Little Tranquillity

Laurie Finds His Archangel

No words were exchanged, only a certain expressive glance that was perhaps not meant to be public was given from the courageous party. Beth perceived that he could have perhaps, had a cold in his head after the cold walk, or had perhaps hurt his head when he almost nodded off in the carriage and crashed his head onto the glass.

Mrs March was of more wit, and whispered to her daughter, 'What have you, my child, said to the boy? He seems completely out of sorts, and yet he was perfectly normal this morn.'

'I said naught, Marmee. He would not have me say anything, anything about Jo. I could do better to be a comfort, than to be a counsellor.'

Heads were patted, comforting words were said, and Beth quietly retreated to the parlour, resolving to plague the life out of the poor boy if he would not talk of Jo, or anything, anything, somehow with something to do with her.

Not much was done that afternoon, and Beth, much resolved against idleness, went off to visit her sister and have a delightful tête-à-tête with Daisy and Demi.

'Oh, my little creature, come, come,' was Mrs Brooke's warm welcome, and seizing her sister by the wrist, led her into the tiny, cosy parlour, where Daisy was playing with a bit of ribbon, and Demi was scrambling about, begging 'Marmar' for a 'fairly shorry'.

And Meg demurred, drawing her noisy boy on her laps, and when little Daisy scampered into 'Aunty Bess'' arms, she opened her favourite copy of Charles Perrault and began with her sweet little voice, 'Il était un fois un roi et une reine. Chaque jour ils se lamentaient -'

Beth laughed. 'C'est suffit, Marguerite. I fancy you can return to English. Look at your little girl.'

Daisy was perched on her favourite aunt's laps, repeating 'un roi et une reine' to herself.

Meg laughed. 'Is my French bad to our little child? Pray, Beth, have you secretly given her lessons?'

'I suppose little Daisy here is a talented little learner. I've only read her Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, and now she speaks it quite beautifully. Listen, Daisy, " Il était une fois une petite fille de village, la plus jolie qu'on eût su voir ; sa mère en était folle, et sa mère-grand plus folle encore. Cette bonne femme lui fit faire un petit chaperon rouge, qui lui seyait si bien que partout on l'appelait le petit Chaperon rouge."'

Daisy reached for the book. 'See, see, Aunty Bess! C'est Le Chat Botté !'

Demi's 'fairly shorry' was read, and the pair was quickly dismissed off to the nursery. Meg turned to her sister, with a kindly, 'Now, Beth, come. You do not always come over for a story. Has the stupid boy done anything silly?'

'Ah, no. It is nothing. I was idle for a day, and that did not quite suit me, so I ran over for a little bit of relish.'

'Ah, there lies the problem. If that boy has been running about the place you would not have been idle!'

Beth sighed. 'Perhaps you are right, sister. I know not. He acts rather strangely, you see, melancholy for a moment and suddenly passionate, then angry or sentimental. He troubles me so! If Jo is to see what state we are in, I shall be in grave trouble, literally.'

Meg laughed her own hearty laugh, much before a good-natured, 'Pray, Beth, you read that much books, and you aught know, that that is how every man acts when he is in love, and has been greatly disappointed. Come. Let us try to make amends. That boy needs only a few words, and you shall be friends again, and capital too, as Jo says.'

.o.O.o.

Laurie found Beth in the drawing room right after dinner. And yet he was not in the least surprised, for he had heard his grandfather tell her very loudly to come and play. But she was much more than surprised, for she was only halfway through thinking of what to say to him when the door was flung, or, rather, crashed open.