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as he had written them, and she approved them in every respect. She said he could not have expressed them better. He then made up his package so as to have it all ready on the following morning. He expected that the two carriages would proceed together as far as to the passport office, at the gate of the city, and there he supposed they would remain for ten or fifteen minutes while Pedro and Pacifico attended to the various formalities required by the police in the case of travellers entering or leaving the town. When these formalities had all been attended to, and the carriages were ready to set out again on their different roads, the time would have arrived for him to bid Florence and John good bye, and then he was going to deliver Florence the parcel.

In the course of the evening Edwin sat down with Florence, who came with John to pay a visit in Mrs. Willey's room, and took out the map from a guide book, to trace out upon it their several roads for the following day. On examining the map he found that for one day's journey the direction of the roads that they were to take was very nearly the same. It immediately occurred to him that they might, if they choose, keep together one day.

"As far at least as Bologna," said Edwin.

pointing out the position of Bologna on the map.

"We are going through Bologna," said Florence. "We are going to stop there to-morrow night."

"I will ask Pedro which way we are going," said Edwin.

So Edwin rang the bell to summon Pedro. Pedro said the arrangement which they had made was to go across the mountains to Raven- na, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, but they could easily change the plan and go by way of Bologna, if his family pleased.

"Where is father ?" asked Edwin eagerly. "Let us go and ask him."

"He is in the coffee room," said Mrs. Willey. "And may I go and ask him if Pedro may change the plan, and take us by way of Bologna ?" asked Edwin.

Mrs. Willey said she had no objection. So Edwin went down stairs to the coffee-room-or dining-room as it might have been called-and found his father there sitting at a table with another gentleman, with some fruit before them, and talking together. Edwin made known his errand, and his father at once assented.

"I have no objection myself," he said, "to any change that you and your mother may desire.

Let your mother arrange it just as she pleases. It is beautiful every where in Italy. We can't very well go amiss."

It need hardly be said that Pedro very soon received orders to change his course, and go the next day to Bologna; and thus the two parties travelled together one more day.

In the course of the day they paid visits to each other's carriages a great deal, and had very merry times. Pedro was very glad of the change too, for he and Pacifico had become very good friends, and they enjoyed being together at the hotels were the stoppings were made.

In the course of the day Edwin mentioned to Florence, as if incidentally, that he had a small parcel to send to her mother, if she would be kind enough to take it. Florence replied that she would take it with a great deal of pleasure. Of course she had not the least idea what the parcel contained.

They all arrived in due time at Bologna, and spent the night there. The next morning the two carriages came to the door together, and when the party of travellers had taken their seats in them, they went together to the gate of the city, where the carriages stopped in order to give opportunity to have the passports examined and stamped. Edwin then went to Florence's car

riage to bid her good bye. Mrs. Willey had already taken leave of her at the hotel. Edwin shook hands with her and said he was very sorry that they could not travel together all the journey, and then put the parcel into her hand, saying,

"That is for your mother. I don't tell you what it is, but I have written a little note inside that will explain it all. After you get fairly set out on your journey you can open the parcel, and then you will know all about it."

Edwin bade John good bye, and then seeing Pedro and Pacifico coming together out of the office he went back to his own place, and in a few minutes afterward both parties were rapidly journeying on by different roads toward their several destinations, with white handkerchiefs waving out of the windows of each of the carriages.

CHAPTER XV.

CROSSING THE ALPS.

Of course Florence was very impatient to gratify her curiosity by opening the package which Edwin had put into her hands, and as soon as the carriage had got beyond the environs of the town she untied the string. The first thing that met her eye was the note for her. She opened it and read as follows.

FLORENCE, May 25th, 1859.

"MY DEAR MISS MORELLE,

"We have all enjoyed our little journey with you so much, and are so much pleased to be acquainted with you, that I wish to give you some trifle as a souvenir of the two days we have spent together, so as to prevent your forgetting us; but my mother thought you would feel more at liberty to accept of some little token from me if it came to you through your mother. So I have concluded to send what is in this box to her, with the note that accompanies it. I

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