arcelona," said Carlos.

"I don't know whether to give her a sou or not," said Rollo. "Would you,
Carlos?"

"My candlesticks are of real silver," said Carlos, "but these are not."

Rollo finally concluded to give the girl a sou, thinking that he was in
some measure bound to do it, after having stopped so long to look at her
chapel; and then he and Carlos walked on as before. As they went on they
continued to talk together, from time to time, Rollo in English and
Carlos in Spanish, neither of them, however, paying any attention to
what the other said. This was a very good plan, for there was a sense of
companionship in this sort of conversation, though it communicated no
ideas. They took the same kind of pleasure in it, probably, that birds
do in the singing of their mates. In fact, it often happens, when a
group of children are talking together in a language which they all
understand, that each one talks for the pleasure of talking, and none of
them pay any attention to what the others say.

Presently the two boys reached the Boulevard. It was a very broad and
magnificent street, and the sidewalks were very wide. The sidewalks,
wide as they were, were thronged with foot passengers, and the street
itself was full of carriages. Very soon an omnibus came along; but it
was full. There are a great many curious contrivances about a French
omnibus; one of which is, that there is a sign, with the word
_complete_, in French, painted upon it in large letters. The sign is
placed directly over the door of the omnibus behind, and is attached to
the top of the coach by a hinge at the lower edge. When the omnibus is
full, the conductor who rides on the step behind pulls up this sign, by
means of a cord attached to it, and then all the people on the sidewalks
can see that there is no room for them. When any passengers get out so
as to make room for others, then the conductor lets this sign down, and
it lies flat upon the top of the coach, out of sight, until the omnibus
gets full again, when it is drawn up as before.

"Complete," said Rollo, pointing to the sign, which was up and in full
view. "That omnibus is full."

"Yes," said Carlos, "I see him. His cap is so high that he can't wear it
in the omnibus, and so he has to take it off."

"But there will be another one pretty soon," said Rollo.

"If I were a soldier," said Carlos, "I would never get into an omnibus
at all. I would have an elegant black horse with a long tail, and