A startled Cornelia Elliot saw Rilla Blythe running as if in distress, dear lass was tearful, and stained, and as Cornelia observed by the doorway of Carter Flaggs, she fell headlong into puddle of mud, it splashed in a great flood, and the girl's dress decorated with ribbons and lace was completely ruined, and her straw hat was askew, her curled auburn hair was covered with mud. On the road, among the horse manure, there was a small overturned basket full of glowing red strawberries, and a little way off, waving with a large dried cod in her hand, was that Mary creature. The girl's blue eyes were twinkling with suppressed mirth, and laughter, and her worn striped dress was too short. Cornelia's lips drew into a tight line and she cast a single blazing look at the blond orphan girl, who had turned around and started running hard back in the direction of the Manse. Cornelia crouched next to the sobbing Rilla and said gently, "Well poppet, let's wipe your cheeks, and let's go straight to Ingelside, Susan's sure to have some treats for you." Rilla raised her long-lashed hazel eyes to Cornelia's brown eyes as Cornelia gently took a small, soft, creamy hand in hers, and they slowly started walking towards Ingelside. Cornelia picked up a small wicker basket from the ground, and cleaned the worst of the dust from it.
At Ingelside´s kitchen Susan indeed did bring Rilla a piece of Silver and Gold cake, plus a fresh bisquit, as that young Miss declared in low voice, tears still gathering at her eyes. " Thutan, Mary Vanthe has disgraced me!." Clinking her cup of tea on the veranda, Cornelia pointedly pointed out, "This situation must end Anne-dear, this incident was only the latest episode. I heard in passing that that creature doesn't even go to school. When I can, I'll go to the Manse first and interrogate the girl, and then Reverend Meredith. There must be a limit to Christian mercy. Depending on what that girl says, I'll send Marshall to clear things up a bit in the direction of Over Harbour." Susan cast a grateful look at Cornelia and remarked "That girl, that girl, our Roly-Poly, was almost half dead with fright. It shows that the girl has not been brought up at all, I think, a wicked nature comes up with such a thing."
Afterwards, when Cornelia had gone and Susan was doing the dishes, Anne and Gilbert laughed under their breath so the children wouldn't hear, and with a little smile Anne said, "Our Rilla is a little spoiled, and she may become vain. I think this incident, with all its comical nuances, will some far, off day, to be, a funny anecdote, at least for us, if not for her. I think, with the experience of being a Home child myself, I can say that one catalyst for this hunt may have been Rilla's clothes, or her prideful airs." Gilbert wrapped his arms around Anne's waist and said thoughtfully, "You know, I never thought about your clothes, even when we first met, I did notice they were different from the general standard that other Avonlea girls like Josie, Ruby or Diana wore, but I didn't know why." Anne was silent, and she could almost feel herself wearing the itchy narrow wimsey cloth, hot in summer and too cool in winter, and always too little for all of those in need. And then she looked up into Gilbert's twinkling loving, eyes, and said "For us orphans, clothes were made from left overs or old donations usually. And when I got to Marilla's, the first thing she did was burn my dress, as I did not have much with me in my carpet-bag. She cut out the patterns and made a few "suitable" ones for me with a sewing machine. Although Rachel and Marilla often argued loudly about what was appropriate for me to wear. The dresses Marilla made for me were modest, they were still of new fabric, and I was grateful. And my first fashionable dress was a Christmas gift from dear, blessed Matthew, I will remember that dress forever. "
Gilbert looked at Anne gently and said, "I too remember how you and Diana laughed as you walked along the forest path after the Christmas party. I sat on the fence and watched you go, but we found our way to each other, eventually." Laughter of Rilla and Nan rang out on the staircase, as Anne slipped her fingers into the recesses of Gilbert's, long-fingered ones, and glanced happily at her own little kingdom, which was more precious than any marble halls. Gog and Magog guarded the edge of the fireplace, and the light flickered in the abundant flowers of Susan's own flower bed, and the roses planted from the rosebush of the House of Dreams glowed in the strong light of the early evening, and the sound of the wind echoed, the air was still and crystal clear, sultry.
A loud knock echoed at the front door of the Manse, and Mary Vance, changing the dust rag to her other hand, glanced at the hall clock, the afternoon would soon begin. The house was empty. And carefully, Mary opened the door. The woman standing in the doorway, seemed friendly but also very determined, her rose-patterned coat and blue dress were very elaborately stitched, and the dark brown hair that parted from under the straw hat showed a few gray streaks. The woman glanced at Mary Vance once and stepped over the threshold and said, "Let's go to the salon." Mary noticed that the woman was studying her surroundings closely, and it was clear that what she saw made a favorable impression on her. The woman folded her arms and, sitting with a straight back in one of the chairs that Mary Vance had been polishing all the previous week, furrowed her brows and said briskly, "I am Cornelia Elliot, and I have come to inquire a little of the right side of things. I want the truth, who you are, and what you are doing here, and above all, why did you disturb Ingelside's Rilla Blythe like that two days ago, when she was only here on a little errand? For the Blythes are one of the most prominent families in these parts, and so are the Merediths, with whom you have been staying for weeks."
Mary folded her arms and told her life story without exaggeration, humbly, in a way she knew how to use, if the opportunity presented itself, and now this opportunity had indeed fallen into her lap, almost as if from Heaven. For Mary Vance was observant, and she knew very well, thanks to the meetings held in Rainbow Valley, that Cornelia Elliot had considerable influence over Glen's internal affairs. At last silence fell upon the drawing-room, after Mary's barrage of speech, and Cornelia Elliot, stroking her apron, said briskly, "Listen, it wasn't right that you used the Reverend's cod like that." Mary spread her calloused hands, hardened by hard work, and said sincerely, "If I hadn't toiled for days after those fish, and in this heat, it certainly wasn't easy, they would have been lost long ago. I know what I did was wrong, but I haven't been brought up, and Una always talks to me about forgiveness, but I was in a bad mood, and Rilla just happened to be there at such a damn good time. Afterwards I was remoseful, Una can tell you, if you will not belive my word. I can tell you I'm very surprised that Mrs. Wylie hasn't come for me yet, or sent someone to bring word it's not like her. She is as sharp customer as bag of rusty nails, that one." Cornelia just looked at Mary Vance's narrow, suffering face and remarked, pointedly, "My girl, that kind of language is inappropriate, even when talking about your elders and guardians, and here I use that term in very loose manner."
That same evening Cornelia, after glancing her tidy home, where every finely woodworked chest by Marshall´s talent at woodwork, buttercup, and great-grandmother's heirloom crockery were gleaming in the tall cabinet, and the embroidered linens were in place, and slowly she said, "Marshall, I went to Manse today and had a long talk with that girl, Mary Vance, and I find myself believing her tale, but it would be nice if you could still do a little fact-checking, in the direction of Over Harbor, for example, when you take seed potatoes there." Marshall folded his papers into a neat pile and nodded, and said firmly, "I'll do it right away tomorrow. If I'm right, I'll have all kinds of things to tell dearest, when I get back, and none of it will be pleasant to hear. "
Two days later, Susan Baker was pouring tea for Cornelia Elliott on the verandah. Cornelia said quietly, "I never saw Marshall in such a frame of mind as he was when he came back from Over Harbour. His face was quite white, and his hands were shaking as he told what he had seen, and heard there. The whole thing had been rotten from the beginning, and that girl should never, never have ended up in the hands of such people. Well, at any rate, Mrs. Wylie is dead, apparently she had a bad heart, and of course no one there had missed the girl, for they imagined that she was with Wylie's cousin, which had been talked about, there is always so much talk. Marshall got his hands on Mary Vance's official papers, they were in the abandoned Wylie house."
Susan, stirred her tea in silence. On Anne Blythe's features, there burned red spots as she said quietly, "Children in the clutches of the system don't have an easy life, cheap labor and exploitation, and sometimes worse. It seems that Mary Vance has been dealt with bad cards from the beginning. She cannot live in the Manse indefinitely, perhaps Hopewood should be contacted, unless some other solution is found."
Nan Blythe, was resting in the hammock, she carefully closed her book, and slowly put her shoes, and ran to Rainbow Valley, where Meredith's sisters and Mary Vance were spending blissful hours of leisure.
Una's heart was literally cut by the half-horrified look in Mary's eyes as she internalized Nan's news. Mary Vance clenched her fists, saying, "Before I came here and met you all, the thought of going back to Hopewood was always there, but now it's absolutely unbearable. I don't think I have any other choice. I'm worried that Mrs. Wylie died because I had begun to pray. It would be horrible to pray another person completely to death!" There was light laughter at Mary Vance's theological misunderstanding, it had lifted spirits in Rainbow Valley, but still the small crowd, when they parted twenty minutes or so later, were more thoughtful than usual, for the first time the varying cruelty and uncertainty of life had touched children of Ingelside, children of Manse had already experienced loss and painful separation that death produces.
In the evening, Una sat in the attic next to Mary, silently holding her hand, as almost silent sobs shook Mary's narrow shoulders. Anguish tore at Mary´s heart, for here was all, this was Paradise, or at least like Celestial Kingdom, as that old book had claimed.
Feeling pensive Reverend Meredith was quietly going around his children's bedrooms. Faith was sleeping ruddy-cheeked, but where was Una? She was nowhere to be seen and slowly Reverend climbed creaking attic stairs, and entered a completely changed space. Bouquets of fragrant herbs were tied at regular intervals to the ceiling, and everything was extremely neat, there was two small travel beds, they were placed half under the window. There Una slept in the sheets sewn by Cecilia, next to that orphan girl whose presence in the Manse Cornelia Elliot had scolded with fierce words. Carefully, John Knox Meredith scooped up first Una and then Mary Vance, and carefully carried them into the room where Faith was still sleeping. And with a heavy heart, John looked at his dear children, and at one lonely and forsaken soul, and then he cautiously closed the door. The night wind ruffled the ivy on the Manse wall, and a dark-furred cat crept across the yard.
Cornelia Elliot put on her reading glasses, and looked a worn folder with Hopewood's stamp on it. Opening the frayed ribbons, she began to read small pile of papers, they were smudged, yellowish forms and reports written with busy handwriting and gray ink.
Vance Mary, age 6 years. Orphan. Lived in Hopewood, a few years after parents died - brought here by neighbors. The child is modest in appearance, but very hardworking. At times, Vance shows really clever initiative, under challenging circumstances. Talkative, sometimes exaggerates, tells ghost stories, but doesn't steal other people's property.
The scant information confirmed what Cornelia had already concluded from the girl's words, but the impersonal language on the forms, there was something uncanny about it. And trembling Cornelia closed the folder, after reading the last sentence.
Vance was involved in the Harwood case, - more details only upon request.
Soon Cornelia felt Marshall's firm, hands on her shoulders, and an unspoken question hovered in the stillness of the evening.