se not."

The official looked intently at him, and then at the boys. After
this he conversed with his companion in Italian. These companions
were quite as unprepossessing in their appearance as himself. Then
the first speaker turned to the boys.

"You, sare," said he to Frank, in rather an unpleasant tone, "haf
you de stones or de bones?"

"Not a stone, not a bone," said Frank, smilingly. "I did take a
few at first, but I pitched them away."

"And you, sare?" said he to Bob.

"Don't deal in such articles," said Bob, with a grin--"not in my
line--not my style."

"Pardon," said the official, with a sickly smile, "but I must put
de usual interrogatoree. You, sare?" and he addressed himself to
David.

David turned pale.

He hesitated for a moment.

"Well," said he, "I believe I _have_ got a few little stones, just
two or three, you know; little relics, you know."

"Ah! ver good, ver nais," said the official, with the sunshine of
perfect content illuminating his sallow features. "And you, sare?"
he continued, turning to Clive.

"Well, yes," said Clive, "I've got a few, I believe; but they really
don't amount to anything in particular."

"O, no, not at all," said the Italian; "dey don't amount to notin;
but look you, de govairement haf made de law dat no pairson will
take no stone, nor steek, nor relique, nor bone, nor souvenir, from
Pompeii. You mus geef dem all oop."

"Why? They're only two or three," pleaded David, in a heartbroken
voice.

"So, dat is eet. Look you. Eet ees de law. O, yais. I cannot help.
Everybody will take two or tree. Very well. Ten tousand, twenty
tousand, hundred tousand come here every year, and all take away
hundred tousand pocket full. Ah, ha! See you? What den? Why, den
all Pompeii be carried away. Aha! dat great shame. Too bad, hey?
ha? You ondstand. So you sall gif dem all oop into my hand."

David and Clive remonstrated most vehemently, but the official was
obdurate. He pleaded the law. He insisted on the full restoration
of everything.

So the two lads began to disgorge, with the following result:--

1 piece of brick from the Sidewalk.
1 bit of stone, Street.
1 stucco, Basilica.
1 do. Temple Venus.
1 do. Forum.
1 do. Temple Jupiter.
1 bit of stone, Public Bakery.
1 do. Sentry box.
1 do. Wall.
1