erous iron gates, it came into
another court, much larger than the first. There were a great many
carriages in this court, some moving in or out and others waiting.
Rollo's carriage drove up to the farthest corner of the court; and there
the coachman stopped and opened the door. Rollo got out. Carlos followed
him.

"Where do you suppose we are to go, Carlos?" said he. "Stop; I can see
by the signs over the doors. Here it is. "Passports." This must be the
place. We will go in here."

Rollo accordingly went in, Carlos timidly following him. After crossing
a sort of passage way, he opened another door, which ushered him at once
into a very large hall, the aspect of which quite bewildered him. There
were a great many desks and tables about the hall, with clerks writing
at them, and people coming and going with passports and permits in their
hands. Rollo stepped forward into the room, surveying the scene with
great curiosity and wonder, when his attention was suddenly arrested by
the voice of a soldier, who rose suddenly from his chair, and said,--

"Your cap, young gentleman."

Rollo immediately recollected that he had his cap on, while all the
other people in the room were uncovered. He took his cap off at once,
saying to the soldier at the same time, "Pardon, sir," which is the
French mode of making an apology in such cases. The soldier then resumed
his seat, and Rollo and Carlos walked on slowly up the hall.

Nobody took any notice of them. In fact, every one seemed busy with his
own concerns, except that in one part of the room there were several
benches where a number of men and women were sitting as if they were
waiting for something.

Rollo advanced towards these seats, saying to Carlos,--

"Carlos, let us sit down here a minute or two till we can think what we
had better do. We can sit here, I know. These benches must be for any
body."

As soon as Rollo had taken his seat and began to cast his eyes about the
room, he observed that among the other desks there was one with the
words, "for foreigners," upon it, in large, gilt letters.

"Carlos," said he, pointing to it, "that must be the place for us. We
are foreigners: let us go there. We will give the passports to the man
in that little pew."

So Rollo rose, and, followed by Carlos, he went to the place. There was
a long desk, with two or three clerks behind it, writing. At the end of
this desk was a small enclosure, where a man sat who looked as though h