"We thought we would have some coffee," said Rollo. "That's right," said Mr. George. "I like coffee dinners. What else have you got?" "We have got some Loch Fine herring, and some mutton chops," said Rollo. "Yes, sir," said Waldron. "You see the Loch Fine herrings are very famous, and we thought you would like to know how they taste." By this time the waiter had removed the covers, and the party commenced their dinner. The fire, which was near them, was very pleasant, for although it was June the weather was damp and cold. In the course of the dinner the boys introduced again the subject of going down the Clyde the next day. "The boat goes from the Broomielaw," said Waldron. [Illustration: THE COFFEE ROOM.] "The Broomielaw," repeated Mr. George; "what is the Broomielaw?" "Why, it is the harbor and pier," said Waldron. "It is below the lowest bridge. All the boats that go down the river go from the Broomielaw. They go almost every hour. We can go down by a boat and see the river, and then we can come up by the railroad. That will be just as cheap, if we take a second class car." "Well, now," said Mr. George, "I have concluded that I should not be willing to have you make this excursion except on two conditions; and they are such hard ones that I do not believe you would accept them. You would rather not go at all than go on such hard conditions." "What are the conditions?" asked Rollo. "I don't believe you will accept them," said Mr. George. "But let us hear what they are," said Waldron. "Perhaps we should accept them." "The first is," said Mr. George, "that when you get home you must go to your room, and write me an account of what you see on the excursion. Each of you must write a separate account." "That we will do," said Rollo. "I should _like_ to do that. Wouldn't you, Waldron?" Waldron seemed to hesitate. Though he was a very active-minded and intelligent boy in respect to what he saw and heard, he was somewhat backward in respect to knowledge of books and skill in writing. Finally, he said that he should be willing to _tell_ Mr. George what he saw, but he did not think that he could write it. "That is just as I supposed," said Mr. George. "I did not think you would accept my conditions." "Well, sir, I will," said Waldron. "I will write it as well as I can. And what is the other condition?" "That you shall write down, at the end of your account, the most careless thing that you see Rollo do, all the time that you are gone," said Mr. George, "and that Rollo shall write down the most careless thing he sees you do." "But suppose we don't do any careless things at all," said Rollo. "Then," said Mr. George, "you must write down what comes the nearest to being a careless thing. And neither of you must know what the other writes until you have shown the papers to me."