Chapter 7 Chapter Six

While speaking, the carriage had arrived at the door of Swensa's house.Mrs. Svensa lived in a yellow house by the sea in White Sound.The hospitable Mrs. Svensa hurried out of the house when she saw the carriage parked at the door. "Ah, ah!" exclaimed Mrs. Svensa in surprise. "I didn't expect to have a distinguished guest. Welcome, welcome! Please get out of the carriage, come, come, and mount the horse. How is Annie? How are you?" "Normally." Annie replied with a sullen face, as if a shadow was cast on her face. "I'm sorry to disturb you in my busy schedule." Marilla said, "I have already agreed with Marshall to go back as soon as possible. Ah, madam, I want to ask you if there is something wrong. Marshall and I both wish to adopt a boy from the orphanage, and have sent word from your brother Robert that a boy of ten or eleven has been entreated."

"Ah? Marilla, is this true?" After hearing this, Mrs. Swensa felt that the matter had become complicated. "Robert sent his daughter Nancy to say you wanted a girl. Yes, that's what Nancy said. Jenny, didn't she say that?" Mrs. Sventha asked her daughter at the door. "Nancy did say so." Jenny also confirmed seriously. "I'm so sorry," Mrs. Svensa explained hastily. "It's a mistake, but I can't say it's my fault. I did exactly what the family asked me to do, and I did my best. Nancy is so so-so." girl. I have spoken to her several times for this fault."

"So it's our responsibility." Marilla said helplessly, "Such an important matter should not be conveyed verbally. We should go directly to Madam for an interview. If there is a mistake, there is no way to undo it. The key is What should Annie do, let her go back to the orphanage, or ask someone to adopt her?" "That's not a problem," said Mrs. Svensa after a moment's thought. "I don't think it's necessary to send her back to the orphanage. Yesterday, Mrs. Peter Briett came to my house and asked me to find her a housekeeper." girls.

Her family is a big family with a shortage of manpower.It was a wonderful coincidence that Anne happened to be able to go. " Contrary to Marilla's expectation, Anne's matter was settled so quickly.But she didn't feel overjoyed at all, on the contrary she was a little dazed. Marilla and Mrs. Peter Briett were unfamiliar, but they had met several times.This woman has no excess flesh, she is small, she looks very mean, and she is said to be rough and rude to people, and none of the girls who were fired from her family said anything good about her.In addition to her bad temper and pettiness, her children are also arrogant and unreasonable, fighting and causing trouble all day long.

Marilla seemed to feel a pang of conscience at the thought of sending Anne to such a family. "Could you let us go in and sit down and we'll talk it over, okay?" Marilla said. But at this moment, Mrs. Svensa shouted, "Oh! Isn't that Mrs. Pitt? What a coincidence." Then, Mrs. Swensa let Marilla and the other three into the living room.Then the dark green shutters were lowered, and the room suddenly became dark and deserted.With the long shutters closed, all the warm air in the room seemed to disappear at once. "Annie is so lucky that we can talk right away. Come, come, Marilla, please sit in this armchair, and Anne, sit on the bench over there, and don't creak, creak. Crack, give me my hat. Jenny, you put the kettle on the fire.

"Hello, Briette! I just want to tell you something. Let me introduce you, this is Miss Cuthbart. "Ah, I'm so sorry, I forgot to tell Jenny to take the bread out of the oven, please wait a moment." With that, Mrs. Svensa drew up the shutters and hurried out. Anne put her clenched hands on her knees, and sat down on the edge of the bench in silence, staring fixedly at Mrs. Briett with her big eyes.She thought to herself, "Should I just go to this wicked-looking man in front of me?" The more she thought about it, the sadder she became, and her eyes couldn't help but throb and hurt.

The tears couldn't be stopped, almost bursting out of my eyes. Just then Mrs. Svensa came back.She was blushing and smiling sweetly, as if telling people that no matter what kind of problems, including physical, spiritual, and spiritual, they would be resolved satisfactorily in the end. "Mrs. Briett, something is wrong with this child. Miss Cuthbart said she wanted to adopt a girl, and that's what I heard. But in fact, she wanted to adopt a boy. If it still looks like Ma'am, as you said yesterday, I think this girl is just right for you, isn't she?" Madame Briette looked Anne up and down carefully.

"How old is it? What's your name?" asked the lady. "Anne? Jerry, 11 years old." Annie shrank back in fright and replied timidly. "Huh, you're too thin, not very strong, but you look full of energy. If you come to my house, I don't ask you to be a good boy, as long as you can be obedient, work quickly, be quick, and know your own duty. "Really, there is such a small mistake in the middle, then, let this child be taken care of by my family. Miss Cuthbart, my baby is so difficult to take care of, and I'm exhausted.If possible, I will take her back now. "

Marilla glanced at Anne, and saw that she was immersed in extreme sorrow, her mouth was tightly shut and she said nothing, a miserable expression appeared on her pale face, completely like the pain of a small animal about to be slaughtered , Sad poor look. Marilla thought to herself, "If you push Anne out at this time, if you ignore Anne's silent and tragic confession, you will be condemned by your conscience even to the end of your life. This Mrs. Briette is not reassuring. A very sensitive, impulsive child should never be placed in the hands of such a man! I cannot do such a foolish thing."

"Ah, this matter..." Marilla said slowly, "It's not that Marshall and I don't want to adopt this child. To be honest, my brother really wants to keep her, and I just came to find out. It seems better to let me take it back first, and let Marxie and I discuss it later. I'm afraid it's not good to decide to send the child away without first saying hello to my brother. "If we decide not to adopt, we will send the child to your house tomorrow night. If you don't come, then we have decided to adopt it. Do you think this is okay?" "Whether it's good or not, it seems that we can only do as you say." Mrs. Briette said unhappily.

Just when Marilla spoke just now, Annie's face was like a sunny day after the rain. The despair disappeared immediately, and the red color full of hope returned.The eyes are as bright and deep as the stars in the morning light, they are completely different from her just now. Mrs. Briette explained to Mrs. Svensa at this time that she wanted to borrow a cooking card.So, the two went to another room to pick it up.Anne threw herself into Marilla's arms as soon as they were out. "Miss Cuthbart, I may still have hope to stay in Green Gaybruzzi, is that really what you said just now?" Annie asked eagerly in a low voice.As if he was afraid that if his voice was a little louder, the good things might come to naught, "Did you really say that, or am I just dreaming?" "Annie, you can't even tell the truth from the fake, your fantasy is too much of a problem." Marilla seemed a little annoyed, "Yes, I did say that, but I just said it, not Not finalized. Perhaps at last you will be sent to Mrs. Briette's, whose family seems to need you more than mine. " "It would be better to go back to the orphanage if I went to that person's house!" Annie said angrily, "That person seems like an awl." Marilla felt a little funny when she heard this, and thought to herself, "Is this child accusing me of saying such things to me?" But she couldn't help but not laugh, "A child's family, but such a comment Don’t you feel shy, a lady you’re meeting for the first time?” Marilla reprimanded severely, “Go over there, sit quietly, be quiet, and behave yourself!” "If you agree to adopt me, I will do whatever you want me to do." Anne pleaded and returned to the bench obediently. In the evening, Marilla and Anne returned to Green Gaybruzzi.Marshall was already standing on the path to meet him.Marilla had noticed Marshall from afar, walking up and down the path, as if he had become restless about something.When he saw Marilla came back with Annie, a stone in his heart finally fell to the ground. Marilla didn't say a word about Anne after the meeting.After getting off the car, she and Marshall went to milk the cows in the backyard of the barn.While milking the cow, Marilla told Marshall about Anne's life experience and the results of the interview. "That man, Briette, is worse than a bastard! How can you give him a child?" After hearing this, Marshall said in a rare decisive tone. "I don't like that person very much." Marilla also admitted, "But I was very confused at the time whether to give her away or keep her. It seems that my brother wants to keep her, and I also think it is the best policy to stay. The reason for this is that It’s a last resort. If you continue to be so contradictory and tormented, you will gradually develop heart disease. I think we have an obligation to do so. We have never had children, especially girls. Although I know it will be a problem to keep her Trouble, but I'm going to do my best to get it right anyway. So, I decided to adopt that kid." Hearing this, Marshall, who had always been shy, showed a happy expression on his face, "Ah, you finally figured it out now! That child is indeed a very cute and interesting child, right?" "It's better to say that she is a very cute and useful child." Marilla corrected, "I must let her become talented and promising. Brother, please don't ask me about my education methods. An old girl may not know how to educate children. But it should be better than a bachelor. So, you have to listen to me about the child's affairs, and you'd better stay out of your own business. If I fail, it is not too late for you to discipline me. " "Well, well, you can do whatever you want, Marilla." Marshall coaxed her, "but you must not coddle or indulge her, but you must be as gentle, considerate, and educated as you can, as long as you can catch her." This child's heart is fine. This child is a good seedling." Marshall went on to make a whole lot more about the utter unreliability of women.Marilla couldn't take it anymore, so she snorted, picked up the bucket, and went to the milk processing hut. "Now that it's settled, let's talk to Anne tonight." Marilla thought while pouring milk into the cream separator, "The kid will be so excited that he won't be able to sleep. Let's decide , there is really no way. It is hard to imagine that we will ever adopt an orphan, which alone is astonishing enough, and it is all thanks to Marshall. Marshall, who was terribly afraid of the child, actually spoke up for her. All in all, now that it's settled, let's try it out. As for how it will develop in the future, only God knows."