"Why, it would look _exactly_ like him, if _he_ only had a cap with plumes," said Dorothy.
Uncle Harry, coming briskly up the path, was just in time to hear the last few words.
"I"m very curious to know who it is who needs a cap with plumes," he said.
"Oh, who knew you were right here to hear it?" said Dorothy.
"Oh, was it a state secret?" he asked. "Well, now it"s a pity I heard it, but as it happens I _did_, I think I must ask for the rest of the secret."
"Oh, _would_ you tell?" Dorothy asked, turning to Nancy, but before she could reply, Uncle Harry spoke.
"I"m really too curious," he said, "so I think I"ll threaten to sit on this stump, until you tell me the secret, and let me tell you two little friends, that _I"ve_ a secret; it"s a nice one, too, but,--" he paused to watch the effect of his words.
"But--But--" they cried.
"But,--" said Uncle Harry, "I wouldn"t tell mine _first_!"
Wag that he was, he could not resist the temptation to tease just a bit.
Dorothy took the pretty book, and opening it at the page that showed the picture of the prince, she said, "We only said the brave prince looked like you, no, I mean you look like him, and we said you"d look _just_ like him if you had a cap with plumes."
Uncle Harry appeared to study the picture very carefully. After a moment, he said:
"That"s a fine compliment, but there"s one thing about it that worries me, so I"ll have to ask about it.
"In this picture the prince wears a blue blouse and a pair of green shoes, a pink cap with white plumes, gray hose, and crimson trunks. Now, if I should decide to purchase a pink cap with white plumes, would you expect me to come out arrayed in all those colors? I really feel that the costume is a _bit_, just a _bit_ too gay."
"Oh, we"ll not ask you to be quite as gay as that," said Dorothy, "and we"ll promise one thing. We won"t even ask you to buy a pink cap if you"ll tell us your secret now."
He laughed gaily.
"Perhaps I really _ought_ to keep it a little longer. How would it do if I should tell you my secret some time next week?" he asked.
"Oh, no, no!" they cried, "tell it now!"
"Well, then, there"s to be a fair "way down in the village, a real country fair, and I"m intending to hire a barge, and take all of the _very_ young ladies over with me to see the fun. I mean ladies as young as you, and Nancy, and Flossie. I shall invite all the wee ladies that are stopping at the hotel, and I shall take all who accept."
He looked into their bright faces, and laughed when Dorothy said:
"As if _any_ little girl _wouldn"t_ accept!"
"You mustn"t expect it to be a grand affair. It will be, as I said, a real old-fashioned country fair, but there will be a jolly ride over there, and the return trip, and I fancy you will enjoy it all," he said, "and I shall have the delight of giving pleasure."
A friend who had been looking for Uncle Harry, now appeared on the winding path, a clump of large trees having hidden his approach.
The two young men started off for a long tramp, and Dorothy and Nancy walked slowly back to the hotel.
"The prince _did_ look like Uncle Harry," said Nancy, "and the picture of the naughty old fairy that enchanted the sleeping beauty, looks like the lady that came this morning, and was so very cross."
"Then that _is_ the same one who stopped to ask the way, for she looked just like that. I"ll always think, every time I look at her, that she"s the black fairy."
And when they ran up on to the piazza, there sat the very person whom they had been speaking of, looking somewhat cooler with her long travelling cloak removed.
Her black gown was of some thin material, and just as the two little girls ran up on to the piazza, she dropped the large, black fan that she had been wielding.
Nancy, who was nearer to her than Dorothy, picked up the fan for her.
Without a smile, she took the fan, and they heard some slight sound.
Possibly it might have been a softly murmured word of thanks, but it did not sound like it.
"She seems very strange," said Dorothy, "but perhaps she"s still tired."
She was always unwilling to say that any one was wilfully rude or disagreeable.
And now Aunt Charlotte, with Mrs. Dainty, came out to enjoy the fine air, and Dorothy and Nancy ran to them to tell them of the treat that Uncle Harry had in store for them.
"It"s only a few days to wait, and isn"t he kind to take us?" said Dorothy.
"He is indeed," said Mrs. Dainty, "and I hope all his little friends will be very thoughtful, and make him just as little trouble as possible. He takes quite a care in inviting so many children."
"Oh, all the children love him, and there isn"t one who would want to be any bother, unless it was Floretta," said Dorothy, "and perhaps she"ll be having such a nice time, she won"t think to be naughty."
Mrs. Dainty smiled at this view of it. She could not help thinking that Floretta never needed time to think in order to be disagreeable, but she did not say so.
Aunt Charlotte Grayson, seeing the stranger sitting alone, paused near her chair to say a friendly word.
She remained but few moments, however, because the woman seemed not inclined to talk.
Aunt Charlotte well knew that the stranger was not courteous, but she tried to think, as Dorothy had, that fatigue, after a long journey, made her eager for silence and rest.
CHAPTER V
THE MOUNTAIN PARTY
AS the days flew by, the stranger became a bit more friendly, conversing sometimes with Mrs. Dainty and Aunt Charlotte, but often, far more often, with Mrs. Paxton.
It was not that she sought to become acquainted with Floretta"s mother; it was, rather, that Mrs. Paxton seemed determined to force the friendship.
"Her name is Fenton, Mrs. Fenton, and isn"t it odd, _my_ name was Fenton before I married. Floretta"s middle name is Fenton. I really feel almost as if I were related to her, because of the name," declared Mrs. Paxton one morning, whereupon Mrs. Fenton, coming out on to the piazza, remarked:
"Oh, indeed!"
Mrs. Paxton blushed and hesitated, then recovering herself, she said:
"I was just telling these ladies of my friendly feeling for you."