of the three places, so that they might know Florence's hand writing, and thus when Florence should come there and call for the money, they would ask her to write her name, and then by comparing the two signatures they would have proof that the young lady who called for the money was really the one to whom it was due.

Things being all thus arranged, the party returned to the hotel. Mrs. Morelle then gave Florence the two little bags of gold, one French and the other English, which she had received at the banker's. She also gave her the letter of credit, and this Florence put into her wallet, and then put the wallet with the bags of gold, in a snug little compartment in the tray of her trunk.

John was very desirous to have some portion. of these treasures committed to his charge, but his mother thought it best that they should be all kept together.

The preparations for Mrs. Morelle's departure were now soon completed. There were two trunks which contained articles that were to go to America. These Francisco took off to some agency by which they could be forwarded direct, so that Florence and John should only have their own personal effects to look after on the way. These were packed in two small leather

portmanteaus, one for Florence and one for John. The carriage then was ordered to the door, and at about eleven o'clock the whole party set off to go to the diligence office.

"You are not afraid to be left at the hotel, are you, children ?" said Mrs. Morelle. “It will be only two days-or only a day and a half in fact."

"Oh no, mother," said John. "I'm not at all afraid."

Florence did not answer.

She turned her face

away and looked out at the window.

"You see they know us very well at the hotel," said Mrs. Morelle, "and they will take good care of you. You are not afraid to be left, are you, Florence ?"

"No, mother," said Florence. "I am not afraid at all-but-"

66 But what?" asked her mother.

"I am only sorry that you are going away."

49

"Yes," replied Mrs. Morelle. "I am very sorry to go away and leave you; but it won't be very long you know. The time will slip away fast and we shall soon be together again."

66

"Why, mother!" said John, "you have got to go all round the world."

"True," said his mother. "If I go with your father I shall have to go all round the world.

But that is not so very far. It does not take very long to go round the world at the present day."

Comforting her children as well as she could with these and similar words, Mrs. Morelle soon arrived with her party at the diligence office. Here they were detained half an hour, so numerous were the preliminary formalities connected with the departure of the coach. At length all was ready. Mrs. Morelle bade her children good bye, and the diligence set off. Soon afterward the children resumed their places in the carriage, and were drawn back to the hotel. They scarcely spoke a word to each other all the way.

At length, just as they were coming near the hotel, John, after drawing a long breath, said— "There is one thing I'm glad of, at any rate, and that is that we can have some rides."

"Yes," said Florence," and we must not forget our shopping."

Mrs. Morelle in order to occupy the minds of the children during the interval while they would be left alone at the hotel, had authorized them to take three drives in a carriage, which drives were to be under John's management. She gave John the money to pay for them, and gave him the entire direction and control of them. "Only," said she, "I recommend to you,

John, to be disinterested and considerate, and tc think as much of Florence's comfort and pleasure in planning the rides as she did of mine, when she was queen on the Isle of Wight."

"And is not Florence to have anything to say about the riding ?" asked John.

"Oh, yes," replied Mrs. Morelle, "she may say as much as she pleases, especially if you ask her about her opinion or her wishes. But she is to have no control. The money is yours to be

spent for carriages, and you can ask her, if you please, to go with you. She can go or not, just as she likes. If you wish to have her go when you invite her, you will of course try to make it pleasant for her when she does go."

Mrs. Morelle had at the same time given Florence an equal sum of money to be spent in buying mosaics and other Roman curiosities, one half of the amount to be spent for John, in buying such things as he might desire to have on his return to America, either to keep for himself, as souvenirs of Rome, or to give to any of his friends.

Mrs. Morelle made these arrangements in order to give the children something to amuse and occupy their minds during the time while they were waiting for Mr. and Mrs. Otis. Accordingly, as soon as the children had had time to recover a little from the first impressions of sad

ness left on their minds by their mother's departure, they began to think of their drives and their purchases, and John said he meant to take his first excursion that very afternoon.

This plan he carried into effect. As soon as he and Florence returned to the hotel they found that Lavinia-one of the domestics whom Mrs. Morelle had commissioned to take special charge of them until Mrs. Otis should come-had prepared a very nice luncheon for them in their room. After their luncheon, Lavinia sent for a carriage, and the children had a delightful drive of two hours about Rome and the environs. After that they went to the shops and commenced making their purchases. There were several places where there were show cases outside the shop doors, and these were filled with mosaics and other jewelry; and also with coins and medals, more or less genuine, and fragments of statues and statuettes, and other things suitable for travellers to carry away as reminiscences of Rome.

They came home at six o'clock to dinner, and after dinner they spent the time, until bed time, very merrily together, looking over their purchases and showing them to Lavinia.

When bed time came the children both felt somewhat lonesome. They missed their mother.