04-01-05-小妇人 [21]
，and that I didn't wish to have secrets from you so he must speak to Father．I thanked him for his kindness and said I would be his friend，but nothing more，for a long time．'Mrs March smiled and looked pleased．
Jo laughed．'What did he reply to that？'
'He writes here that he never sent any love letter， and is sorry that my sister Jo should play games with us like this，'said Meg．'It's a very kind letter， but imagine how awful I feel．'
'I don't believe Brooke saw either of those letters，'said Jo．'Laurie wrote them both and he's keeping yours because I won't tell him my secret．'
'Go and fetch Laurie，Jo，'said Mrs March．'I'll put a stop to all this at once．'
Away ran Jo，and Mrs March gently told Meg Mr Brooke's real feelings．'Now，dear， do you love him enough to wait until he can make a home for you？'
'I'm frightened and worried，'answered Meg．'I don't want anything to do with love for a long time-perhaps never．If John doesn't know about all this， don't tell him， and please make Jo and Laurie keep quiet．'
Mrs March tried to calm her daughter， but as soon as Meg heard Laurie coming back with Jo， she ran out of the room，and Mrs March saw the boy alone． When Laurie saw Mrs March's angry face，he guessed the reason．Jo waited outside the room as，inside，the voices rose and fell for half an hour．But the girls never knew what was said．
When they were called in，Laurie apologized to Meg，and told her that Mr Brooke knew nothing about either of the two letters．'Please forgive me，Meg，'he said．
'I'll try，'said Meg，'but I didn't think you could be so unkind．'
Laurie looked so sorry that Jo wanted to forgive him straight away，but she said nothing and refused even to look at him．When he went away，looking hurt and unhappy，Jo wished she had been more forgiving．She could never stay angry for long，so after a while she hurried over to the big house，taking with her as an excuse one of Mr Laurence's books that she had borrowed．
'Is Mr Laurence in？'Jo asked a servant．
'Yes，miss， but you can't see him，'said the servant．'Why？Is he ill？'said Jo．
'No，miss，but he's been arguing with Mr Laurie．''Where's Laurie？'said Jo．
'He's shut in his room，and he won't come out．''I'll go and see what's the matter，'said Jo．'I'm not afraid of either of them．'
She went upstairs and knocked on Laurie's door．
'Stop that！' shouted Laurie．
Jo immediately knocked again and the door flew open．She stepped inside before Laurie could stop her．'I've come to say that I forgive you，'she said，'and I won't stay angry with you．'
'Oh，'said Laurie．'Thank you．'
'What's wrong？'she said， seeing his unhappy face．'I wouldn't tell Grandfather why your mother wanted to see me， because I promised her not to tell anyone，' he said．'But then Grandfather tried to shake the truth out of me，so I came up here and shut myself in．'
'I expect he's sorry he did that，'said Jo．'Go down and say you're sorry．I'll help you．'
'No，I won't！'said Laurie angrily．'I was sorry about Meg，and I asked her to forgive me，but I won't do it again when I'm not the one who is wrong．He ought to believe me when I say I can't tell him something．I don't like being shaken like that，and I won't go down until he apologizes．''Listen，if I get your grandfather to apologize for shaking you，will you go down？'said Jo．
'Yes， but you won't do it，'answered Laurie．
'If I can manage the young one，then I can manage the old one，'Jo said to herself as she went downstairs．
'Come in！'said Mr Laurence， when she knocked on his door．
'It's me， sir，' said Jo．'I'm returning a book．''Do you want any more？'said the old man， looking annoyed but trying not to show it．
'Yes，please，'said Jo．And she pretended to look for an-other book while Mr Laurence stared at her crossly．
'What's that boy been doing？'he asked suddenly．'He won't tell me．'
'He did do something wrong and we forgave him，'said Jo，'but we all promised not to say a word to anyone．''He must not hide behind a promise from you soft-hearted girls，'said the old gentleman．'Tell me，Jo．'
'I can't，sir， because Mother has ordered me not to
Jo laughed．'What did he reply to that？'
'He writes here that he never sent any love letter， and is sorry that my sister Jo should play games with us like this，'said Meg．'It's a very kind letter， but imagine how awful I feel．'
'I don't believe Brooke saw either of those letters，'said Jo．'Laurie wrote them both and he's keeping yours because I won't tell him my secret．'
'Go and fetch Laurie，Jo，'said Mrs March．'I'll put a stop to all this at once．'
Away ran Jo，and Mrs March gently told Meg Mr Brooke's real feelings．'Now，dear， do you love him enough to wait until he can make a home for you？'
'I'm frightened and worried，'answered Meg．'I don't want anything to do with love for a long time-perhaps never．If John doesn't know about all this， don't tell him， and please make Jo and Laurie keep quiet．'
Mrs March tried to calm her daughter， but as soon as Meg heard Laurie coming back with Jo， she ran out of the room，and Mrs March saw the boy alone． When Laurie saw Mrs March's angry face，he guessed the reason．Jo waited outside the room as，inside，the voices rose and fell for half an hour．But the girls never knew what was said．
When they were called in，Laurie apologized to Meg，and told her that Mr Brooke knew nothing about either of the two letters．'Please forgive me，Meg，'he said．
'I'll try，'said Meg，'but I didn't think you could be so unkind．'
Laurie looked so sorry that Jo wanted to forgive him straight away，but she said nothing and refused even to look at him．When he went away，looking hurt and unhappy，Jo wished she had been more forgiving．She could never stay angry for long，so after a while she hurried over to the big house，taking with her as an excuse one of Mr Laurence's books that she had borrowed．
'Is Mr Laurence in？'Jo asked a servant．
'Yes，miss， but you can't see him，'said the servant．'Why？Is he ill？'said Jo．
'No，miss，but he's been arguing with Mr Laurie．''Where's Laurie？'said Jo．
'He's shut in his room，and he won't come out．''I'll go and see what's the matter，'said Jo．'I'm not afraid of either of them．'
She went upstairs and knocked on Laurie's door．
'Stop that！' shouted Laurie．
Jo immediately knocked again and the door flew open．She stepped inside before Laurie could stop her．'I've come to say that I forgive you，'she said，'and I won't stay angry with you．'
'Oh，'said Laurie．'Thank you．'
'What's wrong？'she said， seeing his unhappy face．'I wouldn't tell Grandfather why your mother wanted to see me， because I promised her not to tell anyone，' he said．'But then Grandfather tried to shake the truth out of me，so I came up here and shut myself in．'
'I expect he's sorry he did that，'said Jo．'Go down and say you're sorry．I'll help you．'
'No，I won't！'said Laurie angrily．'I was sorry about Meg，and I asked her to forgive me，but I won't do it again when I'm not the one who is wrong．He ought to believe me when I say I can't tell him something．I don't like being shaken like that，and I won't go down until he apologizes．''Listen，if I get your grandfather to apologize for shaking you，will you go down？'said Jo．
'Yes， but you won't do it，'answered Laurie．
'If I can manage the young one，then I can manage the old one，'Jo said to herself as she went downstairs．
'Come in！'said Mr Laurence， when she knocked on his door．
'It's me， sir，' said Jo．'I'm returning a book．''Do you want any more？'said the old man， looking annoyed but trying not to show it．
'Yes，please，'said Jo．And she pretended to look for an-other book while Mr Laurence stared at her crossly．
'What's that boy been doing？'he asked suddenly．'He won't tell me．'
'He did do something wrong and we forgave him，'said Jo，'but we all promised not to say a word to anyone．''He must not hide behind a promise from you soft-hearted girls，'said the old gentleman．'Tell me，Jo．'
'I can't，sir， because Mother has ordered me not to