“You’ve been to Rome before?” said Patty, by way of making conversation.
“Yes, miss, I’ve been almost everywhere. It’s my bad luck never to be let to rest long in my own country.”
“Oh, come now, Snippy,” said Flo; “you’re glad to be in Rome, you know you are.”
“Not in this stuffy place, Miss Flo. Italian air is bad and close enough, without stifling a body with velvet hangings pulled all about. And thick carpets, snug from wall to wall. As well be shut up in a jewel-case!”
“It is exactly like a jewel-case,” said Patty, laughing at the apt illustration. “All the rooms in Rome are, I believe.”
“Well, I like it,” said Flo; “and I’m so glad to be with you, Patty. I don’t mean to bother you, you know, but you’re glad I came, aren’t you?”
“Of course I am,” said Patty, though conscious of a feeling that Flo might sometimes be an insistent companion. But she was ashamed of this thought as soon as it came, and said, cordially; “and I’ll take you to lots of lovely places. We’ve a new club, ‘The Wonderers,’ and you’re to be a member of that. And to-morrow I’m giving a small afternoon tea, with you as guest of honour. It will have to be a very small tea, for I only know half a dozen people in Rome. But Floyd Austin and Caddy Oram are coming soon,—isn’t that fine?”
“Yes, I like both those boys. Oh, what fun we will have. I’m so glad I came. Snippy says I have to keep up my practising every day, and study my Italian. But I don’t want to,—I just want to have fun like you do.”
“It’s your mother’s orders, Miss Flo,” said Snippy, in a gruff voice of great firmness; “and her orders I must see carried out.”