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Chapter XIII
The Way of Transgressors
Davy and Dora were ready for Sunday School. They were going alone, which did not often happen, for Mrs. Lynde always attended Sunday School. But Mrs. Lynde had twisted her ankle and was lame, so she was staying home this morning. The twins were also to represent the family at church, for Anne had gone away the evening before to spend Sunday with friends in Carmody, and Marilla had one of her headaches.
Davy came downstairs slowly. Dora was waiting in the hall for him, having been made ready by Mrs. Lynde. Davy had attended to his own preparations. He had a cent in his pocket for the Sunday School collection, and a five-cent piece for the church collection; he carried his Bible in one hand and his Sunday School quarterly in the other; he knew his lesson and his Golden Text and his catechism question perfectly. Had he not studied themāperforceāin Mrs. Lyndeās kitchen, all last Sunday afternoon? Davy, therefore, should have been in a placid frame of mind. As a matter of fact, despite text and catechism, he was inwardly as a ravening wolf.
Mrs. Lynde limped out of her kitchen as he joined Dora.
āAre you clean?ā she demanded severely.
āYesāall of me that shows,ā Davy answered with a defiant scowl.
Mrs. Rachel sighed. She had her suspicions about Davyās neck and ears. But she knew that if she attempted to make a personal examination Davy would likely take to his heels and she could not pursue him today.
āWell, be sure you behave yourselves,ā she warned them. āDonāt walk in the dust. Donāt stop in the porch to talk to the other children. Donāt squirm or wriggle in your places. Donāt forget the Golden Text. Donāt lose your collection or forget to put it in. Donāt whisper at prayer time, and donāt forget to pay attention to the sermon.ā
Davy deigned no response. He marched away down the lane, followed by the meek Dora. But his soul seethed within. Davy had suffered, or thought he had suffered, many things at the hands and tongue of Mrs. Rachel Lynde since she had come to Green Gables, for Mrs. Lynde could not live with anybody, whether they were nine or ninety, without trying to bring them up properly. And it was only the preceding afternoon that she had interfered to influence Marilla against allowing Davy to go fishing with the Timothy Cottons. Davy was still boiling over this.
As soon as he was out of the lane Davy stopped and twisted his countenance into such an unearthly and terrific contortion that Dora, although she knew his gifts in that respect, was honestly alarmed lest he should never in the world be able to get it straightened out again.
āDarn her,ā exploded Davy.
āOh, Davy, donāt swear,ā gasped Dora in dismay.
āāDarnā isnāt swearingānot real swearing. And I donāt care if it is,ā retorted Davy recklessly.
āWell, if you MUST say dreadful words donāt say them on Sunday,ā pleaded Dora.
Davy was as yet far from repentance, but in his secret soul he felt that, perhaps, he had gone a little too far.
āIām going to invent a swear word of my own,ā he declared.
āGod will punish you if you do,ā said Dora solemnly.
āThen I think God is a mean old scamp,ā retorted Davy. āDoesnāt He know a fellow must have some way of āspressing his feelings?ā
āDavy!!!ā said Dora. She expected that Davy would be struck down dead on the spot. But nothing happened.
āAnyway, I aināt going to stand any more of Mrs. Lyndeās bossing,ā spluttered Davy. āAnne and Marilla may have the right to boss me, but SHE hasnāt. Iām going to do every single thing she told me not to do. You watch me.ā
In grim, deliberate silence, while Dora watched him with the fascination of horror, Davy stepped off the green grass of the roadside, ankle deep into the fine dust which four weeks of rainless weather had made on the road, and marched along in it, shuffling his feet viciously until he was enveloped in a hazy cloud.
āThatās the beginning,ā he announced triumphantly. āAnd Iām going to stop in the porch and talk as long as thereās anybody there to talk to. Iām going to squirm and wriggle and whisper, and Iām going to say I donāt know the Golden Text. And Iām going to throw away both of my collections RIGHT NOW.ā
And Davy hurled cent and nickel over Mr. Barryās fence with fierce delight.
āSatan made you do that,ā said Dora reproachfully.
āHe didnāt,ā cried Davy indignantly. āI just thought it out for myself. And Iāve thought of something else. Iām not going to Sunday School or church at all. Iām going up to play with the Cottons. They told me yesterday they werenāt going to Sunday School today, ācause their mother was away and there was nobody to make them. Come along, Dora, weāll have a great time.ā
āI donāt want to go,ā protested Dora.
āYouāve got to,ā said Davy. āIf you donāt come Iāll tell Marilla that Frank Bell kissed you in school last Monday.ā
āI couldnāt h...
