prayer time； and don't forget to pay attention to the sermon。〃
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。
〃Darn her；〃 exploded Davy。
〃Oh； Davy； don't swear；〃 gasped Dora in dismay。
〃‘Darn' isn't swearing not real swearing。 And I don't care
if it is；〃 retorted Davy recklessly。
〃Well； if you MUST say dreadful words don't say them on Sunday；〃 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。
〃I'm going to invent a swear word of my own；〃 he declared。
〃God will punish you if you do；〃 said Dora solemnly。
〃Then I think God is a mean old scamp；〃 retorted Davy。 〃Doesn't
He know a fellow must have some way of 'spressing his feelings？〃
〃Davy！！！〃 said Dora。 She expected that Davy would be struck down
dead on the spot。 But nothing happened。
〃Anyway； I ain't going to stand any more of Mrs。 Lynde's bossing；〃
spluttered Davy。 〃Anne and Marilla may have the right to boss me；
but SHE hasn't。 I'm going to do every single thing she told me not to do。
You watch me。〃
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。
〃That's the beginning；〃 he announced triumphantly。〃 And I'm
going to stop in the porch and talk as long as there's anybody
there to talk to。 I'm going to squirm and wriggle and whisper；
and I'm going to say I don't know the Golden Text。 And I'm going
to throw away both of my collections RIGHT NOW。〃
And Davy hurled cent and nickel over Mr。 Barry's fence with
fierce delight。
〃Satan made you do that；〃 said Dora reproachfully。
〃He didn't；〃 cried Davy indignantly。 〃I just thought it out for myself。
And I've thought of something else。 I'm not going to Sunday School or
church at all。 I'm going up to play with the Cottons。 They told me
yesterday they weren't going to Sunday School today； 'cause their mother
was away and there was nobody to make them。 Come along； Dora； we'll have
a great time。〃
〃I don't want to go；〃 protested Dora。
〃You've got to；〃 said Davy。 〃If you don't come I'll tell Marilla
that Frank Bell kissed you in school last Monday。〃
〃I couldn't help it。 I didn't know he was going to；〃 cried Dora；
blushing scarlet。
〃Well； you didn't slap him or seem a bit cross；〃 retorted Davy。
〃I'll tell her THAT； too； if you don't come。 We'll take the
short cut up this field。〃
〃I'm afraid of those cows；〃 protested poor Dora； seeing a
prospect of escape。
〃The very idea of your being scared of those cows；〃 scoffed Davy。
〃Why； they're both younger than you。〃
〃They're bigger；〃 said Dora。
〃They won't hurt you。 Come along； now。 This is great。 When I
grow up I ain't going to bother going to church at all。 I
believe I can get to heaven by myself。〃
〃You'll go to the other place if you break the Sabbath day；〃
said unhappy Dora； following him sorely against her will。
But Davy was not scared yet。 Hell was very far off； and the
delights of a fishing expedition with the Cottons were very near。
He wished Dora had more spunk。 She kept looking back as if she
were going to cry every minute； and that spoiled a fellow's fun。
Hang girls； anyway。 Davy did not say 〃darn〃 this time； even in thought。
He was not sorry yet that he had said it once； but it might be
as well not to tempt the Unknown Powers too far on one day。
The small Cottons were playing in their back yard； and hailed
Davy's appearance with whoops of delight。 Pete； Tommy； Adolphus；
and Mirabel Cotton were all alone。 Their mother and older
sisters were away。 Dora was thankful Mirabel was there； at least。
She had been afraid she would be alone in a crowd of boys。 Mirabel
was almost as bad as a boy she was so noisy and sunburned and reckless。
But at least she wore dresses。
〃We've come to go fishing；〃 announced Davy。
〃Whoop；〃 yelled the Cottons。 They rushed away to dig worms at once；
Mirabel leading the van with a tin can。 Dora could have sat down
and cried。 Oh； if only that hateful Frank Bell had never kissed her！
Then she could have defied Davy； and gone to her beloved Sunday School。
They dared not； of course； go fishing on the pond； where they
would be seen by people going to church。 They had to resort to
the brook in the woods behind the Cotton house。 But it was full
of trout； and they had a glorious time that morning at least
the Cottons certainly had； and Davy seemed to have it。 Not being
entirely bereft of prudence； he had discarded boots and stockings
and borrowed Tommy Cotton's overalls。 Thus accoutered； bog and
marsh and undergrowth had no terrors for him。 Dora was frankly
and manifestly miserable。 She followed the others in their
peregrinations from pool to pool； clasping her Bible and
quarterly tightly and thinking with bitterness of soul of her
beloved class where she should be sitting that very moment；
before a teacher she adored。 Instead； here she was roaming the
woods with those half…wild Cottons； trying to keep her boots clean
and her pretty white dress free from rents and stains。 Mirabel
had offered the loan of an apron but Dora had scornfully refused。
The trout bit as they always do on Sundays。 In an hour the
transgressors had all the fish they wanted； so they returned to
the house； much to Dora's relief。 She sat primly on a hencoop in
the yard while the others played an uproarious game of tag； and
then they all climbed to the top of the pig…house roof and cut
their initials on the saddleboard。 The flat…roofed henhouse and
a pile of straw beneath gave Davy another inspiration。 They
spent a splendid half hour climbing on the roof and diving off
into the straw with whoops and yells。
But even unlawful pleasures must come to an end。 When the rumble
of wheels over the pond bridge told that people were going home
from church Davy knew they must go。 He discarded Tommy's overalls；
resumed his own rightful attire； and turned away from his string
of trout with a sigh。 No use to think of taking them home。
〃Well； hadn't we a splendid time？〃 he demanded defiantly； as they
went down the hill field。
〃I hadn't；〃 said Dora flatly。 〃And I don't believe you had
really either；〃 she added； with a flash of insight that was
not to be expected of her。
〃I had so；〃 cried Davy； but in the voice of one who doth protest too much。
〃No wonder you hadn't just sitting there like a like a mule。〃
〃I ain't going to； 'sociate with the Cottons；〃 said Dora loftily。
〃The Cottons are all right；〃 retorted Davy。 〃And they have far better
times than we have。 They do just as they please and say just what they
like before everybody。 _I_'m going to do that； too； after this。〃
〃There are lots of things you wouldn't dare say before everybody；〃
averred Dora。
〃No； there isn't。〃
〃There is； too。 Would you；〃 demanded Dora gravely； 〃would you
say ‘tomcat' before the minister？〃
This was a staggerer。 Davy was not prepared for such a concrete
example of the freedom of speech。 But one did not have to be
consistent with Dora。
〃Of course not；〃 he admitted sulkily。
〃‘Tomcat' isn't a holy word。 I wouldn't mention such an animal
before a minister at all。〃
〃But if you had to？〃 persisted Dora。
〃I'd call it a Thomas pussy；〃 said Davy。
〃_I_ think ‘gentleman cat' would be more polite；〃 reflected Dora。
〃YOU thinking！〃 retorted Davy with withering scorn。
Davy was not feeling comfortable； though he would have died
before he admitted it to Dora。 Now that the exhilaration of
truant delights had died away； his conscience was beginning to
give him salutary twinges。 After all； perhaps it would have been
better to have gone to Sunday School and church。 Mrs。 Lynde
might be bossy； but there was always a box of cookies in her
kitchen cupboard and she was not stingy。 At this inconvenient
moment Davy remembered that when he had torn his new school pants
the week before； Mrs。 Lynde had mended them beautifully and
never said a word to Marilla about them。
But Davy's cup of iniquity was not yet full。 He was to discover
that one sin demands another to cover it。 They had dinner with
Mrs。 Lynde that day； and the first thing she asked Davy was；
〃Were all your class in Sunday School today？〃
〃Yes'm；〃 said Davy with a gulp。 〃All were there 'cept one。〃
〃Did you say your Golden Text and catechism？〃
〃Yes'm。〃
〃Did you put your collection in？〃
〃Yes'm。〃
〃Was Mrs。 Malcolm MacPherson in church？〃
〃I don't know。〃 This； at least； was the truth； thought wretched Davy。
〃Was the Ladies' Aid announced for next week？〃
〃Yes'm〃 quakingly。
〃Was prayer…meeting？〃
〃I I don't know。〃
〃YOU should know。 You should listen more attentively to the announcements。
What was Mr。 Harvey's text？〃
Davy