d expanse of gardens upon the top, and
zigzag roads, handsomely walled up, and ornamented with statues and
fountains, and with marble seats placed here and there for foot
passengers to rest themselves upon, when ascending.
Every year, at the end of what they call Holy Week, they have a great
celebration of fireworks from the side of this hill and from the terrace
above; and then all the people assemble in the Piazza below to witness
them.
But I must go back to Mr. George and Rollo. The coachman stopped at a
large hotel, fronting upon this square. On inquiring at the bureau, (on
the continent of Europe they call an office a bureau) Mr. George found
that all the rooms were occupied except one large apartment, of four
rooms. This was, of course, more than Mr. George wanted.
At the next hotel where the coachman stopped, there were no rooms at all
vacant, and at the next only one small room, with a single narrow bed in
it.
"If we can't find any other," said Rollo, "we will come back and take
this, and I will sleep on the floor."
"O, no!" said Mr. George.
"Why, uncle George!" said Rollo, "I can make it very comfortable on the
floor, by rolling up two coats or cloaks into two long rolls, and
wedging them in under me, one on one side of me and the other on the
other, and then putting a carpet bag under my head for a pillow. It
feels just as if you were in a good bed."
Mr. George smiled, and got into the carriage again, and the coachman
drove on.
After a while, he stopped at the door of a hotel which stood in rather a
retired place among narrow streets, though there was an open space in
front of it. Mr. George inquired for rooms here, and the waiter said
that they had one left.
"Are there two beds in it?" asked Mr. George.
"No, sir," said the waiter, "but we can put two beds in. Would you like
to go and see it, sir?"
"No," said Mr. George, "I will take it without going to see it. It is
the best that we can do."
So the porter of the hotel took off the baggage, while Mr. George paid
the coachman for an hour and a half of time. Mr. George and Rollo then
followed the porter to their room. In order to reach it, they had to
ascend several stories, up massive staircases of stone, and then to go
out to the extreme end of a long corridor. The room, when they came to
it, proved to be quite small, and there was but one bed in it. There
was, however, room for another; and the waiter, who had followed them
up, sa
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