Chapter 6 Summary

Marilla inquires at Mrs. Spencer's about the mix-up, having sent word to Mrs. Spencer's brother that they were in need of a boy orphan. Mrs. Spencer, feeling defensive and "distressed," explains the message that the Cuthberts were in need of a girl orphan was relayed to her by her niece Nancy, who is both flighty and unreliable. Marilla concedes it was her fault for not seeing out such an important errand herself. Mrs. Spencer suggests a resolution to the difficulty. A Mrs. Blewett was just inquiring the day before about an orphan girl to help her care for her children, and there would be no need to send the girl back to the orphanage.

Uneasy about the prospect of shipping Anne off to Mrs. Peter Blewett, a woman known for her harshness and pettiness with servant girls, Marilla hesitates. By chance, Mrs. Blewett...