De Stancy did not find himself again at her side till later in the afternoon, when they had left the immediate precincts of the castle and decided on a drive to the Konigsstuhl.
The carriage, containing only Mrs.Goodman, was driven a short way up the winding incline, Paula, her uncle, and Miss De Stancy walking behind under the shadow of the trees.

Then Mrs.Goodman called to them and asked when they were going to join her.
'We are going to walk up,' said Mr.Power.
Paula seemed seized with a spirit of boisterousness quite unlike her usual behaviour.

'My aunt may drive up, and you may walk up; but I shall run up,' she said.

'See, here's a way.' She tripped towards a path through the bushes which, instead of winding like the regular track, made straight for the summit.
Paula had not the remotest conception of the actual distance to the top, imagining it to be but a couple of hundred yards at the outside, whereas it was really nearer a mile, the ascent being uniformly steep all the way.

When her uncle and De Stancy had seen her vanish they stood still, the former evidently reluctant to forsake the easy ascent for a difficult one, though he said, 'We can't let her go alone that way, I suppose.' 'No, of course not,' said De Stancy.
They then followed in the direction taken by Paula, Charlotte entering the carriage.