No one had time to think of him again till , as Meg ran through the entry , with a pair of rubbers in one hand and a cup of tea in the other , she came suddenly upon Mr. Brooke . `` I 'm very sorry to hear of this , Miss March , '' he said , in the kind , quiet tone which sounded very pleasantly to her perturbed spirit . `` I came to offer myself as escort to your mother . Mr. Laurence has commissions for me in Washington , and it will give me real satisfaction to be of service to her there . '' Down dropped the rubbers , and the tea was very near following , as Meg put out her hand , with a face so full of gratitude that Mr. Brooke would have felt repaid for a much greater sacrifice than the trifling one of time and comfort which he was about to take . `` How kind you all are ! Mother will accept , I 'm sure , and it will be such a relief to know that she has someone to take care of her . Thank you very , very much ! '' Meg spoke earnestly , and forgot herself entirely till something in the brown eyes looking down at her made her remember the cooling tea , and lead the way into the parlor , saying she would call her mother . Everything was arranged by the time Laurie returned with a note from Aunt March , enclosing the desired sum , and a few lines repeating what she had often said before , that she had always told them it was absurd for March to go into the army , always predicted that no good would come of it , and she hoped they would take her advice the next time . Mrs. March put the note in the fire , the money in her purse , and went on with her preparations , with her lips folded tightly in a way which Jo would have understood if she had been there . The short afternoon wore away . All other errands were done , and Meg and her mother busy at some necessary needlework , while Beth and Amy got tea , and Hannah finished her ironing with what she called a ` slap and a bang ' , but still Jo did not come . They began to get anxious , and Laurie went off to find her , for no one knew what freak Jo might take into her head . He missed her , however , and she came walking in with a very queer expression of countenance , for there was a mixture of fun and fear , satisfaction and regret in it , which puzzled the family as much as did the roll of bills she laid before her mother , saying with a little choke in her voice , `` That 's my contribution toward making Father comfortable and bringing him home ! '' `` My dear , where did you get it ? Twenty-five dollars ! Jo , I hope you have n't done anything rash ? '' `` No , it 's mine honestly . I did n't beg , borrow , or steal it .
I earned it , and I do n't XXXXX you 'll blame me , for I only sold what was my own . ''
Thank finished get ironing lead missed predicted sounded think understood