“Oh, Miss Armitage! We’re so full of trouble! Aunt Hetty has just died and Marilla—oh, I don’t know what will become of the child!”
“She is not ill?” in a tone of anxiety.
“Well, come in and sit down and let me tell you. They thought the first part of the night the poor old lady was dropping off quietly. Then toward morning she seemed to rally, and kept calling for Marilla. John had been up there most of the time and he said bring the child up. We didn’t suppose she was really conscious. So Marilla went up. It was daylight, and just as soon as she went to the bedside the poor old lady held out both hands, and Mrs. Holmes said she really smiled, and then a horrible thing happened, like a fit, and her 226 mouth all curled up and her eyes rolled up to the whites and Marilla screamed and fainted and the old lady was dead in a minute, and then the child fainted several times and they put her in her own bed—we’d had her down stairs. What did your doctor say about her last summer? Dr. Baker said her heart was weak. Now I think they oughtn’t have sent a girl out from the Home who had any such thing the matter with her. She had it real easy, sitting on the floor playing with the babies. And we never let her carry them up and down stairs or put anything hard on her, and now you know they run all over and are very little trouble. They have always been such good babies, but if she is going to faint at every little thing she won’t be much good. Mr. Borden has gone for that other girl and to attend to the necessary business. There will be the funeral and we shall have to take in some of the folks, I know. Mrs. Holmes will stay right along until we are straight again, but, it’s asking a good deal I admit,” and she paused.
“Yes, let me take her.” Miss Armitage had 227 come primed with several arguments, but she saw they would not be needed.
“Of course the shock was awful. Mrs. Holmes said she wasn’t surprised, for Marilla was just going to clasp the outstretched hands, but the old lady came back to her natural looks and I’m so glad; but of course Marilla will be haunted by the sight—”
“Yes, and you will have so much on your hands. Do you think she could walk that far or shall I order a hack?”
“Oh, she came down to the nursery and Bridget brought her up some breakfast. There’s the undertaker—”
“I’ll go up to the nursery,” said Miss Armitage.
A very wan little girl was pillowed upon the lounge. Jack had been sent to school without hearing of the happening. Violet was marching up and down ringing a little bell and saying “Go to door, Illa, go to door.” Pansy was leaning over her with a book crying authoritatively—“Read to me, read to me.”
Miss Armitage lifted Pansy down but she started to climb up again. The lady sat down 228 in the place and drew Marilla’s head to her bosom and let the child cry there.