noon
CHAPTER VIII . Anne 's Bringing-up Is Begun | FOR reasons best known to herself , Marilla did not tell Anne that she was to stay at Green Gables until the next afternoon . During the forenoon she kept the child busy with various tasks and watched over her with a keen eye while she did them . By noon she had concluded that Anne was smart and obedient , willing to work and quick to learn ; her most serious shortcoming seemed to be a tendency to fall into daydreams in the middle of a task and forget all about it until such time as she was sharply recalled to earth by a reprimand or a catastrophe . When Anne had finished washing the dinner dishes she suddenly confronted Marilla with the air and expression of one desperately determined to learn the worst . Her thin little body trembled from head to foot ; her face flushed and her eyes dilated until they were almost black ; she clasped her hands tightly and said in an imploring voice : `` Oh , please , Miss Cuthbert , wo n't you tell me if you are going to send me away or not ? I 've tried to be patient all the morning , but I really feel that I can not bear not knowing any longer .