to take them off till it was too late. She says people talked about it
something dreadful. Of course they would think I had no better sense
than to let you go decked out like that.
Oh, I m so sorry, said Anne, tears welling into her eyes. I never
thought you d mind. The roses and buttercups were so sweet and pretty
I thought they d look lovely on my hat. Lots of the little girls had
artificial flowers on their hats. I m afraid I m going to be a dreadful
trial to you. Maybe you d better send me back to the asylum. That would
be terrible; I don t think I could endure it; most likely I would go
into consumption; I m so thin as it is, you see. But that would be
better than being a trial to you.
Nonsense, said Marilla, vexed at herself for having made the child
cry. I don t want to send you back to the asylum, I m sure. All I want
is that you should behave like other little girls and not make yourself
ridiculous. Don t cry any more. I ve got some news for you. Diana Barry
came home this afternoon. I m going up to see if I can borrow a skirt
pattern from Mrs. Barry, and if you like you can come with me and get
acquainted with Diana.
Anne rose to her feet, with clasped hands, the tears still glistening on
her cheeks; the dish towel she had been hemming slipped unheeded to the
floor.
Oh, Marilla, I m frightened--now that it has come I m actually
frightened. What if she shouldn t like me! It would be the most tragical
disappointment of my life.
Now, don t get into a fluster. And I do wish you wouldn t use such long
words. It sounds so funny in a little girl. I guess Diana ll like you
well enough. It s her mother you ve got to reckon with. If she doesn t
like you it won t matter how much Diana does. If she has heard about
your outburst to Mrs. Lynde and going to church with buttercups round
your hat I don t know what she ll think of you. You must be polite and
well behaved, and don t make any of your startling speeches. For pity s
sake, if the child isn t actually trembling!
Anne _was_ trembling. Her face was pale and tense.
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