15 Vanity Gets the Best of Anne

CHAPTER 15 Vanity Gets the Best of Anne One April night, as Marilla walked home, she noticed that spring had finally arrived. Flowers were starting to bloom, waking up after a long winter's sleep. Marilla felt happy without knowing why. She could see Green Gables through the trees. It looked so beautiful with the setting sun reflected in the windows. "It will be nice

to sit beside the warm fire," Marilla thought. She had asked Anne to have the tea ready for five o'clock. Life at Green Gables was so different since Anne arrived, Marilla thought as she smiled to herself. When she entered the kitchen she found no fire and no tea. She was both disappointed and irritated. "Where is that girl?" she muttered as she took off her second-best dress to prepare supper. Matthew came in from plowing and was waiting for his tea. He watched Marilla stamp about the kitchen, banging pots and complaining about Anne. "She's off somewhere with Diana, forgetting all about her chores. Her head is full of nonsense and you just never know what she'll do next. She had no right to leave the house when there was work to do. I must say, it surprises me— it's not like Anne to be so disobedient."

"Well, I dunno," said Matthew, sitting patiently in his corner. "Maybe she has a good reason." "Matthew Cuthbert, I knew you would take her side!" Suppertime came and went with no sign of Anne. Marilla expected her to run through the door, breathless and full of apologies. But the house was quiet and dark. Marilla went to look for a candle in Anne's room. Lighting it, she turned around to see Anne herself lying on the bed, facedown in the pillows. "Goodness me," said Marilla. "Have you been asleep?" "No," came the muffled reply. "Are you feeling sick?" Marilla asked. She went to feel Anne's forehead. Anne moved her head away. "Oh please, Marilla, go away and don't look at me! I am in the depths of despair! My life is absolutely

ruined. It's over!" "Anne Shirley, whatever is the matter with you? Get up right this minute and tell me." Marilla pulled back the covers from Anne's bed. She held the candle up to get a better look as Anne slowly pulled herself up. "Look at my hair, Marilla," she whispered. "My goodness," Marilla gasped. "What have you done? Your hair is green!" It wasn't an ordinary green, like the color of grass or trees. It was a dull brownish green with streaks of the original red. Marilla thought she had never seen a color so ugly in all her life. "Yes, it's green," moaned Anne. "I thought nothing could be as bad as red hair. I now know it's ten times worse to have green hair. Oh, Marilla, I feel so awful!" "I knew life was too quiet in this house. It's been months since your last scrape." Marilla

stood tall beside Anne. "All right now, what happened?" "I dyed it." Anne began to cry again. "He told me it would turn my hair a beautiful raven black. Miss Stacy says we should trust people unless they've given us cause not to, and I had no reason not to. But Marilla, my hair isn't a beautiful raven black, is it? It's a hideous, horrible green!" Marilla took her by the shoulders. "Who are you talking about, Anne?" "I bought the dye at the general store when Matthew and I were in Carmody. The clerk said he'd reduce the price for me, as I only had fifty cents and it cost seventy-five. I followed all the directions, and used the whole bottle, but when I saw what color my hair was—oh, Marilla, whatever will I do?" "I'm glad you can see what your foolishness has brought you, Anne." Marilla

patted her gently on the back. "You really must think things through more carefully." She set about washing Anne's hair. She tried several times but the color didn't change. Poor Anne exclaimed, "I will never live this down! I am the unhappiest girl in Prince Edward Island!" Anne was inconsolable. She stayed home from school and washed her hair every day. Only Diana knew her secret, but kept her word and told no one. Finally, Marilla decided that the only solution was to cut her hair. This made Anne very sad. But she knew Marilla was right. "Please cut it off at once, Marilla. Oh, I feel that my heart is broken. This is such an unromantic affliction. Girls in books lose their hair in fevers or sell it to get money for some good deed. There is nothing comforting in having your hair cut off because you've