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Read Ebook: A Sack of Shakings by Bullen Frank Thomas
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Ebook has 381 lines and 16592 words, and 8 pages
ENGRAVINGS.
THE VATICAN BY TORCHLIGHT,
THE MOSAIC SHOP, 12
PREPARING FOR THE JOURNEY, 21
THE PONTINE MARSHES, 49
DOING PENANCE, 59
RIDING AMONG THE RUINS, 91
LOOKING DOWN FROM THE COLISEUM, 109
VIEW OF THE LOWER CORRIDORS, 123
ASCENT TO THE CAPITOL, 139
STATUE OF THE GLADIATOR, 143
INTERIOR OF THE PANTHEON, 163
THE COLISEUM BY TORCHLIGHT, 209
ROLLO'S TOUR IN EUROPE.
ORDER OF THE VOLUMES.
ROLLO ON THE ATLANTIC.
ROLLO IN PARIS.
ROLLO IN SWITZERLAND.
ROLLO IN LONDON.
ROLLO ON THE RHINE.
ROLLO IN SCOTLAND.
ROLLO IN GENEVA.
ROLLO IN HOLLAND.
ROLLO IN NAPLES.
ROLLO IN ROME.
ROLLO IN ROME.
THE DILIGENCE OFFICE.
Rollo went to Rome in company with his uncle George, from Naples. They went by the diligence, which is a species of stage coach. There are different kinds of public coaches that ply on the great thoroughfares in Italy, to take passengers for hire; but the most common kind is the diligence.
"If we are not there at the time when the diligence starts, we lose our money, uncle George," said he. "It says here that they won't pay it back again."
"That is reasonable," said Mr. George. "It will be our fault if we are not there."
"Or our misfortune," said Rollo; "something might happen to us."
"I don't know," said Mr. George, "but we have so little baggage that I am sure we cannot exceed the allowance."
"The baggage must be at the office two hours before the time for the diligence to set out," continued Rollo, passing to the next regulation on his paper.
"What is that for?" asked Mr. George.
"So that they may have time to load it on the carriage, they say," said Rollo.
"Very well," said Mr. George, "you can take it to the office the night before."
"They don't take the risk of the baggage," said Rollo, "or at least they don't guarantee it, they say, against unavoidable accidents or superior force. What does that mean?"
"Why, in case the diligence is struck by lightning, and our trunk is burned up," replied Mr. George, "or in case it is attacked by robbers, and carried away, they don't undertake to pay the damage."
"I don't know," said Mr. George.
"It may mean a smash-up," said Rollo.
"Very likely," said Mr. George.
"Every traveller," continued Rollo, looking again at his paper, "is responsible, personally, for all violations of the custom-house regulations, or those of the police."
"That's all right," said Mr. George.
"And the last regulation is," said Rollo, "that the travellers cannot smoke in the diligence, nor take any dogs in."
"Very well," said Mr. George, "we have no dogs, and we don't wish to smoke, either in the diligence or any where else."
"They are very good regulations," said Rollo; and so saying, he folded up the paper, and put it back into his wallet.
On the evening before the day appointed for the journey, Rollo took the valise which contained the principal portion of his own and his uncle's clothes, and went with it in a carriage to the office. Mr. George offered to accompany him, but Rollo said it was not necessary, and so he took with him a boy named Cyrus, whom he had become acquainted with at the hotel.
The carriage, when it arrived at the diligence station, drove in under an archway, and entered a spacious court surrounded by lofty buildings. There was a piazza, with columns, all around the court. Along this piazza, on the four sides of the building, were the various offices of the different lines of diligences, with the diligences themselves standing before the doors.
"Now, Cyrus," said Rollo, "we have got to find out which is our office."
But Rollo was saved any trouble on this score, for the coachman drove the carriage directly to the door of the office for Rome. Rollo had told him that that was his destination, before leaving the hotel.
There was a man in a sort of uniform at the door of the office. Rollo pointed to his valise, and said, in Italian, "For Rome to-morrow morning." The man said, "Very well," and taking the valise out of the carriage, he put it in the office. Then Rollo and Cyrus got into the carriage again, and rode away.
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