Rollo in Rome | Page 9

had led at first into the interior of the country,
and had since been winding about among the mountains, it had now
come down again to the margin of the sea.
The entrance to the hotel was under a great archway. There were doors
to the right and left from this archway, leading to staircases and to
apartments. The passengers from the diligence were conducted through
one of these doors into a very ancient looking hall, where there was a
table set for dinner, with plates enough for twenty persons--that being
about the number of passengers contained in the various compartments
of the diligence.
On the opposite side of the arched way was a door leading to another
hall, where there was a table set for the conductor and the postilions.
After waiting a few minutes, the company of passengers took their
seats at the table. Besides the plates for the guests, there was a row of
dishes extending up and down the middle of the table, containing

apples, pears, oranges, nuts, raisins, little cakes, and bon-bons of
various kinds. There were also in this row two vases containing
flowers.
Excepting these fruits and sweetmeats, there was nothing eatable upon
the table when the guests sat down. It is not customary in European
dinners to put any thing upon the table except the dessert.
The other dishes are brought round, and presented one by one to each
guest. First came the soup. When the soup had been eaten, and the soup
plates had been removed, then there was boiled beef. The beef was
upon two dishes, one for each side of the table. It was cut very nicely in
slices, and each dish had a fork and a spoon in it, for the guests to help
themselves with. The dishes were carried along the sides of the table by
the waiters, and offered to each guest, the guests helping themselves in
succession to such pieces as they liked.
After the beef had been eaten, the plates were all changed, and then
came a course of fried potatoes; then, after another change of plates, a
course of mutton chops; then green peas; then roast beef; then
cauliflower with drawn butter; then roast chicken with salad; and lastly,
some puddings. For each separate article of all this dinner there was a
fresh plate furnished to each guest.
After the pudding plates were removed, small plates for the dessert
were furnished; and then the fruit, and the nuts, and the bon-bons were
served; and the dinner was over.
For every two guests there was a decanter of wine. At least it was what
they called wine, though in taste it was more like sour cider. The
people generally used it by pouring a little of it into their water.
When the dinner was over, the passengers all paid the amount that was
charged for it, and each gave, besides, a buono mano to the waiter who
had waited upon his side of the table. By this time the diligence was
ready, and they all went and took their seats in it again.
The sun was now going down, and in the course of an hour the last of

its rays were seen gilding the summits of the mountains. Soon
afterwards the evening began to come on.
"Before a great while," said Mr. George, "we shall begin to draw near
to the frontier."
"Yes," said Rollo, "the frontier between the kingdom of Naples and the
dominions of the pope. They will examine the baggage there, I
suppose."
"No," said Mr. George; "they will not examine the baggage till we get
to Rome."
"I thought they always examined the baggage at the frontier, when we
came into any new country," said Rollo.
"They do," said Mr. George, "unless the baggage is under the charge of
public functionaries; and then, to save time, they often take it into the
capital, and examine it there. I asked one of the passengers at the dinner
table, and he said that the trunks were not to be opened till we get to
Rome."
"They will examine the passports, I suppose," said Rollo.
"Yes," replied Mr. George, "they will, undoubtedly, examine the
passports at the frontier."
You cannot pass from one country in Europe to another, any where,
without stopping at the last military station of the country that you
leave, to have your passport examined and stamped, in token of
permission given you to go out, and also at the first military station of
the country which you are about to enter, to have them examined and
stamped again, in token of permission to come in. All this, as you may
suppose, is very troublesome. Besides that, there are fees to pay, which,
in the course of a long journey, amount