the matter. Here was an unexpectedly good chance to get this unwelcome
orphan off her hands, and she did not even feel grateful for it.
She knew Mrs. Peter Blewett only by sight as a small, shrewish-faced
woman without an ounce of superfluous flesh on her bones. But she had
heard of her. A terrible worker and driver, Mrs. Peter was said to
be; and discharged servant girls told fearsome tales of her temper and
stinginess, and her family of pert, quarrelsome children. Marilla felt
a qualm of conscience at the thought of handing Anne over to her tender
mercies.
Well, I ll go in and we ll talk the matter over, she said.
And if there isn t Mrs. Peter coming up the lane this blessed minute!
exclaimed Mrs. Spencer, bustling her guests through the hall into the
parlor, where a deadly chill struck on them as if the air had been
strained so long through dark green, closely drawn blinds that it had
lost every particle of warmth it had ever possessed. That is real
lucky, for we can settle the matter right away. Take the armchair,
Miss Cuthbert. Anne, you sit here on the ottoman and don t wriggle.
Let me take your hats. Flora Jane, go out and put the kettle on. Good
afternoon, Mrs. Blewett. We were just saying how fortunate it was you
happened along. Let me introduce you two ladies. Mrs. Blewett, Miss
Cuthbert. Please excuse me for just a moment. I forgot to tell Flora
Jane to take the buns out of the oven.
Mrs. Spencer whisked away, after pulling up the blinds. Anne, sitting
mutely on the ottoman, with her hands clasped tightly in her lap,
stared at Mrs. Blewett as one fascinated. Was she to be given into the
keeping of this sharp-faced, sharp-eyed woman? She felt a lump coming
up in her throat and her eyes smarted painfully. She was beginning to
be afraid she couldn t keep the tears back when Mrs. Spencer returned,
flushed and beaming, quite capable of taking any and every difficulty,
physical, mental or spiritual, into consideration and settling it out
of hand.
It seems there s been a mistake about this little girl, Mrs. Blewett,
she said. I was under the impression that Mr. and Miss Cuthbert wanted
a little girl to adopt. I was certainly told so. But it seems it was a
boy they wanted. So if you re still of the same mind you were yesterday,
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