Rose did tell "the people" what had passed, and no one "howled" over Mac,or said a word to trouble him. He had his talk with the doctor, and gotvery little comfort out of it, for he found that "just what he might do"was nothing at all; though the prospect of some study by and by, if allwent well, gave him courage to bear the woes of the present. Having made uphis mind to this, he behaved so well that everyone was astonished, neverhaving suspected so much manliness in the quiet Worm.The boys were much impressed, both by the greatness of the affliction whichhung over him and by his way of bearing it. They were very good to him, butnot always particularly wise in their attempts to cheer and amuse; and Roseoften found him much downcast after a visit of condolence from the Clan.She still kept her place as head-nurse and chief-reader, though the boysdid their best in an irregular sort of way. They were rather taken abacksometimes at finding Rose's services preferred to their's, and privatelyconfided to one another that "Old Mac was getting fond of beingmolly-coddled." But they could not help seeing how useful she was, andowning that she alone had remained faithful a fact which caused some ofthem much secret compunction now and then.Rose felt that she ruled in that room, if nowhere else, for Aunt Jane lefta great deal to her, finding that her experience with her invalid fatherfitted her for a nurse, and in a case like this, her youth was an advantagerather than a drawback. Mac soon came to think that no one could take careof him so well as Rose, and Rose soon grew fond of her patient, though atfirst she had considered this cousin the least attractive of the seven. Hewas not polite and sensible like Archie, nor gay and handsome like PrinceCharlie, nor neat and obliging like Steve, nor amusing like the "Brats,"nor confiding and affectionate like little Jamie. He was rough,absent-minded, careless, and awkward, rather priggish, and not at allagreeable to a dainty, beauty-loving girl like Rose.But when his trouble came upon him, she discovered many good things in thiscousin of hers, and learned not only to pity but to respect and love thepoor Worm, who tried to be patient, brave, and cheerful, and found it aharder task than anyone guessed, except the little nurse, who saw him inhis gloomiest moods. She soon came to think that his friends did notappreciate him, and upon one occasion was moved to free her mind in a waythat made a deep impression on the boys.Vacation was almost over, and the time drawing near when Mac would be leftoutside the happy school-world which he so much enjoyed. This made himrather low in his mind, and his cousins exerted themselves to cheer him up,especially one afternoon when a spasm of devotion seemed to seize them all.Jamie trudged down the hill with a basket of blackberries which he had"picked all his ownself," as his scratched fingers and stained lips plainlytestified. Will and Geordie brought their puppies to beguile the wearyhours, and the three elder lads called to discuss baseball, cricket, andkindred subjects, eminently fitted to remind the invalid of his privations.Rose had gone to drive with Uncle Alec, who declared she was getting aspale as a potato sprout, living so much in a dark room. But her thoughtswere with her boy all the while, and she ran up to him the moment shereturned, to find things in a fine state of confusion.With the best intentions in life, the lads had done more harm than good,and the spectacle that met Nurse Rose's eye was a trying one. The puppieswere yelping, the small boys romping, and the big boys all talking at once;the curtains were up, the room close, berries scattered freely about, Mac'sshade half off, his cheeks flushed, his temper ruffled, and his voiceloudest of all as he disputed hotly with Steve about lending certaintreasured books which he could no longer use.Now Rose considered this her special kingdom, and came down upon theinvaders with an energy which amazed them and quelled the riot at once.They had never seen her roused before, and the effect was tremendous; alsocomical, for she drove the whole flock of boys out of the room like anindignant little hen defending her brood. They all went as meekly as sheep;the small lads fled from the house precipitately, but the three elder onesonly retired to the next room, and remained there hoping for a chance toexplain and apologise, and so appease the irate young lady, who hadsuddenly turned the tables and clattered them about their ears.As they waited, they observed her proceedings through the half-open door,and commented upon them briefly but expressively, feeling quite bowed downwith remorse at the harm they had innocently done."She's put the room to rights in a jiffey. What jacks we were to let thosedogs in and kick up such a row," observed Steve, after a prolonged peep."The poor old Worm turns as if she was treading on him instead of cuddlinghim like a pussy cat. Isn't he cross, though?" added Charlie, as Mac washeard growling about his "confounded head.""She will manage him; but it's mean in us to rumple him up and then leaveher to smooth him down. I'd go and help, but I don't know how," saidArchie. looking much depressed, for he was a conscientious fellow, andblamed himself for his want of thought."No, more do I. Odd, isn't it, what a knack women have for taking care ofsick folks?" and Charlie fell a-musing over this undeniable fact."She has been ever so good to Mac," began Steve, in a self-reproachfultone."Better than his own brother, hey?" cut in Archie, finding relief for hisown regret in the delinquencies of another."Well, you needn't preach; you didn't any of you do any more, and you mighthave, for Mac likes you better than he does me. I always fret him, he says,and it isn't my fault if I am a quiddle," protested Steve, in self-defence."We have all been selfish and neglected him, so we won't fight about it,but try and do better," said Archie, generously taking more than his shareof blame, for he had been less inattentive than either of the others."Rose has stood by him like a good one, and it's no wonder he likes to haveher round best. I should myself if I was down on my luck as he is," put inCharlie, feeling that he really had not done "the little thing" justice."I'll tell you what it is, boys we haven't been half good enough to Rose,and we've got to make it up to her somehow," said Archie, who had a verymanly sense of honour about paying his debts, even to a girl."I'm awfully sorry I made fun of her doll when Jamie lugged it out; and Icalled her 'baby bunting' when she cried over the dead kitten. Girls aresuch geese sometimes, I can't help it," said Steve, confessing histransgressions handsomely, and feeling quite ready to atone for them if heonly knew how."I'll go down on my knees and beg her pardon for treating her as if she wasa child. Don't it make her mad, though? Come to think of it, she's only twoyears or so younger than I am. But she is so small and pretty, she alwaysseems like a dolly to me," and the Prince looked down from his lofty heightof five feet five as if Rose was indeed a pygmy beside him."That dolly has got a real good little heart, and a bright mind of her own,you'd better believe. Mac says she understands some things quicker than hecan, and mother thinks she is an uncommonly nice girl, though she don'tknow all creation. You needn't put on airs, Charlie, though you are a tallone, for Rose likes Archie better than you; she said she did because hetreated her respectfully.""Steve looks as fierce as a game-cock; but don't you get excited, my son,for it won't do a bit of good. Of course, everybody likes the Chief best;they ought to, and I'll punch their heads if they don't. So calm yourself,Dandy, and mend your own manners before you come down on other people's."Thus the Prince with great dignity and perfect good nature, while Archielooked modestly gratified with the flattering opinions of his kinsfolk, andSteve subsided, feeling he had done his duty as a cousin and a brother. Apause ensued, during which Aunt Jane appeared in the other room,accompanied by a tea-tray sumptuously spread, and prepared to feed her bignestling, as that was a task she allowed no one to share with her."If you have a minute to spare before you go, child, I wish you'd just makeMac a fresh shade; this has got a berry stain on it, and he must be tidy,for he is to go out to-morrow if it is a cloudy day," said Mrs. Jane,spreading toast in a stately manner, while Mac slopped his tea aboutwithout receiving a word of reproof."Yes, aunt," answered Rose, so meekly that the boys could hardly believe itcould be the same voice which had issued the stern command, "Out of thisroom, every one of you!" not very long ago.They had not time to retire, without unseemly haste, before she walked intothe parlour and sat down at the work-table without a word. It was funny tosee the look the three tall lads cast at the little person sedatelythreading a needle with green silk. They all wanted to say somethingexpressive of repentance, but no one knew how to begin, and it was evident,from the prim expression of Rose's face, that she intended to stand uponher dignity till they had properly abased themselves. The pause wasbecoming very awkward, when Charlie, who possessed all the persuasive artsof a born scapegrace, went slowly down upon his knees before her, beat hisbreast, and said, in a heart-broken tone"Please forgive me this time, and I'll never do so any more."It was very hard to keep sober, but Rose managed it and answered gravely"It is Mac's pardon you should ask, not mine, for you haven't hurt me, andI shouldn't wonder if you had him a great deal, with all that light andracket, and talk about things that only worry him.""Do you really think we've hurt him, cousin?" asked Archie, with a troubledlook, while Charlie settled down in a remorseful heap among the table legs."Yes, I do, for he has got a raging headache, and his eyes are as red as asthis emery bag," answered Rose, solemnly plunging her needle into a fatflannel strawberry.Steve tore his hair, metaphorically speaking, for he clutched his cherishedtop-knot, and wildly dishevelled it, as if that was the heaviest penance hecould inflict upon himself at such short notice. Charlie laid himself outflat, melodramatically begging someone to take him away and hang him; butArchie, who felt worst of all, said nothing except to vow within himselfthat he would read to Mac till his own eyes were as red as a dozen emerybags combined.Seeing the wholesome effects of her treatment upon these culprits, Rosefelt that she might relent and allow them a gleam of hope. She found itimpossible to help trampling upon the prostrate Prince a little, in wordsat least, for he had hurt her feelings oftener than he knew; so she gavehim a thimble-pie on the top of his head, and said, with an air of aninfinitely superior being"Don't be silly, but get up, and I'll tell you something much better to dothan sprawling on the floor and getting all over lint."Charlie obediently sat himself upon a hassock at her feet; the othersinners drew near to catch the words of wisdom about to fall from her lips,and Rose, softened by this gratifying humility, addressed them in her mostmaternal tone."Now, boys, if you really want to be good to Mac, you can do it in thisway. Don't keep talking about things he can't do, or go and tell what funyou have had batting your ridiculous balls about. Get some nice book andread quietly; cheer him up about school, and offer to help him study by andby; you can do that better than I, because I'm only a girl, and don't learnGreek and Latin and all sorts of headachy stuff.""Yes, but you can do heaps of things better than we can; you've provedthat," said Archie, with an approving look that delighted Rose, though shecould not resist giving Charlie one more rebuke, by saying, with a littlebridling of the head, and a curl of the lip that wanted to smile instead"I'm glad you think so, though I am a 'queer chicken."'This scathing remark caused the Prince to hide his face for shame, andSteve to erect his head in the proud consciousness that this shot was notmeant for him. Archie laughed, and Rose, seeing a merry blue eye winking ather from behind two brown hands, gave Charlie's ear a friendly tweak, andextended the olive-branch of peace."Now we'll all be good, and plan nice things for poor Mac," she said,smiling so graciously that the boys felt as if the sun had suddenly burstout from behind a heavy cloud and was shining with great brilliancy.The storm had cleared the air, and quite a heavenly calm succeeded, duringwhich plans of a most varied and surprising sort were laid, for everyoneburned to make noble sacrifices upon the shrine of "poor Mac," and Rose wasthe guiding star to whom the others looked with most gratifying submission.Of course, this elevated state of things could not endure long, but it wasvery nice while it lasted, and left an excellent effect upon the minds ofall when the first ardour had subsided."There, that's ready for to-morrow, and I do hope it will be cloudy," saidRose, as she finished off the new shade, the progress of which the boys hadwatched with interest."I'd bespoken an extra sunny day, but I'll tell the clerk of the weather tochange it. He's an obliging fellow, and he'll attend to it, so makeyourself easy," said Charlie, who had become quite perky again."It is very easy for you to joke, but how would you like to wear a blinderlike that for weeks and weeks, sir?" and Rose quenched his rising spiritsby slipping the shade over his eyes, as he still sat on the cushion at herfeet."It's horrid! Take it off, take it off! I don't wonder the poor old boy hasthe blues with a thing like that on"; and Charlie sat looking at whatseemed to him an instrument of torture, with such a sober face that Rosetook it gently away, and went in to bid Mac good-night."I shall go home with her, for it is getting darkish, and she is rathertimid," said Archie, forgetting that he had often laughed at this verytimidity."I think I might, for she's taking care of my brother," put in Steve,asserting his rights."Let's all go, that will please her"; proposed Charlie, with a burst ofgallantry which electrified his mates."We will!" they said with one voice, and they did, to Rose's great surpriseand secret contentment; though Archie had all the care of her, for theother two were leaping fences, running races, and having wrestling matchesall the way down.They composed themselves on reaching the door, however; shook handscordially all round, made their best bows, and retired with great eleganceand dignity, leaving Rose to say to herself, with girlish satisfaction, asshe went in"Now, that is the way I like to be treated."