第14章

“Ican’t，dear，becauseyouaren’tinvited，“beganMeg，butJobrokeinimpatiently，“Now，Meg，bequietoryouwillspoilitall。Youcan’tgo，Amy，sodon’tbeababyandwhineaboutit。“

“YouaregoingsomewherewithLaurie，Iknowyouare。Youwerewhisperingandlaughingtogetheronthesofalastnight，andyoustoppedwhenIcamein。Aren’tyougoingwithhim？“

“Yes，weare。Nowdobestill，andstopbothering。“

Amyheldhertongue，butusedhereyes，andsawMegslipafanintoherpocket。

“Iknow!Iknow!You’regoingtothetheatertoseetheSEVENCASTLES!“shecried，addingresolutely，“andIshallgo，forMothersaidImightseeit，andI’vegotmyragmoney，anditwasmeannottotellmeintime。“

“Justlistentomeaminute，andbeagoodchild，“saidMegsoothingly。“Motherdoesn’twishyoutogothisweek，becauseyoureyesarenotwellenoughyettobearthelightofthisfairypiece。NextweekyoucangowithBethandHannah，andhaveanicetime。“

“Idon’tlikethathalfaswellasgoingwithyouandLaurie。

Pleaseletme。I’vebeensickwiththiscoldsolong，andshutup，I’mdyingforsomefun。Do，Meg!I’llbeeversogood，“

pleadedAmy，lookingaspatheticasshecould。

“Supposewetakeher。Idon’tbelieveMotherwouldmind，ifwebundleherupwell，“beganMeg。

“IfshegoesIshan’t，andifIdon’t，Lauriewon’tlikeit，anditwillbeveryrude，afterheinvitedonlyus，togoanddraginAmy。Ishouldthinkshe’dhatetopokeherselfwheresheisn’twanted，“saidJocrossly，forshedislikedthetroubleofoverseeingafidgetychildwhenshewantedtoenjoyherself。

HertoneandmannerangeredAmy，whobegantoputherbootson，saying，inhermostaggravatingway，“Ishallgo。MegsaysI

may，andifIpayformyself，Lauriehasn’tanythingtodowithit。“

“Youcan’tsitwithus，forourseatsarereserved，andyoumustn’tsitalone，soLauriewillgiveyouhisplace，andthatwillspoilourpleasure。Orhe’llgetanotherseatforyou，andthatisn’tproperwhenyouweren’tasked。Youshan’tstirastep，soyoumayjuststaywhereyouare，“scoldedJo，crosserthanever，havingjustprickedherfingerinherhurry。

Sittingonthefloorwithonebooton，AmybegantocryandMegtoreasonwithher，whenLauriecalledfrombelow，andthetwogirlshurrieddown，leavingtheirsisterwailing。Fornowandthensheforgothergrown-upwaysandactedlikeaspoiledchild。Justasthepartywassettingout，Amycalledoverthebanistersinathreateningtone，“You’llbesorryforthis，JoMarch，seeifyouain’t。“

“Fiddlesticks!“returnedJo，slammingthedoor。

Theyhadacharmingtime，forTHESEVENCASTLESOFTHE

DIAMONDLAKEwasasbrilliantandwonderfulasheartcouldwish。

Butinspiteofthecomicalredimps，sparklingelves，andthegorgeousprincesandprincesses，Jo’spleasurehadadropofbitternessinit。Thefairyqueen’syellowcurlsremindedherofAmy，andbetweentheactssheamusedherselfwithwonderingwhathersisterwoulddotomakeher`sorryforit’。SheandAmyhadhadmanylivelyskirmishesinthecourseoftheirlives，forbothhadquicktempersandwereapttobeviolentwhenfairlyroused。AmyteasedJo，andJoirritatedAmy，andsemioccasionalexplosionsoccurred，ofwhichbothweremuchashamedafterward。

Althoughtheoldest，Johadtheleastself-control，andhadhardtimestryingtocurbthefieryspiritwhichwascontinuallygettingherintotrouble。Herangerneverlastedlong，andhavinghumblyconfessedherfault，shesincerelyrepentedandtriedtodobetter。

HersistersusedtosaythattheyratherlikedtogetJointoafurybecauseshewassuchanangelafterward。PoorJotrieddesperatelytobegood，butherbosomenemywasalwaysreadytoflameupanddefeather，andittookyearsofpatientefforttosubdueit。

Whentheygothome，theyfoundamyreadingintheparlor。

Sheassumedaninjuredairastheycamein，neverliftedhereyesfromherbook，oraskedasinglequestion。Perhapscuriositymighthaveconqueredresentment，ifBethhadnotbeentheretoinquireandreceiveaglowingdescriptionoftheplay。Ongoinguptoputawayherbesthat，Jo’sfirstlookwastowardthebureau，forintheirlastquarrelAmyhadsoothedherfeelingsbyturningJo’stopdrawerupsidedownonthefloor。Everythingwasinitsplace，however，andafterahastyglanceintohervariousclosets，bags，andboxes，JodecidedthatAmyhadforgivenandforgottenherwrongs。

ThereJowasmistaken，fornextdayshemadeadiscoverywhichproducedatempest。Meg，Beth，andAmyweresittingtogether，lateintheafternoon，whenJoburstintotheroom，lookingexcitedanddemandingbreathlessly，“Hasanyonetakenmybook？“

MegandBethsaid，“No。“atonce，andlookedsurprised。Amypokedthefireandsaidnothing。Josawhercolorriseandwasdownuponherinaminute。

“Amy，you’vegotit!“

“No，Ihaven’t。“

“Youknowwhereitis，then!“

“No，Idon’t。“

“That’safib!“criedJo，takingherbytheshoulders，andlookingfierceenoughtofrightenamuchbraverchildthanAmy。

“Itisn’t。Ihaven’tgotit，don’tknowwhereitisnow，anddon’tcare。“

“Youknowsomethingaboutit，andyou’dbettertellatonce，orI’llmakeyou。“AndJogaveheraslightshake。

“Scoldasmuchasyoulike，you’llneverseeyoursillyoldbookagain，“criedAmy，gettingexcitedinherturn。

“whynot？“

“Iburneditup。“

“What!MylittlebookIwassofondof，andworkedover，andmeanttofinishbeforeFathergothome？Haveyoureallyburnedit？“

saidJo，turningverypale，whilehereyeskindledandherhandsclutchedAmynervously。

“Yes，Idid!ItoldyouI’dmakeyoupayforbeingsocrossyesterday，andIhave，so……“

Amygotnofarther，forJo’shottempermasteredher，andsheshookAmytillherteethchatteredinherhead，cryinginapassionofgriefandanger……

“Youwicked，wickedgirl!Inevercanwriteitagain，andI’llneverforgiveyouaslongasIlive。“

MegflewtorescueAmy，andBethtopacifyJo，butJowasquitebesideherself，andwithapartingboxonhersister’sear，sherushedoutoftheroomuptotheoldsofainthegarret，andfinishedherfightalone。

Thestormclearedupbelow，forMrs。Marchcamehome，and，havingheardthestory，soonbroughtAmytoasenseofthewrongshehaddonehersister。Jo’sbookwastheprideofherheart，andwasregardedbyherfamilyasaliterarysproutofgreatpromise。Itwasonlyhalfadozenlittlefairytales，butJohadworkedoverthempatiently，puttingherwholeheartintoherwork，hopingtomakesomethinggoodenoughtoprint。Shehadjustcopiedthemwithgreatcare，andhaddestroyedtheoldmanuscript，sothatAmy’sbonfirehadconsumedthelovingworkofseveralyears。Itseemedasmalllosstoothers，buttoJoitwasadreadfulcalamity，andshefeltthatitnevercouldbemadeuptoher。Bethmournedasforadepartedkitten，andMegrefusedtodefendherpet。Mrs。Marchlookedgraveandgrieved，andAmyfeltthatnoonewouldlovehertillshehadaskedpardonfortheactwhichshenowregrettedmorethananyofthem。

Whentheteabellrang，Joappeared，lookingsogrimandunapproachablethatittookallAmy’scouragetosaymeekly……

“Pleaseforgiveme，Jo。I’mvery，verysorry。“

“Inevershallforgiveyou，“wasJo’ssternanswer，andfromthatmomentsheignoredAmyentirely。

Noonespokeofthegreattrouble，notevenMrs。March，forallhadlearnedbyexperiencethatwhenJowasinthatmoodwordswerewasted，andthewisestcoursewastowaittillsomelittleaccident，orherowngenerousnature，softenedJo’sresentmentandhealedthebreach。Itwasnotahappyevening，forthoughtheysewedasusual，whiletheirmotherreadaloudfromBremer，Scott，orEdgeworth，somethingwaswanting，andthesweethomepeacewasdisturbed。Theyfeltthismostwhensingingtimecame，forBethcouldonlyplay，Jostooddumbasastone，andAmybrokedown，soMegandMothersangalone。Butinspiteoftheireffortstobeascheeryaslarks，theflutelikevoicesdidnotseemtochordaswellasusual，andallfeltoutoftune。

AsJoreceivedhergood-nightkiss，Mrs。Marchwhisperedgently，“Mydear，don’tletthesungodownuponyouranger。Forgiveeachother，helpeachother，andbeginagaintomorrow。“

Jowantedtolayherheaddownonthatmotherlybosom，andcryhergriefandangerallaway，buttearswereanunmanlyweakness，andshefeltsodeeplyinjuredthatshereallycouldn’tquiteforgiveyet。Soshewinkedhard，shookherhead，andsaidgrufflybecauseAmywaslistening，“Itwasanabominablething，andshedoesn’tdeservetobeforgiven。“

Withthatshemarchedofftobed，andtherewasnomerryorconfidentialgossipthatnight。

Amywasmuchoffendedthatheroverturesofpeacehadbeenrepulsed，andbegantowishshehadnothumbledherself，tofeelmoreinjuredthanever，andtoplumeherselfonhersuperiorvirtueinawaywhichwasparticularlyexasperating。Jostilllookedlikeathundercloud，andnothingwentwellallday。Itwasbittercoldinthemorning，shedroppedherpreciousturnoverinthegutter，AuntMarchhadanattackofthefidgets，Megwassensitive，Bethwouldlookgrievedandwistfulwhenshegothome，andAmykeptmakingremarksaboutpeoplewhowerealwaystalkingaboutbeinggoodandyetwouldn’teventrywhenotherpeoplesetthemavirtuousexample。

“Everybodyissohateful，I’llaskLaurietogoskating。Heisalwayskindandjolly，andwillputmetorights，Iknow，“saidJotoherself，andoffshewent。

Amyheardtheclashofskates，andlookedoutwithanimpatientexclamation。

“There!ShepromisedIshouldgonexttime，forthisisthelasticeweshallhave。Butit’snousetoasksuchacrosspatchtotakeme。“

“Don’tsaythat。Youwereverynaughty，anditishardtoforgivethelossofherpreciouslittlebook，butIthinkshemightdoitnow，andIguessshewill，ifyoutryherattherightminute，“saidMeg。“Goafterthem。Don’tsayanythingtillJohasgotgood-naturedwithLaurie，thantakeaquietminuteandjustkissher，ordosomekindthing，andI’msureshe’llbefriendsagainwithallherheart。“