Читать книгу Энн из Зеленых Крыш. Уровень 1 / Anne of Green Gables - Люси Мод Монтгомери, Kate Harper - Страница 8

"Well,” said Marilla to Anne, "Matthew and I will keep you – that is, if you try to be a good little girl and show yourself grateful. Why do you cry, child?”

"I don't know why,” said Anne in a tone of bewilderment. "I'm glad! Oh, it's something more than glad. I'm so happy! I'll try to be very good!”

"Sit down on that chair and try to calm yourself,” said Marilla disapprovingly. "Yes, you can stay here. You must go to school, when it opens again in September.”

"What will I call you?” asked Anne. "Shall I always say Miss Cuthbert? Can I call you Aunt Marilla?”

"No; you'll call me just plain Marilla. Not Miss Cuthbert, it will make me nervous.”

"It sounds awfully disrespectful to just say Marilla,” protested Anne. "Can't I call you Aunt Marilla?”

"No. I'm not your aunt,” said Marilla grimly. "Now go into the sitting room, Anne and bring me the illustrated card that's on the mantelpiece. The Lord's Prayer[17] is on it and you'll learn it by heart.”

Anne promptly departed for the sitting-room across the hall. When she returned, she set the card up against the jug.

"I like this,” she announced. "It's beautiful. I heard it before. The superintendent of the asylum Sunday school said it. But I didn't like it then. He had such a cracked voice and he prayed it so mournfully. 'Hallowed be Thy name[18].' That is just like music. Oh, I'm so glad, Miss Marilla.”

"Well, learn it and hold your tongue,” said Marilla shortly.

Anne studied diligently for some moments.

"Marilla,” she demanded presently, "do you think that I shall ever have a friend in Avonlea?”

"Diana Barry lives over at Orchard Slope and she's about your age. She's a very nice little girl, and perhaps she will be a playmate for you when she comes home. But Mrs. Barry is a very particular woman[19]. She won't let Diana play with any little girl who isn't nice and good.”

"What is Diana like? Her hair isn't red, is it? Oh, I hope not. It's bad enough to have red hair myself.”

"Diana is a very pretty little girl. She has black eyes and hair and rosy cheeks. And she is good and smart.”

"Oh, I'm so glad she's pretty! Oh, look, here's a big bee on an apple blossom! Just think what a lovely place to live – in an apple blossom! I want to be a bee and live among the flowers.”

"Yesterday you wanted to be a sea gull,” sniffed Marilla. "I told you to learn that prayer and not talk. But it seems impossible for you to stop if you have listeners. So go up to your room and learn it.”