"Well, it's perfectly splendid to travel to places where we can run and race," said Polly, in satisfaction, throwing herself down on the rocks. The others all doing the same thing, Mr. King and the Parson and Mrs. Henderson found them, and pretty soon the group was a big one. "Well, well, we are all here together, no--where is Mrs. Gray?" asked Mr. King, presently.
"She is resting in the hotel," said Mother Fisher, "fast asleep I think by this time."
"Yes," said Adela, "she is. I just peeked in on her, and she hasn't moved where you tucked her up on the lounge."
"Grandpapa," asked Polly, suddenly, from the centre of the group, "what makes it so very warm up here, when we are all surrounded by snow?"
"You ask me a hard thing," said old Mr. King. "Well, for one thing, we are very near the Italian border; those peaks over there, you know,--follow my walking-stick as I point it,--are in sunny Italy."
"Well, it is just like sunny Italy up here," said Polly, "I think," blinking, and pulling her little cap over her eyes.
"It's all the Italy you will get in the summer season," said Grandpapa. "You must wait for cold weather before I take one of you there."
"Dear me, how the summer is going!" mourned Polly, as they caught on the return journey the last glimpse of the roaring, tumbling Visp, and not all the craning of the necks could compass another view, as the cars drew them away from the rushing river.
"Never mind, Polly," said Jasper, "there's all next summer; and after our winter in Dresden, and all our hard work over music, won't it be fine, though, to jaunt round again?" and his eyes glistened.
"Dresden!" echoed Polly, sitting quite straight with very red cheeks;--"oh, Jasper!"
The magic word, "Dresden," had unlocked visions of months of future delight, bringing back every word of dear Herr Bauricke; all the instruction he had given her, on those happy days at Lucerne, that Polly felt quite sure were engraven deep on her heart to last forever and ever.
"And won't I study, though!" exclaimed Polly, to herself, "and make the professor that Herr Bauricke has engaged for me, glad that he teaches me, oh, won't I!"
"Well, I'm sorry the summer is going," said Adela, "because then I've got to leave you at Paris, and go into school."