Minnie May was much better and was sleeping soundly.
“I was awfully near giving up in despair,” explained Anne.
“She got worse and worse until she was sicker than ever the Hammond twins were, even the last pair.
I actually thought she was going to choke to death.
I gave her every drop of ipecac in that bottle and when the last dose went down I said to myself—not to Diana or Young Mary Joe, because I didn’t want to worry them any more than they were worried, but I had to say it to myself just to relieve my feelings—‘This is the last lingering hope and I fear, tis a vain one.’
But in about three minutes she coughed up the phlegm and began to get better right away.
You must just imagine my relief, doctor, because I can’t express it in words.
You know there are some things that cannot be expressed in words.”
“Yes, I know,” nodded the doctor.
He looked at Anne as if he were thinking some things about her that couldn’t be expressed in words.
Later on, however, he expressed them to Mr. and Mrs. Barry.
“That little redheaded girl they have over at Cuthbert’s is as smart as they make ‘em.
I tell you she saved that baby’s life, for it would have been too late by the time I got there.
She seems to have a skill and presence of mind perfectly wonderful in a child of her age.
I never saw anything like the eyes of her when she was explaining the case to me.”
Anne had gone home in the wonderful, white-frosted winter morning, heavy eyed from loss of sleep, but still talking unweariedly to Matthew as they crossed the long white field and walked under the glittering fairy arch of the Lover’s Lane maples.
“Oh, Matthew, isn’t it a wonderful morning?
The world looks like something God had just imagined for His own pleasure, doesn’t it?
Those trees look as if I could blow them away with a breath—pouf!
I’m so glad I live in a world where there are white frosts, aren’t you?
And I’m so glad Mrs. Hammond had three pairs of twins after all.
If she hadn’t I mightn’t have known what to do for Minnie May.
I’m real sorry I was ever cross with Mrs. Hammond for having twins.
But, oh, Matthew, I’m so sleepy.
I can’t go to school.
I just know I couldn’t keep my eyes open and I’d be so stupid.
But I hate to stay home, for Gil—some of the others will get head of the class, and it’s so hard to get up again—although of course the harder it is the more satisfaction you have when you do get up, haven’t you?”
“Well now, I guess you’ll manage all right,” said Matthew, looking at Anne’s white little face and the dark shadows under her eyes.
“You just go right to bed and have a good sleep.
I’ll do all the chores.”
Anne accordingly went to bed and slept so long and soundly that it was well on in the white and rosy winter afternoon when she awoke and descended to the kitchen where Marilla, who had arrived home in the meantime, was sitting knitting.
“Oh, did you see the Premier?” exclaimed Anne at once.
“What did he look like Marilla?”
“Well, he never got to be Premier on account of his looks,” said Marilla.
“Such a nose as that man had!
But he can speak.
I was proud of being a Conservative.
Rachel Lynde, of course, being a Liberal, had no use for him. Your dinner is in the oven, Anne, and you can get yourself some blue plum preserve out of the pantry.
I guess you’re hungry.
Matthew has been telling me about last night.
I must say it was fortunate you knew what to do.
I wouldn’t have had any idea myself, for I never saw a case of croup.
There now, never mind talking till you’ve had your dinner.
I can tell by the look of you that you’re just full up with speeches, but they’ll keep.”
Marilla had something to tell Anne, but she did not tell it just then for she knew if she did Anne’s consequent excitement would lift her clear out of the region of such material matters as appetite or dinner.
Not until Anne had finished her saucer of blue plums did Marilla say:
“Mrs. Barry was here this afternoon, Anne.
She wanted to see you, but I wouldn’t wake you up.
She says you saved Minnie May’s life, and she is very sorry she acted as she did in that affair of the currant wine.
She says she knows now you didn’t mean to set Diana drunk, and she hopes you’ll forgive her and be good friends with Diana again.