rose's sprain proved to be a serious one, owing to neglect, and dr.
alec ordered her to lie on the sofa for a fortnight at least; whereatshe groaned dismally, but dared not openly complain, lest the boysturn upon her with some of the wise little sermons on patiencewhich she had delivered for their benefit.
it was mac's turn now, and honourably did he repay his debt; for,as school was still forbidden, he had plenty of leisure, and devotedmost of it to rose. he took many steps for her, and even allowedher to teach him to knit, after assuring himself that many a bravescotchman knew how to "click the pricks." she was obliged totake a solemn vow of secrecy, however, before he would consent;for, though he did not mind being called "giglamps," "granny"was more than his boyish soul could bear, and at the approach ofany of the clan his knitting vanished as if by magic, whichfrequent "chucking" out of sight did not improve the stripe he wasdoing for rose's new afghan.
she was busy with this pretty work one bright october afternoon,all nicely established on her sofa in the upper hall, while jamieand pokey (lent for her amusement) were keeping house in acorner, with comet and rose's old doll for their "childerns."presently, phebe appeared with a card. rose read it, made agrimace, then laughed and said"i'll see miss blish," and immediately put on her company face,pulled out her locket, and settled her curls.
"you dear thing, how do you do? i've been trying to call every daysince you got back, but i have so many engagements, i reallycouldn't manage it till to-day. so glad you are alone, for mammasaid i could sit awhile, and i brought my lace-work to show you,for it's perfectly lovely." cried miss blish, greeting rose with akiss, which was not very warmly returned, though rose politelythanked her for coming, and bid phebe roll up the easy chair.
"how nice to have a maid!" said ariadne, as she settled herselfwith much commotion. "still, dear, you must be very lonely, andfeel the need of a bosom friend.""i have my cousins," began rose, with dignity, for her visitor'spatronising manner ruffled her temper.
"gracious, child! you don't make friends of those great boys, doyou? mamma says she really doesn't think it's proper for you to bewith them so much.""they are like brothers, and my aunts do think it's proper," repliedrose, rather sharply, for it struck her that this was none of missblish's business.
"i was merely going to say i should be glad to have you for mybosom friend, for hatty mason and i have had an awful quarrel,and don't speak. she is too mean to live, so i gave her up. justthink, she never paid back one of the caramels i've given her, andnever invited me to her party. i could have forgiven the caramels,but to be left out in that rude way was more than i could bear, andi told her never to look at me again as long as she lived.""you are very kind, but i don't think i want a bosom friend, thankyou," said rose, as ariadne stopped to bridle and shake her flaxenhead over the delinquent hatty mason.
now, in her heart miss blish thought rose "a stuck-up puss," butthe other girls wanted to know her and couldn't, the old house wasa charming place to visit, the lads were considered fine fellows,and the campbells "are one of our first families," mamma said. soariadne concealed her vexation at rose's coolness, and changedthe subject as fast as possible.
"studying french, i see; who is your teacher?" she asked, flittingover the leaves of "paul and virginia," that lay on the table.
"i don't study it, for i read french as well as english, and uncle andi often speak it for hours. he talks like a native, and says i have aremarkably good accent."rose really could not help this small display of superiority, forfrench was one of her strong points, and she was vain of it, thoughshe usually managed to hide this weakness. she felt that ariadnewould be the better for a little crushing, and could not resist thetemptation to patronise in her turn.
"oh, indeed!" said miss blish, rather blankly, for french was nother strong point by any means.
"i am to go abroad with uncle in a year or two, and he knows howimportant it is to understand the languages. half the girls wholeave school can't speak decent french, and when they go abroadthey are so mortified. i shall be very glad to help you, if you like,for, of course, you have no one to talk with at home."now ariadne, though she looked like a wax doll, had feelingswithin her instead of sawdust, and these feelings were hurt byrose's lofty tone. she thought her more "stuck up" than ever, butdid not know how to bring her down, yet longed to do it, for shefelt as if she had received a box on the ear, and involuntarily puther hand up to it. the touch of an ear-ring consoled her, andsuggested a way of returning tit for tat in a telling manner.
"thank you, dear; i don't need any help, for our teacher is fromparis, and of course he speaks better french than your uncle."then she added, with a gesture of her head that set the little bellson her ears to tingling: "how do you like my new ear-rings? papagave them to me last week, and everyone says they are lovely."rose came down from her high horse with a rapidity that wascomical, for ariadne had the upper hand now. rose adored prettythings, longed to wear them, and the desire of her girlish soul wasto have her ears bored, only dr. alec thought it foolish, so shenever had done it. she would gladly have given all the french shecould jabber for a pair of golden bells with pearl-tipped tongues,like those ariadne wore; and, clasping her hands, she answered, ina tone that went to the hearer's heart"they are too sweet for anything! if uncle would only let me wearsome, i should be perfectly happy.""i wouldn't mind what he says. papa laughed at me at first, but helikes them now, and says i shall have diamond solitaires when iam eighteen," said ariadne, quite satisfied with her shot.
"i've got a pair now that were mamma's, and a beautiful little pairof pearl and turquoise ones, that i am dying to wear," sighed rose.
"then do it. i'll pierce your ears, and you must wear a bit of silk inthem till they are well; your curls will hide them nicely; then,some day, slip in your smallest ear-rings, and see if your uncledon't like them.""i asked him if it wouldn't do my eyes good once when they werered, and he only laughed. people do cure weak eyes that way, don'tthey?""yes, indeed, and yours are sort of red. let me see. yes, i reallythink you ought to do it before they get worse," said ariadne,peering into the large clear eye offered for inspection.
"does it hurt much?" asked rose, wavering.
"oh dear, no; just a prick and a pull, and it's all over. i've done lotsof ears, and know just how. come, push up your hair and get a bigneedle.""i don't quite like to do it without asking uncle's leave," falteredrose, when all was ready for the operation.
"did he ever forbid it?" demanded ariadne, hovering over her preylike a vampire.
"no, never!""then do it, unless you are afraid," cried miss blish, bent onaccomplishing the deed.
that last word settled the matter, and, closing her eyes, rose said"punch!" in the tone of one giving the fatal order "fire!"ariadne punched, and the victim bore it in heroic silence, thoughshe turned pale and her eyes were full of tears of anguish.
"there! now pull the bits of silk often, and cold-cream your earsevery night, and you'll soon be ready for the rings," said ariadne,well pleased with her job, for the girl who spoke french with "afine accent" lay flat upon the sofa, looking as exhausted as if shehad had both ears cut off.
"it does hurt dreadfully, and i know uncle won't like it," sighedrose, as remorse began to gnaw. "promise not to tell, or i shall beteased to death," she added, anxiously, entirely forgetting the twolittle pitchers gifted with eyes as well as ears, who had beenwatching the whole performance from afar.
"never. mercy me, what's that?" and ariadne started as a suddensound of steps and voices came up from below.
"it's the boys! hide the needle. do my ears show? don't breathe aword!" whispered rose, scrambling about to conceal all traces oftheir iniquity from the sharp eyes of the clan.
up they came, all in good order, laden with the proceeds of anutting expedition, for they always reported to rose and paidtribute to their queen in the handsomest manner.
"how many, and how big! we'll have a grand roasting frolic aftertea, won't we?" said rose, plunging both hands into a bag of glossybrown nuts, while the clan "stood at ease" and nodded to ariadne.
"that lot was picked especially for you, rosy. i got every onemyself, and they are extra whackers," said mac, presenting abushel or so.
"you should have seen giglamps when he was after them. hepitched out of the tree, and would have broken his blessed oldneck if arch had not caught him," observed steve, as he loungedgracefully in the window seat.
"you needn't talk, dandy, when you didn't know a chestnut from abeech, and kept on thrashing till i told you of it," retorted mac,festooning himself over the back of the sofa, being a privilegedboy.
"i don't make mistakes when i thrash you, old worm, so you'dbetter mind what you are about," answered steve, without a ray ofproper respect for his elder brother.
"it is getting dark, and i must go, or mamma will be alarmed," saidariadne, rising in sudden haste, though she hoped to be asked toremain to the nut-party.
no one invited her; and all the while she was putting on her thingsand chatting to rose the boys were telegraphing to one another thesad fact that someone ought to escort the young lady home. not aboy felt heroic enough to cast himself into the breach, however;even polite archie shirked the duty, saying to charlie, as theyquietly slipped into an adjoining room"i'm not going to do all the gallivanting. let steve take that chithome and show his manners.""i'll be hanged if i do!" answered prince, who disliked miss blishbecause she tried to be coquettish with him.
"then i will," and, to the dismay of both recreant lads, dr. alecwalked out of the room to offer his services to the "chit."he was too late, however, for mac, obeying a look from rose, hadalready made a victim of himself, and trudged meekly away,wishing the gentle ariadne at the bottom of the red sea.
"then i will take this lady down to tea, as the other one has founda gentleman to go home with her. i see the lamps are lightedbelow, and i smell a smell which tells me that auntie hassomething extra nice for us to-night."as he spoke, dr. alec was preparing to carry rose downstairs asusual; but archie and prince rushed forward, begging with penitenteagerness for the honour of carrying her in an arm-chair. roseconsented, fearing that her uncle's keen eye would discover thefatal bits of silk; so the boys crossed hands, and, taking a good gripof each curly pate, she was borne down in state, while the othersfollowed by way of the banisters.
tea was ordered earlier than usual, so that jamie and his dollycould have a taste, at least, of the holiday fun, for they were to staytill seven, and be allowed twelve roasted chestnuts apiece, whichthey were under bonds not to eat till next day.
tea was despatched rapidly, therefore, and the party gatheredround the wide hearth in the dining-room, where the nuts weresoon dancing gaily on hot shovels or bouncing out among thecompany, thereby causing delightful panics among the little ones.
"come, rosy, tell us a story while we work, for you can't helpmuch, and must amuse us as your share," proposed mac, who satin the shade pricking nuts, and who knew by experience what acapital little scheherazade his cousin was.
"yes, we poor monkeys can't burn our paws for nothing, so tellaway, pussy," added charlie, as he threw several hot nuts into herlap and shook his fingers afterwards.
"well, i happen to have a little story with a moral to it in my mind,and i will tell it, though it is intended for younger children thanyou," answered rose, who was rather fond of telling instructivetales.
"fire away," said geordie, and she obeyed, little thinking what adisastrous story it would prove to herself.
"well, once upon a time, a little girl went to see a young lady whowas very fond of her. now, the young lady happened to be lame,and had to have her foot bandaged up every day; so she kept abasketful of bandages, all nicely rolled and ready. the little girlliked to play with this basket, and one day, when she thought noone saw her, she took one of the rolls without asking leave, and putit in her pocket."here pokey, who had been peering lovingly down at the five warmnuts that lay at the bottom of her tiny pocket, suddenly looked upand said, "oh!" in a startled tone, as if the moral tale had becomeintensely interesting all at once.
rose heard and saw the innocent betrayal of the small sinner, andwent on in a most impressive manner, while the boys nudged oneanother and winked as they caught the joke.
"but an eye did see this naughty little girl, and whose eye do youthink it was?""eye of dod," murmured conscience-stricken pokey, spreadingtwo chubby little hands before the round face, which they were nothalf big enough to hide.
rose was rather taken aback by this reply, but, feeling that she wasproducing a good effect, she added seriously"yes, god saw her, and so did the young lady, but she did not sayanything; she waited to see what the little girl would do about it.
she had been very happy before she took the bandage, but when itwas in her pocket she seemed troubled, and pretty soon stoppedplaying, and sat down in a corner looking very sober. she thoughta few minutes, and then went and put back the roll very softly, andher face cleared up, and she was a happy child again. the younglady was glad to see that, and wondered what made the little girlput it back.""tonscience p'icked her," murmured a contrite voice from behindthe small hands pressed tightly over pokey's red face.
"and why did she take it, do you suppose?" asked rose, in aschool-marmish tone, feeling that all the listeners were interestedin her tale and its unexpected application.
"it was so nice and wound, and she wanted it deffly," answered thelittle voice.
"well, i'm glad she had such a good conscience. the moral is thatpeople who steal don't enjoy what they take, and are not happy tillthey put it back. what makes that little girl hide her face?" askedrose, as she concluded.
"me's so 'shamed of pokey," sobbed the small culprit, quiteovercome by remorse and confusion at this awful disclosure.
"come, rose, it's too bad to tell her little tricks before everyone,and preach at her in that way; you wouldn't like it yourself," begandr. alec, taking the weeper on his knee and administeringconsolation in the shape of kisses and nuts.
before rose could express her regret, jamie, who had beenreddening and ruffling like a little turkey-cock for several minutes,burst out indignantly, bent on avenging the wound given to hisbeloved dolly.
"i know something bad that you did, and i'm going to tell right out.
you thought we didn't see you, but we did, and you said unclewouldn't like it, and the boys would tease, and you made ariadnepromise not to tell, and she punched holes in your ears to putear-rings in. so now! and that's much badder than to take an oldpiece of rag; and i hate you for making my pokey cry."jamie's somewhat incoherent explosion produced such an effectthat pokey's small sin was instantly forgotten, and rose felt thather hour had come.
"what! what! what!" cried the boys in a chorus, dropping theirshovels and knives to gather round rose, for a guilty clutching ather ears betrayed her, and with a feeble cry of "ariadne made me!"she hid her head among the pillows like an absurd little ostrich.
"now she'll go prancing round with bird cages and baskets andcarts and pigs, for all i know, in her ears, as the other girls do, andwon't she look like a goose?" asked one tormentor, tweaking a curlthat strayed out from the cushions.
"i didn't think she'd be so silly," said mac, in a tone ofdisappointment that told rose she had sunk in the esteem of herwise cousin.
"that blish girl is a nuisance, and ought not to be allowed to comehere with her nonsensical notions," said the prince, feeling a strongdesire to shake that young person as an angry dog might shake amischievous kitten.
"how do you like it, uncle?" asked archie, who, being the head ofa family himself, believed in preserving discipline at all costs.
"i am very much surprised; but i see she is a girl, after all, andmust have her vanities like all the rest of them," answered dr.
alec, with a sigh, as if he had expected to find rose a sort ofangel, above all earthly temptations.
"what shall you do about it, sir?" inquired geordie, wonderingwhat punishment would be inflicted on a feminine culprit.
"as she is fond of ornaments, perhaps we had better give her anose-ring also. i have one somewhere that a fiji belle once wore;i'll look it up," and, leaving pokey to jamie's care, dr. alec rose asif to carry out his suggestion in earnest.
"good! good! we'll do it right away! here's a gimlet, so you holdher, boys, while i get her dear little nose all ready," cried charlie,whisking away the pillow as the other boys danced about the sofain true fiji style.
it was a dreadful moment, for rose could not run away she couldonly grasp her precious nose with one hand and extend the other,crying distractedly"o uncle, save me, save me!"of course he saved her; and when she was securely barricaded byhis strong arm, she confessed her folly in such humiliation ofspirit, that the lads, after a good laugh at her, decided to forgiveher and lay all the blame on the tempter, ariadne. even dr. alecrelented so far as to propose two gold rings for the ears instead ofone copper one for the nose; a proceeding which proved that ifrose had all the weakness of her sex for jewellery, he had all theinconsistency of his in giving a pretty penitent exactly what shewanted, spite of his better judgment.
