Little Women

Keeping the secret about the marriage proposal from Mr. Brooke is difficult for Jo. She is also nervous about Laurie, “for he was an incorrigible tease, and she feared he would coax her secret from her” (220). On the other hand, Meg appears to be acting equally peculiar, which Jo attributes to “love”; Meg “is twittery and cross, doesn’t eat, lies awake, [...] mopes in corners” (221), and blushes when she accidentally says Mr. Brooke’s first name.

Meg receives a letter purportedly from Mr. Brooke announcing his unrestrained “passion” for her. Meg writes back that she is too young to make a decision and must wait on the consent of her father. In a reply, however, Mr. Brooke denies writing the letter, reducing Meg to tears. Mr. Brooke accuses her “roguish sister” Jo for playing such a prank, but Jo denies this accusation, knowing that Laurie must have written this note, along with the earlier one sent with the glove.

As Jo goes to fetch Laurie to clear things up, Marmee asks about Meg’s thoughts and feelings about Mr. Brooke, to which Meg responds, “I don’t want to have anything to do with lovers for a long time” (223).

Laurie arrives and stays for half an hour, and Marmee privately talks to him.