Warning: If you have a visual impairment, use the manuscript transcript version including the Lucy Maud Montgomery’s foot notes and contextual annotation references.

Chapter 3

52

Chapter III

Marilla Cuthbert Is Surprised

Marilla came briskly forward as Matthew opened the door. But when her eyes fell on the odd little figure (begin subscript)^(end subscript)(begin superscript)in the stiff ugly dress,(end superscript) with the long red braids of hair and the eager, luminous eyes, she stopped short in amazement.

“Matthew Cuthbert, she ej who’s that?” she ejaculated. “Where is the boy”?

“There wasn’t any boy,” said Matthew wretchedly. “There was only her.”
Note C2

“No boy! But there must have been a boy,” said insisted Marilla. “We sent word to Mrs. Spencer to bring a boy.”

“Well, she didn’t. She brought her. I asked the station-master. And I had to bring her home. She couldn’t be left there, no matter where the ms mistake had come in.”
Note D2

During this dialogue the child had remained silent, her eyes roving from one to the other, all the life animation fading out of her face.

 

LMM Notes

LMM Note C2
He nodded at the child, remembering that he had never even asked her name.

[The Notes in this chapter range from C2-Q2, spanning Notes pages 10-13.]

LMM Note D2
"Well, this is a pretty piece of business!" ejaculated Marilla.


AUDIO ANNOTATION

REFERENCE
 a close up of a woman's face, with hands poised near her chin
"Marilla came briskly..."Recording of Elizabeth Mawson reading the opening lines of this chapter from the published version of the novel, including the Notes C and D that Montgomery added here. For more than 30 years, Elizabeth Mawson played the part of Marilla in the Charlottetown Festival’s Anne of Green Gables–The Musical(begin superscript)TM(end superscript).

Marilla came briskly forward as Matthew opened the door. But when her eyes fell on the odd little figure in the stiff, ugly dress, with the long braids of red hair and the eager, luminous eyes, she stopped short in amazement. "Matthew Cuthbert, who's that?" she ejaculated. "Where is the boy?" "There wasn’t any boy," said Matthew wretchedly. "There was only her." He nodded at the child, remembering that he had never even asked her name. "No boy! But there must have been a boy," insisted Marilla. "We sent word to Mrs. Spencer to bring a boy." "Well, she didn't. She brought her. I asked the station-master. And I had to bring her home. She couldn’t be left there, no matter where the mistake had come in." "Well, this is a pretty piece of business!” ejaculated Marilla. During this dialogue the child had remained silent, her eyes roving from one to the other, all the animation fading out of her face.

AUDIO ANNOTATION

REFERENCE
 Dr. Åsa Warnqvist, Research Manager and Director of the Swedish Institute for Children’s Books, reads the title of Chapter 3, "Marilla Cuthbert is Surprised."