第5章

“Jo!Jo!Whereareyou？“criedMegatthefootofthegarretstairs。

“Here!“answeredahuskyvoicefromabove，and，runningup，MegfoundhersistereatingapplesandcryingovertheHeirofRedclyffe，wrappedupinacomforteronanoldthree-leggedsofabythesunnywindow。ThiswasJo’sfavoriterefuge，andhereshelovedtoretirewithhalfadozenrussetsandanicebook，toenjoythequietandthesocietyofapetratwholivednearbyanddidn’tmindheraparticle。AsMegappeared，Scrabblewhiskedintohishole。Joshookthetearsoffhercheeksandwaitedtohearthenews。

“Suchfun!Onlysee!AregularnoteofinvitationfromMrs。

Gardinerfortomorrownight!“criedMeg，wavingthepreciouspaperandthenproceedingtoreaditwithgirlishdelight。

“`Mrs。GardinerwouldbehappytoseeMissMarchandMissJosephineatalittledanceonNewYear’sEve。’Marmeeiswillingweshouldgo，nowwhatshallwewear？“

“What’stheuseofaskingthat，whenyouknowweshallwearourpoplins，becausewehaven’tgotanythingelse？“answeredJowithhermouthfull。

“IfIonlyhadasilk!“sighedMeg。“MothersaysImaywhenI’meighteenperhaps，buttwoyearsisaneverlastingtimetowait。“

“I’msureourpopslooklikesilk，andtheyareniceenoughforus。Yoursisasgoodasnew，butIforgottheburnandthetearinmine。WhatevershallIdo？Theburnshowsbadly，andIcan’ttakeanyout。“

“Youmustsitstillallyoucanandkeepyourbackoutofsight。

Thefrontisallright。Ishallhaveanewribbonformyhair，andMarmeewilllendmeherlittlepearlpin，andmynewslippersarelovely，andmygloveswilldo，thoughtheyaren’tasniceasI’dlike。“

“Minearespoiledwithlemonade，andIcan’tgetanynewones，soIshallhavetogowithout，“saidJo，whonevertroubledherselfmuchaboutdress。

“Youmusthavegloves，orIwon’tgo，“criedMegdecidedly。

“Glovesaremoreimportantthananythingelse。Youcan’tdancewithoutthem，andifyoudon’tIshouldbesomortified。“

“ThenI’llstaystill。Idon’tcaremuchforcompanydancing。

It’snofuntogosailinground。Iliketoflyaboutandcutcapers。“

“Youcan’taskMotherfornewones，theyaresoexpensive，andyouaresocareless。Shesaidwhenyouspoiledtheothersthatsheshouldn’tgetyouanymorethiswinter。Can’tyoumakethemdo？“

“Icanholdthemcrumpledupinmyhand，sonoonewillknowhowstainedtheyare。That’sallIcando。No!I’lltellyouhowwecanmanage，eachwearonegoodoneandcarryabadone。Don’tyousee？“

“Yourhandsarebiggerthanmine，andyouwillstretchmyglovedreadfully，“beganMeg，whosegloveswereatenderpointwithher。

“ThenI’llgowithout。Idon’tcarewhatpeoplesay!“criedJo，takingupherbook。

“Youmayhaveit，youmay!Onlydon’tstainit，anddobehavenicely。Don’tputyourhandsbehindyou，orstare，orsay`ChristopherColumbus!’willyou？“

“Don’tworryaboutme。I’llbeasprimadIcanandnotgetintoanyscrapes，ifIcanhelpit。Nowgoandansweryournote，andletmefinishthissplendidstory。“

SoMegwentawayto`acceptwiththanks’，lookoverherdress，andsingblithelyasshedidupheronereallacefrill，whileJofinishedherstory，herfourapples，andhadagameofrompswithScrabble。

OnNewYear’sEvetheparlorwasdeserted，forthetwoyoungergirlsplayeddressingmaidsandthetwoelderwereabsorbedintheall-importantbusinessof`gettingreadyfortheparty’。Simpleasthetoiletswere，therewasagreatdealofrunningupanddown，laughingandtalking，andatonetimeastrongsmellofburnedhairpervadedthehouse。Megwantedafewcurlsaboutherface，andJoundertooktopinchthepaperedlockswithapairofhottongs。

“Oughttheytosmokelikethat？“askedBethfromherperchonthebed。

“It’sthedampnessdrying，“repliedJo。

“Whataqueersmell!It’slikeburnedfeathers，“observedAmy，smoothingherownprettycurlswithasuperiorair。

“There，nowI’lltakeoffthepapersandyou’llseeacloudoflittleringlets，“saidJo，puttingdownthetongs。

Shedidtakeoffthepapers，butnocloudofringletsappeared，forthehaircamewiththepapers，andthehorrifiedhairdresserlaidarowoflittlescorchedbundlesonthebureaubeforehervictim。

“Oh，oh，oh!Whathaveyoudone？I’mspoiled!Ican’tgo!

Myhair，oh，myhair!“wailedMeg，lookingwithdespairattheunevenfrizzleonherforehead。

“Justmyluck!Youshouldn’thaveaskedmetodoit。Ialwaysspoileverything。I’msosorry，butthetongsweretoohot，andsoI’vemadeamess，“groanedpoorJo，regardingthelittleblackpancakeswithtearsofregret。

“Itisn’tspoiled。Justfrizzleit，andtieyourribbonsotheendscomeonyourforeheadabit，anditwilllooklikethelastfashion。I’veseenmanygirlsdoitso，“saidAmyconsolingly。

“Servesmerightfortryingtobefine。IwishI’dletmyhairalone，“criedMegpetulantly。

“SodoI，itwassosmoothandpretty。Butitwillsoongrowoutagain，“saidBeth，comingtokissandcomforttheshornsheep。

Aftervariouslessermishaps，Megwasfinishedatlast，andbytheunitedexertionsoftheentirefamilyJo’shairwasgotupandherdresson。Theylookedverywellintheirsimplesuits，Meg’sinsilverydrab，withabluevelvetsnood，lacefrills，andthepearlpin。Joinmaroon，withastiff，gentlemanlylinencollar，andawhitechrysanthemumortwoforheronlyornament。

Eachputononenicelightglove，andcarriedonesoiledone，andallpronouncedtheeffect“quiteeasyandfine“。Meg’shigh-heeledslipperswereverytightandhurther，thoughshewouldnotownit，andJo’snineteenhairpinsallseemedstuckstraightintoherhead，whichwasnotexactlycomfortable，but，dearme，letusbeelegantordie。

“Haveagoodtime，dearies!“saidMrs。March，asthesisterswentdaintilydownthewalk。“Don’teatmuchsupper，andcomeawayatelevenwhenIsendHannahforyou。“Asthegateclashedbehindthem，avoicecriedfromawindow……

“Girls，girls!Haveyouyoubothgotnicepockethandkerchiefs？“

“Yes，yes，spandynice，andMeghascologneonhers，“criedJo，addingwithalaughastheywenton，“IdobelieveMarmeewouldaskthatifwewereallrunningawayfromanearthquake。

“Itisoneofheraristocratictastes，andquiteproper，forarealladyisalwaysknownbyneatboots，gloves，andhandkerchief，“

repliedMeg，whohadagoodmanylittle`aristocratictastes’ofherown。

“Nowdon’tforgettokeepthebadbreadthoutofsight，Jo。

Ismysashright？Anddoesmyhairlookverybad？“saidMeg，assheturnedfromtheglassinMrs。Gardiner’sdressingroomafteraprolongedprink。

“IknowIshallforget。Ifyouseemedoinganythingwrong，justremindmebyawink，willyou？“returnedJo，givinghercollaratwitchandherheadahastybrush。

“No，winkingisn’tladylike。I’llliftmyeyebrowsifanythingiswrong，andnodifyouareallright。Nowholdyourshoulderstraight，andtakeshortsteps，anddon’tshakehandsifyouareintroducedtoanyone。Itisn’tthething。“

“Howdoyoulearnalltheproperways？Inevercan。Isn’tthatmusicgay？“

Downtheywent，feelingatrifletimid，fortheyseldomwenttoparties，andinformalasthislittlegatheringwas，itwasaneventtothem。Mrs。Gardiner，astatelyoldlady，greetedthemkindlyandhandedthemovertotheeldestofhersixdaughters。

MegknewSallieandwasathereaseverysoon，butJo，whodidn’tcaremuchforgirlsorgirlishgossip，stoodabout，withherbackcarefullyagainstthewall，andfeltasmuchoutofplaceasacoltinaflowergarden。Halfadozenjovialladsweretalkingaboutskatesinanotherpartoftheroom，andshelongedtogoandjointhem，forskatingwasoneofthejoysofherlife。ShetelegraphedherwishtoMeg，buttheeyebrowswentupsoalarminglythatshedarednotstir。Noonecametotalktoher，andonebyonethegroupdwindledawaytillshewasleftalone。Shecouldnotroamaboutandamuseherself，fortheburnedbreadthwouldshow，soshestaredatpeopleratherforlornlytillthedancingbegan。Megwasaskedatonce，andthetightslipperstrippedaboutsobrisklythatnonewouldhaveguessedthepaintheirwearersufferedsmilingly。Josawabigredheadedyouthapproachinghercorner，andfearinghemeanttoengageher，sheslippedintoacurtainedrecess，intendingtopeepandenjoyherselfinpeace。Unfortunately，anotherbashfulpersonhadchosenthesamerefuge，for，asthecurtainfellbehindher，shefoundherselffacetofacewiththe`Laurenceboy’。

“Dearme，Ididn’tknowanyonewashere!“stammeredJo，preparingtobackoutasspeedilyasshehadbouncedin。

Buttheboylaughedandsaidpleasantly，thoughhelookedalittlestartled，“Don’tmindme，stayifyoulike。“

“Shan’tIdisturbyou？“

“Notabit。IonlycameherebecauseIdon’tknowmanypeopleandfeltratherstrangeatfirst，youknow。“

“SodidI。Don’tgoaway，please，unlessyou’drather。“

Theboysatdownagainandlookedathispumps，tillJosaid，tryingtobepoliteandeasy，“IthinkI’vehadthepleasureofseeingyoubefore。Youlivenearus，don’tyou？“

“Nextdoor。“Andhelookedupandlaughedoutright，forJo’sprimmannerwasratherfunnywhenherememberedhowtheyhadchattedaboutcricketwhenhebroughtthecathome。

ThatputJoathereaseandshelaughedtoo，asshesaid，inherheartiestway，“WedidhavesuchagoodtimeoveryourniceChristmaspresent。“

“Grandpasentit。“

“Butyouputitintohishead，didn’tyou，now？“

“Howisyourcat，MissMarch？“askedtheboy，tryingtolooksoberwhilehisblackeyesshonewithfun。

“Nicely，thankyou，Mr。Laurence。ButIamnotMissMarch，I’monlyJo，“returnedtheyounglady。

“I’mnotMr。Laurence，I’monlyLaurie。“

“LaurieLaurence，whatanoddname。“

“Myfirstnameistheodore，butIdon’tlikeit，forthefellowscalledmeDora，soImadethesayLaurieinstead。“

“Ihatemyname，too，sosentimental!IwisheveryonewouldsayJoinsteadofJosephine。HowdidyoumaketheboysstopcallingyouDora？“

“Ithrashed`em。“

“Ican’tthrashAuntMarch，soIsupposeIshallhavetobearit。“AndJoresignedherselfwithasigh。

“Don’tyouliketodance，MissJo？“askedLaurie，lookingasifhethoughtthenamesuitedher。

“Ilikeitwellenoughifthereisplentyofroom，andeveryoneislively。InaplacelikethisI’msuretoupsetsomething，treadonpeople’stoes，ordosomethingdreadful，soIkeepoutofmischiefandletMegsailabout。Don’tyoudance？“