“Nearly a month,” said Violet. “We were thinking of going on next week, but now that we’ve met you I’d like to stay longer.”
“I hope you will,” said Patty, cordially. “I’ve a friend coming in a few days, and I know we could all have a good time together. I love a lot of people, don’t you?”
“I do, if they pull together,” said Lank. “But if you start out sight-seeing with a bunch of people, they never all want to go to the same place at the same time.”
“I suppose that’s so,” said Patty, “but I’ve only my father and mother in my party at present, and we go together, of course. But I’ve not seen much yet. We’ve only been here a few days, and I’ve spent most of the time in the Coliseum and Roman Forum. I do love them so, and I go there expecting to study out the ruins and columns, and then I forget all about studying, and just wander about, thinking of the old Romans who used to be there.”
“That’s what I do!” exclaimed Lank. “I’m mad about the Forum, and I just shuffle around it with my tongue out, sort of lapping it up.”
“He does!” said Violet, laughing. “You ought to see him. He looks like an idiot.”
“I’d rather look like an idiot than a tourist,” said Lancaster, a little resentfully.
“Don’t worry,” said Patty. “I’m sure you don’t look the least like a tourist. I know you don’t keep one forefinger stuck into a Baedeker, and the other pointing.”
“No, I don’t. But,” and the boy’s eyes twinkled, “I carry a pack of postcards instead of a Baedeker!”