“Heaps of ‘em,” said Mary.
“That’s a dreadful sin,” said Una solemnly.
“Do you mean to tell me,” demanded Mary, “that I’d be sent to hell for telling a lie now and then? Why, I had to. Mr. Wiley would have broken every bone in my body one time if I hadn’t told him a lie. Lies have saved me many a whack, I can tell you.”
Una sighed. Here were too many difficulties for her to solve. She shuddered as she thought of being cruelly whipped. Very likely she would have lied too. She squeezed Mary’s little calloused hand.
“Is that the only dress you’ve got?” asked Faith, whose joyous nature refused to dwell on disagreeable subjects.
“I just put on this dress because it was no good,” cried Mary flushing. “Mrs. Wiley’d bought my clothes and I wasn’t going to be beholden to her for anything. And I’m honest. If I was going to run away I wasn’t going to take what belong to her that was worth anything. When I grow up I’m going to have a blue sating dress. Your own clothes don’t look so stylish. I thought ministers’ children were always dressed up.”
It was plain that Mary had a temper and was sensitive on some points. But there was a queer, wild charm about her which captivated them all. She was taken to Rainbow Valley that afternoon and introduced to the Blythes as “a friend of ours from over-harbour who is visiting us.” The Blythes accepted her unquestioningly, perhaps because she was fairly respectable now. After dinner—through which Aunt Martha had mumbled and Mr. Meredith had been in a state of semi-unconsciousness while brooding his Sunday sermon—Faith had prevailed on Mary to put on one of her dresses, as well as certain other articles of clothing. With her hair neatly braided Mary passed muster tolerably well. She was an acceptable playmate, for she knew several new and exciting games, and her conversation lacked not spice. In fact, some of her expressions made Nan and Di look at her rather askance. They were not quite sure what their mother would have thought of her, but they knew quite well what Susan would. However, she was a visitor at the manse, so she must be all right.
When bedtime came there was the problem of where Mary should sleep.
“We can’t put her in the spare room, you know,” said Faith perplexedly to Una.
“I haven’t got anything in my head,” cried Mary in an injured tone.