"And the plotters against the government, too, I suppose," said Rollo.
This conversation took place while Mr. George and Rollo were walking towards the steamboat office, to take their passages to Marseilles.
They arrived at the office. The clerk answered their inquiries in respect to the steamer with great politeness. The conversation was in the French language. He told them that the steamer started from Naples every evening, and that it stopped in the morning about eight o'clock at Civita Vecchia[9] to take in the passengers from Rome. It was necessary for the passengers to go from Rome to Civita Vecchia by diligence, or by post, or with a vetturino.
[Footnote 9: Pronounced _Tchivita Vekkia_.]
"Then there are no carriages from your office," said Mr. George.
"No, sir," replied the clerk. "We take the passengers at Civita Vecchia. They find their own conveyances there."
"Very well," said Mr. George. "I will take two berths in the steamer for Thursday morning. Can I see a plan of the steamer so as to select the berths?"
"No, sir," said the clerk, "we have no plan of the steamer. And besides, we cannot positively promise you any berths. It depends upon how many passengers there are from Naples. The passengers from Rome take the berths that are left vacant. They take them in the order in which they take passage here."
"Are there many that have taken passage before us?" asked Mr. George.
"No, sir," said the clerk, "only two. Your numbers are 3 and 4."
"Then, if there are more than two berths that are not occupied by the Naples passengers, we can have them?"
"And suppose there are not more than two," asked Rollo, "what shall we do then?"
"Why, then you will have sofas or cots," said the clerk.
"O, that will do just as well," said Rollo. "I would as lief have a sofa or a cot as a berth."
So Mr. George paid the money, and took tickets numbers 3 and 4, and then, having inquired the way to the diligence office, they bade the clerk good morning, and went away.
"And now," said Mr. George, "we must go directly to the diligence office, and secure our places for Civita Vecchia. If we put it off, the places might all be taken, and then we should lose the passage money we have paid for the steamer."