and it was like being in heaven. The
Bordens had gone to Long Island and the babies were very sick getting
some teeth, and they wanted me, I was bound, you know, so I had to go
as soon as I was well enough. Part of it was very nice; the babies
could walk then. After we came back"--she made a little pause for she
had not even told Dr. Richards Jack's part in the mishap--"I fainted
one day. Their old aunt was ill and she wanted me, so I went and--it
was dreadful--she died and I fainted again. Then Miss Armitage came
and took me home with her. Mrs. Borden took a new nursemaid, a grown
up woman and was willing to let me go, and these other things
happened. Oh, I want to stay always with Miss Armitage."

"You poor little girl! I think you have had a rather hard time. What
does Dr. Richards say?"

"The other doctor said I had a weak heart. Does that make you faint
away? It's almost like dying--you don't seem to know anything for a
long while, and it is very hard to get back."

"You have been worked pretty hard I guess." How simply the child had
told her story. "But now life will be better. I am very glad this
little fortune has come to you, and now I am going up stairs a few
moments, and you may look over the books on the table. I will soon be
back."

Instead Marilla looked about the room. The front one was the parlor,
very nicely furnished. The back one shut off the end of the hall.
There were three French windows reaching to the floor, the last one
being a door leading out to an enclosed porch with windows that would
be very pleasant in summer. There was only a small yard with a tiny
grass plot and an alleyway running through at the back.

There was a big book case in one recess, a lounge, a Morris chair and
a substantial center table containing books and papers. It had a
home-like, well used look, with several cosy rocking chairs.

Mrs. Warren returned with some sewing and without evincing undue
curiosity led Marilla to talk of her past, though the child really
knew very little about her mother and seemed to have no tender or
regretful regard for this Mrs. Jaques. But her whole heart went out to
Miss Armitage in something like worship.

The girls came home and in a short time they were all friends. It
seemed odd to them that Marilla had never been to a real school.
Jessie was in the kindergarten, but would enter the primary in
February. May was there and Edith hoped to get in the High School
another year. Then the