Rollo in Switzerland | Page 2

go with him. That's exactly the thing. Yes, sir."
"Have you any objection?" said Mr. Holiday, quietly, turning towards Rollo's mother.
"No," said Mrs. Holiday, speaking, however, in a very doubtful tone,--"no; I don't know that I have--any great objection."
Whatever doubt and hesitation Mrs. Holiday might have had on the subject was dispelled when she came to look at Rollo and see how eager and earnest he was in his desire to go. So she gave her definitive consent.
"How long do you think you will be gone?" said Mr. Holiday.
"Three weeks, nearly," replied Mr. George. "Say twenty days."
"And how much do you suppose it will cost you?" asked Mr. Holiday.
"I have made a calculation," said Mr. George; "and I think it will cost me, if I go alone, about twenty-five francs a day for the whole time. There would, however, be a considerable saving in some things if two go together."
"Then I will allow you, Rollo," replied Mr. Holiday, looking towards Rollo, "twenty-five francs a day for this excursion. If you spend any more than that, you must take it out of your past savings. If you do not spend it all, what is left when you come back is yours."
"Yes, sir," said Rollo. "I think that will be a great plenty."
"Twenty-five francs a day for twenty days," continued Mr. Holiday, "is five hundred francs. Bring me that bag of gold, Rollo, out of my secretary. Here is the key."
So Rollo brought out the gold, and Mr. Holiday took from it twenty-five Napoleons. These he put in Rollo's purse.
"There," said Mr. Holiday, "that's all I can do for you. For the rest you must take care of yourself."
"How long will it take you to pack your trunk?" said Mr. George.
"Five minutes," said Rollo, promptly, standing up erect as he said it and buttoning his jacket up to his chin.
"Then put on your cap and come with me," said Mr. George.
Rollo did so. He followed Mr. George down stairs to the door, and they both got into a small carriage which Mr. George had waiting there and drove away together towards Mr. George's hotel.
"Now, Rollo," said Mr. George, "I have got a great deal to do to-day, and there are our passports to be stamped. I wonder if you could not attend to that."
"Yes," said Rollo, "if you will only tell me what is to be done."
"I don't myself know what is to be done," said Mr. George. "That's the difficulty. And I have not time to find out. I have got as much as I can possibly do until four o'clock; and then the office of the prefecture of police is closed. Now, if you can take the passports and find out what is to be done, and do it, then we can go to-morrow; otherwise we must wait till next day."
"Well," said Rollo, "I'll try."
"You will find the passports, then, on my table at the hotel. I am going to get out at the next street and take another carriage to go in another direction. You can keep this carriage."
"Very well," said Rollo.
"You may make inquiries of any body you please," said Mr. George, "except your father and mother. We must not trouble your father with any business of any kind till he gets entirely well; and your mother would not know any thing about it at all. Perhaps the master of the hotel can tell you. You had better ask him, at any rate."
Here Mr. George pulled the string for the carriage to stop, as they had arrived at the corner of the street where he was to get out. The coachman drew up to the sidewalk and stopped. Mr. George opened the door and stepped out upon the curbstone, and then said, as he shut the door,--
"Well, good by, Rollo. I hope you will have good luck. But, whatever happens, keep a quiet mind, and don't allow yourself to feel perplexed or troubled. If you don't succeed in getting the passports ready to-day we can attend to them to-morrow and then go the next day, which will answer nearly as well."
Then, directing the coachman to drive to the hotel, Mr. George walked rapidly away.
When Rollo reached the hotel he got the key of his uncle George's room, at the porter's lodge, and went immediately up to see if the passports were there. He found them, as his uncle had said, lying on the table.
"Now," said Rollo, "the first thing I'll do is to find Carlos and see if he will go and help me get the passports stamped."[1]
So, taking the passports in his hand, he went along the corridor till he came to the door leading to the apartments where Carlos lodged. There was a bell hanging by the side of the door. Rollo pulled this cord, and presently