Rollo in Rome

Vati

engaged at the reading room in reading the American papers which had that morning arrived. When Rollo returned from his excursio

shops. The bookstore of Piale is the general centre of news and intelligence for all English and American visitors. Here people come to make inquiries for their friends, for there is a register kept at the library with the names of all the English and American visitors in Rome recorded in it, and the addresses

where a clerk was sitting. There were shelves filled with books all around the room, and a large table in the centre, which was also covered with books arranged in tiers one above the

t of names. Just as Rollo entered, a carriage drove up to the door, and two ladies dismounted from it and came in. Rollo's attention was first attracted to these two ladies. One of them, on entering, accosted the clerk, and asked to look at the register. The clerk immediatel

in the middle of the room, and while doing so he happened

ne of the gentlemen, "an

ust be that there are a great many in town who w

hat the gentlemen were forming a party to go somewhere, or to see something

o himself, "I should lik

o were consulting together, and to ask them if the

no matter which. We are making up a party to go a

t in the proposed party was greatly increased, and he

ld like to go," said R

men, "that will make two. And we on

m," said Rollo. "Wait a m

leman. "Tell him it will cost

from one to the other. There were a great number of very comfortable sofas and arm chairs all about these rooms, and great tables in the middle of them covered with newspapers and magazines. The walls of both rooms were completely covered with paintings of all sizes, most of which had been left there for sale. There were a great many gent

t to make up a party to go and see something by torch light,

are going?" asked Mr. G

is the Vatican. A scu

rge. "I should like to go

bookstore. Come out and

store. Rollo led the way to the place where the gentlemen were standing

e, gentlemen, Mr

, and informed him of their plan, and that they wanted th

t without number,-and it is filled with paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, books, jewels, gems, and other curiosities and treasures of incalculable value. It is situated in close proximity to the great Churc

y require eight grand staircases and two hundred smaller ones to gain access to the different stories. There are twenty open courts and over four thousand different rooms. Some of these rooms are galleries nearly a quarter of a mile long, and are filled on each side w

t of the world. The picture galleries, the collection of ancient curiosities, and the library rooms containing the books and manuscripts, are also in the same manner thrown open, and they are thronged with visitors almost all the time. These apartments are so numerous and so extensive that in one day a person can do little else than to walk through them, and give one general gaze of bewildering wo

by night. It is found that the illumination of a torch, by the strong contrasts of light and shade which it produces,

cost is nearly twenty dollars. It is accordingly customary to make up a party, whenever an evening visit to the Vatican is proposed, in order to divide the expense. The number that ca

lemen were forming, whose party Mr. Geor

, and that he was so prepossessing in his countenance and in his air and manner. Mr. George readily agreed to join the party. They asked him if he knew of any body else that he thought would like to go. He inquired whethe

nd more than one?

the gentlemen. "We can have from

r. George, "and I will pay my proportion no

alf, which was the amount due for three persons. The gentlemen seemed to be quite pleased to find that their party was thus made up, and they told Mr. George that since he had taken and paid for the three remaining places, he might bring with him any number of persons that h

Mrs. Beekman's room to inform her of the proposed

ite Allie too?

n't think they will wish to go, for such children

t in torch light, and both Charles and Allie were exceedingly eager to join the party. It was finally agreed that all three should go. It was arranged that Mr. George a

d a few minutes afterwards they all went together down to the door of the hotel, where

y rode for some distance along a pretty straight road, and then came to a bridge, which was opposite to a great round castl

e hour," said Mr. George; "but I thought i

ourselves half an hour in rambling about

de, with a carriage way in the centre between them. The space enclosed between these colonnades is called the piazza,[8] and it is adorned with fountains and colossa

pidly; and at length, a few minutes before eight, the other carriages began to come. All the persons who belonged to the party were anxious to arrive in time, for the

truck eight, all the party were

y fantastic garb. In a few minutes the men who were to accompany the party through the galleries appeared. One of them carried a great number of very long candles under his arm. Another had a long pole with a socket at the top of it, and a semicircular screen of tin

e long candles in two, so as to make pieces about eighteen inches long. Taking six or eight of these pieces, they placed them together like a bundle of sticks, and tied them, and then crowded the ends t

ed this blaze of light upon one side, so as to ke

ed rapidly on from one to another of these, omitting all the others. When they approached a statue which they were going to exhibit, they would hold the torch up near the face of it in such a manner as to throw a strong light upon the features, and so bring out the expression in a striking manner. The screen shielde

could not tell whether Allie was pleased or not. She seemed bewildered and struck dumb with amazement at the strange aspect of the scenes and spectacles which were continually presented to view. The immense extent and the gorgeous magnificence of the galleries and halls, the countless multitude of statues, and the almost spec

nd celebrated statues in the principal halls and galleries. They had been making a sort of circuit through the palace in passing through these rooms, and now came out very near the entrance door, where they had come in. Here the torch bearers left them, and went away with their apparatus to the part of the building where they belonged, w