“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!“