"I never saw such a girl! You don't know a compliment
when you get it," said Meg, with the air of a young lady who
knew all about the matter.

"I think they are great nonsense, and I'll thank you not to
be silly, and spoil my fun. Laurie's a nice boy, and I like him,
and I won't have any sentimental stuff about compliments and
such rubbish. We'll all be good to him, because he hasn't got
any mother, and he may come over and see us, mayn't he
Marmee?"

"Yes, Jo, your little friend is very welcome, and I hope Meg
will remember that children should be children as long as they
can."

"I don't call myself a child, and I'm not in my teens yet,"
observed Amy. "What do you say, Beth?"

"I was thinking about our 'Pilgrim's Progress,'" answered
Beth, who had not heard a word. "How we got out of the
Slough and through the Wicket Gate by resolving to be good,
and up the steep hill by trying; and that may be the house over
there, full of splendid things, is going to be our Palace
Beautiful."

"We have got to get by the lions, first," said Jo, as if she
rather liked the prospect.

THE big house did prove a Palace Beautiful, though it took
some time for all to get in, and Beth found it very hard to pass
the lions. Old Mr. Laurence was the biggest one; but after
he had called, said something funny or kind to each one of the
girls, and talked over old times with their mother, nobody felt
much afraid of him, except timid Beth. The other lion was the
fact that they were poor and Laurie rich; for this made them
shy of accepting favors which they could not return. But, after

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