I choose that poor barefooted girl, that looks so pale," said
Allie.

"Yes," said Rollo; "she looks as if she had had a fever."

So Rollo pointed to the girl, and showed her a copper, which he took for
the purpose from his pocket. At the same time he made a waving motion
with his hand to the rest, to denote that he did not wish for their
services, and that they might go away.

The barefooted girl seemed greatly pleased. Her pale and emaciated face
was lighted up with a smile of pleasure. She ran along forward,
beckoning to Rollo and his party to follow.

The rest of the children, though they understood perfectly the signal of
dismission that Rollo had made to them, were determined not to be sent
off in that way; so they went on gesticulating and clamoring as much as
ever.

Rollo paid no attention to them, but walked on with Charles and Allie at
his side. Presently their guide, and all the other children with her,
stopped at a sort of gateway in a wall. By the side of the gateway there
was an iron ring hanging by a chain. Two or three of the children seized
this ring together and pulled it, by which means a bell was rung inside.
The other children crowded together on each side of this gate, leaving
room, however, for Rollo and his party to go through, and all held out
their hands for money.

"I am only going to pay the one that I engaged," said Rollo; "but, poor
thing, I mean to give her two coppers, instead of one, she looks so sick
and miserable."

"So I would," said Allie. "And here," she added, putting her hand into
her pocket and taking out a Roman copper coin, "I have got a penny here;
you may give her that, too."

"That is not a penny," said Charles. "That is a _baioccho_."

"Never mind," said Allie; "_I_ call it a penny. I can't remember the
other name. Besides, it is all the same thing."

Rollo gave the three pieces of money to the poor girl, and the rest of
the children, when they saw how generous he was, became more clamorous
than ever. But Rollo paid no heed to them. Indeed, a moment after he had
paid his little guide her money, the gate opened, and the party went
in. The poor children were all left outside, and shut out.

It was a small girl, about thirteen years old, that opened the gate.

Rollo and his party found themselves ushered into a sort of garden. The
girl led the way along a narrow path between beds of beans, lettuce, and
other garden vegetables. Besides these vegetables, there were