Pollyanna Crows up / Поллианна вырастает. Книга для чтения на английском языке

And may I add that I, too, personally, would appreciate the favor; for Ruth Carew and her sister are very old, dear friends of my wife and myself; and what touches them touches us.

As ever yours,

    CHARLIE.”

The letter finished, there was a long silence, so long a silence that the doctor uttered a quiet, “Well, Polly?”

Still there was silence. The doctor, watching his wife’s face closely, saw that the usually firm lips and chin were trembling. He waited then quietly until his wife spoke.

“How soon – do you think – they’ll expect her?” she asked at last.

In spite of himself Dr. Chilton gave a slight start.

“You – mean – that you WILL let her go?” he cried.

His wife turned indignantly.

“Why, Thomas Chilton, what a question! Do you suppose, after a letter like that, I could do anything BUT let her go? Besides, didn’t Dr. Ames HIMSELF ask us to? Do you think, after what that man has done for Pollyanna, that I’d refuse him ANYTHING – no matter what it was?”

“Dear, dear! I hope, now, that the doctor won’t take it into his head to ask for – for YOU, my love,” murmured the husband-of-a-year, with a whimsical smile.

“You may write Dr. Ames that we’ll send Pollyanna; and ask him to tell Miss Wetherby to give us full instructions. It must be sometime before the tenth of next month, of course, for you sail then; and I want to see the child properly established myself before I leave, naturally.

“When will you tell Pollyanna?”

“To-morrow, probably.”

“What will you tell her?”

“I don’t know – exactly; but not any more than I can’t help, certainly. Whatever happens, Thomas, we don’t want to spoil Pollyanna; and no child could help being spoiled if she once got it into her head that she was a sort of – of —”

“Of medicine bottle with a label of full instructions for taking?” interpolated the doctor, with a smile.

“Yes,” sighed Mrs. Chilton. “It’s her unconsciousness that saves the whole thing[14 - saves the whole thing – (разг.) спасает положение]. YOU know that, dear.”

“Yes, I know,” nodded the man.

“She knows, of course, that you and I, and half the town are playing the game with her, and that we – we are wonderfully happier because we ARE playing it.” Mrs. Chilton’s voice shook a little, then went on more steadily.