollo.

"About the money it is," replied Mr. George; "but that was not what I
referred to. When two parties form a plan for travelling together in the
same carriage for many days, it is necessary to have a very precise
understanding beforehand about every thing, or else in the end they are
very sure to quarrel."

"To quarrel!" repeated Rollo.

"Yes," said Mr. George; "and generally the more intimate their
friendship for each other is before they set out, the more sure they are
to quarrel in the end."

"That's curious," said Rollo.

"They begin by being very polite to each other," continued Mr. George;
"but by and by, a thousand questions begin to come up, and there is
nobody to decide them. For a time each one professes a great readiness
to yield to the other; but before long each begins to think that the
other assumes too much of the direction. Mrs. A. thinks that Mrs. B.
keeps the carriage too much shut up, or that she always manages to have
the best seat; and Mrs. B. thinks that Mrs. A. takes the best room too
often at the hotels; or that she is never ready at the proper time; or
that she always manages to have what she likes at the hotels, without
paying enough regard to the wishes of the rest of the party."

"Is that the way they act?" asked Rollo.

"Yes," said Mr. George; "that is the way exactly. I have heard the
secret history of a great many travelling parties that began very
brightly, but ended in heart-burnings, miffs, and all so