And so the next morning Marilla said, ‘Well, Anne, Matthew and I have decided to keep you, only if you’re a good girl, of course. Why, child, what’s the matter?’

‘I’m crying,’ sobbed Anne, ‘because I’m very happy! It’s beautiful here! People say I’m very bad, but I’ll try very hard to be good. Oh, thank you! Thank you!’

‘Now stop crying, child,’ said Marilla a little crossly, ‘and listen. We’re going to adopt you, and send you to school after the summer holidays.’

Anne stopped crying. ‘Can I call you Aunt Marilla? I’ve never had any family at all, so I’d really like to have an aunt. We could imagine that you’re my mother’s sister.’

‘I couldn’t,’ answered Marilla firmly.

‘Don’t you imagine things?’ asked Anne, surprised.

‘No, I don’t,’ Marilla replied. ‘I do my housework, and look after Matthew, and go to church on Sunday. There’s no time for imagining things in this house. Just remember that, Anne.’

Anne was silent for a few minutes. Then she said, ‘Marilla, do you think I’ll find a best friend in Avonlea? Someone who really understands me and knows all my secrets. I’ve always wanted a friend like that.

‘Our friends, the Barrys, have a daughter called Diana, who’s eleven, kike you. But if you want to play with her, you’ll have to be very good. Mrs. Barry is very careful about Diana’s friends.’

‘Diana! What a beautiful name!’ said Anne excitedly. ‘Her hair isn’t red, is it? I hope it isn’t.’ She looked sadly at her red plaints. ‘I hate my hair.’

‘Diana has dark hair. She’s a good, clever girl. Try to be like her, Anne.’

When the two girls met, they knew at once that they would be god friends. They often played together, in the fields, or by the river, or in the garden. In the morning Anne helped Marilla with the housework. Then in the afternoon she played with Diana, or talked happily to Matthew while he worked on the farm. She soon knew and loved every flower, tree, and animal at Green Gables.

The Cuthberts had another friend, Mrs. Rachel Lynde. She liked to know everything that was happening in and around Avonlea. She was very interested in the Cuthberts’ little orphan girl, so one day she visited Marilla.

‘I was very surprised to hear about the child,’ she told Marilla. ‘So you and Matthew have adopted her!’

‘I’m surprised myself,’ answered Marilla with a smile. ‘But she is a clever little thing, you know. And she is always dancing, or singing, or laughing.

Mrs. Lynde shook her head sadly. ‘What a mistake, Marilla! You’ve never had any children yourself, so how can you look after her?’

Just then Anne ran in from the garden. She stopped suddenly when she saw a stranger in the kitchen. Mrs. Lynde looked at the thin little girl in the short dress, with her freckled face and red hair.

‘Isn’t she thin, Marilla?’ she said. ‘Just look at those freckles! And hair as red as carrots!’

Anne’s face went red. She ran up to Mrs. Lynde.

‘I hate you!’ she shouted angrily. ‘I hate you! You’re a horrible, fat old woman!’ And she ran upstairs.

‘Oh dear, oh dear!’ said Mrs. Lynde. ‘What a terrible child! You’ll not have an easy time with her, Marilla.’

‘You’re rude to her, Rachel,’ Marilla replied, before she could stop herself.

‘Well!’ said Mrs. Lynde. She got up and walked to the door. ‘I think this orphan is more important to you than I am. When I think how long we’ve been friends…You’ll have trouble with her, I can tell you. Well, I’m sorry for you, that’s all. Goodbye.’

Marilla went upstairs to Anne’s room. The child was lying on her narrow bed, sobbing loudly.

‘You mustn’t get angry like that, Anne. Mrs. Lynde is my friend, and you were very rude to her.’

‘She was rude to me!’ said Anne. ‘She said I was thin and freckled and red-haired. It was very unkind.’

‘I understand how you feel,’ said Marilla. ‘But you must go to her and tell her you’re sorry.’

‘I can never do that,’ said Anne firmly.

‘Then you must stay in your room and think about it. You can come out when you agree to say that you’re sorry.’

Anne stayed in her room all the next day. Downstairs the house was very quiet without her. That evening, while Marilla was busy in the garden, Matthew went up to Anne’s room. The child was sitting sadly by the window.

‘Anne,’ he said shyly, ‘why don’t you say you’re sorry? Then you can come down, and we can all be happy.’

‘I am sorry now,’ said Anne. ‘I was very angry yesterday! But do you really want me to…’

‘Yes, do, please. It’s lonely downstairs without you. But don’t tell Marilla I’ve talked to you.’

Marilla was pleased to hear that Anne was sorry. Later that evening, when she and Anne were in Mrs. Lynde’s warm kitchen, An. she suddenly fell on her knees.

‘Oh, Mrs. Lynde,’ cried the little girl, ‘I’m very sorry. I can’t tell you how sorry I am, so you must just imagine it. I am a bad girl! But please say you will forgive me. I’ll be sad all my life if you don’t.’

‘She’s enjoying herself!’ thought Marilla, watching Anne’s face. ‘She doesn’t look sorry at all, but happy and excited!’

But Mrs. Lynde said kindly, ‘Of course I forgive you.’ And later she said to Marilla, ‘Perhaps you’re right to keep her. She’s a strange little thing, but I think I like her.’