exclaiming eagerly:

'My dear girls, stop your mud-pies and hear the news!'

Both artists dropped their tools and greeted the irrepressible woman
cordially, though genius had been burning splendidly and her coming
spoilt a precious hour. They were in the full tide of gossip when
Laurie, who had been summoned by Meg, arrived, and sitting down
between the sisters, with no barricade anywhere, listened with
interest to the news of Franz and Emil.

'The epidemic has broke out, and now it will rage and ravage your
flock. Be prepared for every sort of romance and rashness for the
next ten years, Jo. Your boys are growing up and will plunge headlong
into a sea of worse scrapes than any you have had yet,' said Laurie,
enjoying her look of mingled delight and despair.

'I know it, and I hope I shall be able to pull them through and land
them safely; but it's an awful responsibility, for they will come to
me and insist that I can make their poor little loves run smoothly. I
like it, though, and Meg is such a mush of sentiment she revels in
the prospect,' answered Jo, feeling pretty easy about her own boys,
whose youth made them safe for the present.

'I'm afraid she won't revel when our Nat begins to buzz too near her
Daisy. Of course you see what all that means? As musical director I
am also his confidante, and would like to know what advice to give,'
said Laurie soberly. 'Hush! you forget that child,' began Jo, nodding
towards Bess, who was at work again.