Floretta refused to keep closely beside her mother, insisting upon clinging to another member of the party, to whom she had taken a fancy.
The party was a large one, much larger, indeed, than had at first been planned, and while half of the number were guests at the Cleverton, the others were from the Merlington, a hotel situated nearer the village, and from several large farmhouses that entertained summer boarders.
The guests from the Cleverton had kept closely together during the trip, while those from the Merlington had done the same.
They had reached the foot of the mountain, and were tramping along a path that ran nearly parallel to that on which the hermit's house stood.
Floretta saw the boys, near the house, and also saw that Jack Tiverton was with them.
Without a word, she left the lady to whose arm she had been clinging, and making her way along behind bushes and underbrush, she managed to sneak in at the door of the hut, without having been seen by the party of boys.
The lady, with whom she had been walking, supposed that she had run back to join her mother, while Mrs. Paxton felt quite undisturbed, because she believed that her little girl was still clinging to the arm of the lady with whom she had chosen to walk.
It had required two barges to convey the party, and now they found them waiting, the horses a bit impatient to be off.
The guests from the Merlington clambered into the first barge, and they with a few of the farmhouse party filled it to overflowing, some of the men being obliged to ride homeward, seated upon the steps. Meanwhile the Cleverton people were forced to wait until the barge for their party drove up.
The first barge had started, and was rolling along, and a chorus of college songs was wafted back on the breeze, while handkerchiefs fluttered as the gay passengers laughed at the crowd that had not yet started.