The girl who had conducted the party through the garden now began to lead the way back again, and they all followed her. As she walked along, the girl began to gather flowers from the beds and borders, and finally made quite a pretty bouquet. When she got to the gate, and was ready to open it, she presented this bouquet in a very polite and graceful manner to Allie. Rollo took some money from his pocket, and put it into her hand; and then she opened the gate, and let them all out.
"How much did you pay her, Rollo?" asked Charles.
"I paid her double," said Rollo, "because she was so polite as to give Allie such a pretty bouquet."
Allie was now more pleased with her bouquet than before. It pleased her extremely to find that Rollo took so much interest in her receiving a bouquet as to pay something specially for it.
So they all went down the steps which led to the foot of the Capitol Hill.
"Shall we walk home?" asked Rollo, "or shall I find a carriage, so that we can ride?"
"Let us walk," replied Allie, "and then we shall be longer on the way."
Just then Rollo, looking at the sky, saw that there were some rather threatening clouds diffused over it. Indeed, on putting out his hand, he plainly felt a sprinkling of rain.
"It is going to rain," said he, "and so we shall be obliged to ride. But we can make it longer by stopping to see something on the way."
"Well," said Allie, "let's do it. What shall we stop to see?"