With praiseworthy discretion , the good lady said nothing , and betrayed no sign of enlightenment , but cordially urged Laurie to stay and begged Amy to enjoy his society , for it would do her more good than so much solitude . Amy was a model of docility , and as her aunt was a good deal occupied with Flo , she was left to entertain her friend , and did it with more than her usual success . At Nice , Laurie had lounged and Amy had scolded . At Vevay , Laurie was never idle , but always walking , riding , boating , or studying in the most energetic manner , while Amy admired everything he did and followed his example as far and as fast as she could . He said the change was owing to the climate , and she did not contradict him , being glad of a like excuse for her own recovered health and spirits . The invigorating air did them both good , and much exercise worked wholesome changes in minds as well as bodies . They seemed to get clearer views of life and duty up there among the everlasting hills . The fresh winds blew away desponding doubts , delusive fancies , and moody mists . The warm spring sunshine brought out all sorts of aspiring ideas , tender hopes , and happy thoughts . The lake seemed to wash away the troubles of the past , and the grand old mountains to look benignly down upon them saying , `` Little children , love one another . '' In spite of the new sorrow , it was a very happy time , so happy that Laurie could not bear to disturb it by a word . It took him a little while to recover from his surprise at the cure of his first , and as he had firmly believed , his last and only love . He consoled himself for the seeming disloyalty by the thought that Jo 's sister was almost the same as Jo 's self , and the conviction that it would have been impossible to love any other woman but Amy so soon and so well . His first wooing had been of the tempestuous order , and he looked back upon it as if through a long vista of years with a feeling of compassion blended with regret . He was not ashamed of it , but put it away as one of the bitter-sweet experiences of his life , for which he could be grateful when the pain was over . His second wooing , he resolved , should be as calm and simple as possible . There was no need of having a scene , hardly any need of telling Amy that he loved her , she knew it without words and had given him his answer long ago . It all came about so naturally that no one could complain , and he knew that everybody would be pleased , even Jo . But when our first little passion has been crushed , we are apt to be wary and slow in making a second trial , so Laurie let the days pass , enjoying every hour , and leaving to chance the utterance of the word that would put an end to the first and sweetest part of his new romance . He had rather imagined that the denoument would take place in the chateau garden by moonlight , and in the most graceful and decorous manner , but it turned out exactly the reverse , for the matter was settled on the lake at noonday in a few blunt words .
They had been floating about all the morning , from gloomy St. Gingolf to sunny Montreux , with the Alps of Savoy on one side , Mont St. Bernard and the Dent du Midi on the other , pretty XXXXX in the valley , and Lausanne upon the hill beyond , a cloudless blue sky overhead , and the bluer lake below , dotted with the picturesque boats that look like white-winged gulls .
Flo Jo Laurie Vevay days denoument docility left noonday second