If they had known the various tender passages which had been nipped in the bud , they would have had the immense satisfaction of saying , `` I told you so . '' But Jo hated ` philandering ' , and would n't allow it , always having a joke or a smile ready at the least sign of impending danger . When Laurie first went to college , he fell in love about once a month , but these small flames were as brief as ardent , did no damage , and much amused Jo , who took great interest in the alternations of hope , despair , and resignation , which were confided to her in their weekly conferences . But there came a time when Laurie ceased to worship at many shrines , hinted darkly at one all-absorbing passion , and indulged occasionally in Byronic fits of gloom . Then he avoided the tender subject altogether , wrote philosophical notes to Jo , turned studious , and gave out that he was going to ` dig ' , intending to graduate in a blaze of glory . This suited the young lady better than twilight confidences , tender pressures of the hand , and eloquent glances of the eye , for with Jo , brain developed earlier than heart , and she preferred imaginary heroes to real ones , because when tired of them , the former could be shut up in the tin kitchen till called for , and the latter were less manageable . Things were in this state when the grand discovery was made , and Jo watched Laurie that night as she had never done before . If she had not got the new idea into her head , she would have seen nothing unusual in the fact that Beth was very quiet , and Laurie very kind to her . But having given the rein to her lively fancy , it galloped away with her at a great pace , and common sense , being rather weakened by a long course of romance writing , did not come to the rescue . As usual Beth lay on the sofa and Laurie sat in a low chair close by , amusing her with all sorts of gossip , for she depended on her weekly ` spin ' , and he never disappointed her . But that evening Jo fancied that Beth 's eyes rested on the lively , dark face beside her with peculiar pleasure , and that she listened with intense interest to an account of some exciting cricket match , though the phrases , ` caught off a tice ' , ` stumped off his ground ' , and ` the leg hit for three ' , were as intelligible to her as Sanskrit . She also fancied , having set her heart upon seeing it , that she saw a certain increase of gentleness in Laurie 's manner , that he dropped his voice now and then , laughed less than usual , was a little absent-minded , and settled the afghan over Beth 's feet with an assiduity that was really almost tender . `` Who knows ? Stranger things have happened , '' thought Jo , as she fussed about the room . `` She will make quite an angel of him , and he will make life delightfully easy and pleasant for the dear , if they only love each other . I do n't see how he can help it , and I do believe he would if the rest of us were out of the way . '' As everyone was out of the way but herself , Jo began to feel that she ought to dispose of herself with all speed . But where should she go ? And burning to lay herself upon the shrine of sisterly devotion , she sat down to settle that point . Now , the old sofa was a regular patriarch of a sofa -- long , broad , well-cushioned , and low , a trifle shabby , as well it might be , for the girls had slept and sprawled on it as babies , fished over the back , rode on the arms , and had menageries under it as children , and rested tired heads , dreamed dreams , and listened to tender talk on it as young women .
They all loved it , for it was a family refuge , and one corner had always been XXXXX 's favorite lounging place .
Beth Jo Laurie Sanskrit alternations first menageries night tice weekly