"I've been hearing some surprising things about you and Matthew."



"I don't suppose you are any more surprised than I am myself,"

said Marilla. "I'm getting over my surprise now."



"It was too bad there was such a mistake," said Mrs.

Rachel sympathetically. "Couldn't you have sent her back?"



"I suppose we could, but we decided not to. Matthew

took a fancy to her. And I must say I like her myself--



although I admit she has her faults. The house seems a

different place already. She's a real bright little thing."



Marilla said more than she had intended to say when she began,

for she read disapproval in Mrs. Rachel's expression.



"It's a great responsibility you've taken on yourself,"

said that lady gloomily, "especially when you've never had



any experience with children. You don't know much about

her or her real disposition, I suppose, and there's no



guessing how a child like that will turn out. But I don't

want to discourage you I'm sure, Marilla."



"I'm not feeling discouraged," was Marilla's dry response.

"when I make up my mind to do a thing it stays made up.



I suppose you'd like to see Anne. I'll call her in."

Anne came running in presently, her face sparkling with



the delight of her orchard rovings; but, abashed at finding

the delight herself in the unexpected presence of a stranger,



she halted confusedly inside the door. She certainly was an

odd-looking little creature in the short tight wincey dress



she had worn from the asylum, below which her thin legs

seemed ungracefully long. Her freckles were more numerous



and obtrusive than ever; the wind had ruffled her hatless

hair into over-brilliant disorder; it had never looked



redder than at that moment.

"Well, they didn't pick you for your looks, that's sure



and certain," was Mrs. Rachel Lynde's emphatic comment.

Mrs. Rachel was one of those delightful and popular



people who pride themselves on speaking their mind without

fear or favor. "She's terrible skinny and homely, Marilla.



Come here, child, and let me have a look at you. Lawful

heart, did any one ever see such freckles? And hair as red



as carrots! Come here, child, I say."

Anne "came there," but not exactly as Mrs. Rachel



expected. With one bound she crossed the kitchen floor

and stood before Mrs. Rachel, her face scarlet with anger,



her lips quivering, and her whole slender form trembling

from head to foot.



"I hate you," she cried in a choked voice, stamping her

foot on the floor. "I hate you--I hate you--I hate you--"



a louder stamp with each assertion of hatred. "How dare

you call me skinny and ugly? How dare you say I'm freckled



and redheaded? You are a rude, impolite, unfeeling woman!"

"Anne!" exclaimed Marilla in consternation.



But Anne continued to face Mrs. Rachel undauntedly,

head up, eyes blazing, hands clenched, passionate



indignation exhaling from her like an atmosphere.

"How dare you say such things about me?" she repeated



vehemently. "How would you like to have such things said

about you? How would you like to be told that you are fat



and clumsy and probably hadn't a spark of imagination in

you? I don't care if I do hurt your feelings by saying so!



I hope I hurt them. You have hurt mine worse than they

were ever hurt before even by Mrs. Thomas' intoxicated



husband. And I'll NEVER forgive you for it, never, never!"

Stamp! Stamp!



"Did anybody ever see such a temper!" exclaimed the horrified

Mrs. Rachel.



"Anne go to your room and stay there until I come up,"

said Marilla, recovering her powers of speech with difficulty.



Anne, bursting into tears, rushed to the hall door,

slammed it until the tins on the porch wall outside rattled



in sympathy, and fled through the hall and up the stairs

like a whirlwind. A subdued slam above told that the door



of the east gable had been shut with equal vehemence.

"Well, I don't envy you your job bringing THAT up,



Marilla," said Mrs. Rachel with unspeakablesolemnity.

Marilla opened her lips to say she knew not what of apology

• imagination [i,mædʒi´neiʃən] n.想象(力) (初中英语单词)


• approve [ə´pru:v] v.赞成；同意；批准 (初中英语单词)


• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)


• blossom [´blɔsəm] n.花；开花期 vi.开花 (初中英语单词)


• learning [´lə:niŋ] n.学习；学问；知识 (初中英语单词)


• velvet [´velvit] n.&a.天鹅绒(般的) (初中英语单词)


• carpet [´kɑ:pit] n.地毯 vt.铺地毯 (初中英语单词)


• midnight [´midnait] n.午夜；漆黑 (初中英语单词)


• pointed [´pɔintid] a.尖(锐)的；中肯的 (初中英语单词)


• solemn [´sɔləm] a.严肃的；隆重的 (初中英语单词)


• whenever [wen´evə] conj.&ad.无论何时 (初中英语单词)


• reflection [ri´flekʃən] n.反射；映象；想法 (初中英语单词)


• properly [´prɔpəli] ad.适当地；严格地 (初中英语单词)


• inspect [in´spekt] v.检查；视察；检阅 (初中英语单词)


• severe [si´viə] a.严厉的；苛刻的 (初中英语单词)


• illness [´ilnis] n.生病，不健康，疾病 (初中英语单词)


• curiosity [,kjuəri´ɔsiti] n.好奇；奇事；珍品 (初中英语单词)


• abroad [ə´brɔ:d] ad.海外；到处；广泛 (初中英语单词)


• delicious [di´liʃəs] a.美味的，可口的 (初中英语单词)


• twilight [´twailait] n.黎明；黄昏 (初中英语单词)


• delicate [´delikət] a.精美的；微妙的 (初中英语单词)


• orchard [´ɔ:tʃəd] n.果园 (初中英语单词)


• sunshine [´sʌnʃain] n.日光，阳光 (初中英语单词)


• surprising [sə´praiziŋ] a.惊人的；意外的 (初中英语单词)


• responsibility [ri,spɔnsə´biliti] n.责任(心)；职责；任务 (初中英语单词)


• disposition [,dispə´ziʃən] n.安排；性情；倾向 (初中英语单词)


• discourage [dis´kʌridʒ] vt.使泄气，使沮丧 (初中英语单词)


• running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)


• presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)


• delightful [di´laitful] a.讨人喜欢的 (初中英语单词)


• scarlet [´skɑ:lit] n.猩红色 a.猩红的 (初中英语单词)


• slender [´slendə] a.细长的；微薄的 (初中英语单词)


• hatred [´heitrid] n.憎恨，敌意 (初中英语单词)


• forgive [fə´giv] vt.原谅，谅解，宽恕 (初中英语单词)


• sympathy [´simpəθi] n.同情，怜悯 (初中英语单词)


• nonsense [´nɔnsəns] n.胡说 int.胡说!废话 (高中英语单词)


• temptation [temp´teiʃən] n.引诱，诱惑(物) (高中英语单词)


• learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)


• silken [´silkən] a.丝制的；柔软光滑的 (高中英语单词)


• crimson [´krimzən] a.&n.深(紫)红(的) (高中英语单词)


• hanging [´hæŋiŋ] n.绞刑 a.悬挂着的 (高中英语单词)


• cherry [´tʃeri] n.樱桃(树) (高中英语单词)


• fortnight [´fɔ:tnait] n.两星期 (高中英语单词)


• contempt [kən´tempt] n.轻蔑；受辱；不顾 (高中英语单词)


• hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)


• woodland [´wudlənd] n.树林，林地 (高中英语单词)


• perpetual [pə´petʃuəl] a.永恒的；终身的 (高中英语单词)


• exploration [,eksplɔ:´reiʃən] n.探索；探险；考察 (高中英语单词)


• enjoyment [in´dʒɔimənt] n.享受；愉快；乐趣 (高中英语单词)


• hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)


• decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)


• unexpected [ʌniks´pektid] a.突然的；意外的 (高中英语单词)


• disorder [dis´ɔ:də] n.杂乱 vt.扰乱 (高中英语单词)


• homely [´həumli] a.朴素的；不漂亮的 (高中英语单词)


• clumsy [´klʌmzi] a.笨拙的；粗俗的 (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• shorten [´ʃɔ:tn] v.缩短，变短 (英语四级单词)


• irresistible [,iri´zistəbəl] a.不可抵抗的 (英语四级单词)


• upstairs [,ʌp´steəz] ad.在楼上 a.楼上的 (英语四级单词)


• tapestry [´tæpistri] n.挂毯 (英语四级单词)


• mahogany [mə´hɔgəni] n.红木；桃花心木 (英语四级单词)


• luxurious [lʌg´zjuəriəs] a.奢侈的；豪华的 (英语四级单词)


• gracefully [´greisfuli] ad.优美地，斯文地 (英语四级单词)


• freckled [´frekld] a.有雀斑的，有斑点的 (英语四级单词)


• bridge [bridʒ] n.桥(梁)；鼻梁；桥牌 (英语四级单词)


• whereupon [,weərə´pɔn] ad.在什么上面；因此 (英语四级单词)


• assertion [ə´sə:ʃən] n.断言；主张；论述 (英语四级单词)


• whirlwind [´wə:l,wind] n.旋风；猛烈的势力 (英语四级单词)


• apology [ə´pɔlədʒi] n.道歉(的话)；辩解 (英语四级单词)


• fickle [´fikəl] a.轻浮的；多变的 (英语六级单词)


• minded [´maindid] a.有…心的 (英语六级单词)


• disapproval [,disə´pru:vəl] n.不赞成；非难 (英语六级单词)


• gloomily [´glu:mili] adv.忧郁的 (英语六级单词)


• asylum [ə´sailəm] n.避难所，收容所 (英语六级单词)


• emphatic [im´fætik] a.强调的；断然的 (英语六级单词)


• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)


• unspeakable [ʌn´spi:kəbl] a.不能以言语表达的 (英语六级单词)