Aunt March Settles the Question

           Likebeesswarmingaftertheirqueen,motheranddaughtershoveredaboutMr.Marchthenextday,neglectingeverythingtolookat,waitupon,andlistentothenewinvalid,whowasinafairwaytobekilledbykindness.AshesatproppedupinabigchairbyBeth’ssofa,withtheotherthreecloseby,andHannahpoppinginherheadnowandthen‘topeekatthedearman’,nothingseemedneededtocompletetheirhappiness.Butsomethingwasneeded,andtheelderonesfeltit,thoughnoneconfessedthefact.Mr.andMrs.Marchlookedatoneanotherwithananxiousexpression,astheireyesfollowedMeg.Johadsuddenfitsofsobriety,andwasseentoshakeherfistatMr.Brooke’sumbrella,whichhadbeenleftinthehall.Megwasabsent-minded,shy,andsilent,startedwhenthebellrang,andcoloredwhenJohn’snamewasmentioned.Amysaid,"Everyoneseemedwaitingforsomething,andcouldn’tsettledown,whichwasqueer,sinceFatherwassafeathome,"andBethinnocentlywonderedwhytheirneighborsdidn’trunoverasusual.

           Lauriewentbyintheafternoon,andseeingMegatthewindow,seemedsuddenlypossessedwithamelodramaticfit,forhefelldownononekneeinthesnow,beathisbreast,torehishair,andclaspedhishandsimploringly,asifbeggingsomeboon.AndwhenMegtoldhimtobehavehimselfandgoaway,hewrungimaginarytearsoutofhishandkerchief,andstaggeredroundthecornerasifinutterdespair.

           "Whatdoesthegoosemean?"saidMeg,laughingandtryingtolookunconscious.