第6章

“Sometimes。YouseeI’vebeenabroadagoodmanyyears，andhaven’tbeenintocompanyenoughyettoknowhowyoudothingshere。“

“Abroad!。“criedJo。“Oh，tellmeaboutit!Ilovedearlytohearpeopledescribetheirtravels。“

Lauriedidn’tseemtoknowwheretobegin，butJo’seagerquestionssoonsethimgoing，andhetoldherhowhehadbeenatschoolinVevay，wheretheboysneverworehatsandhadafleetofboatsonthelake，andforholidayfunwentonwalkingtripsaboutSwitzerlandwiththeirteachers。

“Don’tIwishI’dbeenthere!“criedJo。“DidyougotoParis？“

“Wespentlastwinterthere。“

“CanyoutalkFrench？“

“WewerenotallowedtospeakanythingelseatVevay。“

“Dosaysome!Icanreadit，butcan’tpronounce。“

“Quelnomacetterjeunedemoiselleenlespantoullesjolis？“

“Hownicelyyoudoit!Letmesee……yousaid，`Whoistheyoungladyintheprettyslippers’，didn’tyou？“

“Oui，mademoiselle。“

“It’smysisterMargaret，andyouknewitwas!Doyouthinksheispretty？“

“Yes，shemakesmethinkoftheGermangirls，shelookssofreshandquiet，anddanceslikealady。“

Joquiteglowedwithpleasureatthisboyishpraiseofhersister，andstoredituptorepeattoMeg。Bothpeepedandcritisizedandchattedtilltheyfeltlikeoldacquaintances。

Laurie’sbashfulnesssoonworeoff，forJo’sgentlemanlydemeanoramusedandsethimathisease，andJowashermerryselfagain，becauseherdresswasforgottenandnobodyliftedtheireyebrowsather。Shelikedthe`Laurenceboy’betterthaneverandtookseveralgoodlooksathim，sothatshemightdescribehimtothegirls，fortheyhadnobrothers，veryfewmalecousins，andboyswerealmostunknowncreaturestothem。

“Curlyblackhair，brownskin，bigblackeyes，handsomenose，fineteeth，smallhandsandfeet，tallerthanIam，verypolite，foraboy，andaltogetherjolly。Wonderhowoldheis？“

ItwasonthetipofJo’stonguetoask，butshecheckedherselfintimeand，withunusualtact，triedtofindoutinaround-aboutway。

“Isupposeyouaregoingtocollegesoon？Iseeyoupeggingawayatyourbooks，no，Imeanstudyinghard。“AndJoblushedatthedreadful`pegging’whichhadescapedher。

Lauriesmiledbutdidn’tseemshocked，andansweredwithashrug。“Notforayearortwo。Iwon’tgobeforeseventeen，anyway。“

“Aren’tyoubutfifteen？“askedJo，lookingatthetalllad，whomshehadimaginedseventeenalready。

“Sixteen，nextmonth。“

“HowIwishIwasgoingtocollege!Youdon’tlookasifyoulikedit。“

“Ihateit!Nothingbutgrindingorskylarking。AndIdon’tlikethewayfellowsdoeither，inthiscountry。“

“Whatdoyoulike？“

“ToliveinItaly，andtoenjoymyselfinmyownway。“

Jowantedverymuchtoaskwhathisownwaywas，buthisblackbrowslookedratherthreateningasheknitthem，soshechangedthesubjectbysaying，asherfootkepttime，“That’sasplendidpolka!Whydon’tyougoandtryit？“

“Ifyouwillcometoo，“heanswered，withagallantlittlebow。

“Ican’t，forItoldmegIwouldn’t，because……“ThereJostopped，andlookedundecidedwhethertotellortolaugh。

“Because，what？“

“Youwon’ttell？“

“Never!“

“Well，Ihaveabadtrickofstandingbeforethefire，andsoIburnmyfrocks，andIscorchedthisone，andthoughit’snicelymended，itshows，andMegtoldmetokeepstillsonoonewouldseeit。Youmaylaugh，ifyouwantto。Itisfunny，Iknow。“

ButLauriedidn’tlaugh。Heonlylookeddawnaminute，andtheexpressionofhisfacepuzzledJowhenhesaidverygently，“Nevermindthat。I’lltellyouhowwecanmanage。There’salonghalloutthere，andwecandancegrandly，andnoonewillseeus。

Pleasecome。“

Jothankedhimandgladlywent，wishingshehadtwoneatgloveswhenshesawthenice，pearl-coloredonesherpartnerwore。Thehallwasempty，andtheyhadagrandpolka，forLauriedancedwell，andtaughthertheGermanstep，whichdelightedJo，beingfullofswingandspring。Whenthemusicstopped，theysatdownonthestairstogettheirbreath，andLauriewasinthemidstofanaccountofastudents’festivalatHeidelbergwhenMegappearedinsearchofhersister。Shebeckoned，andJoreluctantlyfollowedherintoasideroom，whereshefoundheronasofa，holdingherfoot，andlookingpale。

“I’vesprainedmyankle。Thatstupidhighheelturnedandgavemeasadwrench。Itachesso，Icanhardlystand，andIdon’tknowhowI’mevergoingtogethome，“shesaid，rockingtoandfroinpain。

“Iknewyou’dhurtyourfeetwiththosesillyshoes。I’msorry。ButIdon’tseewhatyoucando，exceptgetacarriage，orstayhereallnight，“answeredJo，softlyrubbingthepoorankleasshespoke。

“Ican’thaveacarriagewithoutitscostingeversomuch。I

daresayIcan’tgetoneatall，formostpeoplecomeintheirown，andit’salongwaytothestable，andnoonetosend。“

“I’llgo。“

“No，indeed!It’spastnine，anddarkasEgypt。Ican’tstophere，forthehouseisfull。Salliehassomegirlsstayingwithher。

I’llresttillHannahcomes，andthendothebestIcan。“

“I’llaskLaurie。Hewillgo，“saidJo，“lookingrelievedastheideaoccurredtoher。

“Mercy，no!Don’taskortellanyone。Getmemyrubbers，andputtheseslipperswithourthings。Ican’tdanceanymore，butassoonassupperisover，watchforHannahandtellmetheminuteshecomes。“

“Theyaregoingouttosuppernow。I’llstaywithyou。I’drather。“

“No，dear，runalong，andbringmesomecoffee。I’msotiredIcan’tstir。“

SoMegreclined，withrubberswellhidden，andJowentblunderingawaytothediningroom，whichshefoundaftergoingintoachinacloset，andopeningthedoorofaroomwhereoldMr。Gardinerwastakingalittleprivaterefreshment。Makingadartatthetable，shesecuredthecoffee，whichsheimmediatelyspilled，therebymakingthefrontofherdressasbadastheback。

“Oh，dear，whatablunderbussIam!“exclaimedJo，finishingMeg’sglovebyscrubbinghergownwithit。

“CanIhelpyou？“saidafriendlyvoice。AndtherewasLaurie，withafullcupinonehandandaplateoficeintheother。

“IwastryingtogetsomethingforMeg，whoisverytired，andsomeoneshookme，andhereIaminanicestate，“answeredJo，glancingdismallyfromthestainedskirttothecoffee-coloredglove。

“Toobad!Iwaslookingforsomeonetogivethisto。

MayI

takeittoyoursister？“

“Oh，thankyou!I’llshowyouwheresheis。Idon’toffertotakeitmyself，forIshouldonlygetintoanotherscrapeifIdid。“

Joledtheway，andasifusedtowaitingonladies，Lauriedrewupalittletable，broughtasecondinstallmentofcoffeeandiceforJo，andwassoobligingthatevenparticularMegpronouncedhima`niceboy’。Theyhadamerrytimeoverthebonbonsandmottoes，andwereinthemidstofaquietgameofBUZZ，withtwoorthreeotheryoungpeoplewhohadstrayedin，whenHannahappeared。MegforgotherfootandrosesoquicklythatshewasforcedtocatchholdofJo，withanexclamationofpain。

“Hush!Don’tsayanything，“shewhispered，addingaloud，“It’snothing。Iturnedmyfootalittle，that’sall，“andlimpedupstairstoputherthingson。

Hannahscolded，Megcried，andJowasatherwits’end，tillsedecidedtotakethingsintoherownhands。Slippingout，sherandownand，findingaservant，askedifhecouldgetheracarriage。

IthappenedtobeahiredwaiterwhoknewnothingabouttheneighborhoodandJowaslookingroundforhelpwhenLaurie，whohadheardwhatshesaid，cameupandofferedhisgrandfather’scarriage，whichhadjustcomeforhim，hesaid。

“It’ssoearly!Youcan’tmeantogoyet？“beganJo。lookingrelievedbuthesitatingtoaccepttheoffer。

“Ialwaysgoearly，Ido，truly!Pleaseletmetakeyouhome。

It’sallonmyway，youknow，anditrains，theysay。“

Thatsettledit，andtellinghimofMeg’smishap，Jogratefullyacceptedandrusheduptobringdowntherestoftheparty。Hannahhatedrainasmuchasacatdoessoshemadenotrouble，andtheyrolledawayintheluxuriousclosecarriage，feelingveryfestiveandelegant。LauriewentontheboxsoMegcouldkeepherfootup，andthegirlstalkedovertheirpartyinfreedom。

“Ihadacapitaltime。Didyou？’askedJo，rumplingupherhair，andmakingherselfcomfortable。

“Yes，tillIhurtmyself。Sallie’sfriend，AnnieMoffat，tookafancytome，andaskedmetocomeandspendaweekwithherwhenSalliedoes。Sheisgoinginthespringwhentheoperacomes，anditwillbeperfectlysplendid，ifMotheronlyletsmego，“answeredMeg，cheeringupatthethought。

“IsawyoudancingwiththeredheadedmanIranawayfrom。Washenice？“

“Oh。very!Hishairisauburn，notred，andhewasverypolite，andIhadadeliciousredowawithhim。“

“Helookedlikeagrasshopperinafitwhenhedidthenewstep。

LaurieandIcouldn’thelplaughing。Didyouhearus？“

“No，butitwasveryrude。Whatwereyouaboutallthattime，hiddenawaythere？“

Jotoldheradventures，andbythetimeshehadfinishedtheywereathome。Withmanythanks，theysaidgoodnightandcreptin，hopingtodisturbnoone，buttheinstanttheirdoorcreaked，twolittlenightcapsbobbedup，andtwosleepybuteagervoicescriedout……

“Tellabouttheparty!Tellabouttheparty!“