原文
"Marilla Cuthbert, you don't say so!" said Mrs. Spencer in distress.
"Why, Robert sent word down by his daughter Nancy and she said you
wanted a girl--didn'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 wasn'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 to do is to set it right. Can we send the child back to the asylum? I suppose they'll take her back, won't they?"
語彙など
- in distress:困って
- send word:伝言する
- corroborate:確証する
- earnestly:まじめに
- dreadful:ひどい
- fault:責任
- instruction:指示
- flighty:軽はずみな
- scold:〜を叱る
- heedlessness:不注意
- resignedly:あきらめて,仕方なく
- pass along:伝える
- word of mouth:口頭
- in that fashion:そんな風に
- anyhow:とにかく
- set right:直す,訂正する