`` Well , it was partly a zacksident , '' explained Davy . `` He stuck his head in on purpose but the rest of him fell in zacksidentally . We was all down at the brook and Prillie Rogerson got mad at Paul about something ... she 's awful mean and horrid anyway , if she IS pretty ... and said that his grandmother put his hair up in curl rags every night . Paul would n't have minded what she said , I guess , but Gracie Andrews laughed , and Paul got awful red , 'cause Gracie 's his girl , you know . He 's CLEAN GONE on her ... brings her flowers and carries her books as far as the shore road . He got as red as a beet and said his grandmother did n't do any such thing and his hair was born curly . And then he laid down on the bank and stuck his head right into the spring to show them . Oh , it was n't the spring we drink out of ... '' seeing a horrified look on Marilla 's face ... `` it was the little one lower down . But the bank 's awful slippy and Paul went right in . I tell you he made a bully splash . Oh , Anne , Anne , I did n't mean to say that ... it just slipped out before I thought . He made a SPLENDID splash . But he looked so funny when he crawled out , all wet and muddy . The girls laughed more 'n ever , but Gracie did n't laugh . She looked sorry . Gracie 's a nice girl but she 's got a snub nose . When I get big enough to have a girl I wo n't have one with a snub nose ... I 'll pick one with a pretty nose like yours , Anne . '' `` A boy who makes such a mess of syrup all over his face when he is eating his pudding will never get a girl to look at him , '' said Marilla severely . `` But I 'll wash my face before I go courting , '' protested Davy , trying to improve matters by rubbing the back of his hand over the smears . `` And I 'll wash behind my ears too , without being told .
I remembered XXXXX this morning , Marilla .
as at before in like of on over to with