“Now I know why they called it flowering Easter!” said Beth, after she had walked in silence for two blocks, submitting to her uncle’s guidance and watching the strange and famous parade of all sorts of people with eyes that half recognized its significance. “Who called what flowering Easter, Bethie?” asked Uncle Jim. “Florida. Don’t you know? Ponce de Léon named it that because he discovered it on Easter. And his name for Easter--the Spanish called it, I mean--‘flowering Easter,’ Pasqua Florida. I guess that’s the way you pronounce it. I never knew why they called it that till to-day. I didn’t know there could be so many flowers all over everything and everybody. It seems as though New York was a greenhouse! I feel like a humming-bird; as if I’d had my beak in flowers till I could hardly breathe!” explained Beth. “You’re a bird all right!” cried Dirk, who had stepped back to ask his father the time and so had heard Beth’s speech. “Easter Monday is a holiday from study. Miss Deland has gone for a three days’ visit in the country, as you know,” announced Mrs. Cortlandt when she bade Beth good-night. “There is to be an egg hunt through the house to-morrow morning, and in the afternoon I may take you three girls shopping. It is time to get summer clothing under way. We go to Cortmeer about May tenth and the days between Easter and then seem to melt away each year so fast that there’s a scurry of preparations at the last, in spite of my resolutions every year to get ready early.” “Aunt Alida, do you think I’m a little dreadful to be so glad I’m going with you to Cortmeer this summer, instead of going home?” asked Beth. “I think you would be quite dreadful and ungrateful if you weren’t,” said Aunt Alida decidedly. “When we want you so much and it will be such a happy summer. It’s my opinion that you will never be ‘at home,’ as you call it, long again, Bethie. We’ve no intention of letting you go.” “It’s Aunt Rebecca that makes me feel wicked,” said Beth. “She wouldn’t say she missed me, but she had me a long time and there’s no one else. Even a little girl around is better than no one.” “It seems to me, Beth, that since your great-aunt has consented to your staying and it is settled, the only thing to do is to consider it settled and be happy in the decision,” said Mrs. Cortlandt, kissing her good-night. “Go to sleep and dream of the flowery Easter; don’t meditate on your wickedness!” Beth laughed and ran away, ready to act upon this advice. The family breakfasted together Easter Monday morning. Aunt Alida said that the spring made itself felt most of all in a willingness to cut short the morning nap. Colored eggs and eggs that held small trinkets, as well as candy eggs, had been hidden from one end of the great house to the other. The four young people were going on an egg hunt when breakfast was over. Riggs brought in a heavy mail that morning, doubled by Easter greetings, arriving a little late.