Laurie 's heart would n't ache . The wound persisted in healing with a rapidity that astonished him , and instead of trying to forget , he found himself trying to remember . He had not foreseen this turn of affairs , and was not prepared for it . He was disgusted with himself , surprised at his own fickleness , and full of a queer mixture of disappointment and relief that he could recover from such a tremendous blow so soon . He carefully stirred up the embers of his lost love , but they refused to burst into a blaze . There was only a comfortable glow that warmed and did him good without putting him into a fever , and he was reluctantly obliged to confess that the boyish passion was slowly subsiding into a more tranquil sentiment , very tender , a little sad and resentful still , but that was sure to pass away in time , leaving a brotherly affection which would last unbroken to the end . As the word ` brotherly ' passed through his mind in one of his reveries , he smiled , and glanced up at the picture of Mozart that was before him ... `` Well , he was a great man , and when he could n't have one sister he took the other , and was happy . '' Laurie did not utter the words , but he thought them , and the next instant kissed the little old ring , saying to himself , `` No , I wo n't ! I have n't forgotten , I never can . I 'll try again , and if that fails , why then ... '' Leaving his sentence unfinished , he seized pen and paper and wrote to Jo , telling her that he could not settle to anything while there was the least hope of her changing her mind . Could n't she , would n't she -- and let him come home and be happy ? While waiting for an answer he did nothing , but he did it energetically , for he was in a fever of impatience . It came at last , and settled his mind effectually on one point , for Jo decidedly could n't and would n't . She was wrapped up in Beth , and never wished to hear the word love again . Then she begged him to be happy with somebody else , but always keep a little corner of his heart for his loving sister Jo . In a postscript she desired him not to tell Amy that Beth was worse , she was coming home in the spring and there was no need of saddening the remainder of her stay . That would be time enough , please God , but Laurie must write to her often , and not let her feel lonely , homesick or anxious . `` So I will , at once . Poor little girl , it will be a sad going home for her , I 'm afraid , '' and Laurie opened his desk , as if writing to Amy had been the proper conclusion of the sentence left unfinished some weeks before . But he did not write the letter that day , for as he rummaged out his best paper , he came across something which changed his purpose .
Tumbling about in one part of the desk among bills , passports , and business documents of various kinds were several of XXXXX 's letters , and in another compartment were three notes from Amy , carefully tied up with one of her blue ribbons and sweetly suggestive of the little dead roses put away inside .
Amy Beth Jo Laurie Mozart day embers fickleness left weeks