PoorMeghadarestlessnight，andgotupheavy-eyed，unhappy，halfresentfultowardherfriends，andhalfashamedofherselffornotspeakingoutfranklyandsettingeverythingright。Everybodydawdledthatmorning，anditwasnoonbeforethegirlsfoundenergyenougheventotakeuptheirworstedwork。SomethinginthemannerofherfriendsstruckMegatonce。Theytreatedherwithmorerespect，shethought，tookquiteatenderinterestinwhatshesaid，andlookedatherwitheyesthatplainlybetrayedcuriosity。Allthissurprisedandflatteredher，thoughshedidnotunderstandittillMissBellelookedupfromherwriting，andsaid，withasentimentalair……
“Daisy，dear，I’vesentaninvitationtoyourfriend，Mr。
Laurence，forThursday。Weshouldliketoknowhim，andit’sonlyapropercomplimenttoyou。“
Megcolored，butamischievousfancytoteasethegirlsmadeherreplydemurely，“Youareverykind，butI’mafraidhewon’tcome。“
“Whynot，Cherie？“askedMissBelle。
“He’stooold。“
“Mychild，whatdoyoumean？Whatishisage，Ibegtoknow!“criedMissClara。
“Nearlyseventy，Ibelieve，“answeredMeg，countingstitchestohidethemerrimentinhereyes。
“Youslycreature!Ofcoursewemeanttheyoungman，“
exclaimedMissBelle，laughing。
“Thereisn’tany，Laurieisonlyalittleboy。“AndMeglaughedalsoatthequeerlookwhichthesistersexchangedasshethusdescribedhersupposedlover。
“Aboutyouage，“Nansaid。
“NearermysisterJo’s，IamseventeeninAugust，“returnedMeg，tossingherhead。
“It’sveryniceofhimtosendyouflowers，isn’tit？“saidAnnie，lookingwiseaboutnothing。
“Yes，heoftendoes，toallofus，fortheirhouseisfull，andwearesofondofthem。MymotherandoldMr。Laurencearefriends，youknow，soitisquitenaturalthatwechildrenshouldplaytogether。“
AndMeghopedtheywouldsaynomore。
“It’sevidentDaisyisn’toutyet，“saidMissClaratoBellewithanod。
“Quiteapastoralstateofinnocenceallround，“returnedMissBellewithashrug。
“I’mgoingouttogetsomelittlemattersformygirls。CanIdoanythingforyou，youngladies？“askedMrs。Moffat，lumberinginlikeanelephantinsilkandlace。
“No，thankyou，ma’am，“repliedSallie。“I’vegotmynewpinksilkforThursdayanddon’twantathing。“
“NorI……“beganMeg，butstoppedbecauseitoccurredtoherthatshedidwantseveralthingsandcouldnothavethem。
“Whatshallyouwear？“askedSallie。
“Myoldwhiteoneagain，ifIcanmenditfittobeseen，itgotsadlytornlastnight，“saidMeg，tryingtospeakquiteeasily，butfeelingveryuncomfortable。
“Whydon’tyousendhomeforanother？“saidSallie，whowasnotanobservingyounglady。
“Ihaven’tgotanyother。“ItcostMeganefforttosaythat，butSalliedidnotseeitandexclaimedinamiablesurprise，“Onlythat？“Howfunny……“Shedidnotfinishherspeech，forBelleshookherheadatherandbrokein，sayingkindly……
“Notatall。Whereistheuseofhavingalotofdresseswhensheisn’toutyet？There’snoneedofsendinghome，Daisy，evenifyouhadadozen，forI’vegotasweetbluesilklaidaway，whichI’veoutgrown，andyoushallwearittopleaseme，won’tyou，dear？“
“Youareverykind，butIdon’tmindmyolddressifyoudon’t，itdoeswellenoughforalittlegirllikeme，“saidMeg。
“Nowdoletmepleasemyselfbydressingyouupinstyle。
Iadmiretodoit，andyou’dbearegularlittlebeautywithatouchhereandthere。Ishan’tletanyoneseeyoutillyouaredone，andthenwe’llburstuponthemlikeCinderellaandhergodmothergoingtotheball，“saidBelleinherpersuasivetone。
Megcouldn’trefusetheoffersokindlymade，foradesiretoseeifshewouldbe`alittlebeauty’aftertouchingupcausedhertoacceptandforgetallherformeruncomfortablefeelingstowardtheMoffats。
OntheThursdayevening，Belleshutherselfupwithhermaid，andbetweenthemtheyturnedMegintoafinelady。Theycrimpedandcurledherhair，theypolishedherneckandarmswithsomefragrantpowder，touchedherlipswithcorallinesalvetomakethemredder，andHortensewouldhaveadded`asoupconofrouge’，ifMeghadnotrebelled。Theylacedherintoasky-bluedress，whichwassotightshecouldhardlybreatheandsolowintheneckthatmodestMegblushedatherselfinthemirror。Asetofsilverfilagreewasadded，bracelets，necklace，brooch，andevenearrings，forHortensetiedthemonwithabitofpinksilkwhichdidnotshow。Aclusteroftea-rosebudsatthebosomandaruche，reconciledMegtothedisplayofherpretty，whiteshoulders，andapairofhigh-heeledsilkbootssatisfiedthelastwishofherheart。Alacehandkerchief，aplumyfan，andabouquetinashoulderholderfinishedheroff，andMissBellesurveyedherwiththesatisfactionofalittlegirlwithanewlydresseddoll。
“Mademoiselleischatmante，tresjolie，isshenot？“criedHortense，claspingherhandsinanaffectedrapture。
“Comeandshowyourself，“saidMissBelle，leadingthewaytotheroomwheretheotherswerewaiting。
AsMegwentrustlingafter，withherlongskirtstrailing，herearringstinkling，hercurlswaving，andherheartbeating，shefeltasifherfunhadreallybegunatlast，forthemirrorhadplainlytoldherthatshewas`alittlebeauty’。Herfriendsrepeatedthepleasingphraseenthusiastically，andforseveralminutesshestood，likeajackdawinthefable，enjoyingherborrowedplumes，whiletherestchatteredlikeapartyofmagpies。
“WhileIdress，doyoudrillher，Nan，inthemanagementofherskirtandthoseFrenchheels，orshewilltripherselfup。Takeyoursilverbutterfly，andcatchupthatlongcurlontheleftsideofherhead，Clara，anddon’tanyofyoudisturbthecharmingworkofmyhands，“saidBelle，asshehurriedaway，lookingwellpleasedwithhersuccess。
“Youdon’tlookabitlikeyourself，butyouareverynice。
I’mnowherebesideyou，forBellehasheapsoftaste，andyou’requiteFrench，Iassureyou。Letyourflowershang，don’tbesocarefulofthem，andbesureyoudon’ttrip，“returnedSallie，tryingnottocarethatMegwasprettierthanherself。
Keepingthatwarningcarefullyinmind，MargaretgotsafelydownstairsandsailedintothedrawingroomswheretheMoffatsandafewearlyguestswereassembled。Sheverysoondiscoveredthatthereisacharmaboutfineclotheswhichattractsacertainclassofpeopleandsecurestheirrespect。Severalyoungladies，whohadtakennonoticeofherbefore，wereveryaffectionateallofasudden。Severalyounggentlemen，whohadonlystaredatherattheotherparty，nownotonlystared，butaskedtobeintroduced，andsaidallmanneroffoolishbutagreeablethingstoher，andseveraloldladies，whosatonthesofas，andcriticizedtherestoftheparty，inquiredwhoshewaswithanairofinterest。SheheardMrs。Moffatreplytooneofthem……
“DaisyMarch——fatheracolonelinthearmy——oneofourfirstfamilies，butreversesoffortune，youknow；intimatefriendsoftheLaurences；sweetcreature，Iassureyou；myNedisquitewildabouther。“
“Dearme!“saidtheoldlady，puttingupherglassforanotherobservationofMeg，whotriedtolookasifshehadnotheardandbeenrathershockedatMrs。Moffat’sfibs。
The`queerfeeling’didnotpassaway，butsheimaginedherselfactingthenewpartoffineladyandsogotonprettywell，thoughthetightdressgaveheraside-ache，thetrainkeptgettingunderherfeet，andshewasinconstantfearlestherearringsshouldflyoffandgetlostorbroken。Shewasflirtingherfanandlaughingatthefeeblejokesofayounggentlemanwhotriedtobewitty，whenshesuddenlystoppedlaughingandlookedconfused，forjustopposite，shesawLaurie。Hewasstaringatherwithundisguisedsurprise，anddisapprovalalso，shethought，forthoughhebowedandsmiled，yetsomethinginhishonesteyesmadeherblushandwishshehadherolddresson。
Tocompleteherconfusion，shesawBellenudgeAnnie，andbothglancefromhertoLaurie，who，shewashappytosee，lookedunusuallyboyishandshy。
“Sillycreatures，toputsuchthoughtsintomyhead。Iwon’tcareforit，orletitchangemeabit，“thoughtMeg，andrustledacrosstheroomtoshakehandswithherfriend。
“I’mgladyoucame，Iwasafraidyouwouldn’t。“shesaid，withhermostgrown-upair。
“Jowantedmetocome，andtellherhowyoulooked，soI
did，“answeredLaurie，withoutturninghiseyesuponher，thoughhehalfsmiledathermaternaltone。
“Whatshallyoutellher？“askedMeg，fullofcuriositytoknowhisopinionofher，yetfeelingillateasewithhimforthefirsttime。
“IshallsayIdidn’tknowyou，foryoulooksogrown-upandunlikeyourself，I’mquiteafraidofyou，“hesaid，fumblingathisglovebutton。
“Howabsurdofyou!Thegirlsdressedmeupforfun，andI
ratherlikeit。Wouldn’tJostareifshesawme？“saidMeg，bentonmakinghimsaywhetherhethoughtherimprovedornot。
“Yes，Ithinkshewould，“returnedLauriegravely。
“Don’tyoulikemeso？’askedMeg。
“No，Idon’t，“wasthebluntreply。
“Whynot？“inananxioustone。
Heglancedatherfrizzledhead，bareshoulders，andfantasticallytrimmeddresswithanexpressionthatabashedhermorethanhisanswer，whichhadnotparticleofhisusualpolitenessinit。
“Idon’tlikefussandfeathers。“
Thatwasaltogethertoomuchfromaladyoungerthanherself，andMegwalkedaway，sayingpetulantly，“YouaretherudestboyI
eversaw。“
Feelingverymuchruffled，shewentandstoodataquietwindowtocoolhercheeks，forthetightdressgaveheranuncomfortablybrilliantcolor。Asshestoodthere，MajorLincolnpassedby，andaminuteaftersheheardhimsayingtohismother……
“Theyaremakingafoolofthatlittlegirl。Iwantedyoutoseeher，buttheyhavespoiledherentirely。She’snothingbutadolltonight。“
“Oh，dear!“sighedMeg。“IwishI’dbeensensibleandwornmyownthings，thenIshouldnothavedisgustedotherpeople，orfeltsouncomfortableandashamedofmyself。“