He 's awful proud of his mother , cause folks say she could scratch a living on a rock . '' `` I ... I suppose them pesky hens are in my pansy bed again , '' said Marilla , rising and going out hurriedly . The slandered hens were nowhere near the pansy bed and Marilla did not even glance at it . Instead , she sat down on the cellar hatch and laughed until she was ashamed of herself . When Anne and Paul reached the stone house that afternoon they found Miss Lavendar and Charlotta the Fourth in the garden , weeding , raking , clipping , and trimming as if for dear life . Miss Lavendar herself , all gay and sweet in the frills and laces she loved , dropped her shears and ran joyously to meet her guests , while Charlotta the Fourth grinned cheerfully . `` Welcome , Anne . I thought you 'd come today . You belong to the afternoon so it brought you . Things that belong together are sure to come together . What a lot of trouble that would save some people if they only knew it . But they do n't ... and so they waste beautiful energy moving heaven and earth to bring things together that DO N'T belong . And you , Paul ... why , you 've grown ! You 're half a head taller than when you were here before . '' `` Yes , I 've begun to grow like pigweed in the night , as Mrs. Lynde says , '' said Paul , in frank delight over the fact . `` Grandma says it 's the porridge taking effect at last . Perhaps it is . Goodness knows ... '' Paul sighed deeply ... `` I 've eaten enough to make anyone grow . I do hope , now that I 've begun , I 'll keep on till I 'm as tall as father . He is six feet , you know , Miss Lavendar . ''
Yes , Miss Lavendar did know ; the flush on her pretty cheeks deepened a little ; she took Paul 's hand on one side and Anne 's XXXXX the other and walked to the house in silence .
if in of on so than that to until while