The Eight Cousins

Introduction

The author is aware of the shortcomings of this little history, many
Of which were inevitable, since she first published her series of short stories. The experiment of Uncle Alec was aimed at amusing young people, in the context of the dogmas dictated by the system of education in its strictest rules. The author hopes that these shortcomings will be invisible to the friends of "Eight cousins", and she will try to correct them in the second volume, entitled "Rose in Blossom."

Chapter I - Two girls

Rose was sitting alone in one of the most spacious rooms, in her hands was a small
A handkerchief, specially prepared to wipe the first tear, because she was thinking about troubles, and tears were inevitable. She retired to this room, as this is the best place to cry and pity herself; For here it is dark and quiet. The room, lined with antique furniture, with gloomy curtains, and portraits of solemn old gentlemen in wigs, fanciful ladies in tall hats, and children dressed in shorn coats or dresses with an overstated waist. It was an excellent place to burn, and drizzling spring rain, as if saying, knocking on the window pane: "Cry, cry: I'm with you."

Rose really had a reason for the experience: she did not have a mother and she recently lost her father, who left her nothing but elderly aunts. She lived with them only a week, and therefore, the elderly lady tried to turn this time into the best moments of being with them, although they did not quite succeed, since her aunts cared for her like no other child, they crushed her with their care, Literally broke off her wings, like a butterfly.

They gave her freedom at home, and for several days she entertained herself wandering around the rooms. Since it was an old mansion, it was full of all kinds of nooks, charming rooms and mysterious corridors. The windows opened in unexpected places, the small balconies hanging over the garden looked very romantic, and there was also a long upper hall, filled with curious things brought from all parts of the world; Since in the family of Campbell from generation to generation there were sea captains.

Auntie Plotti even let Rose rummage through her large Chinese closet, set with spices, rich in all sorts of things beloved by children; But Rose seemed to care little for these delicacies; And when she was hoping to revive Rose, she disappeared, Auntie Plotti, despairing, retreated.

Kind aunt Pis tried all kinds of sewing, and planned a doll wardrobe so that he could touch the heart of even an adult child. But Rose showed little interest in pink satin hats and tin wire, which she sewn submissively until her aunt caught her wiping tears while working on her wedding dress, and this event undo all the sewing work.

Then the two old ladies, having consulted, since one head is good, and two better, chose an exemplary child who lives next to him to play with their niece. But Ariadne Blish was the worst of all for Rose, who could not stand her appearance, she said she looked like a wax doll, then she reached out and pinched it to see how she squeak. Thus, the little pedantic Ariadne was sent home, and the exhausted aunts left Rose alone with them for a day or two.

Bad weather and cold did not allow her to go outside, and she spent most of her time in the library where her father's books were kept. Here
She read a lot, sometimes cried, and imagined such bright and naive dreams, in which most of the impressionable children find solace and delight. It occupied her better than anything else, but at the same time it had a detrimental effect on Rose, so she grew up as a pale child, with a tired look and indifference to everything that was going on, despite the fact that Aunt Plenty was giving her a big fuse Energy to inflame her, and Aunt Peas caressed her like a poodle.

Seeing all this, poor aunts racked their brains over the new
Entertainment and decided to take a risk, act boldly, although not
Completely believed in the success of this event. They did not say anything to Rose about their
Plans for Saturday night, but allowed her to remain alone with herself so that the surprise was unexpected, because any child could have dreamed of it.

Before she squeezed out one single teardrop, a sound cut through the silence so that it was sonorous in her ears. And even though it was only soft twitter, it was peculiar to only one bird, soft twitter gave way to a lively whistle, then a trill, a coo, a tweet, and ended with a mixture of all the musical notes, as if a bird were laughing. Rose laughed too, and, forgetting her grief, jumped up, impatiently said: "This is a mockingbird. Where is he?"

Running down through the long hall, she looked out at once at both doors, but did not see any feathered, except the soiled chicken under a burdock sheet. She listened again, and it seemed to her that the sound was coming from the house. Wherever she went, carried away by her hunt, yet, following the shimmering song, she came to the door of the cupboard.

"How funny?" Rose said. But when she went inside, she did not find any bird except for the ever-kissing swallows painted on the Chinese edge that ran along the shelf line of the cupboard. Rose's face suddenly became animated, and, opening the door wide, she entered the kitchen. The music stopped, and all she saw was a girl in a blue apron that was cleaning the hearth. Rose looked at her for a minute and then said sharply, "Did you hear the mockingbird?"

"I call them Phoebe birds," the girl answered, looking up, and her brown eyes glistened.

"Where did she go?"

"She's still here."

"Where?"

"In my throat. Do you want to hear it? "

"Oh yeah! I'll go in, "and Rose crawled through the door to a wide shelf on the opposite side of the door, hurriedly and with interest.

The girl wiped her hands, crossed the kitchen and stood on a small island -
Carpet, where she "ran aground" in a sea of soapy foam, and then, having made sure of the strength of her throat, published a twitter of robins, a repetition of a repola, a call of a jay, a song of a thrush,
The cooing of a tree-dove, and many other well-known sounds, all of them ending in the musical ecstasy of a rice troop, singing and
Swaying among the grass in the meadows on a bright June day.

Rose was so surprised that she almost slipped from her perch, and when a small concert was over, she clapped her hands admiringly.

"Oh, it was beautiful! Who taught you? "
"Birds," answered the girl, with a smile, starting again to work.
"It's amazing, I can not sing half of what you sang.
What's your name, please tell me "?
"Phoebe Moore."

"I've heard about Phoebe's birds, but I do not believe that anyone really can
Reproduce their voices, "laughed Rose, in addition to the interest with which she watched the liquid soap dissolve on the surface of the bricks," Can I stay and see how you work? " I'm very lonely in the room. "

"Yes, if you really want it," Phoebe replied, squeezing her rag in such a way that it was very impressive to Rose.

"It should be fun, splash water around and pour soap in. I'd like to try, only the aunts will not like it, I suppose," Rose said politely.

"You are tired soon, so you better stay away and watch."

"I believe that you are very helpful to your mother?"

"I have no relatives."

"Why, where do you live, then?"

"I'm going to live here, I hope." Debbie wants someone to help here, and I've come to try just for a week. "

"I hope that you will stay, because it is very sad," said Rose, imbued with a sudden attraction to this girl, singing like a bird and working as an adult woman.

"I hope I'll stay, I'm now fifteen, old enough to live on my own." You came to stop the sound, did not you? "Phoebe asked,
Looking over the guest and wondering what a dull life could be
A girl who wore such a silk dress, an elegant corrugated apron, a pretty medallion, and hair tied with velvet ribbon.

"Yes, I must stay until my uncle comes in. He is my guardian now, and
I do not know what he will do to me. Do you have a guardian? "

"My God, no, I was sent to the poorhouse by a small child, and Miss Rogers, showing me sympathy, took me, but now she is dead and I take care of myself."

"It's like Arabella Montgomery in" Gypsy children ", have you ever read this nice story?" - asked Rose, who read a lot, and found this story instructive.

"I have no books to read, and all the free time when I have it, I spend
in forests; There I rest better than anywhere else, "Phoebe replied, finishing one job and starting another.

Rose watched as she fumbled with a large pot of beans, and wondered what life would be like if she had to do housework and would not be allowed to play.

Now Phoebe, it seemed that it was time for her to ask questions, and she asked thoughtfully:

"You study a lot, I suppose?"

"Oh, God, yes, I was at the hostel for about a year, and I barely survived with these lessons." The more I studied, the more Miss Power gave me, the more desperate I came, so I cried all my eyes. Let me work hard, and he taught so interesting that I liked to study, we were so happy and inspired by each other, but now he's not there and I was left all alone. "

The tears, waiting for Rose to be sitting in the room earlier, rolled now down her cheeks, speaking of love, perhaps more than any words that could have made it.

For a minute the kitchen was quiet, only the sobbing of a small
Girls and a replying rain patter. Phoebe stopped the cracking of her beans in one or another pan, and her eyes were full of pity. At first they rested, looking at the head with curly hair, inclined to Rose's knees, until she saw that the heart under the pretty medallion was hurting from the loss of her father, and the refined apron Rose used to wipe away tears of sadness greater than she could Imagine.

Either way, she felt more satisfied in her brown calico dress and a bluish, tied apron; Envy, replaced by compassion; And if she ventured, she would surely embrace her disappointed guest.

Afraid that it might look inadequate, she said in her sonorous voice:

"I'm sure you are not so lonely with so many people belonging to your family, besides, you're rich and smart, you're spoiled in part, Debbie said, because you're the only girl in the family."

The last words Phoebe made Rose smile, despite her tears, and she
She tore her gaze from the apron with an enlightened face, making a tone of reconciliation:

"This is one of my problems, I have six aunts, and they all want me, and I do not know any of them very well." Papa called this place Tetin Hill, and now I understand why. "

Phoebe laughed with her, as they say, encouragingly:

"Everyone calls this place so, and this is a really good name, for everyone, Mistress
Campbell lives pretty close, and comes to see the old ladies. "

"I can endure the aunt, but there are also dozens of cousins, terrible
Boys, and I hate them all! Some of them came to see me
On the last Wednesday, but I lay down, and when my aunt came to call me, I wrapped myself in a quilt and pretended to be asleep. I have to meet with them from time to time, but I'm so afraid of it. "And Rose trembled, living only with her sick father, she did not know anything about the boys, and perceived them as wild beasts.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll like them." I saw them flying around after they
Arrived with Point, sometimes on boats, sometimes on horseback. If you like boats and horses, you will like it all at once. "

"But I do not like. I'm afraid of horses and I have a seasickness, but I hate boys. " And poor Rose bent her hands. One of these horrors she could transfer, but all together was too big a test for her, and she thought:
How soon to return to the hated school.

Phoebe laughed at her grief while the beans jumped in the pan, but in order not to offend Rose tried to agree with her.

"Perhaps your uncle will take you with him where there is not a single boy. Debbie said that he is truly a kind person and brings a lot of nice things with him whenever he comes.

"Yes, but you know, there is another problem: I do not know Uncle Alec at all. He almost never came to us, although he sent me pretty things very often. Now I belong to him, and should be next to him, until I turn eighteen. He can not not like me, and I suffer, thinking about it all the time. "

"Well, I'm not going to look for problems, because in reality I have good times now, I'm sure that I believe that I would live in luxury if I had relatives and money and did only what was causing I'm enjoying myself, "Phoebe began, but the conversation did not get further, because of the sudden onslaught and rumbling that interrupted their conversation and made them jump from their seats.

"It's thunder," Phoebe said.

"This is a circus"! Rose cried out, who jumped up from her perch, noticing
The gleam of a cheerful cart is one of those harnessed by several pony horses with flying manes and tails.

The sound melted, and the girls gathered to continue their secret conversation, when suddenly there was an old Debbie, who looked very crumpled and sleepy after her drowsiness.

"They're looking for you in the living room, Miss Rose."

"Has someone come"?

"Little girls should not ask questions, they should do, as they are told," that's all Debbie said.

"I really hope that this is not Aunt of the World, she always frightens me frantically, asking how my cough is and groaning over me as if I'm going to go to the next world," said Rose, getting ready to make her way along the way she got here , And Phoebe was prepared to cut a Christmas turkey, cooked for celebration and pudding, such a difficult task for a slender girl.

"Guess ... You'll say," It would be better if it was Aunt of the World "when you see who came to you." "Never again get into my kitchen this way, otherwise I'll slam you in the big closet," growled Debbie, who considered everyone to be her duty Once neglected children.

Chapter II - Family

Rose furtively scrambled into the buffet as fast as she could, and
There, the mug of Debby merrily mumbled, plucking up her feathers and mustering courage. Then she gently slid down the hall and looked into the room. There was no one, and all she could guess was that the whole company was upstairs. So she boldly rushed through the half-open doors, examining everything that happens
Lateral vision, and only then she was able to translate her spirit.

Seven boys stood in a row by age, height, all blonde and
Blue-eyed, all in Scottish costumes, they all smiled, nodded their heads, and
They said in chorus, in one voice: "How are you, cousin?"

The room seemed filled with boys, Rose caught her breath, and she looked wildly around, as if she wanted to wiggle. Before she decided to flee, the tallest boy, taking a step forward from the row in which the boys stood, kindly said:

"Do not worry, it's our family who came to greet you, and I'm the oldest, Archie, at your service."

He offered her his hand, continuing the conversation, and she timidly handed it, so that the tiny pen Rose literally drowned in Archie's brown paw, she held him
All the time, while he continued his acquaintance.

"We came in full uniform, for we always dress for special occasions, we hope that you will like it." Now I will tell you who these guys are, and then everything will become clear to you. "This tall one is Prince Charlie, Aunt Clara's boy. It's the only one, that's why it's the best, it's an old friend - Mack, a bookworm, let's call it Worm for brevity.This pretty creature is Steve the dandy.Look at his gloves and bow on the hat if you want.They are young sons of Aunt Jane, Believe me a great couple, and this is the Brothers, my brothers, George and Will, and
Jamie the Kid. Now, my dear children, will add a step and show their manners. "

In this team, to the great fear of Rose, there were six more hands that
She was offered, and it was obviously worth it to shake them all. This was a whole test for a shy child; But, remembering that they were her relatives, who came to greet her, she shook hands with them as cordially as possible.

This spectacular ceremony was over, the boys were out of order, and
It seemed that instantly, both rooms were filled with guys. Rose
Very cautiously sat on a large chair, as if looking for a shelter, and continued to sit there, watching the "invaders", and the same question rang in my head: when will my aunt come and save her?

As if to prove her masculinity, even more oppressing it, Rose tolerated the fact that each young man stopped next to her chair, sympathetically made his remark, received an even more sympathetic response, and then disappeared with a light expression.

Archie came first, and, bending over a chair, said in a paternal tone:
"I'm glad that you have come, cousin, and I hope that you will like it in Ant hill."

"I agree with you."

Mack shook his hair, removing it from his eyes, stumbled in front of a chair, and
Sharply asked: "Did you bring any books with you?"

"Four boxes, they are in the library."

Mac disappeared from the room, and Steve, taking a pose that more favorably showed his suit, spoke with a friendly smile:

"We are sorry that we did not see you last Wednesday, I hope that your cold has passed and you are better off."

"Yes, thank you." And Rose's face lit up with a smile as she thought about her recovery.

Feeling that he was marked by sufficient attention, Steve retreated with his bow, tucked higher than ever, and at this time Prince Charlie stargazed across the room, said in a calm and light tone:

"Mom sends you her love and hopes that you will feel good and take the time to visit us next week." Such a thing as you should be extremely dejected here. "

"I'm thirteen and a half, although I look so small," Rose cried out,
Forgetting his shyness with indignation and, offended by the words of this unbearable teenager.

"I'm sorry, lady, I would never have guessed." And Charlie
He left with a laugh, pleased that he brought a spark into the conversation with his meek
Cousin.

George and Will came up together, two healthy eleven and twelve
Old guys, glaring at their round blue eyes in Rose, blurted out questions as if they were involved in the war, and Rose was the target for verbal shots.

"Did you bring your monkey?"

"No: she's dead."

"Are you going to buy yourself a boat?"

"No".

Both boys, as on command sharply turned to the right and marched away, and the little Jamie, who followed them with childish frankness, asked:

"Did you bring me something interesting?"

"Yes, a mountain of chocolates," Rose replied, after which Jamie pressed against her knees and gave a loud kiss to everyone that he really liked him.

This act rather scared Rose, while the young men looked and laughed, and in confusion she spoke, addressing the young conquerors:

"Have you seen how the circus came"?

"When where"? The boys screamed with great enthusiasm.

"Just before you came in. At least I think it was a circus because I saw the teams of red and black and lots of little pony horses and ..."

She did not continue and suddenly fell silent, as Archie interrupted her with his laughter:
"It was our new dog team and the Scottish ponies, it's not a circus, cousin."

"But there were so many, and they were running so fast, and the harness, it was so beautiful," Rose said, trying to explain her mistake.

"Go and look at them!" Cried the Prince. And before she realized,
What could have happened, she made her way to the barn and
Saw three shaggy ponies and a new dog team of guys.

She had never been in a barn before, and she doubted the correctness of her choice of being there, she believed that
"Auntie may not like it," but such a cry began with the words:

"She told us to entertain you, and we can do it much better than just wander around the house."

"I'm afraid I'll freeze without my cloak," Rose said, wanting to stay, but feeling how she was getting chills without outer clothing.

"No, you will not freeze, we'll dress you up," the young men shouted, and one hoisted his cap on her head, the other tied a rough jacket around her neck by the sleeves, the third neatly, but almost strangled her, wrapped in a blanket, and
The fourth rushed to open the door of the old four-seated stroller, which stood there, happily saying: "Come in, madam, sit more conveniently, now we will cheer you."

So Rose sat in the carriage happy with herself, and the boys
Continued to dance around her with delight, so that she clapped her hands and laughed, which she had not done for several weeks already.

"How are you, my girl"? Asked the Prince, rising to her, all out of breath when the show ended.

"It was magnificent, I only went to the theater once, but
That dance and was half as interesting as yours. You must be very good boys, "Rose said, not looking down at her relatives with a smile, like a little queen above her knights.

"Ah, we are an excellent choice, and this is just the beginning of our prose.We do not have our bagpipes now, otherwise we would sing for you, play a pleasant melody for you," Charlie said, shining with her praise.

"And I did not know that we were from Scotland, Dad never talked about it, but sometimes he sang old ballads about this country," Rose said, feeling that she unwittingly gives America.

"Better late than never. We read the Scottish novels, and all that we remember at the moment is that our grandfather is a Scotsman. So we found old stories, found bagpipes, dressed our Scottish clothes, and entered soul and heart into our glorious Clan. We lived in this mood for a while, and it was very funny. Our people like this, and I think that we are pretty cunning guys. "

Archie said this, sitting on the box, on which he perched to rest, and join the chatter, in which everyone rested.

"I am Fitzams, and he is Roderick Doe, and we will one day enter into a verbal battle with you." This is a great event, believe us, "the Prince added.

"Yes, and you have to hear Steve play the trumpet, he sounds great on bagpipes," Will yelled from the goat, eager to boast of the achievements of his family.

"Mac is a buddy who hunts for old stories, he tells us how to dress properly, and looks for inspiring things that can be talked about or sung," Georgie interjected, praising the missing bookworm.

"And what do you and Will do," Rose asked Jamie, who sat next to her, and watched from the corner of her eye that she would not give his gift-a mountain of sweets to someone else.

"Oh, I'm a small messenger, and carry out errands, and Will and Georgie
- soldiers, when we march, deer, when we hunt, and
Traitors, when we want to cut off somebody's head. "

"They should be very executive," Rose said, while the "young actors" shone with modest pride and were determined to play the role of Wallace and Montrose as soon as possible in order to appease their cousin.

"Let's play catchy," the Prince shouted, swinging himself
On the beam and loudly slapping Stevie on the shoulder.

Despite the fact that he was wearing gloves, Dandy slapped after him, and the rest
Fled in different directions as quickly as possible.

It was a new and surprising sight for Rose, fresh in contrast, from the pedantic
Boarding school, and she watched active young men with an exciting
Interest, thinking that their tricks remind her of a deceased monkey.

And only Will immortalized himself with glory, by winning in salochki, when suddenly Phoebe appeared with a cloak, a hood, and erasers for rubbing the floor, and also with a message from Aunt Plenty that "Miss Rose must immediately enter the house."

"It's all right, we'll deliver it!" Answered Archie, publishing some
A mysterious order, to which the boys immediately obeyed, and before Rose
Could get out of the carriage, the boys picked up the wagon for the drawbar
And with a crash carried her out of the barn, put the carriage and lined up around the front
Doors with a cheerful mood, trying to toss caps at the level of the top window, which caused Debbie to cry, and she shouted "Ah, frivolous boys, of course, you are trying to kill this defenseless little creature"!

But the "defenseless little creature" seemed to feel fine from this trip, she quickly ran down the steps of the wagon, all ruddy, merry and disheveled, in response to the scream of Aunt Plenty, who asked her to leave and lie down for a bit.

"Oh, please, do not!" We came to have tea with our cousin, and we will
Behave like a good child, if you let us stay, Auntie, "- the boys rustled,
Who not only praised "our cousin", but also had no desire to skip tea at Aunt Plenty's, knowing her soft nature.

"Well, dear ones, you stay, provided that you calm down and let your cousin Rose remove this grin from your face and put yourself in order, and then we'll see what we have for dinner," said the old lady, quickly retiring And walking towards the banquet hall.

"I like marmalade, my aunt."

"More creamy cake, if you can."

"Tell Debbie that she quickly cooks baked pears."

"I'm ordering a slice of lemon pie, madam."

"Make pancakes, Rose will like them."

"I'm sure that she will like the cake most of all."

When Rose came down fifteen minutes later, with neatly curled locks and in the best apron, she saw the boys hooliganized in the long hall, stopped half way, wanting to look closer, she wanted to appreciate the new-found cousins and the connection between them and her.

There was a large family resemblance between them, although some
Of fair-haired heads were darker than others, and some of the cheeks
Had a brown color instead of pink, and the age varied from sixteen-year-old Archie to Jamie, who was ten years younger. None of them was particularly sweet, except for the Prince, and yet all the others were sensitive, happy young men, and Rose decided that the boys were not so terrible as she imagined.

Each of the guys had character traits, so Rose could not hide her smile when she looked at them. Archie and Charlie, obviously close friends, stepped toe-to-toe, shoulder to shoulder, whistling "Bonnie Dundee"; Mac read the book in the corner, bringing it as close as possible to his short-sighted eyes; The dandy smoothed his hair to make them stand in a semicircle like a hat; Georgie and Will talked about the domestic economy before the hours, made in the form of the moon; And Jamie lay, kicking his heels one foot from the steps, waiting for the sweets Rose promised to give him.

She guessed his intention to ask for candy and in advance carefully took a handful of sugar plums to give to him. From his joyful cry, the other boys involuntarily smiled, their little relative standing in the distance was a beautiful sight: modest, with a soft look, bright hair and a smiling face. The black dress reminded them of her loss and filled the boyish hearts with the desire to be better for "our cousin", who had nothing but this house.

"And here it is, the very perfection," Steve shouted and handed her an air kiss.

"Come Miss, tea is ready," the Prince said approvingly.

"I have to escort you to the buffet," and Archie offered his hand with great dignity, with such honor that Rose blushed like a cherry and was ready to run back up the stairs.

Dinner was fun, and the two older boys tried to make it even more provocative, torturing stories based on the real events of the rest. Something was undoubtedly good in their stories, immersed in the gloomy secrets of the present.

"I've ever seen this," Jamie asked.

"I can not remember; But Mac and Steve saw, and they really liked it, "Archie replied, to distract them from eating the delicious fritters of Debbie while they scrolled what they said in their head.

"Who has it appeared before?" - Will asked with a mouthful of marmalade.

"In my opinion, with Aunt Plenty"

"When will it appear?" Stevie cried impatiently, jumping up from his seat.

"One day on Monday."

"My God, what are these boys talking about?" - the old lady screamed because of the high urn, beyond which only her hat was visible.

"Does not Auntie know?", The boys asked in chorus.

"No; And this is the best joke she can imagine. "

"What color is she?" Rose asked, enjoying the joke.

"Blue and brown."

"Does it taste good?" Jamie asked.

"Some people think so, but I would not want to try it," Charlie said, laughing and pouring out his tea.

"To whom is it meant?", Steve put in.

Archie and the Prince looked into each other's eyes, as if abandoning what was happening, then Archie answered with a glint in his eyes that made Charlie scream again

"Grandpa Campbell."

It was a problem, and they refused to solve this puzzle, and Jamie trusted Rose, which is unlikely to survive until Monday, if she does not know what a mysterious thing they have been discussing for so long.

Soon after tea, the family parted, singing the song "All blue hats flash over the border" with their high voices.

"Well, dear, did you like your cousins?" Asked Aunt Plenty, when the last pony disappeared around the corner, and the noise subsided.

"Quite, madam. But Phoebe I liked more. " The answer that forced Aunt Plenty to fling her hands from despair and quickly retire to tell Sister Pease that she would never understand this child, and that it would be very merciful if Alec came as soon as possible and took all responsibility for educating Rose in his arms.

Tired by an unusual dinner, Rose curled up in a corner of the sofa to rest and think about the big secret, slightly guessing that she would find out about this first.

Just in the middle of her reflections, she fell asleep and imagined that she was at home again, in her little crib. She thought she was awake and sees her father bending over her, and she hears him say, "My little Rose," and she answers: "Yes, Dad," and then he takes her in his arms and kisses her tenderly. So pleasant, so real was the dream that she almost woke up with a cry of joy, from the fact that she found herself in the arms of a tanned, bearded man who was holding her tight, practically with his father's voice, and she involuntarily pressed her back to him

"This is my little girl, and I'm Uncle Alec."

Chapter III - Uncle

When Rose woke up the next morning, she was not sure whether she really had a dream or what was really happening. She jumped off the bed and got dressed, Rose woke up an hour earlier than usual, because she could not sleep longer, she was overcome by a desire to go down and see whether there were packed bags and a huge suitcase in the hall. She thought she remembered how she nearly stumbled over them when she went to bed, because her very punctual aunts wanted to raise her niece to suit herself.

The sun was shining and Rose opened the window to let the soft May sea breeze fill the room. She leaned across the small balcony, looking out for the early bird that had caught the worm, and wondered if she would like Uncle Alec. She noticed a man jumping over the wall of the garden, swept by with a whistle. At first she thought that it was a criminal, but a second later, looking narrowly, she realized that it was her uncle returning after her early bathing in the sea. She barely ventured to look at him last night, because she always found her blue eyes looking at herself. Now she could take a closer look at him, as he was alone, gazing intently at her, as if she were looking around at a long-familiar person.

A tanned, fresh man in a blue jacket, without a hat on his curly head, which he shook like a wet dog, broad-shouldered, agile in his movements and with even breathing, quite subdued Rose, so that she could not explain this sense of calm coming from him . She said to herself, taking a breath: "I think he'll like me, he looks like a very smart person" when he raised his eyes, as if assessing the sprout of chestnut, and saw a pretty little face that studied him carefully. He raised his hands in the direction of her, nodded and said in a sonorous, joyful voice:

"You woke up so early, my little niece."

"I woke up to see if you really came, giving."

"True? Well, get down and check if this is true. "

"I'm not allowed to go down before breakfast, sir."

"Really," he shrugged. "Then I'll board to greet you," he added; And to much astonishment, Rose began to climb the veranda pillar, intercepting one or the other hand, stepping onto the roof, he leaned over and found himself on the balcony with Rose, shouting as if he had landed on the ship's deck: "And now you still have There are doubts about me, madam? "

Uncle Rose caught him by surprise, she could only smile at him in return.

"How do you find this morning?" He asked, warming Rose's outstretched hand in his hands.

"Pretty good morning, thank you sir."

"But it could be even better. Why not?"

"I always wake up with a headache and feel tired."

"Are you not sleeping well?"

"At first I lie for a long time and can not fall asleep, then I fall asleep, but my sleep does not allow me to have a good rest."

"What do you do all day long?"

"Oh, I read, I sew a little, I doze off a bit, and I sit with my aunt."

"You do not go out the door of the house, do not do housework, you do not ride horses, do you?"

"Auntie Plenty said that I'm not strong enough for all this, I go out with her sometimes, but I'm not interested."

"No wonder," Uncle Alec said, bending over and adding quickly, in his manner: "Do you have someone to play with?"

"There's no one but Ariadne Blish, but she's so stupid that I can not stand it. The boys came yesterday, and it was very fun; But, of course, I could not play with them. "

"Why?"

"I'm too old to play with boys."

"Not a lot more grown-up guys; This is just what you <