“Now me!” and Jamie assumed his manliest air, feeling that he did not appear to advantage among his tall kinsmen. But he went to the head of the class in everyone's opinion when Rose put her arms around him, saying, with a kiss, “You must be my boy now, for all the others are too old, and I want a faithful little page to do my errands for me.” “I will, I will I'll marry you too, if you'll just hold on till I grow up!” cried Jamie, rather losing his head at this sudden promotion. “Bless the baby, what is he talking about?” laughed Rose, looking down at her little knight as he clung about her with grateful ardor. “Oh, I heard the aunts say that you'd better marry one of us, and keep the property in the family, so I speak first, because you are very fond of me, and I do love curls.” Alas for Jamie! This awful speech had hardly left his innocent lips when Will and Geordie swept him out of the room like a whirlwind, and the howls of that hapless boy were heard from the torture hall, where being shut into the skeleton case was one of the mildest punishments inflicted upon him. Dismay fell upon the unfortunates who remained, but their confusion was soon ended, for Rose, with a look which they had never seen upon her face before, dismissed them with the brief command, “Break ranks the review is over,” and walked away to Phebe. “Confound that boy! You ought to shut him up or gag him!” fumed Charlie irritably. “He shall be attended to,” answered poor Archie, who was trying to bring up the little marplot with the success of most parents and guardians. “The whole thing was deuced disagreeable,” growled Steve, who felt that he had not distinguished himself in the late engagement. “Truth generally is,” observed Mac dryly as he strolled away with his odd smile. As if he suspected discord somewhere, Dr. Alec proposed music at this crisis, and the young people felt that it was a happy thought. “I want you to hear both my birds, for they have improved immensely, and I am very proud of them,” said the doctor, twirling up the stool and pulling out the old music books. “I had better come first, for after you have heard the nightingale you won't care for the canary,” added Rose, wishing to put Phebe at her ease, for she sat among them looking like a picture, but rather shy and silent, remembering the days when her place was in the kitchen. “I'll give you some of the dear old songs you used to like so much. This was a favorite, I think,” and sitting down she sang the first familiar air that came, and sang it well in a pleasant, but by no means finished, manner.