She expected an explosion ; but Dan took the news so quietly , it was plain that he cherished no hope ; and Mrs Amy was sure her romantic sister had been mistaken . If she had seen Dan 's face when Bess went to say good-bye , her maternal eye would have discovered far more than the unconscious girl did . Mrs Jo trembled lest he should betray himself ; but he had learned self-control in a stern school , and would have got through the hard moment bravely , only , when he took both hands , saying heartily : ` Good-bye , Princess . If we do n't meet again , remember your old friend Dan sometimes , ' she , touched by his late danger and the wistful look he wore , answered with unusual warmth : ` How can I help it , when you make us all so proud of you ? God bless your mission , and bring you safely home to us again ! ' As she looked up at him with a face full of frank affection and sweet regret , all that he was losing rose so vividly before him that Dan could not resist the impulse to take the ` dear goldy head ' between his hands and kiss it , with a broken ` Good-bye ' ; then hurried back to his room , feeling as if it were the prison-cell again , with no glimpse of heaven 's blue to comfort him . This abrupt caress and departure rather startled Bess ; for she felt with a girl 's quick instinct that there was something in that kiss unknown before , and looked after him with sudden colour in her cheeks and new trouble in her eyes . Mrs Jo saw it , and fearing a very natural question answered it before it was put . ` Forgive him , Bess . He has had a great trouble , and it makes him tender at parting with old friends ; for you know he may never come back from the wild world he is going to . ' ` You mean the fall and danger of death ? ' asked Bess , innocently . ` No , dear ; a greater trouble than that . But I can not tell you any more -- except that he has come through it bravely ; so you may trust and respect him , as I do . ' ` He has lost someone he loved . Poor Dan ! We must be very kind to him . ' Bess did not ask the question , but seemed content with her solution of the mystery -- which was so true that Mrs Jo confirmed it by a nod , and let her go away believing that some tender loss and sorrow wrought the great change all saw in Dan , and made him so slow to speak concerning the past year . But Ted was less easily satisfied , and this unusual reticence goaded him to desperation . His mother had warned him not to trouble Dan with questions till he was quite well ; but this prospect of approaching departure made him resolve to have a full , clear , and satisfactory account of the adventures which he felt sure must have been thrilling , from stray words Dan let fall in his fever .
So one day when the coast was clear , Master XXXXX volunteered to amuse the invalid , and did so in the following manner : ` Look here , old boy , if you do n't want me to read , you 've got to talk , and tell me all about Kansas , and the farms , and that part .
Amy Bess Dan Jo Princess Ted colour explosion fall reticence