The scowl went right off his face and the anger out of his eyes . He looked astonished , and then foolish . I saw the color creeping up into his cheeks . As for me , I still stood there staring at him , not able to say a single word . `` Miss Holmes , I presume , '' he said at last , in a deep , thrilling voice . `` I -- I -- oh , confound it ! I have called -- I heard some foolish stories and I came here in a rage . I 've been a fool -- I know now they were n't true . Just excuse me and I 'll go away and kick myself . '' `` No , '' I said , finding my voice with a gasp , `` you must n't go until you 've heard the truth . It 's dreadful enough , but not as dreadful as you might otherwise think . Those -- those stories -- I have a confession to make . I did tell them , but I did n't know there was such a person as Cecil Fenwick in existence . '' He looked puzzled , as well he might . Then he smiled , took my hand and led me away from the door -- to the knob of which I was still holding with all my might -- to the sofa . `` Let 's sit down and talk it over ` comfy , ' '' he said . I just confessed the whole shameful business . It was terribly humiliating , but it served me right . I told him how people were always twitting me for never having had a beau , and how I had told them I had ; and then I showed him the porous plaster advertisement . He heard me right through without a word , and then he threw back his big , curly , gray head and laughed .
`` This clears up a great many mysterious hints I 've been receiving ever since I came to Avonlea , '' he said , `` and finally a Mrs. Gilbert came XXXXX my sister this afternoon with a long farrago of nonsense about the love affair I had once had with some Charlotte Holmes here .
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