Part 6 (2/2)

”Are you going to Berne?” asked Rollo.

”I don't know,” said the boy.

The girl, who had been looking at Rollo during this conversation, here spoke, and said that they _were_ going to Berne.

”We are going in that diligence,” said she.

”So am I,” said Rollo. ”I have got a seat on the banquette.”

”Yes,” rejoined the boy. ”I wished to have a seat on the banquette, so that I could see; but the seats were all engaged before my father went to the office; so we are going in the coupe; but I don't like it half so well.”

”Nor I,” said the girl.

”Where is your father?” asked Rollo.

”He is gone,” replied the boy, ”with mother to buy something at a shop a little way from here. Lottie and I were tired, and so we preferred to stay here. But they are coming back pretty soon.”

”Are you all going to ride in the coupe?” said Rollo; ”because, there will not be room. There is only room for three in the coupe.”

”I know it,” said Lottie; ”but then, as two of us are children, father thought that we could get along. Father had a plan for getting Adolphus a seat in the interior; but he was not willing to go there, because, he said, he could not see.”

Just at this moment the father and mother of Adolphus and Lottie came up the archway into the court yard where the diligence was standing. The horses had been brought out some minutes before and were now nearly harnessed. The gentleman seemed to be quite in a hurry as he came up; and, seeing that the horses were nearly ready, he said,--

”Now, children, get in and take your places as soon as possible.”

So they all went to the coach, and the gentleman attempted to open the door leading to the coupe. It was fastened.

”Conductor,” said he, speaking very eagerly to the conductor, who was standing near, ”open this door!”

”There is plenty of time,” said the conductor. ”There is no need of haste.”

However, in obedience to the request of the gentleman, the conductor opened the door; and the gentleman, helping his wife in, first, afterwards lifted the children in, and then got in himself. The conductor shut the door.

”Come, uncle George,” said Rollo, ”is not it time for us to get up to our places?”

”No,” said Mr. George. ”They will tell us when the proper time comes.”

So Mr. George and Rollo remained quietly standing by the side of the diligence while the hostlers finished harnessing the horses. Rollo during this time was examining with great interest the little steps and projections on the side of the coach by which he expected that he and Mr. George were to climb up to their places.

It turned out in the end, however, that he was disappointed in his expectation of having a good climb; for, when the conductor was ready for the banquette pa.s.sengers to take their places, he brought the step ladder and planted it against the side of the vehicle, and Mr. George and Rollo went up as easily as they would have gone up stairs.

When the pa.s.sengers were seated the step ladder was taken away, and a moment afterwards the postilion started the horses forward, and the ponderous vehicle began to move down the archway, the clattering of the horses' hoofs and the lumbering noise of the wheels sounding very loud in consequence of the echoes and reverberations produced by the sides and vaulting of the archway. As soon as the diligence reached the street the postilion began to crack his whip to the right and left in the most loud and vehement manner, and the coach went thundering on through the narrow streets of the town, driving every thing from before it as if it were a railway train going express.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE DILIGENCE AT THE OFFICE.]

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