第7章

Allwasverystillandremote，asiftheworldandthecaresoftheworldwerefaraway。

"Ifeelasifwewerewalkingthroughanenchantedforest，"saidAnneinahushedtone。"Doyousupposewe’lleverfindourwaybacktotherealworldagain，Diana？Weshallpresentlycometoapalacewithaspellboundprincessinit，Ithink。"

Aroundthenextturntheycameinsight，notindeedofapalace，butofalittlehousealmostassurprisingasapalacewouldhavebeeninthisprovinceofconventionalwoodenfarmhouses，allasmuchalikeingeneralcharacteristicsasiftheyhadgrownfromthesameseed。AnnestoppedshortinraptureandDianaexclaimed，"Oh，Iknowwherewearenow。ThatisthelittlestonehousewhereMissLavendarLewislives……EchoLodge，shecallsit，Ithink。

I’veoftenheardofitbutI’veneverseenitbefore。Isn’titaromanticspot？"

"It’sthesweetest，prettiestplaceIeversaworimagined，"saidAnnedelightedly。"Itlookslikeabitoutofastorybookoradream。"

Thehousewasalow-eavedstructurebuiltofundressedblocksofredIslandsandstone，withalittlepeakedroofoutofwhichpeeredtwodormerwindows，withquaintwoodenhoodsoverthem，andtwogreatchimneys。Thewholehousewascoveredwithaluxuriantgrowthofivy，findingeasyfootholdontheroughstoneworkandturnedbyautumnfroststomostbeautifulbronzeandwine-redtints。

Beforethehousewasanoblonggardenintowhichthelanegatewherethegirlswerestandingopened。Thehouseboundeditononeside；onthethreeothersitwasenclosedbyanoldstonedyke，soovergrownwithmossandgrassandfernsthatitlookedlikeahigh，greenbank。Ontherightandleftthetall，darksprucesspreadtheirpalm-likebranchesoverit；butbelowitwasalittlemeadow，greenwithcloveraftermath，slopingdowntotheblueloopoftheGraftonRiver。Nootherhouseorclearingwasinsight……nothingbuthillsandvalleyscoveredwithfeatheryyoungfirs。

"IwonderwhatsortofapersonMissLewisis，"speculatedDianaastheyopenedthegateintothegarden。"Theysaysheisverypeculiar。"

"She’llbeinterestingthen，"saidAnnedecidedly。"Peculiarpeoplearealwaysthatatleast，whateverelsetheyareorarenot。

Didn’tItellyouwewouldcometoanenchantedpalace？

Iknewtheelveshadn’twovenmagicoverthatlanefornothing。"

"ButMissLavendarLewisishardlyaspellboundprincess，"laughedDiana。"She’sanoldmaid……she’sforty-fiveandquitegray，I’veheard。"

"Oh，that’sonlypartofthespell，"assertedAnneconfidently。

"Atheartshe’syoungandbeautifulstill……andifweonlyknewhowtounloosethespellshewouldstepforthradiantandfairagain。

Butwedon’tknowhow……it’salwaysandonlytheprincewhoknowsthat……andMissLavendar’sprincehasn’tcomeyet。Perhapssomefatalmischancehasbefallenhim……thoughTHAT’Sagainstthelawofallfairytales。"

"I’mafraidhecamelongagoandwentawayagain，"saidDiana。

"TheysaysheusedtobeengagedtoStephanIrving……Paul’sfather……whentheywereyoung。Buttheyquarreledandparted。"

"Hush，"warnedAnne。"Thedoorisopen。"

Thegirlspausedintheporchunderthetendrilsofivyandknockedattheopendoor。Therewasapatterofstepsinsideandaratheroddlittlepersonagepresentedherself……agirlofaboutfourteen，withafreckledface，asnubnose，amouthsowidethatitdidreallyseemasifitstretched"fromeartoear，"andtwolongbraidsoffairhairtiedwithtwoenormousbowsofblueribbon。

"IsMissLewisathome？"askedDiana。

"Yes，ma’am。Comein，ma’am。I’lltellMissLavendaryou’rehere，ma’am。She’supstairs，ma’am。"

Withthisthesmallhandmaidenwhiskedoutofsightandthegirls，leftalone，lookedaboutthemwithdelightedeyes。Theinteriorofthiswonderfullittlehousewasquiteasinterestingasitsexterior。

Theroomhadalowceilingandtwosquare，small-panedwindows，curtainedwithmuslinfrills。Allthefurnishingswereold-fashioned，butsowellanddaintilykeptthattheeffectwasdelicious。

Butitmustbecandidlyadmittedthatthemostattractivefeature，totwohealthygirlswhohadjusttrampedfourmilesthroughautumnair，wasatable，setoutwithpalebluechinaandladenwithdelicacies，whilelittlegolden-huedfernsscatteredovertheclothgaveitwhatAnnewouldhavetermed"afestalair。"

"MissLavendarmustbeexpectingcompanytotea，"shewhispered。

"Therearesixplacesset。Butwhatafunnylittlegirlshehas。

Shelookedlikeamessengerfrompixyland。Isupposeshecouldhavetoldustheroad，butIwascurioustoseeMissLavendar。

S……s……sh，she’scoming。"

AndwiththatMissLavendarLewiswasstandinginthedoorway。

Thegirlsweresosurprisedthattheyforgotgoodmannersandsimplystared。Theyhadunconsciouslybeenexpectingtoseetheusualtypeofelderlyspinsterasknowntotheirexperience……aratherangularpersonage，withprimgrayhairandspectacles。

NothingmoreunlikeMissLavendarcouldpossiblybeimagined。

Shewasalittleladywithsnow-whitehairbeautifullywavyandthick，andcarefullyarrangedinbecomingpuffsandcoils。Beneathitwasanalmostgirlishface，pinkcheekedandsweetlipped，withbigsoftbrowneyesanddimples……actuallydimples。Sheworeaverydaintygownofcreammuslinwithpale-huedrosesonit……agownwhichwouldhaveseemedridiculouslyjuvenileonmostwomenofherage，butwhichsuitedMissLavendarsoperfectlythatyouneverthoughtaboutitatall。

"CharlottatheFourthsaysthatyouwishedtoseeme，"shesaid，inavoicethatmatchedherappearance。

"WewantedtoasktherightroadtoWestGrafton，"saidDiana。

"WeareinvitedtoteaatMr。Kimball’s，butwetookthewrongpathcomingthroughthewoodsandcameouttothebaselineinsteadoftheWestGraftonroad。Dowetaketherightorleftturningatyourgate？"

"Theleft，"saidMissLavendar，withahesitatingglanceatherteatable。

Thensheexclaimed，asifinasuddenlittleburstofresolution，"Butoh，won’tyoustayandhaveteawithme？Please，do。

Mr。Kimball’swillhaveteaoverbeforeyougetthere。

AndCharlottatheFourthandIwillbesogladtohaveyou。"

DianalookedmuteinquiryatAnne。

"We’dliketostay，"saidAnnepromptly，forshehadmadeuphermindthatshewantedtoknowmoreofthissurprisingMissLavendar，"ifitwon’tinconvenienceyou。Butyouareexpectingotherguests，aren’tyou？"

MissLavendarlookedatherteatableagain，andblushed。

"Iknowyou’llthinkmedreadfullyfoolish，"shesaid。"IAM

foolish……andI’mashamedofitwhenI’mfoundout，butneverunlessIAMfoundout。I’mnotexpectinganybody……IwasjustpretendingIwas。Yousee，Iwassolonely。Ilovecompany……

thatis，therightkindofcompany……butsofewpeopleevercomeherebecauseitissofaroutoftheway。CharlottatheFourthwaslonelytoo。SoIjustpretendedIwasgoingtohaveateaparty。Icookedforit……anddecoratedthetableforit……

andsetitwithmymother’sweddingchina……andIdressedupforit。"DianasecretlythoughtMissLavendarquiteaspeculiarasreporthadpicturedher。Theideaofawomanofforty-fiveplayingathavingateaparty，justasifshewerealittlegirl！

ButAnneoftheshiningeyesexclaimedjoyfuly，"Oh，doYOUimaginethingstoo？"

That"too"revealedakindredspirittoMissLavendar。

"Yes，Ido，"sheconfessed，boldly。"Ofcourseit’ssillyinanybodyasoldasIam。Butwhatistheuseofbeinganindependentoldmaidifyoucan’tbesillywhenyouwantto，andwhenitdoesn’thurtanybody？

Apersonmusthavesomecompensations。Idon’tbelieveIcouldliveattimesifIdidn’tpretendthings。I’mnotoftencaughtatitthough，andCharlottatheFourthnevertells。ButI’mgladtobecaughttoday，foryouhavereallycomeandIhaveteaallreadyforyou。Willyougouptothespareroomandtakeoffyourhats？It’sthewhitedoorattheheadofthestairs。ImustrunouttothekitchenandseethatCharlottatheFourthisn’tlettingtheteaboil。CharlottatheFourthisaverygoodgirlbutsheWILLlettheteaboil。"

MissLavendartrippedofftothekitchenonhospitablethoughtsintentandthegirlsfoundtheirwayuptothespareroom，anapartmentaswhiteasitsdoor，lightedbytheivy-hungdormerwindowandlooking，asAnnesaid，liketheplacewherehappydreamsgrew。

"Thisisquiteanadventure，isn’tit？"saidDiana。"Andisn’tMissLavendarsweet，ifsheISalittleodd？Shedoesn’tlookabitlikeanoldmaid。"

"Shelooksjustasmusicsounds，Ithink，"answeredAnne。

WhentheywentdownMissLavendarwascarryingintheteapot，andbehindher，lookingvastlypleased，wasCharlottatheFourth，withaplateofhotbiscuits。

"Now，youmusttellmeyournames，"saidMissLavendar。"I’msogladyouareyounggirls。Iloveyounggirls。It’ssoeasytopretendI’magirlmyselfwhenI’mwiththem。Idohate"……withalittlegrimace……"tobelieveI’mold。Now，whoareyou……

justforconvenience’sake？DianaBarry？AndAnneShirley？MayI

pretendthatI’veknownyouforahundredyearsandcallyouAnneandDianarightaway？"

"You，may"thegirlssaidbothtogether。

"Thenjustlet’ssitcomfilydownandeateverything，"saidMissLavendarhappily。"Charlotta，yousitatthefootandhelpwiththechicken。

ItissofortunatethatImadethespongecakeanddoughnuts。

Ofcourse，itwasfoolishtodoitforimaginaryguests……

IknowCharlottatheFourththoughtso，didn’tyou，Charlotta？

Butyouseehowwellithasturnedout。Ofcoursetheywouldn’thavebeenwasted，forCharlottatheFourthandIcouldhaveeatenthemthroughtime。Butspongecakeisnotathingthatimproveswithtime。"

Thatwasamerryandmemorablemeal；andwhenitwasovertheyallwentouttothegarden，lyingintheglamorofsunset。

"Idothinkyouhavetheloveliestplacehere，"saidDiana，lookingroundheradmiringly。

"WhydoyoucallitEchoLodge？"askedAnne。

"Charlotta，"saidMissLavendar，"gointothehouseandbringoutthelittletinhornthatishangingovertheclockshelf。"

CharlottatheFourthskippedoffandreturnedwiththehorn。

"Blowit，Charlotta，"commandedMissLavendar。

Charlottaaccordinglyblew，aratherraucous，stridentblast。

Therewasmoment’sstillness……andthenfromthewoodsovertherivercameamultitudeoffairyechoes，sweet，elusive，silvery，asifallthe"hornsofelfland"wereblowingagainstthesunset。

AnneandDianaexclaimedindelight。

"Nowlaugh，Charlotta……laughloudly。"

Charlotta，whowouldprobablyhaveobeyedifMissLavendarhadtoldhertostandonherhead，climbeduponthestonebenchandlaughedloudandheartily。Backcametheechoes，asifahostofpixypeopleweremimickingherlaughterinthepurplewoodlandsandalongthefir-fringedpoints。

"Peoplealwaysadmiremyechoesverymuch，"saidMissLavendar，asiftheechoeswereherpersonalproperty。"Ilovethemmyself。

Theyareverygoodcompany……withalittlepretending。OncalmeveningsCharlottatheFourthandIoftensitouthereandamuseourselveswiththem。Charlotta，takebackthehornandhangitcarefullyinitsplace。"

"WhydoyoucallherCharlottatheFourth？"askedDiana，whowasburstingwithcuriosityonthispoint。

"JusttokeepherfromgettingmixedupwithotherCharlottasinmythoughts，"saidMissLavendarseriously。"Theyalllooksomuchalikethere’snotellingthemapart。Hernameisn’treallyCharlottaatall。Itis……letmesee……whatisit？ITHINK

it’sLeonora……yes，itISLeonora。Yousee，itisthisway。

WhenmotherdiedtenyearsagoIcouldn’tstayherealone……

andIcouldn’taffordtopaythewagesofagrown-upgirl。

SoIgotlittleCharlottaBowmantocomeandstaywithmeforboardandclothes。HernamereallywasCharlotta……shewasCharlottatheFirst。Shewasjustthirteen。ShestayedwithmetillshewassixteenandthenshewentawaytoBoston，becauseshecoulddobetterthere。Hersistercametostaywithmethen。

HernamewasJulietta……Mrs。BowmanhadaweaknessforfancynamesIthink……butshelookedsolikeCharlottathatI

keptcallingherthatallthetime……andshedidn’tmind。

SoIjustgaveuptryingtorememberherrightname。

ShewasCharlottatheSecond，andwhenshewentawayEvelinacameandshewasCharlottatheThird。NowIhaveCharlottatheFourth；butwhensheissixteen……she’sfourteennow……

shewillwanttogotoBostontoo，andwhatIshalldothenI

reallydonotknow。CharlottatheFourthisthelastoftheBowmangirls，andthebest。TheotherCharlottasalwaysletmeseethattheythoughtitsillyofmetopretendthingsbutCharlottatheFourthneverdoes，nomatterwhatshemayreallythink。

Idon’tcarewhatpeoplethinkaboutmeiftheydon’tletmeseeit。"

"Well，"saidDianalookingregretfullyatthesettingsun。

"IsupposewemustgoifwewanttogettoMr。Kimball’sbeforedark。

We’vehadalovelytime，MissLewis。"

"Won’tyoucomeagaintoseeme？"pleadedMissLavendar。

TallAnneputherarmaboutthelittlelady。

"Indeedweshall，"shepromised。"Nowthatwehavediscoveredyouwe’llwearoutourwelcomecomingtoseeyou。Yes，wemustgo……

’wemusttearourselvesaway，’asPaulIrvingsayseverytimehecomestoGreenGables。"

"PaulIrving？"TherewasasubtlechangeinMissLavendar’svoice。

"Whoishe？Ididn’tthinktherewasanybodyofthatnameinAvonlea。"

Annefeltvexedatherownheedlessness。ShehadforgottenaboutMissLavendar’soldromancewhenPaul’snameslippedout。

"Heisalittlepupilofmine，"sheexplainedslowly。"HecamefromBostonlastyeartolivewithhisgrandmother，Mrs。Irvingoftheshoreroad。"

"IsheStephenIrving’sson？"MissLavendarasked，bendingoverhernamesakebordersothatherfacewashidden。

"Yes。"

"I’mgoingtogiveyougirlsabunchoflavendarapiece，"saidMissLavendarbrightly，asifshehadnotheardtheanswertoherquestion。

"It’sverysweet，don’tyouthink？Motheralwayslovedit。

Sheplantedtheseborderslongago。FathernamedmeLavendarbecausehewassofondofit。TheveryfirsttimehesawmotherwaswhenhevisitedherhomeinEastGraftonwithherbrother。Hefellinlovewithheratfirstsight；andtheyputhiminthespareroombedtosleepandthesheetswerescentedwithlavendarandhelayawakeallnightandthoughtofher。Healwayslovedthescentoflavendarafterthat……andthatwaswhyhegavemethename。

Don’tforgettocomebacksoon，girlsdear。We’llbelookingforyou，CharlottatheFourthandI。"

Sheopenedthegateunderthefirsforthemtopassthrough。Shelookedsuddenlyoldandtired；theglowandradiancehadfadedfromherface；

herpartingsmilewasassweetwithineradicableyouthasever，butwhenthegirlslookedbackfromthefirstcurveinthelanetheysawhersittingontheoldstonebenchunderthesilverpoplarinthemiddleofthegardenwithherheadleaningwearilyonherhand。

"Shedoeslooklonely，"saidDianasoftly。"Wemustcomeoftentoseeher。"

"Ithinkherparentsgavehertheonlyrightandfittingnamethatcouldpossiblybegivenher，"saidAnne。"IftheyhadbeensoblindastonameherElizabethorNellieorMurielshemusthavebeencalledLavendarjustthesame，Ithink。It’ssosuggestiveofsweetnessandold-fashionedgracesand`silkattire。’Now，mynamejustsmacksofbreadandbutter，patchworkandchores。"

"Oh，Idon’tthinkso，"saidDiana。"Anneseemstomerealstatelyandlikeaqueen。ButI’dlikeKerrenhappuchifithappenedtobeyourname。Ithinkpeoplemaketheirnamesniceoruglyjustbywhattheyarethemselves。Ican’tbearJosieorGertiefornamesnowbutbeforeIknewthePyegirlsIthoughtthemrealpretty。"

"That’salovelyidea，Diana，"saidAnneenthusiastically。

"Livingsothatyoubeautifyyourname，evenifitwasn’tbeautifultobeginwith……makingitstandinpeople’sthoughtsforsomethingsolovelyandpleasantthattheyneverthinkofitbyitself。Thankyou，Diana。"

XXII

OddsandEnds"SoyouhadteaatthestonehousewithLavendarLewis？"saidMarillaatthebreakfasttablenextmorning。"Whatisshelikenow？

It’soverfifteenyearssinceIsawherlast……itwasoneSundayinGraftonchurch。Isupposeshehaschangedagreatdeal。

DavyKeith，whenyouwantsomethingyoucan’treach，asktohaveitpassedanddon’tspreadyourselfoverthetableinthatfashion。

DidyoueverseePaulIrvingdoingthatwhenhewasheretomeals？"

"ButPaul’sarmsarelonger’nmine，"brumbledDavy。"They’vehadelevenyearstogrowandmine’veonlyhadseven。’Sides，IDIDask，butyouandAnnewassobusytalkingyoudidn’tpayany’tention。

’Sides，Paul’sneverbeenheretoanymealescepttea，andit’seasiertobep’liteatteathanatbreakfast。Youain’thalfashungry。

It’sanawfullongwhilebetweensupperandbreakfast。Now，Anne，thatspoonfulain’tanybiggerthanitwaslastyearandI’Meversomuchbigger。"

"Ofcourse，Idon’tknowwhatMissLavendarusedtolooklikebutI

don’tfancysomehowthatshehaschangedagreatdeal，"saidAnne，aftershehadhelpedDavytomaplesyrup，givinghimtwospoonfulstopacifyhim。"Herhairissnow-whitebutherfaceisfreshandalmostgirlish，andshehasthesweetestbrowneyes……suchaprettyshadeofwood-brownwithlittlegoldenglintsinthem……

andhervoicemakesyouthinkofwhitesatinandtinklingwaterandfairybellsallmixeduptogether。"

"Shewasreckonedagreatbeautywhenshewasagirl，"saidMarilla。

"IneverknewherverywellbutIlikedherasfarasIdidknowher。

Somefolksthoughtherpeculiareventhen。DAVY，ifeverIcatchyouatsuchatrickagainyou’llbemadetowaitforyourmealstilleveryoneelseisdone，liketheFrench。"

MostconversationsbetweenAnneandMarillainthepresenceofthetwins，werepunctuatedbytheserebukesDavy-ward。Inthisinstance，Davy，sadtorelate，notbeingabletoscoopupthelastdropsofhissyrupwithhisspoon，hadsolvedthedifficultybyliftinghisplateinbothhandsandapplyinghissmallpinktonguetoit。

Annelookedathimwithsuchhorrifiedeyesthatthelittlesinnerturnedredandsaid，halfshamefacedly，halfdefiantly，"Thereain’tanywastedthatway。"

"Peoplewhoaredifferentfromotherpeoplearealwayscalledpeculiar，"saidAnne。"AndMissLavendariscertainlydifferent，thoughit’shardtosayjustwherethedifferencecomesin。

Perhapsitisbecausesheisoneofthosepeoplewhonevergrowold。"

"Onemightaswellgrowoldwhenallyourgenerationdo，"saidMarilla，ratherrecklessofherpronouns。"Ifyoudon’t，youdon’tfitinanywhere。FarasIcanlearnLavendarLewishasjustdroppedoutofeverything。She’slivedinthatoutofthewayplaceuntileverybodyhasforgottenher。ThatstonehouseisoneoftheoldestontheIsland。OldMr。LewisbuiltiteightyyearsagowhenhecameoutfromEngland。Davy，stopjogglingDora’selbow。

Oh，Isawyou！Youneedn’ttrytolookinnocent。Whatdoesmakeyoubehavesothismorning？"

"MaybeIgotoutofthewrongsideofthebed，"suggestedDavy。

"MiltyBoultersaysifyoudothatthingsareboundtogowrongwithyouallday。Hisgrandmothertoldhim。Butwhichistherightside？Andwhatareyoutodowhenyourbed’sagainstthewall？Iwanttoknow。"

"I’vealwayswonderedwhatwentwrongbetweenStephenIrvingandLavendarLewis，"continuedMarilla，ignoringDavy。"Theywerecertainlyengagedtwenty-fiveyearsagoandthenallatonceitwasbrokenoff。Idon’tknowwhatthetroublewasbutitmusthavebeensomethingterrible，forhewentawaytotheStatesandnevercomehomesince。"

"Perhapsitwasnothingverydreadfulafterall。Ithinkthelittlethingsinlifeoftenmakemoretroublethanthebigthings，"

saidAnne，withoneofthoseflashesofinsightwhichexperiencecouldnothavebettered。"Marilla，pleasedon’tsayanythingaboutmybeingatMissLavendar’stoMrs。Lynde。She’dbesuretoaskahundredquestionsandsomehowIwouldn’tlikeit……norMissLavendareitherifsheknew，Ifeelsure。"

"IdaresayRachelwouldbecurious，"admittedMarilla，"thoughshehasn’tasmuchtimeassheusedtohaveforlookingafterotherpeople’saffairs。She’stiedhomenowonaccountofThomas；andshe’sfeelingprettydownhearted，forIthinkshe’sbeginningtolosehopeofhisevergettingbetter。Rachelwillbeleftprettylonelyifanythinghappenstohim，withallherchildrensettledoutwest，exceptElizaintown；andshedoesn’tlikeherhusband。"

Marilla’spronounsslanderedEliza，whowasveryfondofherhusband。

"Rachelsaysifhe’donlybraceupandexerthiswillpowerhe’dgetbetter。Butwhatistheuseofaskingajellyfishtositupstraight？"continuedMarilla。"ThomasLyndeneverhadanywillpowertoexert。HismotherruledhimtillhemarriedandthenRachelcarriediton。It’sawonderhedaredtogetsickwithoutaskingherpermission。Butthere，Ishouldn’ttalkso。Rachelhasbeenagoodwifetohim。He’dneverhaveamountedtoanythingwithouther，that’scertain。Hewasborntoberuled；andit’swellhefellintothehandsofaclever，capablemanagerlikeRachel。

Hedidn’tmindherway。Itsavedhimthebotherofevermakinguphisownmindaboutanything。Davy，dostopsquirminglikeaneel。"

"I’venothingelsetodo，"protestedDavy。"Ican’teatanymore，andit’snofunwatchingyouandAnneeat。"

"Well，youandDoragooutandgivethehenstheirwheat，"saidMarilla。"Anddon’tyoutrytopullanymorefeathersoutofthewhiterooster’staileither。"

"IwantedsomefeathersforanInjunheaddress，"saidDavysulkily。

"MiltyBoulterhasadandyone，madeoutofthefeathershismothergivehimwhenshekilledtheiroldwhitegobbler。Youmightletmehavesome。Thatrooster’sgoteversomanymore’nhewants。"

"Youmayhavetheoldfeatherdusterinthegarret，"saidAnne，"andI’lldyethemgreenandredandyellowforyou。"

"Youdospoilthatboydreadfully，"saidMarilla，whenDavy，witharadiantface，hadfollowedprimDoraout。Marilla’seducationhadmadegreatstridesinthepastsixyears；butshehadnotyetbeenabletoridherselfoftheideathatitwasverybadforachildtohavetoomanyofitswishesindulged。

"AlltheboysofhisclasshaveIndianheaddresses，andDavywantsonetoo，"saidAnne。"_I_knowhowitfeels……I’llneverforgethowIusedtolongforpuffedsleeveswhenalltheothergirlshadthem。

AndDavyisn’tbeingspoiled。Heisimprovingeveryday。Thinkwhatadifferencethereisinhimsincehecamehereayearago。"

"Hecertainlydoesn’tgetintoasmuchmischiefsincehebegantogotoschool，"acknowledgedMarilla。"Isupposeheworksoffthetendencywiththeotherboys。Butit’sawondertomewehaven’theardfromRichardKeithbeforethis。NeverawordsincelastMay。"

"I’llbeafraidtohearfromhim，"sighedAnne，beginningtoclearawaythedishes。"IfalettershouldcomeI’ddreadopeningit，forfearitwouldtellustosendthetwinstohim。"

Amonthlateraletterdidcome。ButitwasnotfromRichardKeith。

AfriendofhiswrotetosaythatRichardKeithhaddiedofconsumptionafortnightpreviously。ThewriteroftheletterwastheexecutorofhiswillandbythatwillthesumoftwothousanddollarswaslefttoMissMarillaCuthbertintrustforDavidandDoraKeithuntiltheycameofageormarried。Inthemeantimetheinterestwastobeusedfortheirmaintenance。

"Itseemsdreadfultobegladofanythinginconnectionwithadeath，"

saidAnnesoberly。"I’msorryforpoorMr。Keith；butIAMgladthatwecankeepthetwins。"

"It’saverygoodthingaboutthemoney，"saidMarillapractically。

"IwantedtokeepthembutIreallydidn’tseehowIcouldaffordtodoit，especiallywhentheygrewolder。Therentofthefarmdoesn’tdoanymorethankeepthehouseandIwasboundthatnotacentofyourmoneyshouldbespentonthem。Youdofartoomuchforthemasitis。Doradidn’tneedthatnewhatyouboughtheranymorethanacatneedstwotails。Butnowthewayismadeclearandtheyareprovidedfor。"

DavyandDoraweredelightedwhentheyheardthattheyweretoliveatGreenGables，"forgood。"Thedeathofanunclewhomtheyhadneverseencouldnotweighamomentinthebalanceagainstthat。

ButDorahadonemisgiving。

"WasUncleRichardburied？"shewhisperedtoAnne。

"Yes，dear，ofcourse。"

"He……he……isn’tlikeMirabelCotton’suncle，ishe？"inastillmoreagitatedwhisper。"Hewon’twalkabouthousesafterbeingburied，willhe，Anne？"

XXIII

MissLavendar’sRomance"IthinkI’lltakeawalkthroughtoEchoLodgethisevening，"saidAnne，oneFridayafternooninDecember。

"Itlookslikesnow，"saidMarilladubiously。

"I’llbetherebeforethesnowcomesandImeantostayallnight。

Dianacan’tgobecauseshehascompany，andI’msureMissLavendarwillbelookingformetonight。It’sawholefortnightsinceIwasthere。"

AnnehadpaidmanyavisittoEchoLodgesincethatOctoberday。

SometimessheandDianadrovearoundbytheroad；sometimestheywalkedthroughthewoods。WhenDianacouldnotgoAnnewentalone。

BetweenherandMissLavendarhadsprunguponeofthosefervent，helpfulfriendshipspossibleonlybetweenawomanwhohaskeptthefreshnessofyouthinherheartandsoul，andagirlwhoseimaginationandintuitionsuppliedtheplaceofexperience。

Annehadatlastdiscoveredareal"kindredspirit，"whileintothelittlelady’slonely，sequesteredlifeofdreamsAnneandDianacamewiththewholesomejoyandexhilarationoftheouterexistence，whichMissLavendar，"theworldforgetting，bytheworldforgot，"

hadlongceasedtoshare；theybroughtanatmosphereofyouthandrealitytothelittlestonehouse。CharlottatheFourthalwaysgreetedthemwithherverywidestsmile……andCharlotta’ssmilesWEREfearfullywide……lovingthemforthesakeofheradoredmistressaswellasfortheirown。Neverhadtherebeensuch"highjinks"heldinthelittlestonehouseaswereheldtherethatbeautiful，late-lingeringautumn，whenNovemberseemedOctoberoveragain，andevenDecemberapedthesunshineandhazesofsummer。

ButonthisparticulardayitseemedasifDecemberhadrememberedthatitwastimeforwinterandhadturnedsuddenlydullandbrooding，withawindlesshushpredictiveofcomingsnow。

Nevertheless，Annekeenlyenjoyedherwalkthroughthegreatgraymazeofthebeechlands；thoughalonesheneverfounditlonely；herimaginationpeopledherpathwithmerrycompanions，andwiththeseshecarriedonagay，pretendedconversationthatwaswittierandmorefascinatingthanconversationsareapttobeinreallife，wherepeoplesometimesfailmostlamentablytotalkuptotherequirements。Ina"makebelieve"assemblyofchoicespiritseverybodysaysjustthethingyouwanthertosayandsogivesyouthechancetosayjustwhatYOUwanttosay。Attendedbythisinvisiblecompany，Annetraversedthewoodsandarrivedatthefirlanejustasbroad，featheryflakesbegantoflutterdownsoftly。

AtthefirstbendshecameuponMissLavendar，standingunderabig，broad-branchingfir。Sheworeagownofwarm，richred，andherheadandshoulderswerewrappedinasilverygraysilkshawl。

"Youlooklikethequeenofthefirwoodfairies，"calledAnnemerrily。

"Ithoughtyouwouldcometonight，Anne，"saidMissLavendar，runningforward。"AndI’mdoublyglad，forCharlottatheFourthisaway。Hermotherissickandshehadtogohomeforthenight。

Ishouldhavebeenverylonelyifyouhadn’tcome……eventhedreamsandtheechoeswouldn’thavebeenenoughcompany。Oh，Anne，howprettyyouare，"sheaddedsuddenly，lookingupatthetall，slimgirlwiththesoftrose-flushofwalkingonherface。"Howprettyandhowyoung！It’ssodelightfultobeseventeen，isn’tit？

Idoenvyyou，"concludedMissLavendarcandidly。

"Butyouareonlyseventeenatheart，"smiledAnne。

"No，I’mold……orrathermiddle-aged，whichisfarworse，"

sighedMissLavendar。"SometimesIcanpretendI’mnot，butatothertimesIrealizeit。AndIcan’treconcilemyselftoitasmostwomenseemto。I’mjustasrebelliousasIwaswhenI

discoveredmyfirstgrayhair。Now，Anne，don’tlookasifyouweretryingtounderstand。SeventeenCAN’Tunderstand。I’mgoingtopretendrightawaythatIamseventeentoo，andIcandoit，nowthatyou’rehere。Youalwaysbringyouthinyourhandlikeagift。

We’regoingtohaveajollyevening。Teafirst……whatdoyouwantfortea？We’llhavewhateveryoulike。Dothinkofsomethingniceandindigestible。"

Thereweresoundsofriotandmirthinthelittlestonehousethatnight。Whatwithcookingandfeastingandmakingcandyandlaughingand"pretending，"itisquitetruethatMissLavendarandAnnecomportedthemselvesinafashionentirelyunsuitedtothedignityofaspinsterofforty-fiveandasedateschoolma’am。

Then，whentheyweretired，theysatdownontherugbeforethegrateintheparlor，lightedonlybythesoftfireshineandperfumeddeliciouslybyMissLavendar’sopenrose-jaronthemantel。

Thewindhadrisenandwassighingandwailingaroundtheeavesandthesnowwasthuddingsoftlyagainstthewindows，asifahundredstormspritesweretappingforentrance。

"I’msogladyou’rehere，Anne，"saidMissLavendar，nibblingathercandy。"Ifyouweren’tIshouldbeblue……veryblue……

almostnavyblue。Dreamsandmake-believesareallverywellinthedaytimeandthesunshine，butwhendarkandstormcometheyfailtosatisfy。Onewantsrealthingsthen。Butyoudon’tknowthis……seventeenneverknowsit。AtseventeendreamsDOsatisfybecauseyouthinktherealitiesarewaitingforyoufurtheron。

WhenIwasseventeen，Anne，Ididn’tthinkforty-fivewouldfindmeawhite-hairedlittleoldmaidwithnothingbutdreamstofillmylife。"

"Butyouaren’tanoldmaid，"saidAnne，smilingintoMissLavendar’swistfulwoodbrowneyes。"OldmaidsareBORN……theydon’tBECOME。"

"Somearebornoldmaids，someachieveoldmaidenhood，andsomehaveoldmaidenhoodthrustuponthem，"parodiedMissLavendarwhimsically。

"Youareoneofthosewhohaveachieveditthen，"laughedAnne，"andyou’vedoneitsobeautifullythatifeveryoldmaidwerelikeyoutheywouldcomeintothefashion，Ithink。"

"Ialwaysliketodothingsaswellaspossible，"saidMissLavendarmeditatively，"andsinceanoldmaidIhadtobeIwasdeterminedtobeaveryniceone。PeoplesayI’modd；butit’sjustbecauseIfollowmyownwayofbeinganoldmaidandrefusetocopythetraditionalpattern。Anne，didanyoneevertellyouanythingaboutStephenIrvingandme？"

"Yes，"saidAnnecandidly，"I’veheardthatyouandhewereengagedonce。"

"Sowewere……twenty-fiveyearsago……alifetimeago。Andweweretohavebeenmarriedthenextspring。Ihadmyweddingdressmade，althoughnobodybutmotherandStepheneverknewTHAT。

We’dbeenengagedinawayalmostallourlives，youmightsay。

WhenStephenwasalittleboyhismotherwouldbringhimherewhenshecametoseemymother；andthesecondtimeheevercame……

hewasnineandIwassix……hetoldmeoutinthegardenthathehadprettywellmadeuphismindtomarrymewhenhegrewup。

IrememberthatIsaid`Thankyou’；andwhenhewasgoneItoldmotherverygravelythattherewasagreatweightoffmymind，becauseIwasn’tfrightenedanymoreabouthavingtobeanoldmaid。Howpoormotherlaughed！"

"Andwhatwentwrong？"askedAnnebreathlessly。

"Wehadjustastupid，silly，commonplacequarrel。Socommonplacethat，ifyou’llbelieveme，Idon’tevenrememberjusthowitbegan。

Ihardlyknowwhowasthemoretoblameforit。Stephendidreallybeginit，butIsupposeIprovokedhimbysomefoolishnessofmine。

Hehadarivalortwo，yousee。Iwasvainandcoquettishandlikedtoteasehimalittle。Hewasaveryhigh-strung，sensitivefellow。

Well，wepartedinatemperonbothsides。ButIthoughtitwouldallcomeright；anditwouldhaveifStephenhadn’tcomebacktoosoon。

Anne，mydear，I’msorrytosay"……MissLavendardroppedhervoiceasifshewereabouttoconfessapredilectionformurderingpeople，"thatIamadreadfullysulkyperson。Oh，youneedn’tsmile，……

it’sonlytootrue。IDOsulk；andStephencamebackbeforeIhadfinishedsulking。Iwouldn’tlistentohimandIwouldn’tforgivehim；

andsohewentawayforgood。Hewastooproudtocomeagain。AndthenIsulkedbecausehedidn’tcome。Imighthavesentforhimperhaps，butIcouldn’thumblemyselftodothat。Iwasjustasproudashewas……prideandsulkinessmakeaverybadcombination，Anne。ButIcouldnevercareforanybodyelseandIdidn’twantto。

IknewIwouldratherbeanoldmaidforathousandyearsthanmarryanybodywhowasn’tStephenIrving。Well，itallseemslikeadreamnow，ofcourse。Howsympatheticyoulook，Anne……assympatheticasonlyseventeencanlook。Butdon’toverdoit。I’mreallyaveryhappy，contentedlittlepersoninspiteofmybrokenheart。Myheartdidbreak，ifeveraheartdid，whenIrealizedthatStephenIrvingwasnotcomingback。

But，Anne，abrokenheartinreallifeisn’thalfasdreadfulasitisinbooks。It’sagooddeallikeabadtooth……thoughyouwon’tthinkTHATaveryromanticsimile。Ittakesspellsofachingandgivesyouasleeplessnightnowandthen，butbetweentimesitletsyouenjoylifeanddreamsandechoesandpeanutcandyasiftherewerenothingthematterwithit。Andnowyou’relookingdisappointed。

Youdon’tthinkI’mhalfasinterestingapersonasyoudidfiveminutesagowhenyoubelievedIwasalwaysthepreyofatragicmemorybravelyhiddenbeneathexternalsmiles。That’stheworst……orthebest……

ofreallife，Anne。ItWON’Tletyoubemiserable。Itkeepsontryingtomakeyoucomfortable……andsucceeding……evenwhenyou’redeterminedtobeunhappyandromantic。Isn’tthiscandyscrumptious？I’veeatenfarmorethanisgoodformealreadybutI’mgoingtokeeprecklesslyon。"

AfteralittlesilenceMissLavendarsaidabruptly，"ItgavemeashocktohearaboutStephen’ssonthatfirstdayyouwerehere，Anne。I’veneverbeenabletomentionhimtoyousince，butI’vewantedtoknowallabouthim。Whatsortofaboyishe？"

"Heisthedearest，sweetestchildIeverknew，MissLavendar……

andhepretendsthingstoo，justasyouandIdo。"

"I’dliketoseehim，"saidMissLavendarsoftly，asiftalkingtoherself。

"Iwonderifhelooksanythinglikethelittledream-boywholivesherewithme……MYlittledream-boy。"

"IfyouwouldliketoseePaulI’llbringhimthroughwithmesometime，"

saidAnne。

"Iwouldlikeit……butnottoosoon。Iwanttogetusedtothethought。

Theremightbemorepainthanpleasureinit……ifhelookedtoomuchlikeStephen……orifhedidn’tlookenoughlikehim。Inamonth’stimeyoumaybringhim。"

Accordingly，amonthlaterAnneandPaulwalkedthroughthewoodstothestonehouse，andmetMissLavendarinthelane。Shehadnotbeenexpectingthemjustthenandsheturnedverypale。

"SothisisStephen’sboy，"shesaidinalowtone，takingPaul’shandandlookingathimashestood，beautifulandboyish，inhissmartlittlefurcoatandcap。"He……heisverylikehisfather。"

"EverybodysaysI’machipofftheoldblock，"remarkedPaul，quiteathisease。

Anne，whohadbeenwatchingthelittlescene，drewarelievedbreath。

ShesawthatMissLavendarandPaulhad"taken"toeachother，andthattherewouldbenoconstraintorstiffness。MissLavendarwasaverysensibleperson，inspiteofherdreamsandromance，andafterthatfirstlittlebetrayalshetuckedherfeelingsoutofsightandentertainedPaulasbrightlyandnaturallyasifhewereanybody’ssonwhohadcometoseeher。

TheyallhadajollyafternoontogetherandsuchafeastoffatthingsbywayofsupperaswouldhavemadeoldMrs。Irvingholdupherhandsinhorror，believingthatPaul’sdigestionwouldberuinedforever。

"Comeagain，laddie，"saidMissLavendar，shakinghandswithhimatparting。

"Youmaykissmeifyoulike，"saidPaulgravely。

MissLavendarstoopedandkissedhim。

"HowdidyouknowIwantedto？"shewhispered。

"Becauseyoulookedatmejustasmylittlemotherusedtodowhenshewantedtokissme。Asarule，Idon’tliketobekissed。

Boysdon’t。Youknow，MissLewis。ButIthinkIratherliketohaveyoukissme。AndofcourseI’llcometoseeyouagain。

IthinkI’dliketohaveyouforaparticularfriendofmine，ifyoudon’tobject。"

"I……Idon’tthinkIshallobject，"saidMissLavendar。

Sheturnedandwentinveryquickly；butamomentlatershewaswavingagayandsmilinggood-byetothemfromthewindow。

"IlikeMissLavendar，"announcedPaul，astheywalkedthroughthebeechwoods。"Ilikethewayshelookedatme，andIlikeherstonehouse，andIlikeCharlottatheFourth。IwishGrandmaIrvinghadaCharlottatheFourthinsteadofaMaryJoe。IfeelsureCharlottatheFourthwouldn’tthinkIwaswronginmyupperstorywhenItoldherwhatIthinkaboutthings。Wasn’tthatasplendidteawehad，teacher？Grandmasaysaboyshouldn’tbethinkingaboutwhathegetstoeat，buthecan’thelpitsometimeswhenheisrealhungry。YOUknow，teacher。Idon’tthinkMissLavendarwouldmakeaboyeatporridgeforbreakfastifhedidn’tlikeit。She’dgetthingsforhimhedidlike。Butofcourse"……

Paulwasnothingifnotfair-minded……"thatmightn’tbeverygoodforhim。It’sveryniceforachangethough，teacher。YOUknow。"

XXIV

AProphetinHisOwnCountryOneMaydayAvonleafolksweremildlyexcitedoversome"AvonleaNotes，"

signed"Observer，"whichappearedintheCharlottetown`DailyEnterprise。’

GossipascribedtheauthorshipthereoftoCharlieSloane，partlybecausethesaidCharliehadindulgedinsimilarliteraryflightsintimespast，andpartlybecauseoneofthenotesseemedtoembodyasneeratGilbertBlythe。AvonleajuvenilesocietypersistedinregardingGilbertBlytheandCharlieSloaneasrivalsinthegoodgracesofacertaindamselwithgrayeyesandanimagination。

Gossip，asusual，waswrong。GilbertBlythe，aidedandabettedbyAnne，hadwrittenthenotes，puttingintheoneabouthimselfasablind。Onlytwoofthenoteshaveanybearingonthishistory:

"Rumorhasitthattherewillbeaweddinginourvillageerethedaisiesareinbloom。Anewandhighlyrespectedcitizenwillleadtothehymenealaltaroneofourmostpopularladies。

"UncleAbe，ourwell-knownweatherprophet，predictsaviolentstormofthunderandlightningfortheeveningofthetwenty-thirdofMay，beginningatseveno’clocksharp。TheareaofthestormwillextendoverthegreaterpartoftheProvince。Peopletravelingthateveningwilldowelltotakeumbrellasandmackintosheswiththem。"

"UncleAbereallyhaspredictedastormforsometimethisspring，"

saidGilbert，"butdoyousupposeMr。HarrisonreallydoesgotoseeIsabellaAndrews？"

"No，"saidAnne，laughing，"I’msureheonlygoestoplaycheckerswithMr。HarrisonAndrews，butMrs。LyndesayssheknowsIsabellaAndrewsmustbegoingtogetmarried，she’sinsuchgoodspiritsthisspring。"

PooroldUncleAbefeltratherindignantoverthenotes。Hesuspectedthat"Observer"wasmakingfunofhim。Heangrilydeniedhavingassignedanyparticulardateforhisstormbutnobodybelievedhim。

LifeinAvonleacontinuedonthesmoothandeventenorofitsway。

The"planting"wasputin；theImproverscelebratedanArborDay。

EachImproversetout，orcausedtobesetout，fiveornamentaltrees。

Asthesocietynownumberedfortymembers，thismeantatotaloftwohundredyoungtrees。Earlyoatsgreenedovertheredfields；

appleorchardsflunggreatblossomingarmsaboutthefarmhousesandtheSnowQueenadorneditselfasabrideforherhusband。

Annelikedtosleepwithherwindowopenandletthecherryfragranceblowoverherfaceallnight。Shethoughtitverypoetical。Marillathoughtshewasriskingherlife。

"Thanksgivingshouldbecelebratedinthespring，"saidAnneoneeveningtoMarilla，astheysatonthefrontdoorstepsandlistenedtothesilver-sweetchorusofthefrogs。"IthinkitwouldbeeversomuchbetterthanhavingitinNovemberwheneverythingisdeadorasleep。Thenyouhavetoremembertobethankful；butinMayonesimplycan’thelpbeingthankful……

thattheyarealive，iffornothingelse。IfeelexactlyasEvemusthavefeltinthegardenofEdenbeforethetroublebegan。

ISthatgrassinthehollowgreenorgolden？Itseemstome，Marilla，thatapearlofadaylikethis，whentheblossomsareoutandthewindsdon’tknowwheretoblowfromnextforsheercrazydelightmustbeprettynearasgoodasheaven。"

Marillalookedscandalizedandglancedapprehensivelyaroundtomakesurethetwinswerenotwithinearshot。Theycamearoundthecornerofthehousejustthen。

"Ain’titanawfulnice-smellingevening？"askedDavy，sniffingdelightedlyasheswungahoeinhisgrimyhands。Hehadbeenworkinginhisgarden。ThatspringMarilla，bywayofturningDavy’spassionforrevelinginmudandclayintousefulchannels，hadgivenhimandDoraasmallplotofgroundforagarden。

Bothhadeagerlygonetoworkinacharacteristicfashion。

Doraplanted，weeded，andwateredcarefully，systematically，anddispassionately。Asaresult，herplotwasalreadygreenwithprim，orderlylittlerowsofvegetablesandannuals。

Davy，however，workedwithmorezealthandiscretion；hedugandhoedandrakedandwateredandtransplantedsoenergeticallythathisseedshadnochancefortheirlives。

"Howisyourgardencomingon，Davy-boy？"askedAnne。

"Kindofslow，"saidDavywithasigh。"Idon’tknowwhythethingsdon’tgrowbetter。MiltyBoultersaysImusthaveplantedtheminthedarkofthemoonandthat’sthewholetrouble。

Hesaysyoumustneversowseedsorkillporkorcutyourhairordoany’portantthinginthewrongtimeofthemoon。Isthattrue，Anne？Iwanttoknow。"

"Maybeifyoudidn’tpullyourplantsupbytherootseveryotherdaytoseehowthey’regettingon`attheotherend，’they’ddobetter，"

saidMarillasarcastically。

"Ionlypulledsixofthemup，"protestedDavy。"Iwantedtoseeiftherewasgrubsattheroots。MiltyBoultersaidifitwasn’tthemoon’sfaultitmustbegrubs。ButIonlyfoundonegrub。

Hewasagreatbigjuicycurlygrub。Iputhimonastoneandgotanotherstoneandsmashedhimflat。HemadeajollySQUISHItellyou。

Iwassorrytherewasn’tmoreofthem。Dora’sgardenwasplantedsametime’smineandherthingsaregrowingallright。ItCAN’Tbethemoon，"

Davyconcludedinareflectivetone。

"Marilla，lookatthatappletree，"saidAnne。"Why，thethingishuman。

Itisreachingoutlongarmstopickitsownpinkskirtsdaintilyupandprovokeustoadmiration。"

"ThoseYellowDuchesstreesalwaysbearwell，"saidMarillacomplacently。

"Thattree’llbeloadedthisyear。I’mrealglad……they’regreatforpies。"

ButneitherMarillanorAnnenoranybodyelsewasfatedtomakepiesoutofYellowDuchessapplesthatyear。

Thetwenty-thirdofMaycame……anunseasonablywarmday，asnonerealizedmorekeenlythanAnneandherlittlebeehiveofpupils，swelteringoverfractionsandsyntaxintheAvonleaschoolroom。

Ahotbreezeblewalltheforenoon；butafternoonhouritdiedawayintoaheavystillness。AthalfpastthreeAnneheardalowrumbleofthunder。Shepromptlydismissedschoolatonce，sothatthechildrenmightgethomebeforethestormcame。

AstheywentouttotheplaygroundAnneperceivedacertainshadowandgloomovertheworldinspiteofthefactthatthesunwasstillshiningbrightly。AnnettaBellcaughtherhandnervously。

"Oh，teacher，lookatthatawfulcloud！"

Annelookedandgaveanexclamationofdismay。Inthenorthwestamassofcloud，suchasshehadneverinallherlifebeheldbefore，wasrapidlyrollingup。Itwasdeadblack，savewhereitscurledandfringededgesshowedaghastly，lividwhite。Therewassomethingaboutitindescribablymenacingasitgloomedupintheclearbluesky；nowandagainaboltoflightningshotacrossit，followedbyasavagegrowl。Ithungsolowthatitalmostseemedtobetouchingthetopsofthewoodedhills。

Mr。HarmonAndrewscameclatteringupthehillinhistruckwagon，urginghisteamofgraystotheirutmostspeed。Hepulledthemtoahaltoppositetheschool。

"GuessUncleAbe’shititforonceinhislife，Anne，"heshouted。

"Hisstorm’scomingaleetleaheadoftime。Didyeeverseethelikeofthatcloud？Here，allyouyoungones，thataregoingmyway，pilein，andthosethatain’tscootforthepostofficeifye’vemore’naquarterofamiletogo，andstaytheretilltheshower’sover。"

AnnecaughtDavyandDorabythehandsandflewdownthehill，alongtheBirchPath，andpastVioletValeandWillowmere，asfastasthetwins’fatlegscouldgo。TheyreachedGreenGablesnotamomenttoosoonandwerejoinedatthedoorbyMarilla，whohadbeenhustlingherducksandchickensundershelter。Astheydashedintothekitchenthelightseemedtovanish，asifblownoutbysomemightybreath；theawfulcloudrolledoverthesunandadarknessasoflatetwilightfellacrosstheworld。Atthesamemoment，withacrashofthunderandablindingglareoflightning，thehailswoopeddownandblottedthelandscapeoutinonewhitefury。

Throughalltheclamorofthestormcamethethudoftornbranchesstrikingthehouseandthesharpcrackofbreakingglass。Inthreeminuteseverypaneinthewestandnorthwindowswasbrokenandthehailpouredinthroughtheaperturescoveringthefloorwithstones，thesmallestofwhichwasasbigasahen’segg。Forthreequartersofanhourthestormragedunabatedandnoonewhounderwentiteverforgotit。Marilla，foronceinherlifeshakenoutofhercomposurebysheerterror，kneltbyherrockingchairinacornerofthekitchen，gaspingandsobbingbetweenthedeafeningthunderpeals。Anne，whiteaspaper，haddraggedthesofaawayfromthewindowandsatonitwithatwinoneitherside。Davyatthefirstcrashhadhowled，"Anne，Anne，isittheJudgmentDay？Anne，Anne，Inevermeanttobenaughty，"andthenhadburiedhisfaceinAnne’slapandkeptitthere，hislittlebodyquivering。Dora，somewhatpalebutquitecomposed，satwithherhandclaspedinAnne’s，quietandmotionless。ItisdoubtfulifanearthquakewouldhavedisturbedDora。

Then，almostassuddenlyasitbegan，thestormceased。Thehailstopped，thethunderrolledandmutteredawaytotheeastward，andthesunburstoutmerryandradiantoveraworldsochangedthatitseemedanabsurdthingtothinkthatascantthreequartersofanhourcouldhaveeffectedsuchatransformation。

Marillarosefromherknees，weakandtrembling，anddroppedonherrocker。

Herfacewashaggardandshelookedtenyearsolder。

"Haveweallcomeoutofthatalive？"sheaskedsolemnly。

"Youbetwehave，"pipedDavycheerfully，quitehisownmanagain。

"Iwasn’tabitscaredeither……onlyjustatthefirst。Itcomeonafellowsosudden。ImadeupmymindquickasawinkthatIwouldn’tfightTeddySloaneMondayasI’dpromised；butnowmaybeIwill。

Say，Dora，wasyouscared？"

"Yes，Iwasalittlescared，"saidDoraprimly，"butIheldtighttoAnne’shandandsaidmyprayersoverandoveragain。"

"Well，I’dhavesaidmyprayerstooifI’dhavethoughtofit，"

saidDavy；"but，"headdedtriumphantly，"youseeIcamethroughjustassafeasyouforallIdidn’tsaythem。"

AnnegotMarillaaglassfulofherpotentcurrantwine……HOW

potentitwasAnne，inherearlierdays，hadhadalltoogoodreasontoknow……andthentheywenttothedoortolookoutonthestrangescene。

Farandwidewasawhitecarpet，kneedeep，ofhailstones；driftsofthemwereheapedupundertheeavesandonthesteps。When，threeorfourdayslater，thosehailstonesmelted，thehavoctheyhadwroughtwasplainlyseen，foreverygreengrowingthinginthefieldorgardenwascutoff。Notonlywaseveryblossomstrippedfromtheappletreesbutgreatboughsandbrancheswerewrenchedaway。AndoutofthetwohundredtreessetoutbytheImproversbyfarthegreaternumberweresnappedoffortorntoshreds。

"Canitpossiblybethesameworlditwasanhourago？"askedAnne，dazedly。"ItMUSThavetakenlongerthanthattoplaysuchhavoc。"

"ThelikeofthishasneverbeenknowninPrinceEdwardIsland，"

saidMarilla，"never。IrememberwhenIwasagirltherewasabadstorm，butitwasnothingtothis。We’llhearofterribledestruction，youmaybesure。"

"Idohopenoneofthechildrenwerecaughtoutinit，"murmuredAnneanxiously。Asitwasdiscoveredlater，noneofthechildrenhadbeen，sinceallthosewhohadanydistancetogohadtakenMr。