"Yes; he has been like a son to us, and we are very fond of
him," replied Mrs. March, returning the look with a keen one.
"I 'm glad of that, he is so lonely. Good-night, mother,
dear. It is so inexpressibly comfortable to have you here,"
was Meg's quiet answer.

The kiss her mother gave her was a very tender one; and, as
she went away, Mrs. March said, with a mixture of satisfaction
and regret, "She does not love John yet, but will soon learn to."

Jo's face was a study next day, for the secret rather weighed
upon her, and she found it hard not to look mysterious and im-
portant. Meg observed it, but did not trouble herself to make
inquiries, for she had learned that the best way to manage Jo
was by the law of contraries so she felt sure of being told every-
thing if she did not ask. She was rather surprised, therefore,
when the silence remained unbroken, and Jo assumed a patroniz-
ing air, which decidedly aggravated Meg, who in turn assumed
an air of dignified reserve, and devoted herself to her mother.
This left Jo to her own devices; for Mrs. March had taken
her place as nurse, and bade her rest, exercise, and amuse her-
self after her long confinement. Amy being gone, Laurie was
her only refuge; and, much as she enjoyed his society, she
rather dreaded him just then, for he was an incorrigible tease,
and she feared he would coax her secret from her.

She was quite right; for the mischief-loving lad no sooner
suspected a mystery than he set himself to find it out, and led
Jo a trying life of it. He wheedled, bribed, ridiculed, threat-
ened, and scolded; affected indifference, that he might surprise
the truth from her; declared he knew, then that he didn't care;
and at last, by dint of perseverance, he satisfied himself that

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