t would haunt her to her dying day. More-over, she did
not fancy Mrs. Blewett. To hand a sensitive, "highstrung" child over to
such a woman! No, she could not take the responsibility of doing that!

"Well, I don't know," she said slowly. "I didn't say that Matthew and I
had absolutely decided that we wouldn't keep her. In fact I may say that
Matthew is disposed to keep her. I just came over to find out how the
mistake had occurred. I think I'd better take her home again and talk it
over with Matthew. I feel that I oughtn't to decide on anything without
consulting him. If we make up our mind not to keep her we'll bring or
send her over to you tomorrow night. If we don't you may know that she
is going to stay with us. Will that suit you, Mrs. Blewett?"

"I suppose it'll have to," said Mrs. Blewett ungraciously.

During Marilla's speech a sunrise had been dawning on Anne's face. First
the look of despair faded out; then came a faint flush of hope;
here eyes grew deep and bright as morning stars. The child was quite
transfigured; and, a moment later, when Mrs. Spencer and Mrs. Blewett
went out in quest of a recipe the latter had come to borrow she sprang
up and flew across the room to Marilla.

"Oh, Miss Cuthbert, did you really say that perhaps you would let me
stay at Green Gables?" she said, in a breathless whisper, as if speaking
aloud might shatter the glorious possibility. "Did you really say it? Or
did I only imagine that you did?"

"I think you'd better learn to control that imagination of yours, Anne,
if you can't distinguish between what is real and what isn't," said
Marilla crossly. "Yes, you did hear me say just that and no more. It
isn't decided yet and perhaps we will conclude to let Mrs. Blewett take
you after all. She certainly needs you much more than I do."

"I'd rather go back to the asylum than go to live with her," said Anne
passionately. "She looks exactly like a--like a gimlet."

Marilla smothered a smile under the conviction that Anne must be
reproved for such a speech.

"A little girl like you should be ashamed of talking so about a lady and
a stranger," she said severely. "Go back and sit down quietly and hold
your tongue and behave as a good girl should."

"I'll try to do and be anything you want me, if you'll only keep me,"
said Anne, returning meekly to her ottoman.

When they arrived back at Green Gables that evening Matthew met them in
the lane. Marilla from afar had noted him prowli