Each had amazingly big, light-blue eyes behind steel-rimmed spectacles; each wore a cap and a gray shawl; each was knitting without haste and without rest; each rocked placidly and looked at the girls without speaking; and just behind each sat a large white china dog, with round green spots all over it, a green nose and green ears.

Those dogs captured Anne's fancy on the spot; they seemed like the twin guardian deities of Patty's Place.
For a few minutes nobody spoke.

The girls were too nervous to find words, and neither the ancient ladies nor the china dogs seemed conversationally inclined.

Anne glanced about the room.

What a dear place it was! Another door opened out of it directly into the pine grove and the robins came boldly up on the very step.