She had discovered that a lane opened out below the apple orchard and ran up through a belt of woodland ; and she had explored it to its furthest end in all its delicious vagaries of brook and bridge , fir coppice and wild cherry arch , corners thick with fern , and branching byways of maple and mountain ash . She had made friends with the spring down in the hollow -- that wonderful deep , clear icy-cold spring ; it was set about with smooth red sandstones and rimmed in by great palm-like clumps of water fern ; and beyond it was a log bridge over the brook . That bridge led Anne 's dancing feet up over a wooded hill beyond , where perpetual twilight reigned under the straight , thick-growing firs and spruces ; the only flowers there were myriads of delicate `` June bells , '' those shyest and sweetest of woodland blooms , and a few pale , aerial starflowers , like the spirits of last year 's blossoms . Gossamers glimmered like threads of silver among the trees and the fir boughs and tassels seemed to utter friendly speech . All these raptured voyages of exploration were made in the odd half hours which she was allowed for play , and Anne talked Matthew and Marilla half-deaf over her discoveries . Not that Matthew complained , to be sure ; he listened to it all with a wordless smile of enjoyment on his face ; Marilla permitted the `` chatter '' until she found herself becoming too interested in it , whereupon she always promptly quenched Anne by a curt command to hold her tongue . Anne was out in the orchard when Mrs. Rachel came , wandering at her own sweet will through the lush , tremulous grasses splashed with ruddy evening sunshine ; so that good lady had an excellent chance to talk her illness fully over , describing every ache and pulse beat with such evident enjoyment that Marilla thought even grippe must bring its compensations . When details were exhausted Mrs. Rachel introduced the real reason of her call . `` I 've been hearing some surprising things about you and Matthew . '' `` I do n't suppose you are any more surprised than I am myself , '' said Marilla . `` I 'm getting over my surprise now . '' `` It was too bad there was such a mistake , '' said Mrs. Rachel sympathetically . `` Could n't you have sent her back ? '' `` I suppose we could , but we decided not to . Matthew took a fancy to her . And I must say I like her myself -- although I admit she has her faults . The house seems a different place already . She 's a real bright little thing . '' Marilla said more than she had intended to say when she began , for she read disapproval in Mrs. Rachel 's expression . `` It 's a great responsibility you 've taken on yourself , '' said that lady gloomily , `` especially when you 've never had any experience with children .
You do n't know much XXXXX her or her real disposition , I suppose , and there 's no guessing how a child like that will turn out .
about although at below beyond for like of through with