Rollo in Naples - Abbott Jacob

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the board, Mr. George made a verbal agreement with Vittorio that he would pay fifty-four francs a day for the whole party, and that, in consideration of that sum, Vittorio was to provide board and lodging for them all, at the best hotels, and in the best style. He paid for five days in advance. At the end of that time, the party were to be at liberty either to continue the system at the same rate, or to abandon it, and pay the bills at the hotels themselves.

      In respect to the carriage and horses, Vittorio brought him an agreement, filled up from a printed form, which he and Vittorio signed in duplicate. It was as follows. There was a picture of a carriage and horses at the head of it. I give you the document in the original French. If you are studying French yourself, you can read it. If not, you must ask some one to translate it for you, if you wish to know what it all means.

      Vittorio Gonsalvi, Voiturier.

Florence, le 22 Mars, 1857.

      Par la présente écriture, faite à double original, pour valoir et pour être strictement observée, comme de droit, par les parties contractantes, a été fixe, et convenu ce qui suit.

      Le propriétaire de voiture, Gonsalvi, domicilié à Rome, promet et s'oblige de servir Monsieur George Holiday et sa suite dans le voyage qu'il veut entreprendre de Florence à Napoli, par la voie de Arezzo, Perugia, Rome, et Terracina, et être conduit par un bon voiturier, pour le prix convenu de trois cents francs, pour la voiture et les quatre chevaux.

      Moyennant ce paiement, qui s'effectuera moitié avant de partir, moitié à Napoli, le propriétaire de voiture, ou son conducteur délégué, est tenu des obligations ci-après designées.

      Tous les frais occasionnés pour le passage des fleuves, rivières, ponts, et montagnes, ainsi que ceux des barrières, seront à la charge du voiturier conducteur.

      L'étrenne d'usage à donner au voiturier conducteur sera selon son bon service.

      Le dit voyage sera fait dans dix jours complets.

      Le depart de Florence est fixé dans le journée du 23 courant, a onze heures matin.

      Pour tous les jours en sus, qu'il plairait à dit Monsieur Holiday de s'arrêter dans une ville, ou qu'il y fut forcé par des imprévues, il est convenu qu'il payera cinq francs par jour par cheval pour la nourriture des chevaux.

      Le voiturier devra constamment descendre dans de bonnes auberges, et partira tous les matins de bonne heure, pour arriver tous les soirs avant la nuit à l'auberge ou l'on devra coucher.

      Et pour l'observance des conditions ci-dessus mentionnées, les parties interessées l'ont volontairement signée.

George Holiday, Vittorio Gonsalvi.

      The agreement which Mr. George made with Mrs. Gray was not so difficult to understand. Mrs. Gray did not, as Rollo had predicted, appear unwilling to make a definite arrangement in respect to the respective privileges and rights of the various members of the party in the carriage and at the hotels. She was a very sensible woman, and she saw the propriety of Mr. George's suggestion at once. Mr. George attributed the necessity of it, in part, to there being so many children in the party.

      "When there are children," said he, "we must have system and a routine."

      "That is very true," said Mrs. Gray.

      "And the more formal and precise the arrangement is, the better," said Mr. George. "It amuses them, and occupies their minds, to watch the operation of it."

      "Yes," said Mrs. Gray; "I have no doubt of it."

      "Then," said Mr. George, "I will draw up some articles of agreement, and if you approve of them, Rosie shall make a copy of them. Rosie shall keep the copy, too, after she has made it, and shall see that the rules are all observed."

      "But what shall I do," said Rosie, "if any body breaks any of the rules?"

      "Then they must be punished," said Mr. George. "You shall determine what the punishment shall be, and I will see that it is inflicted."

      So Mr. George drew up a set of rules; but before proposing them to Mrs. Gray and her children, he read them to Rollo. He read as follows:—

I

      The interior of the carriage, all the way, shall belong to Mrs. Gray and her family, and the coupé to Mr. George and Rollo. Mr. George or Rollo may, perhaps, sometimes ride inside; but if they do so, it is to be understood that they ride there as the guests of Mrs. Gray; and in the same manner, if at any time any of Mrs. Gray's party ride outside, it will be as the guests of Mr. George and Rollo.

      "Good!" said Rollo. "I like that regulation very much. I shall not want to get inside very often."

      "You may sometimes wish to invite Rosie to take your place outside, when it is very pleasant, and you take her place inside," suggested Mr. George.

      "No," said Rollo; "there will be room outside for her and me too. She can sit right between you and me."

      "And, perhaps, sometimes I may invite Rosie and her brother to come outside and ride with you, while I go inside with Mrs. Gray," added Mr. George.

      "That will be a good plan," said Rollo. "But now what is the second rule?"

II

      On arriving at a hotel for the night, Mrs. Gray is to take her choice first of all the rooms shown, for herself and Rosie. Then from the other rooms Mr. George is to choose the bed that he will sleep in. Then the two boys are to choose from the beds that are left, each to have the first choice alternately, beginning with Josie.

      "Why should Josie begin?" asked Rollo. "I am the oldest."

      "True," said Mr. George; "but it is of no consequence at all which begins, and as we are drawing up the rules, it is polite and proper to give Josie the precedence in such a point."

      "Very well," said Rollo; "go on. How about Susannah?"

      "O, it is not necessary to make any rule about Susannah," replied Mr. George. "I suppose that Mrs. Gray will take her into her room, if there is a spare bed there. If not, they must make some other arrangement for her."

III

      Every evening before the party separate for the night, Mrs. Gray shall decide at what hour we shall set off the next morning, and also at what hour we shall breakfast, after first hearing what Vittorio's opinion is as to the best time for setting out.

      "Why can't we have a fixed time for setting out every day?" asked Rollo, "and agree about it once for all beforehand."

      "Because we have different distances to go on different days," said Mr. George, "so that sometimes we shall have to set out much earlier than will be necessary at other times."

      "Then why should not we consult together as to the time?" asked Rollo. "I don't see any reason for leaving it altogether to one of the party."

      "Why, you see that Mrs. Gray is a lady," replied Mr. George, "and it takes a lady longer to dress and get ready than men. Besides, she has two children to look after."

      "And Susannah to help her," said Rollo.

      "True," said Mr. George; "still it seems proper that the time for setting out should be fixed by the lady,—of course, after hearing what the vetturino has to say."

      "I think so too," said Rollo; "so go on."

IV

      Any person who is not ready to sit down to breakfast at the time which shall have been appointed by Mrs. Gray the evening before, or who shall not be ready to enter the carriage at the time appointed, shall pay a fine, except in the case hereinafter provided for. If the person so behindhand is one of the children, the fine shall be two cents, or the value thereof in the currency of the country where we may chance to be; and if it is one of the grown persons, the fine shall be three times that amount, that is, six cents.

      "Yes; but suppose we don't wake up?" suggested Rollo.

      "That contingency is provided for in the next article," said Mr. George.

V

      It shall be Mr. George's duty to knock at all the bedroom doors every morning, three quarters of an hour before the time fixed for breakfast; and if he fails

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