11 Beth(6)

　　　Jo threw her arms around him．'Oh，Laurie！Oh，Mother！I am so glad！'She did not cry again，but held on to her friend．He was surprised，but he smoothed her hair and followed this with a kiss or two．
　　Jo pushed him gently away．'Oh，don't！I didn't mean—！'
　　'I enjoyed it！'laughed Laurie，then，went on，'Grandfather and I thought your mother ought to know．She wouldn't forgive us if Beth—well，if anything happened．Her train will be in at two o'clock in the morning，and I'll meet her．'
　　All that day，the snow fell and the hours went slowly by．The doctor came，then said he would come back after midnight when he expected there to be some change in Beth's condition，for better or worse．Hannah fell asleep in a chair beside Beth's bed．Mr Laurence waited downstairs，while Laurie lay on the floor pretending to rest．The girls just waited，unable to sleep．

琼用双臂搂住他。“噢，罗瑞！噢，妈妈！我太高兴了！”她不再哭了，可还是搂着罗瑞。他很吃惊，可他理了理她的头发，然后吻了她一两下。
　　琼轻轻把他推开。“噢，别这样，我并不是说想——！”
　　“我很喜欢！”罗瑞笑了，然后继续说，“祖父和我认为你母亲应该知道。万一白丝——哦，如果发生什么事，她不会饶恕我们的。她乘坐的火车早晨两点到，我去接她。”
　　那一整天，下着雪，时间缓慢地过去。医生来了，然后说他午夜以后再来，那时白丝的情况会有变化，变好或变坏。海娜坐在白丝床边的椅子上睡着了。劳伦斯先生等在楼下，罗瑞躺在地上权当休息。女孩子们只有等待，她们睡不着。