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"That's all right, Uncle," she rejoined, with a laugh. "I'm not worrying the least mite. But when folks ask us where we're going, what shall we say?" "Eu-rope." "And then?" mischievously. "And then home again, of course. It's as plain as the nose on your face, Patsy Doyle, and a good bit straighter."
"Does it spout?" he asked, anxiously. "All the time, they say. But it is not usually dangerous." "The proper thing, when you go to Eu-rope," declared Uncle John, positively, "is to do Venice, where the turpentine comes from, and Switzerland, where they make chocolate and goat's milk, and Paris and Monte Carlo, where they kick high and melt pearls in champagne. Everybody knows that.
"Ah, that is why I selected this time to bring you here," declared Uncle John, with a comical wink. "I ordered the eruption before I left home, and I must say they've been very prompt about it, and done the thing up brown. Eh, Patsy?" "Right you are, Uncle. But you might tell 'em to turn off the eruption now, because we've had enough." "Don't like Eu-rope, eh?"
"If this is really Eu-rope, I'm glad we came," said Uncle John, drawing a long breath as the ship came to anchor opposite the Palazzo Municipale. "I don't remember seeing anything prettier since we left New York." Presently they had loaded their trunks and hand baggage, and incidentally themselves, into the boat of the Hotel Trinacria which came alongside in charge of a sleepy porter.
At this, Fritz set up a loud laugh. "Why not say through the world at once, and push your crow bar in till you reach EU-ROPE, which, Ernest says, lies in a straight line from our feet. I should like to have a peep down, such a hole, for I might thus get a sight of our dear Swiss home." Fritz and I went up to the wall and found that Jack was right, for he had come to a clear space.
That's what goin' to Eu-rope really means. But Sicily isn't on the programme, that I ever heard of. So we'll just tell Silas Watson that we'll see him later which means when we get home again." "But Sicily is beautiful," protested Patsy. "I'd as soon go there as anywhere." "It's a very romantic place," added Louise, reflectively. "Everybody goes to France and Switzerland," remarked Beth.
"Is it in his head yet?" enquired Patsy, anxiously. "No, dear; it's in the left hand pocket of my blue coat, all written down clearly. So what's the use of bothering? We aren't there yet. By and bye we'll get to Eu-rope an' do it up brown. Whatever happens, and wherever we go, it's got to be a spree and a jolly good time; so take it easy, Patsy dear, and don't worry."
The intervening day was spent in packing and preparing for the journey, and like all travellers the girls were full of eager excitement at the prospect of seeing something new. "I'm told Sicily is an island," grumbled Uncle John. "Here we are, on a trip to Eu-rope, and emigrating to an island the first thing we do." "Sicily is Europe, all right, Uncle," answered Patsy.
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