Two days later our travellers were on their way down the western coast of Italy, threading tunnels, and snatching brief views of the Mediterranean on one side and smiling vineyards and quaint Italian cities on the other.

“We will not stop at Pisa,” said Mr. Sumner, “but will come to visit it some time later from Florence; but you must watch for a fine view from the railway of its Cathedral, Leaning Tower, Baptistery, and Campo Santo.  The mountains are withdrawing from us now, and I think we shall reach it soon.”

“Oh! how like the pictures we have seen!” cried Malcom.  “How fine!  The tower does lean just as much as we have thought!”

“How beautiful it all is,—­the blue hills, the green plain, and the soft yellow of the buildings!” said Bettina.

“Will you tell us something of it all, Mr. Sumner?” asked Barbara.  “I know there is something wonderful and interesting, but cannot remember just what.”

“There are many very interesting things about this old city,” answered Mr. Sumner.  “First of all, the striking changes through which it has passed.  Once Pisa was on the sea, possessed a fine harbor, and in rich commerce was a rival of Genoa and Venice.  She was a proud, eager, assertive city; of such worth that she was deemed a rich prize, and was captured by the Romans a few centuries B.C.  Now the sea has left her and, with that, her commerce and importance in the world of trade.  She is to-day so poor that there is nothing to tempt travellers to come to her save a magnificent climate and this wonderful group of buildings.  The inhabitants are few and humble, her streets are grass-grown.  Everything has stopped in poor old Pisa.  Here Galileo was born, and lived for years; and in the Cathedral is a great swinging lamp which is said to have first suggested to his mind the motion of the pendulum, and from the top of the Leaning Tower he used to study the planets.  The Tower is the Campanile, or Bell Tower, of the Cathedral.  With regard to its position, there are different opinions.  Some writers think it only an accident,—­that the foundation of one side gave way during the building, thus producing the effect we see.  Others think it was purposely so built, planned by some architect who desired to gain a unique effect and so prove his mastery over the subtleties of building.  I confess that since I have seen the leaning towers of Bologna, which were erected about the same time, I am inclined to agree with the latter view.”

“I should think, uncle,” said Malcom, “that if such defective foundations had been laid, there would have been further trouble, and the poor Tower would have fallen long ago.”