In life , as in dreams , however , things often go by contraries . The Avonlea people did not laugh ; they were too angry . Their money had gone to paint the hall and consequently they felt themselves bitterly aggrieved by the mistake . Public indignation centered on the Pyes . Roger Pye and John Andrew had bungled the matter between them ; and as for Joshua Pye , he must be a born fool not to suspect there was something wrong when he opened the cans and saw the color of the paint . Joshua Pye , when thus animadverted upon , retorted that the Avonlea taste in colors was no business of his , whatever his private opinion might be ; he had been hired to paint the hall , not to talk about it ; and he meant to have his money for it . The Improvers paid him his money in bitterness of spirit , after consulting Mr. Peter Sloane , who was a magistrate . `` You 'll have to pay it , '' Peter told him . `` You ca n't hold him responsible for the mistake , since he claims he was never told what the color was supposed to be but just given the cans and told to go ahead . But it 's a burning shame and that hall certainly does look awful . '' The luckless Improvers expected that Avonlea would be more prejudiced than ever against them ; but instead , public sympathy veered around in their favor . People thought the eager , enthusiastic little band who had worked so hard for their object had been badly used . Mrs. Lynde told them to keep on and show the Pyes that there really were people in the world who could do things without making a muddle of them . Mr. Major Spencer sent them word that he would clean out all the stumps along the road front of his farm and seed it down with grass at his own expense ; and Mrs. Hiram Sloane called at the school one day and beckoned Anne mysteriously out into the porch to tell her that if the `` Sassiety '' wanted to make a geranium bed at the crossroads in the spring they need n't be afraid of her cow , for she would see that the marauding animal was kept within safe bounds . Even Mr. Harrison chuckled , if he chuckled at all , in private , and was all sympathy outwardly . `` Never mind , Anne . Most paints fade uglier every year but that blue is as ugly as it can be to begin with , so it 's bound to fade prettier . And the roof is shingled and painted all right . Folks will be able to sit in the hall after this without being leaked on . You 've accomplished so much anyhow . ''
`` But Avonlea 's blue hall will be a byword XXXXX all the neighboring settlements from this time out , '' said Anne bitterly .
against as at by for if in since than to