a famous passage
through a hill, like the tunnel of a railway, which is considered a
great curiosity. This passage is called the Grotto of Posilipo. You will
see its place marked upon the map. The wonder of this subterranean
passage way is its great antiquity. It has existed at least eighteen
hundred years, and how much longer nobody knows. It is wide enough for a
good broad road. When it was first cut through, it was only high enough
for a carriage to pass; but the floor of it has been cut down at
different times, until now the tunnel is nearly seventy feet high at
the ends, and about twenty-five in the middle. High up on the sides of
it, at different distances, you can see the marks made by the hubs of
the wheels, as they rubbed against the rocks, at the different levels of
the road way, in ancient times.

On passing through the grotto in a carriage, or on foot, the traveller
comes out to an open country beyond, where he sees a magnificent
prospect spread out before him. The road goes on along the coast, and
comes to several very curious places, which will be described
particularly in future chapters of this volume.

On the afternoon of the day when Mr. George and his party arrived at the
hotel, just before sundown, Rollo came into Mrs. Gray's parlor, where
Mr. George and all the rest of the party, except Josie, were sitting,
and asked them to go with him and see a place which he and Josie had
found.

"Where is it, and what is it?" asked Mrs. Gray.

"You must come and see," said Rollo. "I would rather not tell you till
you come and see."

But Mrs. Gray, being somewhat fatigued with her ride, and being,
moreover, very comfortably seated on a sofa, seemed not inclined to
move.

"Rosie may go instead," said Mrs. Gray, "and when she has seen it, she
may come back and tell me, and if she thinks it is worth while I will
go."

"Well," said Rollo; "come, Rosie."

So Rollo led the way, and Rosie followed out of the parlor into the
hall, and from the hall along a sort of corridor which led to a narrow
and winding stone stair.

"No," said Rosie, as soon as she began to ascend the stair, "I don't
think mother will like to come. She does not like to go up long stairs,
especially stone stairs, and more especially still, stairs that wind
round and round."

"Wait and see," said Rollo.

After going round and round several times,--all the while
ascending,--Rollo came out to a sort of open passage way, paved with
glazed