rilla. You can shut me up in a dark,
damp dungeon inhabited by snakes and toads and feed me only on bread and
water and I shall not complain. But I cannot ask Mrs. Lynde to forgive
me."

"We're not in the habit of shutting people up in dark damp dungeons,"
said Marilla drily, "especially as they're rather scarce in Avonlea. But
apologize to Mrs. Lynde you must and shall and you'll stay here in your
room until you can tell me you're willing to do it."

"I shall have to stay here forever then," said Anne mournfully, "because
I can't tell Mrs. Lynde I'm sorry I said those things to her. How can
I? I'm NOT sorry. I'm sorry I've vexed you; but I'm GLAD I told her just
what I did. It was a great satisfaction. I can't say I'm sorry when I'm
not, can I? I can't even IMAGINE I'm sorry."

"Perhaps your imagination will be in better working order by the
morning," said Marilla, rising to depart. "You'll have the night to
think over your conduct in and come to a better frame of mind. You said
you would try to be a very good girl if we kept you at Green Gables, but
I must say it hasn't seemed very much like it this evening."

Leaving this Parthian shaft to rankle in Anne's stormy bosom, Marilla
descended to the kitchen, grievously troubled in mind and vexed in
soul. She was as angry with herself as with Anne, because, whenever she
recalled Mrs. Rachel's dumbfounded countenance her lips twitched with
amusement and she felt a most reprehensible desire to laugh.

CHAPTER X. Anne's Apology

Marilla said nothing to Matthew about the affair that evening; but when
Anne proved still refractory the next morning an explanation had to be
made to account for her absence from the breakfast table. Marilla told
Matthew the whole story, taking pains to impress him with a due sense of
the enormity of Anne's behavior.

"It's a good thing Rachel Lynde got a calling down; she's a meddlesome
old gossip," was Matthew's consolatory rejoinder.

"Matthew Cuthbert, I'm astonished at you. You know that Anne's behavior
was dreadful, and yet you take her part! I suppose you'll be saying next
thing that she oughtn't to be punished at all!"

"Well now--no--not exactly," said Matthew uneasily. "I reckon she
ought to be punished a little. But don't be too hard on her, Marilla.
Recollect she hasn't ever had anyone to teach her right. You're--you're
going to give her something to eat, aren't you?"

"When did you ever hear of me starving people into