She was in a sad state when she got home, and when the older girls arrived, some time later, an indignation meeting was held at once.

Mrs.March did not say much but looked disturbed, and comforted her afflicted little daughter in her tenderest manner.

Meg bathed the insulted hand with glycerine and tears, Beth felt that even her beloved kittens would fail as a balm for griefs like this, Jo wrathfully proposed that Mr.Davis be arrested without delay, and Hannah shook her fist at the 'villain' and pounded potatoes for dinner as if she had him under her pestle.
No notice was taken of Amy's flight, except by her mates, but the sharp-eyed demoiselles discovered that Mr.Davis was quite benignant in the afternoon, also unusually nervous.

Just before school closed, Jo appeared, wearing a grim expression as she stalked up to the desk, and delivered a letter from her mother, then collected Amy's property, and departed, carefully scraping the mud from her boots on the door mat, as if she shook the dust of the place off her feet.
"Yes, you can have a vacation from school, but I want you to study a little every day with Beth," said Mrs.March that evening.

"I don't approve of corporal punishment, especially for girls.