Gwen, and no wonder," said
Rose. "Who would like to have her trunks and boxes emptied on the
floor, and all the hats and dresses pulled over? I don't believe
anyone in that yellow house, or any other house will like to have her
do that."

A cool breeze blew in from the ocean, and the three sprang to their
feet.

"Let's pull off our shoes and stockings and dance on the thin edge of
the water," cried Sprite.

"I'll sing a song mamma taught me."

They clasped hands, and gracefully they skipped in time with the
pretty song.

"We are water nymphs so free,
We are merry sisters three.
When the sunbeams kiss the foam
From our coral cave we roam,
And we float up to the strand
Where we dance upon the sand.

"When the moon with silvery ray
Glistens on the tossing spray,
Then upon the beach we dance,
Fleet of foot we whirl and prance.
Whirling, swaying, gay and free,
Merry water nymphs are we."

[Illustration: "Their graceful forms swaying."]

It was a pretty sight.

The three lovely faces, bright eyed, and rose tinted cheeks, their
graceful forms swaying, swinging, whirling, their white feet nimbly
keeping time to the song that Sprite sang.

The guests at the big yellow house on the ledge had already found that
Mrs. Harcourt was a pleasant woman to talk with, but they also had
learned that she permitted her small daughter to be as rude and
unpleasant as she chose. It never required a great length of time for
anyone to learn that.

At the breakfast table, the first morning after they had left the
hotel and had engaged rooms at the big house on the ledge, Gwen showed
her rudeness by declaring that she could not eat any of the food that
was served.

Mrs. Harcourt looked around at the other guests, remarking:

"Gwen has such refined taste that quite often really good food fails
to tempt her."

Thus encouraged, Gwen spoke for herself:

"But there's nothing on this table that is good. I wonder any of you
can eat it."

The guests were disgusted with the silly child, and sillier mother.
She had acted in about the same manner at every meal.

It happened that she had been up in her room over the piazza on the
morning that her three little friends were dancing upon the beach.

They were too far distant for her to guess who they might be.

The field glasses lay on the dresser, and Gwen snatched them, ran to
the window, and peeped at the dancing figures.

"Oo