It was the boy's turn to show surprise. "How can that be?" he asked quickly. "The one in Verona is very old, and has seen many exciting battles between gladiators." "Well," persisted the girl, "our stadium in Cambridge, where the men of Harvard University fight their foot-ball battles with men of other colleges, has seen just as interesting contests as any colosseum in Europe. Thousands and thousands of people have cheered the victors in our country as well as yours," and Edith's cheeks flushed, as she thought of some of the stirring foot-ball games which she had witnessed. The boy looked at her in amazement. "I did not know that you ever saw such inspiring sights in your country," he said humbly. "Indeed we do," said Edith, glad to see that Rafael was impressed. "How long will it take to reach Verona from Venice?" asked Mrs. Sprague. "If you leave here at the fifteen hours, you will arrive before sunset," he answered. "At the fifteen hours," repeated Edith with a laugh. "What a funny way to say three o'clock. Your way of counting time up to the twenty-four hours is the queerest thing in Italy." "It seems the most natural thing in the world to me," said her mother. "There are twenty-four hours in the day. Why should we not name each one?" Then she arranged that Rafael should take them to the station in his boat, on the next day, at the fifteen hours. CHAPTER VIII EDITH'S FLORENTINE MOSAIC HOTEL NEW YORK, FLORENCE, ITALY. October 10, 19--. TO SIGNOR RAFAEL VALLA, _My dear Sir:_--Can you leave your tops for a few moments and read a letter from your American friends, the Spragues? Although we have been in Florence for more than a month, we have not yet forgotten our visit in Venice and our journey to Verona. We sat by the right-hand window in the train, as you told us to do; but I looked often across the way to see what could take place on the opposite side. Once I saw some storks that had flown down from Strassburg and were standing on their long legs in the marshes. But our side of the train was truly the more pleasant one. There were grape-vines and mulberry trees and wheat-fields; and also cypress trees, which you did not mention, but which we were glad to see. Then there were big fields of watermelons ripening in the sun, and women gathering them in baskets which they carried on their heads across the fields. In Verona we went to see the play in the colosseum by moonlight. I have never seen such a performance in our stadium at Harvard, and you have a right to be proud of the great colosseum. There were four hundred performers on the stage at one time, and the play ended at "the twenty-three hours" with a gunpowder explosion that destroyed the fort,--the play fort, I mean. And we looked at the tombs of the Scaligers, although I don't know any good reason for doing so; and then we came through the most beautiful country to Florence.