on claiming all the charity they could get.

"Don't give them anything," commanded Miss Morley, anxiously keeping her
little flock in tow, and shepherding them towards the piazza where the
carriages could be hired. "Just say _Niente_, and shake your heads. Hold
a safe hand on your purses and stick together. Don't get separated on
any account."

With considerable difficulty they forced their way across the square,
and thankfully took refuge in several waiting landaus, whose drivers,
feeling sure of their patronage, promptly raised their terms high above
the ordinary tariff. It was only after much bargaining on the part of
Miss Morley that they consented to fix a reasonable sum for the
excursion to Pompeii.

"Miss Morley talks Italian like a native, so they can't 'do' her,"
rejoiced Stella proudly. "Aren't they the absolute limit? No, I _don't_
want to buy a comb, or corals, or brooches, or post-cards, or anything.
They seem to think we're made of money. Why can't they let us alone?
There, thank goodness, we're off at last and can leave the whole
persuasive crew of them behind us!"

The five-mile drive from Castellamare was part of the fun of the
excursion, but Pompeii was, of course, the main object, and there was
much excitement when they at last drew up at the great iron gate. Miss
Morley bought tickets for the party, and they were assigned a guide, a
smiling Italian of superlative politeness, bearing a badge with the
number 24 upon it.

"I asked for one who could speak English, but they're all out with other
visitors," explained Miss Morley. "Never mind. It's a good opportunity
of testing your Italian, and I can interpret if you don't understand."

In spite of the lantern-slides which they had previously been shown,
the girls had come with varying expectations of what they were to see.
Some imagined they would walk into a Roman city exactly as it stood when
buried by the ashes of the great eruption of A.D. 79; others thought
there would be a few interesting things peeping up here and there amid
mounds of cinders. None had imagined it would be so large.

As a matter of fact the remains are simply the bare ruins of a town
destroyed by burning ashes, which have been extricated from the rubbish
accumulated during more than seventeen centuries. The paved streets and
the roofless and broken walls of the houses still remain, with here and
there some building that by a fortunate chance escaped, either in whole
or in p