out and go back the regularway, Mavis."
"Oh no," Mavis was beginning, but just then both children started. Itseemed to have grown suddenly dark outside, as if a cloud or mist hadcome over the sky; and as they gazed out, feeling rather bewildered, aclear voice sounded through the grotto.
"Ruby; Mavis," it said.
Ruby turned to Mavis.
"It's a trick of that boy's," she said. "He wants to startle us. Hehas no business to call us by out names like that. I'll not stay;" andshe ran out. Mavis was following her to bring her back when a ray oflight--scarcely a ray, rather, I should say, a soft glow--seemed to fillthe entrance to the grotto. And gradually, as her eyes got used to it,she distinguished a lovely figure--a lady, with soft silvery-bluegarments floating round her and a sweet grave face, was standing therelooking at her. A strange thrill passed through the child, yet even asshe felt it she knew it was not a thrill of fear. And something seemedto draw her eyes upwards--a touch she could not have resisted if she hadwished--till they found their resting-place in meeting those that werebent upon her--those beautiful, wonderful blue eyes, eyes like none shehad ever seen, or--nay, she had _heard_ of such eyes--they were likethose of the fairy lady in her old cousin's dream. And now Mavis knewin part why the strange vision did _not_ seem strange to her; why,rather, she felt as if she had always known it would come, as if all herlife she had been expecting this moment.
"Mavis," said the soft yet clear and thrilling voice, "you see me, mychild?"
"Yes," said the little girl, speaking steadily, though in a whisper, "Isee you, and I see your eyes. Who are you? I may ask you, may I not?"
The fairy--if fairy she was--smiled.
"I have many names," she said; "but if you like you may think of me bythe one Winfried loves. He calls me `Princess with the Forget-me-notEyes,' or `Princess Forget-me-not.'"
"Yes," said Mavis, "I like that; and I will never forget you, princess."
Again the lovely vision smiled.
"No, my child, you never will, for, to tell you a secret, you cannot,even if you wished. Afterwards, when you know _me_ better, you will seehow well my name suits me. But it does not seem to all a sweet name, asI think it always will to you," and she sighed a little. "There arethose who long to forget me; those who wish they had never seen me."
The sadness in her eyes was reflected in the child's.
"How can that be?" asked Mavis.
The blue-eyed princess shook her head.
"Nay, my darling, I cannot tell you, and I scarce would if I could," shesaid gently. But then a brighter look came over her face again, "Don'tlook so sad. They change again some of them, and seek me as earnestlyas they would have before fled from me. And some day you may help andguide such seekers, simple as you are, my little Mavis. Now I must go--call Ruby--she would not stay for me; she has not yet seen me. But sheheard my voice, that is better than nothing. Good-bye, little Mavis,and if you want me again before I come of myself, seek me in the westturret."
Mavis's face lighted up.
"Then it _was_ you--you are cousin Hortensia's fairy, and it wasn't adream after all. And of course you must be a fairy, for that was ever,ever so long ago. She was a little girl then, and now she is quite old,and you look as young as--as--"
"As who or what?" asked the princess, smiling again.
"As the Sleeping Beauty in the wood," replied Mavis, after deepconsideration.
At this the princess did more than smile; she laughed,--the same cleardelicate laugh which the children had heard that day in the distance.
And Mavis laughed too; she could not help it.
"May I tell cousin Hortensia?" she asked. "Oh do say I may."
"You may," said Forget-me-not, "if--if you _can_!"
And while Mavis was wondering what she meant, a breath of soft windseemed to blow past her, and glancing up, the princess was gone!
Mavis rubbed her eyes. Had she been asleep? It seemed a long timesince Winfried told her and Ruby to wait for him in the grotto; andwhere was Ruby? Why did she not come back? Mavis began to feel uneasy.Surely she had been asleep--for--was she asleep still? Looking roundher, she saw that she was no longer in the grotto-cave behind old Adam'scottage, but standing in the archway at the sea side of the castle--thearchway I have told you of into which opened the principal entrance tothe grim old building. And as she stood there, silent and perplexed,uncertain whether she was not still dreaming, she heard voices comingnear. The first she could distinguish was Ruby's.
"There you are, Mavis, I declare," she exclaimed. "Now it's too bad ofyou to have run on so fast without telling, and I've been fussing aboutyou all the way home, though Winfried said he was sure we should findyou here. How _did_ you get back?"
"How did _you_?" asked Mavis in return. "And why didn't you come backto me in the grotto? I--I waited ever so long, and then--" but that wasall she could say, though a smile broke over her face when she thoughtof what she had seen.
"You look as if you had been asleep," said Ruby impatiently.
"And having pleasant dreams," added Winfried. "But all's well that endswell. Won't you run in now, my little ladies, and let Miss Hortensiasee that I've brought you safe back. It is cold and dark standing outhere, and I must be off home."
"Good-night then," said Ruby; "you're a very queer boy, but you brought_me_ home all right any way, and those cakes were very good."
"You will come to see us soon again, won't you, Winfried?" said Mavis,who felt as if she had a great deal to ask which only he could answer,though with Ruby there beside her she could not have explained what shewanted to know.
"To be sure I will, if you want me," said the boy.
"Don't be puzzled, Miss Mavis, pleasant dreams don't do any one harm."
And as they pushed open the great, nail-studded door which was neverlocked till after nightfall Winfried ran off.
They stood still for a moment just inside the entrance. They could hearhim whistling as he went, smoothly at first, then it seemed to come injerks, going on for a moment or two and then suddenly stopping, to beginagain as suddenly.
"He's jumping down the cliff. I can hear it by his whistle," said Ruby."How dangerous!"
"He's very sure-footed," said Mavis with a little sigh. She was feelingtired--and--_was_ it a dream? If so, how had she got home? Had thefairy lady wrapped her round in her cloak of mist and flown with her tothe castle? Mavis could not tell, and somehow Ruby did not ask heragain.
"How did you come home, Ruby?" Mavis asked as they were going along thepassage to their sitting-room.
"Oh," said Ruby, "Winfried took me down some steps, and then up someothers, and before I knew where we were, we were in the rock path notfar from home. It was like magic. I can't make out that boy," she saidmysteriously; "but we're not turned into frogs or toads _yet_. Here weare, cousin Hortensia," she went on, as the good lady suddenly appearedat the end of the passage, "safe home from the wizard's haunts."
But Miss Hortensia only smiled.
"I was not uneasy," she said. "I thought you would be quite safe."
CHAPTER SIX.
BERTRAND.
"But the unkind and the unruly, And the sort who eat unduly, Theirs is quite a different story."
_Good and Bad Children_: Louis Stevenson.
They were just beginning tea, and Ruby's tongue was going fast as shedescribed to Miss Hortensia all that happened that afternoon, whileMavis sat half-dreamily wondering what the fairy lady had meant bysaying she might tell her cousin about her "if she _could_," when therecame a sudden and unusual sound that made them all start. It was theclanging of the great bell at the principal entrance on the south side--the entrance by which, you remember, all visitors, except those comingby sea, came to the castle.
"Who can that be?" exclaimed Ruby, jumping up and looking very pleased--Ruby loved any excitement. "Can it be father? What fun if he's come tosurprise us! Only I hope he won't have forgotten our presents. Hegenerally asks us what
we want before he comes."
Mavis had grown a little pale; somehow the things that Ruby wasfrightened of never alarmed her, and yet she was more easily startled byothers that Ruby rather enjoyed.
"I hope it isn't a message to say that anything is the matter with dearfather," she said anxiously.
Miss Hortensia got up from her seat and went to the door. She did notseem frightened, but still rather uneasy.
"I'm afraid," she began, "I'm afraid--and yet I should not speak of itthat way; it is not kind. But I did so ask them to
The Children of the Castle Page 10
