“Bertie is a coward!” she exclaimed, in her very determined fashion. “He is a horrid little coward, whatever anybody says; and I think it served him quite right.”
The boys were secretly rather pleased that their little sister stood by them, as it were, so boldly. They were very fond of Queenie, and liked to look upon her as the little queen she had always been taught to consider herself.
“Well, I’m not quite so sure of that,” answered Phil, who was always honest, whatever faults he might have besides. “I heard Dr. Lighton say once that he was afraid of the water because he had been so nearly drowned, and that he could not help it, and would most likely grow out of it if only he was let alone.”
The elder boys exchanged glances, conscious that their idea of curing him had differed from the doctor’s.
“Why didn’t you say so before, Phil?” asked Walter.
“I never thought of it,” he answered; “I always do forget everything.”
“I should take him out every day in a boat till he gave over being silly about it—that’s what I should do if he were my little boy,” announced Queenie, very grandly. “I have no idea of spoiling children like that.”
And at that all the boys laughed, but they laughed admiringly, for they were proud of their sister’s spirit, although they all knew quite well that she had been spoiled by every one in the house, save her nurse, from the hour of her birth until now.
“That’s right, Queenie,” cried Bernard. “Never you let anybody have a will of his own but yourself. You stick to your opinion, and let all the rest go. But we can’t bully that little chap any more, after what Uncle Fred said. Shall we try to make it up with him instead, and show him we didn’t mean any harm?”
“Uncle Fred would like that,” remarked Ralph. “Only I don’t know if he’d care to make friends just to-day—Bertie, I mean, you know.”