第七章　艾美的耻辱谷

“那小子真像希腊神话的独眼巨人，你说呢？”一天，艾美说。这时劳里正策马嘚嘚而行，经过时还把马鞭一扬。

“你怎么敢这样说话？他一双眼睛完整无缺，而且漂亮得很哩。”乔叫起来。她容不得人家说她的朋友半点坏话。

“我又没有说他的眼睛，不明白你怎么会发火，人家只是羡慕他的骑术而已。”

“噢，老天爷！这戆头鹅原来是指半人马神啊，却把他叫成了独眼巨人。”乔发出一阵大笑。

“不用如此无礼，这只是戴维斯老师所说的‘口吴（误）’而已，”艾美反驳道，用其拉丁语水平把乔镇住，“我只是希望，能拥有一丁点儿劳里花在那马上的钱。”她仿佛自言自语，但却希望姐姐们听到。

“干什么？”美格好意问道。而乔却因艾美第二次用错词而再次大笑起来。

“我负了一身债，急需用钱，但还要等一个月才能领零用钱。”

“负债，艾美？怎么回事？”美格神情严肃起来。

“哦，我至少欠下一打腌酸橙。我得有钱才能还呀。妈妈不许我在商店赊账的。”

“把事情详细说说。现在时兴酸橙啦？以前可是拿刺橡胶块来做胶球的。”美格尽量不动声色，而艾美则神情严峻，不肯放松。

“哦，是这样的。姑娘们成天都买酸橙，你也得跟着买不是？否则别人觉得你小气。现在只有酸橙时兴，上课时人人都埋在书桌下咂酸橙，下课时用酸橙交换铅笔、念珠戒指、纸娃娃什么的。如果女同学相互要好，就送上一个酸橙。如果讨厌她，便当着她的面吃一个，不叫她来咂一口。她们轮流做东，我已经吃了人家不少，一直没有还礼，我应该还请，那可是信用债啊。”

“还差多少钱才能恢复信用？”美格一面问，一面拿出钱包。

“一个二角五分硬币已经绰绰有余，还剩下几分钱请你。你不喜欢酸橙吗？”

“不怎么喜欢，我那份你吃掉了吧。这是钱，尽量省着用吧。钱不多啊。”

“谢谢！有零花钱真好！我要大吃一顿了，本礼拜就没有尝过酸橙呢。人家给我吃，怪不好意思的，无法还人情嘛。真想吃一个啊。”

第二天，艾美上学迟到，可最终还是忍不住把潮湿的棕色纸包炫耀了一番，神情虽然颇为自得，不过这倒也情有可原。然后，她才把纸包放到课桌最里面的角落。没过几分钟，艾美·马奇有二十四个美味酸橙（她在路上吃了一个）可以请客的消息，就在“圈子”中流传开来。朋友们献的殷勤让人受不了。凯蒂·布朗当场邀请她参加下一次舞会；玛丽·金斯利硬把手表借她戴到下课；珍妮·斯诺是一个尖酸刻薄的小姐，在艾美没有酸橙送的时候曾经卑鄙地挖苦过她，可她现在立刻与艾美握手言和，并主动提供一些难题的答案。但是，艾美没有忘记斯诺小姐尖刻的话：“别看某些人鼻子扁塌，可她能闻到人家的酸橙。某些人虽然傲气，可她会伸手跟人家要酸橙的。”于是，艾美辛辣回敬，索性把“冰雪女[1]”的希望打得粉碎：“不用马上这么客气起来，你别想吃到。”

那天上午，刚好有位名士来校参观，艾美地图画得漂亮，受到了表扬。斯诺小姐对冤家的这种荣誉耿耿于怀，马奇小姐却为此摆出一副扬扬得意的架子。不过，哎，可悲啊，骄兵必败，一心想报仇的斯诺扭转局面，令冤家一败涂地。来客照例讲了一番陈词滥调，他刚鞠躬退出，斯诺马上就假装问重要问题，却向老师戴维斯先生告密，艾美·马奇课桌里藏着腌酸橙。

原来，老师早就宣布酸橙为违禁品，并郑重声明要把查到的第一个违禁者当众绳之以法。这位相当顽强的先生经过了一场场旷日持久的激烈斗争，成功地禁绝了口香糖，没收烧毁了小说和报纸，取缔了一所地下邮局，并禁止做鬼脸、起绰号、画漫画等，为了把五十个反叛的姑娘训导得服服帖帖，他能做的都做了。老天作证，男孩们已经够让人受的了，可谁知姑娘们更难对付。在那些神经紧张、脾气暴躁又缺乏教学天赋的人看来，情况更是如此。戴维斯先生精通希腊语、拉丁文、代数，各门学问都很好，所以被命名为好老师，毕竟没人特别看重举止、德行、情操、表率。斯诺心里明白，这个时候告发艾美，她只有倒霉的份儿了。那天早上，戴维斯先生显然把咖啡调得太浓，又由于刮东风而神经痛，而他的学生又没有理所当然地给他争光。因此，用一个女生不太优雅但很形象的话说：“他紧张得像个巫婆，脾气大得像头熊。”“酸橙”简直就是引爆火药的火苗，他黄脸气得通红，用力一拍桌子，吓得斯诺一溜烟逃回座位。

“小姐们，请注意！”

听到一声断喝，唧喳声戛然而止。五十双蓝色的、黑色的、灰色的、褐色的眼睛乖乖地盯着老师那张可怕的脸。

“马奇小姐，到讲台前来。”

艾美应着站起来，虽然表面镇静，内心却暗暗地害怕，酸橙压得她心头喘不过气来。

“把你桌子里的酸橙带过来。”她还没来得及离座，又听到一声意外的命令。

“不要都拿光。”同桌同学倒还算冷静，低声对艾美说。

艾美匆匆抖出六个，然后将其余的拿到老师面前，心想任何有人情味的人闻到那股香喷喷的气味，都会为之心动。不幸的是，戴维斯先生特别厌恶这种时尚蜜饯的气味，便更加怒火中烧。

“都在了？”

“还有几个。”艾美结结巴巴地说。

“马上把剩下的交出来。”

艾美绝望地朝朋友们望了一眼，只得遵命。

“肯定没有了？”

“我从不撒谎，老师。”

“那好，现在把这些恶心的东西两个两个地扔到窗外。”

异口同声的叹息声，如一阵黑风。眼看最后一线希望破灭，渴望已久的美味，现在到了嘴边，却被夺走了。艾美又羞又恼，脸涨得通红，可怕哟，来回走了足足六趟。每当一对倒霉的酸橙——噢！瞧，它们是那么饱满多汁——从她手中极不情愿地被扔下去，街上就响起一声欢呼。这表明姑娘们的零食落到了她们的死敌，就是那些爱尔兰小鬼的嘴里，他们还为此欢呼雀跃，可这却使姑娘们痛苦不已。这——这确实太过分了，一个个都把目光投向冷酷无情的戴维斯，有的愤怒，有的恳求，一位酷爱酸橙的女孩眼泪都流了出来。

艾美扔完最后两个酸橙回来，老师令人毛骨悚然地“哼”了一声，然后故作威严地训斥道：“小姐们，你们应该记得我一周前说的话。发生这种事情，我深感遗憾。绝不纵容违纪者，我从不食言的。马奇小姐，把手伸出来。”

艾美吓了一跳，双手藏到背后，哑口无言，只是哀求地望着他，其实这种表情比任何语言都能打动人。她可是“老戴维斯”（当然，大家都是这么叫他的）的一位颇为得意的门生。不知哪位姑娘按捺不住“嘘”的一声以示义愤，否则，我个人相信，他会食言的。那嘘声尽管很轻，却激怒了这位生性暴躁的绅士，也决定了这位犯规者的命运。

“手伸出来，马奇小姐！”这是对她无声哀求的唯一回答。艾美生性高傲，既不哭也不开口哀求，她咬紧牙关，把头往后一甩以示自己的抗议，毫不畏缩地任由小手掌挨了几下打。尽管只是轻轻地拍了几下，但这对艾美来说与痛打没什么区别。这是她有生以来第一次挨打，在她看来，这与把她打倒在地没什么不同，是奇耻大辱。

“现在，你就站在讲台前，一直到下课。”戴维斯先生说，他决定一不做，二不休。

太可怕了。回座看着小朋友们怜悯的目光和少数敌人幸灾乐祸的神色，这已经够受的了，而要蒙着新羞面对全班师生，简直是可忍，孰不可忍。一刹那，她觉得自己就要当场栽倒在地，然后放声痛哭一场。但那种痛苦的委屈感，和对珍妮·斯诺的顾忌使她挺住了。踏上那个可耻的地方，下面就像是一片人海。她两眼直勾勾地盯着上方的壁炉烟囱管，一动不动地站在那里，脸色煞白。看到这样一位悲情人物站在面前，姑娘们都无心上课了。

在接下来的一刻钟里，好强而敏感的小姑娘忍受着耻辱和痛苦的煎熬，对此她将永远刻骨铭心。在别人看来，这可能只是小事一桩，或许可以一笑了之，但对她来说，这是一次痛苦的经历。在她十二年的生活中，她完全被爱所笼罩，以前从未遇到过这样的打击。此时，她忘记了小手的刺痛和心灵的创伤，心头只萦绕着一个念头：“回家要讲这件事啦，她们听了会对我多么失望！”

一刻钟简直就是一个小时，终于等到了下课。“下课”这个词对她来说，从来都没有这么亲切过。

“可以走了，马奇小姐。”老师说。看得出来，他心里也不好受。

临走时，艾美充满怨恨地瞪了他一眼，令他印象深刻。她一句话都没说，径直走到休息室，抓起自己的东西就走。她激昂地对自己说，要“永远”离开这个鬼地方。她到家时神色黯然。不久，姐姐们都回家了，马上召开一次声讨大会。马奇太太显得神色不安，但没多说话，只是用无限的温情安慰这个受伤的女儿。美格边掉眼泪，边用甘油涂那受伤的手；贝丝感到，对于这样的心灵创伤，她可爱的小猫咪也无济于事；乔愤怒地提出，立刻逮捕戴维斯先生；汉娜对那“坏蛋”挥舞着拳头，用力地捣着土豆做饭，仿佛坏蛋就在她的捣杵下面。

除了几个伙伴，没人注意到艾美逃学。不过，眼尖的姑娘发现，戴维斯先生下午上课态度和蔼，而且显得分外紧张。就在放学前不久，乔来了。只见她板着脸，阔步走到讲台前，扔下母亲的一封信，收拾起艾美的东西就走。临走时，在擦鞋垫上仔细地刮去靴底的泥，仿佛要把此地的尘土从脚上彻底抖落。

“好吧，可以不去上学，放个假，可我希望你每天能和贝丝一起学点东西。”那天晚上，马奇太太说，“我不赞成体罚，特别是对女孩子。我并不欣赏戴维斯先生的教学方法，不过你结交的也不是使你受益的好姑娘。我打算问一下你爸的意见，然后把你转学。”

“太好了！希望所有女同学都走掉，搞垮他那个破学校。一想起那些诱人的酸橙，简直会让人发疯。”艾美叹息道，一副殉道者的架势。

“丢了酸橙，我并不难过，毕竟违反校规，应该受罚。”母亲严厉地回答。这位小姐本来一心想得到安慰，没想到母亲竟然这么说，她感到十分失望。

“你是说，我在全校师生面前丢脸，你很高兴？”艾美嚷嚷道。

“用那种方法来修正过错，我觉得并不可取。”妈妈回答说，“可我不敢说，换种温和点的方法就会对你有好处。你现在变得越来越自负，乖乖，该改一改了。你有许多天赋和优点，可没必要为此夸耀。要知道，若是自负，再出色的天才也会一事无成。真正的才能和美德不怕长期埋没，哪怕真的没人发现，只要自己知道拥有它，并能恰到好处地加以利用，就一定会感到满足。一切才华的巨大魅力，就在于谦虚。”

“千真万确！”在一旁跟乔下象棋的劳里大声道，“我曾认识一个女孩，她音乐天赋极高，却并不自知，她从不知道自己私下作的小曲有多美，即使别人告诉她，她自己也不会相信。”

“要是我能认识那位好女孩就好了，她或许可以帮助我，我这么笨。”贝丝说。她站在劳里身边认真倾听。

“你确实认识她，她比任何人都更能帮你。”劳里答道，快乐的黑眼睛调皮地望着她，贝丝霎时羞红了脸，把脸埋在沙发垫里，被这出乎意料的发现弄得不知所措。

乔让劳里赢了棋，以奖励他称赞了她的贝丝。贝丝经这么一夸，怎么也不肯出来弹琴献艺了。于是劳里一展身手，他边弹边唱，心情显得特别轻松愉快，因为他在马奇一家人面前极少流露自己的忧郁性格。他走后，整个晚上一直闷闷不乐的艾美似乎灵机一动，突然问道：“劳里是否称得上多才多艺？”

“没错，他接受过优等教育，又富有天赋；如果不被宠坏，是个人才。”她母亲回答。

“而且他不自大，对吗？”艾美问。

“一点也不。所以他才这么富有魅力，我们全都这么喜欢他。”

“我懂了，多才多艺、优雅高贵当然好，但不能向人炫耀，也不能瞧不起人。”艾美若有所思地说。

“如果使用得当，这些品质总可以从一个人的言谈举止中看得见、摸得着。根本没必要去炫耀嘛。”马奇太太说。

“就像你一下子戴上帽子，穿上衣服，再饰上丝带，就怕别人不知道你衣饰多。这确实不行的。”乔补充说，训话告一段落，随之响起一阵笑声。

* * *

[1]斯诺，原文Snow，雪之意。

CHAPTER 7 AMY'S VALLEY OF HUMILIATION

“THAT BOY is a perfect Cyclops, isn't he? ” said Amy one day, as Laurie clattered by on horseback, with a flourish of his whip as he passed.

“How dare you say so, when he's got both his eyes? And very handsome ones they are, too, ” cried Jo, who resented any slighting remarks about her friend.

“I didn't say anything about his eyes, and I don't see why you need fire up when I admire his riding.”

“Oh, my goodness! That little goose means a centaur, and she called him a Cyclops, ” exclaimed Jo, with a burst of laughter.

“You needn't be so rude, it's only a ‘lapse of lingy', as Mr. Davis says, ” retorted Amy, finishing Jo with her Latin. “I just wish I had a little of the money Laurie spends on that horse, ” she added, as if to herself, yet hoping her sisters would hear.

“Why? ” asked Meg kindly, for Jo had gone off in another laugh at Amy's second blunder.

“I need it so much. I'm dreadfully in debt, and it won't be my turn to have the rag money for a month.”

“In debt, Amy? What do you mean? ” And Meg looked sober.

“Why, I owe at least a dozen pickled limes, and I can't pay them, you know, till I have money, for Marmee forbade my having anything charged at the shop.”

“Tell me all about it. Are limes the fashion now? It used to be pricking bits of rubber to make balls.” And Meg tried to keep her countenance, Amy looked so grave and important.

“Why, you see, the girls are always buying them, and unless you want to be thought mean, you must do it too. It's nothing but limes now, for everyone is sucking them in their desks in schooltime, and trading them off for pencils, bead rings, paper dolls, or something else, at recess. If one girl likes another, she gives her a lime. If she's mad with her, she eats one before her face, and doesn't offer even a suck. They treat by turns, and I've had ever so many but haven't returned them, and I ought for they are debts of honor, you know.”

“How much will pay them off and restore your credit? ” asked Meg, taking out her purse.

“A quarter would more than do it, and leave a few cents over for a treat for you. Don't you like limes? ”

“Not much. You may have my share. Here's the money. Make it last as long as you can, for it isn't very plenty, you know.”

“Oh, thank you! It must be so nice to have pocket money! I'll have a grand feast, for I haven't tasted a lime this week. I felt delicate about taking any, as I couldn't return them, and I'm actually suffering for one.”

Next day Amy was rather late at school; but could not resist the temptation of displaying, with pardonable pride, a moist brown-paper parcel, before she consigned it to the inmost recesses of her desk. During the next few minutes the rumor that Amy March had got twenty-four delicious limes (she ate one on the way) and was going to treat circulated through her “set”, and the attentions of her friends became quite overwhelming. Katy Brown invited her to her next party on the spot. Mary Kinglsey insisted on lending her her watch till recess; and Jenny Snow, a satirical young lady, who had basely twitted Amy upon her limeless state, promptly buried the hatchet and offered to furnish answers to certain appalling sums. But Amy had not forgotten Miss Snow's cutting remarks about “some persons whose noses were not too flat to smell other people's limes, and stuck-up people who were not too proud to ask for them” and she instantly crushed “that Snow girl's” hopes by the withering telegram,“You needn't be so polite all of a sudden, for you won't get any.”

A distinguished personage happened to visit the school that morning, and Amy's beautifully drawn maps received praise, which honor to her foe rankled in the soul of Miss Snow, and caused Miss March to assume the airs of a studious young peacock. But, alas, alas! Pride goes before a fall, and the revengeful Snow turned the tables with disastrous success. No sooner had the guest paid the usual stale compliments and bowed himself out, than Jenny, under pretense of asking an important question, informed Mr. Davis, the teacher, that Amy March had pickled limes in her desk.

Now Mr. Davis had declared limes a contraband article, and solemnly vowed to publicly ferrule the first person who was found breaking the law. This much-enduring man had succeeded in banishing chewing gum after a long and stormy war, had made a bonfire of the confiscated novels and newspapers, had suppressed a private post office, had forbidden distortions of the face, nicknames, and caricatures, and done all that one man could do to keep half a hundred rebellious girls in order. Boys are trying enough to human patience, goodness knows, but girls are infinitely more so, especially to nervous gentlemen with tyrannical tempers and no more talent for teaching than Dr. Blimber. Mr. Davis knew any quantity of Greek, Latin, algebra, and ologies of all sorts so he was called a fine teacher, and manners, morals, feelings, and examples were not considered of any particular importance. It was a most unfortunate moment for denouncing Amy, and Jenny knew it. Mr. Davis had evidently taken his coffee too strong that morning, there was an east wind, which always affected his neuralgia, and his pupils had not done him the credit which he felt he deserved. Therefore, to use the expressive, if not elegant, language of a schoolgirl, “He was as nervous as a witch and as cross as a bear.” The word“limes” was like fire to powder, his yellow face flushed, and he rapped on his desk with an energy which made Jenny skip to her seat with unusual rapidity.

“Young ladies, attention, if you please! ”

At the stern order the buzz ceased, and fifty pairs of blue, black, gray, and brown eyes were obediently fixed upon his awful countenance.

“Miss March, come to the desk.”

Amy rose to comply with outward composure, but a secret fear oppressed her, for the limes weighed upon her conscience.

“Bring with you the limes you have in your desk” was the unexpected command which arrested her before she got out of her seat.

“Don't take all, ” whispered her neighbor, a young lady of great presence of mind.

Amy hastily shook out half a dozen and laid the rest down before Mr. Davis, feeling that any man possessing a human heart would relent when that delicious perfume met his nose. Unfortunately, Mr. Davis particularly detested the odor of the fashionable pickle, and disgust added to his wrath.

“Is that all? ”

“Not quite, ” stammered Amy.

“Bring the rest immediately.”

With a despairing glance at her set, she obeyed.

“You are sure there are no more? ”

“I never lie, sir.”

“So I see. Now take these disgusting things two by two, and throw them out of the window.”

There was a simultaneous sigh, which created quite a little gust, as the last hope fled, and the treat was ravished from their longing lips. Scarlet with shame and anger, Amy went to and fro six dreadful times, and as each doomed couple, looking oh, so plump and juicy, fell from her reluctant hands, a shout from the street completed the anguish of the girls, for it told them that their feast was being exulted over by the little Irish children, who were their sworn foes. This—this was too much; all flashed indignant or appealing glances at the inexorable Davis, and one passionate lime-lover burst into tears.

As Amy returned from her last trip, Mr. Davis gave a portentous“Hem! ” and said, in his most impressive manner—

“Young ladies, you remember what I said to you a week ago. I am sorry this has happened, but I never allow my rules to be infringed, and I never break my word.Miss March,hold out your hand.”

Amy started, and put both hands behind her, turning on him an imploring look which pleaded for her better than the words she could not utter. She was rather a favorite with “old Davis”, as, of course, he was called,and it's my private belief that he would have broken his word if the indignation of one irrepressible young lady had not found vent in a hiss. That hiss, faint as it was, irritated the irascible gentleman, and sealed the culprit's fate.

“Your hand, Miss March! ” was the only answer her mute appeal received, and too proud to cry or beseech, Amy set her teeth, threw back her head defiantly, and bore without flinching several tingling blows on her little palm. They were neither many nor heavy, but that made no difference to her. For the first time in her life she had been struck, and the disgrace, in her eyes, was as deep as if he had knocked her down.

“You will now stand on the platform till recess, ” said Mr. Davis, resolved to do the thing thoroughly, since he had begun.

That was dreadful. It would have been bad enough to go to her seat, and see the pitying faces of her friends, or the satisfied ones of her few enemies; but to face the whole school, with that shame fresh upon her, seemed impossible, and for a second she felt as if she could only drop down where she stood, and break her heart with crying. A bitter sense of wrong and the thought of Jenny Snow helped her to bear it, and, taking the ignominious place, she fixed her eyes on the stove funnel above what now seemed a sea of faces, and stood there, so motionless and white that the girls found it hard to study with that pathetic figure before them.

During the fifteen minutes that followed, the proud and sensitive little girl suffered a shame and pain which she never forgot. To others it might seem a ludicrous or trivial affair, but to her it was a hard experience, for during the twelve years of her life she had been governed by love alone, and a blow of that sort had never touched her before. The smart of her hand and the ache of her heart were forgotten in the sting of the thought, “I shall have to tell at home, and they will be so disappointed in me! ”

The fifteen minutes seemed an hour, but they came to an end at last, and the word “Recess! ” had never seemed so welcome to her before.

“You can go, Miss March, ” said Mr. Davis, looking, as he felt, uncomfortable.

He did not soon forget the reproachful glance Amy gave him, as she went, without a word to anyone, straight into the anteroom, snatched her things, and left the place “forever, ” as she passionately declared to herself. She was in a sad state when she got home, and when the older girls arrived, some time later, an indignation meeting was held at once. Mrs. March did not say much but looked disturbed, and comforted her afflicted little daughter in her tenderest manner. Meg bathed the insulted hand with glycerine and tears, Beth felt that even her beloved kittens would fail as a balm for griefs like this, Jo wrathfully proposed that Mr. Davis be arrested without delay, and Hannah shook her fist at the “villain” and pounded potatoes for dinner as if she had him under her pestle.

No notice was taken of Amy's flight, except by her mates; but the sharp-eyed demoiselles discovered that Mr. Davis was quite benignant in the afternoon, also unusually nervous. Just before school closed, Jo appeared, wearing a grim expression as she stalked up to the desk, and delivered a letter from her mother, then collected Amy's property, and departed, carefully scraping the mud from her boots on the door mat, as if she shook the dust of the place off her feet.

“Yes, you can have a vacation from school, but I want you to study a little every day with Beth, ” said Mrs. March that evening. “I don't approve of corporal punishment, especially for girls. I dislike Mr. Davis's manner of teaching and don't think the girls you associate with are doing you any good, so I shall ask your father's advice before I send you anywhere else.”

“That's good! I wish all the girls would leave, and spoil his old school. It's perfectly maddening to think of those lovely limes, ” sighed Amy, with the air of a martyr.

“I am not sorry you lost them, for you broke the rules, and deserved some punishment for disobedience, ” was the severe reply, which rather disappointed the young lady, who expected nothing but sympathy.

“Do you mean you are glad I was disgraced before the whole school? ”cried Amy.

“I should not have chosen that way of mending a fault, ” replied her mother, “but I'm not sure that it won't do you more good than a bolder method. You are getting to be rather conceited, my dear, and it is quite time you set about correcting it. You have a good many little gifts and virtues, but there is no need of parading them, for conceit spoils the finest genius. There is not much danger that real talent or goodness will be overlooked long, even if it is, the consciousness of possessing and using it well should satisfy one, and the great charm of all power is modesty.”

“So it is! ” cried Laurie, who was playing chess in a corner with Jo.“I knew a girl once, who had a really remarkable talent for music, and she didn't know it, never guessed what sweet little things she composed when she was alone, and wouldn't have believed it if anyone had told her.”

“I wish I'd known that nice girl. Maybe she would have helped me, I'm so stupid, ” said Beth, who stood beside him, listening eagerly.

“You do know her, and she helps you better than anyone else could, ”answered Laurie, looking at her with such mischievous meaning in his merry black eyes that Beth suddenly turned very red, and hid her face in the sofa cushion, quite overcome by such an unexpected discovery.

Jo let Laurie win the game to pay for that praise of her Beth, who could not be prevailed upon to play for them after her compliment. So Laurie did his best, and sang delightfully, being in a particularly lively humor, for to the Marches he seldom showed the moody side of his character. When he was gone, Amy, who had been pensive all evening, said suddenly, as if busy over some new idea, “Is Laurie an accomplished boy? ”

“Yes, he has had an excellent education, and has much talent; he will make a fine man, if not spoiled by petting, ” replied her mother.

“And he isn't conceited, is he? ” asked Amy.

“Not in the least. That is why he is so charming and we all like him so much.”

“I see. It's nice to have accomplishments and be elegant, but not to show off or get perked up, ” said Amy thoughtfully.

“These things are always seen and felt in a person's manner and conversations, if modestly used, but it is not necessary to display them, ”said Mrs. March.

“Any more than it's proper to wear all your bonnets and gowns and ribbons at once, that folks may know you've got them, ” added Jo, and the lecture ended in a laugh.