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 "No, I am sorry to say. I am still at the hotel. All the rooms I have seen are so expensive."

"But it is not cheaper at the hotel, is it? I suppose you have to pay three lire a day at least? I thought so. It is not cheap in Rome, you know. You must have rooms to the south in winter. You don't speak Italian, of course, but why did you not ask us to help you? Jenny or I would willingly have gone with you to look for rooms."

"Thank you very much. I would not dream of troubling you about that."

"It is no trouble whatever. How are you getting on? Have you met any people?"

"No. I came here on Saturday, but I did not speak to anybody. I read the papers. The day before yesterday I saw Heggen in a café on the Corso and exchanged a few words with him. I have also met two German doctors I knew in Florence, and I went with them to Via Appi one day."

"Ugh! German doctors are not nice, are they?"

Helge smiled, embarrassed.

"Perhaps not, but we have some interests in common, and when one goes about without having anybody to talk to.…"

"Yes, but you must make up your mind to speak Italian; you know the language, don't you? Come for a walk with me and we will talk Italian all the way. I shall be a very strict maestra, you will see."

"Thank you very much, Miss Jahrman, but I am afraid you will not find me very entertaining—except unwittingly perhaps."

"Rubbish! Look here, I've got an idea! Two old Danish ladies left for Capri the day before yesterday. Their room may be vacant still. I am sure it is. A nice little room and cheap. I don't remember the name of the street, but I know where it is. Shall I go with you and have a look at it? Come along."