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you, even if she had a dreadful temper? Oh, I am sure you wouldn't. Please
say you forgive me, Mrs. Lynde."
Anne clasped her hands together, bowed her head, and waited for the word
of judgment.
There was no mistaking her sincerity--it breathed in every tone of her
voice. Both Marilla and Mrs. Lynde recognized its unmistakable ring. But
the former under- stood in dismay that Anne was actually enjoying her
valley of humiliation--was reveling in the thoroughness of her abasement.
Where was the wholesome punishment upon which she, Marilla, had
plumed herself? Anne had turned it into a species of positive pleasure.
Good Mrs. Lynde, not being overburdened with perception, did not see this.
She only perceived that Anne had made a very thorough apology and all
resentment vanished from her kindly, if somewhat officious, heart.
"There, there, get up, child," she said heartily. "Of course I forgive you. I
guess I was a little too hard on you, anyway. But I'm such an outspoken
person. You just mustn't mind me, that's what. It can't be denied your hair is
terrible red; but I knew a girl once--went to school with her, in
CHAPTER X 82
fact--whose hair was every mite as red as yours when she was young, but
when she grew up it darkened to a real handsome auburn. I wouldn't be a
mite surprised if yours did, too--not a mite."
"Oh, Mrs. Lynde!" Anne drew a long breath as she rose to her feet. "You
have given me a hope. I shall always feel that you are a benefactor. Oh, I
could endure anything if I only thought my hair would be a handsome
auburn when I grew up. It would be so much easier to be good if one's hair
was a handsome auburn, don't you think? And now may I go out into your
garden and sit on that bench under the apple-trees while you and Marilla
are talking? There is so much more scope for imagination out there."
"Laws, yes, run along, child. And you can pick a bouquet of them white
June lilies over in the corner if you like."
As the door closed behind Anne Mrs. Lynde got briskly up to light a lamp.
"She's a real odd little thing. Take this chair, Marilla; it's easier than the one
you've got; I just keep that for the hired boy to sit on. Yes, she certainly is
an odd child, but there is something kind of taking about her after all. I
don't feel so surprised at you and Matthew keeping her as I did--nor so
sorry for you, either. She may turn out all right. Of course, she has a queer
way of expressing herself-- a little too--well, too kind of forcible, you
know; but she'll likely get over that now that she's come to live among
civilized folks. And then, her temper's pretty quick, I guess; but there's one
comfort, a child that has a quick temper, just blaze up and cool down, ain't
never likely to be sly or deceitful. Preserve me from a sly child, that's what.
On the whole, Marilla, I kind of like her."
When Marilla went home Anne came out of the fragrant twilight of the
orchard with a sheaf of white narcissi in her hands.
"I apologized pretty well, didn't I?" she said proudly as they went down the
lane. "I thought since I had to do it I might as well do it thoroughly."
CHAPTER X 83
"You did it thoroughly, all right enough," was Marilla's comment. Marilla
was dismayed at finding herself inclined to laugh over the recollection. She
had also an uneasy feeling that she ought to scold Anne for apologizing so
well; but then, that was ridiculous! She compromised with her conscience
by saying severely:
"I hope you won't have occasion to make many more such apologies. I hope
you'll try to control your temper now, Anne."
"That wouldn't be so hard if people wouldn't twit me about my looks," said
Anne with a sigh. "I don't get cross about other things; but I'm SO tired of
being twitted about my hair and it just makes me boil right over. Do you
suppose my hair will really be a handsome auburn when I grow up?"
"You shouldn't think so much about your looks, Anne. I'm afraid you are a
very vain little girl."
"How can I be vain when I know I'm homely?" protested Anne. "I love
pretty things; and I hate to look in the glass and see something that isn't
pretty. It makes me feel so sorrowful--just as I feel when I look at any
ugly thing. I pity it because it isn't beautiful."
"Handsome is as handsome does," quoted Marilla. "I've had that said to me
before, but I have my doubts about it," remarked skeptical Anne, sniffing at
her narcissi. "Oh, aren't these flowers sweet! It was lovely of Mrs. Lynde to
give them to me. I have no hard feelings against Mrs. Lynde now. It gives
you a lovely, comfortable feeling to apologize and be forgiven, doesn't it?
Aren't the stars bright tonight? If you could live in a star, which one would
you pick? I'd like that lovely clear big one away over there above that dark
hill."
"Anne, do hold your tongue." said Marilla, thoroughly worn out trying to
follow the gyrations of Anne's thoughts.
Anne said no more until they turned into their own lane. A little gypsy wind
came down it to meet them, laden with the spicy perfume of young
CHAPTER XI 84
dew-wet ferns. Far up in the shadows a cheerful light gleamed out through
the trees from the kitchen at Green Gables. Anne suddenly came close to
Marilla and slipped her hand into the older woman's hard palm.
"It's lovely to be going home and know it's home," she said. "I love Green
Gables already, and I never loved any place before. No place ever seemed
like home. Oh, Marilla, I'm so happy. I could pray right now and not find it
a bit hard."
Something warm and pleasant welled up in Marilla's heart at touch of that
thin little hand in her own--a throb of the maternity she had missed,
perhaps. Its very unaccustomedness and sweetness disturbed her. She
hastened to restore her sensations to their normal calm by inculcating a
moral.
"If you'll be a good girl you'll always be happy, Anne. And you should
never find it hard to say your prayers."
"Saying one's prayers isn't exactly the same thing as praying," said Anne
meditatively. "But I'm going to imagine that I'm the wind that is blowing up
there in those tree tops. When I get tired of the trees I'll imagine I'm gently
waving down here in the ferns--and then I'll fly over to Mrs. Lynde's
garden and set the flowers dancing--and then I'll go with one great swoop
over the clover field--and then I'll blow over the Lake of Shining Waters
and ripple it all up into little sparkling waves. Oh, there's so much scope for
imagination in a wind! So I'll not talk any more just now, Marilla."
"Thanks be to goodness for that," breathed Marilla in devout relief.
CHAPTER XI
Anne's Impressions of Sunday-School
"Well, how do you like them?" said Marilla.
CHAPTER XI 85
Anne was standing in the gable room, looking solemnly at three new
dresses spread out on the bed. One was of snuffy colored gingham which
Marilla had been tempted to buy from a peddler the preceding summer
because it looked so serviceable; one was of black-and-white checkered
sateen which she had picked up at a bargain counter in the winter; and one
was a stiff print of an ugly blue shade which she had purchased that week at
a Carmody store. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]