know," said Mr. Holiday; "but then as to the talking,
I think we shall want to be quiet, and go to sleep if we can. You see it
will be night."

"Yes, father, that is true," said Rollo; "but I had rather hear them
talk. I can understand almost all they say. And then I like to see them
change horses, and to see the conductor climb up and down. Then,
besides, at almost all the villages they have parcels to leave at the
inns; and it is good fun to see them take the parcels out and toss them
down, and tell the bar maid at the inn what she is to do with them."

"All that must be very amusing," said Mr. Holiday; "but it would not be
so comfortable for your mother to mount up there. Besides, I have
engaged our places already in the coupe, and paid for them."

"Why, father!" said Rollo. "When did you do it?"

"I sent last evening," said Mr. Holiday. "It is necessary to engage the
places beforehand at this season. There is so much travelling into
Switzerland now that the diligences are all full. I had to send to three
offices before I could get places."

"Are there three offices?" asked Rollo.

"Yes," said his father; "there are three different lines.

"But I'll tell you what you may do, Rollo, if you please," continued his
father. "You may go to the bureau,[B] and see if you can exchange your
seat in the coupe for one in the banquette, if you think you would like
better to ride there. There may be some passenger who could not get a
place in the coupe, on account of my having taken them all, and who,
consequently, took one on the banquette, and would now be glad to
exchange, and pay the difference."

[Footnote B: Bureau is the French word meaning office; and English
people, when travelling in France, fall into the habit of using the word
in that sense.]

"How much would the difference be?" asked Rollo.

"I don't know," said Mr. Holiday; "five or six francs, probably. You
would save that sum by riding on the banquette, and you could have it to
buy something with in Geneva."

"Well, sir," said Rollo, joyfully, "I should like that plan very much."

"But do you think," said Mrs. Holiday, "that you know French enough to
explain it at the bureau, and make the change?"

"O, yes, mother," said Rollo; "I have no doubt I can."

So Rollo said he would finish his dinner as soon as he could, and go off
at once to the bureau.

"There is one other condition," said his father. "If I let you ride on
the banquette, and let you ha