Like it! Oh, Matthew! Anne laid the dress over a chair and clasped
her hands. Matthew, it s perfectly exquisite. Oh, I can never thank you
enough. Look at those sleeves! Oh, it seems to me this must be a happy
dream.
Well, well, let us have breakfast, interrupted Marilla. I must say,
Anne, I don t think you needed the dress; but since Matthew has got it
for you, see that you take good care of it. There s a hair ribbon Mrs.
Lynde left for you. It s brown, to match the dress. Come now, sit in.
I don t see how I m going to eat breakfast, said Anne rapturously.
Breakfast seems so commonplace at such an exciting moment. I d rather
feast my eyes on that dress. I m so glad that puffed sleeves are still
fashionable. It did seem to me that I d never get over it if they went
out before I had a dress with them. I d never have felt quite satisfied,
you see. It was lovely of Mrs. Lynde to give me the ribbon too. I feel
that I ought to be a very good girl indeed. It s at times like this I m
sorry I m not a model little girl; and I always resolve that I will
be in future. But somehow it s hard to carry out your resolutions when
irresistible temptations come. Still, I really will make an extra effort
after this.
When the commonplace breakfast was over Diana appeared, crossing the
white log bridge in the hollow, a gay little figure in her crimson
ulster. Anne flew down the slope to meet her.
Merry Christmas, Diana! And oh, it s a wonderful Christmas. I ve
something splendid to show you. Matthew has given me the loveliest
dress, with _such_ sleeves. I couldn t even imagine any nicer.
I ve got something more for you, said Diana breathlessly. Here--this
box. Aunt Josephine sent us out a big box with ever so many things in
it--and this is for you. I d have brought it over last night, but it
didn t come until after dark, and I never feel very comfortable coming
through the Haunted Wood in the dark now.
Anne opened the box and peeped in. First a card with For the Anne-girl
and Merry Christmas, written on it; and then, a pair of the daintiest
little kid slippers, with beaded toes and satin bows and glistening
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