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drawing toward the close of the dinner, "I should like very much for you and me to go out and take a walk and see the town, if it were not for the beggars."

"So should I," said John, "but it would not be of any use. The beggars would follow us all the way, and spoil all the pleasure.

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Only," he added, after a moment's pause, perhaps we might give them all some money, and then they would go away and leave us in peace."

"No," said Florence; "the more money we should give to one set of beggars, the more the rest would come."

So the children concluded to stay at home and read and write. When Teresa was taking away the last things from the table, John made signs to her to bring more wood. This she did. The wood was a very light sort of brush, which made a quick though very evanescent fire; but John afterward, by putting on a little at a time, succeeded in keeping up a bright blaze all the evening.

He and Florence first spent an hour in writing at the table, after Teresa had cleared it away. They both had writing materials close at hand.

Before they had finished their writing, Pacifico came in to inquire how they were getting

along, and to see if they had everything that they required. He rang the bell for Teresa, and gave her a great many directions, which, however, as he spoke in Italian, the children did not understand.

One thing, however, which he called for they knew was a light, for Teresa went down, and presently returned with a large lamp of an antique and classic form, having three branches, ornamented with pendent chains. At the extremity of each branch was a small reservoir filled with olive oil, and a wick for burning it. Teresa also brought two candles, of the kind in Europe called bougies. These were to go to bed by. Teresa placed the candles on a side table, with a taper or lamplighter near to light them by.

The vetturino himself attended to all these things, and saw that everything was done properly. He even went into the bedrooms to see that the beds were made well, and that there were clothes enough upon them, and that everything else was in proper order for the night. It would have appeared very strange to Florence to see a man performing these duties, if she had not already become accustomed, in some degree, to European, and especially Italian usages. Indeed, in the French hotels, the custom is almost

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universal of having the beds made, and the chambers put in order in the morning by male servants, instead of female-or, as Johnny expressed it, the chambermaids in the hotels are all men.

These men, however, are very neat in their appearance, and quiet and gentle in their manners; and they do their work in a very efficient and at the same time in a very noiseless manner. And it was the same with Pacifico. He was quiet in all his movements, and gentle in the tones of his voice, and in all his demeanor. Indeed, as a general thing, the couriers who are employed to accompany European travellers in their tours, and the better class of vetturinos, are a very gentlemanly kind of servants, and it is usually quite a pleasure to the ladies, as well to the gentlemen of the party, to be waited upon by them.

After Pacifico had seen that everything was arranged for the night, he turned to Florence and said,

"If Miss Florence will desire that Teresa come to aid her something to disdress herself, she shall please sound the bell at the time, for that Teresa shall re-come."

This is what Pacifico called speaking English. He spoke French quite well, and in all ordinary

cases, his conversation with Florence and John was carried on in that language. But he liked to speak English sometimes, in order to keep himself in practice. And then, moreover, on special occasions, when he was at leisure, and thus had time to speak deliberately, he often condescended to gratify his English family, when he had one under his charge, by giving them an opportunity to hear the accents of their native tongue.

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CHAPTER VIII.

PROGRESS OF THE JOURNEY.

THE next morning after the occurrence of the events narrated in the last chapter, John was awakened about eight o'clock by the tinkling of a little bell at the door of his chamber. He started up suddenly in his bed, and for a moment did not know where he was. Before his recollection quite returned to him, he heard the same bell ringing at Florence's door.

"Pretty soon," he called out.

"Florence !" Florence heard him through the partition,

which was thin, and answered,

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"I suppose that bell means," said John, "that it is time for us to get up."

"Yes," said Florence, "and I am getting up already.

While the children were dressing they could talk to each other through the partition, and they could hear Teresa moving about in the room, and presently they could hear a crackling as of a fire beginning to burn.

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