第8章

Andrews’excellentadviceandsoughtrefugeatthepostoffice。

"TherecomesJohnHenryCarter，"saidMarilla。

JohnHenrycamewadingthroughthehailstoneswitharatherscaredgrin。

"Oh，ain’tthisawful，MissCuthbert？Mr。Harrisonsentmeovertoseeifyoushadcomeoutallright。"

"We’renoneofuskilled，"saidMarillagrimly，"andnoneofthebuildingswasstruck。Ihopeyougotoffequallywell。"

"Yas’m。Notquitesowell，ma’am。Wewasstruck。ThelightningknockedoverthekitchenchimblyandcomedowntheflueandknockedoverGinger’scageandtoreaholeinthefloorandwentintothesullar。Yas’m。"

"WasGingerhurt？"queriedAnne。

"Yas’m。Hewashurtprettybad。Hewaskilled。"LateronAnnewentovertocomfortMr。Harrison。Shefoundhimsittingbythetable，strokingGinger’sgaydeadbodywithatremblinghand。

"PoorGingerwon’tcallyouanymorenames，Anne，"hesaidmournfully。

AnnecouldneverhaveimaginedherselfcryingonGinger’saccount，butthetearscameintohereyes。

"HewasallthecompanyIhad，Anne……andnowhe’sdead。Well，well，I’manoldfooltocaresomuch。I’llletonIdon’tcare。

Iknowyou’regoingtosaysomethingsympatheticassoonasI

stoptalking……butdon’t。IfyoudidI’dcrylikeababy。

Hasn’tthisbeenaterriblestorm？Iguessfolkswon’tlaughatUncleAbe’spredictionsagain。Seemsasifallthestormsthathe’sbeenprophesyingallhislifethatneverhappenedcameallatonce。Beatsallhowhestrucktheverydaythough，don’tit？

Lookatthemesswehavehere。Imusthustleroundandgetsomeboardstopatchupthatholeinthefloor。"

Avonleafolksdidnothingthenextdaybutvisiteachotherandcomparedamages。Theroadswereimpassableforwheelsbyreasonofthehailstones，sotheywalkedorrodeonhorseback。Themailcamelatewithilltidingsfromallovertheprovince。Houseshadbeenstruck，peoplekilledandinjured；thewholetelephoneandtelegraphsystemhadbeendisorganized，andanynumberofyoungstockexposedinthefieldshadperished。

UncleAbewadedouttotheblacksmith’sforgeearlyinthemorningandspentthewholedaythere。ItwasUncleAbe’shouroftriumphandheenjoyedittothefull。ItwouldbedoingUncleAbeaninjusticetosaythathewasgladthestormhadhappened；butsinceithadtobehewasverygladhehadpredictedit……totheveryday，too。UncleAbeforgotthathehadeverdeniedsettingtheday。

Asforthetriflingdiscrepancyinthehour，thatwasnothing。

GilbertarrivedatGreenGablesintheeveningandfoundMarillaandAnnebusilyengagedinnailingstripsofoilclothoverthebrokenwindows。

"Goodnessonlyknowswhenwe’llgetglassforthem，"saidMarilla。

"Mr。BarrywentovertoCarmodythisafternoonbutnotapanecouldhegetforloveormoney。LawsonandBlairwerecleanedoutbytheCarmodypeoplebyteno’clock。WasthestormbadatWhiteSands，Gilbert？"

"Ishouldsayso。IwascaughtintheschoolwithallthechildrenandIthoughtsomeofthemwouldgomadwithfright。Threeofthemfainted，andtwogirlstookhysterics，andTommyBlewettdidnothingbutshriekatthetopofhisvoicethewholetime。"

"Ionlysquealedonce，"saidDavyproudly。"Mygardenwasallsmashedflat，"hecontinuedmournfully，"butsowasDora’s，"headdedinatonewhichindicatedthattherewasyetbalminGilead。

Annecamerunningdownfromthewestgable。

"Oh，Gilbert，haveyouheardthenews？Mr。LeviBoulter’soldhousewasstruckandburnedtotheground。ItseemstomethatI’mdreadfullywickedtofeelgladoverTHAT，whensomuchdamagehasbeendone。Mr。BoultersayshebelievestheA。V。I。S。magickedupthatstormonpurpose。"

"Well，onethingiscertain，"saidGilbert，laughing，"`Observer’

hasmadeUncleAbe’sreputationasaweatherprophet。`UncleAbe’sstorm’willgodowninlocalhistory。Itisamostextraordinarycoincidencethatitshouldhavecomeontheverydayweselected。

Iactuallyhaveahalfguiltyfeeling，asifIreallyhad`magicked’

itup。Wemayaswellrejoiceovertheoldhousebeingremoved，forthere’snotmuchtorejoiceoverwhereouryoungtreesareconcerned。

Nottenofthemhaveescaped。"

"Ah，well，we’lljusthavetoplantthemoveragainnextspring，"

saidAnnephilosophically。"Thatisonegoodthingaboutthisworld……therearealwayssuretobemoresprings。"

XXV

AnAvonleaScandalOneblitheJunemorning，afortnightafterUncleAbe’sstorm，AnnecameslowlythroughtheGreenGablesyardfromthegarden，carryinginherhandstwoblightedstalksofwhitenarcissus。

"Look，Marilla，"shesaidsorroly，holdinguptheflowersbeforetheeyesofagrimlady，withherhaircoifedinagreenginghamapron，whowasgoingintothehousewithapluckedchicken，"thesearetheonlybudsthestormspared……andeventheyareimperfect。

I’msosorry……IwantedsomeforMatthew’sgrave。HewasalwayssofondofJunelilies。"

"Ikindofmissthemmyself，"admittedMarilla，"thoughitdoesn’tseemrighttolamentoverthemwhensomanyworsethingshavehappened……allthecropsdestroyedaswellasthefruit。"

"Butpeoplehavesowntheiroatsoveragain，"saidAnnecomfortingly，"andMr。Harrisonsayshethinksifwehaveagoodsummertheywillcomeoutallrightthoughlate。Andmyannualsareallcomingupagain……butoh，nothingcanreplacetheJunelilies。PoorlittleHesterGraywillhavenoneeither。Iwentallthewaybacktohergardenlastnightbuttherewasn’tone。I’msureshe’llmissthem。"

"Idon’tthinkit’srightforyoutosaysuchthings，Anne，I

reallydon’t，"saidMarillaseverely。"HesterGrayhasbeendeadforthirtyyearsandherspiritisinheaven……Ihope。"

"Yes，butIbelieveshelovesandremembershergardenherestill，"

saidAnne。"I’msurenomatterhowlongI’dlivedinheavenI’dliketolookdownandseesomebodyputtingflowersonmygrave。IfIhadhadagardenherelikeHesterGray’sitwouldtakememorethanthirtyyears，eveninheaven，toforgetbeinghomesickforitbyspells。"

"Well，don’tletthetwinshearyoutalkinglikethat，"wasMarilla’sfeebleprotest，asshecarriedherchickenintothehouse。

Annepinnedhernarcissionherhairandwenttothelanegate，whereshestoodforawhilesunningherselfintheJunebrightnessbeforegoingintoattendtoherSaturdaymorningduties。Theworldwasgrowinglovelyagain；oldMotherNaturewasdoingherbesttoremovethetracesofthestorm，and，thoughshewasnottosucceedfullyformanyamoon，shewasreallyaccomplishingwonders。

"IwishIcouldjustbeidlealldaytoday，"Annetoldabluebird，whowassingingandswingingonawillowbough，"butaschoolma’am，whoisalsohelpingtobringuptwins，can’tindulgeinlaziness，birdie。Howsweetyouaresinging，littlebird。YouarejustputtingthefeelingsofmyheartintosongeversomuchbetterthanIcouldmyself。Why，whoiscoming？"

Anexpresswagonwasjoltingupthelane，withtwopeopleonthefrontseatandabigtrunkbehind。WhenitdrewnearAnnerecognizedthedriverasthesonofthestationagentatBrightRiver；buthiscompanionwasastranger……ascrapofawomanwhosprangnimblydownatthegatealmostbeforethehorsecametoastandstill。Shewasaveryprettylittleperson，evidentlynearerfiftythanforty，butwithrosycheeks，sparklingblackeyes，andshiningblackhair，surmountedbyawonderfulbefloweredandbeplumedbonnet。Inspiteofhavingdriveneightmilesoveradustyroadshewasasneatasifshehadjuststeppedoutoftheproverbialbandbox。

"IsthiswhereMr。JamesA。Harrisonlives？"sheinquiredbriskly。

"No，Mr。Harrisonlivesoverthere，"saidAnne，quitelostinastonishment。

"Well，IDIDthinkthisplaceseemedtootidy……MUCHtootidyforJamesA。

tobelivinghere，unlesshehasgreatlychangedsinceIknewhim，"chirpedthelittlelady。"IsittruethatJamesA。isgoingtobemarriedtosomewomanlivinginthissettlement？"

"No，ohno，"criedAnne，flushingsoguiltilythatthestrangerlookedcuriouslyather，asifshehalfsuspectedherofmatrimonialdesignsonMr。Harrison。

"ButIsawitinanIslandpaper，"persistedtheFairUnknown。"A

friendsentamarkedcopytome……friendsarealwayssoreadytodosuchthings。JamesA。’snamewaswritteninover`newcitizen。’"

"Oh，thatnotewasonlymeantasajoke，"gaspedAnne。"Mr。HarrisonhasnointentionofmarryingANYBODY。Iassureyouhehasn’t。"

"I’mverygladtohearit，"saidtherosylady，climbingnimblybacktoherseatinthewagon，"becausehehappenstobemarriedalready。

_I_amhiswife。Oh，youmaywelllooksurprised。Isupposehehasbeenmasqueradingasabachelorandbreakingheartsrightandleft。

Well，well，JamesA。，"noddingvigorouslyoverthefieldsatthelongwhitehouse，"yourfunisover。Iamhere……thoughIwouldn’thavebotheredcomingifIhadn’tthoughtyouwereuptosomemischief。

Isuppose，"turningtoAnne，"thatparrotofhisisasprofaneasever？"

"Hisparrot……isdead……ITHINK，"gaspedpoorAnne，whocouldn’thavefeltsureofherownnameatthatprecisemoment。

"Dead！Everythingwillbeallrightthen，"criedtherosyladyjubilantly。"IcanmanageJamesA。ifthatbirdisoutoftheway。"

WithwhichcrypticutteranceshewentjoyfullyonherwayandAnneflewtothekitchendoortomeetMarilla。

"Anne，whowasthatwoman？"

"Marilla，"saidAnnesolemnly，butwithdancingeyes，"doIlookasifIwerecrazy？"

"Notmoresothanusual，"saidMarilla，withnothoughtofbeingsarcastic。

"Wellthen，doyouthinkIamawake？"

"Anne，whatnonsensehasgotintoyou？Whowasthatwoman，Isay？"

"Marilla，ifI’mnotcrazyandnotasleepshecan’tbesuchstuffasdreamsaremadeof……shemustbereal。Anyway，I’msureIcouldn’thaveimaginedsuchabonnet。ShesayssheisMr。Harrison’swife，Marilla。"

Marillastaredinherturn。

"Hiswife！AnneShirley！Thenwhathashebeenpassinghimselfoffasanunmarriedmanfor？"

"Idon’tsupposehedid，really，"saidAnne，tryingtobejust。

"Heneversaidhewasn’tmarried。Peoplesimplytookitforgranted。OhMarilla，whatwillMrs。Lyndesaytothis？"

TheyfoundoutwhatMrs。Lyndehadtosaywhenshecameupthatevening。Mrs。Lyndewasn’tsurprised！Mrs。Lyndehadalwaysexpectedsomethingofthesort！Mrs。LyndehadalwaysknowntherewasSOMETHINGaboutMr。Harrison！

"Tothinkofhisdesertinghiswife！"shesaidindignantly。

"It’slikesomethingyou’dreadofintheStates，butwhowouldexpectsuchathingtohappenrighthereinAvonlea？"

"Butwedon’tknowthathedesertedher，"protestedAnne，determinedtobelieveherfriendinnocenttillhewasprovedguilty。"Wedon’tknowtherightsofitatall。"

"Well，wesoonwill。I’mgoingstraightoverthere，"saidMrs。

Lynde，whohadneverlearnedthattherewassuchawordasdelicacyinthedictionary。"I’mnotsupposedtoknowanythingaboutherarrival，andMr。HarrisonwastobringsomemedicineforThomasfromCarmodytoday，sothatwillbeagoodexcuse。I’llfindoutthewholestoryandcomeinandtellyouonthewayback。"

Mrs。LynderushedinwhereAnnehadfearedtotread。NothingwouldhaveinducedthelattertogoovertotheHarrisonplace；

butshehadhernaturalandpropershareofcuriosityandshefeltsecretlygladthatMrs。Lyndewasgoingtosolvethemystery。

SheandMarillawaitedexpectantlyforthatgoodlady’sreturn，butwaitedinvain。Mrs。LyndedidnotrevisitGreenGablesthatnight。

Davy，arrivinghomeatnineo’clockfromtheBoulterplace，explainedwhy。

"ImetMrs。LyndeandsomestrangewomanintheHollow，"hesaid，"andgracious，howtheyweretalkingbothatonce！Mrs。Lyndesaidtotellyoushewassorryitwastoolatetocalltonight。

Anne，I’mawfulhungry。WehadteaatMilty’satfourandIthinkMrs。Boulterisrealmean。Shedidn’tgiveusanypreservesorcake……andeventhebreadwasskurce。"

"Davy，whenyougovisitingyoumustnevercriticizeanythingyouaregiventoeat，"saidAnnesolemnly。"Itisverybadmanners。"

"Allright……I’llonlythinkit，"saidDavycheerfully。

"Dogiveafellowsomesupper，Anne。"

AnnelookedatMarilla，whofollowedherintothepantryandshutthedoorcautiously。

"Youcangivehimsomejamonhisbread，IknowwhatteaatLeviBoulter’sisapttobe。"

Davytookhissliceofbreadandjamwithasigh。

"It’sakindofdisappointingworldafterall，"heremarked。

"Miltyhasacatthattakesfits……she’stookafitregulareverydayforthreeweeks。Miltysaysit’sawfulfuntowatchher。

Iwentdowntodayonpurposetoseeherhaveonebutthemeanoldthingwouldn’ttakeafitandjustkepthealthyashealthy，thoughMiltyandmehungroundalltheafternoonandwaited。Butnevermind"……Davybrightenedupastheinsidiouscomfortoftheplumjamstoleintohissoul……"maybeI’llseeherinonesometimeyet。

Itdoesn’tseemlikelyshe’dstophavingthemallatoncewhenshe’sbeensointhehabitofit，doesit？Thisjamisawfulnice。"

Davyhadnosorrowsthatplumjamcouldnotcure。

Sundayprovedsorainythattherewasnostirringabroad；butbyMondayeverybodyhadheardsomeversionoftheHarrisonstory。TheschoolbuzzedwithitandDavycamehome，fullofinformation。

"Marilla，Mr。Harrisonhasanewwife……well，notezacklynew，butthey’vestoppedbeingmarriedforquiteaspell，Miltysays。

Ialwayss’posedpeoplehadtokeeponbeingmarriedoncethey’dbegun，butMiltysaysno，there’swaysofstoppingifyoucan’tagree。

Miltysaysonewayisjusttostartoffandleaveyourwife，andthat’swhatMr。Harrisondid。MiltysaysMr。Harrisonlefthiswifebecauseshethrowedthingsathim……HARDthings……andArtySloanesaysitwasbecauseshewouldn’tlethimsmoke，andNedClaysaysitwas’causesheneverletupscoldinghim。Iwouldn’tleaveMY

wifeforanythinglikethat。I’djustputmyfootdownandsay，`Mrs。Davy，you’vejustgottodowhat’llpleaseME’causeI’maMAN。’

THAT’DsettleherprettyquickIguess。ButAnnettaClaysaysSHEleftHIMbecausehewouldn’tscrapehisbootsatthedoorandshedoesn’tblameher。I’mgoingrightovertoMr。Harrison’sthisminutetoseewhatshe’slike。"

Davysoonreturned，somewhatcastdown。

"Mrs。Harrisonwasaway……she’sgonetoCarmodywithMrs。RachelLyndetogetnewpaperfortheparlor。AndMr。HarrisonsaidtotellAnnetogooverandseehim`causehewantstohaveatalkwithher。Andsay，thefloorisscrubbed，andMr。Harrisonisshaved，thoughtherewasn’tanypreachingyesterday。"

TheHarrisonkitchenworeaveryunfamiliarlooktoAnne。Thefloorwasindeedscrubbedtoawonderfulpitchofpurityandsowaseveryarticleoffurnitureintheroom；thestovewaspolisheduntilshecouldseeherfaceinit；thewallswerewhitewashedandthewindowpanessparkledinthesunlight。BythetablesatMr。Harrisoninhisworkingclothes，whichonFridayhadbeennotedforsundryrentsandtattersbutwhichwerenowneatlypatchedandbrushed。

Hewassprucelyshavedandwhatlittlehairhehadwascarefullytrimmed。

"Sitdown，Anne，sitdown，"saidMr。HarrisoninatonebuttwodegreesremovedfromthatwhichAvonleapeopleusedatfunerals。

"Emily’sgoneovertoCarmodywithRachelLynde……she’sstruckupalifelongfriendshipalreadywithRachelLynde。Beatsallhowcontrarywomenare。Well，Anne，myeasytimesareover……allover。

It’sneatnessandtidinessformefortherestofmynaturallife，Isuppose。"

Mr。Harrisondidhisbesttospeakdolefully，butanirrepressibletwinkleinhiseyebetrayedhim。

"Mr。Harrison，youaregladyourwifeiscomeback，"criedAnne，shakingherfingerathim。"Youneedn’tpretendyou’renot，becauseIcanseeitplainly。"

Mr。Harrisonrelaxedintoasheepishsmile。

"Well……well……I’mgettingusedtoit，"heconceded。"Ican’tsayIwassorrytoseeEmily。Amanreallyneedssomeprotectioninacommunitylikethis，wherehecan’tplayagameofcheckerswithaneighborwithoutbeingaccusedofwantingtomarrythatneighbor’ssisterandhavingitputinthepaper。"

"NobodywouldhavesupposedyouwenttoseeIsabellaAndrewsifyouhadn’tpretendedtobeunmarried，"saidAnneseverely。

"Ididn’tpretendIwas。Ifanybody’dhaveaskedmeifIwasmarriedI’dhavesaidIwas。Buttheyjusttookitforgranted。

Iwasn’tanxioustotalkaboutthematter……Iwasfeelingtoosoreoverit。ItwouldhavebeennutsforMrs。RachelLyndeifshehadknownmywifehadleftme，wouldn’titnow？"

"Butsomepeoplesaythatyoulefther。"

"Shestartedit，Anne，shestartedit。I’mgoingtotellyouthewholestory，forIdon’twantyoutothinkworseofmethanI

deserve……norofEmilyneither。Butlet’sgooutontheveranda。

Everythingissofearfulneatinherethatitkindofmakesmehomesick。

IsupposeI’llgetusedtoitafterawhilebutiteasesmeuptolookattheyard。Emilyhasn’thadtimetotidyitupyet。"

AssoonastheywerecomfortablyseatedontheverandaMr。Harrisonbeganhistaleofwoe。

"IlivedinScottsford，NewBrunswick，beforeIcamehere，Anne。

Mysisterkepthouseformeandshesuitedmefine；shewasjustreasonablytidyandsheletmealoneandspoiledme……soEmilysays。

Butthreeyearsagoshedied。BeforeshediedsheworriedalotaboutwhatwastobecomeofmeandfinallyshegotmetopromiseI’dgetmarried。

SheadvisedmetotakeEmilyScottbecauseEmilyhadmoneyofherownandwasapatternhousekeeper。Isaid，saysI，`EmilyScottwouldn’tlookatme。’

`Youaskherandsee，’saysmysister；andjusttoeasehermindIpromisedherIwould……andIdid。AndEmilysaidshe’dhaveme。Neverwassosurprisedinmylife，Anne……asmartprettylittlewomanlikeherandanoldfellowlikeme。ItellyouIthoughtatfirstIwasinluck。

Well，weweremarriedandtookalittleweddingtriptoSt。Johnforafortnightandthenwewenthome。Wegothomeatteno’clockatnight，andIgiveyoumyword，Anne，thatinhalfanhourthatwomanwasatworkhousecleaning。Oh，Iknowyou’rethinkingmyhouseneededit……

you’vegotaveryexpressiveface，Anne；yourthoughtsjustcomeoutonitlikeprint……butitdidn’t，notthatbad。IthadgotprettymixedupwhileIwaskeepingbachelor’shall，Iadmit，butI’dgotawomantocomeinandcleanitupbeforeIwasmarriedandthere’dbeenconsiderablepaintingandfixingdone。ItellyouifyoutookEmilyintoabrandnewwhitemarblepalaceshe’dbeintothescrubbingassoonasshecouldgetanolddresson。Well，shecleanedhousetilloneo’clockthatnightandatfourshewasupandatitagain。Andshekeptonthatway……far’sIcouldseesheneverstopped。Itwasscourandsweepanddusteverlasting，exceptonSundays，andthenshewasjustlongingforMondaytobeginagain。ButitwasherwayofamusingherselfandIcouldhavereconciledmyselftoitifshe’dleftmealone。Butthatshewouldn’tdo。She’dsetouttomakemeoverbutshehadn’tcaughtmeyoungenough。Iwasn’tallowedtocomeintothehouseunlessI

changedmybootsforslippersatthedoor。Idarsn’tsmokeapipeformylifeunlessIwenttothebarn。AndIdidn’tusegoodenoughgrammar。Emily’dbeenaschoolteacherinherearlylifeandshe’dnevergotoverit。Thenshehatedtoseemeeatingwithmyknife。Well，thereitwas，pickandnageverlasting。ButI

s’pose，Anne，tobefair，_I_wascantankeroustoo。Ididn’ttrytoimproveasImighthavedone……Ijustgotcrankyanddisagreeablewhenshefoundfault。Itoldheronedayshehadn’tcomplainedofmygrammarwhenIproposedtoher。Itwasn’tanoverlytactfulthingtosay。Awomanwouldforgiveamanforbeatinghersoonerthanforhintingshewastoomuchpleasedtogethim。Well，webickeredalonglikethatanditwasn’texactlypleasant，butwemighthavegotusedtoeachotherafteraspellifithadn’tbeenforGinger。Gingerwastherockwesplitonatlast。Emilydidn’tlikeparrotsandshecouldn’tstandGinger’sprofanehabitsofspeech。Iwasattachedtothebirdformybrotherthesailor’ssake。Mybrotherthesailorwasapetofminewhenwewerelittletadsandhe’dsentGingertomewhenhewasdying。Ididn’tseeanysenseingettingworkedupoverhisswearing。There’snothingIhateworse’nprofanityinahumanbeing，butinaparrot，that’sjustrepeatingwhatit’sheardwithnomoreunderstandingofitthanI’dhaveofChinese，allowancesmightbemade。ButEmilycouldn’tseeitthatway。Womenain’tlogical。ShetriedtobreakGingerofswearingbutshehadn’tanybettersuccessthanshehadintryingtomakemestopsaying`I

seen’and`themthings。’SeemedasifthemoreshetriedtheworseGingergot，sameasme。

"Well，thingswentonlikethis，bothofusgettingraspier，tilltheCLIMAXcame。Emilyinvitedourministerandhiswifetotea，andanotherministerandHISwifethatwasvisitingthem。I’dpromisedtoputGingerawayinsomesafeplacewherenobodywouldhearhim……Emilywouldn’ttouchhiscagewithaten-footpole……andImeanttodoit，forIdidn’twanttheministerstohearanythingunpleasantinmyhouse。Butitslippedmymind……Emilywasworryingmesomuchaboutcleancollarsandgrammarthatitwasn’tanywonder……andIneverthoughtofthatpoorparrottillwesatdowntotea。Justasministernumberonewasintheverymiddleofsayinggrace，Ginger，whowasontheverandaoutsidethediningroomwindow，liftedupHISvoice。ThegobblerhadcomeintoviewintheyardandthesightofagobbleralwayshadanunwholesomeeffectonGinger。Hesurpassedhimselfthattime。

Youcansmile，Anne，andIdon’tdenyI’vechuckledsomeoveritsincemyself，butatthetimeIfeltalmostasmuchmortifiedasEmily。

IwentoutandcarriedGingertothebarn。Ican’tsayIenjoyedthemeal。IknewbythelookofEmilythattherewastroublebrewingforGingerandJamesA。WhenthefolkswentawayI

startedforthecowpastureandonthewayIdidsomethinking。

IfeltsorryforEmilyandkindoffanciedIhadn’tbeensothoughtfulofherasImight；andbesides，IwonderediftheministerswouldthinkthatGingerhadlearnedhisvocabularyfromme。Thelongandshortofitwas，IdecidedthatGingerwouldhavetobemercifullydisposedofandwhenI’ddruvthecowshomeIwentintotellEmilyso。

ButtherewasnoEmilyandtherewasaletteronthetable……justaccordingtotheruleinstorybooks。EmilywritthatI’dhavetochoosebetweenherandGinger；she’dgonebacktoherownhouseandthereshewouldstaytillIwentandtoldherI’dgotridofthatparrot。

"Iwasallriledup，Anne，andIsaidshemightstaytilldoomsdayifshewaitedforthat；andIstucktoit。Ipackedupherbelongingsandsentthemafterher。Itmadeanawfullotoftalk……ScottsfordwasprettynearasbadasAvonleaforgossip……andeverybodysympathizedwithEmily。ItkeptmeallcrossandcantankerousandIsawI’dhavetogetoutorI’dneverhaveanypeace。

IconcludedI’dcometotheIsland。I’dbeenherewhenIwasaboyandIlikedit；butEmilyhadalwayssaidshewouldn’tliveinaplacewherefolkswerescaredtowalkoutafterdarkforfearthey’dfallofftheedge。So，justtobecontrary，Imovedoverhere。Andthat’sallthereistoit。Ihadn’teverheardawordfromoraboutEmilytillIcomehomefromthebackfieldSaturdayandfoundherscrubbingthefloorbutwiththefirstdecentdinnerI’dhadsincesheleftmeallreadyonthetable。

Shetoldmetoeatitfirstandthenwe’dtalk……bywhichI

concludedthatEmilyhadlearnedsomelessonsaboutgettingalongwithaman。Soshe’shereandshe’sgoingtostay……seeingthatGinger’sdeadandtheIsland’ssomebiggerthanshethought。

There’sMrs。Lyndeandhernow。No，don’tgo，Anne。StayandgetacquaintedwithEmily。ShetookquiteanotiontoyouSaturday……

wantedtoknowwhothathandsomeredhairedgirlwasatthenexthouse。"

Mrs。HarrisonwelcomedAnneradiantlyandinsistedonherstayingtotea。

"JamesA。hasbeentellingmeallaboutyouandhowkindyou’vebeen，makingcakesandthingsforhim，"shesaid。"Iwanttogetacquaintedwithallmynewneighborsjustassoonaspossible。Mrs。Lyndeisalovelywoman，isn’tshe？Sofriendly。"

WhenAnnewenthomeinthesweetJunedusk，Mrs。Harrisonwentwithheracrossthefieldswherethefireflieswerelightingtheirstarrylamps。

"Isuppose，"saidMrs。Harrisonconfidentially，"thatJamesA。hastoldyouourstory？"

"Yes。"

"ThenIneedn’ttellit，forJamesA。isajustmanandhewouldtellthetruth。Theblamewasfarfrombeingallonhisside。

Icanseethatnow。Iwasn’tbackinmyownhouseanhourbeforeI

wishedIhadn’tbeensohastybutIwouldn’tgivein。IseenowthatIexpectedtoomuchofaman。AndIwasrealfoolishtomindhisbadgrammar。Itdoesn’tmatterifamandoesusebadgrammarsolongasheisagoodprovideranddoesn’tgopokingroundthepantrytoseehowmuchsugaryou’veusedinaweek。IfeelthatJamesA。

andIaregoingtoberealhappynow。IwishIknewwho`Observer’

is，sothatIcouldthankhim。Iowehimarealdebtofgratitude。"

AnnekeptherowncounselandMrs。Harrisonneverknewthathergratitudefounditswaytoitsobject。Annefeltratherbewilderedoverthefar-reachingconsequencesofthosefoolish"notes。"Theyhadreconciledamantohiswifeandmadethereputationofaprophet。

Mrs。LyndewasintheGreenGableskitchen。ShehadbeentellingthewholestorytoMarilla。

"Well，andhowdoyoulikeMrs。Harrison？"sheaskedAnne。

"Verymuch。Ithinkshe’sarealnicelittlewoman。"

"That’sexactlywhatsheis，"saidMrs。Rachelwithemphasis，"andasI’vejustbeensayin’toMarilla，IthinkweoughtalltooverlookMr。Harrison’speculiaritiesforhersakeandtrytomakeherfeelathomehere，that’swhat。Well，Imustgetback。

Thomas’llbewearyingforme。IgetoutalittlesinceElizacameandhe’sseemedalotbetterthesepastfewdays，butIneverliketobelongawayfromhim。IhearGilbertBlythehasresignedfromWhiteSands。He’llbeofftocollegeinthefall，Isuppose。"

Mrs。RachellookedsharplyatAnne，butAnnewasbendingoverasleepyDavynoddingonthesofaandnothingwastobereadinherface。

ShecarriedDavyaway，herovalgirlishcheekpressedagainsthiscurlyyellowhead。AstheywentupthestairsDavyflungatiredarmaboutAnne’sneckandgaveherawarmhugandastickykiss。

"You’reawfulnice，Anne。MiltyBoulterwroteonhisslatetodayandshowedittoJennieSloane，"`Rosesredandvi’letsblue，Sugar’ssweet，andsoareyou"

andthat’spressesmyfeelingsforyouezackly，Anne。"

XXVI

AroundtheBendThomasLyndefadedoutoflifeasquietlyandunobtrusivelyashehadlivedit。Hiswifewasatender，patient，unweariednurse。

SometimesRachelhadbeenalittlehardonherThomasinhealth，whenhisslownessormeeknesshadprovokedher；butwhenhebecameillnovoicecouldbelower，nohandmoregentlyskillful，novigilmoreuncomplaining。

"You’vebeenagoodwifetome，Rachel，"heoncesaidsimply，whenshewassittingbyhiminthedusk，holdinghisthin，blanchedoldhandinherwork-hardenedone。"Agoodwife。I’msorryIain’tleavingyoubetteroff；butthechildrenwilllookafteryou。

They’reallsmart，capablechildren，justliketheirmother。

Agoodmother……agoodwoman……"

Hehadfallenasleepthen，andthenextmorning，justasthewhitedawnwascreepingupoverthepointedfirsinthehollow，MarillawentsoftlyintotheeastgableandwakenedAnne。

"Anne，ThomasLyndeisgone……theirhiredboyjustbroughttheword。

I’mgoingrightdowntoRachel。"

OnthedayafterThomasLynde’sfuneralMarillawentaboutGreenGableswithastrangelypreoccupiedair。OccasionallyshelookedatAnne，seemedonthepointofsayingsomething，thenshookherheadandbuttoneduphermouth。AfterteashewentdowntoseeMrs。Rachel；

andwhenshereturnedshewenttotheeastgable，whereAnnewascorrectingschoolexercises。

"HowisMrs。Lyndetonight？"askedthelatter。

"She’sfeelingcalmerandmorecomposed，"answeredMarilla，sittingdownonAnne’sbed……aproceedingwhichbetokenedsomeunusualmentalexcitement，forinMarilla’scodeofhouseholdethicstositonabedafteritwasmadeupwasanunpardonableoffense。

"Butshe’sverylonely。Elizahadtogohometoday……hersonisn’twellandshefeltshecouldn’tstayanylonger。"

"WhenI’vefinishedtheseexercisesI’llrundownandchatawhilewithMrs。Lynde，"saidAnne。"IhadintendedtostudysomeLatincompositiontonightbutitcanwait。"

"IsupposeGilbertBlytheisgoingtocollegeinthefall，"saidMarillajerkily。"Howwouldyouliketogotoo，Anne？"

Annelookedupinastonishment。

"Iwouldlikeit，ofcourse，Marilla。Butitisn’tpossible。"

"Iguessitcanbemadepossible。I’vealwaysfeltthatyoushouldgo。

I’veneverfelteasytothinkyouweregivingitalluponmyaccount。"

"ButMarilla，I’veneverbeensorryforamomentthatIstayedhome。

I’vebeensohappy……Oh，thesepasttwoyearshavejustbeendelightful。"

"Oh，yes，Iknowyou’vebeencontentedenough。Butthatisn’tthequestionexactly。Yououghttogoonwithyoureducation。You’vesavedenoughtoputyouthroughoneyearatRedmondandthemoneythestockbroughtinwilldoforanotheryear……andthere’sscholarshipsandthingsyoumightwin。"

"Yes，butIcan’tgo，Marilla。Youreyesarebetter，ofcourse；

butIcan’tleaveyoualonewiththetwins。Theyneedsomuchlookingafter。"

"Iwon’tbealonewiththem。That’swhatImeanttodiscusswithyou。

IhadalongtalkwithRacheltonight。Anne，she’sfeelingdreadfulbadoveragoodmanythings。She’snotleftverywelloff。Itseemstheymortgagedthefarmeightyearsagotogivetheyoungestboyastartwhenhewentwest；andthey’veneverbeenabletopaymuchmorethantheinterestsince。AndthenofcourseThomas’illnesshascostagooddeal，onewayoranother。ThefarmwillhavetobesoldandRachelthinksthere’llbehardlyanythingleftafterthebillsaresettled。

Shesaysshe’llhavetogoandlivewithElizaandit’sbreakingherhearttothinkofleavingAvonlea。Awomanofheragedoesn’tmakenewfriendsandinterestseasy。And，Anne，asshetalkedaboutitthethoughtcametomethatIwouldaskhertocomeandlivewithme，butIthoughtIoughttotalkitoverwithyoufirstbeforeIsaidanythingtoher。IfIhadRachellivingwithmeyoucouldgotocollege。

Howdoyoufeelaboutit？"

"Ifeel……asif……somebody……hadhandedme……themoon……andI

didn’tknow……exactly……whattodo……withit，"saidAnnedazedly。

"ButasforaskingMrs。Lyndetocomehere，thatisforyoutodecide，Marilla。Doyouthink……areyousure……youwouldlikeit？Mrs。Lyndeisagoodwomanandakindneighbor，but……but……"

"Butshe’sgotherfaults，youmeantosay？Well，shehas，ofcourse；

butIthinkI’dratherputupwithfarworsefaultsthanseeRachelgoawayfromAvonlea。I’dmissherterrible。She’stheonlyclosefriendI’vegothereandI’dbelostwithouther。We’vebeenneighborsforforty-fiveyearsandwe’veneverhadaquarrel……thoughwecamerathernearitthattimeyouflewatMrs。Rachelforcallingyouhomelyandredhaired。Doyouremember，Anne？"

"IshouldthinkIdo，"saidAnneruefully。"Peopledon’tforgetthingslikethat。HowIhatedpoorMrs。Rachelatthatmoment！"

"Andthenthat`apology’youmadeher。Well，youwereahandful，inallconscience，Anne。Ididfeelsopuzzledandbewilderedhowtomanageyou。Matthewunderstoodyoubetter。"

"Matthewunderstoodeverything，"saidAnnesoftly，asshealwaysspokeofhim。

"Well，IthinkitcouldbemanagedsothatRachelandIwouldn’tclashatall。Italwaysseemedtomethatthereasontwowomencan’tgetalonginonehouseisthattheytrytosharethesamekitchenandgetineachother’sway。Now，ifRachelcamehere，shecouldhavethenorthgableforherbedroomandthespareroomforakitchenaswellasnot，forwedon’treallyneedaspareroomatall。Shecouldputherstovethereandwhatfurnitureshewantedtokeep，andberealcomfortableandindependent。She’llhaveenoughtoliveonofcourse……herchildren’llseetothat……soallI’dbegivingherwouldbehouseroom。Yes，Anne，farasI’mconcernedI’dlikeit。"

"Thenaskher，"saidAnnepromptly。"I’dbeverysorrymyselftoseeMrs。Rachelgoaway。"

"Andifshecomes，"continuedMarilla，"Youcangotocollegeaswellasnot。She’llbecompanyformeandshe’lldoforthetwinswhatI

can’tdo，sothere’snoreasonintheworldwhyyoushouldn’tgo。"

Annehadalongmeditationatherwindowthatnight。Joyandregretstruggledtogetherinherheart。Shehadcomeatlast……suddenlyandunexpectedly……tothebendintheroad；andcollegewasaroundit，withahundredrainbowhopesandvisions；butAnnerealizedaswellthatwhensheroundedthatcurveshemustleavemanysweetthingsbehind……

allthelittlesimpledutiesandinterestswhichhadgrownsodeartoherinthelasttwoyearsandwhichshehadglorifiedintobeautyanddelightbytheenthusiasmshehadputintothem。Shemustgiveupherschool……

andshelovedeveryoneofherpupils，eventhestupidandnaughtyones。

ThemerethoughtofPaulIrvingmadeherwonderifRedmondweresuchanametoconjurewithafterall。

"I’veputoutalotoflittlerootsthesetwoyears，"Annetoldthemoon，"andwhenI’mpulledupthey’regoingtohurtagreatdeal。Butit’sbesttogo，Ithink，and，asMarillasays，there’snogoodreasonwhyIshouldn’t。

Imustgetoutallmyambitionsanddustthem。"

Annesentinherresignationthenextday；andMrs。Rachel，afterahearttohearttalkwithMarilla，gratefullyacceptedtheofferofahomeatGreenGables。Sheelectedtoremaininherownhouseforthesummer，however；thefarmwasnottobesolduntilthefallandthereweremanyarrangementstobemade。

"IcertainlyneverthoughtoflivingasfarofftheroadasGreenGables，"

sighedMrs。Racheltoherself。"Butreally，GreenGablesdoesn’tseemasoutoftheworldasitusedtodo……Annehaslotsofcompanyandthetwinsmakeitreallively。Andanyhow，I’dratherliveatthebottomofawellthanleaveAvonlea。"

ThesetwodecisionsbeingnoisedabroadspeedilyoustedthearrivalofMrs。Harrisoninpopulargossip。SageheadswereshakenoverMarillaCuthbert’srashstepinaskingMrs。Racheltolivewithher。

Peopleopinedthattheywouldn’tgetontogether。Theywereboth"toofondoftheirownway，"andmanydolefulpredictionsweremade，noneofwhichdisturbedthepartiesinquestionatall。Theyhadcometoaclearanddistinctunderstandingoftherespectivedutiesandrightsoftheirnewarrangementsandmeanttoabidebythem。

"Iwon’tmeddlewithyounoryouwithme，"Mrs。Rachelhadsaiddecidedly，"andasforthetwins，I’llbegladtodoallIcanforthem；butIwon’tundertaketoanswerDavy’squestions，that’swhat。I’mnotanencyclopedia，neitheramIaPhiladelphialawyer。You’llmissAnneforthat。"

"SometimesAnne’sanswerswereaboutasqueerasDavy’squestions，"

saidMarilladrily。"Thetwinswillmissherandnomistake；butherfuturecan’tbesacrificedtoDavy’sthirstforinformation。

WhenheasksquestionsIcan’tanswerI’lljusttellhimchildrenshouldbeseenandnotheard。ThatwashowIwasbroughtup，andIdon’tknowbutwhatitwasjustasgoodawayasallthesenew-fanglednotionsfortrainingchildren。"

"Well，Anne’smethodsseemtohaveworkedfairlywellwithDavy，"

saidMrs。Lyndesmilingly。"Heisareformedcharacter，that’swhat。"

"Heisn’tabadlittlesoul，"concededMarilla。"IneverexpectedtogetasfondofthosechildrenasIhave。Davygetsroundyousomehow……andDoraisalovelychild，althoughsheis……kindof……well，kindof……"

"Monotonous？Exactly，"suppliedMrs。Rachel。"Likeabookwhereeverypageisthesame，that’swhat。Dorawillmakeagood，reliablewomanbutshe’llneversetthepondonfire。Well，thatsortoffolksarecomfortabletohaveround，evenifthey’renotasinterestingastheotherkind。"

GilbertBlythewasprobablytheonlypersontowhomthenewsofAnne’sresignationbroughtunmixedpleasure。Herpupilslookeduponitasasheercatastrophe。AnnettaBellhadhystericswhenshewenthome。AnthonyPyefoughttwopitchedandunprovokedbattleswithotherboysbywayofrelievinghisfeelings。BarbaraShawcriedallnight。PaulIrvingdefiantlytoldhisgrandmotherthatsheneedn’texpecthimtoeatanyporridgeforaweek。

"Ican’tdoit，Grandma，"hesaid。"Idon’treallyknowifIcaneatANYTHING。Ifeelasiftherewasadreadfullumpinmythroat。

I’dhavecriedcominghomefromschoolifJakeDonnellhadn’tbeenwatchingme。IbelieveIwillcryafterIgotobed。Itwouldn’tshowonmyeyestomorrow，wouldit？Anditwouldbesucharelief。

Butanyway，Ican’teatporridge。I’mgoingtoneedallmystrengthofmindtobearupagainstthis，Grandma，andIwon’thaveanylefttograpplewithporridge。OhGrandma，Idon’tknowwhatI’lldowhenmybeautifulteachergoesaway。MiltyBoultersayshebetsJaneAndrewswillgettheschool。IsupposeMissAndrewsisverynice。ButIknowshewon’tunderstandthingslikeMissShirley。"

Dianaalsotookaverypessimisticviewofaffairs。

"Itwillbehorriblylonesomeherenextwinter，"shemourned，onetwilightwhenthemoonlightwasraining"airysilver"throughthecherryboughsandfillingtheeastgablewithasoft，dream-likeradianceinwhichthetwogirlssatandtalked，Anneonherlowrockerbythewindow，DianasittingTurkfashiononthebed。"YouandGilbertwillbegone……andtheAllanstoo。TheyaregoingtocallMr。AllantoCharlottetownandofcoursehe’llaccept。It’stoomean。We’llbevacantallwinter，Isuppose，andhavetolistentoalongstringofcandidates……andhalfofthemwon’tbeanygood。"

"Ihopetheywon’tcallMr。BaxterfromEastGraftonhere，anyhow，"

saidAnnedecidedly。"Hewantsthecallbuthedoespreachsuchgloomysermons。Mr。Bellsayshe’saministeroftheoldschool，butMrs。Lyndesaysthere’snothingwhateverthematterwithhimbutindigestion。Hiswifeisn’taverygoodcook，itseems，andMrs。Lyndesaysthatwhenamanhastoeatsourbreadtwoweeksoutofthreehistheologyisboundtogetakinkinitsomewhere。

Mrs。Allanfeelsverybadlyaboutgoingaway。Shesayseverybodyhasbeensokindtohersinceshecamehereasabridethatshefeelsasifshewereleavinglifelongfriends。Andthen，there’sthebaby’sgrave，youknow。Shesaysshedoesn’tseehowshecangoawayandleavethat……itwassuchalittlemiteofathingandonlythreemonthsold，andshesayssheisafraiditwillmissitsmother，althoughsheknowsbetterandwouldn’tsaysotoMr。Allanforanything。Shesaysshehasslippedthroughthebirchgrovebackofthemansenearlyeverynighttothegraveyardandsungalittlelullabytoit。ShetoldmeallaboutitlasteveningwhenIwasupputtingsomeofthoseearlywildrosesonMatthew’sgrave。

IpromisedherthataslongasIwasinAvonleaIwouldputflowersonthebaby’sgraveandwhenIwasawayIfeltsurethat……"

"ThatIwoulddoit，"suppliedDianaheartily。"OfcourseIwill。

AndI’llputthemonMatthew’sgravetoo，foryoursake，Anne。"

"Oh，thankyou。Imeanttoaskyoutoifyouwould。AndonlittleHesterGray’stoo？Pleasedon’tforgethers。Doyouknow，I’vethoughtanddreamedsomuchaboutlittleHesterGraythatshehasbecomestrangelyrealtome。Ithinkofher，backthereinherlittlegardeninthatcool，still，greencorner；andIhaveafancythatifIcouldstealbacktheresomespringevening，justatthemagictime’twixtlightanddark，andtiptoesosoftlyupthebeechhillthatmyfootstepscouldnotfrightenher，Iwouldfindthegardenjustasitusedtobe，allsweetwithJuneliliesandearlyroses，withthetinyhousebeyonditallhungwithvines；andlittleHesterGraywouldbethere，withhersofteyes，andthewindrufflingherdarkhair，wanderingabout，puttingherfingertipsunderthechinsoftheliliesandwhisperingsecretswiththeroses；

andIwouldgoforward，oh，sosoftly，andholdoutmyhandsandsaytoher，`LittleHesterGray，won’tyouletmebeyourplaymate，forIlovetherosestoo？’Andwewouldsitdownontheoldbenchandtalkalittleanddreamalittle，orjustbebeautifullysilenttogether。AndthenthemoonwouldriseandIwouldlookaroundme……andtherewouldbenoHesterGrayandnolittlevine-hunghouse，andnoroses……onlyanoldwastegardenstarredwithJuneliliesamidthegrasses，andthewindsighing，oh，sosorrowfullyinthecherrytrees。AndIwouldnotknowwhetherithadbeenrealorifIhadjustimagineditall。"

Dianacrawledupandgotherbackagainsttheheadboardofthebed。

Whenyourcompanionoftwilighthoursaidsuchspookythingsitwasjustaswellnottobeabletofancytherewasanythingbehindyou。

"I’mafraidtheImprovementSocietywillgodownwhenyouandGilbertarebothgone，"sheremarkeddolefully。

"Notabitoffearofit，"saidAnnebriskly，comingbackfromdreamlandtotheaffairsofpracticallife。"Itistoofirmlyestablishedforthat，especiallysincetheolderpeoplearebecomingsoenthusiasticaboutit。Lookwhattheyaredoingthissummerfortheirlawnsandlanes。Besides，I’llbewatchingforhintsatRedmondandI’llwriteapaperforitnextwinterandsenditover。Don’ttakesuchagloomyviewofthings，Diana。

Anddon’tgrudgememylittlehourofgladnessandjubilationnow。

Lateron，whenIhavetogoaway，I’llfeelanythingbutglad。"

"It’sallrightforyoutobeglad……you’regoingtocollegeandyou’llhaveajollytimeandmakeheapsoflovelynewfriends。"

"IhopeIshallmakenewfriends，"saidAnnethoughtfully。

"Thepossibilitiesofmakingnewfriendshelptomakelifeveryfascinating。ButnomatterhowmanyfriendsImakethey’llneverbeasdeartomeastheoldones……especiallyacertaingirlwithblackeyesanddimples。Canyouguesswhosheis，Diana？"

"Butthere’llbesomanyclevergirlsatRedmond，"sighedDiana，"andI’monlyastupidlittlecountrygirlwhosays`Iseen’

sometimes……thoughIreallyknowbetterwhenIstoptothink。

Well，ofcoursethesepasttwoyearshavereallybeentoopleasanttolast。IknowSOMEBODYwhoisgladyouaregoingtoRedmondanyhow。

Anne，I’mgoingtoaskyouaquestion……aseriousquestion。Don’tbevexedanddoanswerseriously。DoyoucareanythingforGilbert？"

"Eversomuchasafriendandnotabitinthewayyoumean，"saidAnnecalmlyanddecidedly；shealsothoughtshewasspeakingsincerely。

Dianasighed。Shewished，somehow，thatAnnehadanswereddifferently。

"Don’tyoumeanEVERtobemarried，Anne？"

"Perhaps……someday……whenImeettherightone，"saidAnne，smilingdreamilyupatthemoonlight。

"Buthowcanyoubesurewhenyoudomeettherightone？"persistedDiana。

"Oh，Ishouldknowhim……SOMETHINGwouldtellme。Youknowwhatmyidealis，Diana。"

"Butpeople’sidealschangesometimes。"

"Minewon’t。AndICOULDN’Tcareforanymanwhodidn’tfulfillit。"

"Whatifyounevermeethim？"

"ThenIshalldieanoldmaid，"wasthecheerfulresponse。"Idaresayitisn’tthehardestdeathbyanymeans。"

"Oh，Isupposethedyingwouldbeeasyenough；it’sthelivinganoldmaidIshouldn’tlike，"saidDiana，withnointentionofbeinghumorous。"AlthoughIwouldn’tmindbeinganoldmaidVERYmuchifIcouldbeonelikeMissLavendar。ButInevercouldbe。WhenI’mforty-fiveI’llbehorriblyfat。Andwhiletheremightbesomeromanceaboutathinoldmaidtherecouldn’tpossiblybeanyaboutafatone。Oh，mindyou，NelsonAtkinsproposedtoRubyGillisthreeweeksago。Rubytoldmeallaboutit。Shesayssheneverhadanyintentionoftakinghim，becauseanyonewhomarriedhimwillhavetogoinwiththeoldfolks；butRubysaysthathemadesuchaperfectlybeautifulandromanticproposalthatitsimplysweptheroffherfeet。Butshedidn’twanttodoanythingrashsosheaskedforaweektoconsider；andtwodayslatershewasatameetingoftheSewingCircleathismother’sandtherewasabookcalled`TheCompleteGuidetoEtiquette，’lyingontheparlortable。Rubysaidshesimplycouldn’tdescribeherfeelingswheninasectionofitheaded，`TheDeportmentofCourtshipandMarriage，’

shefoundtheveryproposalNelsonhadmade，wordforword。Shewenthomeandwrotehimaperfectlyscathingrefusal；andshesayshisfatherandmotherhavetakenturnswatchinghimeversinceforfearhe’lldrownhimselfintheriver；butRubysaystheyneedn’tbeafraid；forintheDeportmentofCourtshipandMarriageittoldhowarejectedlovershouldbehaveandthere’snothingaboutdrowninginTHAT。AndshesaysWilburBlairisliterallypiningawayforherbutshe’sperfectlyhelplessinthematter。"

Annemadeanimpatientmovement。

"Ihatetosayit……itseemssodisloyal……but，well，Idon’tlikeRubyGillisnow。IlikedherwhenwewenttoschoolandQueen’stogether……thoughnotsowellasyouandJaneofcourse。

ButthislastyearatCarmodysheseemssodifferent……so……so……"

"Iknow，"noddedDiana。"It’stheGilliscomingoutinher……

shecan’thelpit。Mrs。LyndesaysthatifeveraGillisgirlthoughtaboutanythingbuttheboysshenevershoweditinherwalkandconversation。Shetalksaboutnothingbutboysandwhatcomplimentstheypayher，andhowcrazytheyallareaboutheratCarmody。Andthestrangethingis，theyARE，too……"Dianaadmittedthissomewhatresentfully。"LastnightwhenIsawherinMr。Blair’sstoreshewhisperedtomethatshe’djustmadeanew`mash。’

Iwouldn’taskherwhoitwas，becauseIknewshewasdyingtoBEasked。

Well，it’swhatRubyalwayswanted，Isuppose。Yourememberevenwhenshewaslittleshealwayssaidshemeanttohavedozensofbeauswhenshegrewupandhavetheverygayesttimeshecouldbeforeshesettleddown。

She’ssodifferentfromJane，isn’tshe？Janeissuchanice，sensible，lady-likegirl。"

"DearoldJaneisajewel，"agreedAnne，"but，"sheadded，leaningforwardtobestowatenderpatontheplump，dimpledlittlehandhangingoverherpillow，"there’snobodylikemyownDianaafterall。

Doyourememberthateveningwefirstmet，Diana，and`swore’

eternalfriendshipinyourgarden？We’vekeptthat`oath，’I

think……we’veneverhadaquarrelnorevenacoolness。Ishallneverforgetthethrillthatwentovermethedayyoutoldmeyoulovedme。Ihadhadsuchalonely，starvedheartallthroughmychildhood。I’mjustbeginningtorealizehowstarvedandlonelyitreallywas。Nobodycaredanythingformeorwantedtobebotheredwithme。Ishouldhavebeenmiserableifithadn’tbeenforthatstrangelittledream-lifeofmine，whereinIimaginedallthefriendsandloveIcraved。ButwhenIcametoGreenGableseverythingwaschanged。AndthenImetyou。Youdon’tknowwhatyourfriendshipmeanttome。Iwanttothankyouhereandnow，dear，forthewarmandtrueaffectionyou’vealwaysgivenme。"

"Andalways，alwayswill，"sobbedDiana。"IshallNEVERloveanybody……anyGIRL……halfaswellasIloveyou。AndifIeverdomarryandhavealittlegirlofmyownI’mgoingtonameherANNE。"

XXVII

AnAfternoonattheStoneHouse"Whereareyougoing，alldressedup，Anne？"Davywantedtoknow。

"Youlookbullyinthatdress。"

Annehadcomedowntodinnerinanewdressofpalegreenmuslin……thefirstcolorshehadwornsinceMatthew’sdeath。Itbecameherperfectly，bringingoutallthedelicate，flower-liketintsofherfaceandtheglossandburnishofherhair。

"Davy，howmanytimeshaveItoldyouthatyoumustn’tusethatword，"

sherebuked。"I’mgoingtoEchoLodge。"

"Takemewithyou，"entreatedDavy。

"IwouldifIweredriving。ButI’mgoingtowalkandit’stoofarforyoureight-year-oldlegs。Besides，PaulisgoingwithmeandI

fearyoudon’tenjoyyourselfinhiscompany。"

"Oh，IlikePaullotsbetter’nIdid，"saidDavy，beginningtomakefearfulinroadsintohispudding。"SinceI’vegotprettygoodmyselfIdon’tmindhisbeinggoodersomuch。IfIcankeeponI’llcatchupwithhimsomeday，bothinlegsandgoodness。

’Sides，Paul’srealnicetoussecondprimerboysinschool。

Hewon’tlettheotherbigboysmeddlewithusandheshowsuslotsofgames。"

"HowcamePaultofallintothebrookatnoonhouryesterday？"

askedAnne。"Imethimontheplayground，suchadrippingfigurethatIsenthimpromptlyhomeforclotheswithoutwaitingtofindoutwhathadhappened。"

"Well，itwaspartlyazacksident，"explainedDavy。"Hestuckhisheadinonpurposebuttherestofhimfellinzacksidentally。

WewasalldownatthebrookandPrillieRogersongotmadatPaulaboutsomething……she’sawfulmeanandhorridanyway，ifsheIS

pretty……andsaidthathisgrandmotherputhishairupincurlragseverynight。Paulwouldn’thavemindedwhatshesaid，Iguess，butGracieAndrewslaughed，andPaulgotawfulred，’causeGracie’shisgirl，youknow。He’sCLEANGONEonher……bringsherflowersandcarriesherbooksasfarastheshoreroad。Hegotasredasabeetandsaidhisgrandmotherdidn’tdoanysuchthingandhishairwasborncurly。Andthenhelaiddownonthebankandstuckhisheadrightintothespringtoshowthem。Oh，itwasn’tthespringwedrinkoutof……"seeingahorrifiedlookonMarilla’sface……"itwasthelittleonelowerdown。Butthebank’sawfulslippyandPaulwentrightin。Itellyouhemadeabullysplash。