‘Thank you, ma’am,’ said a gruff voice behind her; and there, to her great dismay, stood old Mr Laurence.

Poor Jo blushed till she couldn’t blush any redder, and her heart began to beat uncomfortably fast as she thought what she had said. For a minute a wild desire to run away possessed her; but that was cowardly, and the girls would laugh at her; so she resolved to stay, and get out of the scrape if she could. A second look showed her that the living eyes, under the bushy grey eyebrows, were kinder even than the painted ones; and there was a sly twinkle in them which lessened her fear a good deal. The gruff voice was gruffer than ever, as the old gentleman said abruptly, after that dreadful pause, ‘So you’re not afraid of me, hey?’

‘Not much, sir.’

‘And you don’t think me as handsome as your grandfather?’

‘Not quite, sir.’

‘And I’ve got a tremendous will, have I?’

‘I only said I thought so.’

‘But you like me, in spite of it?’

‘Yes, I do, sir.’

That answer pleased the old gentleman; he gave a short laugh, shook hands with her, and, putting his fingers under her chin, turned up her face, examined it gravely, and let it go, saying, with a nod, ‘You’ve got your grandfather’s spirit, if you haven’t his face. He was a fine man, my dear; but, what is better, he was a brave and honest one, and I was proud to be his friend.’

‘Thank you, sir’; and Jo was quite comfortable after that, for it suited her exactly.

‘What have you been doing to this boy of mine, hey?’ was the next question, sharply put.

‘Only trying to be neighbourly, sir’; and Jo told how her visit came about.

‘You think he needs cheering up a bit, do you?’

‘Yes, sir; he seems a little lonely, and young folks would do him good, perhaps. We are only girls, but we should be glad to help if we could, for we don’t forget the splendid Christmas present you sent us,’ said Jo, eagerly.

‘Tut, tut, tut! that was the boy’s affair. How is the poor woman?’

‘Doing nicely, sir’; and off went Jo, talking very fast, as she told all about the Hummels, in whom her mother had interested richer friends than they were.

‘Just her father’s way of doing good. I shall come and see your mother some fine day. Tell her so. There’s the tea-bell; we have it early, on the boy’s account. Come down, and go on being neighbourly.’

‘If you’d like to have me, sir.’

‘Shouldn’t ask you if I didn’t’; and Mr Laurence offered her his arm with old-fashioned courtesy.

‘What would Meg say to this?’ thought Jo, as she was marched away, while her eyes danced with fun as she imagined herself telling the story at home.

‘Hey! Why, what the dickens has come to the fellow?’ said the old gentleman, as Laurie came running downstairs, and brought up with a start of surprise at the astonishing sight of Jo arm-in-arm with his redoubtable grandfather.

‘I didn’t know you’d come, sir,’ he began, as Jo gave him a triumphant little glance.

‘That’s evident, by the way you racket downstairs. Come to your tea, sir, and behave like a gentleman’; and having pulled the boy’s hair by way of a caress, Mr Laurence walked on, while Laurie went through a series of comic evolutions behind their backs, which nearly produced an explosion of laughter from Jo.

The old gentleman did not say much as he drank his four cups of tea, but he watched the young people, who soon chatted away like old friends, and the change in his grandson did not escape him. There was colour, light, and life in the boy’s face now, vivacity in his manner, and genuine merriment in his laugh.

‘She’s right; the lad is lonely. I’ll see what these little girls can do for him,’ thought Mr Laurence, as he looked and listened. He liked Jo, for her odd, blunt ways suited him; and she seemed to understand the boy almost as well as if she had been one herself.

If the Laurences had been what Jo called ‘prim and poky’ she would not have got on at all, for such people always made her shy and awkward; but finding them free and easy, she was so herself, and made a good impression. When they rose, she proposed to go, but Laurie said he had something more to show her, and took her away to the conservatory, which had been lighted for her benefit. It seemed quite fairylike to Jo, as she went up and down the walks, enjoying the blooming walls on either side, the soft light, the damp, sweet air, and the wonderful vines and trees that hung above her – while her new friend cut the finest flowers till his hands were full; then he tied them up, saying, with the happy look Jo liked to see, ‘Please give these to your mother, and tell her I like the medicine she sent me very much.’

They found Mr Laurence standing before the fire in the great drawing room, but Jo’s attention was entirely absorbed by a grand piano, which stood open.

‘Do you play?’ she asked, turning to Laurie with a respectful expression.

‘Sometimes,’ he answered, modestly.

‘Please do now. I want to hear it so I can tell Beth.’

‘Won’t you first?’

‘Don’t know how; too stupid to learn, but I love music dearly.’

So Laurie played, and Jo listened, with her nose luxuriously buried in heliotrope and tea-roses. Her respect and regard for the ‘Laurence boy’ increased very much, for he played remarkably well, and didn’t put on any airs. She wished Beth could hear him, but she did not say so; only praised him till he was quite abashed and his grandfather came to the rescue. ‘That will do, that will do, young lady. Too many sugar-plums are not good for him. His music isn’t bad, but I hope he will do as well in more important things. Going? Well, I’m much obliged to you, and I hope you’ll come again. My respects to your mother. Good night, Doctor Jo.’

He shook hands kindly, but looked as if something did not please him. When they got into the hall, Jo asked Laurie if she had said anything amiss. He shook his head.

‘No, it was me; he doesn’t like to hear me play.’

‘Why not?’

‘I’ll tell you some day. John is going home with you, as I can’t.’

‘No need of that; I am not a young lady, and it’s only a step. Take care of yourself, won’t you?’

‘Yes; but you will come again, I hope?’

‘If you promise to come and see us after you are well.’

‘I will.’

‘Good night, Laurie!’

‘Good night, Jo, good night!’

When all the afternoon’s adventures had been told, the family felt inclined to go visiting in a body, for each found something very attractive in the big house on the other side of the hedge: Mrs March wanted to talk of her father with the old man who had not forgotten him; Meg longed to walk in the conservatory; Beth sighed for the grand piano; and Amy was eager to see the fine pictures and statues.

‘Mother, why didn’t Mr Laurence like to have Laurie play?’ asked Jo, who was of an inquiring disposition.

‘I am not sure, but I think it was because his son, Laurie’s father, married an Italian lady, a musician, which displeased the old man, who is very proud. The lady was good and lovely and accomplished, but he did not like her, and never saw his son after he married. They both died when Laurie was a little child, and then his grandfather took him home. I fancy the boy, who was born in Italy, is not very strong, and the old man is afraid of losing him, which makes him so careful. Laurie comes naturally by his love of music, for he is like his mother, and I dare say his grandfather fears that he may want to be a musician; at any rate, his skill reminds him of the woman he did not like, and so he “glowered”, as Jo said.’

‘Dear me, how romantic!’ exclaimed Meg.

‘How silly!’ said Jo. ‘Let him be a musician, if he wants to, and not plague his life out sending him to college, when he hates to go.’

‘That’s why he has such handsome black eyes and pretty manners, I suppose. Italians are always nice,’ said Meg, who was a little sentimental.