“Ah, that is something,” said Albert; “today is Thursday, and who knows what may arrive between this and Sunday?”
“Ten or twelve thousand travellers will arrive,” replied Franz, “which will make it still more difficult.”
“My friend,” said Morcerf, “let us enjoy the present without gloomy forebodings for the future.”
“At least we can have a window?”
“Where?”
“In the Corso.”
“Ah, a window!” exclaimed Signor Pastrini,—“utterly impossible; there was only one left on the fifth floor of the Doria Palace, and that has been let to a Russian prince for twenty sequins a day.”
The two young men looked at each other with an air of stupefaction.
“Well,” said Franz to Albert, “do you know what is the best thing we can do? It is to pass the Carnival at Venice; there we are sure of obtaining gondolas if we cannot have carriages.”
“Ah, the devil, no,” cried Albert; “I came to Rome to see the Carnival, and I will, though I see it on stilts.”