“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!“