Jem spent his evenings now studying for his entrance examination in the Ingleside garret . Jerry was down near the pond , trouting . Walter had been reading Longfellow 's sea poems to the others and they were steeped in the beauty and mystery of the ships . Then they talked of what they would do when they were grown up -- where they would travel -- the far , fair shores they would see . Nan and Di meant to go to Europe . Walter longed for the Nile moaning past its Egyptian sands , and a glimpse of the sphinx . Faith opined rather dismally that she supposed she would have to be a missionary -- old Mrs. Taylor told her she ought to be -- and then she would at least see India or China , those mysterious lands of the Orient . Carl 's heart was set on African jungles . Una said nothing . She thought she would just like to stay at home . It was prettier here than anywhere else . It would be dreadful when they were all grown up and had to scatter over the world . The very idea made Una feel lonesome and homesick . But the others dreamed on delightedly until Mary Vance arrived and vanished poesy and dreams at one fell swoop . `` Laws , but I 'm out of puff , '' she exclaimed . `` I 've run down that hill like sixty . I got an awful scare up there at the old Bailey place . '' `` What frightened you ? '' asked Di . `` I dunno .
I was poking about under them lilacs XXXXX the old garden , trying to see if there was any lilies-of-the-valley out yet .
at for in like of on past than that until