“And you can come to Newton. Fairy godmother has such a lovely house, and she is so sweet. You will like her.”
Oh, the child ought not be on sufferance but have the genial freedom of a home of her very own where she could live over the childhood she had missed and learn the glad inspiration of youth.
What did Miss Armitage mean to do for her? Yes, she wanted her; why there would be a great loss in life without her, but she no longer needed charity. She could not do everything for her; as she had planned. Would she share a divided interest?
Dr. Richards heart yearned over her, coveted her. Marilla had crept in and taken possession of his inmost soul. It was not likely there would be any other occupant. For he had never seen any sign of relenting on Miss Armitage’s part. They were excellent friends. Neither overstepped the prescribed bounds, and he must have something to love and to cherish.
But he had to tear himself away presently, 280 and he carried her with him in his heart, and the next morning he dropped in and had her all to himself. Mrs. Warren had gone to the dressmakers.
“Oh,” Marilla said with a long sigh of delight, “how lovely it is to have sisters! and—and a father! If I couldn’t have but one I think I’d take the father. Isn’t Mr. Warren just splendid and sweet and charming? There’s a book of poems at Miss Armitage’s that has one such beautiful thing—‘The Children’s Hour.’ And they have it here. The hour after dinner if there are no visitors belongs to the children. The smaller ones take possession of his lap and Edith sits on the arm of the chair. I sat on the other,” and she laughed with such a happy sound. “And they tell him everything, what they have read and studied, and the little troubles and differences and perplexities, and he listens and explains and laughs with them when it is funny, and everything is so nice. I didn’t suppose fathers could be so dear and sweet, but I never knew any real father except Mr. Borden, and Jack was a torment. He wanted to pound and bang and wrinkle up things and ask silly 281 questions. Maybe the twins will be different, and perhaps he will love girls the best.”
“And you would like to have a father?” There was a subtle sweetness in his tone.
She drew a long breath, he felt the heart quiver irregularly, the little heart that would need careful watching the next few years, that so far had been worked pretty hard.
“Oh, so much!” There was an exquisite longing and a sound as of a prayer, “but you know I’d want some one I could love.”
She was ready to give, not take all.