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“Not much. I went a little last year when I lived with Mrs. Thomas. But they lived so far away from school and I couldn’t go there in winter. But I can read pretty well and I know a lot of poems by heart.”

“Were those women, Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. Hammond good to you?” asked Marilla, looking at Anne out of the corner of her eye.

“O-o-h,” said Anne. “I’m sure they wanted to be, but it’s hard sometimes when you have to work so much and have so many children. But I’m sure they wanted to be good.”

Marilla didn’t ask questions anymore and they drove in silence. Suddenly, Marilla felt such a pity 47 for the child. Poor unloved child, she thought. No wonder the girl wanted a real home. Maybe they could have her, thought the woman again.

She talked too much, thought Marilla. But we can train her out of that. She’s ladylike 48 .

“What is that big house ahead of us?” asked the girl.

“Hotel. A lot of Americans come here. But the season hasn’t started yet,” said Marilla.

“I was afraid it might be Mrs. Spencer’s house,” said Anne sadly. “I don’t want to go there.”

Exercise: What are these words?

to sigh

might

to divide

to imagine

tiny

Mrs. Spencer lived in a big yellow house, and she came to the door with surprise.

“Mrs. Spencer, there was a mistake somewhere and I’ve come to see where. We sent a word, Matthew and I, we told your brother to bring us a boy,” said Marilla.

“But my brother said you wanted a girl. It wasn’t my fault 49 , you see,” said Mrs. Spencer.

“Anyway, the mistake was made. Can we send the child back?” asked Marilla.

“I think so, but there’s no need sending her back as Mrs. Blewett was here yesterday and asked for a little girl from the children’s house.”

Marilla knew Mrs. Blewett only a little. A thin and very greedy 50 woman with a bad temper 51 .

The doorbell rang and in came Mrs. Bewett. Mrs. Spencer was glad they could decide everything right there. Mrs. Spencer told her that if she still wanted a girl, she could take her.

Mrs. Blewett said that the girl had to earn 52 her living, be smart and respect 53 her. She was ready to take Anne.

Marilla looked at Anne’s face, so pale and sad. She understood that the girl would again go to the family where she wouldn’t be treated 54 right. She also thought that if she left the child right there, she would never forgive 55 herself.

“You know, I didn’t come here to send the child back, I just wanted to know how the mistake was made. Anyway, I need to talk with Matthew, I can’t do things without talking to him. I’ll take the child home and if Matthew says he doesn’t want to take the girl, I will send you a note and you can take her,” said Marilla.

Anne smiled when she heard this.

They came back home and Marilla told Matthew that she decided to let the girl stay. “I wouldn’t give a dog to that Blewett woman,” Matthew said.

Exercise: What are these words?

fault

greedy

to decide

to earn

to forgive

Exercise: Answer the questions.

1. What did Marilla feel when she heard Anne’s story?

2. Why did Marilla say she needed to talk with Metthew because she couldn’t decide without him?

“Now, Anne, I saw that you threw your clothes all over the floor last night. That’s not the right thing to do. You need to fold 56 them.”

“I understand. I was so sad that I couldn’t think about it. I’ll fold them nicely tonight.”

“Now, say your prayers 57 and go to bed,” said Marilla.

“But I never say prayers.”

“Don’t you know it’s bad when you don’t say prayers before going to bed?” asked Marilla. “Anne, if you leave under my roof, you need to say the prayers.”

“If you want me to, I will,” said Anne. “But I don’t understand why people say their prayers on their knees. If I wanted to say prayers, I would go into the field or into the forest and look at the blue-blue sky.”

When praying, Anne said thank you for what she had and also asked to stay here at Green Gables.

Marilla closed the door and went away to the kitchen. She told Matthew that they needed to teach the child a lot of things and send her to a Sunday school.

Exercise: What are these words?

knees

roof

prayer

to throw

to fold

Marilla didn’t tell Anne she was going to stay at Green Gables until the next afternoon. She gave her different tasks and watched how she did them. Marilla understood that Anne was smart and didn’t mind the work. Her only problem was daydreaming 58 and imagining things.

Anne finished washing the dishes and came to Marilla. “Please, Mrs. Cuthbert, tell me if you are going to keep me or not.”

“You forgot to wash the towel 59 ,” said Marilla. “Please do that and don’t ask any questions.”

Anne washed the towel, came to Marilla and asked her question again.

“Matthew and I decided to keep you. But you need to be a good girl.”

Anne started crying and said she was happy. She told she would do her best. “How should I call you? Mrs. Cuthbert?” asked Anne.

“No, you can just call me Marilla.”

“Marilla, do you think I will have a friend in Avonlea?”

“There’s a girl called Diana, she’s about your age and she lives not far from school. You might be friends. But you need to be a good girl and don’t talk foolish 60 things. Her aunt won’t let Diana play with a girl who isn’t nice.”