And Meg smiled her sweetest , in spite of her gray beard and white eyebrows . `` Aunt March had a good fit and sent the supper , '' cried Jo , with a sudden inspiration . `` All wrong . Old Mr. Laurence sent it , '' replied Mrs. March . `` The Laurence boy 's grandfather ! What in the world put such a thing into his head ? We do n't know him ! '' exclaimed Meg . `` Hannah told one of his servants about your breakfast party . He is an odd old gentleman , but that pleased him . He knew my father years ago , and he sent me a polite note this afternoon , saying he hoped I would allow him to express his friendly feeling toward my children by sending them a few trifles in honor of the day . I could not refuse , and so you have a little feast at night to make up for the bread-and-milk breakfast . '' `` That boy put it into his head , I know he did ! He 's a capital fellow , and I wish we could get acquainted . He looks as if he 'd like to know us but he 's bashful , and Meg is so prim she wo n't let me speak to him when we pass , '' said Jo , as the plates went round , and the ice began to melt out of sight , with ohs and ahs of satisfaction . `` You mean the people who live in the big house next door , do n't you ? '' asked one of the girls . `` My mother knows old Mr. Laurence , but says he 's very proud and does n't like to mix with his neighbors . He keeps his grandson shut up , when he is n't riding or walking with his tutor , and makes him study very hard . We invited him to our party , but he did n't come .
Mother says he 's very nice , though he never speaks to us XXXXX . ''
beard boy gentleman girls grandfather grandson mother servants spite world