No, I didn t, said Anne solemnly, meeting Marilla s angry gaze
squarely. I never took the brooch out of your room and that is the
truth, if I was to be led to the block for it--although I m not very
certain what a block is. So there, Marilla.
Anne s so there was only intended to emphasize her assertion, but
Marilla took it as a display of defiance.
I believe you are telling me a falsehood, Anne, she said sharply. I
know you are. There now, don t say anything more unless you are prepared
to tell the whole truth. Go to your room and stay there until you are
ready to confess.
Will I take the peas with me? said Anne meekly.
No, I ll finish shelling them myself. Do as I bid you.
When Anne had gone Marilla went about her evening tasks in a very
disturbed state of mind. She was worried about her valuable brooch. What
if Anne had lost it? And how wicked of the child to deny having taken
it, when anybody could see she must have! With such an innocent face,
too!
I don t know what I wouldn t sooner have had happen, thought Marilla,
as she nervously shelled the peas. Of course, I don t suppose she meant
to steal it or anything like that. She s just taken it to play with
or help along that imagination of hers. She must have taken it, that s
clear, for there hasn t been a soul in that room since she was in it, by
her own story, until I went up tonight. And the brooch is gone, there s
nothing surer. I suppose she has lost it and is afraid to own up for
fear she ll be punished. It s a dreadful thing to think she tells
falsehoods. It s a far worse thing than her fit of temper. It s a
fearful responsibility to have a child in your house you can t trust.
Slyness and untruthfulness--that s what she has displayed. I declare I
feel worse about that than about the brooch. If she d only have told the
truth about it I wouldn t mind so much.
Marilla went to her room at intervals all through the evening and
searched for the brooch, without finding it. A bedtime visit to the
east gable produced no result. Anne persisted in denying that she knew
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