Living a life of luxury and comfort was very agreeable to Miss Amy March.
Italy was also very agreeable to Amy, who found it even more beautiful and romantic than she imagined.
Every afternoon, she explored the villages near the one where she and Aunt March were staying.
Her sketchbook and paints were her constant companion in case she was inspired to capture a beautiful scene.
As in France, Amy drew a lot of attention from passersby and even though she didn't speak their language,
her generous smile and friendly tone of voice were universally understood.
Yet as time wore on, Amy began to grow restless and wonder if perhaps there was something more to life than just being content with material things.
She also became very homesick, wanting more than anything to see a familiar face, talk in her native language, and walk down a well-known road.
She kept in touch with her family and friends through letters, but it was not the same as being with those she loved.
One day, finding an isolated shady spot under a large tree, Amy began to paint the charming local children playing a game in the field.
Smiling to herself, she was reminded of how she used to play outdoors with her sisters at that age.
Unknown to Amy, an old acquaintance was very close by.
He, too, was unaware that, in trying to get away from one March sister, he was soon to encounter another one.
Laurie thought, or rather hoped, that a trip to Europe would cure him of his broken heart.
He visited old friends, went to his favorite restaurants, and attended social events where he met many likeable young ladies,
but he found that no one could ever compare with his Jo.
So he decided to give in to his tormented heart and his self-pity.
Wearing a long face (not to mention an equally long moustache and beard since he had given up on shaving as well),
Laurie walked the streets of Rome alone and depressed.
Jo, on the other hand, had put aside her own sorrow over Beth's tragedy to focus on how she could make Beth's last days more meaningful and fulfilling.
One day, when the two sisters were sitting outside in the yard, Beth had said dreamily, "I've never seen buffalo except in paintings.
They are such majestic creatures, yet they seem so gentle.
It's a shame they don't roam this part of the country."
"Would you like to see buffalo?" Jo asked,
a little surprised at her sister's interest in such a wild animal and not in something milder and tamer like a giraffe.
Beth smiled shyly, saying, "They live out west so it isn't likely that I'll ever see one, as much as I'd like to."
This conversation gave Jo an idea but she didn't tell Beth because she wanted it to be a surprise.
Knowing that the Eagle would buy her stories (if the editor liked them, of course), Jo decided to consider different publishers as well.
She had a few completed stories along with the couple she was working on at the moment.
"If I write three or four stories a week," she calculated, "then I could save enough money to take Beth to California, where she can see buffalo."
With that plan as an incentive, Jo spared no time for herself.
Every free minute that she had was spent writing, then taking her stories to the publishers in town.
Physically and mentally exhausted, Jo kept herself going by keeping Beth's wish close to her heart.
On an exceptionally glorious day in Rome, Amy, equipped with her sketchbook and pencils,
strolled down a quiet road, looking for a place to sit and have coffee.
Her eye caught sight of two little children standing in front of a bakery eating ice cream on the other side of the road.
"I think I'll have one of those," she said aloud, then crossed over to the store the children had just left.
She noticed a man sitting at a corner table by himself, sipping coffee, with a raisin bun left untouched on his plate.
At first glance he seemed shabby and dirty, so Amy quickly looked away.
As she waited for the baker to scoop out her ice cream, however, Amy stole another glance because there was something oddly familiar about him.
Thanking the baker, Amy paid for her ice cream and deliberately walked past the silent man, who did not even look up as she went by.
When it suddenly dawned on her, Amy swung around in disbelief.
"Laurie? Is that you?" she whispered loudly.
The man slowly lifted his eyes, which Amy noted were red and dull.
Then, recognizing the young woman standing before him, he broke out into a big, wide grin.
"Little Amy March? I must be dreaming!" he yelled, knocking aside his bun and nearly upsetting his coffee in the process.
"Laurie? I hardly recognized you!" Amy said, trying hard not to stare at his strange appearance.
"Look who's talking! You dress like a European now, and your hair . . ."
Laurie complimented her, in a voice and manner more like the old Laurie she knew.
"Oh, Laurie! I can't believe you're here.
I was getting so homesick and I thought about leaving Aunt March and returning home just to see a familiar face," cried Amy.
"Well, I don't blame you. You've been away for almost a year now," Laurie said.
"Now that I'm here, we have a lot to catch up on."
"I would really like that. Tell me everything about home:
Meg's baby, Jo's New York excursion," Amy stopped when she noticed Laurie's face harden again.
"But we'll leave all that for later.
First of all, let's go for a walk," she said quickly to change the subject.
And taking his arm, Amy chatted away as they walked the streets of Rome.
That evening, Aunt March noticed a change in Amy's spirits as the young lady sang softly and smiled a great deal while getting ready to go out to a party.
"What put that smile on your face?" Aunt March said in her usual gruff manner.
"You'll never believe who I ran into on the street today, Aunt," Amy said, accustomed to her aunt's manner by now.
"I hope it was young Fred and you begged him to forgive you for your foolish mistake of saying no to his proposal,"
the old lady snapped, still angry about Amy's refusal to marry him.
Amy brushed aside her aunt's remark and said cheerily, "I ran into Laurie!
What a coincidence! He's here for a while so we decided to catch up and see some sights together."
"Humph," grunted Aunt March, thinking that Laurie wasn't a bad sort but she still preferred Fred.
Shortly after, the servant announced Mr. Laurence's arrival.
To Amy's immense relief, Laurie had shaven off his moustache and beard and looked very handsome in his coat and tie.
After he had greeted Aunt March, he and Amy went out, laughing and talking, both of them delighted and comforted to be with an old friend.