produced by david widger and charles keller

anne of green gables

by lucy maud montgomery

table of contents

anne of green gables

chapter i . mrs rachel lynde is surprised

she was sitting there one afternoon in early june .

peter had asked him , of course , for matthew cuthbert had never been known to volunteer information about anything in his whole life .

now , where was matthew cuthbert going and why was he going there ?

matthew , dressed up with a white collar and driving in a buggy , was something that didn't happen often .

mrs rachel , ponder as she might , could make nothing of it and her afternoon 's enjoyment was spoiled .

yet something must have happened since last night to start him off .

to be sure , the long lane made it a good deal further .

mrs rachel lynde did not call living in such a place living at all .

" it 's just staying , that 's what , " she said as she stepped along the deep-rutted , grassy lane bordered with wild rose bushes .

" it 's no wonder matthew and marilla are both a little odd , living away back here by themselves .

trees aren't much company , though dear knows if they were there 'd be enough of them .

i 'd ruther look at people .

to be sure , they seem contented enough ; but then , i suppose , they 're used to it .

a body can get used to anything , even to being hanged , as the irishman said . "

with this mrs rachel stepped out of the lane into the backyard of green gables .

very green and neat and precise was that yard , set about on one side with great patriarchal willows and the other with prim lombardies .

not a stray stick nor stone was to be seen , for mrs rachel would have seen it if there had been .

privately she was of the opinion that marilla cuthbert swept that yard over as often as she swept her house .

one could have eaten a meal off the ground without over-brimming the proverbial peck of dirt .

mrs rachel rapped smartly at the kitchen door and stepped in when bidden to do so .

mrs rachel , before she had fairly closed the door , had taken a mental note of everything that was on that table .

yet what of matthew 's white collar and the sorrel mare ?

mrs rachel was getting fairly dizzy with this unusual mystery about quiet , unmysterious green gables .

" good evening , rachel , " marilla said briskly .

" this is a real fine evening , isn't it ?

won't you sit down ?

how are all your folks ? "

" we 're all pretty well , " said mrs rachel .

" i was kind of afraid you weren't , though , when i saw matthew starting off today .

i thought maybe he was going to the doctor 's . "

marilla 's lips twitched understandingly .

" oh , no , i 'm quite well although i had a bad headache yesterday , " she said .

" matthew went to bright river .

we 're getting a little boy from an orphan asylum in nova scotia and he 's coming on the train tonight . "

if marilla had said that matthew had gone to bright river to meet a kangaroo from australia mrs rachel could not have been more astonished .

she was actually stricken dumb for five seconds .

it was unsupposable that marilla was making fun of her , but mrs rachel was almost forced to suppose it .

" are you in earnest , marilla ? " she demanded when voice returned to her .

mrs rachel felt that she had received a severe mental jolt .

she thought in exclamation points .

a boy !

marilla and matthew cuthbert of all people adopting a boy !

from an orphan asylum !

well , the world was certainly turning upside down !

she would be surprised at nothing after this !

nothing !

" what on earth put such a notion into your head ? " she demanded disapprovingly .

this had been done without her advice being asked , and must perforce be disapproved .

" well , we 've been thinking about it for some time all winter in fact , " returned marilla .

her cousin lives there and mrs spencer has visited here and knows all about it .

so matthew and i have talked it over off and on ever since .

we thought we 'd get a boy .

matthew is getting up in years , you know he 's sixty and he isn't so spry as he once was .

his heart troubles him a good deal .

and you know how desperate hard it 's got to be to get hired help .

at first matthew suggested getting a home boy .

but i said ' no ' flat to that .

' they may be all right i 'm not saying they 're not but no london street arabs for me , ' i said .

' give me a native born at least .

there'll be a risk , no matter who we get .

but i 'll feel easier in my mind and sleep sounder at nights if we get a born canadian . '

so in the end we decided to ask mrs spencer to pick us out one when she went over to get her little girl .

we mean to give him a good home and schooling .

we had a telegram from mrs alexander spencer today the mail-man brought it from the station saying they were coming on the five-thirty train tonight .

so matthew went to bright river to meet him .

mrs spencer will drop him off there .

of course she goes on to white sands station herself . "

" well , marilla , i 'll just tell you plain that i think you 're doing a mighty foolish thing a risky thing , that's what .

you don't know what you 're getting .

and i know another case where an adopted boy used to suck the eggs they couldn't break him of it .

this job 's comforting seemed neither to offend nor to alarm marilla .

she knitted steadily on .

" i don't deny there 's something in what you say , rachel .

i 've had some qualms myself .

but matthew was terrible set on it .

i could see that , so i gave in .

it 's so seldom matthew sets his mind on anything that when he does i always feel it 's my duty to give in .

and as for the risk , there 's risks in pretty near everything a body does in this world .

there 's risks in people 's having children of their own if it comes to that they don't always turn out well .

and then nova scotia is right close to the island .

it isn't as if we were getting him from england or the states .

he can't be much different from ourselves . "

" well , i hope it will turn out all right , " said mrs rachel in a tone that plainly indicated her painful doubts .

only , it was a girl in that instance . "

" i 'd never dream of taking a girl to bring up .

i wonder at mrs alexander spencer for doing it .

but there , she wouldn't shrink from adopting a whole orphan asylum if she took it into her head . "

mrs rachel would have liked to stay until matthew came home with his imported orphan .

it would certainly make a sensation second to none , and mrs rachel dearly loved to make a sensation .

" well , of all things that ever were or will be ! " ejaculated mrs rachel when she was safely out in the lane .

" it does really seem as if i must be dreaming .

well , i 'm sorry for that poor young one and no mistake .

i wouldn't be in that orphan 's shoes for anything .

my , but i pity him , that's what . "

chapter ii .

matthew cuthbert is surprised

|matthew cuthbert and the sorrel mare jogged comfortably over the eight miles to bright river .

" the little birds sang as if it were the one day of summer in all the year . "

matthew dreaded all women except marilla and mrs rachel ; he had an uncomfortable feeling that the mysterious creatures were secretly laughing at him .

in fact , he had looked at twenty very much as he looked at sixty , lacking a little of the grayness .

matthew , barely noting that it was a girl , sidled past her as quickly as possible without looking at her .

had he looked he could hardly have failed to notice the tense rigidity and expectation of her attitude and expression .

" the five-thirty train has been in and gone half an hour ago , " answered that brisk official .

" but there was a passenger dropped off for you a little girl .

she 's sitting out there on the shingles .

i asked her to go into the ladies ' waiting room , but she informed me gravely that she preferred to stay outside .

' there was more scope for imagination , ' she said .

she 's a case , i should say . "

" i 'm not expecting a girl , " said matthew blankly .

" it 's a boy i 've come for .

he should be here .

mrs alexander spencer was to bring him over from nova scotia for me . "

the stationmaster whistled .

" guess there 's some mistake , " he said .

" mrs spencer came off the train with that girl and gave her into my charge .

said you and your sister were adopting her from an orphan asylum and that you would be along for her presently .

that 's all i know about it and i haven't got any more orphans concealed hereabouts . "

" i don't understand , " said matthew helplessly , wishing that marilla was at hand to cope with the situation .

" well , you 'd better question the girl , " said the station-master carelessly .

" i dare say she 'll be able to explain she 's got a tongue of her own , that 's certain .

maybe they were out of boys of the brand you wanted . "

matthew groaned in spirit as he turned about and shuffled gently down the platform towards her .

she had been watching him ever since he had passed her and she had her eyes on him now .

" i suppose you are mr matthew cuthbert of green gables ? " she said in a peculiarly clear , sweet voice .

" i 'm very glad to see you .

i was beginning to be afraid you weren't coming for me and i was imagining all the things that might have happened to prevent you .

you could imagine you were dwelling in marble halls , couldn't you ?

and i was quite sure you would come for me in the morning , if you didn't to-night . "

matthew had taken the scrawny little hand awkwardly in his ; then and there he decided what to do .

" i 'm sorry i was late , " he said shyly .

" come along .

the horse is over in the yard .

give me your bag . "

" oh , i can carry it , " the child responded cheerfully .

" it isn't heavy .

i 've got all my worldly goods in it , but it isn't heavy .

it 's an extremely old carpet-bag .

oh , i 'm very glad you 've come , even if it would have been nice to sleep in a wild cherry-tree .

we 've got to drive a long piece , haven't we ?

mrs spencer said it was eight miles .

i 'm glad because i love driving .

oh , it seems so wonderful that i 'm going to live with you and belong to you .

i 've never belonged to anybody not really .

but the asylum was the worst .

i 've only been in it four months , but that was enough .

i don't suppose you ever were an orphan in an asylum , so you can't possibly understand what it is like .

it 's worse than anything you could imagine .

mrs spencer said it was wicked of me to talk like that , but i didn't mean to be wicked .

it 's so easy to be wicked without knowing it , isn't it ?

they were good , you know the asylum people .

but there is so little scope for the imagination in an asylum only just in the other orphans .

i used to lie awake at nights and imagine things like that , because i didn't have time in the day .

i guess that 's why i 'm so thin i am dreadful thin , ain't i ?

there isn't a pick on my bones .

i do love to imagine i 'm nice and plump , with dimples in my elbows . "

with this matthew 's companion stopped talking , partly because she was out of breath and partly because they had reached the buggy .

the child put out her hand and broke off a branch of wild plum that brushed against the side of the buggy .

" isn't that beautiful ?

what did that tree , leaning out from the bank , all white and lacy , make you think of ? " she asked .

" well now , i dunno , " said matthew .

" why , a bride , of course a bride all in white with a lovely misty veil .

i 've never seen one , but i can imagine what she would look like .

i don't ever expect to be a bride myself .

i 'm so homely nobody will ever want to marry me unless it might be a foreign missionary .

i suppose a foreign missionary mightn't be very particular .

but i do hope that some day i shall have a white dress .

that is my highest ideal of earthly bliss .

i just love pretty clothes .

and then i can imagine that i 'm dressed gorgeously .

this morning when i left the asylum i felt so ashamed because i had to wear this horrid old wincey dress .

all the orphans had to wear them , you know .

a merchant in hopeton last winter donated three hundred yards of wincey to the asylum .

when we got on the train i felt as if everybody must be looking at me and pitying me .

i felt cheered up right away and i enjoyed my trip to the island with all my might .

i wasn't a bit sick coming over in the boat .

neither was mrs spencer although she generally is .

she said she hadn't time to get sick , watching to see that i didn't fall overboard .

she said she never saw the beat of me for prowling about .

but if it kept her from being seasick it 's a mercy i did prowl , isn't it ?

and i wanted to see everything that was to be seen on that boat , because i didn't know whether i 'd ever have another opportunity .

oh , there are a lot more cherry-trees all in bloom !

this island is the bloomiest place .

i just love it already , and i 'm so glad i 'm going to live here .

it 's delightful when your imaginations come true , isn't it ?

but those red roads are so funny .

she said i must have asked her a thousand already .

i suppose i had , too , but how you going to find out about things if you don't ask questions ?

and what does make the roads red ? "

" well now , i dunno , " said matthew .

" well , that is one of the things to find out sometime .

isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about ?

it just makes me feel glad to be alive it 's such an interesting world .

it wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything , would it ?

there'd be no scope for imagination then , would there ?

but am i talking too much ?

people are always telling me i do .

would you rather i didn't talk ?

if you say so i 'll stop .

i can stop when i make up my mind to it , although it 's difficult . "

matthew , much to his own surprise , was enjoying himself .

but he had never expected to enjoy the society of a little girl .

women were bad enough in all conscience , but little girls were worse .

that was the avonlea type of well-bred little girl .

so he said as shyly as usual :

" oh , you can talk as much as you like .

i don't mind . "

" oh , i 'm so glad .

i know you and i are going to get along together fine .

it 's such a relief to talk when one wants to and not be told that children should be seen and not heard .

i 've had that said to me a million times if i have once .

and people laugh at me because i use big words .

but if you have big ideas you have to use big words to express them , haven't you ? "

" well now , that seems reasonable , " said matthew .

" mrs spencer said that my tongue must be hung in the middle .

but it isn't it 's firmly fastened at one end .

mrs spencer said your place was named green gables .

i asked her all about it .

and she said there were trees all around it .

i was gladder than ever .

i just love trees .

they just looked like orphans themselves , those trees did .

it used to make me want to cry to look at them .

i used to say to them , ' oh , you poor little things !

but you can't where you are .

i know just exactly how you feel , little trees . '

i felt sorry to leave them behind this morning .

you do get so attached to things like that , don't you ?

is there a brook anywhere near green gables ?

i forgot to ask mrs spencer that . "

" well now , yes , there 's one right below the house . "

" fancy .

it 's always been one of my dreams to live near a brook .

i never expected i would , though .

dreams don't often come true , do they ?

wouldn't it be nice if they did ?

but just now i feel pretty nearly perfectly happy .

i can't feel exactly perfectly happy because well , what color would you call this ? "

she twitched one of her long glossy braids over her thin shoulder and held it up before matthew 's eyes .

matthew was not used to deciding on the tints of ladies ' tresses , but in this case there couldn't be much doubt .

" it 's red , ain't it ? " he said .

" yes , it 's red , " she said resignedly .

" now you see why i can't be perfectly happy .

nobody could who has red hair .

i don't mind the other things so much the freckles and the green eyes and my skinniness .

i can imagine them away .

i can imagine that i have a beautiful rose-leaf complexion and lovely starry violet eyes .

but i cannot imagine that red hair away .

i do my best .

i think to myself , ' now my hair is a glorious black , black as the raven 's wing . '

but all the time i know it is just plain red and it breaks my heart .

it will be my lifelong sorrow .

i read of a girl once in a novel who had a lifelong sorrow but it wasn't red hair .

her hair was pure gold rippling back from her alabaster brow .

what is an alabaster brow ?

i never could find out .

can you tell me ? "

" well now , i 'm afraid i can't , " said matthew , who was getting a little dizzy .

he felt as he had once felt in his rash youth when another boy had enticed him on the merry-go-round at a picnic .

" well , whatever it was it must have been something nice because she was divinely beautiful .

have you ever imagined what it must feel like to be divinely beautiful ? "

" well now , no , i haven't , " confessed matthew ingenuously .

" i have , often .

which would you rather be if you had the choice divinely beautiful or dazzlingly clever or angelically good ? "

" well now , i i don't know exactly . "

" neither do i . i can never decide .

but it doesn't make much real difference for it isn't likely i 'll ever be either .

it 's certain i 'll never be angelically good .

mrs spencer says oh , mr cuthbert !

oh , mr cuthbert ! !

oh , mr cuthbert ! ! ! "

that was not what mrs spencer had said ; neither had the child tumbled out of the buggy nor had matthew done anything astonishing .

they had simply rounded a curve in the road and found themselves in the " avenue . "

overhead was one long canopy of snowy fragrant bloom .

its beauty seemed to strike the child dumb .

she leaned back in the buggy , her thin hands clasped before her , her face lifted rapturously to the white splendor above .

even when they had passed out and were driving down the long slope to newbridge she never moved or spoke .

still with rapt face she gazed afar into the sunset west , with eyes that saw visions trooping splendidly across that glowing background .

when three more miles had dropped away behind them the child had not spoken .

she could keep silence , it was evident , as energetically as she could talk .

" but we haven't very far to go now only another mile . "

" oh , mr cuthbert , " she whispered , " that place we came through that white place what was it ? "

" well now , you must mean the avenue , " said matthew after a few moments ' profound reflection .

" it is a kind of pretty place . "

" pretty ?

oh , pretty doesn't seem the right word to use .

nor beautiful , either .

they don't go far enough .

oh , it was wonderful wonderful .

it 's the first thing i ever saw that couldn't be improved upon by imagination .

did you ever have an ache like that , mr cuthbert ? "

" well now , i just can't recollect that i ever had . "

" i have it lots of time whenever i see anything royally beautiful .

but they shouldn't call that lovely place the avenue .

there is no meaning in a name like that .

they should call it let me see the white way of delight .

isn't that a nice imaginative name ?

when i don't like the name of a place or a person i always imagine a new one and always think of them so .

there was a girl at the asylum whose name was hepzibah jenkins , but i always imagined her as rosalia devere .

other people may call that place the avenue , but i shall always call it the white way of delight .

have we really only another mile to go before we get home ?

i 'm glad and i 'm sorry .

i 'm sorry because this drive has been so pleasant and i 'm always sorry when pleasant things end .

something still pleasanter may come after , but you can never be sure .

and it 's so often the case that it isn't pleasanter .

that has been my experience anyhow .

but i 'm glad to think of getting home .

you see , i 've never had a real home since i can remember .

it gives me that pleasant ache again just to think of coming to a really truly home .

oh , isn't that pretty ! "

they had driven over the crest of a hill .

below them was a pond , looking almost like a river so long and winding was it .

above the bridge the pond ran up into fringing groves of fir and maple and lay all darkly translucent in their wavering shadows .

here and there a wild plum leaned out from the bank like a white-clad girl tip-toeing to her own reflection .

from the marsh at the head of the pond came the clear , mournfully-sweet chorus of the frogs .

" that 's barry 's pond , " said matthew .

" oh , i don't like that name , either .

i shall call it let me see the lake of shining waters .

yes , that is the right name for it .

i know because of the thrill .

when i hit on a name that suits exactly it gives me a thrill .

do things ever give you a thrill ? "

matthew ruminated .

" well now , yes .

it always kind of gives me a thrill to see them ugly white grubs that spade up in the cucumber beds .

i hate the look of them . "

" oh , i don't think that can be exactly the same kind of a thrill .

do you think it can ?

there doesn't seem to be much connection between grubs and lakes of shining waters , does there ?

but why do other people call it barry 's pond ? "

" i reckon because mr barry lives up there in that house .

orchard slope 's the name of his place .

if it wasn't for that big bush behind it you could see green gables from here .

but we have to go over the bridge and round by the road , so it 's near half a mile further . "

" has mr barry any little girls ?

well , not so very little either about my size . "

" he 's got one about eleven .

her name is diana . "

" oh ! " with a long indrawing of breath .

" what a perfectly lovely name ! "

" well now , i dunno .

there 's something dreadful heathenish about it , seems to me .

i 'd ruther jane or mary or some sensible name like that .

but when diana was born there was a schoolmaster boarding there and they gave him the naming of her and he called her diana . "

" i wish there had been a schoolmaster like that around when i was born , then .

oh , here we are at the bridge .

i 'm going to shut my eyes tight .

i 'm always afraid going over bridges .

i can't help imagining that perhaps just as we get to the middle , they 'll crumple up like a jack-knife and nip us .

so i shut my eyes .

but i always have to open them for all when i think we 're getting near the middle .

because , you see , if the bridge did crumple up i 'd want to see it crumple .

what a jolly rumble it makes !

i always like the rumble part of it .

isn't it splendid there are so many things to like in this world ?

there we 're over .

now i 'll look back .

good night , dear lake of shining waters .

i always say good night to the things i love , just as i would to people .

i think they like it .

that water looks as if it was smiling at me . "

when they had driven up the further hill and around a corner matthew said :

" we 're pretty near home now .

that 's green gables over "

" let me guess .

i 'm sure i 'll guess right . "

she opened her eyes and looked about her .

they were on the crest of a hill .

the sun had set some time since , but the landscape was still clear in the mellow afterlight .

to the west a dark church spire rose up against a marigold sky .

below was a little valley and beyond a long , gently-rising slope with snug farmsteads scattered along it .

from one to another the child 's eyes darted , eager and wistful .

over it , in the stainless southwest sky , a great crystal-white star was shining like a lamp of guidance and promise .

" that 's it , isn't it ? " she said , pointing .

matthew slapped the reins on the sorrel 's back delightedly .

" well now , you 've guessed it !

but i reckon mrs spencer described it so 's you could tell . "

" no , she didn't really she didn't .

all she said might just as well have been about most of those other places .

i hadn't any real idea what it looked like .

but just as soon as i saw it i felt it was home .

oh , it seems as if i must be in a dream .

do you know , my arm must be black and blue from the elbow up , for i 've pinched myself so many times today .

every little while a horrible sickening feeling would come over me and i 'd be so afraid it was all a dream .

but it is real and we 're nearly home . "

with a sigh of rapture she relapsed into silence .

matthew stirred uneasily .

by the time they arrived at the house matthew was shrinking from the approaching revelation with an energy he did not understand .

the yard was quite dark as they turned into it and the poplar leaves were rustling silkily all round it .

" listen to the trees talking in their sleep , " she whispered , as he lifted her to the ground .

" what nice dreams they must have ! "

then , holding tightly to the carpet-bag which contained " all her worldly goods , " she followed him into the house .

chapter iii .

marilla cuthbert is surprised

|marilla came briskly forward as matthew opened the door .

" matthew cuthbert , who 's that ? " she ejaculated .

" where is the boy ? "

" there wasn't any boy , " said matthew wretchedly .

" there was only her . "

he nodded at the child , remembering that he had never even asked her name .

" no boy !

but there must have been a boy , " insisted marilla .

" we sent word to mrs spencer to bring a boy . "

" well , she didn't .

she brought her .

i asked the station-master .

and i had to bring her home .

she couldn't be left there , no matter where the mistake had come in . "

" well , this is a pretty piece of business ! " ejaculated marilla .

suddenly she seemed to grasp the full meaning of what had been said .

dropping her precious carpet-bag she sprang forward a step and clasped her hands .

" you don't want me ! " she cried .

" you don't want me because i 'm not a boy !

i might have expected it .

nobody ever did want me .

i might have known it was all too beautiful to last .

i might have known nobody really did want me .

oh , what shall i do ?

i 'm going to burst into tears ! "

burst into tears she did .

marilla and matthew looked at each other deprecatingly across the stove .

neither of them knew what to say or do .

finally marilla stepped lamely into the breach .

" well , well , there 's no need to cry so about it . "

" yes , there is need ! "

the child raised her head quickly , revealing a tear-stained face and trembling lips .

oh , this is the most tragical thing that ever happened to me ! "

something like a reluctant smile , rather rusty from long disuse , mellowed marilla 's grim expression .

" well , don't cry any more .

we 're not going to turn you out-of-doors to-night .

you 'll have to stay here until we investigate this affair .

what 's your name ? "

the child hesitated for a moment .

" will you please call me cordelia ? " she said eagerly .

" call you cordelia ?

is that your name ? "

" no-o-o , it 's not exactly my name , but i would love to be called cordelia .

it 's such a perfectly elegant name . "

" i don't know what on earth you mean .

if cordelia isn't your name , what is ? "

" anne shirley , " reluctantly faltered forth the owner of that name , " but , oh , please do call me cordelia .

it can't matter much to you what you call me if i 'm only going to be here a little while , can it ?

and anne is such an unromantic name . "

" unromantic fiddlesticks ! " said the unsympathetic marilla .

" anne is a real good plain sensible name .

you 've no need to be ashamed of it . "

" oh , i 'm not ashamed of it , " explained anne , " only i like cordelia better .

i 've always imagined that my name was cordelia at least , i always have of late years .

when i was young i used to imagine it was geraldine , but i like cordelia better now .

but if you call me anne please call me anne spelled with an e . "

" what difference does it make how it 's spelled ? " asked marilla with another rusty smile as she picked up the teapot .

" oh , it makes such a difference .

it looks so much nicer .

when you hear a name pronounced can't you always see it in your mind , just as if it was printed out ?

i can ; and a-n-n looks dreadful , but a-n-n-e looks so much more distinguished .

if you 'll only call me anne spelled with an e i shall try to reconcile myself to not being called cordelia . "

" very well , then , anne spelled with an e , can you tell us how this mistake came to be made ?

we sent word to mrs spencer to bring us a boy .

were there no boys at the asylum ? "

" oh , yes , there was an abundance of them .

but mrs spencer said distinctly that you wanted a girl about eleven years old .

and the matron said she thought i would do .

you don't know how delighted i was .

i couldn't sleep all last night for joy .

if i hadn't seen the white way of delight and the lake of shining waters it wouldn't be so hard . "

" what on earth does she mean ? " demanded marilla , staring at matthew .

" she she 's just referring to some conversation we had on the road , " said matthew hastily .

" i 'm going out to put the mare in , marilla .

have tea ready when i come back . "

" did mrs spencer bring anybody over besides you ? " continued marilla when matthew had gone out .

" she brought lily jones for herself .

lily is only five years old and she is very beautiful and had nut-brown hair .

if i was very beautiful and had nut-brown hair would you keep me ? "

" no .

we want a boy to help matthew on the farm .

a girl would be of no use to us .

take off your hat .

i 'll lay it and your bag on the hall table . "

anne took off her hat meekly .

matthew came back presently and they sat down to supper .

but anne could not eat .

in vain she nibbled at the bread and butter and pecked at the crab-apple preserve out of the little scalloped glass dish by her plate .

she did not really make any headway at all .

" you 're not eating anything , " said marilla sharply , eying her as if it were a serious shortcoming .

anne sighed .

" i can't .

i 'm in the depths of despair .

can you eat when you are in the depths of despair ? "

" i 've never been in the depths of despair , so i can't say , " responded marilla .

" weren't you ?

well , did you ever try to imagine you were in the depths of despair ? "

" no , i didn't . "

" then i don't think you can understand what it 's like .

it 's a very uncomfortable feeling indeed .

i had one chocolate caramel once two years ago and it was simply delicious .

i do hope you won't be offended because i can't eat .

everything is extremely nice , but still i cannot eat . "

" i guess she 's tired , " said matthew , who hadn't spoken since his return from the barn .

" best put her to bed , marilla . "

marilla had been wondering where anne should be put to bed .

she had prepared a couch in the kitchen chamber for the desired and expected boy .

but , although it was neat and clean , it did not seem quite the thing to put a girl there somehow .

but the spare room was out of the question for such a stray waif , so there remained only the east gable room .

the hall was fearsomely clean ; the little gable chamber in which she presently found herself seemed still cleaner .

marilla set the candle on a three-legged , three-cornered table and turned down the bedclothes .

" i suppose you have a nightgown ? " she questioned .

anne nodded .

" yes , i have two .

the matron of the asylum made them for me .

they 're fearfully skimpy .

there is never enough to go around in an asylum , so things are always skimpy at least in a poor asylum like ours .

i hate skimpy night-dresses .

but one can dream just as well in them as in lovely trailing ones , with frills around the neck , that 's one consolation . "

" well , undress as quick as you can and go to bed .

i 'll come back in a few minutes for the candle .

i daren't trust you to put it out yourself .

you 'd likely set the place on fire . "

when marilla had gone anne looked around her wistfully .

the whitewashed walls were so painfully bare and staring that she thought they must ache over their own bareness .

the floor was bare , too , except for a round braided mat in the middle such as anne had never seen before .

in one corner was the bed , a high , old-fashioned one , with four dark , low-turned posts .

above it hung a little six-by-eight mirror .

midway between table and bed was the window , with an icy white muslin frill over it , and opposite it was the wash-stand .

" good night , " she said , a little awkwardly , but not unkindly .

anne 's white face and big eyes appeared over the bedclothes with a startling suddenness .

then she dived down into invisibility again .

marilla went slowly down to the kitchen and proceeded to wash the supper dishes .

matthew was smoking a sure sign of perturbation of mind .

" well , this is a pretty kettle of fish , " she said wrathfully .

" this is what comes of sending word instead of going ourselves .

richard spencer 's folks have twisted that message somehow .

one of us will have to drive over and see mrs spencer tomorrow , that 's certain .

this girl will have to be sent back to the asylum . "

" yes , i suppose so , " said matthew reluctantly .

" you suppose so !

don't you know it ? "

" well now , she 's a real nice little thing , marilla .

it 's kind of a pity to send her back when she 's so set on staying here . "

" matthew cuthbert , you don't mean to say you think we ought to keep her ! "

marilla 's astonishment could not have been greater if matthew had expressed a predilection for standing on his head .

" i suppose we could hardly be expected to keep her . "

" i should say not .

what good would she be to us ? "

" we might be some good to her , " said matthew suddenly and unexpectedly .

" matthew cuthbert , i believe that child has bewitched you !

i can see as plain as plain that you want to keep her . "

" well now , she 's a real interesting little thing , " persisted matthew .

" you should have heard her talk coming from the station . "

" oh , she can talk fast enough .

i saw that at once .

it 's nothing in her favour , either .

i don't like children who have so much to say .

i don't want an orphan girl and if i did she isn't the style i 'd pick out .

there 's something i don't understand about her .

no , she 's got to be despatched straight-way back to where she came from . "

" i could hire a french boy to help me , " said matthew , " and she 'd be company for you . "

" i 'm not suffering for company , " said marilla shortly .

" and i 'm not going to keep her . "

" well now , it 's just as you say , of course , marilla , " said matthew rising and putting his pipe away .

" i 'm going to bed . "

to bed went matthew .

and to bed , when she had put her dishes away , went marilla , frowning most resolutely .

and up-stairs , in the east gable , a lonely , heart-hungry , friendless child cried herself to sleep .

chapter iv .

morning at green gables

for a moment she could not remember where she was .

first came a delightful thrill , as something very pleasant ; then a horrible remembrance .

this was green gables and they didn't want her because she wasn't a boy !

but it was morning and , yes , it was a cherry-tree in full bloom outside of her window .

with a bound she was out of bed and across the floor .

anne dropped on her knees and gazed out into the june morning , her eyes glistening with delight .

oh , wasn't it beautiful ?

wasn't it a lovely place ?

suppose she wasn't really going to stay here !

she would imagine she was .

there was scope for imagination here .

in the garden below were lilac-trees purple with flowers , and their dizzily sweet fragrance drifted up to the window on the morning wind .

anne 's beauty-loving eyes lingered on it all , taking everything greedily in .

she knelt there , lost to everything but the loveliness around her , until she was startled by a hand on her shoulder .

marilla had come in unheard by the small dreamer .

" it 's time you were dressed , " she said curtly .

anne stood up and drew a long breath .

" oh , isn't it wonderful ? " she said , waving her hand comprehensively at the good world outside .

don't you feel as if you just loved the world on a morning like this ?

and i can hear the brook laughing all the way up here .

have you ever noticed what cheerful things brooks are ?

they 're always laughing .

even in winter-time i 've heard them under the ice .

i 'm so glad there 's a brook near green gables .

perhaps you think it doesn't make any difference to me when you 're not going to keep me , but it does .

i shall always like to remember that there is a brook at green gables even if i never see it again .

if there wasn't a brook i 'd be haunted by the uncomfortable feeling that there ought to be one .

i 'm not in the depths of despair this morning .

i never can be in the morning .

isn't it a splendid thing that there are mornings ?

but i feel very sad .

i 've just been imagining that it was really me you wanted after all and that i was to stay here for ever and ever .

it was a great comfort while it lasted .

but the worst of imagining things is that the time comes when you have to stop and that hurts . "

" breakfast is waiting .

wash your face and comb your hair .

leave the window up and turn your bedclothes back over the foot of the bed .

be as smart as you can . "

as a matter of fact , however , she had forgotten to turn back the bedclothes .

" i 'm pretty hungry this morning , " she announced as she slipped into the chair marilla placed for her .

" the world doesn't seem such a howling wilderness as it did last night .

i 'm so glad it 's a sunshiny morning .

but i like rainy mornings real well , too .

all sorts of mornings are interesting , don't you think ?

you don't know what 's going to happen through the day , and there 's so much scope for imagination .

but i 'm glad it 's not rainy today because it 's easier to be cheerful and bear up under affliction on a sunshiny day .

i feel that i have a good deal to bear up under .

" for pity 's sake hold your tongue , " said marilla .

" you talk entirely too much for a little girl . "

matthew also held his tongue , but this was natural , so that the meal was a very silent one .

who would want such a child about the place ?

yet matthew wished to keep her , of all unaccountable things !

when the meal was ended anne came out of her reverie and offered to wash the dishes .

" can you wash dishes right ? " asked marilla distrustfully .

" pretty well .

i 'm better at looking after children , though .

i 've had so much experience at that .

it 's such a pity you haven't any here for me to look after . "

" i don't feel as if i wanted any more children to look after than i 've got at present .

you 're problem enough in all conscience .

what 's to be done with you i don't know .

matthew is a most ridiculous man . "

" i think he 's lovely , " said anne reproachfully .

" he is so very sympathetic .

he didn't mind how much i talked he seemed to like it .

i felt that he was a kindred spirit as soon as ever i saw him . "

" you 're both queer enough , if that 's what you mean by kindred spirits , " said marilla with a sniff .

" yes , you may wash the dishes .

take plenty of hot water , and be sure you dry them well .

i 've got enough to attend to this morning for i 'll have to drive over to white sands in the afternoon and see mrs spencer .

you 'll come with me and we 'll settle what 's to be done with you .

after you 've finished the dishes go up-stairs and make your bed . "

anne washed the dishes deftly enough , as marilla who kept a sharp eye on the process , discerned .

later on she made her bed less successfully , for she had never learned the art of wrestling with a feather tick .

anne flew to the door , face alight , eyes glowing .

" what 's the matter now ? " demanded marilla .

" i don't dare go out , " said anne , in the tone of a martyr relinquishing all earthly joys .

" if i can't stay here there is no use in my loving green gables .

it 's hard enough now , so i won't make it any harder .

i want to go out so much everything seems to be calling to me , ' anne , anne , come out to us .

anne , anne , we want a playmate ' but it 's better not .

there is no use in loving things if you have to be torn from them , is there ?

and it 's so hard to keep from loving things , isn't it ?

that was why i was so glad when i thought i was going to live here .

i thought i 'd have so many things to love and nothing to hinder me .

but that brief dream is over .

i am resigned to my fate now , so i don't think i 'll go out for fear i 'll get unresigned again .

what is the name of that geranium on the window-sill , please ? "

" that 's the apple-scented geranium . "

" oh , i don't mean that sort of a name .

i mean just a name you gave it yourself .

didn't you give it a name ?

may i give it one then ?

may i call it let me see bonny would do may i call it bonny while i 'm here ?

oh , do let me ! "

" goodness , i don't care .

but where on earth is the sense of naming a geranium ? "

" oh , i like things to have handles even if they are only geraniums .

it makes them seem more like people .

how do you know but that it hurts a geranium 's feelings just to be called a geranium and nothing else ?

you wouldn't like to be called nothing but a woman all the time .

yes , i shall call it bonny .

i named that cherry-tree outside my bedroom window this morning .

i called it snow queen because it was so white .

of course , it won't always be in blossom , but one can imagine that it is , can't one ? "

" she is kind of interesting as matthew says .

i can feel already that i 'm wondering what on earth she 'll say next .

she 'll be casting a spell over me , too .

she 's cast it over matthew .

that look he gave me when he went out said everything he said or hinted last night over again .

i wish he was like other men and would talk things out .

a body could answer back then and argue him into reason .

but what 's to be done with a man who just looks ? "

there marilla left her until the early dinner was on the table .

" i suppose i can have the mare and buggy this afternoon , matthew ? " said marilla .

matthew nodded and looked wistfully at anne .

marilla intercepted the look and said grimly :

" i 'm going to drive over to white sands and settle this thing .

i 'll take anne with me and mrs spencer will probably make arrangements to send her back to nova scotia at once .

i 'll set your tea out for you and i 'll be home in time to milk the cows . "

still matthew said nothing and marilla had a sense of having wasted words and breath .

there is nothing more aggravating than a man who won't talk back unless it is a woman who won't .

matthew hitched the sorrel into the buggy in due time and marilla and anne set off .

matthew opened the yard gate for them and as they drove slowly through , he said , to nobody in particular as it seemed :

" little jerry buote from the creek was here this morning , and i told him i guessed i 'd hire him for the summer . "

marilla looked back once as the buggy bounced along and saw that aggravating matthew leaning over the gate , looking wistfully after them .

chapter v anne 's history

|do you know , " said anne confidentially , " i 've made up my mind to enjoy this drive .

it 's been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will .

of course , you must make it up firmly .

i am not going to think about going back to the asylum while we 're having our drive .

i 'm just going to think about the drive .

oh , look , there 's one little early wild rose out !

isn't it lovely ?

don't you think it must be glad to be a rose ?

wouldn't it be nice if roses could talk ?

i 'm sure they could tell us such lovely things .

and isn't pink the most bewitching color in the world ?

i love it , but i can't wear it .

redheaded people can't wear pink , not even in imagination .

anne sighed .

" well , that is another hope gone .

' my life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes . '

that 's a sentence i read in a book once , and i say it over to comfort myself whenever i 'm disappointed in anything . "

" i don't see where the comforting comes in myself , " said marilla .

" why , because it sounds so nice and romantic , just as if i were a heroine in a book , you know .

i 'm rather glad i have one .

are we going across the lake of shining waters today ? "

" we 're not going over barry 's pond , if that 's what you mean by your lake of shining waters .

we 're going by the shore road . "

" shore road sounds nice , " said anne dreamily .

" is it as nice as it sounds ?

just when you said ' shore road ' i saw it in a picture in my mind , as quick as that !

and white sands is a pretty name , too ; but i don't like it as well as avonlea .

avonlea is a lovely name .

it just sounds like music .

how far is it to white sands ? "

" oh , what i know about myself isn't really worth telling , " said anne eagerly .

" if you 'll only let me tell you what i imagine about myself you 'll think it ever so much more interesting . "

" no , i don't want any of your imaginings .

just you stick to bald facts .

begin at the beginning .

where were you born and how old are you ? "

" i was eleven last march , " said anne , resigning herself to bald facts with a little sigh .

" and i was born in bolingbroke , nova scotia .

my father 's name was walter shirley , and he was a teacher in the bolingbroke high school .

my mother 's name was bertha shirley .

aren't walter and bertha lovely names ?

i 'm so glad my parents had nice names .

it would be a real disgrace to have a father named well , say jedediah , wouldn't it ? "

" well , i don't know . "

anne looked thoughtful .

i don't believe a rose would be as nice if it was called a thistle or a skunk cabbage .

a husband was enough responsibility .

mrs thomas said that they were a pair of babies and as poor as church mice .

they went to live in a weeny-teeny little yellow house in bolingbroke .

i 've never seen that house , but i 've imagined it thousands of times .

yes , and muslin curtains in all the windows .

muslin curtains give a house such an air .

i was born in that house .

i should think a mother would be a better judge than a poor woman who came in to scrub , wouldn't you ?

she died of fever when i was just three months old .

i do wish she 'd lived long enough for me to remember calling her mother .

i think it would be so sweet to say ' mother , ' don't you ?

and father died four days afterwards from fever too .

that left me an orphan and folks were at their wits ' end , so mrs thomas said , what to do with me .

you see , nobody wanted me even then .

it seems to be my fate .

father and mother had both come from places far away and it was well known they hadn't any relatives living .

finally mrs thomas said she 'd take me , though she was poor and had a drunken husband .

she brought me up by hand .

" mr and mrs. thomas moved away from bolingbroke to marysville , and i lived with them until i was eight years old .

mrs thomas was at her wits ' end , so she said , what to do with me .

it was a very lonesome place .

i 'm sure i could never have lived there if i hadn't had an imagination .

mr hammond worked a little sawmill up there , and mrs hammond had eight children .

she had twins three times .

i like babies in moderation , but twins three times in succession is too much .

i told mrs hammond so firmly , when the last pair came .

i used to get so dreadfully tired carrying them about .

" i lived up river with mrs hammond over two years , and then mr hammond died and mrs hammond broke up housekeeping .

she divided her children among her relatives and went to the states .

i had to go to the asylum at hopeton , because nobody would take me .

they didn't want me at the asylum , either ; they said they were over-crowded as it was .

but they had to take me and i was there four months until mrs spencer came . "

anne finished up with another sigh , of relief this time .

evidently she did not like talking about her experiences in a world that had not wanted her .

" did you ever go to school ? " demanded marilla , turning the sorrel mare down the shore road .

" not a great deal .

i went a little the last year i stayed with mrs thomas .

but of course i went while i was at the asylum .

don't you just love poetry that gives you a crinkly feeling up and down your back ?

there is a piece in the fifth reader ' the downfall of poland ' that is just full of thrills .

" o-o-o-h , " faltered anne .

her sensitive little face suddenly flushed scarlet and embarrassment sat on her brow .

" oh , they meant to be i know they meant to be just as good and kind as possible .

and when people mean to be good to you , you don't mind very much when they're not quite always .

they had a good deal to worry them , you know .

but i feel sure they meant to be good to me . "

marilla asked no more questions .

anne gave herself up to a silent rapture over the shore road and marilla guided the sorrel abstractedly while she pondered deeply .

pity was suddenly stirring in her heart for the child .

no wonder she had been so delighted at the prospect of a real home .

it was a pity she had to be sent back .

what if she , marilla , should indulge matthew 's unaccountable whim and let her stay ?

he was set on it ; and the child seemed a nice , teachable little thing .

" she 's got too much to say , " thought marilla , " but she might be trained out of that .

and there 's nothing rude or slangy in what she does say .

she 's ladylike .

it 's likely her people were nice folks . "

the shore road was " woodsy and wild and lonesome . "

on the right hand , scrub firs , their spirits quite unbroken by long years of tussle with the gulf winds , grew thickly .

" isn't the sea wonderful ? " said anne , rousing from a long , wide-eyed silence .

i enjoyed every moment of that day , even if i had to look after the children all the time .

i lived it over in happy dreams for years .

but this shore is nicer than the marysville shore .

aren't those gulls splendid ?

would you like to be a gull ?

i think i would that is , if i couldn't be a human girl .

oh , i can just imagine myself doing it .

what big house is that just ahead , please ? "

" that 's the white sands hotel .

mr kirke runs it , but the season hasn't begun yet .

there are heaps of americans come there for the summer .

they think this shore is just about right . "

" i was afraid it might be mrs spencer 's place , " said anne mournfully .

" i don't want to get there .

somehow , it will seem like the end of everything . "

chapter vi .

marilla makes up her mind

|get there they did , however , in due season .

you 'll put your horse in ?

and how are you , anne ? "

" i 'm as well as can be expected , thank you , " said anne smilelessly .

a blight seemed to have descended on her .

the fact is , mrs spencer , there 's been a queer mistake somewhere , and i 've come over to see where it is .

we send word , matthew and i , for you to bring us a boy from the asylum .

we told your brother robert to tell you we wanted a boy ten or eleven years old . "

" marilla cuthbert , you don't say so ! " said mrs spencer in distress .

" she certainly did , miss cuthbert , " corroborated flora jane earnestly .

" i 'm dreadful sorry , " said mrs spencer .

" it 's too bad ; but it certainly wasn't my fault , you see , miss cuthbert .

i did the best i could and i thought i was following your instructions .

nancy is a terrible flighty thing .

i 've often had to scold her well for her heedlessness . "

" it was our own fault , " said marilla resignedly .

" we should have come to you ourselves and not left an important message to be passed along by word of mouth in that fashion .

anyhow , the mistake has been made and the only thing to do is to set it right .

can we send the child back to the asylum ?

i suppose they 'll take her back , won't they ? "

" i suppose so , " said mrs spencer thoughtfully , " but i don't think it will be necessary to send her back .

mrs peter has a large family , you know , and she finds it hard to get help .

anne will be the very girl for you .

i call it positively providential . "

marilla did not look as if she thought providence had much to do with the matter .

here was an unexpectedly good chance to get this unwelcome orphan off her hands , and she did not even feel grateful for it .

she knew mrs peter blewett only by sight as a small , shrewish-faced woman without an ounce of superfluous flesh on her bones .

but she had heard of her .

marilla felt a qualm of conscience at the thought of handing anne over to her tender mercies .

" well , i 'll go in and we 'll talk the matter over , " she said .

" that is real lucky , for we can settle the matter right away .

take the armchair , miss cuthbert .

anne , you sit here on the ottoman and don't wiggle .

let me take your hats .

flora jane , go out and put the kettle on .

good afternoon , mrs blewett .

we were just saying how fortunate it was you happened along .

let me introduce you two ladies .

mrs blewett , miss cuthbert .

please excuse me for just a moment .

i forgot to tell flora jane to take the buns out of the oven . "

mrs spencer whisked away , after pulling up the blinds .

anne sitting mutely on the ottoman , with her hands clasped tightly in her lap , stared at mrs blewett as one fascinated .

was she to be given into the keeping of this sharp-faced , sharp-eyed woman ?

she felt a lump coming up in her throat and her eyes smarted painfully .

" it seems there 's been a mistake about this little girl , mrs blewett , " she said .

" i was under the impression that mr and miss cuthbert wanted a little girl to adopt .

i was certainly told so .

but it seems it was a boy they wanted .

so if you 're still of the same mind you were yesterday , i think she 'll be just the thing for you . "

mrs blewett darted her eyes over anne from head to foot .

" how old are you and what 's your name ? " she demanded .

" humph !

you don't look as if there was much to you .

but you 're wiry .

i don't know but the wiry ones are the best after all .

well , if i take you you 'll have to be a good girl , you know good and smart and respectful .

i 'll expect you to earn your keep , and no mistake about that .

yes , i suppose i might as well take her off your hands , miss cuthbert .

the baby 's awful fractious , and i 'm clean worn out attending to him .

if you like i can take her right home now . "

marilla felt an uncomfortable conviction that , if she denied the appeal of that look , it would haunt her to her dying day .

more-over , she did not fancy mrs blewett .

to hand a sensitive , " highstrung " child over to such a woman !

no , she could not take the responsibility of doing that !

" well , i don't know , " she said slowly .

" i didn't say that matthew and i had absolutely decided that we wouldn't keep her .

in fact i may say that matthew is disposed to keep her .

i just came over to find out how the mistake had occurred .

i think i 'd better take her home again and talk it over with matthew .

i feel that i oughtn't to decide on anything without consulting him .

if we make up our mind not to keep her we 'll bring or send her over to you tomorrow night .

if we don't you may know that she is going to stay with us .

will that suit you , mrs blewett ? "

" i suppose it 'll have to , " said mrs blewett ungraciously .

during marilla 's speech a sunrise had been dawning on anne 's face .

first the look of despair faded out ; then came a faint flush of hope ; her eyes grew deep and bright as morning stars .

" did you really say it ?

or did i only imagine that you did ? "

" yes , you did hear me say just that and no more .

it isn't decided yet and perhaps we will conclude to let mrs blewett take you after all .

she certainly needs you much more than i do . "

" i 'd rather go back to the asylum than go to live with her , " said anne passionately .

" she looks exactly like a like a gimlet . "

marilla smothered a smile under the conviction that anne must be reproved for such a speech .

" a little girl like you should be ashamed of talking so about a lady and a stranger , " she said severely .

" go back and sit down quietly and hold your tongue and behave as a good girl should . "

when they arrived back at green gables that evening matthew met them in the lane .

marilla from afar had noted him prowling along it and guessed his motive .

she was prepared for the relief she read in his face when he saw that she had at least brought back anne back with her .

then she briefly told him anne 's history and the result of the interview with mrs spencer .

" i wouldn't give a dog i liked to that blewett woman , " said matthew with unusual vim .

" i don't fancy her style myself , " admitted marilla , " but it 's that or keeping her ourselves , matthew .

and since you seem to want her , i suppose i 'm willing or have to be .

i 've been thinking over the idea until i 've got kind of used to it .

it seems a sort of duty .

i 've never brought up a child , especially a girl , and i dare say i 'll make a terrible mess of it .

but i 'll do my best .

so far as i 'm concerned , matthew , she may stay . "

matthew 's shy face was a glow of delight .

" well now , i reckoned you 'd come to see it in that light , marilla , " he said .

" she 's such an interesting little thing . "

and mind , matthew , you 're not to go interfering with my methods .

perhaps an old maid doesn't know much about bringing up a child , but i guess she knows more than an old bachelor .

so you just leave me to manage her .

when i fail it 'll be time enough to put your oar in . "

" there , there , marilla , you can have your own way , " said matthew reassuringly .

" only be as good and kind to her as you can without spoiling her .

i kind of think she 's one of the sort you can do anything with if you only get her to love you . "

marilla sniffed , to express her contempt for matthew 's opinions concerning anything feminine , and walked off to the dairy with the pails .

" i won't tell her tonight that she can stay , " she reflected , as she strained the milk into the creamers .

" she 'd be so excited that she wouldn't sleep a wink .

marilla cuthbert , you 're fairly in for it .

did you ever suppose you 'd see the day when you 'd be adopting an orphan girl ?

anyhow , we 've decided on the experiment and goodness only knows what will come of it . "

chapter vii .

anne says her prayers

|when marilla took anne up to bed that night she said stiffly :

" now , anne , i noticed last night that you threw your clothes all about the floor when you took them off .

that is a very untidy habit , and i can't allow it at all .

as soon as you take off any article of clothing fold it neatly and place it on the chair .

i haven't any use at all for little girls who aren't neat . "

" i was so harrowed up in my mind last night that i didn't think about my clothes at all , " said anne .

" i 'll fold them nicely tonight .

they always made us do that at the asylum .

" you 'll have to remember a little better if you stay here , " admonished marilla .

" there , that looks something like .

say your prayers now and get into bed . "

" i never say any prayers , " announced anne .

marilla looked horrified astonishment .

" why , anne , what do you mean ?

were you never taught to say your prayers ?

god always wants little girls to say their prayers .

don't you know who god is , anne ? "

marilla looked rather relieved .

" so you do know something then , thank goodness !

you 're not quite a heathen .

where did you learn that ? "

" oh , at the asylum sunday-school .

they made us learn the whole catechism .

i liked it pretty well .

there 's something splendid about some of the words .

' infinite , eternal and unchangeable . '

isn't that grand ?

it has such a roll to it just like a big organ playing .

you couldn't quite call it poetry , i suppose , but it sounds a lot like it , doesn't it ? "

" we 're not talking about poetry , anne we are talking about saying your prayers .

don't you know it 's a terrible wicked thing not to say your prayers every night ?

i 'm afraid you are a very bad little girl . "

" you 'd find it easier to be bad than good if you had red hair , " said anne reproachfully .

" people who haven't red hair don't know what trouble is .

mrs thomas told me that god made my hair red on purpose , and i 've never cared about him since .

and anyhow i 'd always be too tired at night to bother saying prayers .

people who have to look after twins can't be expected to say their prayers .

now , do you honestly think they can ? "

marilla decided that anne 's religious training must be begun at once .

plainly there was no time to be lost .

" you must say your prayers while you are under my roof , anne . "

" why , of course , if you want me to , " assented anne cheerfully .

" i 'd do anything to oblige you .

but you 'll have to tell me what to say for this once .

after i get into bed i 'll imagine out a real nice prayer to say always .

i believe that it will be quite interesting , now that i come to think of it . "

" you must kneel down , " said marilla in embarrassment .

anne knelt at marilla 's knee and looked up gravely .

" why must people kneel down to pray ?

if i really wanted to pray i 'll tell you what i 'd do .

and then i 'd just feel a prayer .

well , i 'm ready .

what am i to say ? "

marilla felt more embarrassed than ever .

she had intended to teach anne the childish classic , " now i lay me down to sleep . "

" you 're old enough to pray for yourself , anne , " she said finally .

" just thank god for your blessings and ask him humbly for the things you want . "

" well , i 'll do my best , " promised anne , burying her face in marilla 's lap .

i 'm really extremely grateful for them .

and that 's all the blessings i can think of just now to thank thee for .

please let me stay at green gables ; and please let me be good-looking when i grow up .

i remain , " yours respectfully , anne shirley .

" there , did i do all right ? " she asked eagerly , getting up .

" i could have made it much more flowery if i 'd had a little more time to think it over . "

" i 've just thought of it now .

i should have said , ' amen ' in place of ' yours respectfully , ' shouldn't i ? the way the ministers do .

i 'd forgotten it , but i felt a prayer should be finished off in some way , so i put in the other .

do you suppose it will make any difference ? "

" i i don't suppose it will , " said marilla .

" go to sleep now like a good child .

good night . "

" i can only say good night tonight with a clear conscience , " said anne , cuddling luxuriously down among her pillows .

marilla retreated to the kitchen , set the candle firmly on the table , and glared at matthew .

" matthew cuthbert , it 's about time somebody adopted that child and taught her something .

she 's next door to a perfect heathen .

will you believe that she never said a prayer in her life till tonight ?

i 'll send her to the manse tomorrow and borrow the peep of the day series , that 's what i 'll do .

and she shall go to sunday-school just as soon as i can get some suitable clothes made for her .

i foresee that i shall have my hands full .

well , well , we can't get through this world without our share of trouble .

chapter viii .

anne 's bringing-up is begun

|for reasons best known to herself , marilla did not tell anne that she was to stay at green gables until the next afternoon .

during the forenoon she kept the child busy with various tasks and watched over her with a keen eye while she did them .

when anne had finished washing the dinner dishes she suddenly confronted marilla with the air and expression of one desperately determined to learn the worst .

" oh , please , miss cuthbert , won't you tell me if you are going to send me away or not ?

i 've tried to be patient all the morning , but i really feel that i cannot bear not knowing any longer .

it 's a dreadful feeling .

please tell me . "

" you haven't scalded the dishcloth in clean hot water as i told you to do , " said marilla immovably .

" just go and do it before you ask any more questions , anne . "

anne went and attended to the dishcloth .

then she returned to marilla and fastened imploring eyes of the latter 's face .

matthew and i have decided to keep you that is , if you will try to be a good little girl and show yourself grateful .

why , child , whatever is the matter ? "

" i 'm crying , " said anne in a tone of bewilderment .

" i can't think why .

i 'm glad as glad can be .

oh , glad doesn't seem the right word at all .

i was glad about the white way and the cherry blossoms but this !

oh , it 's something more than glad .

i 'm so happy .

i 'll try to be so good .

it will be uphill work , i expect , for mrs thomas often told me i was desperately wicked .

however , i 'll do my very best .

but can you tell me why i 'm crying ? "

" i suppose it 's because you 're all excited and worked up , " said marilla disapprovingly .

" sit down on that chair and try to calm yourself .

i 'm afraid you both cry and laugh far too easily .

yes , you can stay here and we will try to do right by you .

" what am i to call you ? " asked anne .

" shall i always say miss cuthbert ?

can i call you aunt marilla ? "

" no ; you 'll call me just plain marilla .

i 'm not used to being called miss cuthbert and it would make me nervous . "

" it sounds awfully disrespectful to just say marilla , " protested anne .

" i guess there 'll be nothing disrespectful in it if you 're careful to speak respectfully .

everybody , young and old , in avonlea calls me marilla except the minister .

he says miss cuthbert when he thinks of it . "

" i 'd love to call you aunt marilla , " said anne wistfully .

" i 've never had an aunt or any relation at all not even a grandmother .

it would make me feel as if i really belonged to you .

can't i call you aunt marilla ? "

" no .

i 'm not your aunt and i don't believe in calling people names that don't belong to them . "

" but we could imagine you were my aunt . "

" i couldn't , " said marilla grimly .

" do you never imagine things different from what they really are ? " asked anne wide-eyed .

" no . "

" oh ! "

anne drew a long breath .

" oh , miss marilla , how much you miss ! "

" i don't believe in imagining things different from what they really are , " retorted marilla .

" when the lord puts us in certain circumstances he doesn't mean for us to imagine them away .

and that reminds me .

the lord 's prayer is on it and you 'll devote your spare time this afternoon to learning it off by heart .

there's to be no more of such praying as i heard last night . "

" i suppose i was very awkward , " said anne apologetically , " but then , you see , i 'd never had any practice .

you couldn't really expect a person to pray very well the first time she tried , could you ?

i thought out a splendid prayer after i went to bed , just as i promised you i would .

it was nearly as long as a minister 's and so poetical .

but would you believe it ?

i couldn't remember one word when i woke up this morning .

and i 'm afraid i 'll never be able to think out another one as good .

somehow , things never are so good when they 're thought out a second time .

have you ever noticed that ? "

" here is something for you to notice , anne .

when i tell you to do a thing i want you to obey me at once and not stand stock-still and discourse about it .

just you go and do as i bid you . "

she found anne standing motionless before a picture hanging on the wall between the two windows , with her eyes a-star with dreams .

the white and green light strained through apple trees and clustering vines outside fell over the rapt little figure with a half-unearthly radiance .

" anne , whatever are you thinking of ? " demanded marilla sharply .

anne came back to earth with a start .

she looks lonely and sad , don't you think ?

i guess she hadn't any father or mother of her own .

i 'm sure i know just how she felt .

her heart must have beat and her hands must have got cold , like mine did when i asked you if i could stay .

she was afraid he mightn't notice her .

but it 's likely he did , don't you think ?

but i wish the artist hadn't painted him so sorrowful looking .

all his pictures are like that , if you 've noticed .

but i don't believe he could really have looked so sad or the children would have been afraid of him . "

" anne , " said marilla , wondering why she had not broken into this speech long before , " you shouldn't talk that way .

it 's irreverent positively irreverent . "

anne 's eyes marveled .

" why , i felt just as reverent as could be .

i 'm sure i didn't mean to be irreverent . "

" well i don't suppose you did but it doesn't sound right to talk so familiarly about such things .

remember that .

take that card and come right to the kitchen .

now , sit down in the corner and learn that prayer off by heart . "

" i like this , " she announced at length .

" it 's beautiful .

i 've heard it before i heard the superintendent of the asylum sunday school say it over once .

but i didn't like it then .

he had such a cracked voice and he prayed it so mournfully .

i really felt sure he thought praying was a disagreeable duty .

this isn't poetry , but it makes me feel just the same way poetry does .

' our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name . '

that is just like a line of music .

oh , i 'm so glad you thought of making me learn this , miss marilla . "

" well , learn it and hold your tongue , " said marilla shortly .

" marilla , " she demanded presently , " do you think that i shall ever have a bosom friend in avonlea ? "

" a a what kind of friend ? "

" a bosom friend an intimate friend , you know a really kindred spirit to whom i can confide my inmost soul .

i 've dreamed of meeting her all my life .

do you think it 's possible ? "

" diana barry lives over at orchard slope and she 's about your age .

she 's a very nice little girl , and perhaps she will be a playmate for you when she comes home .

she 's visiting her aunt over at carmody just now .

you 'll have to be careful how you behave yourself , though .

mrs barry is a very particular woman .

she won't let diana play with any little girl who isn't nice and good . "

anne looked at marilla through the apple blossoms , her eyes aglow with interest .

" what is diana like ?

her hair isn't red , is it ?

oh , i hope not .

it 's bad enough to have red hair myself , but i positively couldn't endure it in a bosom friend . "

" diana is a very pretty little girl .

she has black eyes and hair and rosy cheeks .

and she is good and smart , which is better than being pretty . "

but anne waved the moral inconsequently aside and seized only on the delightful possibilities before it .

" oh , i 'm so glad she 's pretty .

next to being beautiful oneself and that 's impossible in my case it would be best to have a beautiful bosom friend .

when i lived with mrs thomas she had a bookcase in her sitting room with glass doors .

there weren't any books in it ; mrs thomas kept her best china and her preserves there when she had any preserves to keep .

one of the doors was broken .

mr thomas smashed it one night when he was slightly intoxicated .

but the other was whole and i used to pretend that my reflection in it was another little girl who lived in it .

i called her katie maurice , and we were very intimate .

i used to talk to her by the hour , especially on sunday , and tell her everything .

katie was the comfort and consolation of my life .

when i went to live with mrs hammond it just broke my heart to leave katie maurice .

she felt it dreadfully , too , i know she did , for she was crying when she kissed me good-bye through the bookcase door .

there was no bookcase at mrs hammond 's .

but just up the river a little way from the house there was a long green little valley , and the loveliest echo lived there .

it echoed back every word you said , even if you didn't talk a bit loud .

" i think it 's just as well there wasn't , " said marilla drily .

" i don't approve of such goings-on .

you seem to half believe your own imaginations .

it will be well for you to have a real live friend to put such nonsense out of your head .

but don't let mrs barry hear you talking about your katie maurices and your violettas or she 'll think you tell stories . "

" oh , i won't .

i couldn't talk of them to everybody their memories are too sacred for that .

but i thought i 'd like to have you know about them .

oh , look , here 's a big bee just tumbled out of an apple blossom .

just think what a lovely place to live in an apple blossom !

fancy going to sleep in it when the wind was rocking it .

if i wasn't a human girl i think i 'd like to be a bee and live among the flowers . "

" yesterday you wanted to be a sea gull , " sniffed marilla .

" i think you are very fickle minded .

i told you to learn that prayer and not talk .

but it seems impossible for you to stop talking if you 've got anybody that will listen to you .

so go up to your room and learn it . "

" oh , i know it pretty nearly all now all but just the last line . "

" well , never mind , do as i tell you .

go to your room and finish learning it well , and stay there until i call you down to help me get tea . "

" can i take the apple blossoms with me for company ? " pleaded anne .

" no ; you don't want your room cluttered up with flowers .

you should have left them on the tree in the first place . "

" i did feel a little that way , too , " said anne .

but the temptation was irresistible .

what do you do when you meet with an irresistible temptation ? "

" anne , did you hear me tell you to go to your room ? "

anne sighed , retreated to the east gable , and sat down in a chair by the window .

" there i know this prayer .

i learned that last sentence coming upstairs .

now i 'm going to imagine things into this room so that they 'll always stay imagined .

the floor is covered with a white velvet carpet with pink roses all over it and there are pink silk curtains at the windows .

the walls are hung with gold and silver brocade tapestry .

the furniture is mahogany .

i never saw any mahogany , but it does sound so luxurious .

i can see my reflection in that splendid big mirror hanging on the wall .

my hair is of midnight darkness and my skin is a clear ivory pallor .

my name is the lady cordelia fitzgerald .

no , it isn't i can't make that seem real . "

she danced up to the little looking-glass and peered into it .

her pointed freckled face and solemn gray eyes peered back at her .

but it 's a million times nicer to be anne of green gables than anne of nowhere in particular , isn't it ? "

she bent forward , kissed her reflection affectionately , and betook herself to the open window .

" dear snow queen , good afternoon .

and good afternoon dear birches down in the hollow .

and good afternoon , dear gray house up on the hill .

i wonder if diana is to be my bosom friend .

i hope she will , and i shall love her very much .

but i must never quite forget katie maurice and violetta .

i must be careful to remember them and send them a kiss every day . "

chapter ix .

mrs rachel lynde is properly horrified

|anne had been a fortnight at green gables before mrs lynde arrived to inspect her .

mrs rachel , to do her justice , was not to blame for this .

anne had made good use of every waking moment of that fortnight .

already she was acquainted with every tree and shrub about the place .

gossamers glimmered like threads of silver among the trees and the fir boughs and tassels seemed to utter friendly speech .

when details were exhausted mrs rachel introduced the real reason of her call .

" i 've been hearing some surprising things about you and matthew . "

" i don't suppose you are any more surprised than i am myself , " said marilla .

" i 'm getting over my surprise now . "

" it was too bad there was such a mistake , " said mrs rachel sympathetically .

" couldn't you have sent her back ? "

" i suppose we could , but we decided not to .

matthew took a fancy to her .

and i must say i like her myself although i admit she has her faults .

the house seems a different place already .

she 's a real bright little thing . "

marilla said more than she had intended to say when she began , for she read disapproval in mrs rachel 's expression .

but i don't want to discourage you i'm sure , marilla . "

i suppose you 'd like to see anne .

i 'll call her in . "

" well , they didn't pick you for your looks , that 's sure and certain , " was mrs rachel lynde 's emphatic comment .

mrs rachel was one of those delightful and popular people who pride themselves on speaking their mind without fear or favor .

" she 's terrible skinny and homely , marilla .

come here , child , and let me have a look at you .

lawful heart , did any one ever see such freckles ?

and hair as red as carrots !

come here , child , i say . "

anne " came there , " but not exactly as mrs rachel expected .

" i hate you , " she cried in a choked voice , stamping her foot on the floor .

" i hate you i hate you i hate you " a louder stamp with each assertion of hatred .

" how dare you call me skinny and ugly ?

how dare you say i 'm freckled and redheaded ?

you are a rude , impolite , unfeeling woman ! "

" anne ! " exclaimed marilla in consternation .

" how dare you say such things about me ? " she repeated vehemently .

" how would you like to have such things said about you ?

how would you like to be told that you are fat and clumsy and probably hadn't a spark of imagination in you ?

i don't care if i do hurt your feelings by saying so !

i hope i hurt them .

you have hurt mine worse than they were ever hurt before even by mrs thomas ' intoxicated husband .

and i 'll never forgive you for it , never , never ! "

stamp !

stamp !

" did anybody ever see such a temper ! " exclaimed the horrified mrs rachel .

" anne go to your room and stay there until i come up , " said marilla , recovering her powers of speech with difficulty .

a subdued slam above told that the door of the east gable had been shut with equal vehemence .

" well , i don't envy you your job bringing that up , marilla , " said mrs rachel with unspeakable solemnity .

marilla opened her lips to say she knew not what of apology or deprecation .

what she did say was a surprise to herself then and ever afterwards .

" you shouldn't have twitted her about her looks , rachel . "

" no , " said marilla slowly , " i 'm not trying to excuse her .

she 's been very naughty and i 'll have to give her a talking to about it .

but we must make allowances for her .

she 's never been taught what is right .

and you were too hard on her , rachel . "

marilla could not help tacking on that last sentence , although she was again surprised at herself for doing it .

mrs rachel got up with an air of offended dignity .

oh , no , i 'm not vexed don't worry yourself .

i 'm too sorry for you to leave any room for anger in my mind .

you 'll have your own troubles with that child .

i should think that would be the most effective language for that kind of a child .

her temper matches her hair i guess .

well , good evening , marilla .

i hope you 'll come down to see me often as usual .

it 's something new in my experience . "

on the way upstairs she pondered uneasily as to what she ought to do .

she felt no little dismay over the scene that had just been enacted .

how unfortunate that anne should have displayed such temper before mrs rachel lynde , of all people !

and how was she to punish her ?

she did not believe she could whip a child .

no , some other method of punishment must be found to bring anne to a proper realization of the enormity of her offense .

marilla found anne face downward on her bed , crying bitterly , quite oblivious of muddy boots on a clean counterpane .

" anne , " she said not ungently .

no answer .

" this is a nice way for you to behave .

anne !

aren't you ashamed of yourself ? "

" she hadn't any right to call me ugly and redheaded , " retorted anne , evasive and defiant .

" you hadn't any right to fly into such a fury and talk the way you did to her , anne .

i was ashamed of you thoroughly ashamed of you .

i wanted you to behave nicely to mrs lynde , and instead of that you have disgraced me .

i 'm sure i don't know why you should lose your temper like that just because mrs lynde said you were red-haired and homely .

you say it yourself often enough . "

" oh , but there 's such a difference between saying a thing yourself and hearing other people say it , " wailed anne .

" you may know a thing is so , but you can't help hoping other people don't quite think it is .

i suppose you think i have an awful temper , but i couldn't help it .

when she said those things something just rose right up in me and choked me .

i had to fly out at her . "

" well , you made a fine exhibition of yourself i must say .

mrs lynde will have a nice story to tell about you everywhere and she 'll tell it , too .

it was a dreadful thing for you to lose your temper like that , anne . "

" just imagine how you would feel if somebody told you to your face that you were skinny and ugly , " pleaded anne tearfully .

an old remembrance suddenly rose up before marilla .

marilla was every day of fifty before the sting had gone out of that memory .

" rachel is too outspoken .

but that is no excuse for such behavior on your part .

she was a stranger and an elderly person and my visitor all three very good reasons why you should have been respectful to her .

" i can never do that , " said anne determinedly and darkly .

" you can punish me in any way you like , marilla .

but i cannot ask mrs lynde to forgive me . "

how can i ?

i 'm not sorry .

i'm sorry i 've vexed you ; but i 'm glad i told her just what i did .

it was a great satisfaction .

i can't say i 'm sorry when i 'm not , can i ?

i can't even imagine i 'm sorry . "

" perhaps your imagination will be in better working order by the morning , " said marilla , rising to depart .

" you 'll have the night to think over your conduct in and come to a better frame of mind .

leaving this parthian shaft to rankle in anne 's stormy bosom , marilla descended to the kitchen , grievously troubled in mind and vexed in soul .

chapter x anne 's apology

marilla told matthew the whole story , taking pains to impress him with a due sense of the enormity of anne 's behavior .

" it 's a good thing rachel lynde got a calling down ; she 's a meddlesome old gossip , " was matthew 's consolatory rejoinder .

" matthew cuthbert , i 'm astonished at you .

you know that anne 's behavior was dreadful , and yet you take her part !

i suppose you 'll be saying next thing that she oughtn't to be punished at all ! "

" well now no not exactly , " said matthew uneasily .

" i reckon she ought to be punished a little .

but don't be too hard on her , marilla .

recollect she hasn't ever had anyone to teach her right .

you 're you're going to give her something to eat , aren't you ? "

" when did you ever hear of me starving people into good behavior ? " demanded marilla indignantly .

" she 'll have her meals regular , and i 'll carry them up to her myself .

but she 'll stay up there until she 's willing to apologize to mrs lynde , and that 's final , matthew . "

breakfast , dinner , and supper were very silent meals for anne still remained obdurate .

after each meal marilla carried a well-filled tray to the east gable and brought it down later on not noticeably depleted .

matthew eyed its last descent with a troubled eye .

had anne eaten anything at all ?

anne was sitting on the yellow chair by the window gazing mournfully out into the garden .

very small and unhappy she looked , and matthew 's heart smote him .

he softly closed the door and tiptoed over to her .

" anne , " he whispered , as if afraid of being overheard , " how are you making it , anne ? "

anne smiled wanly .

" pretty well .

i imagine a good deal , and that helps to pass the time .

of course , it 's rather lonesome .

but then , i may as well get used to that . "

anne smiled again , bravely facing the long years of solitary imprisonment before her .

matthew recollected that he must say what he had come to say without loss of time , lest marilla return prematurely .

" well now , anne , don't you think you 'd better do it and have it over with ? " he whispered .

" it 'll have to be done sooner or later , you know , for marilla 's a dreadful deter-mined woman dreadful determined , anne .

do it right off , i say , and have it over . "

" do you mean apologize to mrs lynde ? "

" yes apologize that 's the very word , " said matthew eagerly .

" just smooth it over so to speak .

that 's what i was trying to get at . "

" i suppose i could do it to oblige you , " said anne thoughtfully .

" it would be true enough to say i am sorry , because i am sorry now .

i wasn't a bit sorry last night .

i was mad clear through , and i stayed mad all night .

i know i did because i woke up three times and i was just furious every time .

but this morning it was over .

i wasn't in a temper anymore and it left a dreadful sort of goneness , too .

i felt so ashamed of myself .

but i just couldn't think of going and telling mrs lynde so .

it would be so humiliating .

i made up my mind i 'd stay shut up here forever rather than do that .

but still i 'd do anything for you if you really want me to "

" well now , of course i do .

it 's terrible lonesome downstairs without you .

just go and smooth things over that's a good girl . "

" very well , " said anne resignedly .

" i 'll tell marilla as soon as she comes in i 've repented . "

" that 's right that 's right , anne .

but don't tell marilla i said anything about it .

she might think i was putting my oar in and i promised not to do that . "

" wild horses won't drag the secret from me , " promised anne solemnly .

" how would wild horses drag a secret from a person anyhow ? "

but matthew was gone , scared at his own success .

he fled hastily to the remotest corner of the horse pasture lest marilla should suspect what he had been up to .

" well ? " she said , going into the hall .

" i 'm sorry i lost my temper and said rude things , and i 'm willing to go and tell mrs lynde so . "

" very well . "

marilla 's crispness gave no sign of her relief .

she had been wondering what under the canopy she should do if anne did not give in .

" i 'll take you down after milking . "

accordingly , after milking , behold marilla and anne walking down the lane , the former erect and triumphant , the latter drooping and dejected .

but halfway down anne 's dejection vanished as if by enchantment .

she lifted her head and stepped lightly along , her eyes fixed on the sunset sky and an air of subdued exhilaration about her .

marilla beheld the change disapprovingly .

this was no meek penitent such as it behooved her to take into the presence of the offended mrs lynde .

" what are you thinking of , anne ? " she asked sharply .

" i 'm imagining out what i must say to mrs lynde , " answered anne dreamily .

this was satisfactory or should have been so .

but marilla could not rid herself of the notion that something in her scheme of punishment was going askew .

anne had no business to look so rapt and radiant .

rapt and radiant anne continued until they were in the very presence of mrs lynde , who was sitting knitting by her kitchen window .

then the radiance vanished .

mournful penitence appeared on every feature .

before a word was spoken anne suddenly went down on her knees before the astonished mrs rachel and held out her hands beseechingly .

" oh , mrs lynde , i am so extremely sorry , " she said with a quiver in her voice .

" i could never express all my sorrow , no , not if i used up a whole dictionary .

you must just imagine it .

i 'm a dreadfully wicked and ungrateful girl , and i deserve to be punished and cast out by respectable people forever .

it was very wicked of me to fly into a temper because you told me the truth .

it was the truth ; every word you said was true .

my hair is red and i 'm freckled and skinny and ugly .

what i said to you was true , too , but i shouldn't have said it .

oh , mrs lynde , please , please , forgive me .

oh , i am sure you wouldn't .

please say you forgive me , mrs lynde . "

anne clasped her hands together , bowed her head , and waited for the word of judgment .

there was no mistaking her sincerity it breathed in every tone of her voice .

both marilla and mrs lynde recognized its unmistakable ring .

but the former under-stood in dismay that anne was actually enjoying her valley of humiliation was reveling in the thoroughness of her abasement .

where was the wholesome punishment upon which she , marilla , had plumed herself ?

anne had turned it into a species of positive pleasure .

good mrs lynde , not being overburdened with perception , did not see this .

she only perceived that anne had made a very thorough apology and all resentment vanished from her kindly , if somewhat officious , heart .

" there , there , get up , child , " she said heartily .

" of course i forgive you .

i guess i was a little too hard on you , anyway .

but i 'm such an outspoken person .

you just mustn't mind me , that's what .

i wouldn't be a mite surprised if yours did , too not a mite . "

" oh , mrs lynde ! "

anne drew a long breath as she rose to her feet .

" you have given me a hope .

i shall always feel that you are a benefactor .

oh , i could endure anything if i only thought my hair would be a handsome auburn when i grew up .

it would be so much easier to be good if one 's hair was a handsome auburn , don't you think ?

and now may i go out into your garden and sit on that bench under the apple-trees while you and marilla are talking ?

there is so much more scope for imagination out there . "

" laws , yes , run along , child .

and you can pick a bouquet of them white june lilies over in the corner if you like . "

as the door closed behind anne mrs lynde got briskly up to light a lamp .

" she 's a real odd little thing .

take this chair , marilla ; it 's easier than the one you 've got ; i just keep that for the hired boy to sit on .

yes , she certainly is an odd child , but there is something kind of taking about her after all .

i don't feel so surprised at you and matthew keeping her as i did nor so sorry for you , either .

she may turn out all right .

preserve me from a sly child , that 's what .

on the whole , marilla , i kind of like her . "

when marilla went home anne came out of the fragrant twilight of the orchard with a sheaf of white narcissi in her hands .

" i apologized pretty well , didn't i ? " she said proudly as they went down the lane .

" i thought since i had to do it i might as well do it thoroughly . "

" you did it thoroughly , all right enough , " was marilla 's comment .

marilla was dismayed at finding herself inclined to laugh over the recollection .

she had also an uneasy feeling that she ought to scold anne for apologizing so well ; but then , that was ridiculous !

she compromised with her conscience by saying severely :

" i hope you won't have occasion to make many more such apologies .

i hope you 'll try to control your temper now , anne . "

" that wouldn't be so hard if people wouldn't twit me about my looks , " said anne with a sigh .

do you suppose my hair will really be a handsome auburn when i grow up ? "

" you shouldn't think so much about your looks , anne .

i 'm afraid you are a very vain little girl . "

" how can i be vain when i know i 'm homely ? " protested anne .

" i love pretty things ; and i hate to look in the glass and see something that isn't pretty .

it makes me feel so sorrowful just as i feel when i look at any ugly thing .

i pity it because it isn't beautiful . "

" handsome is as handsome does , " quoted marilla .

" oh , aren't these flowers sweet !

it was lovely of mrs lynde to give them to me .

i have no hard feelings against mrs lynde now .

it gives you a lovely , comfortable feeling to apologize and be forgiven , doesn't it ?

aren't the stars bright tonight ?

if you could live in a star , which one would you pick ?

i 'd like that lovely clear big one away over there above that dark hill . "

" anne , do hold your tongue , " said marilla , thoroughly worn out trying to follow the gyrations of anne 's thoughts .

anne said no more until they turned into their own lane .

a little gypsy wind came down it to meet them , laden with the spicy perfume of young dew-wet ferns .

far up in the shadows a cheerful light gleamed out through the trees from the kitchen at green gables .

anne suddenly came close to marilla and slipped her hand into the older woman 's hard palm .

" it 's lovely to be going home and know it 's home , " she said .

" i love green gables already , and i never loved any place before .

no place ever seemed like home .

oh , marilla , i 'm so happy .

i could pray right now and not find it a bit hard . "

its very unaccustomedness and sweetness disturbed her .

she hastened to restore her sensations to their normal calm by inculcating a moral .

" if you 'll be a good girl you 'll always be happy , anne .

and you should never find it hard to say your prayers . "

" saying one 's prayers isn't exactly the same thing as praying , " said anne meditatively .

" but i 'm going to imagine that i 'm the wind that is blowing up there in those tree tops .

oh , there 's so much scope for imagination in a wind !

so i 'll not talk any more just now , marilla . "

" thanks be to goodness for that , " breathed marilla in devout relief .

chapter xi .

anne 's impressions of sunday-school

|well , how do you like them ? " said marilla .

anne was standing in the gable room , looking solemnly at three new dresses spread out on the bed .

" i 'll imagine that i like them , " said anne soberly .

" i don't want you to imagine it , " said marilla , offended .

" oh , i can see you don't like the dresses !

what is the matter with them ?

aren't they neat and clean and new ? "

" yes . "

" then why don't you like them ? "

" they 're they're not pretty , " said anne reluctantly .

" pretty ! "

marilla sniffed .

" i didn't trouble my head about getting pretty dresses for you .

i don't believe in pampering vanity , anne , i 'll tell you that right off .

those dresses are good , sensible , serviceable dresses , without any frills or furbelows about them , and they 're all you 'll get this summer .

the brown gingham and the blue print will do you for school when you begin to go .

the sateen is for church and sunday school .

i 'll expect you to keep them neat and clean and not to tear them .

i should think you 'd be grateful to get most anything after those skimpy wincey things you 've been wearing . "

" oh , i am grateful , " protested anne .

" but i 'd be ever so much gratefuller if if you 'd made just one of them with puffed sleeves .

puffed sleeves are so fashionable now .

it would give me such a thrill , marilla , just to wear a dress with puffed sleeves . "

" well , you 'll have to do without your thrill .

i hadn't any material to waste on puffed sleeves .

i think they are ridiculous-looking things anyhow .

i prefer the plain , sensible ones . "

" but i 'd rather look ridiculous when everybody else does than plain and sensible all by myself , " persisted anne mournfully .

" trust you for that !

well , hang those dresses carefully up in your closet , and then sit down and learn the sunday school lesson .

anne clasped her hands and looked at the dresses .

" i did hope there would be a white one with puffed sleeves , " she whispered disconsolately .

" i prayed for one , but i didn't much expect it on that account .

i didn't suppose god would have time to bother about a little orphan girl 's dress .

i knew i 'd just have to depend on marilla for it .

well , fortunately i can imagine that one of them is of snow-white muslin with lovely lace frills and three-puffed sleeves . "

the next morning warnings of a sick headache prevented marilla from going to sunday-school with anne .

" you 'll have to go down and call for mrs lynde , anne , " she said .

" she 'll see that you get into the right class .

now , mind you behave yourself properly .

stay to preaching afterwards and ask mrs lynde to show you our pew .

here 's a cent for collection .

don't stare at people and don't fidget .

i shall expect you to tell me the text when you come home . "

when she had reached mrs lynde 's house she found that lady gone .

nothing daunted , anne proceeded onward to the church alone .

avonlea little girls had already heard queer stories about anne .

they looked at her and whispered to each other behind their quarterlies .

nobody made any friendly advances , then or later on when the opening exercises were over and anne found herself in miss rogerson 's class .

miss rogerson was a middle-aged lady who had taught a sunday-school class for twenty years .

she did not think she liked miss rogerson , and she felt very miserable ; every other little girl in the class had puffed sleeves .

anne felt that life was really not worth living without puffed sleeves .

" well , how did you like sunday school ? "

marilla wanted to know when anne came home .

her wreath having faded , anne had discarded it in the lane , so marilla was spared the knowledge of that for a time .

" i didn't like it a bit .

it was horrid . "

" anne shirley ! " said marilla rebukingly .

anne sat down on the rocker with a long sigh , kissed one of bonny 's leaves , and waved her hand to a blossoming fuchsia .

" they might have been lonesome while i was away , " she explained .

" and now about the sunday school .

i behaved well , just as you told me .

mrs lynde was gone , but i went right on myself .

mr bell made an awfully long prayer .

i would have been dreadfully tired before he got through if i hadn't been sitting by that window .

" you shouldn't have done anything of the sort .

you should have listened to mr bell . "

" but he wasn't talking to me , " protested anne .

" he was talking to god and he didn't seem to be very much inter-ested in it , either .

i think he thought god was too far off though .

oh , marilla , it was like a beautiful dream !

it gave me a thrill and i just said , ' thank you for it , god , ' two or three times . "

" not out loud , i hope , " said marilla anxiously .

" oh , no , just under my breath .

well , mr bell did get through at last and they told me to go into the classroom with miss rogerson 's class .

there were nine other girls in it .

they all had puffed sleeves .

i tried to imagine mine were puffed , too , but i couldn't .

why couldn't i ?

" you shouldn't have been thinking about your sleeves in sunday school .

you should have been attending to the lesson .

i hope you knew it . "

" oh , yes ; and i answered a lot of questions .

miss rogerson asked ever so many .

i don't think it was fair for her to do all the asking .

there were lots i wanted to ask her , but i didn't like to because i didn't think she was a kindred spirit .

then all the other little girls recited a paraphrase .

she asked me if i knew any .

i told her i didn't , but i could recite , ' the dog at his master 's grave ' if she liked .

that 's in the third royal reader .

it isn't a really truly religious piece of poetry , but it 's so sad and melancholy that it might as well be .

she said it wouldn't do and she told me to learn the nineteenth paraphrase for next sunday .

i read it over in church afterwards and it 's splendid .

there are two lines in particular that just thrill me .

" ' quick as the slaughtered squadrons fell in midian 's evil day . '

" i don't know what ' squadrons ' means nor ' midian , ' either , but it sounds so tragical .

i can hardly wait until next sunday to recite it .

i 'll practice it all the week .

after sunday school i asked miss rogerson because mrs lynde was too far away to show me your pew .

i sat just as still as i could and the text was revelations , third chapter , second and third verses .

it was a very long text .

if i was a minister i 'd pick the short , snappy ones .

the sermon was awfully long , too .

i suppose the minister had to match it to the text .

i didn't think he was a bit interesting .

the trouble with him seems to be that he hasn't enough imagination .

i didn't listen to him very much .

i just let my thoughts run and i thought of the most surprising things . "

chapter xii .

a solemn vow and promise

|it was not until the next friday that marilla heard the story of the flower-wreathed hat .

she came home from mrs lynde 's and called anne to account .

" anne , mrs rachel says you went to church last sunday with your hat rigged out ridiculous with roses and buttercups .

what on earth put you up to such a caper ?

a pretty-looking object you must have been ! "

" oh .

i know pink and yellow aren't becoming to me , " began anne .

" becoming fiddlesticks !

it was putting flowers on your hat at all , no matter what color they were , that was ridiculous .

you are the most aggravating child ! "

" i don't see why it 's any more ridiculous to wear flowers on your hat than on your dress , " protested anne .

" lots of little girls there had bouquets pinned on their dresses .

what 's the difference ? "

marilla was not to be drawn from the safe concrete into dubious paths of the abstract .

" don't answer me back like that , anne .

it was very silly of you to do such a thing .

never let me catch you at such a trick again .

mrs rachel says she thought she would sink through the floor when she saw you come in all rigged out like that .

she couldn't get near enough to tell you to take them off till it was too late .

she says people talked about it something dreadful .

of course they would think i had no better sense than to let you go decked out like that . "

" oh , i 'm so sorry , " said anne , tears welling into her eyes .

" i never thought you 'd mind .

the roses and buttercups were so sweet and pretty i thought they 'd look lovely on my hat .

lots of the little girls had artificial flowers on their hats .

i 'm afraid i 'm going to be a dreadful trial to you .

maybe you 'd better send me back to the asylum .

but that would be better than being a trial to you . "

" nonsense , " said marilla , vexed at herself for having made the child cry .

" i don't want to send you back to the asylum , i 'm sure .

all i want is that you should behave like other little girls and not make yourself ridiculous .

don't cry any more .

i 've got some news for you .

diana barry came home this afternoon .

" oh , marilla , i 'm frightened now that it has come i 'm actually frightened .

what if she shouldn't like me !

it would be the most tragical disappointment of my life . "

" now , don't get into a fluster .

and i do wish you wouldn't use such long words .

it sounds so funny in a little girl .

i guess diana ' ll like you well enough .

it 's her mother you 've got to reckon with .

if she doesn't like you it won't matter how much diana does .

you must be polite and well behaved , and don't make any of your startling speeches .

for pity 's sake , if the child isn't actually trembling ! "

anne was trembling .

her face was pale and tense .

they went over to orchard slope by the short cut across the brook and up the firry hill grove .

mrs barry came to the kitchen door in answer to marilla 's knock .

she was a tall black-eyed , black-haired woman , with a very resolute mouth .

she had the reputation of being very strict with her children .

" how do you do , marilla ? " she said cordially .

" come in .

and this is the little girl you have adopted , i suppose ? "

" yes , this is anne shirley , " said marilla .

mrs barry , not hearing or not comprehending , merely shook hands and said kindly :

" how are you ? "

" i am well in body although considerable rumpled up in spirit , thank you ma'am , " said anne gravely .

then aside to marilla in an audible whisper , " there wasn't anything startling in that , was there , marilla ? "

diana was sitting on the sofa , reading a book which she dropped when the callers entered .

" this is my little girl diana , " said mrs barry .

" diana , you might take anne out into the garden and show her your flowers .

it will be better for you than straining your eyes over that book .

she 's always poring over a book .

i 'm glad she has the prospect of a playmate perhaps it will take her more out-of-doors . "

the barry garden was a bowery wilderness of flowers which would have delighted anne 's heart at any time less fraught with destiny .

it was encircled by huge old willows and tall firs , beneath which flourished flowers that loved the shade .

prim , right-angled paths neatly bordered with clamshells , intersected it like moist red ribbons and in the beds between old-fashioned flowers ran riot .

diana laughed .

diana always laughed before she spoke .

" why , i guess so , " she said frankly .

" i 'm awfully glad you 've come to live at green gables .

it will be jolly to have somebody to play with .

there isn't any other girl who lives near enough to play with , and i 've no sisters big enough . "

" will you swear to be my friend forever and ever ? " demanded anne eagerly .

diana looked shocked .

" why it 's dreadfully wicked to swear , " she said rebukingly .

" oh no , not my kind of swearing .

there are two kinds , you know . "

" i never heard of but one kind , " said diana doubtfully .

" there really is another .

oh , it isn't wicked at all .

it just means vowing and promising solemnly . "

" well , i don't mind doing that , " agreed diana , relieved .

" how do you do it ? "

" we must join hands so , " said anne gravely .

" it ought to be over running water .

we 'll just imagine this path is running water .

i 'll repeat the oath first .

i solemnly swear to be faithful to my bosom friend , diana barry , as long as the sun and moon shall endure .

now you say it and put my name in . "

diana repeated the " oath " with a laugh fore and aft .

then she said :

" you 're a queer girl , anne .

i heard before that you were queer .

but i believe i 'm going to like you real well . "

when marilla and anne went home diana went with them as far as the log bridge .

the two little girls walked with their arms about each other .

at the brook they parted with many promises to spend the next afternoon together .

" well , did you find diana a kindred spirit ? " asked marilla as they went up through the garden of green gables .

" oh yes , " sighed anne , blissfully unconscious of any sarcasm on marilla 's part .

" oh marilla , i 'm the happiest girl on prince edward island this very moment .

i assure you i 'll say my prayers with a right good-will tonight .

diana and i are going to build a playhouse in mr william bell 's birch grove tomorrow .

can i have those broken pieces of china that are out in the woodshed ?

diana 's birthday is in february and mine is in march .

don't you think that is a very strange coincidence ?

diana is going to lend me a book to read .

she says it 's perfectly splendid and tremendously exciting .

she 's going to show me a place back in the woods where rice lilies grow .

don't you think diana has got very soulful eyes ?

i wish i had soulful eyes .

diana is going to teach me to sing a song called ' nelly in the hazel dell . '

a sewing-machine agent gave it to her .

i wish i had something to give diana .

we 're going to the shore some day to gather shells .

we have agreed to call the spring down by the log bridge the dryad 's bubble .

isn't that a perfectly elegant name ?

i read a story once about a spring called that .

a dryad is sort of a grown-up fairy , i think . "

" well , all i hope is you won't talk diana to death , " said marilla .

" but remember this in all your planning , anne .

you 're not going to play all the time nor most of it .

you 'll have your work to do and it 'll have to be done first . "

anne 's cup of happiness was full , and matthew caused it to overflow .

" i heard you say you liked chocolate sweeties , so i got you some , " he said .

" humph , " sniffed marilla .

" it 'll ruin her teeth and stomach .

there , there , child , don't look so dismal .

you can eat those , since matthew has gone and got them .

he 'd better have brought you peppermints .

they 're wholesomer .

don't sicken yourself eating all them at once now . "

" oh , no , indeed , i won't , " said anne eagerly .

" i 'll just eat one tonight , marilla .

and i can give diana half of them , can't i ?

the other half will taste twice as sweet to me if i give some to her .

it 's delightful to think i have something to give her . "

" i will say it for the child , " said marilla when anne had gone to her gable , " she isn't stingy .

i 'm glad , for of all faults i detest stinginess in a child .

dear me , it 's only three weeks since she came , and it seems as if she 'd been here always .

i can't imagine the place without her .

now , don't be looking i told-you-so , matthew .

that 's bad enough in a woman , but it isn't to be endured in a man .

chapter xiii .

the delights of anticipation

and of course he 's listening to her like a perfect ninny .

i never saw such an infatuated man .

the more she talks and the odder the things she says , the more he 's delighted evidently .

anne shirley , you come right in here this minute , do you hear me ! "

" just look at the clock , if you please , anne .

what time did i tell you to come in ? "

" two o'clock but isn't it splendid about the picnic , marilla ?

please can i go ?

oh , i 've never been to a picnic i 've dreamed of picnics , but i've never "

" yes , i told you to come at two o'clock .

and it 's a quarter to three .

i 'd like to know why you didn't obey me , anne . "

" why , i meant to , marilla , as much as could be .

but you have no idea how fascinating idlewild is .

and then , of course , i had to tell matthew about the picnic .

matthew is such a sympathetic listener .

please can i go ? "

" you 'll have to learn to resist the fascination of

when i tell you to come in at a certain time i mean that time and not half an hour later .

and you needn't stop to discourse with sympathetic listeners on your way , either .

as for the picnic , of course you can go .

you 're a sunday-school scholar , and it 's not likely i 'd refuse to let you go when all the other little girls are going . "

" but but , " faltered anne , " diana says that everybody must take a basket of things to eat .

it 's been preying on my mind ever since diana told me . "

" well , it needn't prey any longer .

i 'll bake you a basket . "

" oh , you dear good marilla .

oh , you are so kind to me .

oh , i 'm so much obliged to you . "

getting through with her " ohs " anne cast herself into marilla 's arms and rapturously kissed her sallow cheek .

it was the first time in her whole life that childish lips had voluntarily touched marilla 's face .

again that sudden sensation of startling sweetness thrilled her .

she was secretly vastly pleased at anne 's impulsive caress , which was probably the reason why she said brusquely :

" there , there , never mind your kissing nonsense .

i 'd sooner see you doing strictly as you 're told .

as for cooking , i mean to begin giving you lessons in that some of these days .

now , get out your patchwork and have your square done before teatime . "

" i think some kinds of sewing would be nice ; but there 's no scope for imagination in patchwork .

it 's just one little seam after another and you never seem to be getting anywhere .

but of course i 'd rather be anne of green gables sewing patchwork than anne of any other place with nothing to do but play .

i wish time went as quick sewing patches as it does when i 'm playing with diana , though .

oh , we do have such elegant times , marilla .

i have to furnish most of the imagination , but i 'm well able to do that .

diana is simply perfect in every other way .

you know that little piece of land across the brook that runs up between our farm and mr barry 's .

diana and i have our playhouse there .

we call it idlewild .

isn't that a poetical name ?

i assure you it took me some time to think it out .

i stayed awake nearly a whole night before i invented it .

then , just as i was dropping off to sleep , it came like an inspiration .

diana was enraptured when she heard it .

we have got our house fixed up elegantly .

you must come and see it , marilla won't you ?

we have great big stones , all covered with moss , for seats , and boards from tree to tree for shelves .

and we have all our dishes on them .

of course , they 're all broken but it 's the easiest thing in the world to imagine that they are whole .

there 's a piece of a plate with a spray of red and yellow ivy on it that is especially beautiful .

we keep it in the parlor and we have the fairy glass there , too .

the fairy glass is as lovely as a dream .

diana found it out in the woods behind their chicken house .

but it 's nice to imagine the fairies lost it one night when they had a ball , so we call it the fairy glass .

matthew is going to make us a table .

oh , we have named that little round pool over in mr barry 's field willowmere .

i got that name out of the book diana lent me .

that was a thrilling book , marilla .

the heroine had five lovers .

i 'd be satisfied with one , wouldn't you ?

she was very handsome and she went through great tribulations .

she could faint as easy as anything .

i 'd love to be able to faint , wouldn't you , marilla ?

it 's so romantic .

but i 'm really very healthy for all i 'm so thin .

i believe i 'm getting fatter , though .

don't you think i am ?

i look at my elbows every morning when i get up to see if any dimples are coming .

diana is having a new dress made with elbow sleeves .

she is going to wear it to the picnic .

oh , i do hope it will be fine next wednesday .

i don't feel that i could endure the disappointment if anything happened to prevent me from getting to the picnic .

i suppose i 'd live through it , but i 'm certain it would be a lifelong sorrow .

it wouldn't matter if i got to a hundred picnics in after years ; they wouldn't make up for missing this one .

they 're going to have boats on the lake of shining waters and ice cream , as i told you .

i have never tasted ice cream .

diana tried to explain what it was like , but i guess ice cream is one of those things that are beyond imagination . "

" anne , you have talked even on for ten minutes by the clock , " said marilla .

" now , just for curiosity 's sake , see if you can hold your tongue for the same length of time . "

anne held her tongue as desired .

but for the rest of the week she talked picnic and thought picnic and dreamed picnic .

" such a thrill as went up and down my back , marilla !

i don't think i 'd ever really believed until then that there was honestly going to be a picnic .

i couldn't help fearing i 'd only imagined it .

but when a minister says a thing in the pulpit you just have to believe it . "

" you set your heart too much on things , anne , " said marilla , with a sigh .

" i 'm afraid there 'll be a great many disappointments in store for you through life . "

" oh , marilla , looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them , " exclaimed anne .

" you mayn't get the things themselves ; but nothing can prevent you from having the fun of looking forward to them .

mrs lynde says , ' blessed are they who expect nothing for they shall not be disappointed . '

but i think it would be worse to expect nothing than to be disappointed . "

marilla wore her amethyst brooch to church that day as usual .

marilla always wore her amethyst brooch to church .

she would have thought it rather sacrilegious to leave it off as bad as forgetting her bible or her collection dime .

that amethyst brooch was marilla 's most treasured possession .

a seafaring uncle had given it to her mother who in turn had bequeathed it to marilla .

it was an old-fashioned oval , containing a braid of her mother 's hair , surrounded by a border of very fine amethysts .

anne had been smitten with delighted admiration when she first saw that brooch .

" oh , marilla , it 's a perfectly elegant brooch .

i don't know how you can pay attention to the sermon or the prayers when you have it on .

i couldn't , i know .

i think amethysts are just sweet .

they are what i used to think diamonds were like .

long ago , before i had ever seen a diamond , i read about them and i tried to imagine what they would be like .

i thought they would be lovely glimmering purple stones .

when i saw a real diamond in a lady 's ring one day i was so disappointed i cried .

of course , it was very lovely but it wasn't my idea of a diamond .

will you let me hold the brooch for one minute , marilla ?

do you think amethysts can be the souls of good violets ? "

chapter xiv .

anne 's confession

|on the monday evening before the picnic marilla came down from her room with a troubled face .

i thought i stuck it in my pincushion when i came home from church yesterday evening , but i can't find it anywhere . "

" i i saw it this afternoon when you were away at the aid society , " said anne , a little slowly .

" i was passing your door when i saw it on the cushion , so i went in to look at it . "

" did you touch it ? " said marilla sternly .

" you had no business to do anything of the sort .

it 's very wrong in a little girl to meddle .

where did you put it ? "

" oh , i put it back on the bureau .

i hadn't it on a minute .

truly , i didn't mean to meddle , marilla .

that 's one good thing about me .

i never do the same naughty thing twice . "

" you didn't put it back , " said marilla .

" that brooch isn't anywhere on the bureau .

you 've taken it out or something , anne . "

" i did put it back , " said anne quickly pertly , marilla thought .

" i don't just remember whether i stuck it on the pincushion or laid it in the china tray .

but i 'm perfectly certain i put it back . "

" i 'll go and have another look , " said marilla , determining to be just .

" if you put that brooch back it 's there still .

if it isn't i 'll know you didn't , that 's all ! "

it was not to be found and she returned to the kitchen .

" anne , the brooch is gone .

by your own admission you were the last person to handle it .

now , what have you done with it ?

tell me the truth at once .

did you take it out and lose it ? "

" no , i didn't , " said anne solemnly , meeting marilla 's angry gaze squarely .

so there , marilla . "

anne 's " so there " was only intended to emphasize her assertion , but marilla took it as a display of defiance .

" i believe you are telling me a falsehood , anne , " she said sharply .

" i know you are .

there now , don't say anything more unless you are prepared to tell the whole truth .

go to your room and stay there until you are ready to confess . "

" will i take the peas with me ? " said anne meekly .

" no , i 'll finish shelling them myself .

do as i bid you . "

when anne had gone marilla went about her evening tasks in a very disturbed state of mind .

she was worried about her valuable brooch .

what if anne had lost it ?

and how wicked of the child to deny having taken it , when anybody could see she must have !

with such an innocent face , too !

" i don't know what i wouldn't sooner have had happen , " thought marilla , as she nervously shelled the peas .

" of course , i don't suppose she meant to steal it or anything like that .

she 's just taken it to play with or help along that imagination of hers .

and the brooch is gone , there 's nothing surer .

i suppose she has lost it and is afraid to own up for fear she 'll be punished .

it 's a dreadful thing to think she tells falsehoods .

it 's a far worse thing than her fit of temper .

it 's a fearful responsibility to have a child in your house you can't trust .

slyness and untruthfulness that 's what she has displayed .

i declare i feel worse about that than about the brooch .

if she 'd only have told the truth about it i wouldn't mind so much . "

marilla went to her room at intervals all through the evening and searched for the brooch , without finding it .

a bedtime visit to the east gable produced no result .

anne persisted in denying that she knew anything about the brooch but marilla was only the more firmly convinced that she did .

she told matthew the story the next morning .

matthew was confounded and puzzled ; he could not so quickly lose faith in anne but he had to admit that circumstances were against her .

" you 're sure it hasn't fell down behind the bureau ? " was the only suggestion he could offer .

" i 've moved the bureau and i 've taken out the drawers and i 've looked in every crack and cranny " was marilla 's positive answer .

" the brooch is gone and that child has taken it and lied about it .

that 's the plain , ugly truth , matthew cuthbert , and we might as well look it in the face . "

" well now , what are you going to do about it ? "

matthew asked forlornly , feeling secretly thankful that marilla and not he had to deal with the situation .

he felt no desire to put his oar in this time .

" she 'll stay in her room until she confesses , " said marilla grimly , remembering the success of this method in the former case .

" then we 'll see .

" well now , you 'll have to punish her , " said matthew , reaching for his hat .

" i 've nothing to do with it , remember .

you warned me off yourself . "

marilla felt deserted by everyone .

she could not even go to mrs lynde for advice .

she went up to the east gable with a very serious face and left it with a face more serious still .

anne steadfastly refused to confess .

she persisted in asserting that she had not taken the brooch .

the child had evidently been crying and marilla felt a pang of pity which she sternly repressed .

by night she was , as she expressed it , " beat out . "

" you 'll stay in this room until you confess , anne .

you can make up your mind to that , " she said firmly .

" but the picnic is tomorrow , marilla , " cried anne .

" you won't keep me from going to that , will you ?

you 'll just let me out for the afternoon , won't you ?

then i 'll stay here as long as you like afterwards cheerfully .

but i must go to the picnic . "

" you 'll not go to picnics nor anywhere else until you 've confessed , anne . "

" oh , marilla , " gasped anne .

but marilla had gone out and shut the door .

wednesday morning dawned as bright and fair as if expressly made to order for the picnic .

the birches in the hollow waved joyful hands as if watching for anne 's usual morning greeting from the east gable .

but anne was not at her window .

" marilla , i 'm ready to confess . "

" ah ! "

marilla laid down her tray .

once again her method had succeeded ; but her success was very bitter to her .

" let me hear what you have to say then , anne . "

" i took the amethyst brooch , " said anne , as if repeating a lesson she had learned .

" i took it just as you said .

i didn't mean to take it when i went in .

but it did look so beautiful , marilla , when i pinned it on my breast that i was overcome by an irresistible temptation .

i imagined how perfectly thrilling it would be to take it to idlewild and play i was the lady cordelia fitzgerald .

it would be so much easier to imagine i was the lady cordelia if i had a real amethyst brooch on .

diana and i make necklaces of roseberries but what are roseberries compared to amethysts ?

so i took the brooch .

i thought i could put it back before you came home .

i went all the way around by the road to lengthen out the time .

when i was going over the bridge across the lake of shining waters i took the brooch off to have another look at it .

oh , how it did shine in the sunlight !

and that 's the best i can do at confessing , marilla . "

marilla felt hot anger surge up into her heart again .

" anne , this is terrible , " she said , trying to speak calmly .

" you are the very wickedest girl i ever heard of . "

" yes , i suppose i am , " agreed anne tranquilly .

" and i know i 'll have to be punished .

it 'll be your duty to punish me , marilla .

won't you please get it over right off because i 'd like to go to the picnic with nothing on my mind . "

" picnic , indeed !

you 'll go to no picnic today , anne shirley .

that shall be your punishment .

and it isn't half severe enough either for what you 've done ! "

" not go to the picnic ! "

anne sprang to her feet and clutched marilla 's hand .

" but you promised me i might !

oh , marilla , i must go to the picnic .

that was why i confessed .

punish me any way you like but that .

oh , marilla , please , please , let me go to the picnic .

think of the ice cream !

for anything you know i may never have a chance to taste ice cream again . "

marilla disengaged anne 's clinging hands stonily .

" you needn't plead , anne .

you are not going to the picnic and that 's final .

no , not a word . "

anne realized that marilla was not to be moved .

" for the land 's sake ! " gasped marilla , hastening from the room .

" i believe the child is crazy .

no child in her senses would behave as she does .

if she isn't she 's utterly bad .

oh dear , i 'm afraid rachel was right from the first .

but i 've put my hand to the plow and i won't look back . "

that was a dismal morning .

marilla worked fiercely and scrubbed the porch floor and the dairy shelves when she could find nothing else to do .

neither the shelves nor the porch needed it but marilla did .

then she went out and raked the yard .

when dinner was ready she went to the stairs and called anne .

a tear-stained face appeared , looking tragically over the banisters .

" come down to your dinner , anne . "

" i don't want any dinner , marilla , " said anne , sobbingly .

" i couldn't eat anything .

my heart is broken .

you 'll feel remorse of conscience someday , i expect , for breaking it , marilla , but i forgive you .

remember when the time comes that i forgive you .

but please don't ask me to eat anything , especially boiled pork and greens .

boiled pork and greens are so unromantic when one is in affliction . "

don't you think it 's pretty rough not to let her go to the picnic when she 's so set on it ? "

" matthew cuthbert , i 'm amazed at you .

i think i 've let her off entirely too easy .

and she doesn't appear to realize how wicked she 's been at all that 's what worries me most .

if she 'd really felt sorry it wouldn't be so bad .

and you don't seem to realize it , neither ; you 're making excuses for her all the time to yourself i can see that . "

" well now , she 's such a little thing , " feebly reiterated matthew .

" and there should be allowances made , marilla .

you know she 's never had any bringing up . "

" well , she 's having it now " retorted marilla .

the retort silenced matthew if it did not convince him .

that dinner was a very dismal meal .

the only cheerful thing about it was jerry buote , the hired boy , and marilla resented his cheerfulness as a personal insult .

she would go and mend it .

the shawl was in a box in her trunk .

marilla snatched at it with a gasp .

it was the amethyst brooch , hanging to a thread of the lace by its catch !

" dear life and heart , " said marilla blankly , " what does this mean ?

here 's my brooch safe and sound that i thought was at the bottom of barry 's pond .

whatever did that girl mean by saying she took it and lost it ?

i declare i believe green gables is bewitched .

i remember now that when i took off my shawl monday afternoon i laid it on the bureau for a minute .

i suppose the brooch got caught in it somehow .

well ! "

marilla betook herself to the east gable , brooch in hand .

anne had cried herself out and was sitting dejectedly by the window .

" anne shirley , " said marilla solemnly , " i 've just found my brooch hanging to my black lace shawl .

now i want to know what that rigmarole you told me this morning meant . "

i thought out a confession last night after i went to bed and made it as interesting as i could .

and i said it over and over so that i wouldn't forget it .

but you wouldn't let me go to the picnic after all , so all my trouble was wasted . "

marilla had to laugh in spite of herself .

but her conscience pricked her .

" anne , you do beat all !

but i was wrong i see that now .

i shouldn't have doubted your word when i 'd never known you to tell a story .

of course , it wasn't right for you to confess to a thing you hadn't done it was very wrong to do so .

but i drove you to it .

so if you 'll forgive me , anne , i 'll forgive you and we 'll start square again .

and now get yourself ready for the picnic . "

anne flew up like a rocket .

" oh , marilla , isn't it too late ? "

" no , it 's only two o'clock .

they won't be more than well gathered yet and it 'll be an hour before they have tea .

wash your face and comb your hair and put on your gingham .

i 'll fill a basket for you .

there 's plenty of stuff baked in the house .

and i 'll get jerry to hitch up the sorrel and drive you down to the picnic ground . "

" oh , marilla , " exclaimed anne , flying to the washstand .

that night a thoroughly happy , completely tired-out anne returned to green gables in a state of beatification impossible to describe .

" oh , marilla , i 've had a perfectly scrumptious time .

scrumptious is a new word i learned today .

i heard mary alice bell use it .

isn't it very expressive ?

everything was lovely .

and jane andrews nearly fell overboard .

i wish it had been me .

it would have been such a romantic experience to have been nearly drowned .

it would be such a thrilling tale to tell .

and we had the ice cream .

words fail me to describe that ice cream .

marilla , i assure you it was sublime . "

that evening marilla told the whole story to matthew over her stocking basket .

" i 'm willing to own up that i made a mistake , " she concluded candidly , " but i 've learned a lesson .

i have to laugh when i think of anne 's ' confession , ' although i suppose i shouldn't for it really was a falsehood .

but it doesn't seem as bad as the other would have been , somehow , and anyhow i 'm responsible for it .

that child is hard to understand in some respects .

but i believe she 'll turn out all right yet .

and there 's one thing certain , no house will ever be dull that she 's in . "

chapter xv .

a tempest in the school teapot

|what a splendid day ! " said anne , drawing a long breath .

" isn't it good just to be alive on a day like this ?

i pity the people who aren't born yet for missing it .

they may have good days , of course , but they can never have this one .

and it 's splendider still to have such a lovely way to go to school by , isn't it ? "

and yet , when the tarts were divided among ten girls you just got enough to tantalize you .

the way anne and diana went to school was a pretty one .

anne thought those walks to and from school with diana couldn't be improved upon even by imagination .

lover 's lane opened out below the orchard at green gables and stretched far up into the woods to the end of the cuthbert farm .

it was the way by which the cows were taken to the back pasture and the wood hauled home in winter .

anne had named it lover 's lane before she had been a month at green gables .

so we want to have one , too .

and it 's a very pretty name , don't you think ?

so romantic !

we can't imagine the lovers into it , you know .

i like that lane because you can think out loud there without people calling you crazy . "

anne , starting out alone in the morning , went down lover 's lane as far as the brook .

then they left the lane and walked through mr barry 's back field and past willowmere .

beyond willowmere came violet vale a little green dimple in the shadow of mr andrew bell 's big woods .

oh , marilla , can't you just imagine you see them ?

it actually takes away my breath .

i named it violet vale .

diana says she never saw the beat of me for hitting on fancy names for places .

it 's nice to be clever at something , isn't it ?

but diana named the birch path .

she wanted to , so i let her ; but i 'm sure i could have found something more poetical than plain birch path .

anybody can think of a name like that .

but the birch path is one of the prettiest places in the world , marilla . "

it was .

other people besides anne thought so when they stumbled on it .

down in the valley the path came out to the main road and then it was just up the spruce hill to the school .

marilla had seen anne start off to school on the first day of september with many secret misgivings .

anne was such an odd girl .

how would she get on with the other children ?

and how on earth would she ever manage to hold her tongue during school hours ?

things went better than marilla feared , however .

anne came home that evening in high spirits .

" i think i 'm going to like school here , " she announced .

" i don't think much of the master , through .

he 's all the time curling his mustache and making eyes at prissy andrews .

prissy is grown up , you know .

she 's sixteen and she 's studying for the entrance examination into queen 's academy at charlottetown next year .

tillie boulter says the master is dead gone on her .

she 's got a beautiful complexion and curly brown hair and she does it up so elegantly .

" anne shirley , don't let me hear you talking about your teacher in that way again , " said marilla sharply .

" you don't go to school to criticize the master .

i guess he can teach you something , and it 's your business to learn .

and i want you to understand right off that you are not to come home telling tales about him .

that is something i won't encourage .

i hope you were a good girl . "

" indeed i was , " said anne comfortably .

" it wasn't so hard as you might imagine , either .

i sit with diana .

our seat is right by the window and we can look down to the lake of shining waters .

there are a lot of nice girls in school and we had scrumptious fun playing at dinnertime .

it 's so nice to have a lot of little girls to play with .

but of course i like diana best and always will .

i adore diana .

i 'm dreadfully far behind the others .

they 're all in the fifth book and i 'm only in the fourth .

i feel that it 's kind of a disgrace .

but there 's not one of them has such an imagination as i have and i soon found that out .

we had reading and geography and canadian history and dictation today .

mr phillips said my spelling was disgraceful and he held up my slate so that everybody could see it , all marked over .

i felt so mortified , marilla ; he might have been politer to a stranger , i think .

i 'm to give it back to her tomorrow .

and tillie boulter let me wear her bead ring all the afternoon .

can i have some of those pearl beads off the old pincushion in the garret to make myself a ring ?

marilla , that is the first compliment i have ever had in my life and you can't imagine what a strange feeling it gave me .

marilla , have i really a pretty nose ?

i know you 'll tell me the truth . "

" your nose is well enough , " said marilla shortly .

secretly she thought anne 's nose was a remarkable pretty one ; but she had no intention of telling her so .

that was three weeks ago and all had gone smoothly so far .

" i guess gilbert blythe will be in school today , " said diana .

" he 's been visiting his cousins over in new brunswick all summer and he only came home saturday night .

he 's aw'fly handsome , anne .

and he teases the girls something terrible .

he just torments our lives out . "

diana 's voice indicated that she rather liked having her life tormented out than not .

" gilbert blythe ? " said anne .

" isn't his name that 's written up on the porch wall with julia bell 's and a big ' take notice ' over them ? "

" yes , " said diana , tossing her head , " but i 'm sure he doesn't like julia bell so very much .

i 've heard him say he studied the multiplication table by her freckles . "

" oh , don't speak about freckles to me , " implored anne .

" it isn't delicate when i 've got so many .

but i do think that writing take-notices up on the wall about the boys and girls is the silliest ever .

i should just like to see anybody dare to write my name up with a boy 's .

not , of course , " she hastened to add , " that anybody would . "

anne sighed .

she didn't want her name written up .

but it was a little humiliating to know that there was no danger of it .

" it 's only meant as a joke .

and don't you be too sure your name won't ever be written up .

charlie sloane is dead gone on you .

he told his mother his mother , mind you that you were the smartest girl in school .

that 's better than being good looking . "

" no , it isn't , " said anne , feminine to the core .

" i 'd rather be pretty than clever .

and i hate charlie sloane , i can't bear a boy with goggle eyes .

if anyone wrote my name up with his i 'd never get over it , diana barry .

but it is nice to keep head of your class . "

he 's only in the fourth book although he 's nearly fourteen .

four years ago his father was sick and had to go out to alberta for his health and gilbert went with him .

they were there three years and gil didn't go to school hardly any until they came back .

you won't find it so easy to keep head after this , anne . "

" i 'm glad , " said anne quickly .

" i couldn't really feel proud of keeping head of little boys and girls of just nine or ten .

i got up yesterday spelling ' ebullition . '

josie pye was head and , mind you , she peeped in her book .

mr phillips didn't see her he was looking at prissy andrews but i did .

i just swept her a look of freezing scorn and she got as red as a beet and spelled it wrong after all . "

" those pye girls are cheats all round , " said diana indignantly , as they climbed the fence of the main road .

" gertie pye actually went and put her milk bottle in my place in the brook yesterday .

did you ever ?

i don't speak to her now . "

just look at him and see if you don't think he 's handsome . "

anne looked accordingly .

he was a tall boy , with curly brown hair , roguish hazel eyes , and a mouth twisted into a teasing smile .

everybody looked at her and mr phillips glared so sternly that ruby began to cry .

" i think your gilbert blythe is handsome , " confided anne to diana , " but i think he 's very bold .

it isn't good manners to wink at a strange girl . "

but it was not until the afternoon that things really began to happen .

gilbert blythe wasn't used to putting himself out to make a girl look at him and meeting with failure .

" carrots !

carrots ! "

then anne looked at him with a vengeance !

she did more than look .

she sprang to her feet , her bright fancies fallen into cureless ruin .

she flashed one indignant glance at gilbert from eyes whose angry sparkle was swiftly quenched in equally angry tears .

" you mean , hateful boy ! " she exclaimed passionately .

" how dare you ! "

and then thwack !

anne had brought her slate down on gilbert 's head and cracked it slate not head clear across .

avonlea school always enjoyed a scene .

this was an especially enjoyable one .

everybody said " oh " in horrified delight .

diana gasped .

ruby gillis , who was inclined to be hysterical , began to cry .

tommy sloane let his team of crickets escape him altogether while he stared open-mouthed at the tableau .

mr phillips stalked down the aisle and laid his hand heavily on anne 's shoulder .

" anne shirley , what does this mean ? " he said angrily .

anne returned no answer .

gilbert it was who spoke up stoutly .

" it was my fault mr phillips .

i teased her . "

mr phillips paid no heed to gilbert .

" anne , go and stand on the platform in front of the blackboard for the rest of the afternoon . "

anne would have infinitely preferred a whipping to this punishment under which her sensitive spirit quivered as from a whiplash .

with a white , set face she obeyed .

mr phillips took a chalk crayon and wrote on the blackboard above her head .

" ann shirley has a very bad temper .

anne stood there the rest of the afternoon with that legend above her .

she did not cry or hang her head .

anger was still too hot in her heart for that and it sustained her amid all her agony of humiliation .

with resentful eyes and passion-red cheeks she confronted alike diana 's sympathetic gaze and charlie sloane 's indignant nods and josie pye 's malicious smiles .

as for gilbert blythe , she would not even look at him .

she would never look at him again !

she would never speak to him ! !

when school was dismissed anne marched out with her red head held high .

gilbert blythe tried to intercept her at the porch door .

" i 'm awfully sorry i made fun of your hair , anne , " he whispered contritely .

" honest i am .

don't be mad for keeps , now . "

anne swept by disdainfully , without look or sign of hearing .

" oh how could you , anne ? " breathed diana as they went down the road half reproachfully , half admiringly .

diana felt that she could never have resisted gilbert 's plea .

" i shall never forgive gilbert blythe , " said anne firmly .

" and mr phillips spelled my name without an e , too .

the iron has entered into my soul , diana . "

diana hadn't the least idea what anne meant but she understood it was something terrible .

" you mustn't mind gilbert making fun of your hair , " she said soothingly .

" why , he makes fun of all the girls .

he laughs at mine because it 's so black .

he 's called me a crow a dozen times ; and i never heard him apologize for anything before , either . "

" there 's a great deal of difference between being called a crow and being called carrots , " said anne with dignity .

" gilbert blythe has hurt my feelings excruciatingly , diana . "

it is possible the matter might have blown over without more excruciation if nothing else had happened .

but when things begin to happen they are apt to keep on .

avonlea scholars often spent noon hour picking gum in mr bell 's spruce grove over the hill and across his big pasture field .

from there they could keep an eye on eben wright 's house , where the master boarded .

anyone who came in late would be punished .

the girls who were on the ground , started first and managed to reach the schoolhouse in time but without a second to spare .

" take those flowers out of your hair and sit with gilbert blythe . "

the other boys snickered .

diana , turning pale with pity , plucked the wreath from anne 's hair and squeezed her hand .

anne stared at the master as if turned to stone .

" did you hear what i said , anne ? " queried mr phillips sternly .

" yes , sir , " said anne slowly " but i didn't suppose you really meant it . "

" i assure you i did " still with the sarcastic inflection which all the children , and anne especially , hated .

it flicked on the raw .

" obey me at once . "

for a moment anne looked as if she meant to disobey .

to anne , this was as the end of all things .

anne felt that she could not bear it and it would be of no use to try .

her whole being seethed with shame and anger and humiliation .

at first the other scholars looked and whispered and giggled and nudged .

" what are you taking all those things home for , anne ? "

diana wanted to know , as soon as they were out on the road .

she had not dared to ask the question before .

" i am not coming back to school any more , " said anne .

diana gasped and stared at anne to see if she meant it .

" will marilla let you stay home ? " she asked .

" she 'll have to , " said anne .

" i 'll never go to school to that man again . "

" oh , anne ! "

diana looked as if she were ready to cry .

" i do think you 're mean .

what shall i do ?

mr phillips will make me sit with that horrid gertie pye i know he will because she is sitting alone .

do come back , anne . "

" i 'd do almost anything in the world for you , diana , " said anne sadly .

" i 'd let myself be torn limb from limb if it would do you any good .

but i can't do this , so please don't ask it .

you harrow up my very soul . "

" just think of all the fun you will miss , " mourned diana .

it 's tremendously exciting .

and you know you are so fond of reading out loud , anne . "

nothing moved anne in the least .

her mind was made up .

she would not go to school to mr phillips again ; she told marilla so when she got home .

" nonsense , " said marilla .

" it isn't nonsense at all , " said anne , gazing at marilla with solemn , reproachful eyes .

" don't you understand , marilla ?

i 've been insulted . "

" insulted fiddlesticks !

you 'll go to school tomorrow as usual . "

" oh , no . "

anne shook her head gently .

" i 'm not going back , marilla .

but i will not go back to school , i assure you . "

marilla saw something remarkably like unyielding stubbornness looking out of anne 's small face .

she understood that she would have trouble in overcoming it ; but she re-solved wisely to say nothing more just then .

" i 'll run down and see rachel about it this evening , " she thought .

" there 's no use reasoning with anne now .

she 's too worked up and i 've an idea she can be awful stubborn if she takes the notion .

far as i can make out from her story , mr phillips has been carrying matters with a rather high hand .

but it would never do to say so to her .

i 'll just talk it over with rachel .

she 's sent ten children to school and she ought to know something about it .

she 'll have heard the whole story , too , by this time . "

marilla found mrs lynde knitting quilts as industriously and cheerfully as usual .

" i suppose you know what i 've come about , " she said , a little shamefacedly .

mrs rachel nodded .

" about anne 's fuss in school , i reckon , " she said .

" tillie boulter was in on her way home from school and told me about it . "

" i don't know what to do with her , " said marilla .

" she declares she won't go back to school .

i never saw a child so worked up .

i 've been expecting trouble ever since she started to school .

i knew things were going too smooth to last .

she 's so high strung .

what would you advise , rachel ? "

it 's my belief that mr phillips was in the wrong .

of course , it doesn't do to say so to the children , you know .

and of course he did right to punish her yesterday for giving way to temper .

but today it was different .

the others who were late should have been punished as well as anne , that 's what .

and i don't believe in making the girls sit with the boys for punishment .

it isn't modest .

tillie boulter was real indignant .

she took anne 's part right through and said all the scholars did too .

anne seems real popular among them , somehow .

i never thought she 'd take with them so well . "

" then you really think i 'd better let her stay home , " said marilla in amazement .

" yes .

that is i wouldn't say school to her again until she said it herself .

the less fuss made the better , in my opinion .

she won't miss much by not going to school , as far as that goes .

mr phillips isn't any good at all as a teacher .

i declare , i don't know what education in this island is coming to . "

marilla took mrs rachel 's advice and not another word was said to anne about going back to school .

even diana 's efforts as a peacemaker were of no avail .

anne had evidently made up her mind to hate gilbert blythe to the end of life .

" whatever 's the matter now , anne ? " she asked .

" it 's about diana , " sobbed anne luxuriously .

" i love diana so , marilla .

i cannot ever live without her .

but i know very well when we grow up that diana will get married and go away and leave me .

and oh , what shall i do ?

i hate her husband i just hate him furiously .

and then bidding diana goodbye-e-e " here anne broke down entirely and wept with increasing bitterness .

when had he heard marilla laugh like that before ?

i should think you had an imagination , sure enough . "

chapter xvi .

diana is invited to tea with tragic results

anne reveled in the world of color about her .

it would be terrible if we just skipped from september to november , wouldn't it ?

look at these maple branches .

don't they give you a thrill several thrills ?

i 'm going to decorate my room with them . "

" messy things , " said marilla , whose aesthetic sense was not noticeably developed .

" you clutter up your room entirely too much with out-of-doors stuff , anne .

bedrooms were made to sleep in . "

" oh , and dream in too , marilla .

and you know one can dream so much better in a room where there are pretty things .

i 'm going to put these boughs in the old blue jug and set them on my table . "

" mind you don't drop leaves all over the stairs then .

i 'm going on a meeting of the aid society at carmody this afternoon , anne , and i won't likely be home before dark .

matthew was so good .

he never scolded a bit .

he put the tea down himself and said we could wait awhile as well as not .

and i told him a lovely fairy story while we were waiting , so he didn't find the time long at all .

it was a beautiful fairy story , marilla .

but you keep your wits about you this time .

" oh , marilla ! "

anne clasped her hands .

" how perfectly lovely !

you are able to imagine things after all or else you 'd never have understood how i 've longed for that very thing .

it will seem so nice and grown-uppish .

no fear of my forgetting to put the tea to draw when i have company .

oh , marilla , can i use the rosebud spray tea set ? "

" no , indeed !

the rosebud tea set !

well , what next ?

you know i never use that except for the minister or the aids .

you 'll put down the old brown tea set .

but you can open the little yellow crock of cherry preserves .

it 's time it was being used anyhow i believe it 's beginning to work .

and you can cut some fruit cake and have some of the cookies and snaps . "

" and asking diana if she takes sugar !

i know she doesn't but of course i 'll ask her just as if i didn't know .

and then pressing her to take another piece of fruit cake and another helping of preserves .

oh , marilla , it 's a wonderful sensation just to think of it .

can i take her into the spare room to lay off her hat when she comes ?

and then into the parlor to sit ? "

" no .

the sitting room will do for you and your company .

but there 's a bottle half full of raspberry cordial that was left over from the church social the other night .

anne flew down to the hollow , past the dryad 's bubble and up the spruce path to orchard slope , to ask diana to tea .

at other times she was wont to run into the kitchen without knocking ; but now she knocked primly at the front door .

" she is very well , thank you .

" yes .

our potato crop is very good this year .

i hope your father 's crop is good too . "

" it is fairly good , thank you .

have you picked many of your apples yet ? "

" oh , ever so many , " said anne forgetting to be dignified and jumping up quickly .

" let's go out to the orchard and get some of the red sweetings , diana .

marilla says we can have all that are left on the tree .

marilla is a very generous woman .

she said we could have fruit cake and cherry preserves for tea .

only it begins with an r and a c and it 's bright red color .

i love bright red drinks , don't you ?

they taste twice as good as any other color . "

diana had much to tell anne of what went on in school .

but anne didn't want to hear about gilbert blythe .

she jumped up hurriedly and said suppose they go in and have some raspberry cordial .

anne looked on the second shelf of the room pantry but there was no bottle of raspberry cordial there .

search revealed it away back on the top shelf .

anne put it on a tray and set it on the table with a tumbler .

" now , please help yourself , diana , " she said politely .

" i don't believe i 'll have any just now .

i don't feel as if i wanted any after all those apples . "

diana poured herself out a tumblerful , looked at its bright-red hue admiringly , and then sipped it daintily .

" that 's awfully nice raspberry cordial , anne , " she said .

" i didn't know raspberry cordial was so nice . "

" i 'm real glad you like it .

take as much as you want .

i 'm going to run out and stir the fire up .

there are so many responsibilities on a person 's mind when they 're keeping house , isn't there ? "

the tumblerfuls were generous ones and the raspberry cordial was certainly very nice .

" the nicest i ever drank , " said diana .

" it 's ever so much nicer than mrs lynde 's , although she brags of hers so much .

it doesn't taste a bit like hers . "

" i should think marilla 's raspberry cordial would prob'ly be much nicer than mrs lynde 's , " said anne loyally .

" marilla is a famous cook .

she is trying to teach me to cook but i assure you , diana , it is uphill work .

there 's so little scope for imagination in cookery .

you just have to go by rules .

the last time i made a cake i forgot to put the flour in .

i was thinking the loveliest story about you and me , diana .

oh , it was such a pathetic tale , diana .

the tears just rained down over my cheeks while i mixed the cake .

but i forgot the flour and the cake was a dismal failure .

flour is so essential to cakes , you know .

marilla was very cross and i don't wonder .

i 'm a great trial to her .

she was terribly mortified about the pudding sauce last week .

we had a plum pudding for dinner on tuesday and there was half the pudding and a pitcherful of sauce left over .

marilla said there was enough for another dinner and told me to set it on the pantry shelf and cover it .

i thought of it next morning and ran to the pantry .

diana , fancy if you can my extreme horror at finding a mouse drowned in that pudding sauce !

i lifted the mouse out with a spoon and threw it out in the yard and then i washed the spoon in three waters .

well , mr. and mrs chester ross from spencervale came here that morning .

you know they are very stylish people , especially mrs chester ross .

when marilla called me in dinner was all ready and everybody was at the table .

diana , that was a terrible moment .

i remembered everything and i just stood up in my place and shrieked out ' marilla , you mustn't use that pudding sauce .

there was a mouse drowned in it .

i forgot to tell you before . '

oh , diana , i shall never forget that awful moment if i live to be a hundred .

mrs chester ross just looked at me and i thought i would sink through the floor with mortification .

she is such a perfect housekeeper and fancy what she must have thought of us .

marilla turned red as fire but she never said a word then .

she just carried that sauce and pudding out and brought in some strawberry preserves .

she even offered me some , but i couldn't swallow a mouthful .

it was like heaping coals of fire on my head .

after mrs chester ross went away , marilla gave me a dreadful scolding .

why , diana , what is the matter ? "

diana had stood up very unsteadily ; then she sat down again , putting her hands to her head .

" i 'm i'm awful sick , " she said , a little thickly .

" i i must go right home . "

" oh , you mustn't dream of going home without your tea , " cried anne in distress .

" i 'll get it right off i 'll go and put the tea down this very minute . "

" i must go home , " repeated diana , stupidly but determinedly .

" let me get you a lunch anyhow , " implored anne .

" let me give you a bit of fruit cake and some of the cherry preserves .

lie down on the sofa for a little while and you 'll be better .

where do you feel bad ? "

" i must go home , " said diana , and that was all she would say .

in vain anne pleaded .

" i never heard of company going home without tea , " she mourned .

" oh , diana , do you suppose that it 's possible you're really taking the smallpox ?

if you are i 'll go and nurse you , you can depend on that .

i 'll never forsake you .

but i do wish you 'd stay till after tea .

where do you feel bad ? "

" i 'm awful dizzy , " said diana .

and indeed , she walked very dizzily .

anne , with tears of disappointment in her eyes , got diana 's hat and went with her as far as the barry yard fence .

the next day was sunday and as the rain poured down in torrents from dawn till dusk anne did not stir abroad from green gables .

monday afternoon marilla sent her down to mrs lynde 's on an errand .

in a very short space of time anne came flying back up the lane with tears rolling down her cheeks .

into the kitchen she dashed and flung herself face downward on the sofa in an agony .

" whatever has gone wrong now , anne ? " queried marilla in doubt and dismay .

" i do hope you haven't gone and been saucy to mrs lynde again . "

no answer from anne save more tears and stormier sobs !

" anne shirley , when i ask you a question i want to be answered .

sit right up this very minute and tell me what you are crying about . "

anne sat up , tragedy personified .

" mrs lynde was up to see mrs barry today and mrs barry was in an awful state , " she wailed .

" she says that i set diana drunk saturday and sent her home in a disgraceful condition .

oh , marilla , i 'm just overcome with woe . "

marilla stared in blank amazement .

" set diana drunk ! " she said when she found her voice .

" anne are you or mrs barry crazy ?

what on earth did you give her ? "

" not a thing but raspberry cordial , " sobbed anne .

" i never thought raspberry cordial would set people drunk , marilla not even if they drank three big tumblerfuls as diana did .

oh , it sounds so so like mrs thomas 's husband !

but i didn't mean to set her drunk . "

" drunk fiddlesticks ! " said marilla , marching to the sitting room pantry .

she went back to the kitchen with the wine bottle in her hand .

her face was twitching in spite of herself .

" anne , you certainly have a genius for getting into trouble .

you went and gave diana currant wine instead of raspberry cordial .

didn't you know the difference yourself ? "

" i never tasted it , " said anne .

" i thought it was the cordial .

i meant to be so so hospitable .

diana got awfully sick and had to go home .

mrs barry told mrs lynde she was simply dead drunk .

she just laughed silly-like when her mother asked her what was the matter and went to sleep and slept for hours .

her mother smelled her breath and knew she was drunk .

she had a fearful headache all day yesterday .

mrs barry is so indignant .

she will never believe but what i did it on purpose . "

" i should think she would better punish diana for being so greedy as to drink three glassfuls of anything , " said marilla shortly .

" why , three of those big glasses would have made her sick even if it had only been cordial .

i just kept that bottle for sickness .

there , there , child , don't cry .

i can't see as you were to blame although i 'm sorry it happened so . "

" i must cry , " said anne .

" my heart is broken .

the stars in their courses fight against me , marilla .

diana and i are parted forever .

oh , marilla , i little dreamed of this when first we swore our vows of friendship . "

" don't be foolish , anne .

mrs barry will think better of it when she finds you 're not to blame .

i suppose she thinks you 've done it for a silly joke or something of that sort .

you 'd best go up this evening and tell her how it was . "

" my courage fails me at the thought of facing diana 's injured mother , " sighed anne .

" i wish you 'd go , marilla .

you 're so much more dignified than i am .

likely she 'd listen to you quicker than to me . "

" well , i will , " said marilla , reflecting that it would probably be the wiser course .

" don't cry any more , anne .

it will be all right . "

marilla had changed her mind about it being all right by the time she got back from orchard slope .

anne was watching for her coming and flew to the porch door to meet her .

" oh , marilla , i know by your face that it 's been no use , " she said sorrowfully .

" mrs barry won't forgive me ? "

" mrs barry indeed ! " snapped marilla .

" of all the unreasonable women i ever saw she 's the worst .

i told her it was all a mistake and you weren't to blame , but she just simply didn't believe me .

and she rubbed it well in about my currant wine and how i 'd always said it couldn't have the least effect on anybody .

marilla whisked into the kitchen , grievously disturbed , leaving a very much distracted little soul in the porch behind her .

mrs barry , coming to the door in answer to a timid knock , found a white-lipped eager-eyed suppliant on the doorstep .

her face hardened .

" what do you want ? " she said stiffly .

anne clasped her hands .

" oh , mrs barry , please forgive me .

i did not mean to to intoxicate diana .

how could i ?

do you think you would intoxicate her on purpose ?

i thought it was only raspberry cordial .

i was firmly convinced it was raspberry cordial .

oh , please don't say that you won't let diana play with me any more .

if you do you will cover my life with a dark cloud of woe . "

she was suspicious of anne 's big words and dramatic gestures and imagined that the child was making fun of her .

so she said , coldly and cruelly :

" i don't think you are a fit little girl for diana to associate with .

you 'd better go home and behave yourself . "

anne 's lips quivered .

" won't you let me see diana just once to say farewell ? " she implored .

" diana has gone over to carmody with her father , " said mrs barry , going in and shutting the door .

anne went back to green gables calm with despair .

" my last hope is gone , " she told marilla .

" i went up and saw mrs barry myself and she treated me very insultingly .

marilla , i do not think she is a well-bred woman .

and indeed , when she told the whole story to matthew that night , she did laugh heartily over anne 's tribulations .

" poor little soul , " she murmured , lifting a loose curl of hair from the child 's tear-stained face .

then she bent down and kissed the flushed cheek on the pillow .

chapter xvii .

a new interest in life

in a trice anne was out of the house and flying down to the hollow , astonishment and hope struggling in her expressive eyes .

but the hope faded when she saw diana 's dejected countenance .

" your mother hasn't relented ? " she gasped .

diana shook her head mournfully .

" no ; and oh , anne , she says i 'm never to play with you again .

i 've cried and cried and i told her it wasn't your fault , but it wasn't any use .

i had ever such a time coaxing her to let me come down and say good-bye to you .

she said i was only to stay ten minutes and she 's timing me by the clock . "

" ten minutes isn't very long to say an eternal farewell in , " said anne tearfully .

" indeed i will , " sobbed diana , " and i 'll never have another bosom friend i don't want to have .

i couldn't love anybody as i love you . "

" oh , diana , " cried anne , clasping her hands , " do you love me ? "

" why , of course i do .

didn't you know that ? "

" no . "

anne drew a long breath .

" i thought you liked me of course but i never hoped you loved me .

why , diana , i didn't think anybody could love me .

nobody ever has loved me since i can remember .

oh , this is wonderful !

it 's a ray of light which will forever shine on the darkness of a path severed from thee , diana .

oh , just say it once again . "

" and i will always love thee , diana , " said anne , solemnly extending her hand .

diana , wilt thou give me a lock of thy jet-black tresses in parting to treasure forevermore ? "

" yes .

i 've got my patchwork scissors in my apron pocket fortunately , " said anne .

she solemnly clipped one of diana 's curls .

" fare thee well , my beloved friend .

henceforth we must be as strangers though living side by side .

but my heart will ever be faithful to thee . "

anne stood and watched diana out of sight , mournfully waving her hand to the latter whenever she turned to look back .

then she returned to the house , not a little consoled for the time being by this romantic parting .

" it is all over , " she informed marilla .

" i shall never have another friend .

i 'm really worse off than ever before , for i haven't katie maurice and violetta now .

and even if i had it wouldn't be the same .

somehow , little dream girls are not satisfying after a real friend .

diana and i had such an affecting farewell down by the spring .

it will be sacred in my memory forever .

i used the most pathetic language i could think of and said ' thou ' and ' thee . '

' thou ' and ' thee ' seem so much more romantic than ' you . '

please see that it is buried with me , for i don't believe i 'll live very long .

" i 'm going back to school , " she announced .

" that is all there is left in life for me , now that my friend has been ruthlessly torn from me .

in school i can look at her and muse over days departed . "

" you 'd better muse over your lessons and sums , " said marilla , concealing her delight at this development of the situation .

" if you 're going back to school i hope we 'll hear no more of breaking slates over people 's heads and such carryings on .

behave yourself and do just what your teacher tells you . "

" i 'll try to be a model pupil , " agreed anne dolefully .

" there won't be much fun in it , i expect .

mr phillips said minnie andrews was a model pupil and there isn't a spark of imagination or life in her .

she is just dull and poky and never seems to have a good time .

but i feel so depressed that perhaps it will come easy to me now .

i 'm going round by the road .

i couldn't bear to go by the birch path all alone .

i should weep bitter tears if i did . "

anne was welcomed back to school with open arms .

sophia sloane offered to teach her a perfectly elegant new pattern of knit lace , so nice for trimming aprons .

when twilight drops her curtain down and pins it with a star remember that you have a friend though she may wander far .

" it 's so nice to be appreciated , " sighed anne rapturously to marilla that night .

the girls were not the only scholars who " appreciated " her .

anne dropped the apple as if it were a red-hot coal and ostentatiously wiped her fingers on her handkerchief .

but as ,

the caesar 's pageant shorn of brutus ' bust did but of rome 's best son remind her more ,

so the marked absence of any tribute or recognition from diana barry who was sitting with gertie pye embittered anne 's little triumph .

" diana might just have smiled at me once , i think , " she mourned to marilla that night .

but the next morning a note most fearfully and wonderfully twisted and folded , and a small parcel were passed across to anne .

dear anne ( ran the former )

mother says i 'm not to play with you or talk to you even in school .

it isn't my fault and don't be cross at me , because i love you as much as ever .

i miss you awfully to tell all my secrets to and i don't like gertie pye one bit .

i made you one of the new bookmarkers out of red tissue paper .

they are awfully fashionable now and only three girls in school know how to make them .

when you look at it remember

your true friend

diana barry .

anne read the note , kissed the bookmark , and dispatched a prompt reply back to the other side of the school .

my own darling diana :

of course i am not cross at you because you have to obey your mother .

our spirits can commune .

i shall keep your lovely present forever .

minnie andrews is a very nice little girl although she has no imagination but after having been diana 's busum friend i cannot be minnie 's .

please excuse mistakes because my spelling isn't very good yet , although much improoved .

yours until death us do part

anne or cordelia shirley .

p.s . i shall sleep with your letter under my pillow tonight .

a or c.s.

marilla pessimistically expected more trouble since anne had again begun to go to school .

but none developed .

perhaps anne caught something of the " model " spirit from minnie andrews ; at least she got on very well with mr phillips thenceforth .

she flung herself into her studies heart and soul , determined not to be outdone in any class by gilbert blythe .

she was as intense in her hatreds as in her loves .

now gilbert was head of the spelling class ; now anne , with a toss of her long red braids , spelled him down .

one awful day they were ties and their names were written up together .

it was almost as bad as a take-notice and anne 's mortification was as evident as gilbert 's satisfaction .

when the written examinations at the end of each month were held the suspense was terrible .

the first month gilbert came out three marks ahead .

the second anne beat him by five .

but her triumph was marred by the fact that gilbert congratulated her heartily before the whole school .

it would have been ever so much sweeter to her if he had felt the sting of his defeat .

in geometry anne met her waterloo .

" it 's perfectly awful stuff , marilla , " she groaned .

" i 'm sure i 'll never be able to make head or tail of it .

there is no scope for imagination in it at all .

mr phillips says i 'm the worst dunce he ever saw at it .

and gil i mean some of the others are so smart at it .

it is extremely mortifying , marilla .

" even diana gets along better than i do .

but i don't mind being beaten by diana .

even although we meet as strangers now i still love her with an inextinguishable love .

it makes me very sad at times to think about her .

but really , marilla , one can't stay sad very long in such an interesting world , can one ? "

chapter xviii .

anne to the rescue

|all things great are wound up with all things little .

but it had .

mrs rachel lynde had gone too .

so she went to town and took her husband thomas would be useful in looking after the horse and marilla cuthbert with her .

a bright fire was glowing in the old-fashioned waterloo stove and blue-white frost crystals were shining on the windowpanes .

but that would mean gilbert blythe 's triumph on the morrow .

anne turned her back on the clock shelf and tried to imagine it wasn't there .

" matthew , did you ever study geometry when you went to school ? "

" well now , no , i didn't , " said matthew , coming out of his doze with a start .

" i wish you had , " sighed anne , " because then you 'd be able to sympathize with me .

you can't sympathize properly if you 've never studied it .

it is casting a cloud over my whole life .

i 'm such a dunce at it , matthew . "

" well now , i dunno , " said matthew soothingly .

" i guess you 're all right at anything .

mr phillips told me last week in blair 's store at carmody that you was the smartest scholar in school and was making rapid progress .

' rapid progress ' was his very words .

there 's them as runs down teddy phillips and says he ain't much of a teacher , but i guess he 's all right . "

matthew would have thought anyone who praised anne was " all right . "

" i 'm sure i 'd get on better with geometry if only he wouldn't change the letters , " complained anne .

i don't think a teacher should take such a mean advantage , do you ?

we 're studying agriculture now and i 've found out at last what makes the roads red .

it 's a great comfort .

i wonder how marilla and mrs lynde are enjoying themselves .

she says if women were allowed to vote we would soon see a blessed change .

what way do you vote , matthew ? "

" conservative , " said matthew promptly .

to vote conservative was part of matthew 's religion .

" then i 'm conservative too , " said anne decidedly .

" i 'm glad because gil because some of the boys in school are grits .

is that true , matthew ? "

" well now , i dunno , " said matthew .

" did you ever go courting , matthew ? "

anne reflected with her chin in her hands .

" it must be rather interesting , don't you think , matthew ?

i 'd rather have just one in his right mind .

mr phillips goes up to see prissy andrews nearly every evening .

there are a great many things in this world that i can't understand very well , matthew . "

" well now , i dunno as i comprehend them all myself , " acknowledged matthew .

" well , i suppose i must finish up my lessons .

i won't allow myself to open that new book jane lent me until i 'm through .

but it 's a terrible temptation , matthew .

even when i turn my back on it i can see it there just as plain .

jane said she cried herself sick over it .

i love a book that makes me cry .

but i think i 'll carry that book into the sitting room and lock it in the jam closet and give you the key .

it 's all very well to say resist temptation , but it 's ever so much easier to resist it if you can't get the key .

and then shall i run down the cellar and get some russets , matthew ?

wouldn't you like some russets ? "

" well now , i dunno but what i would , " said matthew , who never ate russets but knew anne 's weakness for them .

" whatever is the matter , diana ? " cried anne .

" has your mother relented at last ? "

" oh , anne , do come quick , " implored diana nervously .

" minnie may is awful sick she's got croup .

young mary joe says and father and mother are away to town and there 's nobody to go for the doctor .

minnie may is awful bad and young mary joe doesn't know what to do and oh , anne , i 'm so scared ! "

matthew , without a word , reached out for cap and coat , slipped past diana and away into the darkness of the yard .

" i know it as well as if he 'd said so .

matthew and i are such kindred spirits i can read his thoughts without words at all . "

" i don't believe he 'll find the doctor at carmody , " sobbed diana .

" i know that dr blair went to town and i guess dr spencer would go too .

young mary joe never saw anybody with croup and mrs lynde is away .

oh , anne ! "

" don't cry , di , " said anne cheerily .

" i know exactly what to do for croup .

you forget that mrs hammond had twins three times .

when you look after three pairs of twins you naturally get a lot of experience .

they all had croup regularly .

just wait till i get the ipecac bottle you mayn't have any at your house .

come on now . "

anne thought it was truly delightful to go skimming through all this mystery and loveliness with your bosom friend who had been so long estranged .

minnie may , aged three , was really very sick .

she lay on the kitchen sofa feverish and restless , while her hoarse breathing could be heard all over the house .

anne went to work with skill and promptness .

" minnie may has croup all right ; she 's pretty bad , but i 've seen them worse .

first we must have lots of hot water .

i declare , diana , there isn't more than a cupful in the kettle !

there , i 've filled it up , and , mary joe , you may put some wood in the stove .

i don't want to hurt your feelings but it seems to me you might have thought of this before if you 'd any imagination .

now , i 'll undress minnie may and put her to bed and you try to find some soft flannel cloths , diana .

i 'm going to give her a dose of ipecac first of all . "

minnie may did not take kindly to the ipecac but anne had not brought up three pairs of twins for nothing .

it was three o'clock when matthew came with a doctor , for he had been obliged to go all the way to spencervale for one .

but the pressing need for assistance was past .

minnie may was much better and was sleeping soundly .

" i was awfully near giving up in despair , " explained anne .

" she got worse and worse until she was sicker than ever the hammond twins were , even the last pair .

i actually thought she was going to choke to death .

but in about three minutes she coughed up the phlegm and began to get better right away .

you must just imagine my relief , doctor , because i can't express it in words .

you know there are some things that cannot be expressed in words . "

" yes , i know , " nodded the doctor .

he looked at anne as if he were thinking some things about her that couldn't be expressed in words .

later on , however , he expressed them to mr and mrs. barry .

" that little redheaded girl they have over at cuthbert 's is as smart as they make ' em .

i tell you she saved that baby 's life , for it would have been too late by the time i got there .

she seems to have a skill and presence of mind perfectly wonderful in a child of her age .

i never saw anything like the eyes of her when she was explaining the case to me . "

" oh , matthew , isn't it a wonderful morning ?

the world looks like something god had just imagined for his own pleasure , doesn't it ?

those trees look as if i could blow them away with a breath pouf !

i 'm so glad i live in a world where there are white frosts , aren't you ?

and i 'm so glad mrs hammond had three pairs of twins after all .

if she hadn't i mightn't have known what to do for minnie may .

i 'm real sorry i was ever cross with mrs hammond for having twins .

but , oh , matthew , i 'm so sleepy .

i can't go to school .

i just know i couldn't keep my eyes open and i 'd be so stupid .

" you just go right to bed and have a good sleep .

i 'll do all the chores . "

" oh , did you see the premier ? " exclaimed anne at once .

" what did he look like marilla ? "

" well , he never got to be premier on account of his looks , " said marilla .

" such a nose as that man had !

but he can speak .

i was proud of being a conservative .

rachel lynde , of course , being a liberal , had no use for him .

your dinner is in the oven , anne , and you can get yourself some blue plum preserve out of the pantry .

i guess you 're hungry .

matthew has been telling me about last night .

i must say it was fortunate you knew what to do .

i wouldn't have had any idea myself , for i never saw a case of croup .

there now , never mind talking till you 've had your dinner .

i can tell by the look of you that you 're just full up with speeches , but they'll keep . "

not until anne had finished her saucer of blue plums did marilla say :

" mrs barry was here this afternoon , anne .

she wanted to see you , but i wouldn't wake you up .

she says you saved minnie may 's life , and she is very sorry she acted as she did in that affair of the currant wine .

now , anne shirley , for pity 's sake don't fly up into the air . "

" oh , marilla , can i go right now without washing my dishes ?

i 'll wash them when i come back , but i cannot tie myself down to anything so unromantic as dishwashing at this thrilling moment . "

" yes , yes , run along , " said marilla indulgently .

" anne shirley are you crazy ?

come back this instant and put something on you .

i might as well call to the wind .

she 's gone without a cap or wrap .

look at her tearing through the orchard with her hair streaming .

it 'll be a mercy if she doesn't catch her death of cold . "

anne came dancing home in the purple winter twilight across the snowy places .

" you see before you a perfectly happy person , marilla , " she announced .

" i 'm perfectly happy yes , in spite of my red hair .

just at present i have a soul above red hair .

mrs barry kissed me and cried and said she was so sorry and she could never repay me .

that was a pretty dignified way of speaking wasn't it , marilla ? "

" i felt that i was heaping coals of fire on mrs barry 's head .

and diana and i had a lovely afternoon .

diana showed me a new fancy crochet stitch her aunt over at carmody taught her .

not a soul in avonlea knows it but us , and we pledged a solemn vow never to reveal it to anyone else .

diana gave me a beautiful card with a wreath of roses on it and a verse of poetry : "

" if you love me as i love you nothing but death can part us two . "

" and that is true , marilla .

we 're going to ask mr phillips to let us sit together in school again , and gertie pye can go with minnie andrews .

we had an elegant tea .

mrs barry had the very best china set out , marilla , just as if i was real company .

i can't tell you what a thrill it gave me .

nobody ever used their very best china on my account before .

and we had fruit cake and pound cake and doughnuts and two kinds of preserves , marilla .

and mrs barry asked me if i took tea and said ' pa , why don't you pass the biscuits to anne ? '

it must be lovely to be grown up , marilla , when just being treated as if you were is so nice . "

" i don't know about that , " said marilla , with a brief sigh .

i know from sorrowful experience how that hurts one 's feelings .

after tea diana and i made taffy .

the taffy wasn't very good , i suppose because neither diana nor i had ever made any before .

but the making of it was splendid fun .

chapter xix .

a concert a catastrophe and a confession

" i don't see what you want to be traipsing about after dark for , " said marilla shortly .

so i don't think you 're very badly off to see her again . "

" but she wants to see me , " pleaded anne .

" she has something very important to tell me . "

" how do you know she has ? "

" because she just signaled to me from her window .

we have arranged a way to signal with our candles and cardboard .

we set the candle on the window sill and make flashes by passing the cardboard back and forth .

so many flashes mean a certain thing .

it was my idea , marilla . "

" i 'll warrant you it was , " said marilla emphatically .

" and the next thing you 'll be setting fire to the curtains with your signaling nonsense . "

" oh , we 're very careful , marilla .

and it 's so interesting .

two flashes mean , ' are you there ? '

three mean ' yes ' and four ' no . '

five mean , ' come over as soon as possible , because i have something important to reveal . '

diana has just signaled five flashes , and i 'm really suffering to know what it is . "

" well , you needn't suffer any longer , " said marilla sarcastically .

" you can go , but you 're to be back here in just ten minutes , remember that . "

but at least she had made good use of them .

" oh , marilla , what do you think ?

you know tomorrow is diana 's birthday .

well , her mother told her she could ask me to go home with her from school and stay all night with her .

and her cousins are coming over from newbridge in a big pung sleigh to go to the debating club concert at the hall tomorrow night .

and they are going to take diana and me to the concert if you 'll let me go , that is .

you will , won't you , marilla ?

oh , i feel so excited . "

" you can calm down then , because you 're not going .

" i 'm sure the debating club is a most respectable affair , " pleaded anne .

" i 'm not saying it isn't .

but you 're not going to begin gadding about to concerts and staying out all hours of the night .

pretty doings for children .

i 'm surprised at mrs barry 's letting diana go . "

" but it 's such a very special occasion , " mourned anne , on the verge of tears .

" diana has only one birthday in a year .

it isn't as if birthdays were common things , marilla .

prissy andrews is going to recite ' curfew must not ring tonight . '

that is such a good moral piece , marilla , i 'm sure it would do me lots of good to hear it .

and the choir are going to sing four lovely pathetic songs that are pretty near as good as hymns .

that will be just about the same thing as a sermon .

please , mayn't i go , marilla ? "

" you heard what i said , anne , didn't you ?

take off your boots now and go to bed .

it 's past eight . "

" there 's just one more thing , marilla , " said anne , with the air of producing the last shot in her locker .

" mrs barry told diana that we might sleep in the spare-room bed .

think of the honor of your little anne being put in the spare-room bed . "

" it 's an honor you 'll have to get along without .

go to bed , anne , and don't let me hear another word out of you . "

" well now , marilla , i think you ought to let anne go . "

" i don't then , " retorted marilla .

" who 's bringing this child up , matthew , you or me ? "

" well now , you , " admitted matthew .

" don't interfere then . "

" well now , i ain't interfering .

it ain't interfering to have your own opinion .

and my opinion is that you ought to let anne go . "

" i might have let her spend the night with diana , if that was all .

but i don't approve of this concert plan .

she 'd go there and catch cold like as not , and have her head filled up with nonsense and excitement .

it would unsettle her for a week .

i understand that child 's disposition and what 's good for it better than you , matthew . "

" i think you ought to let anne go , " repeated matthew firmly .

argument was not his strong point , but holding fast to his opinion certainly was .

marilla gave a gasp of helplessness and took refuge in silence .

" i think you ought to let anne go , marilla . "

for a moment marilla looked things not lawful to be uttered .

then she yielded to the inevitable and said tartly :

" very well , she can go , since nothing else ' ll please you . "

anne flew out of the pantry , dripping dishcloth in hand .

" oh , marilla , marilla , say those blessed words again . "

" i guess once is enough to say them .

this is matthew 's doings and i wash my hands of it .

anne shirley , you 're dripping greasy water all over the floor .

i never saw such a careless child . "

" oh , i know i 'm a great trial to you , marilla , " said anne repentantly .

" i make so many mistakes .

but then just think of all the mistakes i don't make , although i might .

i 'll get some sand and scrub up the spots before i go to school .

oh , marilla , my heart was just set on going to that concert .

you didn't know just how i felt about it , but you see matthew did .

matthew understands me , and it 's so nice to be understood , marilla . "

anne was too excited to do herself justice as to lessons that morning in school .

gilbert blythe spelled her down in class and left her clear out of sight in mental arithmetic .

anne 's consequent humiliation was less than it might have been , however , in view of the concert and the spare-room bed .

carrie sloane cried into her grammar all the afternoon and felt that life was not worth living .

they had a " perfectly elegant tea ; " and then came the delicious occupation of dressing in diana 's little room upstairs .

at last they were ready , cheeks scarlet and eyes glowing with excitement .

but she remembered in time that she had an imagination and could use it .

then diana 's cousins , the murrays from newbridge , came ; they all crowded into the big pung sleigh , among straw and furry robes .

anne reveled in the drive to the hall , slipping along over the satin-smooth roads with the snow crisping under the runners .

tinkles of sleigh bells and distant laughter , that seemed like the mirth of wood elves , came from every quarter .

do i really look the same as usual ?

i feel so different that it seems to me it must show in my looks . "

" you 've got the loveliest color . "

only one number on the program failed to interest her .

everybody seemed asleep and the house was dark and silent .

anne and diana tiptoed into the parlor , a long narrow room out of which the spare room opened .

it was pleasantly warm and dimly lighted by the embers of a fire in the grate .

" let's undress here , " said diana .

" it 's so nice and warm . "

" hasn't it been a delightful time ? " sighed anne rapturously .

" it must be splendid to get up and recite there .

do you suppose we will ever be asked to do it , diana ? "

" yes , of course , someday .

they 're always wanting the big scholars to recite .

gilbert blythe does often and he 's only two years older than us .

oh , anne , how could you pretend not to listen to him ?

when he came to the line ,

' there 's another , not a sister , '

he looked right down at you . "

are you ready for bed ?

let's run a race and see who 'll get to the bed first . "

the suggestion appealed to diana .

the two little white-clad figures flew down the long room , through the spare-room door , and bounded on the bed at the same moment .

and then something moved beneath them , there was a gasp and a cry and somebody said in muffled accents :

" merciful goodness ! "

anne and diana were never able to tell just how they got off that bed and out of the room .

they only knew that after one frantic rush they found themselves tiptoeing shiveringly upstairs .

" oh , who was it what was it ? " whispered anne , her teeth chattering with cold and fright .

" it was aunt josephine , " said diana , gasping with laughter .

" oh , anne , it was aunt josephine , however she came to be there .

oh , and i know she will be furious .

it 's dreadful it 's really dreadful but did you ever know anything so funny , anne ? "

" who is your aunt josephine ? "

" she 's father 's aunt and she lives in charlottetown .

she 's awfully old seventy anyhow and i don't believe she was ever a little girl .

we were expecting her out for a visit , but not so soon .

she 's awfully prim and proper and she 'll scold dreadfully about this , i know .

well , we 'll have to sleep with minnie may and you can't think how she kicks . "

miss josephine barry did not appear at the early breakfast the next morning .

mrs barry smiled kindly at the two little girls .

" did you have a good time last night ?

i hope you didn't disturb your aunt , diana . "

diana preserved a discreet silence , but she and anne exchanged furtive smiles of guilty amusement across the table .

" mrs barry was here a few minutes ago on her way to carmody .

she 's feeling real worried over it .

she wouldn't speak to diana at all . "

" it wasn't diana 's fault , " said anne contritely .

" it was mine .

i suggested racing to see who would get into bed first . "

" i knew it ! " said mrs lynde , with the exultation of a correct guesser .

" i knew that idea came out of your head .

well , it 's made a nice lot of trouble , that's what .

she 'd have gone today if they could have taken her .

oh , i guess they had a lively time of it there this morning .

the barrys must feel cut up .

old miss barry is rich and they 'd like to keep on the good side of her .

of course , mrs barry didn't say just that to me , but i 'm a pretty good judge of human nature , that 's what . "

" i 'm such an unlucky girl , " mourned anne .

" i 'm always getting into scrapes myself and getting my best friends people i 'd shed my heart 's blood for into them too .

can you tell me why it is so , mrs lynde ? "

" it 's because you 're too heedless and impulsive , child , that's what .

you never stop to think whatever comes into your head to say or do you say or do it without a moment 's reflection . "

" oh , but that 's the best of it , " protested anne .

" something just flashes into your mind , so exciting , and you must out with it .

if you stop to think it over you spoil it all .

haven't you never felt that yourself , mrs lynde ? "

no , mrs lynde had not .

she shook her head sagely .

" you must learn to think a little , anne , that 's what .

the proverb you need to go by is ' look before you leap ' especially into spare-room beds . "

mrs lynde laughed comfortably over her mild joke , but anne remained pensive .

she saw nothing to laugh at in the situation , which to her eyes appeared very serious .

when she left mrs lynde 's she took her way across the crusted fields to orchard slope .

diana met her at the kitchen door .

" your aunt josephine was very cross about it , wasn't she ? " whispered anne .

" yes , " answered diana , stifling a giggle with an apprehensive glance over her shoulder at the closed sitting-room door .

" she was fairly dancing with rage , anne .

oh , how she scolded .

she says she won't stay and i 'm sure i don't care .

but father and mother do . "

" why didn't you tell them it was my fault ? " demanded anne .

" it 's likely i 'd do such a thing , isn't it ? " said diana with just scorn .

" i 'm no telltale , anne shirley , and anyhow i was just as much to blame as you . "

" well , i 'm going in to tell her myself , " said anne resolutely .

diana stared .

" anne shirley , you 'd never ! why she 'll eat you alive ! "

" don't frighten me any more than i am frightened , " implored anne .

" i 'd rather walk up to a cannon 's mouth .

but i 've got to do it , diana .

it was my fault and i 've got to confess .

i 've had practice in confessing , fortunately . "

" well , she 's in the room , " said diana .

" you can go in if you want to .

i wouldn't dare .

and i don't believe you 'll do a bit of good . "

with this encouragement anne bearded the lion in its den that is to say , walked resolutely up to the sitting-room door and knocked faintly .

a sharp " come in " followed .

" who are you ? " demanded miss josephine barry , without ceremony .

" confess what ? "

" that it was all my fault about jumping into bed on you last night .

i suggested it .

diana would never have thought of such a thing , i am sure .

diana is a very ladylike girl , miss barry .

so you must see how unjust it is to blame her . "

" oh , i must , hey ?

i rather think diana did her share of the jumping at least .

such carryings on in a respectable house ! "

" but we were only in fun , " persisted anne .

" i think you ought to forgive us , miss barry , now that we 've apologized .

and anyhow , please forgive diana and let her have her music lessons .

if you must be cross with anyone , be cross with me .

i 've been so used in my early days to having people cross at me that i can endure it much better than diana can . "

much of the snap had gone out of the old lady 's eyes by this time and was replaced by a twinkle of amused interest .

but she still said severely :

" i don't think it is any excuse for you that you were only in fun .

little girls never indulged in that kind of fun when i was young .

" i don't know , but i can imagine , " said anne eagerly .

" i 'm sure it must have been very disturbing .

but then , there is our side of it too .

have you any imagination , miss barry ?

if you have , just put yourself in our place .

we didn't know there was anybody in that bed and you nearly scared us to death .

it was simply awful the way we felt .

and then we couldn't sleep in the spare room after being promised .

i suppose you are used to sleeping in spare rooms .

but just imagine what you would feel like if you were a little orphan girl who had never had such an honor . "

all the snap had gone by this time .

" i 'm afraid my imagination is a little rusty it 's so long since i used it , " she said .

" i dare say your claim to sympathy is just as strong as mine .

it all depends on the way we look at it .

sit down here and tell me about yourself . "

" i am very sorry i can't , " said anne firmly .

but it is my duty to go home to miss marilla cuthbert .

miss marilla cuthbert is a very kind lady who has taken me to bring up properly .

she is doing her best , but it is very discouraging work .

you must not blame her because i jumped on the bed .

" i think perhaps i will if you will come over and talk to me occasionally , " said miss barry .

that evening miss barry gave diana a silver bangle bracelet and told the senior members of the household that she had unpacked her valise .

" i 've made up my mind to stay simply for the sake of getting better acquainted with that anne-girl , " she said frankly .

" she amuses me , and at my time of life an amusing person is a rarity . "

marilla 's only comment when she heard the story was , " i told you so . "

this was for matthew 's benefit .

miss barry stayed her month out and over .

she was a more agreeable guest than usual , for anne kept her in good humor .

they became firm friends .

when miss barry went away she said :

" miss barry was a kindred spirit , after all , " anne confided to marilla .

" you wouldn't think so to look at her , but she is .

you don't find it right out at first , as in matthew 's case , but after a while you come to see it .

kindred spirits are not so scarce as i used to think .

it 's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world . "

chapter xx .

a good imagination gone wrong

the maples in lover 's lane were red budded and little curly ferns pushed up around the dryad 's bubble .

" i 'm so sorry for people who live in lands where there are no mayflowers , " said anne .

" diana says perhaps they have something better , but there couldn't be anything better than mayflowers , could there , marilla ?

and diana says if they don't know what they are like they don't miss them .

but i think that is the saddest thing of all .

i think it would be tragic , marilla , not to know what mayflowers are like and not to miss them .

do you know what i think mayflowers are , marilla ?

i think they must be the souls of the flowers that died last summer and this is their heaven .

but we had a splendid time today , marilla .

we had our lunch down in a big mossy hollow by an old well such a romantic spot .

charlie sloane dared arty gillis to jump over it , and arty did because he wouldn't take a dare .

nobody would in school .

it is very fashionable to dare .

mr phillips gave all the mayflowers he found to prissy andrews and i heard him to say ' sweets to the sweet . '

he got that out of a book , i know ; but it shows he has some imagination .

i was offered some mayflowers too , but i rejected them with scorn .

i can't tell you the person 's name because i have vowed never to let it cross my lips .

oh , it was so thrilling , marilla .

all mr silas sloane 's folks rushed out to see us and everybody we met on the road stopped and stared after us .

we made a real sensation . "

" not much wonder !

such silly doings ! " was marilla 's response .

after the mayflowers came the violets , and violet vale was empurpled with them .

anne walked through it on her way to school with reverent steps and worshiping eyes , as if she trod on holy ground .

but when i 'm up in school it 's all different and i care as much as ever .

there 's such a lot of different annes in me .

i sometimes think that is why i 'm such a troublesome person .

if i was just the one anne it would be ever so much more comfortable , but then it wouldn't be half so interesting . "

in all essential respects the little gable chamber was unchanged .

the walls were as white , the pincushion as hard , the chairs as stiffly and yellowly upright as ever .

yet the whole character of the room was altered .

presently marilla came briskly in with some of anne 's freshly ironed school aprons .

she hung them over a chair and sat down with a short sigh .

anne looked at her with eyes limpid with sympathy .

" i do truly wish i could have had the headache in your place , marilla .

i would have endured it joyfully for your sake . "

" i guess you did your part in attending to the work and letting me rest , " said marilla .

" you seem to have got on fairly well and made fewer mistakes than usual .

of course it wasn't exactly necessary to starch matthew 's handkerchiefs !

but that doesn't seem to be your way evidently . "

headaches always left marilla somewhat sarcastic .

" oh , i 'm so sorry , " said anne penitently .

i was firmly resolved , when you left me in charge this morning , not to imagine anything , but keep my thoughts on facts .

so that is how i came to forget the pie .

i didn't know i starched the handkerchiefs .

it 's the most ravishing spot , marilla .

there are two maple trees on it and the brook flows right around it .

at last it struck me that it would be splendid to call it victoria island because we found it on the queen 's birthday .

both diana and i are very loyal .

but i 'm sorry about that pie and the handkerchiefs .

i wanted to be extra good today because it 's an anniversary .

do you remember what happened this day last year , marilla ? "

" no , i can't think of anything special . "

" oh , marilla , it was the day i came to green gables .

i shall never forget it .

it was the turning point in my life .

of course it wouldn't seem so important to you .

i 've been here for a year and i 've been so happy .

of course , i 've had my troubles , but one can live down troubles .

are you sorry you kept me , marilla ? "

" oh it 's it 's too dark , " cried anne .

" too dark ?

why , it 's only twilight .

and goodness knows you 've gone over often enough after dark . "

" i 'll go over early in the morning , " said anne eagerly .

" i 'll get up at sunrise and go over , marilla . "

" what has got into your head now , anne shirley ?

i want that pattern to cut out your new apron this evening .

go at once and be smart too . "

" i 'll have to go around by the road , then , " said anne , taking up her hat reluctantly .

" go by the road and waste half an hour !

i 'd like to catch you ! "

" i can't go through the haunted wood , marilla , " cried anne desperately .

marilla stared .

" the haunted wood !

are you crazy ?

what under the canopy is the haunted wood ? "

" the spruce wood over the brook , " said anne in a whisper .

" fiddlesticks !

there is no such thing as a haunted wood anywhere .

who has been telling you such stuff ? "

" nobody , " confessed anne .

" diana and i just imagined the wood was haunted .

all the places around here are so so commonplace .

we just got this up for our own amusement .

we began it in april .

a haunted wood is so very romantic , marilla .

we chose the spruce grove because it 's so gloomy .

oh , we have imagined the most harrowing things .

there 's a white lady walks along the brook just about this time of the night and wrings her hands and utters wailing cries .

she appears when there is to be a death in the family .

oh , marilla , it gives me a shudder to think of it .

and there 's a headless man stalks up and down the path and skeletons glower at you between the boughs .

oh , marilla , i wouldn't go through the haunted wood after dark now for anything .

i 'd be sure that white things would reach out from behind the trees and grab me . "

" did ever anyone hear the like ! " ejaculated marilla , who had listened in dumb amazement .

" anne shirley , do you mean to tell me you believe all that wicked nonsense of your own imagination ? "

" not believe exactly , " faltered anne .

" at least , i don't believe it in daylight .

but after dark , marilla , it 's different .

that is when ghosts walk . "

" there are no such things as ghosts , anne . "

" oh , but there are , marilla , " cried anne eagerly .

" i know people who have seen them .

and they are respectable people .

charlie sloane says that his grandmother saw his grandfather driving home the cows one night after he 'd been buried for a year .

you know charlie sloane 's grandmother wouldn't tell a story for anything .

she 's a very religious woman .

and mrs thomas 's father was pursued home one night by a lamb of fire with its head cut off hanging by a strip of skin .

he said he knew it was the spirit of his brother and that it was a warning he would die within nine days .

he didn't , but he died two years after , so you see it was really true .

and ruby gillis says "

" anne shirley , " interrupted marilla firmly , " i never want to hear you talking in this fashion again .

you 'll go right over to barry 's , and you 'll go through that spruce grove , just for a lesson and a warning to you .

and never let me hear a word out of your head about haunted woods again . "

anne might plead and cry as she liked and did , for her terror was very real .

her imagination had run away with her and she held the spruce grove in mortal dread after nightfall .

but marilla was inexorable .

" oh , marilla , how can you be so cruel ? " sobbed anne .

" what would you feel like if a white thing did snatch me up and carry me off ? "

" i 'll risk it , " said marilla unfeelingly .

" you know i always mean what i say .

i 'll cure you of imagining ghosts into places .

march , now . "

anne marched .

that is , she stumbled over the bridge and went shuddering up the horrible dim path beyond .

anne never forgot that walk .

bitterly did she repent the license she had given to her imagination .

a white strip of birch bark blowing up from the hollow over the brown floor of the grove made her heart stand still .

the long-drawn wail of two old boughs rubbing against each other brought out the perspiration in beads on her forehead .

the swoop of bats in the darkness over her was as the wings of unearthly creatures .

diana was away so that she had no excuse to linger .

the dreadful return journey had to be faced .

when she finally stumbled over the log bridge she drew one long shivering breath of relief .

" well , so nothing caught you ? " said marilla unsympathetically .

" oh , mar marilla , " chattered anne , " i'll b-b-be contt-tented with c-c-commonplace places after this . "

chapter xxi .

a new departure in flavorings

" wasn't it fortunate , marilla , that i took an extra handkerchief to school today ?

i had a presentiment that it would be needed . "

" i don't think i was crying because i was really so very fond of him , " reflected anne .

" i just cried because all the others did .

it was ruby gillis started it .

then all the girls began to cry , one after the other .

i tried to hold out , marilla .

oh , marilla , it was heartrending .

mr phillips made such a beautiful farewell speech beginning , ' the time has come for us to part . '

it was very affecting .

and he had tears in his eyes too , marilla .

i can tell you i wished i 'd been a model pupil like minnie andrews .

she hadn't anything on her conscience .

the girls cried all the way home from school .

i do feel dreadfully sad , marilla .

but one can't feel quite in the depths of despair with two months ' vacation before them , can they , marilla ?

and besides , we met the new minister and his wife coming from the station .

his wife is very pretty .

mrs lynde says the minister 's wife over at newbridge sets a very bad example because she dresses so fashionably .

our new minister 's wife was dressed in blue muslin with lovely puffed sleeves and a hat trimmed with roses .

besides , she 's only been a minister 's wife for a little while , so one should make allowances , shouldn't they ?

they are going to board with mrs lynde until the manse is ready . "

old mr bentley , the minister whom anne had found lacking in imagination , had been pastor of avonlea for eighteen years .

" i don't think mr smith would have done , matthew " was anne 's final summing up .

" mrs lynde says his delivery was so poor , but i think his worst fault was just like mr bentley 's he had no imagination .

besides , mrs lynde says his theology wasn't sound .

mrs lynde is a very farseeing woman , isn't she , matthew ?

i 'm very glad they 've called mr allan .

and she knows his wife 's people and they are most respectable and the women are all good housekeepers .

mrs lynde says that sound doctrine in the man and good housekeeping in the woman make an ideal combination for a minister 's family . "

avonlea opened its heart to them from the start .

with mrs allan anne fell promptly and wholeheartedly in love .

she had discovered another kindred spirit .

" mrs allan is perfectly lovely , " she announced one sunday afternoon .

" she 's taken our class and she 's a splendid teacher .

she said we could ask her any question we liked and i asked ever so many .

i 'm good at asking questions , marilla . "

" i believe you " was marilla 's emphatic comment .

" nobody else asked any except ruby gillis , and she asked if there was to be a sunday-school picnic this summer .

mrs allan has a lovely smile ; she has such exquisite dimples in her cheeks .

i wish i had dimples in my cheeks , marilla .

i 'm not half so skinny as i was when i came here , but i have no dimples yet .

if i had perhaps i could influence people for good .

mrs allan said we ought always to try to influence other people for good .

she talked so nice about everything .

i never knew before that religion was such a cheerful thing .

i wouldn't want to be one like mr superintendent bell . "

" it 's very naughty of you to speak so about mr bell , " said marilla severely .

" mr bell is a real good man . "

" oh , of course he 's good , " agreed anne , " but he doesn't seem to get any comfort out of it .

if i could be good i 'd dance and sing all day because i was glad of it .

i suppose mrs allan is too old to dance and sing and of course it wouldn't be dignified in a minister 's wife .

but i can just feel she 's glad she 's a christian and that she 'd be one even if she could get to heaven without it . "

" i suppose we must have mr and mrs. allan up to tea someday soon , " said marilla reflectively .

" they 've been most everywhere but here .

let me see .

next wednesday would be a good time to have them .

" i 'll be as secret as the dead , " assured anne .

" but oh , marilla , will you let me make a cake for the occasion ?

i 'd love to do something for mrs allan , and you know i can make a pretty good cake by this time . "

" you can make a layer cake , " promised marilla .

monday and tuesday great preparations went on at green gables .

anne was wild with excitement and delight .

i assure you , diana , that marilla and i have had a busy two days of it .

it 's such a responsibility having a minister 's family to tea .

i never went through such an experience before .

you should just see our pantry .

it 's a sight to behold .

we 're going to have jellied chicken and cold tongue .

i just grow cold when i think of my layer cake .

oh , diana , what if it shouldn't be good !

i dreamed last night that i was chased all around by a fearful goblin with a big layer cake for a head . "

" it 'll be good , all right , " assured diana , who was a very comfortable sort of friend .

" i 'm sure that piece of the one you made that we had for lunch in idlewild two weeks ago was perfectly elegant . "

" however , i suppose i shall just have to trust to providence and be careful to put in the flour .

oh , look , diana , what a lovely rainbow !

do you suppose the dryad will come out after we go away and take it for a scarf ? "

" you know there is no such thing as a dryad , " said diana .

diana 's mother had found out about the haunted wood and had been decidedly angry over it .

" but it 's so easy to imagine there is , " said anne .

sometimes i look for her footprints in the dew in the morning .

oh , diana , don't give up your faith in the dryad ! "

wednesday morning came .

anne got up at sunrise because she was too excited to sleep .

after breakfast she proceeded to make her cake .

when she finally shut the oven door upon it she drew a long breath .

" i 'm sure i haven't forgotten anything this time , marilla .

but do you think it will rise ?

just suppose perhaps the baking powder isn't good ?

i used it out of the new can .

and mrs lynde says you can never be sure of getting good baking powder nowadays when everything is so adulterated .

marilla , what if that cake doesn't rise ? "

" we 'll have plenty without it " was marilla 's unimpassioned way of looking at the subject .

the cake did rise , however , and came out of the oven as light and feathery as golden foam .

" you 'll be using the best tea set , of course , marilla , " she said .

" can i fix the table with ferns and wild roses ? "

" i think that 's all nonsense , " sniffed marilla .

" in my opinion it 's the eatables that matter and not flummery decorations . "

he said it was a feast for the eye as well as the palate . "

" only mind you leave enough room for the dishes and the food . "

anne laid herself out to decorate in a manner and after a fashion that should leave mrs barry 's nowhere .

matthew was there , having been inveigled into the party only goodness and anne knew how .

he never said a word to mrs allan , but that perhaps was not to be expected .

all went merry as a marriage bell until anne 's layer cake was passed .

mrs allan , having already been helped to a bewildering variety , declined it .

but marilla , seeing the disappointment on anne 's face , said smilingly :

" oh , you must take a piece of this , mrs allan .

anne made it on purpose for you . "

marilla saw the expression and hastened to taste the cake .

" anne shirley ! " she exclaimed , " what on earth did you put into that cake ? "

" nothing but what the recipe said , marilla , " cried anne with a look of anguish .

" oh , isn't it all right ? "

" all right !

it 's simply horrible .

mr allan , don't try to eat it .

anne , taste it yourself .

what flavoring did you use ? "

" vanilla , " said anne , her face scarlet with mortification after tasting the cake .

" only vanilla .

oh , marilla , it must have been the baking powder .

i had my suspicions of that bak "

" baking powder fiddlesticks !

go and bring me the bottle of vanilla you used . "

anne fled to the pantry and returned with a small bottle partially filled with a brown liquid and labeled yellowly , " best vanilla . "

marilla took it , uncorked it , smelled it .

" mercy on us , anne , you 've flavored that cake with anodyne liniment .

i broke the liniment bottle last week and poured what was left into an old empty vanilla bottle .

i suppose it 's partly my fault i should have warned you but for pity 's sake why couldn't you have smelled it ? "

anne dissolved into tears under this double disgrace .

presently a light step sounded on the stairs and somebody entered the room .

" oh , marilla , " sobbed anne , without looking up , " i 'm disgraced forever .

i shall never be able to live this down .

it will get out things always do get out in avonlea .

diana will ask me how my cake turned out and i shall have to tell her the truth .

i shall always be pointed at as the girl who flavored a cake with anodyne liniment .

gil the boys in school will never get over laughing at it .

i 'll wash them when the minister and his wife are gone , but i cannot ever look mrs allan in the face again .

perhaps she 'll think i tried to poison her .

mrs lynde says she knows an orphan girl who tried to poison her benefactor .

but the liniment isn't poisonous .

it 's meant to be taken internally although not in cakes .

won't you tell mrs allan so , marilla ? "

" suppose you jump up and tell her so yourself , " said a merry voice .

anne flew up , to find mrs allan standing by her bed , surveying her with laughing eyes .

" my dear little girl , you mustn't cry like this , " she said , genuinely disturbed by anne 's tragic face .

" why , it 's all just a funny mistake that anybody might make . "

" oh , no , it takes me to make such a mistake , " said anne forlornly .

" and i wanted to have that cake so nice for you , mrs allan . "

" yes , i know , dear .

and i assure you i appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness just as much as if it had turned out all right .

now , you mustn't cry any more , but come down with me and show me your flower garden .

miss cuthbert tells me you have a little plot all your own .

i want to see it , for i 'm very much interested in flowers . "

anne permitted herself to be led down and comforted , reflecting that it was really providential that mrs allan was a kindred spirit .

nevertheless , she sighed deeply .

" marilla , isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet ? "

" i 'll warrant you 'll make plenty in it , " said marilla .

" i never saw your beat for making mistakes , anne . "

" yes , and well i know it , " admitted anne mournfully .

" but have you ever noticed one encouraging thing about me , marilla ?

i never make the same mistake twice . "

" i don't know as that 's much benefit when you 're always making new ones . "

" oh , don't you see , marilla ?

that 's a very comforting thought . "

" well , you 'd better go and give that cake to the pigs , " said marilla .

" it isn't fit for any human to eat , not even jerry boute . "

chapter xxii .

anne is invited out to tea

|and what are your eyes popping out of your head about .

now ? " asked marilla , when anne had just come in from a run to the post office .

" have you discovered another kindred spirit ? "

excitement hung around anne like a garment , shone in her eyes , kindled in every feature .

she had come dancing up the lane , like a wind-blown sprite , through the mellow sunshine and lazy shadows of the august evening .

" no , marilla , but oh , what do you think ?

i am invited to tea at the manse tomorrow afternoon !

mrs allan left the letter for me at the post office .

just look at it , marilla .

' miss anne shirley , green gables . '

that is the first time i was ever called ' miss '

such a thrill as it gave me !

i shall cherish it forever among my choicest treasures . "

" you needn't get in such a fever over it .

do learn to take things calmly , child . "

for anne to take things calmly would have been to change her nature .

all " spirit and fire and dew , " as she was , the pleasures and pains of life came to her with trebled intensity .

she did not make much headway , as she sorrowfully admitted to herself .

the downfall of some dear hope or plan plunged anne into " deeps of affliction . "

the fulfillment thereof exalted her to dizzy realms of delight .

marilla had almost begun to despair of ever fashioning this waif of the world into her model little girl of demure manners and prim deportment .

neither would she have believed that she really liked anne much better as she was .

anne thought that the morning would never come .

but all things have an end , even nights before the day on which you are invited to take tea at the manse .

the morning , in spite of matthew 's predictions , was fine and anne 's spirits soared to their highest .

" you don't know how good i feel !

wouldn't it be nice if it could last ?

i believe i could be a model child if i were just invited out to tea every day .

but oh , marilla , it 's a solemn occasion too .

i feel so anxious .

what if i shouldn't behave properly ?

i 'm so afraid i 'll do something silly or forget to do something i should do .

would it be good manners to take a second helping of anything if you wanted to very much ? "

" the trouble with you , anne , is that you 're thinking too much about yourself .

anne instantly realized this .

" you are right , marilla .

i 'll try not to think about myself at all . "

a cool wind was blowing down over the long harvest fields from the rims of firry western hills and whistling through the poplars .

" oh , marilla , i 've had a most fascinating time .

when i got there mrs allan met me at the door .

i really think i 'd like to be a minister 's wife when i grow up , marilla .

a minister mightn't mind my red hair because he wouldn't be thinking of such worldly things .

some people are naturally good , you know , and others are not .

i 'm one of the others .

mrs lynde says i 'm full of original sin .

no matter how hard i try to be good i can never make such a success of it as those who are naturally good .

it 's a good deal like geometry , i expect .

but don't you think the trying so hard ought to count for something ?

mrs allan is one of the naturally good people .

i love her passionately .

you know there are some people , like matthew and mrs allan that you can love right off without any trouble .

and there are others , like mrs lynde , that you have to try very hard to love .

there was another little girl at the manse to tea , from the white sands sunday school .

her name was laurette bradley , and she was a very nice little girl .

not exactly a kindred spirit , you know , but still very nice .

we had an elegant tea , and i think i kept all the rules of etiquette pretty well .

after tea mrs allan played and sang and she got lauretta and me to sing too .

mrs allan says i have a good voice and she says i must sing in the sunday-school choir after this .

you can't think how i was thrilled at the mere thought .

lauretta said she expected to be asked herself someday .

i just gazed at her in awe .

after she had gone mrs allan and i had a heart-to-heart talk .

i told her everything about mrs thomas and the twins and katie maurice and violetta and coming to green gables and my troubles over geometry .

and would you believe it , marilla ?

mrs allan told me she was a dunce at geometry too .

you don't know how that encouraged me .

mrs lynde came to the manse just before i left , and what do you think , marilla ?

the trustees have hired a new teacher and it 's a lady .

her name is miss muriel stacy .

isn't that a romantic name ?

mrs lynde says they 've never had a female teacher in avonlea before and she thinks it is a dangerous innovation .

i 'm so impatient to see her . "

chapter xxiii .

anne comes to grief in an affair of honor

|anne had to live through more than two weeks , as it happened .

a week after the tea at the manse diana barry gave a party .

" small and select , " anne assured marilla .

" just the girls in our class . "

this presently took the form of " daring . "

daring was the fashionable amusement among the avonlea small fry just then .

josie walked the barry fence with an airy unconcern which seemed to imply that a little thing like that wasn't worth a " dare . "

josie descended from her perch , flushed with victory , and darted a defiant glance at anne .

anne tossed her red braids .

" i don't think it 's such a very wonderful thing to walk a little , low , board fence , " she said .

" i knew a girl in marysville who could walk the ridgepole of a roof . "

" i don't believe it , " said josie flatly .

" i don't believe anybody could walk a ridgepole .

you couldn't , anyhow . "

" couldn't i ? " cried anne rashly .

" then i dare you to do it , " said josie defiantly .

" i dare you to climb up there and walk the ridgepole of mr barry 's kitchen roof . "

anne turned pale , but there was clearly only one thing to be done .

she walked toward the house , where a ladder was leaning against the kitchen roof .

all the fifth-class girls said , " oh ! " partly in excitement , partly in dismay .

" don't you do it , anne , " entreated diana .

" you 'll fall off and be killed .

never mind josie pye .

it isn't fair to dare anybody to do anything so dangerous . "

" i must do it .

my honor is at stake , " said anne solemnly .

" i shall walk that ridgepole , diana , or perish in the attempt .

if i am killed you are to have my pearl bead ring . "

nevertheless , she managed to take several steps before the catastrophe came .

" anne , are you killed ? " shrieked diana , throwing herself on her knees beside her friend .

" oh , anne , dear anne , speak just one word to me and tell me if you 're killed . "

" no , diana , i am not killed , but i think i am rendered unconscious . "

" where ? " sobbed carrie sloane .

" oh , where , anne ? "

before anne could answer mrs barry appeared on the scene .

at sight of her anne tried to scramble to her feet , but sank back again with a sharp little cry of pain .

" what 's the matter ?

where have you hurt yourself ? " demanded mrs barry .

" my ankle , " gasped anne .

" oh , diana , please find your father and ask him to take me home .

i know i can never walk there .

and i 'm sure i couldn't hop so far on one foot when jane couldn't even hop around the garden . "

in his arms he carried anne , whose head lay limply against his shoulder .

at that moment marilla had a revelation .

in the sudden stab of fear that pierced her very heart she realized what anne had come to mean to her .

she would have admitted that she liked anne nay , that she was very fond of anne .

but now she knew as she hurried wildly down the slope that anne was dearer to her than anything else on earth .

anne herself answered , lifting her head .

" don't be very frightened , marilla .

i was walking the ridgepole and i fell off .

i expect i have sprained my ankle .

but , marilla , i might have broken my neck .

let us look on the bright side of things . "

" bring her in here , mr barry , and lay her on the sofa .

mercy me , the child has gone and fainted ! "

it was quite true .

overcome by the pain of her injury , anne had one more of her wishes granted to her .

she had fainted dead away .

anne 's ankle was broken .

" aren't you very sorry for me , marilla ? "

" it was your own fault , " said marilla , twitching down the blind and lighting a lamp .

if i could blame it on anybody i would feel so much better .

but what would you have done , marilla , if you had been dared to walk a ridgepole ? "

" i 'd have stayed on good firm ground and let them dare away .

such absurdity ! " said marilla .

anne sighed .

" but you have such strength of mind , marilla .

i haven't .

i just felt that i couldn't bear josie pye 's scorn .

she would have crowed over me all my life .

and i think i have been punished so much that you needn't be very cross with me , marilla .

it 's not a bit nice to faint , after all .

and the doctor hurt me dreadfully when he was setting my ankle .

i won't be able to go around for six or seven weeks and i 'll miss the new lady teacher .

she won't be new any more by the time i 'm able to go to school .

and gil everybody will get ahead of me in class .

oh , i am an afflicted mortal .

but i 'll try to bear it all bravely if only you won't be cross with me , marilla . "

" there , there , i 'm not cross , " said marilla .

" you 're an unlucky child , there 's no doubt about that ; but as you say , you 'll have the suffering of it .

here now , try and eat some supper . "

" isn't it fortunate i 've got such an imagination ? " said anne .

" it will help me through splendidly , i expect .

what do people who haven't any imagination do when they break their bones , do you suppose , marilla ? "

anne had good reason to bless her imagination many a time and oft during the tedious seven weeks that followed .

but she was not solely dependent on it .

" it isn't very pleasant to be laid up ; but there is a bright side to it , marilla .

you find out how many friends you have .

why , even superintendent bell came to see me , and he 's really a very fine man .

not a kindred spirit , of course ; but still i like him and i 'm awfully sorry i ever criticized his prayers .

i believe now he really does mean them , only he has got into the habit of saying them as if he didn't .

he could get over that if he 'd take a little trouble .

i gave him a good broad hint .

i told him how hard i tried to make my own little private prayers interesting .

he told me all about the time he broke his ankle when he was a boy .

it does seem so strange to think of superintendent bell ever being a boy .

even my imagination has its limits , for i can't imagine that .

now , it 's so easy to imagine mrs allan as a little girl .

mrs allan has been to see me fourteen times .

isn't that something to be proud of , marilla ?

when a minister 's wife has so many claims on her time !

she is such a cheerful person to have visit you , too .

she never tells you it 's your own fault and she hopes you 'll be a better girl on account of it .

even josie pye came to see me .

i received her as politely as i could , because i think she was sorry she dared me to walk a ridgepole .

if i had been killed she would had to carry a dark burden of remorse all her life .

diana has been a faithful friend .

she 's been over every day to cheer my lonely pillow .

but oh , i shall be so glad when i can go to school for i 've heard such exciting things about the new teacher .

the girls all think she is perfectly sweet .

diana says she has the loveliest fair curly hair and such fascinating eyes .

she dresses beautifully , and her sleeve puffs are bigger than anybody else 's in avonlea .

every other friday afternoon she has recitations and everybody has to say a piece or take part in a dialogue .

oh , it 's just glorious to think of it .

josie pye says she hates it but that is just because josie has so little imagination .

diana and ruby gillis and jane andrews are preparing a dialogue , called ' a morning visit , ' for next friday .

and they have physical culture exercises every morning and evening .

mrs lynde says she never heard of such goings on and it all comes of having a lady teacher .

but i think it must be splendid and i believe i shall find that miss stacy is a kindred spirit . "

chapter xxiv .

miss stacy and her pupils get up a concert

the birch path was a canopy of yellow and the ferns were sear and brown all along it .

anne drew a long breath of happiness as she sharpened her pencil and arranged her picture cards in her desk .

life was certainly very interesting .

in the new teacher she found another true and helpful friend .

" i love miss stacy with my whole heart , marilla .

she is so ladylike and she has such a sweet voice .

when she pronounces my name i feel instinctively that she 's spelling it with an e . we had recitations this afternoon .

i just wish you could have been there to hear me recite ' mary , queen of scots . '

i just put my whole soul into it .

" well now , you might recite it for me some of these days , out in the barn , " suggested matthew .

" of course i will , " said anne meditatively , " but i won't be able to do it so well , i know .

it won't be so exciting as it is when you have a whole schoolful before you hanging breathlessly on your words .

i know i won't be able to make your blood run cold . "

" i wonder at miss stacy for encouraging it . "

" but we wanted a crow 's nest for nature study , " explained anne .

" that was on our field afternoon .

field afternoons are splendid , marilla .

and miss stacy explains everything so beautifully .

we have to write compositions on our field afternoons and i write the best ones . "

" it 's very vain of you to say so then .

you 'd better let your teacher say it . "

" but she did say it , marilla .

and indeed i 'm not vain about it .

how can i be , when i 'm such a dunce at geometry ?

although i 'm really beginning to see through it a little , too .

miss stacy makes it so clear .

still , i 'll never be good at it and i assure you it is a humbling reflection .

but i love writing compositions .

mostly miss stacy lets us choose our own subjects ; but next week we are to write a composition on some remarkable person .

it 's hard to choose among so many remarkable people who have lived .

mustn't it be splendid to be remarkable and have compositions written about you after you 're dead ?

oh , i would dearly love to be remarkable .

that is , if i don't go out as a foreign missionary .

we have physical culture exercises every day , too .

they make you graceful and promote digestion . "

" promote fiddlesticks ! " said marilla , who honestly thought it was all nonsense .

but all the field afternoons and recitation fridays and physical culture contortions paled before a project which miss stacy brought forward in november .

the pupils one and all taking graciously to this plan , the preparations for a program were begun at once .

marilla thought it all rank foolishness .

" it 's just filling your heads up with nonsense and taking time that ought to be put on your lessons , " she grumbled .

" i don't approve of children 's getting up concerts and racing about to practices .

it makes them vain and forward and fond of gadding . "

" but think of the worthy object , " pleaded anne .

" a flag will cultivate a spirit of patriotism , marilla . "

" fudge !

there 's precious little patriotism in the thoughts of any of you .

all you want is a good time . "

" well , when you can combine patriotism and fun , isn't it all right ?

of course it 's real nice to be getting up a concert .

we 're going to have six choruses and diana is to sing a solo .

i 'm in two dialogues ' the society for the suppression of gossip ' and ' the fairy queen . '

the boys are going to have a dialogue too .

and i 'm to have two recitations , marilla .

i just tremble when i think of it , but it 's a nice thrilly kind of tremble .

and we 're to have a tableau at the last ' faith , hope and charity . '

diana and ruby and i are to be in it , all draped in white with flowing hair .

i 'm to be hope , with my hands clasped so and my eyes uplifted .

i 'm going to practice my recitations in the garret .

don't be alarmed if you hear me groaning .

i have to groan heartrendingly in one of them , and it 's really hard to get up a good artistic groan , marilla .

josie pye is sulky because she didn't get the part she wanted in the dialogue .

she wanted to be the fairy queen .

that would have been ridiculous , for who ever heard of a fairy queen as fat as josie ?

fairy queens must be slender .

jane andrews is to be the queen and i am to be one of her maids of honor .

it 's necessary for fairies to have slippers , you know .

you couldn't imagine a fairy wearing boots , could you ?

especially with copper toes ?

we are going to decorate the hall with creeping spruce and fir mottoes with pink tissue-paper roses in them .

and we are all to march in two by two after the audience is seated , while emma white plays a march on the organ .

" all i hope is that you 'll behave yourself .

i 'll be heartily glad when all this fuss is over and you 'll be able to settle down .

you are simply good for nothing just now with your head stuffed full of dialogues and groans and tableaus .

as for your tongue , it 's a marvel it 's not clean worn out . "

" well now , i reckon it 's going to be a pretty good concert .

and i expect you 'll do your part fine , " he said , smiling down into her eager , vivacious little face .

anne smiled back at him .

that was marilla 's exclusive duty ; if it had been his he would have been worried over frequent conflicts between inclination and said duty .

as it was , he was free to , " spoil anne " marilla 's phrasing as much as he liked .

chapter xxv .

matthew insists on puffed sleeves

|matthew was having a bad ten minutes of it .

presently they came trooping through the hall and out into the kitchen , laughing and chattering gaily .

and what worried matthew was that the difference impressed him as being something that should not exist .

then in what did it consist ?

this , matthew felt , would be no great help .

he had recourse to his pipe that evening to help him study it out , much to marilla 's disgust .

after two hours of smoking and hard reflection matthew arrived at a solution of his problem .

anne was not dressed like the other girls !

marilla kept her clothed in plain , dark dresses , all made after the same unvarying pattern .

of course , it must be all right .

marilla knew best and marilla was bringing her up .

probably some wise , inscrutable motive was to be served thereby .

but surely it would do no harm to let the child have one pretty dress something like diana barry always wore .

matthew decided that he would give her one ; that surely could not be objected to as an unwarranted putting in of his oar .

christmas was only a fortnight off .

a nice new dress would be the very thing for a present .

the very next evening matthew betook himself to carmody to buy the dress , determined to get the worst over and have done with it .

it would be , he felt assured , no trifling ordeal .

after much cogitation matthew resolved to go to samuel lawson 's store instead of william blair 's .

but william blair 's two daughters frequently waited on customers there and matthew held them in absolute dread .

so he would go to lawson 's , where samuel or his son would wait on him .

alas !

she was dressed with exceeding smartness and wore several bangle bracelets that glittered and rattled and tinkled with every movement of her hands .

matthew was covered with confusion at finding her there at all ; and those bangles completely wrecked his wits at one fell swoop .

" what can i do for you this evening , mr cuthbert ? "

miss lucilla harris inquired , briskly and ingratiatingly , tapping the counter with both hands .

" have you any any any well now , say any garden rakes ? " stammered matthew .

miss harris looked somewhat surprised , as well she might , to hear a man inquiring for garden rakes in the middle of december .

" i believe we have one or two left over , " she said , " but they 're upstairs in the lumber room .

i 'll go and see . "

during her absence matthew collected his scattered senses for another effort .

when miss harris returned with the rake and cheerfully inquired : " anything else tonight , mr cuthbert ? "

miss harris had heard matthew cuthbert called odd .

she now concluded that he was entirely crazy .

" we only keep hayseed in the spring , " she explained loftily .

" we 've none on hand just now . "

" oh , certainly certainly just as you say , " stammered unhappy matthew , seizing the rake and making for the door .

at the threshold he recollected that he had not paid for it and he turned miserably back .

while miss harris was counting out his change he rallied his powers for a final desperate attempt .

" well now if it isn't too much trouble i might as well that is i 'd like to look at at some sugar . "

" white or brown ? " queried miss harris patiently .

" oh well now brown , " said matthew feebly .

" there 's a barrel of it over there , " said miss harris , shaking her bangles at it .

" it 's the only kind we have . "

" i'll i 'll take twenty pounds of it , " said matthew , with beads of perspiration standing on his forehead .

matthew had driven halfway home before he was his own man again .

when he reached home he hid the rake in the tool house , but the sugar he carried in to marilla .

" brown sugar ! " exclaimed marilla .

" whatever possessed you to get so much ?

you know i never use it except for the hired man 's porridge or black fruit cake .

jerry 's gone and i 've made my cake long ago .

it 's not good sugar , either it 's coarse and dark william blair doesn't usually keep sugar like that . "

" i i thought it might come in handy sometime , " said matthew , making good his escape .

when matthew came to think the matter over he decided that a woman was required to cope with the situation .

marilla was out of the question .

matthew felt sure she would throw cold water on his project at once .

remained only mrs lynde ; for of no other woman in avonlea would matthew have dared to ask advice .

to mrs lynde he went accordingly , and that good lady promptly took the matter out of the harassed man 's hands .

" pick out a dress for you to give anne ?

to be sure i will .

i 'm going to carmody tomorrow and i 'll attend to it .

have you something particular in mind ?

no ?

well , i 'll just go by my own judgment then .

i believe a nice rich brown would just suit anne , and william blair has some new gloria in that 's real pretty .

well , i 'll do it .

no , it isn't a mite of trouble .

i like sewing .

if it wouldn't be asking too much i i 'd like them made in the new way . "

" puffs ?

of course .

you needn't worry a speck more about it , matthew .

i 'll make it up in the very latest fashion , " said mrs lynde .

to herself she added when matthew had gone :

" it 'll be a real satisfaction to see that poor child wearing something decent for once .

the way marilla dresses her is positively ridiculous , that 's what , and i 've ached to tell her so plainly a dozen times .

but that 's always the way .

folks that has brought up children know that there 's no hard and fast method in the world that 'll suit every child .

but flesh and blood don't come under the head of arithmetic and that 's where marilla cuthbert makes her mistake .

i 'm sure the child must feel the difference between her clothes and the other girls ' .

but to think of matthew taking notice of it !

that man is waking up after being asleep for over sixty years . "

" i knew he was up to some foolishness .

well , i must say i don't think anne needed any more dresses .

i made her three good , warm , serviceable ones this fall , and anything more is sheer extravagance .

there 's enough material in those sleeves alone to make a waist , i declare there is .

you 'll just pamper anne 's vanity , matthew , and she 's as vain as a peacock now .

the puffs have been getting bigger and more ridiculous right along ; they 're as big as balloons now .

next year anybody who wears them will have to go through a door sideways . "

christmas morning broke on a beautiful white world .

anne peeped out from her frosted gable window with delighted eyes .

anne ran downstairs singing until her voice reechoed through green gables .

" merry christmas , marilla !

merry christmas , matthew !

isn't it a lovely christmas ?

i 'm so glad it 's white .

any other kind of christmas doesn't seem real , does it ?

i don't like green christmases .

they're not green they 're just nasty faded browns and grays .

what makes people call them green ?

why why matthew , is that for me ?

oh , matthew ! "

anne took the dress and looked at it in reverent silence .

but the sleeves they were the crowning glory !

long elbow cuffs , and above them two beautiful puffs divided by rows of shirring and bows of brown-silk ribbon .

" that 's a christmas present for you , anne , " said matthew shyly .

" why why anne , don't you like it ?

well now well now . "

for anne 's eyes had suddenly filled with tears .

" like it !

oh , matthew ! "

anne laid the dress over a chair and clasped her hands .

" matthew , it 's perfectly exquisite .

oh , i can never thank you enough .

look at those sleeves !

oh , it seems to me this must be a happy dream . "

" well , well , let us have breakfast , " interrupted marilla .

there 's a hair ribbon mrs lynde left for you .

it 's brown , to match the dress .

come now , sit in . "

" i don't see how i 'm going to eat breakfast , " said anne rapturously .

" breakfast seems so commonplace at such an exciting moment .

i 'd rather feast my eyes on that dress .

i 'm so glad that puffed sleeves are still fashionable .

it did seem to me that i 'd never get over it if they went out before i had a dress with them .

i 'd never have felt quite satisfied , you see .

it was lovely of mrs lynde to give me the ribbon too .

i feel that i ought to be a very good girl indeed .

it's at times like this i 'm sorry i 'm not a model little girl ; and i always resolve that i will be in future .

but somehow it 's hard to carry out your resolutions when irresistible temptations come .

still , i really will make an extra effort after this . "

anne flew down the slope to meet her .

" merry christmas , diana !

and oh , it 's a wonderful christmas .

i 've something splendid to show you .

matthew has given me the loveliest dress , with such sleeves .

i couldn't even imagine any nicer . "

" i 've got something more for you , " said diana breathlessly .

" here this box .

aunt josephine sent us out a big box with ever so many things in it and this is for you .

anne opened the box and peeped in .

" oh , " said anne , " diana , this is too much .

i must be dreaming . "

" i call it providential , " said diana .

josie pye would be delighted .

mind you , rob wright went home with gertie pye from the practice night before last .

did you ever hear anything equal to that ? "

the concert came off in the evening and was a pronounced success .

" everything went off very well , " said diana practically .

" i guess we must have made as much as ten dollars .

mind you , mr allan is going to send an account of it to the charlottetown papers . "

" oh , diana , will we really see our names in print ?

it makes me thrill to think of it .

your solo was perfectly elegant , diana .

i felt prouder than you did when it was encored .

i just said to myself , ' it is my dear bosom friend who is so honored . ' "

" well , your recitations just brought down the house , anne .

that sad one was simply splendid . "

" oh , i was so nervous , diana .

when mr allan called out my name i really cannot tell how i ever got up on that platform .

then i thought of my lovely puffed sleeves and took courage .

i knew that i must live up to those sleeves , diana .

so i started in , and my voice seemed to be coming from ever so far away .

i just felt like a parrot .

it 's providential that i practiced those recitations so often up in the garret , or i 'd never have been able to get through .

did i groan all right ? "

" yes , indeed , you groaned lovely , " assured diana .

" i saw old mrs sloane wiping away tears when i sat down .

it was splendid to think i had touched somebody 's heart .

it 's so romantic to take part in a concert , isn't it ?

oh , it 's been a very memorable occasion indeed . "

" wasn't the boys ' dialogue fine ? " said diana .

" gilbert blythe was just splendid .

anne , i do think it 's awful mean the way you treat gil .

wait till i tell you .

when you ran off the platform after the fairy dialogue one of your roses fell out of your hair .

i saw gil pick it up and put it in his breast pocket .

there now .

you 're so romantic that i 'm sure you ought to be pleased at that . "

" it 's nothing to me what that person does , " said anne loftily .

" i simply never waste a thought on him , diana . "

" well now , i guess our anne did as well as any of them , " said matthew proudly .

" yes , she did , " admitted marilla .

" she 's a bright child , matthew .

and she looked real nice too .

i 've been kind of opposed to this concert scheme , but i suppose there 's no real harm in it after all .

anyhow , i was proud of anne tonight , although i 'm not going to tell her so . "

" well now , i was proud of her and i did tell her so ' fore she went upstairs , " said matthew .

" we must see what we can do for her some of these days , marilla .

i guess she 'll need something more than avonlea school by and by . "

" there 's time enough to think of that , " said marilla .

" she 's only thirteen in march .

though tonight it struck me she was growing quite a big girl .

mrs lynde made that dress a mite too long , and it makes anne look so tall .

she 's quick to learn and i guess the best thing we can do for her will be to send her to queen 's after a spell .

but nothing need be said about that for a year or two yet . "

" well now , it 'll do no harm to be thinking it over off and on , " said matthew .

" things like that are all the better for lots of thinking over . "

chapter xxvi .

the story club is formed

|junior avonlea found it hard to settle down to humdrum existence again .

to anne in particular things seemed fearfully flat , stale , and unprofitable after the goblet of excitement she had been sipping for weeks .

could she go back to the former quiet pleasures of those faraway days before the concert ?

at first , as she told diana , she did not really think she could .

" perhaps after a while i 'll get used to it , but i 'm afraid concerts spoil people for everyday life .

i suppose that is why marilla disapproves of them .

marilla is such a sensible woman .

mrs lynde says there is no danger of my ever being one , but you can never tell .

i feel just now that i may grow up to be sensible yet .

but perhaps that is only because i 'm tired .

i simply couldn't sleep last night for ever so long .

i just lay awake and imagined the concert over and over again .

that 's one splendid thing about such affairs it 's so lovely to look back to them . "

eventually , however , avonlea school slipped back into its old groove and took up its old interests .

to be sure , the concert left traces .

with the exception of these trifling frictions , work in miss stacy 's little kingdom went on with regularity and smoothness .

the winter weeks slipped by .

" just think , diana , i 'm thirteen years old today , " remarked anne in an awed voice .

" i can scarcely realize that i 'm in my teens .

when i woke this morning it seemed to me that everything must be different .

you 've been thirteen for a month , so i suppose it doesn't seem such a novelty to you as it does to me .

it makes life seem so much more interesting .

in two more years i 'll be really grown up .

it 's a great comfort to think that i 'll be able to use big words then without being laughed at . "

" ruby gillis says she means to have a beau as soon as she 's fifteen , " said diana .

" ruby gillis thinks of nothing but beaus , " said anne disdainfully .

" she 's actually delighted when anyone writes her name up in a take-notice for all she pretends to be so mad .

but i 'm afraid that is an uncharitable speech .

mrs allan says we should never make uncharitable speeches ; but they do slip out so often before you think , don't they ?

i simply can't talk about josie pye without making an uncharitable speech , so i never mention her at all .

you may have noticed that .

i 'm trying to be as much like mrs allan as i possibly can , for i think she 's perfect .

mr allan thinks so too .

but then , diana , even ministers are human and have their besetting sins just like everybody else .

i had such an interesting talk with mrs allan about besetting sins last sunday afternoon .

there are just a few things it 's proper to talk about on sundays and that is one of them .

my besetting sin is imagining too much and forgetting my duties .

i 'm striving very hard to overcome it and now that i 'm really thirteen perhaps i 'll get on better . "

" in four more years we 'll be able to put our hair up , " said diana .

" alice bell is only sixteen and she is wearing hers up , but i think that 's ridiculous .

i shall wait until i 'm seventeen . "

" if i had alice bell 's crooked nose , " said anne decidedly , " i wouldn't but there !

i won't say what i was going to because it was extremely uncharitable .

besides , i was comparing it with my own nose and that 's vanity .

i 'm afraid i think too much about my nose ever since i heard that compliment about it long ago .

it really is a great comfort to me .

oh , diana , look , there 's a rabbit .

that 's something to remember for our woods composition .

i really think the woods are just as lovely in winter as in summer .

they 're so white and still , as if they were asleep and dreaming pretty dreams . "

" i won't mind writing that composition when its time comes , " sighed diana .

" i can manage to write about the woods , but the one we 're to hand in monday is terrible .

the idea of miss stacy telling us to write a story out of our own heads ! "

" why , it 's as easy as wink , " said anne .

i suppose you have your composition all done ? "

anne nodded , trying hard not to look virtuously complacent and failing miserably .

" i wrote it last monday evening .

it 's called ' the jealous rival ; or in death not divided . '

i read it to marilla and she said it was stuff and nonsense .

then i read it to matthew and he said it was fine .

that is the kind of critic i like .

it 's a sad , sweet story .

i just cried like a child while i was writing it .

it 's about two beautiful maidens called cordelia montmorency and geraldine seymour who lived in the same village and were devotedly attached to each other .

cordelia was a regal brunette with a coronet of midnight hair and duskly flashing eyes .

geraldine was a queenly blonde with hair like spun gold and velvety purple eyes . "

" i never saw anybody with purple eyes , " said diana dubiously .

" neither did i . i just imagined them .

i wanted something out of the common .

geraldine had an alabaster brow too .

i 've found out what an alabaster brow is .

that is one of the advantages of being thirteen .

you know so much more than you did when you were only twelve . "

" well , what became of cordelia and geraldine ? " asked diana , who was beginning to feel rather interested in their fate .

" they grew in beauty side by side until they were sixteen .

then bertram devere came to their native village and fell in love with the fair geraldine .

i found it rather hard to imagine the proposal because i had no experience to go by .

ruby told me she was hid in the hall pantry when malcolm andres proposed to her sister susan .

and susan said , ' yes no i don't know let me see ' and there they were , engaged as quick as that .

i made it very flowery and poetical and bertram went on his knees , although ruby gillis says it isn't done nowadays .

geraldine accepted him in a speech a page long .

i can tell you i took a lot of trouble with that speech .

i rewrote it five times and i look upon it as my masterpiece .

but then , alas , shadows began to darken over their path .

all her affection for geraldine turned to bitter hate and she vowed that she should never marry bertram .

but she pretended to be geraldine 's friend the same as ever .

but alas , he had forgotten he couldn't swim , and they were both drowned , clasped in each other 's arms .

their bodies were washed ashore soon afterwards .

they were buried in the one grave and their funeral was most imposing , diana .

it 's so much more romantic to end a story up with a funeral than a wedding .

as for cordelia , she went insane with remorse and was shut up in a lunatic asylum .

i thought that was a poetical retribution for her crime . "

" how perfectly lovely ! " sighed diana , who belonged to matthew 's school of critics .

" i don't see how you can make up such thrilling things out of your own head , anne .

i wish my imagination was as good as yours . "

" it would be if you 'd only cultivate it , " said anne cheeringly .

" i 've just thought of a plan , diana .

let you and me have a story club all our own and write stories for practice .

i 'll help you along until you can do them by yourself .

you ought to cultivate your imagination , you know .

miss stacy says so .

only we must take the right way .

i told her about the haunted wood , but she said we went the wrong way about it in that . "

this was how the story club came into existence .

" it 's extremely interesting , " anne told marilla .

" each girl has to read her story out loud and then we talk it over .

we are going to keep them all sacredly and have them to read to our descendants .

we each write under a nom-de-plume .

mine is rosamond montmorency .

all the girls do pretty well .

ruby gillis is rather sentimental .

she puts too much lovemaking into her stories and you know too much is worse than too little .

jane never puts any because she says it makes her feel so silly when she had to read it out loud .

jane 's stories are extremely sensible .

then diana puts too many murders into hers .

she says most of the time she doesn't know what to do with the people so she kills them off to get rid of them .

i mostly always have to tell them what to write about , but that isn't hard for i 've millions of ideas . "

" i think this story-writing business is the foolishest yet , " scoffed marilla .

" you 'll get a pack of nonsense into your heads and waste time that should be put on your lessons .

reading stories is bad enough but writing them is worse . "

" but we 're so careful to put a moral into them all , marilla , " explained anne .

" i insist upon that .

all the good people are rewarded and all the bad ones are suitably punished .

i 'm sure that must have a wholesome effect .

the moral is the great thing .

mr allan says so .

i read one of my stories to him and mrs allan and they both agreed that the moral was excellent .

only they laughed in the wrong places .

i like it better when people cry .

jane and ruby almost always cry when i come to the pathetic parts .

diana wrote her aunt josephine about our club and her aunt josephine wrote back that we were to send her some of our stories .

so we copied out four of our very best and sent them .

miss josephine barry wrote back that she had never read anything so amusing in her life .

that kind of puzzled us because the stories were all very pathetic and almost everybody died .

but i 'm glad miss barry liked them .

it shows our club is doing some good in the world .

mrs allan says that ought to be our object in everything .

i do really try to make it my object but i forget so often when i 'm having fun .

i hope i shall be a little like mrs allan when i grow up .

do you think there is any prospect of it , marilla ? "

" i shouldn't say there was a great deal " was marilla 's encouraging answer .

" i 'm sure mrs allan was never such a silly , forgetful little girl as you are . "

" no ; but she wasn't always so good as she is now either , " said anne seriously .

i felt so encouraged when i heard that .

is it very wicked of me , marilla , to feel encouraged when i hear that other people have been bad and mischievous ?

mrs lynde says it is .

mrs lynde says she always feels shocked when she hears of anyone ever having been naughty , no matter how small they were .

now , i wouldn't have felt that way .

that 's how i 'd feel , marilla . "

" the way i feel at present , anne , " said marilla , " is that it 's high time you had those dishes washed .

you 've taken half an hour longer than you should with all your chattering .

learn to work first and talk afterwards . "

chapter xxvii .

vanity and vexation of spirit

marilla was not given to subjective analysis of her thoughts and feelings .

the spring was abroad in the land and marilla 's sober , middle-aged step was lighter and swifter because of its deep , primal gladness .

matthew had come in and was waiting patiently for his tea in his corner .

she 's just got to be pulled up short and sudden on this sort of thing .

i don't care if mrs allan does say she 's the brightest and sweetest child she ever knew .

just as soon as she grows out of one freak she takes up with another .

but there !

here i am saying the very thing i was so riled with rachel lynde for saying at the aid today .

anne 's got plenty of faults , goodness knows , and far be it from me to deny it .

but i 'm bringing her up and not rachel lynde , who 'd pick faults in the angel gabriel himself if he lived in avonlea .

" perhaps you 're judging her too hasty , marilla .

don't call her untrustworthy until you 're sure she has disobeyed you .

mebbe it can all be explained anne 's a great hand at explaining . "

" she 's not here when i told her to stay , " retorted marilla .

" i reckon she 'll find it hard to explain that to my satisfaction .

of course i knew you 'd take her part , matthew .

but i 'm bringing her up , not you . "

marilla washed and put away the dishes grimly .

lighting it , she turned around to see anne herself lying on the bed , face downward among the pillows .

" mercy on us , " said astonished marilla , " have you been asleep , anne ? "

" no , " was the muffled reply .

" are you sick then ? " demanded marilla anxiously , going over to the bed .

anne cowered deeper into her pillows as if desirous of hiding herself forever from mortal eyes .

" no .

but please , marilla , go away and don't look at me .

little things like that are of no importance now because i don't suppose i 'll ever be able to go anywhere again .

my career is closed .

please , marilla , go away and don't look at me . "

" did anyone ever hear the like ? " the mystified marilla wanted to know .

" anne shirley , whatever is the matter with you ?

what have you done ?

get right up this minute and tell me .

this minute , i say .

there now , what is it ? "

anne had slid to the floor in despairing obedience .

" look at my hair , marilla , " she whispered .

accordingly , marilla lifted her candle and looked scrutinizingly at anne 's hair , flowing in heavy masses down her back .

it certainly had a very strange appearance .

" anne shirley , what have you done to your hair ?

why , it 's green ! "

never in all her life had marilla seen anything so grotesque as anne 's hair at that moment .

" yes , it 's green , " moaned anne .

" i thought nothing could be as bad as red hair .

but now i know it 's ten times worse to have green hair .

oh , marilla , you little know how utterly wretched i am . "

" i little know how you got into this fix , but i mean to find out , " said marilla .

" come right down to the kitchen it 's too cold up here and tell me just what you 've done .

i 've been expecting something queer for some time .

you haven't got into any scrape for over two months , and i was sure another one was due .

now , then , what did you do to your hair ? "

" i dyed it . "

" dyed it !

dyed your hair !

anne shirley , didn't you know it was a wicked thing to do ? "

" yes , i knew it was a little wicked , " admitted anne .

" but i thought it was worth while to be a little wicked to get rid of red hair .

i counted the cost , marilla .

besides , i meant to be extra good in other ways to make up for it . "

i wouldn't have dyed it green . "

" but i didn't mean to dye it green , marilla , " protested anne dejectedly .

" if i was wicked i meant to be wicked to some purpose .

he said it would turn my hair a beautiful raven black he positively assured me that it would .

how could i doubt his word , marilla ?

i know what it feels like to have your word doubted .

and mrs allan says we should never suspect anyone of not telling us the truth unless we have proof that they're not .

i have proof now green hair is proof enough for anybody .

but i hadn't then and i believed every word he said implicitly . "

" who said ?

who are you talking about ? "

" the peddler that was here this afternoon .

i bought the dye from him . "

" anne shirley , how often have i told you never to let one of those italians in the house !

i don't believe in encouraging them to come around at all . "

" oh , i didn't let him in the house .

i remembered what you told me , and i went out , carefully shut the door , and looked at his things on the step .

besides , he wasn't an italian he was a german jew .

he spoke so feelingly about them that it touched my heart .

i wanted to buy something from him to help him in such a worthy object .

then all at once i saw the bottle of hair dye .

the peddler said it was warranted to dye any hair a beautiful raven black and wouldn't wash off .

in a trice i saw myself with beautiful raven-black hair and the temptation was irresistible .

but the price of the bottle was seventy-five cents and i had only fifty cents left out of my chicken money .

and i 've been repenting ever since . "

goodness knows what 's to be done .

i suppose the first thing is to give your hair a good washing and see if that will do any good . "

" oh , marilla , what shall i do ? " questioned anne in tears .

" i can never live this down .

people have pretty well forgotten my other mistakes the liniment cake and setting diana drunk and flying into a temper with mrs lynde .

but they 'll never forget this .

they will think i am not respectable .

oh , marilla , ' what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive . '

that is poetry , but it is true .

and oh , how josie pye will laugh !

marilla , i cannot face josie pye .

i am the unhappiest girl in prince edward island . "

anne 's unhappiness continued for a week .

during that time she went nowhere and shampooed her hair every day .

at the end of the week marilla said decidedly :

" it 's no use , anne .

that is fast dye if ever there was any .

your hair must be cut off ; there is no other way .

you can't go out with it looking like that . "

anne 's lips quivered , but she realized the bitter truth of marilla 's remarks .

with a dismal sigh she went for the scissors .

" please cut it off at once , marilla , and have it over .

oh , i feel that my heart is broken .

this is such an unromantic affliction .

but there is nothing comforting in having your hair cut off because you 've dyed it a dreadful color , is there ?

i 'm going to weep all the time you 're cutting it off , if it won't interfere .

it seems such a tragic thing . "

anne wept then , but later on , when she went upstairs and looked in the glass , she was calm with despair .

marilla had done her work thoroughly and it had been necessary to shingle the hair as closely as possible .

the result was not becoming , to state the case as mildly as may be .

anne promptly turned her glass to the wall .

" i 'll never , never look at myself again until my hair grows , " she exclaimed passionately .

then she suddenly righted the glass .

" yes , i will , too .

i 'd do penance for being wicked that way .

i 'll look at myself every time i come to my room and see how ugly i am .

and i won't try to imagine it away , either .

i expect something will happen to my nose next . "

it 's hard to be told you look like a scarecrow and i wanted to say something back .

but i didn't .

i just swept her one scornful look and then i forgave her .

it makes you feel very virtuous when you forgive people , doesn't it ?

i mean to devote all my energies to being good after this and i shall never try to be beautiful again .

of course it 's better to be good .

i know it is , but it 's sometimes so hard to believe a thing even when you know it .

diana says when my hair begins to grow to tie a black velvet ribbon around my head with a bow at one side .

she says she thinks it will be very becoming .

i will call it a snood that sounds so romantic .

but am i talking too much , marilla ?

does it hurt your head ? "

" my head is better now .

it was terrible bad this afternoon , though .

these headaches of mine are getting worse and worse .

i 'll have to see a doctor about them .

as for your chatter , i don't know that i mind it i 've got so used to it . "

which was marilla 's way of saying that she liked to hear it .

chapter xxviii .

an unfortunate lily maid

|of course you must be elaine , anne , " said diana .

" i could never have the courage to float down there . "

" nor i , " said ruby gillis , with a shiver .

" i don't mind floating down when there 's two or three of us in the flat and we can sit up .

it 's fun then .

but to lie down and pretend i was dead i just couldn't .

i 'd die really of fright . "

" of course it would be romantic , " conceded jane andrews , " but i know i couldn't keep still .

i 'd be popping up every minute or so to see where i was and if i wasn't drifting too far out .

and you know , anne , that would spoil the effect . "

" but it 's so ridiculous to have a redheaded elaine , " mourned anne .

" i 'm not afraid to float down and i 'd love to be elaine .

but it 's ridiculous just the same .

and elaine was the lily maid .

now , a red-haired person cannot be a lily maid . "

" oh , do you really think so ? " exclaimed anne , flushing sensitively with delight .

" i 've sometimes thought it was myself but i never dared to ask anyone for fear she would tell me it wasn't .

do you think it could be called auburn now , diana ? "

ruby and jane were spending the midsummer afternoon with diana , and anne had come over to play with them .

anne and diana had spent most of their playtime that summer on and about the pond .

it was anne 's idea that they dramatize elaine .

those days , she said , were so much more romantic than the present .

anne 's plan was hailed with enthusiasm .

they had often gone down like this and nothing could be more convenient for playing elaine .

" ruby , you must be king arthur and jane will be guinevere and diana must be lancelot .

but first you must be the brothers and the father .

we can't have the old dumb servitor because there isn't room for two in the flat when one is lying down .

we must pall the barge all its length in blackest samite .

that old black shawl of your mother 's will be just the thing , diana . "

" it makes me feel frightened , girls .

do you suppose it 's really right to act like this ?

mrs lynde says that all play-acting is abominably wicked . "

" ruby , you shouldn't talk about mrs lynde , " said anne severely .

" it spoils the effect because this is hundreds of years before mrs lynde was born .

jane , you arrange this .

it 's silly for elaine to be talking when she 's dead . "

jane rose to the occasion .

cloth of gold for coverlet there was none , but an old piano scarf of yellow japanese crepe was an excellent substitute .

" now , she 's all ready , " said jane .

anne , for goodness sake smile a little .

you know elaine ' lay as though she smiled . '

that 's better .

now push the flat off . "

the flat was accordingly pushed off , scraping roughly over an old embedded stake in the process .

for a few minutes anne , drifting slowly down , enjoyed the romance of her situation to the full .

then something happened not at all romantic .

the flat began to leak .

that sharp stake at the landing had torn off the strip of batting nailed on the flat .

anne did not know this , but it did not take her long to realize that she was in a dangerous plight .

at this rate the flat would fill and sink long before it could drift to the lower headland .

where were the oars ?

left behind at the landing !

anne gave one gasping little scream which nobody ever heard ; she was white to the lips , but she did not lose her self-possession .

there was one chance just one .

you know the piles are just old tree trunks and there are lots of knots and old branch stubs on them .

it was proper to pray , but i had to do my part by watching out and right well i knew it .

under such circumstances you don't think much about making a flowery prayer .

and there i was , mrs allan , clinging to that slippery old pile with no way of getting up or down .

it was a very unromantic position , but i didn't think about that at the time .

you don't think much about romance when you have just escaped from a watery grave .

the flat drifted under the bridge and then promptly sank in midstream .

anne , clinging desperately to her precarious foothold , saw their flying forms and heard their shrieks .

help would soon come , but meanwhile her position was a very uncomfortable one .

the minutes passed by , each seeming an hour to the unfortunate lily maid .

why didn't somebody come ?

where had the girls gone ?

suppose they had fainted , one and all !

suppose nobody ever came !

suppose she grew so tired and cramped that she could hold on no longer !

anne looked at the wicked green depths below her , wavering with long , oily shadows , and shivered .

her imagination began to suggest all manner of gruesome possibilities to her .

" anne shirley !

how on earth did you get there ? " he exclaimed .

without waiting for an answer he pulled close to the pile and extended his hand .

it was certainly extremely difficult to be dignified under the circumstances !

" what has happened , anne ? " asked gilbert , taking up his oars .

the flat began to leak and i climbed out on the pile .

the girls went for help .

will you be kind enough to row me to the landing ? "

gilbert obligingly rowed to the landing and anne , disdaining assistance , sprang nimbly on shore .

" i 'm very much obliged to you , " she said haughtily as she turned away .

but gilbert had also sprung from the boat and now laid a detaining hand on her arm .

" anne , " he said hurriedly , " look here .

can't we be good friends ?

i 'm awfully sorry i made fun of your hair that time .

i didn't mean to vex you and i only meant it for a joke .

besides , it 's so long ago .

i think your hair is awfully pretty now honest i do .

let's be friends . "

for a moment anne hesitated .

her heart gave a quick , queer little beat .

but the bitterness of her old grievance promptly stiffened up her wavering determination .

that scene of two years before flashed back into her recollection as vividly as if it had taken place yesterday .

gilbert had called her " carrots " and had brought about her disgrace before the whole school .

she hated gilbert blythe !

she would never forgive him !

" all right ! "

gilbert sprang into his skiff with an angry color in his cheeks .

" i 'll never ask you to be friends again , anne shirley .

and i don't care either ! "

he pulled away with swift defiant strokes , and anne went up the steep , ferny little path under the maples .

she held her head very high , but she was conscious of an odd feeling of regret .

she almost wished she had answered gilbert differently .

of course , he had insulted her terribly , but still !

altogether , anne rather thought it would be a relief to sit down and have a good cry .

she was really quite unstrung , for the reaction from her fright and cramped clinging was making itself felt .

halfway up the path she met jane and diana rushing back to the pond in a state narrowly removed from positive frenzy .

they had found nobody at orchard slope , both mr. and mrs barry being away .

there they had found nobody either , for marilla had gone to carmody and matthew was making hay in the back field .

and ruby is in hysterics oh , anne , how did you escape ? "

" oh , anne , how splendid of him !

why , it 's so romantic ! " said jane , finding breath enough for utterance at last .

" of course you 'll speak to him after this . "

" of course i won't , " flashed anne , with a momentary return of her old spirit .

" and i don't want ever to hear the word ' romantic ' again , jane andrews .

i 'm awfully sorry you were so frightened , girls .

it is all my fault .

i feel sure i was born under an unlucky star .

everything i do gets me or my dearest friends into a scrape .

anne 's presentiment proved more trustworthy than presentiments are apt to do .

great was the consternation in the barry and cuthbert households when the events of the afternoon became known .

" will you ever have any sense , anne ? " groaned marilla .

" oh , yes , i think i will , marilla , " returned anne optimistically .

a good cry , indulged in the grateful solitude of the east gable , had soothed her nerves and restored her to her wonted cheerfulness .

" i think my prospects of becoming sensible are brighter now than ever . "

" i don't see how , " said marilla .

" well , " explained anne , " i 've learned a new and valuable lesson today .

ever since i came to green gables i 've been making mistakes , and each mistake has helped to cure me of some great shortcoming .

the affair of the amethyst brooch cured me of meddling with things that didn't belong to me .

the haunted wood mistake cured me of letting my imagination run away with me .

the liniment cake mistake cured me of carelessness in cooking .

dyeing my hair cured me of vanity .

i never think about my hair and nose now at least , very seldom .

and today 's mistake is going to cure me of being too romantic .

i have come to the conclusion that it is no use trying to be romantic in avonlea .

it was probably easy enough in towered camelot hundreds of years ago , but romance is not appreciated now .

i feel quite sure that you will soon see a great improvement in me in this respect , marilla . "

" i 'm sure i hope so , " said marilla skeptically .

but matthew , who had been sitting mutely in his corner , laid a hand on anne 's shoulder when marilla had gone out .

chapter xxix .

an epoch in anne 's life

|anne was bringing the cows home from the back pasture by way of lover 's lane .

it was a september evening and all the gaps and clearings in the woods were brimmed up with ruby sunset light .

when she came to the lines

the stubborn spearsmen still made good their dark impenetrable wood ,

she stopped in ecstasy to shut her eyes that she might the better fancy herself one of that heroic ring .

but betray too eager curiosity she would not .

" isn't this evening just like a purple dream , diana ?

it makes me so glad to be alive .

in the mornings i always think the mornings are best ; but when evening comes i think it 's lovelier still . "

" it 's a very fine evening , " said diana , " but oh , i have such news , anne .

guess .

you can have three guesses . "

" charlotte gillis is going to be married in the church after all and mrs allan wants us to decorate it , " cried anne .

" no .

it 's too mean , because it would be such fun .

guess again . "

" jane 's mother is going to let her have a birthday party ? "

diana shook her head , her black eyes dancing with merriment .

did he ? "

" i should think not , " exclaimed diana indignantly .

" i wouldn't be likely to boast of it if he did , the horrid creature !

i knew you couldn't guess it .

there ! "

but i 'm afraid marilla won't let me go .

she will say that she can't encourage gadding about .

i wanted to go , but marilla said i 'd be better at home learning my lessons and so would jane .

i was bitterly disappointed , diana .

i felt so heartbroken that i wouldn't say my prayers when i went to bed .

but i repented of that and got up in the middle of the night and said them . "

" i 'll tell you , " said diana , " we 'll get mother to ask marilla .

she 'll be more likely to let you go then ; and if she does we 'll have the time of our lives , anne .

i 've never been to an exhibition , and it 's so aggravating to hear the other girls talking about their trips .

jane and ruby have been twice , and they 're going this year again . "

" i 'm not going to think about it at all until i know whether i can go or not , " said anne resolutely .

" if i did and then was disappointed , it would be more than i could bear .

but in case i do go i 'm very glad my new coat will be ready by that time .

marilla didn't think i needed a new coat .

she said my old one would do very well for another winter and that i ought to be satisfied with having a new dress .

the dress is very pretty , diana navy blue and made so fashionably .

marilla always makes my dresses fashionably now , because she says she doesn't intend to have matthew going to mrs lynde to make them .

i 'm so glad .

it is ever so much easier to be good if your clothes are fashionable .

at least , it is easier for me .

i suppose it doesn't make such a difference to naturally good people .

but it just slips into my mind in spite of me .

my cap is so pretty .

matthew bought it for me the day we were over at carmody .

it is one of those little blue velvet ones that are all the rage , with gold cord and tassels .

your new hat is elegant , diana , and so becoming .

when i saw you come into church last sunday my heart swelled with pride to think you were my dearest friend .

do you suppose it 's wrong for us to think so much about our clothes ?

marilla says it is very sinful .

but it is such an interesting subject , isn't it ? "

marilla agreed to let anne go to town , and it was arranged that mr barry should take the girls in on the following tuesday .

but anne counted it all joy , and was up before sunrise on tuesday morning .

through the gap in the trees a light was shining in the western gable of orchard slope , a token that diana was also up .

after breakfast the jaunty new cap and jacket were donned , and anne hastened over the brook and up through the firs to orchard slope .

mr barry and diana were waiting for her , and they were soon on the road .

it was a long drive , but anne and diana enjoyed every minute of it .

it was delightful to rattle along over the moist roads in the early red sunlight that was creeping across the shorn harvest fields .

the air was fresh and crisp , and little smoke-blue mists curled through the valleys and floated off from the hills .

it was almost noon when they reached town and found their way to " beechwood . "

it was quite a fine old mansion , set back from the street in a seclusion of green elms and branching beeches .

miss barry met them at the door with a twinkle in her sharp black eyes .

" so you 've come to see me at last , you anne-girl , " she said .

" mercy , child , how you have grown !

you 're taller than i am , i declare .

and you 're ever so much better looking than you used to be , too .

but i dare say you know that without being told . "

" indeed i didn't , " said anne radiantly .

i 'm so glad you think there is , miss barry . "

miss barry 's house was furnished with " great magnificence , " as anne told marilla afterward .

" isn't it just like a palace ? " whispered diana .

" i never was in aunt josephine 's house before , and i 'd no idea it was so grand .

i just wish julia bell could see this she puts on such airs about her mother 's parlor . "

" velvet carpet , " sighed anne luxuriously , " and silk curtains !

i 've dreamed of such things , diana .

but do you know i don't believe i feel very comfortable with them after all .

there are so many things in this room and all so splendid that there is no scope for imagination .

that is one consolation when you are poor there are so many more things you can imagine about . "

their sojourn in town was something that anne and diana dated from for years .

from first to last it was crowded with delights .

on wednesday miss barry took them to the exhibition grounds and kept them there all day .

" it was splendid , " anne related to marilla later on .

" i never imagined anything so interesting .

i don't really know which department was the most interesting .

i think i liked the horses and the flowers and the fancywork best .

josie pye took first prize for knitted lace .

i was real glad she did .

mr harmon andrews took second prize for gravenstein apples and mr bell took first prize for a pig .

diana said she thought it was ridiculous for a sunday-school superintendent to take a prize in pigs , but i don't see why .

do you ?

she said she would always think of it after this when he was praying so solemnly .

clara louise macpherson took a prize for painting , and mrs lynde got first prize for homemade butter and cheese .

so avonlea was pretty well represented , wasn't it ?

there were thousands of people there , marilla .

it made me feel dreadfully insignificant .

and miss barry took us up to the grandstand to see the horse races .

but there were so many there i don't believe mrs lynde 's absence would ever be noticed .

i don't think , though , that i ought to go very often to horse races , because they are awfully fascinating .

diana got so excited that she offered to bet me ten cents that the red horse would win .

it 's always wrong to do anything you can't tell the minister 's wife .

it 's as good as an extra conscience to have a minister 's wife for your friend .

and i was very glad i didn't bet , because the red horse did win , and i would have lost ten cents .

so you see that virtue was its own reward .

we saw a man go up in a balloon .

i 'd love to go up in a balloon , marilla ; it would be simply thrilling ; and we saw a man selling fortunes .

you paid him ten cents and a little bird picked out your fortune for you .

miss barry gave diana and me ten cents each to have our fortunes told .

mine was that i would marry a dark-complected man who was very wealthy , and i would go across water to live .

oh , it was a never-to-be-forgotten day , marilla .

i was so tired i couldn't sleep at night .

miss barry put us in the spare room , according to promise .

it was an elegant room , marilla , but somehow sleeping in a spare room isn't what i used to think it was .

that 's the worst of growing up , and i 'm beginning to realize it .

the things you wanted so much when you were a child don't seem half so wonderful to you when you get them . "

to anne the evening was a glittering vision of delight .

" oh , marilla , it was beyond description .

i was so excited i couldn't even talk , so you may know what it was like .

i just sat in enraptured silence .

madame selitsky was perfectly beautiful , and wore white satin and diamonds .

but when she began to sing i never thought about anything else .

oh , i can't tell you how i felt .

but it seemed to me that it could never be hard to be good any more .

i felt like i do when i look up to the stars .

tears came into my eyes , but , oh , they were such happy tears .

she said she thought if we went over to the restaurant across the street and had an ice cream it might help me .

that sounded so prosaic ; but to my surprise i found it true .

diana said she believed she was born for city life .

so i thought it over after i went to bed .

that is the best time to think things out .

and i came to the conclusion , marilla , that i wasn't born for city life and that i was glad of it .

i told miss barry so at breakfast the next morning and she laughed .

miss barry generally laughed at anything i said , even when i said the most solemn things .

i don't think i liked it , marilla , because i wasn't trying to be funny .

but she is a most hospitable lady and treated us royally . "

friday brought going-home time , and mr barry drove in for the girls .

" well , i hope you 've enjoyed yourselves , " said miss barry , as she bade them good-bye .

" indeed we have , " said diana .

" and you , anne-girl ? "

diana would never have dared to do such a thing and felt rather aghast at anne 's freedom .

but miss barry was pleased , and she stood on her veranda and watched the buggy out of sight .

then she went back into her big house with a sigh .

it seemed very lonely , lacking those fresh young lives .

miss barry was a rather selfish old lady , if the truth must be told , and had never cared much for anybody but herself .

she valued people only as they were of service to her or amused her .

anne had amused her , and consequently stood high in the old lady 's good graces .

if i 'd a child like anne in the house all the time i 'd be a better and happier woman . "

it was sunset when they passed through white sands and turned into the shore road .

beyond , the avonlea hills came out darkly against the saffron sky .

behind them the moon was rising out of the sea that grew all radiant and transfigured in her light .

every little cove along the curving road was a marvel of dancing ripples .

" oh , but it 's good to be alive and to be going home , " breathed anne .

anne ran blithely up the hill and into the kitchen , where a hot supper was waiting on the table .

" so you 've got back ? " said marilla , folding up her knitting .

" yes , and oh , it 's so good to be back , " said anne joyously .

" i could kiss everything , even to the clock .

marilla , a broiled chicken !

you don't mean to say you cooked that for me ! "

" yes , i did , " said marilla .

" i thought you 'd be hungry after such a drive and need something real appetizing .

hurry and take off your things , and we 'll have supper as soon as matthew comes in .

i 'm glad you 've got back , i must say .

it 's been fearful lonesome here without you , and i never put in four longer days . "

after supper anne sat before the fire between matthew and marilla , and gave them a full account of her visit .

" i 've had a splendid time , " she concluded happily , " and i feel that it marks an epoch in my life .

but the best of it all was the coming home . "

chapter xxx .

the queens class is organized

|marilla laid her knitting on her lap and leaned back in her chair .

the lesson of a love that should display itself easily in spoken word and open look was one marilla could never learn .

but she had learned to love this slim , gray-eyed girl with an affection all the deeper and stronger from its very undemonstrativeness .

her love made her afraid of being unduly indulgent , indeed .

certainly anne herself had no idea how marilla loved her .

she sometimes thought wistfully that marilla was very hard to please and distinctly lacking in sympathy and understanding .

but she always checked the thought reproachfully , remembering what she owed to marilla .

" anne , " said marilla abruptly , " miss stacy was here this afternoon when you were out with diana . "

anne came back from her other world with a start and a sigh .

" was she ?

oh , i 'm so sorry i wasn't in .

why didn't you call me , marilla ?

diana and i were only over in the haunted wood .

it 's lovely in the woods now .

i think it was a little gray fairy with a rainbow scarf that came tiptoeing along the last moonlight night and did it .

diana wouldn't say much about that , though .

diana has never forgotten the scolding her mother gave her about imagining ghosts into the haunted wood .

it had a very bad effect on diana 's imagination .

it blighted it .

mrs lynde says myrtle bell is a blighted being .

i asked ruby gillis why myrtle was blighted , and ruby said she guessed it was because her young man had gone back on her .

ruby gillis thinks of nothing but young men , and the older she gets the worse she is .

young men are all very well in their place , but it doesn't do to drag them into everything , does it ?

diana and i are thinking seriously of promising each other that we will never marry but be nice old maids and live together forever .

diana and i talk a great deal about serious subjects now , you know .

we feel that we are so much older than we used to be that it isn't becoming to talk of childish matters .

it 's such a solemn thing to be almost fourteen , marilla .

miss stacy took all us girls who are in our teens down to the brook last wednesday , and talked to us about it .

and she said if the foundation was shaky we could never build anything really worth while on it .

diana and i talked the matter over coming home from school .

we felt extremely solemn , marilla .

it 's perfectly appalling to think of being twenty , marilla .

it sounds so fearfully old and grown up .

but why was miss stacy here this afternoon ? "

" that is what i want to tell you , anne , if you 'll ever give me a chance to get a word in edgewise .

she was talking about you . "

" about me ? "

anne looked rather scared .

then she flushed and exclaimed :

" oh , i know what she was saying .

i meant to tell you , marilla , honestly i did , but i forgot .

miss stacy caught me reading ben hur in school yesterday afternoon when i should have been studying my canadian history .

jane andrews lent it to me .

i was reading it at dinner hour , and i had just got to the chariot race when school went in .

i just looked as if i were studying canadian history , you know , while all the while i was reveling in ben hur .

i can't tell you how ashamed i felt , marilla , especially when i heard josie pye giggling .

miss stacy took ben hur away , but she never said a word then .

she kept me in at recess and talked to me .

she said i had done very wrong in two respects .

i had never realized until that moment , marilla , that what i was doing was deceitful .

i was shocked .

but miss stacy said she wouldn't require that , and she forgave me freely .

so i think it wasn't very kind of her to come up here to you about it after all . "

" miss stacy never mentioned such a thing to me , anne , and its only your guilty conscience that 's the matter with you .

you have no business to be taking storybooks to school .

you read too many novels anyhow .

when i was a girl i wasn't so much as allowed to look at a novel . "

" oh , how can you call ben hur a novel when it 's really such a religious book ? " protested anne .

" of course it 's a little too exciting to be proper reading for sunday , and i only read it on weekdays .

miss stacy made me promise that .

she found me reading a book one day called , the lurid mystery of the haunted hall .

it was one ruby gillis had lent me , and , oh , marilla , it was so fascinating and creepy .

it just curdled the blood in my veins .

but my love for miss stacy stood the test and i did .

it 's really wonderful , marilla , what you can do when you 're truly anxious to please a certain person . "

" well , i guess i 'll light the lamp and get to work , " said marilla .

" i see plainly that you don't want to hear what miss stacy had to say .

you 're more interested in the sound of your own tongue than in anything else . "

" oh , indeed , marilla , i do want to hear it , " cried anne contritely .

" i won't say another word not one .

please tell me , marilla . "

" well , miss stacy wants to organize a class among her advanced students who mean to study for the entrance examination into queen 's .

she intends to give them extra lessons for an hour after school .

and she came to ask matthew and me if we would like to have you join it .

what do you think about it yourself , anne ?

would you like to go to queen 's and pass for a teacher ? "

" oh , marilla ! "

anne straightened to her knees and clasped her hands .

but i didn't say anything about it , because i supposed it would be perfectly useless .

i 'd love to be a teacher .

but won't it be dreadfully expensive ?

mr andrews says it cost him one hundred and fifty dollars to put prissy through , and prissy wasn't a dunce in geometry . "

" i guess you needn't worry about that part of it .

i believe in a girl being fitted to earn her own living whether she ever has to or not .

so you can join the queen 's class if you like , anne . "

" oh , marilla , thank you . "

anne flung her arms about marilla 's waist and looked up earnestly into her face .

" i 'm extremely grateful to you and matthew .

and i 'll study as hard as i can and do my very best to be a credit to you .

" i dare say you 'll get along well enough .

miss stacy says you are bright and diligent . "

not for worlds would marilla have told anne just what miss stacy had said about her ; that would have been to pamper vanity .

" you needn't rush to any extreme of killing yourself over your books .

there is no hurry .

you won't be ready to try the entrance for a year and a half yet .

but it 's well to begin in time and be thoroughly grounded , miss stacy says . "

mr allan says everybody should have a purpose in life and pursue it faithfully .

only he says we must first make sure that it is a worthy purpose .

i would call it a worthy purpose to want to be a teacher like miss stacy , wouldn't you , marilla ?

i think it 's a very noble profession . "

the queen 's class was organized in due time .

gilbert blythe , anne shirley , ruby gillis , jane andrews , josie pye , charlie sloane , and moody spurgeon macpherson joined it .

diana barry did not , as her parents did not intend to send her to queen 's .

this seemed nothing short of a calamity to anne .

never , since the night on which minnie may had had the croup , had she and diana been separated in anything .

not for worlds would anne have had gilbert blythe or josie pye see those tears .

" i thought how splendid it would have been if diana had only been going to study for the entrance , too .

but we can't have things perfect in this imperfect world , as mrs lynde says .

mrs lynde isn't exactly a comforting person sometimes , but there 's no doubt she says a great many very true things .

and i think the queen 's class is going to be extremely interesting .

jane and ruby are just going to study to be teachers .

that is the height of their ambition .

ruby says she will only teach for two years after she gets through , and then she intends to be married .

moody spurgeon is going to be a minister .

mrs lynde says he couldn't be anything else with a name like that to live up to .

i hope it isn't wicked of me , marilla , but really the thought of moody spurgeon being a minister makes me laugh .

he 's such a funny-looking boy with that big fat face , and his little blue eyes , and his ears sticking out like flaps .

but perhaps he will be more intellectual looking when he grows up .

" what is gilbert blythe going to be ? " queried marilla , seeing that anne was opening her caesar .

" i don't happen to know what gilbert blythe 's ambition in life is if he has any , " said anne scornfully .

there was open rivalry between gilbert and anne now .

he was a foeman worthy of her steel .

the other members of the class tacitly acknowledged their superiority , and never dreamed of trying to compete with them .

but anne shirley he simply ignored , and anne found out that it is not pleasant to be ignored .

it was in vain that she told herself with a toss of her head that she did not care .

it was in vain that she recalled every incident and emotion of that memorable occasion and tried to feel the old satisfying anger .

that day by the pond had witnessed its last spasmodic flicker .

anne realized that she had forgiven and forgotten without knowing it .

but it was too late .

the only poor comfort he had was that she snubbed charlie sloane , unmercifully , continually , and undeservedly .

otherwise the winter passed away in a round of pleasant duties and studies .

for anne the days slipped by like golden beads on the necklace of the year .

even anne and gilbert lagged and grew indifferent .

teacher and taught were alike glad when the term was ended and the glad vacation days stretched rosily before them .

it will be the tug of war , you know the last year before the entrance . "

" are you going to be back next year , miss stacy ? " asked josie pye .

the queen 's class listened in breathless suspense for her answer .

" yes , i think i will , " said miss stacy .

" i thought of taking another school , but i have decided to come back to avonlea .

to tell the truth , i 've grown so interested in my pupils here that i found i couldn't leave them .

so i 'll stay and see you through . "

" hurrah ! " said moody spurgeon .

" oh , i 'm so glad , " said anne , with shining eyes .

" dear stacy , it would be perfectly dreadful if you didn't come back .

i don't believe i could have the heart to go on with my studies at all if another teacher came here . "

" i 'm not even going to look at a schoolbook in vacation , " she told marilla .

i just feel tired of everything sensible and i 'm going to let my imagination run riot for the summer .

oh , you needn't be alarmed , marilla .

i 'll only let it run riot within reasonable limits .

but i want to have a real good jolly time this summer , for maybe it 's the last summer i 'll be a little girl .

mrs lynde says that if i keep stretching out next year as i 've done this i 'll have to put on longer skirts .

she says i 'm all running to legs and eyes .

and when i put on longer skirts i shall feel that i have to live up to them and be very dignified .

i think we 're going to have a very gay vacation .

ruby gillis is going to have a birthday party soon and there 's the sunday school picnic and the missionary concert next month .

and mr barry says that some evening he 'll take diana and me over to the white sands hotel and have dinner there .

they have dinner there in the evening , you know .

jane says it was her first glimpse into high life and she 'll never forget it to her dying day . "

mrs lynde came up the next afternoon to find out why marilla had not been at the aid meeting on thursday .

when marilla was not at aid meeting people knew there was something wrong at green gables .

" matthew had a bad spell with his heart thursday , " marilla explained , " and i didn't feel like leaving him .

oh , yes , he 's all right again now , but he takes them spells oftener than he used to and i 'm anxious about him .

the doctor says he must be careful to avoid excitement .

come and lay off your things , rachel .

you 'll stay to tea ? "

" she must be a great help to you . "

" she is , " said marilla , " and she 's real steady and reliable now .

" lawful heart , shall i ever forget that tantrum of hers !

but i was mistaken and i 'm real glad of it .

i ain't one of those kind of people , marilla , as can never be brought to own up that they 've made a mistake .

no , that never was my way , thank goodness .

there was no ciphering her out by the rules that worked with other children .

it 's nothing short of wonderful how she 's improved these three years , but especially in looks .

she 's a real pretty girl got to be , though i can't say i 'm overly partial to that pale , big-eyed style myself .

i like more snap and color , like diana barry has or ruby gillis .

ruby gillis 's looks are real showy .

chapter xxxi .

where the brook and river meet

|anne had her " good " summer and enjoyed it wholeheartedly .

she and diana fairly lived outdoors , reveling in all the delights that lover 's lane and the dryad 's bubble and willowmere and victoria island afforded .

marilla offered no objections to anne 's gypsyings .

it was :

this message frightened marilla wholesomely .

she read anne 's death warrant by consumption in it unless it was scrupulously obeyed .

as a result , anne had the golden summer of her life as far as freedom and frolic went .

" i feel just like studying with might and main , " she declared as she brought her books down from the attic .

" oh , you good old friends , i 'm glad to see your honest faces once more yes , even you , geometry .

doesn't mr allan preach magnificent sermons ?

but i don't see the use of meeting trouble halfway , do you , marilla ?

i think it would be better just to enjoy mr allan while we have him .

if i were a man i think i 'd be a minister .

why can't women be ministers , marilla ?

i asked mrs lynde that and she was shocked and said it would be a scandalous thing .

but i don't see why .

i think women would make splendid ministers .

" yes , i believe she could , " said marilla dryly .

" she does plenty of unofficial preaching as it is .

nobody has much of a chance to go wrong in avonlea with rachel to oversee them . "

it has worried me terribly on sunday afternoons , that is , when i think specially about such matters .

i feel irresistibly tempted to do it .

now , what do you think is the reason i feel like that ?

do you think it 's because i 'm really bad and unregenerate ? "

marilla looked dubious for a moment .

then she laughed .

" if you are i guess i am too , anne , for rachel often has that very effect on me .

there should have been a special commandment against nagging .

but there , i shouldn't talk so .

rachel is a good christian woman and she means well .

there isn't a kinder soul in avonlea and she never shirks her share of work . "

" i 'm very glad you feel the same , " said anne decidedly .

" it 's so encouraging .

i shan't worry so much over that after this .

but i dare say there 'll be other things to worry me .

they keep coming up new all the time things to perplex you , you know .

you settle one question and there 's another right after .

there are so many things to be thought over and decided when you 're beginning to grow up .

it keeps me busy all the time thinking them over and deciding what is right .

it 's a serious thing to grow up , isn't it , marilla ?

i feel it 's a great responsibility because i have only the one chance .

if i don't grow up right i can't go back and begin over again .

i 've grown two inches this summer , marilla .

mr gillis measured me at ruby 's party .

i 'm so glad you made my new dresses longer .

that dark-green one is so pretty and it was sweet of you to put on the flounce .

of course i know it wasn't really necessary , but flounces are so stylish this fall and josie pye has flounces on all her dresses .

i know i 'll be able to study better because of mine .

i shall have such a comfortable feeling deep down in my mind about that flounce . "

" it 's worth something to have that , " admitted marilla .

miss stacy came back to avonlea school and found all her pupils eager for work once more .

suppose they did not pass !

but it was a jolly , busy , happy swift-flying winter .

schoolwork was as interesting , class rivalry as absorbing , as of yore .

" hills peeped o'er hill and alps on alps arose . "

much of all this was due to miss stacy 's tactful , careful , broadminded guidance .

apart from her studies anne expanded socially , for marilla , mindful of the spencervale doctor 's dictum , no longer vetoed occasional outings .

" why , anne , how you 've grown ! " she said , almost unbelievingly .

a sigh followed on the words .

marilla felt a queer regret over anne 's inches .

marilla loved the girl as much as she had loved the child , but she was conscious of a queer sorrowful sense of loss .

" i was thinking about anne , " she explained .

" she 's got to be such a big girl and she 'll probably be away from us next winter .

i 'll miss her terrible . "

" the branch railroad will be built to carmody by that time . "

" but there men can't understand these things ! "

there were other changes in anne no less real than the physical change .

for one thing , she became much quieter .

perhaps she thought all the more and dreamed as much as ever , but she certainly talked less .

marilla noticed and commented on this also .

" you don't chatter half as much as you used to , anne , nor use half as many big words .

what has come over you ? "

" i don't know i don't want to talk as much , " she said , denting her chin thoughtfully with her forefinger .

" it 's nicer to think dear , pretty thoughts and keep them in one 's heart , like treasures .

i don't like to have them laughed at or wondered over .

and somehow i don't want to use big words any more .

it 's almost a pity , isn't it , now that i 'm really growing big enough to say them if i did want to .

it 's fun to be almost grown up in some ways , but it 's not the kind of fun i expected , marilla .

there 's so much to learn and do and think that there isn't time for big words .

besides , miss stacy says the short ones are much stronger and better .

she makes us write all our essays as simply as possible .

it was hard at first .

i was so used to crowding in all the fine big words i could think of and i thought of any number of them .

but i 've got used to it now and i see it 's so much better . "

" what has become of your story club ?

i haven't heard you speak of it for a long time . "

" the story club isn't in existence any longer .

we hadn't time for it and anyhow i think we had got tired of it .

it was silly to be writing about love and murder and elopements and mysteries .

i never thought my compositions had so many faults until i began to look for them myself .

and so i am trying to . "

" you 've only two more months before the entrance , " said marilla .

" do you think you 'll be able to get through ? "

anne shivered .

" i don't know .

sometimes i think i 'll be all right and then i get horribly afraid .

we 've studied hard and miss stacy has drilled us thoroughly , but we mayn't get through for all that .

we 've each got a stumbling block .

mine is geometry of course , and jane 's is latin , and ruby and charlie 's is algebra , and josie 's is arithmetic .

moody spurgeon says he feels it in his bones that he is going to fail in english history .

i wish it was all over , marilla .

it haunts me .

sometimes i wake up in the night and wonder what i 'll do if i don't pass . "

" why , go to school next year and try again , " said marilla unconcernedly .

" oh , i don't believe i 'd have the heart for it .

it would be such a disgrace to fail , especially if gil if the others passed .

and i get so nervous in an examination that i 'm likely to make a mess of it .

i wish i had nerves like jane andrews .

nothing rattles her . "

chapter xxxii .

the pass list is out

|with the end of june came the close of the term and the close of miss stacy 's rule in avonlea school .

anne and diana walked home that evening feeling very sober indeed .

diana looked back at the schoolhouse from the foot of the spruce hill and sighed deeply .

" it does seem as if it was the end of everything , doesn't it ? " she said dismally .

" you oughtn't to feel half as badly as i do , " said anne , hunting vainly for a dry spot on her handkerchief .

" it won't be a bit the same .

miss stacy won't be there , nor you nor jane nor ruby probably .

i shall have to sit all alone , for i couldn't bear to have another deskmate after you .

oh , we have had jolly times , haven't we , anne ?

it 's dreadful to think they 're all over . "

two big tears rolled down by diana 's nose .

" if you would stop crying i could , " said anne imploringly .

" just as soon as i put away my hanky i see you brimming up and that starts me off again .

as mrs lynde says , ' if you can't be cheerful , be as cheerful as you can . '

after all , i dare say i 'll be back next year .

this is one of the times i know i 'm not going to pass .

they 're getting alarmingly frequent . "

" why , you came out splendidly in the exams miss stacy gave . "

" yes , but those exams didn't make me nervous .

when i think of the real thing you can't imagine what a horrid cold fluttery feeling comes round my heart .

and then my number is thirteen and josie pye says it 's so unlucky .

i am not superstitious and i know it can make no difference .

but still i wish it wasn't thirteen . "

" i do wish i was going in with you , " said diana .

" wouldn't we have a perfectly elegant time ?

but i suppose you 'll have to cram in the evenings . "

" no ; miss stacy has made us promise not to open a book at all .

it 's good advice , but i expect it will be hard to follow ; good advice is apt to be , i think .

it was so kind of your aunt josephine to ask me to stay at beechwood while i 'm in town . "

" you 'll write to me while you 're in , won't you ? "

" i 'll write tuesday night and tell you how the first day goes , " promised anne .

" i 'll be haunting the post office wednesday , " vowed diana .

anne went to town the following monday and on wednesday diana haunted the post office , as agreed , and got her letter .

" dearest diana " [ wrote anne ] ,

" here it is tuesday night and i 'm writing this in the library at beechwood .

last night i was horribly lonesome all alone in my room and wished so much you were with me .

" this morning miss stacy came for me and we went to the academy , calling for jane and ruby and josie on our way .

ruby asked me to feel her hands and they were as cold as ice .

there are times and seasons even yet when i don't feel that i 've made any great headway in learning to like josie pye !

" when we reached the academy there were scores of students there from all over the island .

the first person we saw was moody spurgeon sitting on the steps and muttering away to himself .

" when we were assigned to our rooms miss stacy had to leave us .

jane and i sat together and jane was so composed that i envied her .

no need of the multiplication table for good , steady , sensible jane !

i wondered if i looked as i felt and if they could hear my heart thumping clear across the room .

then a man came in and began distributing the english examination sheets .

my hands grew cold then and my head fairly whirled around as i picked it up .

" at noon we went home for dinner and then back again for history in the afternoon .

the history was a pretty hard paper and i got dreadfully mixed up in the dates .

still , i think i did fairly well today .

if i thought the multiplication table would help me any i would recite it from now till tomorrow morning .

" i went down to see the other girls this evening .

on my way i met moody spurgeon wandering distractedly around .

i cheered him up and persuaded him to stay to the end because it would be unfair to miss stacy if he didn't .

" ruby was in hysterics when i reached their boardinghouse ; she had just discovered a fearful mistake she had made in her english paper .

when she recovered we went uptown and had an ice cream .

how we wished you had been with us .

" oh , diana , if only the geometry examination were over !

but there , as mrs lynde would say , the sun will go on rising and setting whether i fail in geometry or not .

that is true but not especially comforting .

i think i'd rather it didn't go on if i failed !

" yours devotedly ,

" anne "

diana was over at green gables when she arrived and they met as if they had been parted for years .

" you old darling , it 's perfectly splendid to see you back again .

it seems like an age since you went to town and oh , anne , how did you get along ? "

" pretty well , i think , in everything but the geometry .

i don't know whether i passed in it or not and i have a creepy , crawly presentiment that i didn't .

oh , how good it is to be back !

green gables is the dearest , loveliest spot in the world . "

" how did the others do ? "

" the girls say they know they didn't pass , but i think they did pretty well .

josie says the geometry was so easy a child of ten could do it !

moody spurgeon still thinks he failed in history and charlie says he failed in algebra .

but we don't really know anything about it and won't until the pass list is out .

that won't be for a fortnight .

fancy living a fortnight in such suspense !

i wish i could go to sleep and never wake up until it is over . "

diana knew it would be useless to ask how gilbert blythe had fared , so she merely said :

" oh , you 'll pass all right .

don't worry . "

with this end in view anne had strained every nerve during the examinations .

so had gilbert .

but she had another and nobler motive for wishing to do well .

she wanted to " pass high " for the sake of matthew and marilla especially matthew .

matthew had declared to her his conviction that she " would beat the whole island . "

that , anne felt , was something it would be foolish to hope for even in the wildest dreams .

that , she felt , would be a sweet reward indeed for all her hard work and patient grubbing among unimaginative equations and conjugations .

charlie and gilbert were not above doing this too , but moody spurgeon stayed resolutely away .

" i haven't got the grit to go there and look at a paper in cold blood , " he told anne .

" i 'm just going to wait until somebody comes and tells me suddenly whether i 've passed or not . "

when three weeks had gone by without the pass list appearing anne began to feel that she really couldn't stand the strain much longer .

her appetite failed and her interest in avonlea doings languished .

but one evening the news came .

anne sprang to her feet , knowing at once what that paper contained .

the pass list was out !

her head whirled and her heart beat until it hurt her .

she could not move a step .

oh , i 'm so proud ! "

diana flung the paper on the table and herself on anne 's bed , utterly breathless and incapable of further speech .

anne lighted the lamp , oversetting the match safe and using up half a dozen matches before her shaking hands could accomplish the task .

then she snatched up the paper .

yes , she had passed there was her name at the very top of a list of two hundred !

that moment was worth living for .

you 've all passed , every one of you , moody spurgeon and all , although he 's conditioned in history .

jane and ruby did pretty well they 're halfway up and so did charlie .

josie just scraped through with three marks to spare , but you 'll see she 'll put on as many airs as if she 'd led .

won't miss stacy be delighted ?

oh , anne , what does it feel like to see your name at the head of a pass list like that ?

if it were me i know i 'd go crazy with joy .

i am pretty near crazy as it is , but you 're as calm and cool as a spring evening . "

" i 'm just dazzled inside , " said anne .

" i want to say a hundred things , and i can't find words to say them in .

i never dreamed of this yes , i did too , just once !

excuse me a minute , diana .

i must run right out to the field to tell matthew .

then we 'll go up the road and tell the good news to the others . "

" oh , matthew , " exclaimed anne , " i 've passed and i 'm first or one of the first !

i 'm not vain , but i 'm thankful . "

" well now , i always said it , " said matthew , gazing at the pass list delightedly .

" i knew you could beat them all easy . "

but that good soul said heartily :

" i just guess she has done well , and far be it from me to be backward in saying it .

you 're a credit to your friends , anne , that 's what , and we 're all proud of you . "

chapter xxxiii .

the hotel concert

|put on your white organdy , by all means , anne , " advised diana decidedly .

they were together in the east gable chamber ; outside it was only twilight a lovely yellowish-green twilight with a clear-blue cloudless sky .

but in anne 's room the blind was drawn and the lamp lighted , for an important toilet was being made .

miss stacy 's photograph occupied the place of honor , and anne made a sentimental point of keeping fresh flowers on the bracket under it .

tonight a spike of white lilies faintly perfumed the room like the dream of a fragrance .

anne was dressing for a concert at the white sands hotel .

there was a party of visitors expected out from town , and after the concert a supper was to be given to the performers .

" do you really think the organdy will be best ? " queried anne anxiously .

" i don't think it 's as pretty as my blue-flowered muslin and it certainly isn't so fashionable . "

" but it suits you ever so much better , " said diana .

" it 's so soft and frilly and clinging .

the muslin is stiff , and makes you look too dressed up .

but the organdy seems as if it grew on you . "

anne sighed and yielded .

diana was beginning to have a reputation for notable taste in dressing , and her advice on such subjects was much sought after .

" pull out that frill a little more so ; here , let me tie your sash ; now for your slippers .

i shall fasten this little white house rose just behind your ear .

there was just one on my bush , and i saved it for you . "

" shall i put my pearl beads on ? " asked anne .

" matthew brought me a string from town last week , and i know he 'd like to see them on me . "

" there 's something so stylish about you , anne , " said diana , with unenvious admiration .

" you hold your head with such an air .

i suppose it 's your figure .

i am just a dumpling .

i 've always been afraid of it , and now i know it is so .

well , i suppose i shall just have to resign myself to it . "

" but you have such dimples , " said anne , smiling affectionately into the pretty , vivacious face so near her own .

" lovely dimples , like little dents in cream .

i have given up all hope of dimples .

my dimple-dream will never come true ; but so many of my dreams have that i mustn't complain .

am i all ready now ? "

" come right in and look at our elocutionist , marilla .

doesn't she look lovely ? "

marilla emitted a sound between a sniff and a grunt .

" she looks neat and proper .

i like that way of fixing her hair .

organdy 's the most unserviceable stuff in the world anyhow , and i told matthew so when he got it .

but there is no use in saying anything to matthew nowadays .

just let them tell him a thing is pretty and fashionable , and matthew plunks his money down for it .

mind you keep your skirt clear of the wheel , anne , and put your warm jacket on . "

then marilla stalked downstairs , thinking proudly how sweet anne looked , with that

" one moonbeam from the forehead to the crown "

and regretting that she could not go to the concert herself to hear her girl recite .

" i wonder if it is too damp for my dress , " said anne anxiously .

" not a bit of it , " said diana , pulling up the window blind .

" it 's a perfect night , and there won't be any dew .

look at the moonlight . "

" i 'm so glad my window looks east into the sun rising , " said anne , going over to diana .

" it 's so splendid to see the morning coming up over those long hills and glowing through those sharp fir tops .

it 's new every morning , and i feel as if i washed my very soul in that bath of earliest sunshine .

oh , diana , i love this little room so dearly .

i don't know how i 'll get along without it when i go to town next month . "

" don't speak of your going away tonight , " begged diana .

what are you going to recite , anne ?

and are you nervous ? "

" not a bit .

i 've recited so often in public i don't mind at all now .

i 've decided to give ' the maiden 's vow . '

it 's so pathetic .

laura spencer is going to give a comic recitation , but i 'd rather make people cry than laugh . "

" what will you recite if they encore you ? "

" there are billy and jane now i hear the wheels .

come on . "

billy andrews insisted that anne should ride on the front seat with him , so she unwillingly climbed up .

she would have much preferred to sit back with the girls , where she could have laughed and chattered to her heart 's content .

there was not much of either laughter or chatter in billy .

it was a night for enjoyment .

the road was full of buggies , all bound for the hotel , and laughter , silver clear , echoed and reechoed along it .

when they reached the hotel it was a blaze of light from top to bottom .

what were her pearl beads compared to the diamonds of the big , handsome lady near her ?

and how poor her one wee white rose must look beside all the hothouse flowers the others wore !

anne laid her hat and jacket away , and shrank miserably into a corner .

she wished herself back in the white room at green gables .

it was still worse on the platform of the big concert hall of the hotel , where she presently found herself .

the electric lights dazzled her eyes , the perfume and hum bewildered her .

she was wedged in between a stout lady in pink silk and a tall , scornful-looking girl in a white-lace dress .

anne believed that she would hate that white-lace girl to the end of life .

unfortunately for anne , a professional elocutionist was staying at the hotel and had consented to recite .

she had a marvelously flexible voice and wonderful power of expression ; the audience went wild over her selection .

she could never get up and recite after that never .

had she ever thought she could recite ?

oh , if she were only back at green gables !

at this unpropitious moment her name was called .

she was so pale that diana and jane , down in the audience , clasped each other 's hands in nervous sympathy .

anne was the victim of an overwhelming attack of stage fright .

very different this from the plain benches at the debating club , filled with the homely , sympathetic faces of friends and neighbors .

these people , she thought , would be merciless critics .

perhaps , like the white-lace girl , they anticipated amusement from her " rustic " efforts .

she felt hopelessly , helplessly ashamed and miserable .

in reality it was nothing of the kind .

josie pye , whom he had driven over , sat beside him , and her face certainly was both triumphant and taunting .

but anne did not see josie , and would not have cared if she had .

she drew a long breath and flung her head up proudly , courage and determination tingling over her like an electric shock .

she would not fail before gilbert blythe he should never be able to laugh at her , never , never !

self-possession was fully restored to her , and in the reaction from that horrible moment of powerlessness she recited as she had never done before .

when she finished there were bursts of honest applause .

" my dear , you did splendidly , " she puffed .

" i 've been crying like a baby , actually i have .

there , they 're encoring you they 're bound to have you back ! "

" oh , i can't go , " said anne confusedly .

" but yet i must , or matthew will be disappointed .

he said they would encore me . "

" then don't disappoint matthew , " said the pink lady , laughing .

smiling , blushing , limpid eyed , anne tripped back and gave a quaint , funny little selection that captivated her audience still further .

the rest of the evening was quite a little triumph for her .

even the white-lace girl paid her a languid little compliment .

anne breathed deeply , and looked into the clear sky beyond the dark boughs of the firs .

oh , it was good to be out again in the purity and silence of the night !

" hasn't it been a perfectly splendid time ? " sighed jane , as they drove away .

i 'm sure it would be ever so much more fun than teaching school .

anne , your recitation was simply great , although i thought at first you were never going to begin .

i think it was better than mrs evans 's . "

" oh , no , don't say things like that , jane , " said anne quickly , " because it sounds silly .

i 'm quite satisfied if the people just liked mine pretty well . "

" i 've a compliment for you , anne , " said diana .

" at least i think it must be a compliment because of the tone he said it in .

part of it was anyhow .

there was an american sitting behind jane and me such a romantic-looking man , with coal-black hair and eyes .

well , we heard him say didn't we , jane ?

' who is that girl on the platform with the splendid titian hair ?

she has a face i should like to paint . '

there now , anne .

but what does titian hair mean ? "

" being interpreted it means plain red , i guess , " laughed anne .

" titian was a very famous artist who liked to paint red-haired women . "

" did you see all the diamonds those ladies wore ? " sighed jane .

" they were simply dazzling .

wouldn't you just love to be rich , girls ? "

" we are rich , " said anne staunchly .

look at that sea , girls all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen .

we couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds .

you wouldn't change into any of those women if you could .

or the pink lady , kind and nice as she is , so stout and short that you 'd really no figure at all ?

or even mrs evans , with that sad , sad look in her eyes ?

she must have been dreadfully unhappy sometime to have such a look .

you know you wouldn't , jane andrews ! "

" i don't know exactly , " said jane unconvinced .

" i think diamonds would comfort a person for a good deal . "

" i 'm quite content to be anne of green gables , with my string of pearl beads .

i know matthew gave me as much love with them as ever went with madame the pink lady 's jewels . "

chapter xxxiv .

a queen 's girl

more one evening she went up to the east gable with her arms full of a delicate pale green material .

" anne , here 's something for a nice light dress for you .

i got mrs allan to help me pick it in town last week , and we 'll get emily gillis to make it for you .

emily has got taste , and her fits aren't to be equaled . "

" oh , marilla , it 's just lovely , " said anne .

" thank you so much .

i don't believe you ought to be so kind to me it 's making it harder every day for me to go away . "

the green dress was made up with as many tucks and frills and shirrings as emily 's taste permitted .

anne put it on one evening for matthew 's and marilla 's benefit , and recited " the maiden 's vow " for them in the kitchen .

something in the memory brought tears to marilla 's own eyes .

" now , i call that a positive triumph . "

" i just couldn't help thinking of the little girl you used to be , anne .

and i was wishing you could have stayed a little girl , even with all your queer ways .

" marilla ! "

anne sat down on marilla 's gingham lap , took marilla 's lined face between her hands , and looked gravely and tenderly into marilla 's eyes .

" i 'm not a bit changed not really .

i 'm only just pruned down and branched out .

the real me back here is just the same .

anne laid her fresh young cheek against marilla 's faded one , and reached out a hand to pat matthew 's shoulder .

matthew , with a suspicious moisture in his eyes , got up and went out-of-doors .

under the stars of the blue summer night he walked agitatedly across the yard to the gate under the poplars .

" well now , i guess she ain't been much spoiled , " he muttered , proudly .

" i guess my putting in my oar occasional never did much harm after all .

she 's smart and pretty , and loving , too , which is better than all the rest .

she 's been a blessing to us , and there never was a luckier mistake than what mrs spencer made if it was luck .

i don't believe it was any such thing .

it was providence , because the almighty saw we needed her , i reckon . "

the day finally came when anne must go to town .

anne and the rest of the avonlea scholars reached town just in time to hurry off to the academy .

anne intended taking up the second year work being advised to do so by miss stacy ; gilbert blythe elected to do the same .

" i wouldn't feel comfortable without it , " she thought .

" gilbert looks awfully determined .

i suppose he 's making up his mind , here and now , to win the medal .

what a splendid chin he has !

i never noticed it before .

i do wish jane and ruby had gone in for first class , too .

i suppose i won't feel so much like a cat in a strange garret when i get acquainted , though .

i wonder which of the girls here are going to be my friends .

it 's really an interesting speculation .

i like the look of that girl with the brown eyes and the crimson waist .

she looks vivid and red-rosy ; there 's that pale , fair one gazing out of the window .

she has lovely hair , and looks as if she knew a thing or two about dreams .

i 'd like to know them both know them well well enough to walk with my arm about their waists , and call them nicknames .

but just now i don't know them and they don't know me , and probably don't want to know me particularly .

oh , it 's lonesome ! "

it was lonesomer still when anne found herself alone in her hall bedroom that night at twilight .

she was not to board with the other girls , who all had relatives in town to take pity on them .

" the lady who keeps it is a reduced gentlewoman , " explained miss barry .

" her husband was a british officer , and she is very careful what sort of boarders she takes .

anne will not meet with any objectionable persons under her roof .

the table is good , and the house is near the academy , in a quiet neighborhood . "

she knew that she was going to cry , and fought against it .

" i won't cry .

it 's silly and weak there 's the third tear splashing down by my nose .

there are more coming !

i must think of something funny to stop them .

they 're coming in a flood presently .

i can't cheer up i don't want to cheer up .

it 's nicer to be miserable ! "

the flood of tears would have come , no doubt , had not josie pye appeared at that moment .

in the joy of seeing a familiar face anne forgot that there had never been much love lost between her and josie .

as a part of avonlea life even a pye was welcome .

" i 'm so glad you came up , " anne said sincerely .

" you 've been crying , " remarked josie , with aggravating pity .

" i suppose you 're homesick some people have so little self-control in that respect .

i 've no intention of being homesick , i can tell you .

town 's too jolly after that poky old avonlea .

i wonder how i ever existed there so long .

you shouldn't cry , anne ; it isn't becoming , for your nose and eyes get red , and then you seem all red .

i 'd a perfectly scrumptious time in the academy today .

our french professor is simply a duck .

his moustache would give you kerwollowps of the heart .

have you anything eatable around , anne ?

i 'm literally starving .

ah , i guessed likely marilla ' d load you up with cake .

that 's why i called round .

otherwise i 'd have gone to the park to hear the band play with frank stockley .

he boards same place as i do , and he 's a sport .

he noticed you in class today , and asked me who the red-headed girl was .

i told him you were an orphan that the cuthberts had adopted , and nobody knew very much about what you 'd been before that . "

as josie was not " speaking " to jane just then she had to subside into comparative harmlessness .

" well , " said jane with a sigh , " i feel as if i 'd lived many moons since the morning .

i ought to be home studying my virgil that horrid old professor gave us twenty lines to start in on tomorrow .

but i simply couldn't settle down to study tonight .

anne , methinks i see the traces of tears .

if you 've been crying do own up .

it will restore my self-respect , for i was shedding tears freely before ruby came along .

i don't mind being a goose so much if somebody else is goosey , too .

cake ?

you 'll give me a teeny piece , won't you ?

thank you .

it has the real avonlea flavor . "

ruby , perceiving the queen 's calendar lying on the table , wanted to know if anne meant to try for the gold medal .

anne blushed and admitted she was thinking of it .

" oh , that reminds me , " said josie , " queen 's is to get one of the avery scholarships after all .

the word came today .

frank stockley told me his uncle is one of the board of governors , you know .

it will be announced in the academy tomorrow . "

an avery scholarship !

anne felt her heart beat more quickly , and the horizons of her ambition shifted and broadened as if by magic .

for the avery scholarship was in english , and anne felt that here her foot was on native heath .

no wonder that anne went to bed that night with tingling cheeks !

" i 'll win that scholarship if hard work can do it , " she resolved .

" wouldn't matthew be proud if i got to be a b.a . ?

oh , it 's delightful to have ambitions .

i 'm so glad i have such a lot .

and there never seems to be any end to them that 's the best of it .

just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still .

it does make life so interesting . "

chapter xxxv .

the winter at queen 's

|anne's homesickness wore off , greatly helped in the wearing by her weekend visits home .

as long as the open weather lasted the avonlea students went out to carmody on the new branch railway every friday night .

diana and several other avonlea young folks were generally on hand to meet them and they all walked over to avonlea in a merry party .

gilbert blythe nearly always walked with ruby gillis and carried her satchel for her .

she had large , bright-blue eyes , a brilliant complexion , and a plump showy figure .

she laughed a great deal , was cheerful and good-tempered , and enjoyed the pleasant things of life frankly .

" but i shouldn't think she was the sort of girl gilbert would like , " whispered jane to anne .

anne did not think so either , but she would not have said so for the avery scholarship .

gilbert had ambitions , she knew , and ruby gillis did not seem the sort of person with whom such could be profitably discussed .

there was no silly sentiment in anne 's ideas concerning gilbert .

boys were to her , when she thought about them at all , merely possible good comrades .

if she and gilbert had been friends she would not have cared how many other friends he had nor with whom he walked .

not that anne could have put her feelings on the matter into just such clear definition .

in the academy anne gradually drew a little circle of friends about her , thoughtful , imaginative , ambitious students like herself .

after the christmas holidays the avonlea students gave up going home on fridays and settled down to hard work .

certain facts had become generally accepted .

even josie pye attained a certain preeminence as the sharpest-tongued young lady in attendance at queen 's .

so it may be fairly stated that miss stacy 's old pupils held their own in the wider arena of the academical course .

anne worked hard and steadily .

it would be worth while to win , but she no longer thought life would be insupportable if she did not .

in spite of lessons the students found opportunities for pleasant times .

anne spent many of her spare hours at beechwood and generally ate her sunday dinners there and went to church with miss barry .

but she never sharpened the latter on anne , who continued to be a prime favorite with the critical old lady .

" that anne-girl improves all the time , " she said .

" i get tired of other girls there is such a provoking and eternal sameness about them .

anne has as many shades as a rainbow and every shade is the prettiest while it lasts .

it saves me so much trouble in making myself love them . "

but in charlottetown harassed queen 's students thought and talked only of examinations .

" it doesn't seem possible that the term is nearly over , " said anne .

" why , last fall it seemed so long to look forward to a whole winter of studies and classes .

and here we are , with the exams looming up next week .

jane and ruby and josie , who had dropped in , did not take this view of it .

to them the coming examinations were constantly very important indeed far more important than chestnut buds or maytime hazes .

" i 've lost seven pounds in the last two weeks , " sighed jane .

" it 's no use to say don't worry .

i will worry .

worrying helps you some it seems as if you were doing something when you 're worrying .

it would be dreadful if i failed to get my license after going to queen 's all winter and spending so much money . "

" i don't care , " said josie pye .

" if i don't pass this year i 'm coming back next .

my father can afford to send me .

i 've done my best and i begin to understand what is meant by the ' joy of the strife . '

next to trying and winning , the best thing is trying and failing .

girls , don't talk about exams !

" what are you going to wear for commencement , jane ? " asked ruby practically .

jane and josie both answered at once and the chatter drifted into a side eddy of fashions .

chapter xxxvi .

the glory and the dream

anne was pale and quiet ; in ten more minutes she would know who had won the medal and who the avery .

beyond those ten minutes there did not seem , just then , to be anything worth being called time .

" i have not hope of the avery , " said anne .

" everybody says emily clay will win it .

and i 'm not going to march up to that bulletin board and look at it before everybody .

i haven't the moral courage .

i 'm going straight to the girls ' dressing room .

you must read the announcements and then come and tell me , jane .

and i implore you in the name of our old friendship to do it as quickly as possible .

if i have failed just say so , without trying to break it gently ; and whatever you do don't sympathize with me .

promise me this , jane . "

jane promised solemnly ; but , as it happened , there was no necessity for such a promise .

for a moment anne felt one sickening pang of defeat and disappointment .

so she had failed and gilbert had won !

well , matthew would be sorry he had been so sure she would win .

and then !

somebody called out :

" three cheers for miss shirley , winner of the avery ! "

" oh , anne , " gasped jane , as they fled to the girls ' dressing room amid hearty cheers .

" oh , anne i 'm so proud !

isn't it splendid ? "

and then the girls were around them and anne was the center of a laughing , congratulating group .

her shoulders were thumped and her hands shaken vigorously .

she was pushed and pulled and hugged and among it all she managed to whisper to jane :

" oh , won't matthew and marilla be pleased !

i must write the news home right away . "

commencement was the next important happening .

the exercises were held in the big assembly hall of the academy .

addresses were given , essays read , songs sung , the public award of diplomas , prizes and medals made .

" it 's not the first time i 've been glad , " retorted marilla .

" you do like to rub things in , matthew cuthbert . "

miss barry , who was sitting behind them , leaned forward and poked marilla in the back with her parasol .

" aren't you proud of that anne-girl ?

i am , " she said .

anne went home to avonlea with matthew and marilla that evening .

she had not been home since april and she felt that she could not wait another day .

the apple blossoms were out and the world was fresh and young .

diana was at green gables to meet her .

" oh , diana , it 's so good to be back again .

it 's so good to see those pointed firs coming out against the pink sky and that white orchard and the old snow queen .

isn't the breath of the mint delicious ?

and that tea rose why , it 's a song and a hope and a prayer all in one .

and it 's good to see you again , diana ! "

" i thought you liked that stella maynard better than me , " said diana reproachfully .

" josie pye told me you did .

josie said you were infatuated with her . "

anne laughed and pelted diana with the faded " june lilies " of her bouquet .

" stella maynard is the dearest girl in the world except one and you are that one , diana , " she said .

" i love you more than ever and i 've so many things to tell you .

but just now i feel as if it were joy enough to sit here and look at you .

i 'm tired , i think tired of being studious and ambitious .

i mean to spend at least two hours tomorrow lying out in the orchard grass , thinking of absolutely nothing . "

" you 've done splendidly , anne .

i suppose you won't be teaching now that you 've won the avery ? "

" no .

i 'm going to redmond in september .

doesn't it seem wonderful ?

i 'll have a brand new stock of ambition laid in by that time after three glorious , golden months of vacation .

jane and ruby are going to teach .

isn't it splendid to think we all got through even to moody spurgeon and josie pye ? "

" the newbridge trustees have offered jane their school already , " said diana .

" gilbert blythe is going to teach , too .

he has to .

his father can't afford to send him to college next year , after all , so he means to earn his own way through .

i expect he 'll get the school here if miss ames decides to leave . "

anne felt a queer little sensation of dismayed surprise .

she had not known this ; she had expected that gilbert would be going to redmond also .

what would she do without their inspiring rivalry ?

would not work , even at a coeducational college with a real degree in prospect , be rather flat without her friend the enemy ?

the next morning at breakfast it suddenly struck anne that matthew was not looking well .

surely he was much grayer than he had been a year before .

" marilla , " she said hesitatingly when he had gone out , " is matthew quite well ? "

" no , he isn't , " said marilla in a troubled tone .

" he 's had some real bad spells with his heart this spring and he won't spare himself a mite .

maybe he will now you 're home .

you always cheer him up . "

anne leaned across the table and took marilla 's face in her hands .

" you are not looking as well yourself as i 'd like to see you , marilla .

you look tired .

i 'm afraid you 've been working too hard .

you must take a rest , now that i 'm home .

marilla smiled affectionately at her girl .

" it's not the work it 's my head .

i 've got a pain so often now behind my eyes .

doctor spencer 's been fussing with glasses , but they don't do me any good .

there is a distinguished oculist coming to the island the last of june and the doctor says i must see him .

i guess i 'll have to .

i can't read or sew with any comfort now .

well , anne , you 've done real well at queen 's i must say .

i don't believe a word of it .

speaking of rachel reminds me did you hear anything about the abbey bank lately , anne ? "

" i heard it was shaky , " answered anne .

" why ? "

" that is what rachel said .

she was up here one day last week and said there was some talk about it .

matthew felt real worried .

all we have saved is in that bank every penny .

matthew said any bank with him at the head of it was good enough for anybody . "

" i think he has only been its nominal head for many years , " said anne .

" he is a very old man ; his nephews are really at the head of the institution . "

" well , when rachel told us that , i wanted matthew to draw our money right out and he said he 'd think of it .

but mr russell told him yesterday that the bank was all right . "

anne had her good day in the companionship of the outdoor world .

she never forgot that day ; it was so bright and golden and fair , so free from shadow and so lavish of blossom .

the woods were all gloried through with sunset and the warm splendor of it streamed down through the hill gaps in the west .

matthew walked slowly with bent head ; anne , tall and erect , suited her springing step to his .

" you 've been working too hard today , matthew , " she said reproachfully .

" why won't you take things easier ? "

" well now , i can't seem to , " said matthew , as he opened the yard gate to let the cows through .

" it 's only that i 'm getting old , anne , and keep forgetting it .

well , well , i 've always worked pretty hard and i 'd rather drop in harness . "

i could find it in my heart to wish i had been , just for that . "

" well now , i 'd rather have you than a dozen boys , anne , " said matthew patting her hand .

" just mind you that rather than a dozen boys .

well now , i guess it wasn't a boy that took the avery scholarship , was it ?

it was a girl my girl my girl that i 'm proud of . "

he smiled his shy smile at her as he went into the yard .

outside the snow queen was mistily white in the moonshine ; the frogs were singing in the marsh beyond orchard slope .

anne always remembered the silvery , peaceful beauty and fragrant calm of that night .

chapter xxxvii .

the reaper whose name is death

|matthew matthew what is the matter ?

matthew , are you sick ? "

it was marilla who spoke , alarm in every jerky word .

anne dropped her flowers and sprang across the kitchen to him at the same moment as marilla .

they were both too late ; before they could reach him matthew had fallen across the threshold .

" he 's fainted , " gasped marilla .

" anne , run for martin quick , quick !

he 's at the barn . "

mrs lynde , who was there on an errand , came too .

they found anne and marilla distractedly trying to restore matthew to consciousness .

mrs lynde pushed them gently aside , tried his pulse , and then laid her ear over his heart .

she looked at their anxious faces sorrowfully and the tears came into her eyes .

" oh , marilla , " she said gravely .

" i don't think we can do anything for him . "

" child , yes , i 'm afraid of it .

look at his face .

when you 've seen that look as often as i have you 'll know what it means . "

anne looked at the still face and there beheld the seal of the great presence .

when the doctor came he said that death had been instantaneous and probably painless , caused in all likelihood by some sudden shock .

the secret of the shock was discovered to be in the paper matthew had held and which martin had brought from the office that morning .

it contained an account of the failure of the abbey bank .

when the calm night came softly down over green gables the old house was hushed and tranquil .

anne had gathered them and brought them to him , her anguished , tearless eyes burning in her white face .

it was the last thing she could do for him .

the barrys and mrs lynde stayed with them that night .

diana , going to the east gable , where anne was standing at her window , said gently :

" anne dear , would you like to have me sleep with you tonight ? "

" thank you , diana . "

anne looked earnestly into her friend 's face .

" i think you won't misunderstand me when i say i want to be alone .

i 'm not afraid .

i haven't been alone one minute since it happened and i want to be .

i want to be quite silent and quiet and try to realize it .

i can't realize it .

diana did not quite understand .

but she went away kindly , leaving anne alone to keep her first vigil with sorrow .

anne hoped that the tears would come in solitude .

then the tears came and anne wept her heart out .

marilla heard her and crept in to comfort her .

" there there don't cry so , dearie .

it can't bring him back .

it it isn't right to cry so .

i knew that today , but i couldn't help it then .

he 'd always been such a good , kind brother to me but god knows best . "

" oh , just let me cry , marilla , " sobbed anne .

" the tears don't hurt me like that ache did .

stay here for a little while with me and keep your arm round me so .

it 's our sorrow yours and mine .

oh , marilla , what will we do without him ? "

" we 've got each other , anne .

i don't know what i 'd do if you weren't here if you 'd never come .

i want to tell you now when i can .

it 's never been easy for me to say things out of my heart , but at times like this it 's easier .

today diana said something funny and i found myself laughing .

i thought when it happened i could never laugh again .

and it somehow seems as if i oughtn't to . "

" he is just away now ; and he likes to know it just the same .

i am sure we should not shut our hearts against the healing influences that nature offers us .

but i can understand your feeling .

i think we all experience the same thing .

" i was down to the graveyard to plant a rosebush on matthew 's grave this afternoon , " said anne dreamily .

i hope he has roses like them in heaven .

perhaps the souls of all those little white roses that he has loved so many summers were all there to meet him .

i must go home now .

marilla is all alone and she gets lonely at twilight . "

" she will be lonelier still , i fear , when you go away again to college , " said mrs allan .

anne did not reply ; she said good night and went slowly back to green gables .

marilla was sitting on the front door-steps and anne sat down beside her .

the door was open behind them , held back by a big pink conch shell with hints of sea sunsets in its smooth inner convolutions .

anne gathered some sprays of pale-yellow honeysuckle and put them in her hair .

she liked the delicious hint of fragrance , as some aerial benediction , above her every time she moved .

" doctor spencer was here while you were away , " marilla said .

" he says that the specialist will be in town tomorrow and he insists that i must go in and have my eyes examined .

i suppose i 'd better go and have it over .

i 'll be more than thankful if the man can give me the right kind of glasses to suit my eyes .

you won't mind staying here alone while i 'm away , will you ?

martin will have to drive me in and there 's ironing and baking to do . "

" i shall be all right .

diana will come over for company for me .

i shall attend to the ironing and baking beautifully you needn't fear that i 'll starch the handkerchiefs or flavor the cake with liniment . "

marilla laughed .

" what a girl you were for making mistakes in them days , anne .

you were always getting into scrapes .

i did use to think you were possessed .

do you mind the time you dyed your hair ? "

" yes , indeed .

i shall never forget it , " smiled anne , touching the heavy braid of hair that was wound about her shapely head .

i did suffer terribly over my hair and my freckles .

my freckles are really gone ; and people are nice enough to tell me my hair is auburn now all but josie pye .

marilla , i 've almost decided to give up trying to like josie pye .

i 've made what i would once have called a heroic effort to like her , but josie pye won't be liked . "

" josie is a pye , " said marilla sharply , " so she can't help being disagreeable .

is josie going to teach ? "

" no , she is going back to queen 's next year .

so are moody spurgeon and charlie sloane .

jane and ruby are going to teach and they have both got schools jane at newbridge and ruby at some place up west . "

" gilbert blythe is going to teach too , isn't he ? "

" yes " briefly .

" what a nice-looking fellow he is , " said marilla absently .

" i saw him in church last sunday and he seemed so tall and manly .

he looks a lot like his father did at the same age .

john blythe was a nice boy .

we used to be real good friends , he and i . people called him my beau . "

anne looked up with swift interest .

" oh , marilla and what happened ? why didn't you "

" we had a quarrel .

i wouldn't forgive him when he asked me to .

i meant to , after awhile but i was sulky and angry and i wanted to punish him first .

he never came back the blythes were all mighty independent .

but i always felt rather sorry .

i 've always kind of wished i 'd forgiven him when i had the chance . "

" so you 've had a bit of romance in your life , too , " said anne softly .

" yes , i suppose you might call it that .

you wouldn't think so to look at me , would you ?

but you never can tell about people from their outsides .

everybody has forgot about me and john .

i 'd forgotten myself .

but it all came back to me when i saw gilbert last sunday . "

chapter xxxviii .

the bend in the road

|marilla went to town the next day and returned in the evening .

something in her dejected attitude struck a chill to anne 's heart .

she had never seen marilla sit limply inert like that .

" are you very tired , marilla ? "

" yes no i don't know , " said marilla wearily , looking up .

" i suppose i am tired but i haven't thought about it .

it 's not that . "

" did you see the oculist ?

what did he say ? " asked anne anxiously .

" yes , i saw him .

he examined my eyes .

but if i don't he says i 'll certainly be stone-blind in six months .

blind !

anne , just think of it ! "

for a minute anne , after her first quick exclamation of dismay , was silent .

it seemed to her that she could not speak .

then she said bravely , but with a catch in her voice :

" marilla , don't think of it .

you know he has given you hope .

if you are careful you won't lose your sight altogether ; and if his glasses cure your headaches it will be a great thing . "

" i don't call it much hope , " said marilla bitterly .

" what am i to live for if i can't read or sew or do anything like that ?

i might as well be blind or dead .

and as for crying , i can't help that when i get lonesome .

but there , it 's no good talking about it .

if you 'll get me a cup of tea i 'll be thankful .

i 'm about done out .

don't say anything about this to any one for a spell yet , anyway .

i can't bear that folks should come here to question and sympathize and talk about it . "

when marilla had eaten her lunch anne persuaded her to go to bed .

how sadly things had changed since she had sat there the night after coming home !

then she had been full of hope and joy and the future had looked rosy with promise .

she had looked her duty courageously in the face and found it a friend as duty ever is when we meet it frankly .

anne wondered what he could have been saying to bring that look to marilla 's face .

" what did mr sadler want , marilla ? "

marilla sat down by the window and looked at anne .

there were tears in her eyes in defiance of the oculist 's prohibition and her voice broke as she said :

" he heard that i was going to sell green gables and he wants to buy it . "

" buy it !

buy green gables ? "

anne wondered if she had heard aright .

" oh , marilla , you don't mean to sell green gables ! "

" anne , i don't know what else is to be done .

i 've thought it all over .

if my eyes were strong i could stay here and make out to look after things and manage , with a good hired man .

but as it is i can't .

i may lose my sight altogether ; and anyway i 'll not be fit to run things .

oh , i never thought i 'd live to see the day when i 'd have to sell my home .

but things would only go behind worse and worse all the time , till nobody would want to buy it .

every cent of our money went in that bank ; and there 's some notes matthew gave last fall to pay .

mrs lynde advises me to sell the farm and board somewhere with her i suppose .

it won't bring much it 's small and the buildings are old .

but it 'll be enough for me to live on i reckon .

i 'm thankful you're provided for with that scholarship , anne .

i 'm sorry you won't have a home to come to in your vacations , that 's all , but i suppose you 'll manage somehow . "

marilla broke down and wept bitterly .

" you mustn't sell green gables , " said anne resolutely .

" oh , anne , i wish i didn't have to .

but you can see for yourself .

i can't stay here alone .

i 'd go crazy with trouble and loneliness .

and my sight would go i know it would . "

" you won't have to stay here alone , marilla .

i 'll be with you .

i 'm not going to redmond . "

" not going to redmond ! "

marilla lifted her worn face from her hands and looked at anne .

" why , what do you mean ? "

" just what i say .

i 'm not going to take the scholarship .

i decided so the night after you came home from town .

you surely don't think i could leave you alone in your trouble , marilla , after all you 've done for me .

i 've been thinking and planning .

let me tell you my plans .

mr barry wants to rent the farm for next year .

so you won't have any bother over that .

and i 'm going to teach .

i 've applied for the school here but i don't expect to get it for i understand the trustees have promised it to gilbert blythe .

but i can have the carmody school mr blair told me so last night at the store .

of course that won't be quite as nice or convenient as if i had the avonlea school .

but i can board home and drive myself over to carmody and back , in the warm weather at least .

and even in winter i can come home fridays .

we 'll keep a horse for that .

oh , i have it all planned out , marilla .

and i 'll read to you and keep you cheered up .

you sha'n't be dull or lonesome .

and we 'll be real cozy and happy here together , you and i . "

marilla had listened like a woman in a dream .

" oh , anne , i could get on real well if you were here , i know .

but i can't let you sacrifice yourself so for me .

it would be terrible . "

" nonsense ! "

anne laughed merrily .

" there is no sacrifice .

nothing could be worse than giving up green gables nothing could hurt me more .

we must keep the dear old place .

my mind is quite made up , marilla .

i 'm not going to redmond ; and i am going to stay here and teach .

don't you worry about me a bit . "

" but your ambitions and "

" i 'm just as ambitious as ever .

only , i 've changed the object of my ambitions .

i 'm going to be a good teacher and i 'm going to save your eyesight .

besides , i mean to study at home here and take a little college course all by myself .

oh , i 've dozens of plans , marilla .

i 've been thinking them out for a week .

i shall give life here my best , and i believe it will give its best to me in return .

when i left queen 's my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight road .

i thought i could see along it for many a milestone .

now there is a bend in it .

i don't know what lies around the bend , but i 'm going to believe that the best does .

it has a fascination of its own , that bend , marilla .

" i don't feel as if i ought to let you give it up , " said marilla , referring to the scholarship .

" but you can't prevent me .

i 'm sixteen and a half , ' obstinate as a mule , ' as mrs lynde once told me , " laughed anne .

" oh , marilla , don't you go pitying me .

i don't like to be pitied , and there is no need for it .

i 'm heart glad over the very thought of staying at dear green gables .

nobody could love it as you and i do so we must keep it . "

" you blessed girl ! " said marilla , yielding .

" i feel as if you 'd given me new life .

i guess i ought to stick out and make you go to college but i know i can't , so i ain't going to try .

i 'll make it up to you though , anne . "

most of the good folks , not knowing about marilla 's eyes , thought she was foolish .

mrs allan did not .

she told anne so in approving words that brought tears of pleasure to the girl 's eyes .

neither did good mrs lynde .

she came up one evening and found anne and marilla sitting at the front door in the warm , scented summer dusk .

" i declare i 'm getting glad to sit down .

i 've been on my feet all day , and two hundred pounds is a good bit for two feet to carry round .

it 's a great blessing not to be fat , marilla .

i hope you appreciate it .

well , anne , i hear you 've given up your notion of going to college .

i was real glad to hear it .

you 've got as much education now as a woman can be comfortable with .

i don't believe in girls going to college with the men and cramming their heads full of latin and greek and all that nonsense . "

" but i 'm going to study latin and greek just the same , mrs lynde , " said anne laughing .

" i 'm going to take my arts course right here at green gables , and study everything that i would at college . "

mrs lynde lifted her hands in holy horror .

" anne shirley , you 'll kill yourself . "

" not a bit of it .

i shall thrive on it .

oh , i 'm not going to overdo things .

as ' josiah allen 's wife , ' says , i shall be ' mejum ' .

but i 'll have lots of spare time in the long winter evenings , and i 've no vocation for fancy work .

i 'm going to teach over at carmody , you know . "

" i don't know it .

i guess you 're going to teach right here in avonlea .

the trustees have decided to give you the school . "

" mrs lynde ! " cried anne , springing to her feet in her surprise .

" why , i thought they had promised it to gilbert blythe ! "

" so they did .

he said he was going to teach at white sands .

so the trustees decided to take you .

i was tickled to death when thomas came home and told me . "

" i don't feel that i ought to take it , " murmured anne .

" i mean i don't think i ought to let gilbert make such a sacrifice for for me . "

" i guess you can't prevent him now .

he 's signed papers with the white sands trustees .

so it wouldn't do him any good now if you were to refuse .

of course you 'll take the school .

you 'll get along all right , now that there are no pyes going .

josie was the last of them , and a good thing she was , that 's what .

bless my heart !

what does all that winking and blinking at the barry gable mean ? "

" diana is signaling for me to go over , " laughed anne .

" you know we keep up the old custom .

excuse me while i run over and see what she wants . "

anne ran down the clover slope like a deer , and disappeared in the firry shadows of the haunted wood .

mrs lynde looked after her indulgently .

" there 's a good deal of the child about her yet in some ways . "

but crispness was no longer marilla 's distinguishing characteristic .

as mrs lynde told her thomas that night .

" marilla cuthbert has got mellow .

that's what . "

anne went to the little avonlea graveyard the next evening to put fresh flowers on matthew 's grave and water the scotch rosebush .

there was a freshness in the air as of a wind that had blown over honey-sweet fields of clover .

home lights twinkled out here and there among the homestead trees .

beyond lay the sea , misty and purple , with its haunting , unceasing murmur .

the west was a glory of soft mingled hues , and the pond reflected them all in still softer shadings .

the beauty of it all thrilled anne 's heart , and she gratefully opened the gates of her soul to it .

" dear old world , " she murmured , " you are very lovely , and i am glad to be alive in you . "

halfway down the hill a tall lad came whistling out of a gate before the blythe homestead .

it was gilbert , and the whistle died on his lips as he recognized anne .

he lifted his cap courteously , but he would have passed on in silence , if anne had not stopped and held out her hand .

" gilbert , " she said , with scarlet cheeks , " i want to thank you for giving up the school for me .

it was very good of you and i want you to know that i appreciate it . "

gilbert took the offered hand eagerly .

" it wasn't particularly good of me at all , anne .

i was pleased to be able to do you some small service .

are we going to be friends after this ?

have you really forgiven me my old fault ? "

anne laughed and tried unsuccessfully to withdraw her hand .

" i forgave you that day by the pond landing , although i didn't know it .

what a stubborn little goose i was .

i 've been i may as well make a complete confession i 've been sorry ever since . "

" we are going to be the best of friends , " said gilbert , jubilantly .

" we were born to be good friends , anne .

you 've thwarted destiny enough .

i know we can help each other in many ways .

you are going to keep up your studies , aren't you ?

so am i . come , i 'm going to walk home with you . "

marilla looked curiously at anne when the latter entered the kitchen .

" who was that came up the lane with you , anne ? "

" gilbert blythe , " answered anne , vexed to find herself blushing .

" i met him on barry 's hill . "

" we haven't been we've been good enemies .

but we have decided that it will be much more sensible to be good friends in the future .

were we really there half an hour ?

it seemed just a few minutes .

but , you see , we have five years ' lost conversations to catch up with , marilla . "

anne sat long at her window that night companioned by a glad content .

the wind purred softly in the cherry boughs , and the mint breaths came up to her .

the stars twinkled over the pointed firs in the hollow and diana 's light gleamed through the old gap .

and there was always the bend in the road !

" ' god 's in his heaven , all 's right with the world , ' " whispered anne softly .

end of project gutenberg 's anne of green gables , by lucy maud montgomery