honest and faithful vetturino, and a convenient carriage; and that he had one person particularly in mind, a certain Pacifico, though he was not sure that he was now in Rome.

The landlord found Pacifico that very afternoon. He had arrived in Rome two days before with a family which he had brought from Venice, and was now just ready for a new engagement. He came that evening to see Florence and John. Lavinia brought him up to their room and introduced him to the children. They had had a good deal of experience with couriers, vetturinos, or perhaps, I ought to say vetturini, that being the Italian form of the plural of the word, and with commissioners of all kinds; and so they were somewhat well qualified to judge, or at least to form some opinion, in respect to persons of this class.

They were very much pleased with Pacifico's appearance and manners. He was very respectful to them in his air and bearing, but he seemed to be very open-hearted and kind. He told the children, speaking however all the time in French, that he should have been very sorry for the misfortune which they had met with in being thus left alone at Rome, were it not for its being the means of giving him such a charming family to take through Italy.

The vetturino always calls the company of passengers that he has to convey in his carriage his family.

"In truth," continued Pacifico, "I am sorry for you though I am glad for myself that is provided you like my carriage when you see it." "When shall we see your carriage ?" asked John.

"Whenever the young lady pleases,” replied the vetturino. "The landlord proposed that I should come with it to-morrow morning after breakfast."

It is customary with these Italian carriage men, to bring their carriage and horses up to the door of the hotel where the family that proposes to hire them lodge, in order to give the ladies an opportunity to see the vehicle and to try the seats. The gentlemen might go to the stableyard to see the carriage, and might easily enough bring back a report in regard to the size of it, and its condition in respect to neatness and freshness, and to its being in good repair. But they could not so well decide about the comfortableness of the seats, as different ladies have different fancies in this respect, arising from differences of age, of form, or of customary modes of sitting or reclining.

Accordingly, the next morning just after Flor

ence and John had finished their breakfast, Lavinia came to tell them that the carriage was at the door. So they went down to see it. They found a large barouche-shaped carriage, with the top turned back so as to throw it entirely open. There were two seats, containing places for four, inside, as usual in travelling carriages, so that there were good accommodations for four per

sons.

The door was open and the vetturino stood at the side of it ready to help the children in. John climbed in himself without any help, and then Florence followed, resting her hand on the vetturino's arm. They both sat down upon the back seat.

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Why, this carriage is too big for us," said Florence. "See! there are seats in it for four." "Oh no," said John. "It is not at all too big."

"But what shall we do with the front seat ?" said Florence.

Oh, we can put our carpet bag and my knapsack upon it," said John, "and the umbrella." "Besides," he added, jumping up at the same time and whirling himself round to the front seat, "I shall want to sit here sometimes and ride backwards when I get tired of riding forwards. And so will you. You see, sometimes

when we are going up a long hill, and especially when we get to the top of it, we shall like to sit so that we can look back and see the views down in the valley. No. It is not a bit too large. I like the two seats."

This conversation having been held in English the vetturino did not understand it; but he knew by the countenances and movements of the children, especially of John, that they were well pleased with the carriage.

"But, then sometimes," said John, “I shall want to ride on the front seat with Pacifico.”

"Pacifico," said he, looking toward the vetturino, and speaking in French, "is there room for me to ride outside with you sometimes ?"

"Yes sir, plenty of room," said the vetturino. "You can ride outside with me whenever you please."

"But, John," said Florence, "there will be no need of your riding outside, because this is an open carriage, or at least we can have it open whenever we please, and then you can see just as well from the inside seats as you can from the outside."

"Not the horses," said John. "I can't see the horses so well, and so I shall like to ride outside sometimes."

"You see," he continued, "they are such ele

gant black Roman horses, with such long tails, and they gallop along so fast when they are going down a long sloping road. I shall want to sit sometimes where I can see them. Besides

I shall like to talk with Pacifico."

"Very well," said Florence. "I have no objection."

Florence might have said, "Ah, John! I should not think you would be so impolite as to wish to go and sit with the coachman, and leave me all alone," or something of that sort. But to have said this would have been very impolite and selfish on her part. A real lady, when travelling with a gentleman, has some consideration for his peculiar tastes and fancies, even if they are such as she herself does not or can not share. And she acts and speaks in such a manner as to make it easy and agreeable for him to gratify such tastes, without making him uncomfortable by complaints or innuendos that he neglects her by so doing.

The children finally decided that they should like the carriage very much, and the landlord of the hotel accordingly made an engagement for it with Pacifico, and drew up the usual contract in due form. The contracts with the vetturini are always made in writing by filling blanks in