"Miss Rose is dreadful sick."
"The deuce she is!"
"Don't swear, Mr. Charlie; she really is, and it's Mr. Mac's fault," andPhebe told the sad tale in a few sharp words, for she felt at war withthe entire race of boys at that moment.
"I'll give it to him, make your mind easy about that," said Charlie,with an ominous doubling up of his fist. "But Rose isn't dangerouslyill, is she?" he added anxiously, as Aunt Plenty was seen to trot acrossthe upper hall, shaking a bottle violently as she went.
"Oh, but she is though. The Doctor don't say much, but he don't call ita 'chill' any more. It's 'pleurisy' now, and I'm so afraid it will bepewmonia to-morrow," answered Phebe, with a despairing glance at theplaster.
Charlie exploded into a stifled laugh at the new pronunciation ofpneumonia, to Phebe's great indignation.
"How can you have the heart to do it, and she in such horrid pain? Harkto that, and then laugh if you darst," she said with a tragic gesture,and her black eyes full of fire.
Charlie listened and heard little moans that went to his heart and madehis face as sober as Phebe's. "O uncle, please stop the pain, and let merest a minute! Don't tell the boys I wasn't brave. I try to bear it, butit's so sharp I can't help crying."
Neither could Charlie, when he heard the broken voice say that; but,boy-like, he wouldn't own it, and said pettishly, as he rubbed hissleeve across his eyes,
"Don't hold that confounded thing right under my nose; the mustard makesmy eyes smart."
"Don't see how it can, when it hasn't any more strength in it than meal.The Doctor said so, and I'm going to get some better," began Phebe,not a bit ashamed of the great tears that were bedewing the condemnedplaster.
"I'll go!" and Charlie was off like a shot, glad of an excuse to get outof sight for a few minutes.
When he came back all inconvenient emotion had been disposed of, and,having delivered a box of the hottest mustard procurable for money, hedeparted to "blow up" Mac, that being his next duty in his opinion. Hedid it so energetically and thoroughly that the poor Worm was cast intothe depths of remorseful despair, and went to bed that evening feelingthat he was an outcast from among men, and bore the mark of Cain uponhis brow.
Thanks to the skill of the Doctor, and the devotion of his helpers, Rosegrew easier about midnight, and all hoped that the worst was over. Phebewas making tea by the study fire, for the Doctor had forgotten to eatand drink since Rose was ill, and Aunt Plenty insisted on his havinga "good cordial dish of tea" after his exertions. A tap on the windowstartled Phebe, and, looking up, she saw a face peering in. She wasnot afraid, for a second look showed her that it was neither ghost norburglar, but Mac, looking pale and wild in the wintry moonlight.
"Come and let a fellow in," he said in a low tone, and when he stood inthe hall he clutched Phebe's arm, whispering gruffly, "How is Rose?"
"Thanks be to goodness, she's better," answered Phebe, with a smile thatwas like broad sunshine to the poor lad's anxious heart.
"And she will be all right again to-morrow?"
"Oh, dear no! Dolly says she's sure to have rheumatic fever, if shedon't have noo-monia!" answered Phebe, careful to pronounce the wordrightly this time.
Down went Mac's face, and remorse began to gnaw at him again as he gavea great sigh and said doubtfully,
"I suppose I couldn't see her?"
"Of course not at this time of night, when we want her to go to sleep!"
Mac opened his mouth to say something more, when a sneeze came upon himunawares, and a loud "Ah rash hoo!" awoke the echoes of the quiet house.
"Why didn't you stop it?" said Phebe reproachfully. "I dare say you'vewaked her up."
"Didn't know it was coming. Just my luck!" groaned Mac, turning to gobefore his unfortunate presence did more harm.
But a voice from the stair-head called softly, "Mac, come up; Rose wantsto see you."
Up he went, and found his uncle waiting for him.
"What brings you here at this hour, my boy?" asked the Doctor in awhisper.
"Charlie said it was all my fault, and if she died I'd killed her. Icouldn't sleep, so I came to see how she was, and no one knows it butSteve," he said with such a troubled face and voice that the Doctor hadnot the heart to blame him.
Before he could say anything more a feeble voice called "Mac!" and witha hasty "Stay a minute just to please her, and then slip away, for Iwant her to sleep," the Doctor led him into the room.
The face on the pillow looked very pale and childish, and the smile thatwelcomed Mac was very faint, for Rose was spent with pain, yet could notrest till she had said a word of comfort to her cousin.
"I knew your funny sneeze, and I guessed that you came to see how I did,though it is very late. Don't be worried, I'm better now, and it is myfault I was ill, not yours; for I needn't have been so silly as to waitin the cold just because I said I would."
Mac hastened to explain, to load himself with reproaches, and to begher not to die on any account, for Charlie's lecture had made a deepimpression on the poor boy's mind.
"I didn't know there was any danger of my dying," and Rose looked up athim with a solemn expression in her great eyes.
"Oh, I hope not; but people do sometimes go suddenly, you know, and Icouldn't rest till I'd asked you to forgive me," faltered Mac, thinkingthat Rose looked very like an angel already, with the golden hair looseon the pillow, and the meekness of suffering on her little white face.
"I don't think I shall die; uncle won't let me; but if I do, remember Iforgave you."
She looked at him with a tender light in her eyes, and, seeing howpathetic his dumb grief was, she added softly, drawing his head down, "Iwouldn't kiss you under the mistletoe, but I will now, for I want you tobe sure I do forgive and love you just the same."
That quite upset poor Mac; he could only murmur his thanks and get outof the room as fast as possible, to grope his way to the couch at thefar end of the hall, and lie there till he fell asleep, worn out withtrying not to "make a baby" of himself.