"Tell me what it is," said Rollo, "and then I will tell you how I consider it."
So Mr. George informed Rollo that the news which he had received was, that there had been an arrival from America, and that the last night's post had brought the papers to town.
"And so," said Mr. George, "I am going to spend the morning at Piale's[6] library, reading the papers, and you will be left to entertain yourself."
"O, that's no matter," said Rollo. "I can get Charles Beekman to go with me. We can take care of ourselves very well."
"I want to go and see the Tarpeian Rock," said Rollo. "I read about that rock, and about Tarpeia, in a history in America, and I want to see how the rock looks."
"Do you know where it is?" asked Mr. George.
"Very well," said Mr. George; "then I leave you to take care of yourself. You can get Charles to go, if his mother will trust him with you."
"Why, you got lost when you took him the other day," said Mr. George, "and you had ever so much difficulty in finding your way home again."
"O, no, uncle George," said Rollo, "we did not have any difficulty at all. We only had a little fun."
Soon after breakfast Mr. George bade Rollo good by, and went off to the bookstore and library, where he was to see and read the American papers. As soon as his uncle had gone, Rollo went up to Mrs. Beekman's room, and knocked at the door. A well-dressed man servant came to the door. It was Mr. Beekman's courier.
"Walk in, Mr. Rollo," said the courier; "Mrs. Beekman and Charles will come in a minute."
So Rollo went in. The room was a small parlor, very beautifully furnished. In a few minutes Mrs. Beekman and Charles came in, followed by Charles's sister, a lively young lady about twelve years of age. Her name was Almira, though they usually called her Allie.
Rollo informed Mrs. Beekman, when she came into the room, that he had come to ask her to allow Charles to go and make an excursion with him. He was going, he said, to see the Tarpeian Rock.
"O, I would not go to see the Tarpeian Rock," said Mrs. Beekman. "Some ladies of my acquaintance went to see it the other day, and they said it was nothing at all."
"Ah, yes, mother!" said Charles, in an entreating tone of voice, "let me go with Rollo."