Once there, she turned to view her followers, and it wouldn’t have been Patricia, if she hadn’t slipped and, with a little shriek of surprise, sat right down in the pool.

There was a moment’s hesitation, then Nell boldly followed suit; one by one, ending with Susy, the other five dropped down in the cool rippling water, which seemed to laugh, as if it saw the joke.

“Oh!” Patricia cried, “I never meant—­” She was on her feet as quickly as possible.  Susy was just the kind to go and catch cold, why she had begun to shiver and shake already.

The next few moments were strenuous ones for Patricia’s followers.  Never had she led them such a chase, through all the hottest, sunniest parts of the big meadow.

“We’ve got to run, so as not to catch cold,” she panted; and run they did, their wet skirts flapping against their bare legs, hats and sunbonnets sent scattering in every direction.  While Custard, regarding it as a game gotten up for his especial benefit, urged them on, barking and leaping about them, taking little pretend nips at the seven sets of bare toes, choosing Susy’s the oftenest, because she always squealed the loudest.

At last the seven dropped down breathless in the middle of the meadow.  Patricia felt of Susy’s skirts anxiously.  “They’re ’most dry; let’s—­” She turned over on her face, and the six followed suit once more.

“The sun feels good, doesn’t it,” Susy said, she was on one side of Patricia.  “I’m having a be-au-ti-ful time!”

Patricia raised herself on her elbows, and, chin in hand, surveyed Susy closely.  “Truly true?”

“Truly true,” Susy insisted.

Patricia smiled approvingly; and, when she liked, Patricia’s smile could be very approving indeed.  “I guess maybe I’m going to like knowing you,” she said.

Susy’s little pink and white face had lost its look of peaceful placidity, her yellow curls their smoothness.  Wet, bedraggled, but happier than ever before in her life, and joyfully conscious that she had for once boldly strayed from the narrow path of harmless routine, she smiled back at Patricia.

“I guess we’re all dry now,” Patricia said presently.  “It seems to me as if it must be pretty near supper time.”

Nell spread out her limp skirts.  “Pretty looking set, we are, to go to supper!”

But Patricia was thinking.  “A gingham apron party supper ought to be different,” she said slowly; “Nell, let’s you and me go get the refreshments and bring them out here.”

It was a glorious suggestion.  Six pairs of eyes opened wide with delight.

“B-but Sarah—­” Mabel asked.  Mabel had a knack of asking such questions.

“Oh, I reckon Sarah’ll ask a heap of questions—­Sarah’s mighty inquisitive at times,” Patricia answered.  “I rather think the best way will be just to go ahead and not bother her about it.”

“But how?” Mabel insisted.

“You leave that to Nell and me—­we’ll manage.  The rest of you must wait here; keep Custard with you.  Oh, dear!  I thought you were beautifully dry, Susy Vail; what did you go sneeze for?  Well, you’ll just have to keep moving, that’s all.  You see that she does, Mabel.”