How they laughed when the secret came out , never dreaming how many love letters that little post office would hold in the years to come . CHAPTER ELEVEN EXPERIMENTS `` The first of June ! The Kings are off to the seashore tomorrow , and I 'm free . Three months ' vacation -- how I shall enjoy it ! '' exclaimed Meg , coming home one warm day to find Jo laid upon the sofa in an unusual state of exhaustion , while Beth took off her dusty boots , and Amy made lemonade for the refreshment of the whole party . `` Aunt March went today , for which , oh , be joyful ! '' said Jo . `` I was mortally afraid she 'd ask me to go with her . If she had , I should have felt as if I ought to do it , but Plumfield is about as gay as a churchyard , you know , and I 'd rather be excused . We had a flurry getting the old lady off , and I had a fright every time she spoke to me , for I was in such a hurry to be through that I was uncommonly helpful and sweet , and feared she 'd find it impossible to part from me . I quaked till she was fairly in the carriage , and had a final fright , for as it drove of , she popped out her head , saying , ` Josyphine , wo n't you -- ? ' I did n't hear any more , for I basely turned and fled . I did actually run , and whisked round the corner where I felt safe . '' `` Poor old Jo ! She came in looking as if bears were after her , '' said Beth , as she cuddled her sister 's feet with a motherly air . `` Aunt March is a regular samphire , is she not ? '' observed Amy , tasting her mixture critically . `` She means vampire , not seaweed , but it does n't matter . It 's too warm to be particular about one 's parts of speech , '' murmured Jo . `` What shall you do all your vacation ? ''
asked XXXXX , changing the subject with tact .
Amy Beth Jo Josyphine Meg Plumfield months samphire vampire years