Vol.19, Diana's Birthday
After Anne and Diana had regained their original way of life.
It was now a cold February!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5~
What's going on?
Marilla, can I go over to see Diana just for a minute?
Why?
Haven't you both talked in the snow for over half an hour just now?
But she wants to see me.
She has something very important to tell me.
How do you know she has?
Because she just signalled to me from her window.
If we have something to tell,
with our candles and cardboard.
We'll signal the message.
And you'll be setting fire to the curtains with your signalling nonsense.
Oh, we're very careful, Marilla.
Diana just sent a signal of that she's an urgent and important matter to tell.
I'm really suffering to know what it is.
Well, you needn't suffer any longer. You can go.
But you're to be back here in just ten minutes, remember that.
Yes~
Close the door properly~!
Oh, Marilla, what do you think?
You know tomorrow is Diana's birthday.
Her mother asked me to go home with her from school
and stay all night.
Her cousins are coming from Newbridge in a big sleigh to
take us to the Debating Club concert tomorrow night.
If you'll let me go, that is.
You will, won't you, Marilla?
Oh, I feel so excited.
You can calm down then, because you're not going.
That club concert, its all nonsense,
and little girls should not be allowed to go out to such places at all.
I'm sure the Debating Club is a most respectable affair.
I'm not saying it isn't.
But you're not going to go to concerts and stay out
all night. Pretty doings for children.
I'm surprised at Mrs. Barry's letting Diana go.
But it's such a very special occasion.
Diana has only one birthday in a year.
Birthdays aren't common things.
The minister will make a speech at the concert won't it be the same as a sermon
Please, mayn't I go, Marilla?
You heard what I said, Anne, didn't you? Take off your boots now and go to bed.
It's past time of sleeping.
There's just one more thing, Marilla.
Mrs. Barry said we might sleep in the spare-room bed.
Think of the honor of
your little Anne being put in the spare-room bed.
It's an honor you'll have to get along without.
Go to bed, Anne,
and don't let me hear another word out of you.
Well now, Marilla, I think you ought to let Anne go.
I don't agree.
Who's bringing this child up, Matthew,
you or me?
Well now, you.
Don't interfere then.
Yes
I ain't interfering. I won't tell you to not have your own opinion.
But my opinion is that you ought to let Anne go.
You'd think I ought to let Anne go to the moon if she took the notion.
She can go there, if that was all. But I don't approve of this concert plan.
She'd go there
and catch cold like as not, and have her head filled up with nonsense
and excitement.
It would unsettle her for a week.
I understand that child's personality better than you, Matthew.
I feel you are being too strict.
Anne, why are you so slow?
If you don't hurry you'll be late.
I think you ought to let Anne go, Marilla.
Very well, she can go,
since nothing else will please you.
Oh, Marilla, Marilla, say those blessed words again.
Once is enough to say them.
This is Matthew's doings and I wash my hands of it.
If you go others homes or
go outside staying with others and
catch pneumonia, I won't care about you!
Don't blame me, blame Matthew.
Marilla, thank you~
I've been thinking about the concert since last night.
I never was to a concert in my life,
and when the other girls talk about them in school
I feel so out of it.
You didn't know just how I felt about it but you see Matthew did.
Matthew understands me, and it's so nice to be understood, Marilla.
I never agreed.
Don't be like this, I still have to clean the floor~
I've been waiting at the brook so long, I was afraid something happened.
I forgot to ask the 10 cents for the concert fee from Marilla.
I remembered suddenly and went back to take it.
Marilla permitted you to go?
Um~
Anne was too excited for lessons that morning in school.
Gilbert Blythe spelled her down in class
and left her clear out of sight in mental arithmetic.
In view of the concert and the spare- room bed, her humiliation was bearable.
For Anne the real excitement began with the dismissal of school.
They had a 'perfectly elegant tea' at the Barry's.
They then helped each other dress up.
They experimented with
at least half a dozen different ways of arranging their back hair
before settling on their original.
Anne could not help a little pang at her plain black tam and shapeless,
tight-sleeved, homemade gray-cloth coat.
But she remembered she had an imagination and could use it.
My cousins are here~
Welcome~~
Diana~
Tommy, good evening~
Good evening~
Anne and Diana,
they revelled in the ride to the club and
the program that night was a series of 'thrills' for a girl in the audience.
The carnations on Prissy's head are real
No way?
Master Phillips bought them from town personally for her.
Really?
I climbed the slimy ladder, dark without one ray of light...
Anne was touched to tears
by Prissy's recital.
She heard the angelic voices of the choir
and laughed when Sam Sloane
explained an illustration.
I once assisted the Caesar,
and the Caesar has now passed away.
I feel this to be saddening,
for as Paulter has it
Caesar was an eminent overseer, while he was an official above reproach
Mr. Phillips gave Mark Antony's oration
over the dead body of Caesar in the most heart stirring tones -
looking at Prissy Andrews at the end of every sentence.
Without any remembrance of his strangeness,
Anne applauded for him.
Caesar is such a person.
Only one number on the program failed to interest Anne.
Come see~ this big one beside the river
no comrades and no servants,
just a person walking where he ought to go,
thinking of his sister at home.
There's another,
not a sister,
who played from youth, shared happy moments...
Besides that number,
Anne thoroughly enjoyed herself that night.
They discussed about it after the concert ended.
It was eleven when they got home, sated with dissipation.
Everybody seemed asleep and the house was dark and silent.
Anne, why did you not listen to Gilbert Blythe?
When he came to the line, THERE'S ANOTHER, not A SISTER'
he looked right down at you.
Diana, you are my best friend,
but I cannot allow even you to speak to me of that person.
Let's run a race and see who'll get to the bed first.
All right~
Ready~ Go~
Merciful goodness!
Oh, who was it - WHAT was it?
It was Aunt Josephine,
however she came to be there.
Oh, and I know she will be furious.
It's really dreadful-but did you ever know anything so funny, Anne?
Who is your Aunt Josephine?
She's father's aunt and lives in Charlottetown.
She's awfully old and
I don't believe she was EVER a little girl.
We were expecting her for a visit, but not so soon.
She's awfully prim and proper and
she'll scold dreadfully about this.
Well, we'll have to sleep with Minnie May and you can't think how she kicks.
Miss Josephine Barry didn't appear at the early breakfast.
Diana did not tell her parents about yesterday,
so nothing happened until Anne returned to Green Gables.
Diana!
Diana~!!
Yes~
Diana, did you really jump onto your aunt yesterday?
I've told you already, you don't have to listen to her.
And I won't be staying here.
It is quite late, but I shall return home tomorrow.
Aunt, please don't say that.
No~ I will be going.
I've already packed up and can move away anytime.
And about your child's music fees.
I suppose you should forget about them,
I will have nothing to do with such a tomboy.
A person like her has no right to take music lessons.
Diana, don't just stand there, apologize to your aunt!
No, I don't want to talk with her at all
Aunt, I am very sorry~
Anne was in blissful ignorance of the disturbance which in the Barry household
until the late afternoon,
when she went down to Mrs. Lynde's on an errand for Marilla.
Anne would not allow her best friend to get into trouble
for something she suggested.
She left Mrs. Lynde's and ran directly to Mrs. Barry's home.
Your Aunt Josephine was very cross about it, wasn't she?
Yes.
She was fairly dancing with rage.
She said she wouldn't stay another moment here
Though Father and Mother do,
I'm sure I don't care.
Why didn't you tell them it was my fault
It's likely I'd do such a thing, isn't it?
I'm no telltale, and I was just as much to blame as you.
Well, I'm going in to tell her myself.
Anne Shirley, you'd never!
Why-she'll eat you alive!
Don't frighten me any more than I am frightened.
I'd rather walk up to a cannon's mouth.
But I've got to do it, Diana.
It was my fault and I've got to confess.
I've had practice in confessing, fortunately.
Anne~
Come in.
Miss Josephine Barry.
Who are you?
I'm Anne of Green Gables, and I've come to confess, if you please.
Confess what?
That was my fault! I suggested to jump into your bed last night.
Diana would never have thought of such a thing,
she is very ladylike,
Miss Barry. So you must see how unjust it is to blame her.
Oh, I must, hey?
Diana did her share of the jumping at least.
Such carryings on in a respectable house
But we were only in fun.
I think you ought to forgive us,
Miss Barry, now that we've apologized.
Please forgive Diana and let her have her music lessons.
Her heart is set on the lessons, Miss Barry,
and I know too well what it is to set your heart on a thing and not get it.
If you must be cross, be cross with me.
I've been used to being scolded that I can endure it much better than Diana.
You really wanted to use the spare room didn't you?
But I completely understand what you've confessed.
Your words are reasonable.
Sit down here and tell me about yourself
I am very sorry I can't.
It is my duty to go home to Miss Marilla Cuthbert.
Miss Marilla Cuthbert's a very kind lady who's taken me to bring up properly
She is doing her best, but it is very discouraging work.
You must not blame her because I jumped on the bed.
But before I go I do wish you would tell me if you will forgive Diana
and stay just as long as you meant to in Avonlea.
I think perhaps I will if you will come over and talk to me occasionally.
So you've forgiven us?
I suppose.
Diana~
That was agile~
that evening Miss Barry gave Diana a silver bangle bracelet
and again opened the luggage,
and said...
For the sake of getting better acquainted with that Anne-girl.
I've made up my mind to stay simply
Marilla's only comment when she heard the story was...
I told you so.
That was that.
As her scheduled, Miss Barry
stayed her month out and over.
She was a more agreeable guest than usual, for Anne kept her in good humor.
When Miss Barry went away she said...
Remember, you Anne-girl,
when you come to town you're to visit me and
I'll put you in my very sparest spare-room bed to sleep.
Anne had met another kindred spirit.
In the coming spring,
Anne remembered her first days in Green Gables.
Anne of Green Gables, Next: Green Gables in Spring
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