The few days in Rome were devoted to farewell glimpses of favourite spots.
Patty, with Flo and Snippy, roamed round the Forum, and gazed at the Coliseum, and re-visited many of the churches.
One evening Mr. Leland took them all to dinner in a delightful restaurant that overlooked the Palatine.
“I don’t feel that I know my Palatine at all,” said Patty, regretfully.
“Don’t try to,” said Mr. Leland, kindly. “Nobody really knows the Palatine, except the great scholars. When in the Palatine, just flounder about, and get the whole as a general picture of ruined glory. That’s all you can do.”
“Yes,” agreed Patty. “I have a mixed-up memory of Livia’s house, and Augustus’s house, and the rest, and it doesn’t really matter much who’s who in the Palatine, does it?”
“Not a bit,” said Mr. Leland; “but you can get a fair idea of the whole from this balcony.”
He took Patty out on a balcony of the restaurant, used in summer as an open-air eating-place and showed her the general view of the Palatine Hill. The others followed and listened with interest, while Mr. Leland pointed out the various ruins.
“It’s splendid,” said Nan, who was really more of a student of these things than Patty. “I shall always remember this view. It makes me feel nearer to ancient Rome than any other.”