I saw it this afternoon when you were away at the Aid Society," said
Anne, a little slowly. "I was passing your door when I saw it on the
cushion, so I went in to look at it."

"Did you touch it?" said Marilla sternly.

"Y-e-e-s," admitted Anne, "I took it up and I pinned it on my breast
just to see how it would look."

"You had no business to do anything of the sort. It's very wrong in a
little girl to meddle. You shouldn't have gone into my room in the first
place and you shouldn't have touched a brooch that didn't belong to you
in the second. Where did you put it?"

"Oh, I put it back on the bureau. I hadn't it on a minute. Truly, I
didn't mean to meddle, Marilla. I didn't think about its being wrong to
go in and try on the brooch; but I see now that it was and I'll never
do it again. That's one good thing about me. I never do the same naughty
thing twice."

"You didn't put it back," said Marilla. "That brooch isn't anywhere on
the bureau. You've taken it out or something, Anne."

"I did put it back," said Anne quickly--pertly, Marilla thought. "I
don't just remember whether I stuck it on the pincushion or laid it in
the china tray. But I'm perfectly certain I put it back."

"I'll go and have another look," said Marilla, determining to be just.
"If you put that brooch back it's there still. If it isn't I'll know you
didn't, that's all!"

Marilla went to her room and made a thorough search, not only over the
bureau but in every other place she thought the brooch might possibly
be. It was not to be found and she returned to the kitchen.

"Anne, the brooch is gone. By your own admission you were the last
person to handle it. Now, what have you done with it? Tell me the truth
at once. Did you take it out and lose it?"

"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