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CHAPTER II.

LEFT ALONE.

ACCORDINGLY, the next morning, Mrs. Morelle laid out the things that were to go in her trunks, and made her arrangements for setting off at noon. She determined to take Francisco with her.

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Indeed, I must take him with me," said Mrs. Morelle to Florence, "for I do not know anything about the travelling between here and Alexandria, or what languages I may require. But Francisco has been everywhere, and he knows all languages—at least all that are spoken on the great thoroughfares of Europe.

"And besides," she added, after a pause, "Francisco would not be of much service to you, if I were to leave him here. You will be very safe at the hotel until Saturday, and then Mr. and Mrs. Otis will come, and they will have their own courier. All that you will want is plenty of money."

"Yes, mother," said John, "let us have plenty

of money. We shall need as much as a hundred dollars."

"Yes," said Mrs. Morelle. "You will need five hundred dollars. It will cost nearly five hundred dollars to get you to America, and then I must provide as much more, in case of accidents." "In case of accidents ?" repeated Florence. "Yes," said Mrs. Morelle. "You may be taken sick on the way, or something else may happen requiring a good deal of money. True, we do not expect there will be anything of the kind, but it is always best to be prepared.'

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"I should think Mr. Otis would pay for us in that case," said Florence," and so let father pay him when he gets to America."

"He would, no doubt," said Mrs. Morelle; "but it is enough to ask him to take care of you, without expecting him to advance money for you in case of accidents."

Mrs. Morelle was now ready for Francisco to come in and pack the trunks, having separated what she wished to take with her to Civita Vecchia from the clothes that belonged to the children and such things of her own as she wished to send to America. Francisco then packed them all in the proper trunks, leaving out, of course, all that the children would want while they remained in Rome.

While he was engaged in doing this, Mrs. Morelle told him that she wished to put into the children's hands a sum of money sufficient for all their probable expenses-about five hundred dollars she thought would be the proper amount -and another sum of about the same amount, to be at their command in case of accidents.

"How do you think I had better arrange this ?" said she.

After some reflection upon the subject, Francisco recommended that Mrs. Morelle should give Florence a thousand francs in French gold, for expenses to Paris, and sixty pounds in sovereigns, for the journey through England and the passage money to America; and that she should also give her a draft on Paris, payable to her order, for twenty-five hundred francs besides, to be used in case of accidents.

"Why not give her gold or bank-notes for the whole amount ?" asked Mrs. Morelle.

"Only that in case the money should be stolen from her in any way-though that is not at all likely to happen-or be carried off by her trunk getting misdirected—then, if her funds are in a draft instead of in cash, nothing would be lost, as the draft would only be payable to her order." Mrs. Morelle had great confidence in Francisco's judgment on such subjects as this, and she

said she wished he would arrange it as he had proposed. He said it would be necessary for Mrs. Morelle and Florence to go to the banker's. "And me too," said John.

"Master John can go with us as well as not," said Francisco, with a smile, "but it is not necessary."

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Why not as necessary for me as for Florence ?" asked John.

"Miss Florence must be there," said Francisco, "because they will require her signature. You see the draft is to be to order.”

John did not understand this reasoning at all, but since he was to be allowed to go with the rest he was satisfied. So Francisco went down and engaged a carriage, and the whole party were soon on the way to the Torlonia palace.

For Torlonia has his banking offices in his palace, which is a splendid edifice, adorned with statues, paintings, frescoes and other architectural and artistic decorations of the most magnificent character. Francisco went with the party -riding outside, with the coachman. When the carriage arrived, he opened the door and assisted Mrs. Morelle and the children to descend, and then conducted them up and through a series of magnificent staircases and halls, into a spacious apartment, very handsomely decorated

and furnished. There were sofas, and comforta ble chairs, and desks, and tables with English and American papers upon them, and various other objects.

Francisco conducted Mrs. Morelle to a sofa and then went to arrange with one of the clerks the business that he had come to transact. In a few minutes the clerk, who was quite a venerable looking man, came to Mrs. Morelle with some papers, and after various signings and exchangings of papers which Florence did not understand at all, the business was accomplished. Among other things Florence had to write her name three times on a slip of paper with nothing above. What this could mean she had no idea, but her mother afterward explained it to her. The explanation was this. Florence was to have, besides the five hundred dollars in gold, a draft payable to her order, as the phrase is, that is, payable to whomsoever she should designate to receive it by writing her name to an order. As they did not know at what place it would happen that Florence would wish for the money, Francisco thought it would be best to make it payable in three places-viz., Geneva, Paris and London; and the banker accordingly wished Florence to write her name three times, in order that he might send one of the signatures to each

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