04-01-05-小妇人 [24]
， beat his chest， and put out his arms towards her．When Meg told him to go away，he pretended to cry before walking away looking miserable．
Meg laughed．'What was he doing？'she said．
'He was showing you how your John will act，'answered Jo，crossly．
'Don't say my John，it isn't right．'But Meg said the words again silently inside her head．
'If he asks yon to marry him，you'll cry or look stupid，in-stead of saying a loud No，'said Jo．
'No，I won't，'said Meg．'I'll say，“Thank you，Mr Brooke，you are very kind，but I am too young to marry you．Please let us be friends，as we were．”'
'I don't believe it，'said Jo．
'It's true．Then I'll walk out of the room with my head high．'Meg got up and pretended to do it-but ran back to her seat when she heard someone knock on the door．
Jo opened it with an angry look．
'Good afternoon，'said Mr Brooke．'I came to get my umbrella，which I left behind yesterday．'
'I'll get it，'said Jo，pushing past him．'Now Meg can tell him，'she thought．
But Meg was moving to the door．'I expect Mother will want to see you，'she said．'I'll call her．'
'Don't go，'he said．'Are you afraid of me，Meg？''How can I be afraid when you've been so kind to Father，said Meg．'I wish I could thank you for it．''You can，'he said． And he took Meg's small hand in his and looked at her lovingly．
'Oh，please don't，'she said，looking frightened．
'I only want to know if you love me a little，Meg，'he said gently．'I love you so much．'
This was the moment to repeat the words she had told Jo，but Meg forgot them all．'I don't know，'she said，so softly that John had to move closer to hear her reply．
He smiled gratefully．'Will you try to find out？'
'I'm too young，'she said， hesitating but feeling her heart beating rather fast．
'I'll wait while you learn to like me，'he said．'Will it be very difficult？'
'Not if I choose to learn，'she said．
'Please choose，Meg．I love to teach，and this is easier than German，'said John， taking her other hand．
She looked at him and saw that he was smiling．He seemed so sure of success that Meg became a little annoyed．She felt excited and strange，and taking her hands away from his， she said，' I don't choose．Please go away！'
Poor Mr Brooke looked shocked．'Do you mean that？'
'Yes，'she said，rather enjoying the game she was playing．'I don't want to think about these things． It's to soon．''I'll wait until you've had more time，'he said，and looked so unhappy that Meg began to feel sorry for him．
It was at this moment that Aunt March came in．She hadcome to see Mr March and was hoping to surprise the family．She did surprise two of them．Meg，with her face bright red，just stared at her aunt，while Mr Brooke hurried into another room．
'Goodness me， what's all this？'cried Aunt March．'It's Father's friend，said Meg hurriedly．'I'm so surprised to see you，Aunt March．'
'I can see that，'said Aunt March，sitting down．'What has he said to make your face turn pink？'
'Mr Brooke and I were just…talking，'said Meg．
'Brooke？The boy's tutor？I understand now．I know all about it because I made Jo tell me．You haven't promised to marry him，have you，Meg？If you have，you won't get one bit of my money，do you hear？'
It was exactly the wrong thing to say．When Meg was ordered not to marry John Brooke，she immediately decided that She would．'I'll marry whoever I want to，Aunt March，and you can give your money to anyone you like！'she said．'You'll be sorry！'said Aunt March．'Why don't you mar-ry a rich man to help your family？'
'Father and Mother like John，although he's poor，'said Meg．
'Be sensible，Meg，'said her aunt．'He knows I have money，and that's why he likes you，I suspect．'
'Don't say that！'said Meg．'My John wouldn't marry for money any more than I would！We'll work and wait，and I'll132be happy with him because he loves me，and Meg stopped as she remembered that she had told'her John'to go away．
Aunt March was very angry．'Just don't expect anything from me when you are married！'she said．And she went out of the room，banging the door behind her．
Meg didn't know whether to laugh or cry． Before she could decide
Meg laughed．'What was he doing？'she said．
'He was showing you how your John will act，'answered Jo，crossly．
'Don't say my John，it isn't right．'But Meg said the words again silently inside her head．
'If he asks yon to marry him，you'll cry or look stupid，in-stead of saying a loud No，'said Jo．
'No，I won't，'said Meg．'I'll say，“Thank you，Mr Brooke，you are very kind，but I am too young to marry you．Please let us be friends，as we were．”'
'I don't believe it，'said Jo．
'It's true．Then I'll walk out of the room with my head high．'Meg got up and pretended to do it-but ran back to her seat when she heard someone knock on the door．
Jo opened it with an angry look．
'Good afternoon，'said Mr Brooke．'I came to get my umbrella，which I left behind yesterday．'
'I'll get it，'said Jo，pushing past him．'Now Meg can tell him，'she thought．
But Meg was moving to the door．'I expect Mother will want to see you，'she said．'I'll call her．'
'Don't go，'he said．'Are you afraid of me，Meg？''How can I be afraid when you've been so kind to Father，said Meg．'I wish I could thank you for it．''You can，'he said． And he took Meg's small hand in his and looked at her lovingly．
'Oh，please don't，'she said，looking frightened．
'I only want to know if you love me a little，Meg，'he said gently．'I love you so much．'
This was the moment to repeat the words she had told Jo，but Meg forgot them all．'I don't know，'she said，so softly that John had to move closer to hear her reply．
He smiled gratefully．'Will you try to find out？'
'I'm too young，'she said， hesitating but feeling her heart beating rather fast．
'I'll wait while you learn to like me，'he said．'Will it be very difficult？'
'Not if I choose to learn，'she said．
'Please choose，Meg．I love to teach，and this is easier than German，'said John， taking her other hand．
She looked at him and saw that he was smiling．He seemed so sure of success that Meg became a little annoyed．She felt excited and strange，and taking her hands away from his， she said，' I don't choose．Please go away！'
Poor Mr Brooke looked shocked．'Do you mean that？'
'Yes，'she said，rather enjoying the game she was playing．'I don't want to think about these things． It's to soon．''I'll wait until you've had more time，'he said，and looked so unhappy that Meg began to feel sorry for him．
It was at this moment that Aunt March came in．She hadcome to see Mr March and was hoping to surprise the family．She did surprise two of them．Meg，with her face bright red，just stared at her aunt，while Mr Brooke hurried into another room．
'Goodness me， what's all this？'cried Aunt March．'It's Father's friend，said Meg hurriedly．'I'm so surprised to see you，Aunt March．'
'I can see that，'said Aunt March，sitting down．'What has he said to make your face turn pink？'
'Mr Brooke and I were just…talking，'said Meg．
'Brooke？The boy's tutor？I understand now．I know all about it because I made Jo tell me．You haven't promised to marry him，have you，Meg？If you have，you won't get one bit of my money，do you hear？'
It was exactly the wrong thing to say．When Meg was ordered not to marry John Brooke，she immediately decided that She would．'I'll marry whoever I want to，Aunt March，and you can give your money to anyone you like！'she said．'You'll be sorry！'said Aunt March．'Why don't you mar-ry a rich man to help your family？'
'Father and Mother like John，although he's poor，'said Meg．
'Be sensible，Meg，'said her aunt．'He knows I have money，and that's why he likes you，I suspect．'
'Don't say that！'said Meg．'My John wouldn't marry for money any more than I would！We'll work and wait，and I'll132be happy with him because he loves me，and Meg stopped as she remembered that she had told'her John'to go away．
Aunt March was very angry．'Just don't expect anything from me when you are married！'she said．And she went out of the room，banging the door behind her．
Meg didn't know whether to laugh or cry． Before she could decide