He should be here . Mrs. Alexander Spencer was to bring him over from Nova Scotia for me . '' The stationmaster whistled . `` Guess there 's some mistake , '' he said . `` Mrs. Spencer came off the train with that girl and gave her into my charge . Said you and your sister were adopting her from an orphan asylum and that you would be along for her presently . That 's all I know about it -- and I have n't got any more orphans concealed hereabouts . '' `` I do n't understand , '' said Matthew helplessly , wishing that Marilla was at hand to cope with the situation . `` Well , you 'd better question the girl , '' said the station-master carelessly . `` I dare say she 'll be able to explain -- she 's got a tongue of her own , that 's certain . Maybe they were out of boys of the brand you wanted . '' He walked jauntily away , being hungry , and the unfortunate Matthew was left to do that which was harder for him than bearding a lion in its den -- walk up to a girl -- a strange girl -- an orphan girl -- and demand of her why she was n't a boy . Matthew groaned in spirit as he turned about and shuffled gently down the platform towards her . She had been watching him ever since he had passed her and she had her eyes on him now . Matthew was not looking at her and would not have seen what she was really like if he had been , but an ordinary observer would have seen this : A child of about eleven , garbed in a very short , very tight , very ugly dress of yellowish-gray wincey . She wore a faded brown sailor hat and beneath the hat , extending down her back , were two braids of very thick , decidedly red hair . Her face was small , white and thin , also much freckled ; her mouth was large and so were her eyes , which looked green in some lights and moods and gray in others . So far , the ordinary observer ; an extraordinary observer might have seen that the chin was very pointed and pronounced ; that the big eyes were full of spirit and vivacity ; that the mouth was sweet-lipped and expressive ; that the forehead was broad and full ; in short , our discerning extraordinary observer might have concluded that no commonplace soul inhabited the body of this stray woman-child of whom shy Matthew Cuthbert was so ludicrously afraid . Matthew , however , was spared the ordeal of speaking first , for as soon as she concluded that he was coming to her she stood up , grasping with one thin brown hand the handle of a shabby , old-fashioned carpet-bag ; the other she held out to him . `` I suppose you are Mr. Matthew Cuthbert of Green Gables ? ''
she said XXXXX a peculiarly clear , sweet voice .
about as for from in into on since than with