“I did not so much mind Amanda’s slapping me,” replied Anne soberly, “but I thought when Aunt Martha shut me up that ’twas because she no longer loved me.”
“Tut, tut, and so you walked off into the wilderness. A very wrong thing to do, Anne,” and Captain Enos’s voice was very grave. “Your running away has made a sad talk in the settlement, and some of the people are ready to say that we have not treated you well, or you would not have fled from us.”
Anne began to realize, for the first time, that she had acted very selfishly. Thinking of nothing but her wish to go to Boston with Rose she had made her best friends anxious and unhappy.
They were sitting on the broad sofa in the quiet sitting-room, and Anne leaned against Uncle Enos and said quickly: “I ought to go straight back to Province Town!” She said it in such a sharp voice that Uncle Enos looked at her wonderingly, and saw that tears were very near falling.
“No, Anne,” he answered kindly. “I want you to go with the Freemans, and have a pleasant visit. Your father’s ship will be in Boston in a few weeks, and he will rejoice to find you there and will bring you safely back to Province Town.”
CHAPTER VII
THE BLACK-BEARDED MAN
Anne and Rose Freeman stood at the gate all ready to enter the comfortable chaise with its broad seat and big wheels. The big brown horse was apparently eager to start, but black Josephus held him firmly until the girls and Mr. Freeman were seated, and then handed the reins to Mr. Freeman.