You 'll put your horse in ? And how are you , Anne ? '' `` I 'm as well as can be expected , thank you , '' said Anne smilelessly . A blight seemed to have descended on her . `` I suppose we 'll stay a little while to rest the mare , '' said Marilla , `` but I promised Matthew I 'd be home early . The fact is , Mrs. Spencer , there 's been a queer mistake somewhere , and I 've come over to see where it is . We send word , Matthew and I , for you to bring us a boy from the asylum . We told your brother Robert to tell you we wanted a boy ten or eleven years old . '' `` Marilla Cuthbert , you do n't say so ! '' said Mrs. Spencer in distress . `` Why , Robert sent word down by his daughter Nancy and she said you wanted a girl -- did n't she Flora Jane ? '' appealing to her daughter who had come out to the steps . `` She certainly did , Miss Cuthbert , '' corroborated Flora Jane earnestly . `` I 'm dreadful sorry , '' said Mrs. Spencer . `` It 's too bad ; but it certainly was n't my fault , you see , Miss Cuthbert . I did the best I could and I thought I was following your instructions . Nancy is a terrible flighty thing . I 've often had to scold her well for her heedlessness . '' `` It was our own fault , '' said Marilla resignedly . `` We should have come to you ourselves and not left an important message to be passed along by word of mouth in that fashion .
Anyhow , the mistake has been made and the only thing XXXXX do is to set it right .
Anne Robert as by for from in old on to