Two weeks had passed since Anne arrived at Green Gables.
She had been very busy, acquainting herself with every tree, shrub, and plant.
After her discoveries Anne would run home and tell Matthew and Marilla.
Matthew listened to it all with a smile of enjoyment on his face.
Marilla listened until she found herself becoming too interested in Anne's adventures, and then she told Anne to be quiet.
Anne was in the orchard one day when the busybody Mrs. Lynde arrived to inspect her.
Mrs. Lynde said to Marilla, "I've heard all about your orphan.
It's too bad there was a mistake. Can't you send her back?"
"We could, but we decided not to.
Matthew liked her, and I must say, I like her too, though she's not perfect.
The house is a different place already. She's a bright little thing."
"You have no experience with children, Marilla," Mrs. Lynde said, "and you can't guess how she'll be.
I just hope the situation will be all right."
"I'm not discouraged," was Marilla's dry response.
"I suppose you'd like to see Anne. I'll call her."
Anne ran in with her face flushed from her adventures in the orchard.
But the presence of a stranger was unexpected, and Anne was suddenly shy. She stood near the door.
Anne certainly was an odd-looking girl.
She wore the old, ill-fitting dress from the orphanage, and her hair was messy from running around.
"They didn't choose you for your looks, that's for sure!" began Mrs. Lynde.
"She's very skinny and plain, Marilla. Come here, child, and let me look at you.
How many freckles does she have? And hair as red as carrots! Come closer, child."
Anne came closer but not exactly in the manner that Mrs. Lynde expected.
With one jump Anne stood in front of Mrs. Lynde.
Anne's face was red with anger, and she trembled from head to toe.
"I hate you," she said angrily, stamping her foot on the floor.
"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"
She stamped louder each time she spoke.
"How dare you call me ugly and skinny?
How dare you say I have freckles and red hair? You are a rude, unfeeling woman!"
"Anne!" Marilla gasped.
But Anne was not daunted and continued to face Mrs. Lynde with her head up and her eyes furious.
"How dare you say such things about me?" she cried in a choked voice.
"How would you like to be told you are fat and clumsy and probably don't have any imagination?
I hope I hurt your feelings. I will never forgive you, never, never!" Stamp, stamp!
"Did you ever see such a terrible temper!" exclaimed the horrified Mrs. Lynde.
"Anne, go to your room and stay there until I come up!" Marilla said, recovering her powers of speech with some difficulty.
Anne burst into tears, ran through the hall, up the stairs, and slammed the bedroom door.
"Well, good luck with her," said Mrs. Lynde.
"You shouldn't have said those things about her, Rachel," Marilla said.
"What?" said Mrs. Lynde. "Whose side are you on, Marilla?"
"I'm not trying to excuse her," said Marilla slowly.
"She was very naughty. But nobody has taught Anne what is right.
And you did say too much, Rachel."
"I will be very careful when I visit again, Marilla.
An orphan is more important than I am, that's clear!" said Mrs. Lynde and walked out the door in a huff.
Marilla went upstairs, where she found Anne face-down on the bed, crying. "Anne," said Marilla.
There was no answer. "Anne," Marilla said louder.
"Get off the bed and listen now!"
Anne sat up and looked at the floor.
"Mrs. Lynde will certainly have a nice story about you to tell everyone," Marilla went on.
"You must go and say sorry to Mrs. Lynde. You must ask her to forgive you."
"I can never say sorry," said Anne. "You can punish me, Marilla.
You can put me in a deep, dark dungeon with snakes and feed me bread and water. I will not say sorry."
"There aren't any dungeons in Avonlea. But you will stay in your room until you say sorry to Mrs. Lynde."
"Then I will stay here forever," Anne replied.
"I am not sorry. I am happy I said those things!"
At that, Marilla left the room. Downstairs, Marilla told Matthew the story, impressing upon him the seriousness of Anne's misbehavior.
"Mrs. Lynde is an old gossip!" Matthew retorted.
"Matthew! I'm astonished! Don't you think Anne should be punished?" Marilla asked.
"Yes, of course," Matthew answered. "But not too much.
You will give her something to eat while she stays in her room?"
"When do I starve people, Matthew?" said Marilla angrily. "Matthew was no help," she thought.
Marilla brought breakfast, lunch, and dinner to Anne's bedroom.
Anne still did not want to say sorry.
Matthew crept upstairs and went to her room. "Anne," he whispered, "how are you?"
"I'm all right. It is lonely, though."
Anne smiled sadly, thinking of the many years she would stay in the room.
"Anne, how about you say sorry soon?" Matthew whispered again.
"Well, I am sorry now," Anne admitted. "But I can't tell Mrs. Lynde.
It would be so humiliating. But I will do anything for you, if you really want me to."
"Of course I want you to say sorry. It's too quiet without you, Anne.
Just go and say sorry, there's a good girl."
"Very well," said Anne.
"But don't tell Marilla I asked you."
"I won't," said Anne. Matthew left, surprised by his success.
Then Anne leaned over the stair banisters. "Marilla, I'm ready to say sorry."
Anne and Marilla went to Mrs. Lynde's house.
As they walked, Anne did not look sorry. In fact, she looked very happy.
"What are you thinking, Anne?" Marilla asked.
"I'm thinking of what to say to Mrs. Lynde," Anne said.
Marilla was suspicious but said nothing.
As usual, Mrs. Lynde sat at the kitchen window, watching everything that went on outside the house.
Anne suddenly kneeled in front of the surprised Mrs. Lynde and spoke.
"Oh, Mrs. Lynde, I am so, so sorry.
There are not enough words in the dictionary to say how sorry I am.
What you said was true: my hair is red, and I'm freckled and skinny and ugly.
What I said was true too, but I shouldn't have said it. Please, please, please forgive me."
There was no doubt Anne was sincere.
But unlike Marilla, Mrs. Lynde did not realize that Anne was also having fun.
It was very dramatic, and Anne loved drama.
Mrs. Lynde just said, "Get up, child. Of course I forgive you.
Your hair is a terrible color, but maybe it will change when you grow up."
"Oh, thank you, Mrs. Lynde," Anne said. "You give me hope!"
With that, Mrs. Lynde was satisfied.