第3章

ThatbridgeledAnne’sdancingfeetupoverawoodedhillbeyond，whereperpetualtwilightreignedunderthestraight，thick-growingfirsandspruces；theonlyflowersthereweremyriadsofdelicate"Junebells，"thoseshyestandsweetestofwoodlandblooms，andafewpale，aerialstarflowers，likethespiritsoflastyear’sblossoms。

Gossamersglimmeredlikethreadsofsilveramongthetreesandthefirboughsandtasselsseemedtoutterfriendlyspeech。

Alltheserapturedvoyagesofexplorationweremadeintheoddhalfhourswhichshewasallowedforplay，andAnnetalkedMatthewandMarillahalfdeafoverherdiscoveries。

NotthatMatthewcomplained，tobesure；helistenedtoitallwithawordlesssmileofenjoymentonhisface；

Marillapermittedthe"chatter"untilshefoundherselfbecomingtoointerestedinit，whereuponshealwayspromptlyquenchedAnnebyacurtcommandtoholdhertongue。

AnnewasoutintheorchardwhenMrs。Rachelcame，wanderingatherownsweetwillthroughthelush，tremu-

lousgrassessplashedwithruddyeveningsunshine；sothatgoodladyhadanexcellentchancetotalkherillnessfullyover，describingeveryacheandpulsebeatwithsuchevidentenjoymentthatMarillathoughtevengrippemustbringitscompensations。WhendetailswereexhaustedMrs。Rachelintroducedtherealreasonofhercall。

"I’vebeenhearingsomesurprisingthingsaboutyouandMatthew。"

"Idon’tsupposeyouareanymoresurprisedthanIammyself，"

saidMarilla。"I’mgettingovermysurprisenow。"

"Itwastoobadtherewassuchamistake，"saidMrs。

Rachelsympathetically。"Couldn’tyouhavesentherback？"

"Isupposewecould，butwedecidednotto。Matthewtookafancytoher。AndImustsayIlikehermyself——

althoughIadmitshehasherfaults。Thehouseseemsadifferentplacealready。She’sarealbrightlittlething。"

Marillasaidmorethanshehadintendedtosaywhenshebegan，forshereaddisapprovalinMrs。Rachel’sexpression。

"It’sagreatresponsibilityyou’vetakenonyourself，"

saidthatladygloomily，"especiallywhenyou’veneverhadanyexperiencewithchildren。Youdon’tknowmuchaboutherorherrealdisposition，Isuppose，andthere’snoguessinghowachildlikethatwillturnout。ButIdon’twanttodiscourageyouI’msure，Marilla。"

"I’mnotfeelingdiscouraged，"wasMarilla’sdryresponse。

"whenImakeupmymindtodoathingitstaysmadeup。

Isupposeyou’dliketoseeAnne。I’llcallherin。"

Annecamerunninginpresently，herfacesparklingwiththedelightofherorchardrovings；but，abashedatfindingthedelightherselfintheunexpectedpresenceofastranger，shehaltedconfusedlyinsidethedoor。Shecertainlywasanodd-lookinglittlecreatureintheshorttightwinceydressshehadwornfromtheasylum，belowwhichherthinlegsseemedungracefullylong。Herfrecklesweremorenumerousandobtrusivethanever；thewindhadruffledherhatlesshairintoover-brilliantdisorder；ithadneverlookedredderthanatthatmoment。

"Well，theydidn’tpickyouforyourlooks，that’ssureandcertain，"wasMrs。RachelLynde’semphaticcomment。

Mrs。Rachelwasoneofthosedelightfulandpopularpeoplewhopridethemselvesonspeakingtheirmindwithoutfearorfavor。"She’sterribleskinnyandhomely，Marilla。

Comehere，child，andletmehavealookatyou。Lawfulheart，didanyoneeverseesuchfreckles？Andhairasredascarrots！Comehere，child，Isay。"

Anne"camethere，"butnotexactlyasMrs。Rachelexpected。WithoneboundshecrossedthekitchenfloorandstoodbeforeMrs。Rachel，herfacescarletwithanger，herlipsquivering，andherwholeslenderformtremblingfromheadtofoot。

"Ihateyou，"shecriedinachokedvoice，stampingherfootonthefloor。"Ihateyou——Ihateyou——Ihateyou——"

alouderstampwitheachassertionofhatred。"Howdareyoucallmeskinnyandugly？HowdareyousayI’mfreckledandredheaded？Youarearude，impolite，unfeelingwoman！"

"Anne！"exclaimedMarillainconsternation。

ButAnnecontinuedtofaceMrs。Rachelundauntedly，headup，eyesblazing，handsclenched，passionateindignationexhalingfromherlikeanatmosphere。

"Howdareyousaysuchthingsaboutme？"sherepeatedvehemently。"Howwouldyouliketohavesuchthingssaidaboutyou？Howwouldyouliketobetoldthatyouarefatandclumsyandprobablyhadn’tasparkofimaginationinyou？Idon’tcareifIdohurtyourfeelingsbysayingso！

IhopeIhurtthem。YouhavehurtmineworsethantheywereeverhurtbeforeevenbyMrs。Thomas’intoxicatedhusband。AndI’llNEVERforgiveyouforit，never，never！"

Stamp！Stamp！

"Didanybodyeverseesuchatemper！"exclaimedthehorrifiedMrs。Rachel。

"AnnegotoyourroomandstaythereuntilIcomeup，"

saidMarilla，recoveringherpowersofspeechwithdifficulty。

Anne，burstingintotears，rushedtothehalldoor，slammedituntilthetinsontheporchwalloutsiderattledinsympathy，andfledthroughthehallandupthestairslikeawhirlwind。Asubduedslamabovetoldthatthedooroftheeastgablehadbeenshutwithequalvehemence。

"Well，Idon’tenvyyouyourjobbringingTHATup，Marilla，"saidMrs。Rachelwithunspeakablesolemnity。

Marillaopenedherlipstosaysheknewnotwhatofapologyordeprecation。Whatshedidsaywasasurprisetoherselfthenandeverafterwards。

"Youshouldn’thavetwittedheraboutherlooks，Rachel。"

"MarillaCuthbert，youdon’tmeantosaythatyouareupholdingherinsuchaterribledisplayoftemperaswe’vejustseen？"demandedMrs。Rachelindignantly。

"No，"saidMarillaslowly，"I’mnottryingtoexcuseher。She’sbeenverynaughtyandI’llhavetogiveheratalkingtoaboutit。Butwemustmakeallowancesforher。She’sneverbeentaughtwhatisright。AndyouWEREtoohardonher，Rachel。"

Marillacouldnothelptackingonthatlastsentence，althoughshewasagainsurprisedatherselffordoingit。

Mrs。Rachelgotupwithanairofoffendeddignity。

"Well，IseethatI’llhavetobeverycarefulwhatIsayafterthis，Marilla，sincethefinefeelingsoforphans，broughtfromgoodnessknowswhere，havetobeconsideredbeforeanythingelse。Oh，no，I’mnotvexed——don’tworryyourself。I’mtoosorryforyoutoleaveanyroomforangerinmymind。You’llhaveyourowntroubleswiththatchild。

Butifyou’lltakemyadvice——whichIsupposeyouwon’tdo，althoughI’vebroughtuptenchildrenandburiedtwo——you’lldothat`talkingto’youmentionwithafair-

sizedbirchswitch。IshouldthinkTHATwouldbethemosteffectivelanguageforthatkindofachild。HertempermatchesherhairIguess。Well，goodevening，Marilla。

Ihopeyou’llcomedowntoseemeoftenasusual。Butyoucan’texpectmetovisithereagaininahurry，ifI’mliabletobeflownatandinsultedinsuchafashion。

It’ssomethingnewinMYexperience。"

WhereatMrs。Rachelsweptoutandaway——ifafatwomanwhoalwayswaddledCOULDbesaidtosweepaway——andMarillawithaverysolemnfacebetookherselftotheeastgable。

Onthewayupstairsshepondereduneasilyastowhatsheoughttodo。Shefeltnolittledismayoverthescenethathadjustbeenenacted。HowunfortunatethatAnneshouldhavedisplayedsuchtemperbeforeMrs。RachelLynde，ofallpeople！ThenMarillasuddenlybecameawareofanuncomfortableandrebukingconsciousnessthatshefeltmorehumiliationoverthisthansorrowoverthediscoveryofsuchaseriousdefectinAnne’sdisposition。

Andhowwasshetopunishher？Theamiablesuggestionofthebirchswitch——totheefficiencyofwhichallofMrs。

Rachel’sownchildrencouldhavebornesmartingtestimony——

didnotappealtoMarilla。Shedidnotbelieveshecouldwhipachild。No，someothermethodofpunishmentmustbefoundtobringAnnetoaproperrealizationoftheenormityofheroffense。

MarillafoundAnnefacedownwardonherbed，cryingbitterly，quiteobliviousofmuddybootsonacleancounterpane。

"Anne，"shesaidnotungently。

Noanswer。

"Anne，"withgreaterseverity，"getoffthatbedthisminuteandlistentowhatIhavetosaytoyou。"

Annesquirmedoffthebedandsatrigidlyonachairbesideit，herfaceswollenandtear-stainedandhereyesfixedstubbornlyonthefloor。

"Thisisanicewayforyoutobehave。Anne！Aren’tyouashamedofyourself？"

"Shehadn’tanyrighttocallmeuglyandredheaded，"

retortedAnne，evasiveanddefiant。

"Youhadn’tanyrighttoflyintosuchafuryandtalkthewayyoudidtoher，Anne。Iwasashamedofyou——

thoroughlyashamedofyou。IwantedyoutobehavenicelytoMrs。Lynde，andinsteadofthatyouhavedisgracedme。

I’msureIdon’tknowwhyyoushouldloseyourtemperlikethatjustbecauseMrs。Lyndesaidyouwereredhairedandhomely。Yousayityourselfoftenenough。"

"Oh，butthere’ssuchadifferencebetweensayingathingyourselfandhearingotherpeoplesayit，"wailedAnne。"Youmayknowathingisso，butyoucan’thelphopingotherpeopledon’tquitethinkitis。IsupposeyouthinkIhaveanawfultemper，butIcouldn’thelpit。

Whenshesaidthosethingssomethingjustroserightupinmeandchokedme。IHADtoflyoutather。"

"Well，youmadeafineexhibitionofyourselfImustsay。

Mrs。Lyndewillhaveanicestorytotellaboutyoueverywhere——andshe’lltellit，too。Itwasadreadfulthingforyoutoloseyourtemperlikethat，Anne。"

"Justimaginehowyouwouldfeelifsomebodytoldyoutoyourfacethatyouwereskinnyandugly，"pleadedAnnetearfully。

AnoldremembrancesuddenlyroseupbeforeMarilla。

Shehadbeenaverysmallchildwhenshehadheardoneauntsayofhertoanother，"Whatapitysheissuchadark，homelylittlething。"Marillawaseverydayoffiftybeforethestinghadgoneoutofthatmemory。

"Idon’tsaythatIthinkMrs。Lyndewasexactlyrightinsayingwhatshedidtoyou，Anne，"sheadmittedinasoftertone。"Rachelistoooutspoken。Butthatisnoexcuseforsuchbehavioronyourpart。Shewasastrangerandanelderlypersonandmyvisitor——allthreeverygoodreasonswhyyoushouldhavebeenrespectfultoher。Youwererudeandsaucyand"——Marillahadasavinginspirationofpunishment——"youmustgotoherandtellheryouareverysorryforyourbadtemperandaskhertoforgiveyou。"

"Icanneverdothat，"saidAnnedeterminedlyanddarkly。

"Youcanpunishmeinanywayyoulike，Marilla。Youcanshutmeupinadark，dampdungeoninhabitedbysnakesandtoadsandfeedmeonlyonbreadandwaterandIshallnotcomplain。ButIcannotaskMrs。Lyndetoforgiveme。"

"We’renotinthehabitofshuttingpeopleupindarkdampdungeons，"saidMarilladrily，"especiallyasthey’reratherscarceinAvonlea。ButapologizetoMrs。Lyndeyoumustandshallandyou’llstayhereinyourroomuntilyoucantellmeyou’rewillingtodoit。"

"Ishallhavetostayhereforeverthen，"saidAnnemournfully，"becauseIcan’ttellMrs。LyndeI’msorryI

saidthosethingstoher。HowcanI？I’mNOTsorry。I’msorryI’vevexedyou；butI’mGLADItoldherjustwhatIdid。

Itwasagreatsatisfaction。Ican’tsayI’msorrywhenI’mnot，canI？Ican’tevenIMAGINEI’msorry。"

"Perhapsyourimaginationwillbeinbetterworkingorderbythemorning，"saidMarilla，risingtodepart。

"You’llhavethenighttothinkoveryourconductinandcometoabetterframeofmind。YousaidyouwouldtrytobeaverygoodgirlifwekeptyouatGreenGables，butImustsayithasn’tseemedverymuchlikeitthisevening。"

LeavingthisParthianshafttorankleinAnne’sstormybosom，Marilladescendedtothekitchen，grievouslytroubledinmindandvexedinsoul。ShewasasangrywithherselfaswithAnne，because，wheneversherecalledMrs。

Rachel’sdumbfoundedcountenanceherlipstwitchedwithamusementandshefeltamostreprehensibledesiretolaugh。

CHAPTERX

Anne’sApologyMarillasaidnothingtoMatthewabouttheaffairthatevening；butwhenAnneprovedstillrefractorythenextmorninganexplanationhadtobemadetoaccountforherabsencefromthebreakfasttable。MarillatoldMatthewthewholestory，takingpainstoimpresshimwithaduesenseoftheenormityofAnne’sbehavior。

"It’sagoodthingRachelLyndegotacallingdown；she’sameddlesomeoldgossip，"wasMatthew’sconsolatoryrejoinder。

"MatthewCuthbert，I’mastonishedatyou。YouknowthatAnne’sbehaviorwasdreadful，andyetyoutakeherpart！

Isupposeyou’llbesayingnextthingthatsheoughtn’ttobepunishedatall！"

"Wellnow——no——notexactly，"saidMatthewuneasily。I

reckonsheoughttobepunishedalittle。Butdon’tbetoohardonher，Marilla。Recollectshehasn’teverhadanyonetoteachherright。You’re——you’regoingtogivehersomethingtoeat，aren’tyou？"

"Whendidyoueverhearofmestarvingpeopleintogoodbehavior？"demandedMarillaindignantly。"She’llhavehermealsregular，andI’llcarrythemuptohermyself。

Butshe’llstayupthereuntilshe’swillingtoapologizetoMrs。Lynde，andthat’sfinal，Matthew。"

Breakfast，dinner，andsupperwereverysilentmeals——forAnnestillremainedobdurate。AftereachmealMarillacarriedawell-filledtraytotheeastgableandbroughtitdownlateronnotnoticeablydepleted。Mattheweyeditslastdescentwithatroubledeye。HadAnneeatenanythingatall？

WhenMarillawentoutthateveningtobringthecowsfromthebackpasture，Matthew，whohadbeenhangingaboutthebarnsandwatching，slippedintothehousewiththeairofaburglarandcreptupstairs。AsageneralthingMatthewgravitatedbetweenthekitchenandthelittlebedroomoffthehallwhereheslept；onceinawhileheventureduncomfortablyintotheparlororsittingroomwhentheministercametotea。ButhehadneverbeenupstairsinhisownhousesincethespringhehelpedMarillapaperthesparebedroom，andthatwasfouryearsago。

Hetiptoedalongthehallandstoodforseveralminutesoutsidethedooroftheeastgablebeforehesummonedcouragetotaponitwithhisfingersandthenopenthedoortopeepin。

Annewassittingontheyellowchairbythewindowgazingmournfullyoutintothegarden。Verysmallandunhappyshelooked，andMatthew’sheartsmotehim。

Hesoftlyclosedthedoorandtiptoedovertoher。

"Anne，"hewhispered，asifafraidofbeingoverheard，"howareyoumakingit，Anne？"

Annesmiledwanly。

"Prettywell。Iimagineagooddeal，andthathelpstopassthetime。Ofcourse，it’sratherlonesome。Butthen，Imayaswellgetusedtothat。"

Annesmiledagain，bravelyfacingthelongyearsofsolitaryimprisonmentbeforeher。

Matthewrecollectedthathemustsaywhathehadcometosaywithoutlossoftime，lestMarillareturnprematurely。

"Wellnow，Anne，don’tyouthinkyou’dbetterdoitandhaveitoverwith？"hewhispered。"It’llhavetobedonesoonerorlater，youknow，forMarilla’sadreadfuldeter-

minedwoman——dreadfuldetermined，Anne。Doitrightoff，Isay，andhaveitover。"

"DoyoumeanapologizetoMrs。Lynde？"

"Yes——apologize——that’stheveryword，"saidMattheweagerly。

"Justsmoothitoversotospeak。That’swhatIwastryingtogetat。"

"IsupposeIcoulddoittoobligeyou，"saidAnnethoughtfully。"ItwouldbetrueenoughtosayIamsorry，becauseIAMsorrynow。Iwasn’tabitsorrylastnight。

Iwasmadclearthrough，andIstayedmadallnight。IknowIdidbecauseIwokeupthreetimesandIwasjustfuriouseverytime。Butthismorningitwasover。Iwasn’tinatemperanymore——anditleftadreadfulsortofgoneness，too。Ifeltsoashamedofmyself。ButIjustcouldn’tthinkofgoingandtellingMrs。Lyndeso。Itwouldbesohumili-

ating。ImadeupmymindI’dstayshutuphereforeverratherthandothat。Butstill——I’ddoanythingforyou——ifyoureallywantmeto——"

"Wellnow，ofcourseIdo。It’sterriblelonesomedownstairswithoutyou。Justgoandsmooththingsover——

that’sagoodgirl。"

"Verywell，"saidAnneresignedly。"I’lltellMarillaassoonasshecomesinI’verepented。"

"That’sright——that’sright，Anne。Butdon’ttellMarillaI

saidanythingaboutit。ShemightthinkIwasputtingmyoarinandIpromisednottodothat。"

"Wildhorseswon’tdragthesecretfromme，"promisedAnnesolemnly。"Howwouldwildhorsesdragasecretfromapersonanyhow？"

ButMatthewwasgone，scaredathisownsuccess。HefledhastilytotheremotestcornerofthehorsepasturelestMarillashouldsuspectwhathehadbeenupto。Marillaherself，uponherreturntothehouse，wasagreeablysurprisedtohearaplaintivevoicecalling，"Marilla"overthebanisters。

"Well？"shesaid，goingintothehall。

"I’msorryIlostmytemperandsaidrudethings，andI’mwillingtogoandtellMrs。Lyndeso。"

"Verywell。"Marilla’scrispnessgavenosignofherrelief。ShehadbeenwonderingwhatunderthecanopysheshoulddoifAnnedidnotgivein。"I’lltakeyoudownaftermilking。"

Accordingly，aftermilking，beholdMarillaandAnnewalkingdownthelane，theformererectandtriumphant，thelatterdroopinganddejected。ButhalfwaydownAnne’sdejectionvanishedasifbyenchantment。Sheliftedherheadandsteppedlightlyalong，hereyesfixedonthesunsetskyandanairofsubduedexhilarationabouther。

Marillabeheldthechangedisapprovingly。ThiswasnomeekpenitentsuchasitbehoovedhertotakeintothepresenceoftheoffendedMrs。Lynde。

"Whatareyouthinkingof，Anne？"sheaskedsharply。

"I’mimaginingoutwhatImustsaytoMrs。Lynde，"

answeredAnnedreamily。

Thiswassatisfactory——orshouldhavebeenso。ButMarillacouldnotridherselfofthenotionthatsomethinginherschemeofpunishmentwasgoingaskew。Annehadnobusinesstolooksoraptandradiant。

RaptandradiantAnnecontinueduntiltheywereintheverypresenceofMrs。Lynde，whowassittingknittingbyherkitchenwindow。Thentheradiancevanished。Mournfulpenitenceappearedoneveryfeature。BeforeawordwasspokenAnnesuddenlywentdownonherkneesbeforetheastonishedMrs。Rachelandheldoutherhandsbeseechingly。

"Oh，Mrs。Lynde，Iamsoextremelysorry，"shesaidwithaquiverinhervoice。"Icouldneverexpressallmysorrow，no，notifIusedupawholedictionary。Youmustjustimagineit。Ibehavedterriblytoyou——andI’vedisgracedthedearfriends，MatthewandMarilla，whohaveletmestayatGreenGablesalthoughI’mnotaboy。

I’madreadfullywickedandungratefulgirl，andIdeservetobepunishedandcastoutbyrespectablepeopleforever。

Itwasverywickedofmetoflyintoatemperbecauseyoutoldmethetruth。ItWASthetruth；everywordyousaidwastrue。MyhairisredandI’mfreckledandskinnyandugly。WhatIsaidtoyouwastrue，too，butIshouldn’thavesaidit。Oh，Mrs。Lynde，please，please，forgiveme。

Ifyourefuseitwillbealifelongsorrowonapoorlittleorphangirlwouldyou，evenifshehadadreadfultemper？

Oh，Iamsureyouwouldn’t。Pleasesayyouforgiveme，Mrs。Lynde。"

Anneclaspedherhandstogether，bowedherhead，andwaitedforthewordofjudgment。

Therewasnomistakinghersincerity——itbreathedineverytoneofhervoice。BothMarillaandMrs。Lynderecognizeditsunmistakablering。Buttheformerunder-

stoodindismaythatAnnewasactuallyenjoyinghervalleyofhumiliation——wasrevelinginthethoroughnessofherabasement。Wherewasthewholesomepunishmentuponwhichshe，Marilla，hadplumedherself？Annehadturneditintoaspeciesofpositivepleasure。

GoodMrs。Lynde，notbeingoverburdenedwithperception，didnotseethis。SheonlyperceivedthatAnnehadmadeaverythoroughapologyandallresentmentvanishedfromherkindly，ifsomewhatofficious，heart。

"There，there，getup，child，"shesaidheartily。"OfcourseIforgiveyou。IguessIwasalittletoohardonyou，anyway。ButI’msuchanoutspokenperson。Youjustmustn’tmindme，that’swhat。Itcan’tbedeniedyourhairisterriblered；butIknewagirlonce——wenttoschoolwithher，infact——whosehairwaseverymiteasredasyourswhenshewasyoung，butwhenshegrewupitdarkenedtoarealhandsomeauburn。Iwouldn’tbeamitesurprisedifyoursdid，too——notamite。"

"Oh，Mrs。Lynde！"Annedrewalongbreathassherosetoherfeet。"Youhavegivenmeahope。Ishallalwaysfeelthatyouareabenefactor。Oh，IcouldendureanythingifI

onlythoughtmyhairwouldbeahandsomeauburnwhenI

grewup。Itwouldbesomucheasiertobegoodifone’shairwasahandsomeauburn，don’tyouthink？AndnowmayIgooutintoyourgardenandsitonthatbenchundertheapple-treeswhileyouandMarillaaretalking？Thereissomuchmorescopeforimaginationoutthere。"

"Laws，yes，runalong，child。AndyoucanpickabouquetofthemwhiteJuneliliesoverinthecornerifyoulike。"

AsthedoorclosedbehindAnneMrs。Lyndegotbrisklyuptolightalamp。

"She’sarealoddlittlething。Takethischair，Marilla；

it’seasierthantheoneyou’vegot；Ijustkeepthatforthehiredboytositon。Yes，shecertainlyisanoddchild，butthereissomethingkindoftakingaboutherafterall。

Idon’tfeelsosurprisedatyouandMatthewkeepingherasIdid——norsosorryforyou，either。Shemayturnoutallright。Ofcourse，shehasaqueerwayofexpressingherself——

alittletoo——well，tookindofforcible，youknow；butshe’lllikelygetoverthatnowthatshe’scometoliveamongcivilizedfolks。Andthen，hertemper’sprettyquick，I

guess；butthere’sonecomfort，achildthathasaquicktemper，justblazeupandcooldown，ain’tneverlikelytobeslyordeceitful。Preservemefromaslychild，that’swhat。Onthewhole，Marilla，Ikindoflikeher。"

WhenMarillawenthomeAnnecameoutofthefragranttwilightoftheorchardwithasheafofwhitenarcissiinherhands。

"Iapologizedprettywell，didn’tI？"shesaidproudlyastheywentdownthelane。"IthoughtsinceIhadtodoitImightaswelldoitthoroughly。"

"Youdiditthoroughly，allrightenough，"wasMarilla’scomment。Marillawasdismayedatfindingherselfinclinedtolaughovertherecollection。ShehadalsoanuneasyfeelingthatsheoughttoscoldAnneforapologizingsowell；

butthen，thatwasridiculous！Shecompromisedwithherconsciencebysayingseverely:

"Ihopeyouwon’thaveoccasiontomakemanymoresuchapologies。Ihopeyou’lltrytocontrolyourtempernow，Anne。"

"Thatwouldn’tbesohardifpeoplewouldn’ttwitmeaboutmylooks，"saidAnnewithasigh。"Idon’tgetcrossaboutotherthings；butI’mSOtiredofbeingtwittedaboutmyhairanditjustmakesmeboilrightover。DoyousupposemyhairwillreallybeahandsomeauburnwhenIgrowup？"

"Youshouldn’tthinksomuchaboutyourlooks，Anne。I’mafraidyouareaveryvainlittlegirl。"

"HowcanIbevainwhenIknowI’mhomely？"protestedAnne。"Iloveprettythings；andIhatetolookintheglassandseesomethingthatisn’tpretty。Itmakesmefeelsosorrowful——justasIfeelwhenIlookatanyuglything。Ipityitbecauseitisn’tbeautiful。"

"Handsomeisashandsomedoes，"quotedMarilla。

"I’vehadthatsaidtomebefore，butIhavemydoubtsaboutit，"remarkedskepticalAnne，sniffingathernarcissi。

"Oh，aren’ttheseflowerssweet！ItwaslovelyofMrs。

Lyndetogivethemtome。IhavenohardfeelingsagainstMrs。Lyndenow。Itgivesyoualovely，comfortablefeelingtoapologizeandbeforgiven，doesn’tit？Aren’tthestarsbrighttonight？Ifyoucouldliveinastar，whichonewouldyoupick？I’dlikethatlovelyclearbigoneawayoverthereabovethatdarkhill。"

"Anne，doholdyourtongue。"saidMarilla，thoroughlywornouttryingtofollowthegyrationsofAnne’sthoughts。

Annesaidnomoreuntiltheyturnedintotheirownlane。

Alittlegypsywindcamedownittomeetthem，ladenwiththespicyperfumeofyoungdew-wetferns。FarupintheshadowsacheerfullightgleamedoutthroughthetreesfromthekitchenatGreenGables。AnnesuddenlycameclosetoMarillaandslippedherhandintotheolderwoman’shardpalm。

"It’slovelytobegoinghomeandknowit’shome，"shesaid。

"IloveGreenGablesalready，andIneverlovedanyplacebefore。

Noplaceeverseemedlikehome。Oh，Marilla，I’msohappy。

Icouldprayrightnowandnotfinditabithard。"

SomethingwarmandpleasantwelledupinMarilla’sheartattouchofthatthinlittlehandinherown——athrobofthematernityshehadmissed，perhaps。Itsveryunaccustomednessandsweetnessdisturbedher。Shehastenedtorestorehersensationstotheirnormalcalmbyinculcatingamoral。

"Ifyou’llbeagoodgirlyou’llalwaysbehappy，Anne。

Andyoushouldneverfindithardtosayyourprayers。"

"Sayingone’sprayersisn’texactlythesamethingaspraying，"

saidAnnemeditatively。"ButI’mgoingtoimaginethatI’mthewindthatisblowingupthereinthosetreetops。WhenI

gettiredofthetreesI’llimagineI’mgentlywavingdownhereintheferns——andthenI’llflyovertoMrs。Lynde’sgardenandsettheflowersdancing——andthenI’llgowithonegreatswoopoverthecloverfield——andthenI’llblowovertheLakeofShiningWatersandrippleitallupintolittlesparklingwaves。

Oh，there’ssomuchscopeforimaginationinawind！SoI’llnottalkanymorejustnow，Marilla。"

"Thanksbetogoodnessforthat，"breathedMarillaindevoutrelief。

CHAPTERXI

Anne’sImpressionsofSunday-School"Well，howdoyoulikethem？"saidMarilla。

Annewasstandinginthegableroom，lookingsolemnlyatthreenewdressesspreadoutonthebed。OnewasofsnuffycoloredginghamwhichMarillahadbeentemptedtobuyfromapeddlertheprecedingsummerbecauseitlookedsoserviceable；onewasofblack-and-whitecheckeredsateenwhichshehadpickedupatabargaincounterinthewinter；andonewasastiffprintofanuglyblueshadewhichshehadpurchasedthatweekataCarmodystore。

Shehadmadethemupherself，andtheywereallmadealike——plainskirtsfulledtightlytoplainwaists，withsleevesasplainaswaistandskirtandtightassleevescouldbe。

"I’llimaginethatIlikethem，"saidAnnesoberly。

"Idon’twantyoutoimagineit，"saidMarilla，offended。

"Oh，Icanseeyoudon’tlikethedresses！Whatisthematterwiththem？Aren’ttheyneatandcleanandnew？"

"Yes。"

"Thenwhydon’tyoulikethem？"

"They’re——they’renot——pretty，"saidAnnereluctantly。

"Pretty！"Marillasniffed。"Ididn’ttroublemyheadaboutgettingprettydressesforyou。Idon’tbelieveinpamperingvanity，Anne，I’lltellyouthatrightoff。Thosedressesaregood，sensible，serviceabledresses，withoutanyfrillsorfurbelowsaboutthem，andthey’reallyou’llgetthissummer。Thebrownginghamandtheblueprintwilldoyouforschoolwhenyoubegintogo。ThesateenisforchurchandSundayschool。I’llexpectyoutokeepthemneatandcleanandnottotearthem。Ishouldthinkyou’dbegratefultogetmostanythingafterthoseskimpywinceythingsyou’vebeenwearing。"

"Oh，IAMgrateful，"protestedAnne。"ButI’dbeeversomuchgratefullerif——ifyou’dmadejustoneofthemwithpuffedsleeves。Puffedsleevesaresofashionablenow。

Itwouldgivemesuchathrill，Marilla，justtowearadresswithpuffedsleeves。"

"Well，you’llhavetodowithoutyourthrill。Ihadn’tanymaterialtowasteonpuffedsleeves。Ithinktheyareridiculous-lookingthingsanyhow。Iprefertheplain，sensibleones。"

"ButI’dratherlookridiculouswheneverybodyelsedoesthanplainandsensibleallbymyself，"persistedAnnemournfully。

"Trustyouforthat！Well，hangthosedressescarefullyupinyourcloset，andthensitdownandlearntheSundayschoollesson。IgotaquarterlyfromMr。Bellforyouandyou’llgotoSundayschooltomorrow，"saidMarilla，disap-

pearingdownstairsinhighdudgeon。

Anneclaspedherhandsandlookedatthedresses。

"Ididhopetherewouldbeawhiteonewithpuffedsleeves，"shewhispereddisconsolately。"Iprayedforone，butIdidn’tmuchexpectitonthataccount。Ididn’tsupposeGodwouldhavetimetobotheraboutalittleorphangirl’sdress。IknewI’djusthavetodependonMarillaforit。Well，fortunatelyIcanimaginethatoneofthemisofsnow-whitemuslinwithlovelylacefrillsandthree-puffedsleeves。"

ThenextmorningwarningsofasickheadachepreventedMarillafromgoingtoSunday-schoolwithAnne。

"You’llhavetogodownandcallforMrs。Lynde，Anne。"

shesaid。"She’llseethatyougetintotherightclass。

Now，mindyoubehaveyourselfproperly。StaytopreachingafterwardsandaskMrs。Lyndetoshowyouourpew。Here’sacentforcollection。Don’tstareatpeopleanddon’tfidget。

Ishallexpectyoutotellmethetextwhenyoucomehome。"

Annestartedoffirreproachable，arrayedinthestiffblack-

and-whitesateen，which，whiledecentasregardslengthandcertainlynotopentothechargeofskimpiness，contrivedtoemphasizeeverycornerandangleofherthinfigure。

Herhatwasalittle，flat，glossy，newsailor，theextremeplainnessofwhichhadlikewisemuchdisappointedAnne，whohadpermittedherselfsecretvisionsofribbonandflowers。Thelatter，however，weresuppliedbeforeAnnereachedthemainroad，forbeingconfrontedhalfwaydownthelanewithagoldenfrenzyofwind-stirredbuttercupsandagloryofwildroses，Annepromptlyandliberallygarlandedherhatwithaheavywreathofthem。WhateverotherpeoplemighthavethoughtoftheresultitsatisfiedAnne，andshetrippedgailydowntheroad，holdingherruddyheadwithitsdecorationofpinkandyellowveryproudly。

WhenshehadreachedMrs。Lynde’shouseshefoundthatladygone。Nothingdaunted，Anneproceededonwardtothechurchalone。Intheporchshefoundacrowdoflittlegirls，allmoreorlessgailyattiredinwhitesandbluesandpinks，andallstaringwithcuriouseyesatthisstrangerintheirmidst，withherextraordinaryheadadornment。AvonlealittlegirlshadalreadyheardqueerstoriesaboutAnne。

Mrs。Lyndesaidshehadanawfultemper；JerryBuote，thehiredboyatGreenGables，saidshetalkedallthetimetoherselfortothetreesandflowerslikeacrazygirl。

Theylookedatherandwhisperedtoeachotherbehindtheirquarterlies。Nobodymadeanyfriendlyadvances，thenorlateronwhentheopeningexerciseswereoverandAnnefoundherselfinMissRogerson’sclass。

MissRogersonwasamiddle-agedladywhohadtaughtaSunday-schoolclassfortwentyyears。Hermethodofteachingwastoasktheprintedquestionsfromthequarterlyandlooksternlyoveritsedgeattheparticularlittlegirlshethoughtoughttoanswerthequestion。ShelookedveryoftenatAnne，andAnne，thankstoMarilla’sdrilling，answeredpromptly；butitmaybequestionedifsheunderstoodverymuchabouteitherquestionoranswer。

ShedidnotthinkshelikedMissRogerson，andshefeltverymiserable；everyotherlittlegirlintheclasshadpuffedsleeves。Annefeltthatlifewasreallynotworthlivingwithoutpuffedsleeves。

"Well，howdidyoulikeSundayschool？"MarillawantedtoknowwhenAnnecamehome。Herwreathhavingfaded，Annehaddiscardeditinthelane，soMarillawassparedtheknowledgeofthatforatime。

"Ididn’tlikeitabit。Itwashorrid。"

"AnneShirley！"saidMarillarebukingly。

Annesatdownontherockerwithalongsigh，kissedoneofBonny’sleaves，andwavedherhandtoablossomingfuchsia。

"TheymighthavebeenlonesomewhileIwasaway，"sheexplained。"AndnowabouttheSundayschool。Ibehavedwell，justasyoutoldme。Mrs。Lyndewasgone，butI

wentrightonmyself。Iwentintothechurch，withalotofotherlittlegirls，andIsatinthecornerofapewbythewindowwhiletheopeningexerciseswenton。Mr。Bellmadeanawfullylongprayer。IwouldhavebeendreadfullytiredbeforehegotthroughifIhadn’tbeensittingbythatwindow。ButitlookedrightoutontheLakeofShiningWaters，soIjustgazedatthatandimaginedallsortsofsplendidthings。"

"Youshouldn’thavedoneanythingofthesort。YoushouldhavelistenedtoMr。Bell。"

"Buthewasn’ttalkingtome，"protestedAnne。"HewastalkingtoGodandhedidn’tseemtobeverymuchinter-

estedinit，either。IthinkhethoughtGodwastoofaroffthough。Therewaslongrowofwhitebircheshangingoverthelakeandthesunshinefelldownthroughthem，’way，’waydown，deepintothewater。Oh，Marilla，itwaslikeabeautifuldream！ItgavemeathrillandIjustsaid，`Thankyouforit，God，’twoorthreetimes。"

"Notoutloud，Ihope，"saidMarillaanxiously。

"Oh，no，justundermybreath。Well，Mr。BelldidgetthroughatlastandtheytoldmetogointotheclassroomwithMissRogerson’sclass。Therewerenineothergirlsinit。

Theyallhadpuffedsleeves。Itriedtoimagineminewerepuffed，too，butIcouldn’t。Whycouldn’tI？ItwasaseasyascouldbetoimaginetheywerepuffedwhenIwasaloneintheeastgable，butitwasawfullyhardthereamongtheotherswhohadreallytrulypuffs。"

"Youshouldn’thavebeenthinkingaboutyoursleevesinSundayschool。Youshouldhavebeenattendingtothelesson。

Ihopeyouknewit。"

"Oh，yes；andIansweredalotofquestions。MissRogersonaskedeversomany。Idon’tthinkitwasfairforhertodoalltheasking。TherewerelotsIwantedtoaskher，butIdidn’tliketobecauseIdidn’tthinkshewasakindredspirit。Thenalltheotherlittlegirlsrecitedaparaphrase。

SheaskedmeifIknewany。ItoldherIdidn’t，butIcouldrecite，`TheDogatHisMaster’sGrave’ifsheliked。

That’sintheThirdRoyalReader。Itisn’tareallytrulyreligiouspieceofpoetry，butit’ssosadandmelancholythatitmightaswellbe。Shesaiditwouldn’tdoandshetoldmetolearnthenineteenthparaphrasefornextSunday。

Ireaditoverinchurchafterwardsandit’ssplendid。Therearetwolinesinparticularthatjustthrillme。

"`QuickastheslaughteredsquadronsfellInMidian’sevilday。’

Idon’tknowwhat`squadrons’meansnor`Midian，’either，butitsoundsSOtragical。IcanhardlywaituntilnextSundaytoreciteit。I’llpracticeitalltheweek。AfterSundayschoolIaskedMissRogerson——becauseMrs。Lyndewastoofaraway——toshowmeyourpew。IsatjustasstillasIcouldandthetextwasRevelations，thirdchapter，secondandthirdverses。Itwasaverylongtext。IfIwasaministerI’dpicktheshort，snappyones。Thesermonwasawfullylong，too。Isupposetheministerhadtomatchittothetext。Ididn’tthinkhewasabitinteresting。Thetroublewithhimseemstobethathehasn’tenoughimagination。

Ididn’tlistentohimverymuch。IjustletmythoughtsrunandIthoughtofthemostsurprisingthings。"

Marillafelthelplesslythatallthisshouldbesternlyreproved，butshewashamperedbytheundeniablefactthatsomeofthethingsAnnehadsaid，especiallyabouttheminister’ssermonsandMr。Bell’sprayers，werewhatsheherselfhadreallythoughtdeepdowninherheartforyears，buthadnevergivenexpressionto。Italmostseemedtoherthatthosesecret，unuttered，criticalthoughtshadsuddenlytakenvisibleandaccusingshapeandforminthepersonofthisoutspokenmorselofneglectedhumanity。

CHAPTERXII

ASolemnVowandPromiseItwasnotuntilthenextFridaythatMarillaheardthestoryoftheflower-wreathedhat。ShecamehomefromMrs。Lynde’sandcalledAnnetoaccount。

"Anne，Mrs。RachelsaysyouwenttochurchlastSundaywithyourhatriggedoutridiculouswithrosesandbuttercups。Whatonearthputyouuptosuchacaper？

Apretty-lookingobjectyoumusthavebeen！"

"Oh。Iknowpinkandyellowaren’tbecomingtome，"beganAnne。

"Becomingfiddlesticks！Itwasputtingflowersonyourhatatall，nomatterwhatcolortheywere，thatwasridiculous。Youarethemostaggravatingchild！"

"Idon’tseewhyit’sanymoreridiculoustowearflowersonyourhatthanonyourdress，"protestedAnne。"Lotsoflittlegirlstherehadbouquetspinnedontheirdresses。

What’sthedifference？"

Marillawasnottobedrawnfromthesafeconcreteintodubiouspathsoftheabstract。

"Don’tanswermebacklikethat，Anne。Itwasverysillyofyoutodosuchathing。Neverletmecatchyouatsuchatrickagain。Mrs。Rachelsaysshethoughtshewouldsinkthroughthefloorwhenshecomeinallriggedoutlikethat。Shecouldn’tgetnearenoughtotellyoutotakethemofftillitwastoolate。Shesayspeopletalkedaboutitsomethingdreadful。OfcoursetheywouldthinkIhadnobettersensethantoletyougodeckedoutlikethat。"

"Oh，I’msosorry，"saidAnne，tearswellingintohereyes。

"Ineverthoughtyou’dmind。TherosesandbuttercupsweresosweetandprettyIthoughtthey’dlooklovelyonmyhat。Lotsofthelittlegirlshadartificialflowersontheirhats。I’mafraidI’mgoingtobeadreadfultrialtoyou。Maybeyou’dbettersendmebacktotheasylum。

Thatwouldbeterrible；Idon’tthinkIcouldendureit；

mostlikelyIwouldgointoconsumption；I’msothinasitis，yousee。Butthatwouldbebetterthanbeingatrialtoyou。"

"Nonsense，"saidMarilla，vexedatherselfforhavingmadethechildcry。"Idon’twanttosendyoubacktotheasylum，I’msure。AllIwantisthatyoushouldbehavelikeotherlittlegirlsandnotmakeyourselfridiculous。Don’tcryanymore。I’vegotsomenewsforyou。DianaBarrycamehomethisafternoon。I’mgoinguptoseeifIcanborrowaskirtpatternfromMrs。Barry，andifyoulikeyoucancomewithmeandgetacquaintedwithDiana。"

Annerosetoherfeet，withclaspedhands，thetearsstillglisteningonhercheeks；thedishtowelshehadbeenhemmingslippedunheededtothefloor。

"Oh，Marilla，I’mfrightened——nowthatithascomeI’mactuallyfrightened。Whatifsheshouldn’tlikeme！Itwouldbethemosttragicaldisappointmentofmylife。"

"Now，don’tgetintoafluster。AndIdowishyouwouldn’tusesuchlongwords。Itsoundssofunnyinalittlegirl。

IguessDiana’lllikeyouwellenough。It’shermotheryou’vegottoreckonwith。Ifshedoesn’tlikeyouitwon’tmatterhowmuchDianadoes。IfshehasheardaboutyouroutbursttoMrs。LyndeandgoingtochurchwithbuttercupsroundyourhatIdon’tknowwhatshe’llthinkofyou。Youmustbepoliteandwellbehaved，anddon’tmakeanyofyourstartlingspeeches。Forpity’ssake，ifthechildisn’tactuallytrembling！"

AnneWAStrembling。Herfacewaspaleandtense。

"Oh，Marilla，you’dbeexcited，too，ifyouweregoingtomeetalittlegirlyouhopedtobeyourbosomfriendandwhosemothermightn’tlikeyou，"shesaidasshehastenedtogetherhat。

TheywentovertoOrchardSlopebytheshortcutacrossthebrookandupthefirryhillgrove。Mrs。BarrycametothekitchendoorinanswertoMarilla’sknock。Shewasatallblack-eyed，black-hairedwoman，withaveryresolutemouth。Shehadthereputationofbeingverystrictwithherchildren。

"Howdoyoudo，Marilla？"shesaidcordially。"Comein。

Andthisisthelittlegirlyouhaveadopted，Isuppose？"

"Yes，thisisAnneShirley，"saidMarilla。

"SpelledwithanE，"gaspedAnne，who，tremulousandexcitedasshewas，wasdeterminedthereshouldbenomisunderstandingonthatimportantpoint。

Mrs。Barry，nothearingornotcomprehending，merelyshookhandsandsaidkindly:

"Howareyou？"

"Iamwellinbodyalthoughconsiderablerumpledupinspirit，thankyouma’am，"saidAnnegravely。ThenasidetoMarillainanaudiblewhisper，"Therewasn’tanythingstartlinginthat，wasthere，Marilla？"

Dianawassittingonthesofa，readingabookwhichshedroppedwhenthecallersentered。Shewasaveryprettylittlegirl，withhermother’sblackeyesandhair，androsycheeks，andthemerryexpressionwhichwasherinheritancefromherfather。

"ThisismylittlegirlDiana，"saidMrs。Barry。"Diana，youmighttakeAnneoutintothegardenandshowheryourflowers。Itwillbebetterforyouthanstrainingyoureyesoverthatbook。Shereadsentirelytoomuch——"thistoMarillaasthelittlegirlswentout——"andIcan’tpreventher，forherfatheraidsandabetsher。She’salwaysporingoverabook。I’mgladshehastheprospectofaplaymate——

perhapsitwilltakehermoreout-of-doors。"

Outsideinthegarden，whichwasfullofmellowsunsetlightstreamingthroughthedarkoldfirstothewestofit，stoodAnneandDiana，gazingbashfullyateachotheroveraclumpofgorgeoustigerlilies。

TheBarrygardenwasabowerywildernessofflowerswhichwouldhavedelightedAnne’sheartatanytimelessfraughtwithdestiny。Itwasencircledbyhugeoldwillowsandtallfirs，beneathwhichflourishedflowersthatlovedtheshade。Prim，right-angledpathsneatlyborderedwithclamshells，intersecteditlikemoistredribbonsandinthebedsbetweenold-fashionedflowersranriot。Therewererosybleeding-heartsandgreatsplendidcrimsonpeonies；

white，fragrantnarcissiandthorny，sweetScotchroses；

pinkandblueandwhitecolumbinesandlilac-tintedBouncingBets；clumpsofsouthernwoodandribbongrassandmint；

purpleAdam-and-Eve，daffodils，andmassesofsweetcloverwhitewithitsdelicate，fragrant，featherysprays；

scarletlightningthatshotitsfierylancesoverprimwhitemusk-flowers；agardenitwaswheresunshinelingeredandbeeshummed，andwinds，beguiledintoloitering，purredandrustled。

"Oh，Diana，"saidAnneatlast，claspingherhandsandspeakingalmostinawhisper，"oh，doyouthinkyoucanlikemealittle——enoughtobemybosomfriend？"

Dianalaughed。Dianaalwayslaughedbeforeshespoke。

"Why，Iguessso，"shesaidfrankly。"I’mawfullygladyou’vecometoliveatGreenGables。Itwillbejollytohavesomebodytoplaywith。Thereisn’tanyothergirlwholivesnearenoughtoplaywith，andI’venosistersbigenough。"

"Willyousweartobemyfriendforeverandever？"demandedAnneeagerly。

Dianalookedshocked。

"Whyit’sdreadfullywickedtoswear，"shesaidrebukingly。

"Ohno，notmykindofswearing。Therearetwokinds，youknow。"

"Ineverheardofbutonekind，"saidDianadoubtfully。

"Therereallyisanother。Oh，itisn’twickedatall。Itjustmeansvowingandpromisingsolemnly。"

"Well，Idon’tminddoingthat，"agreedDiana，relieved。

"Howdoyoudoit？"

"Wemustjoinhands——so，"saidAnnegravely。"Itoughttobeoverrunningwater。We’lljustimaginethispathisrunningwater。I’llrepeattheoathfirst。Isolemnlysweartobefaithfultomybosomfriend，DianaBarry，aslongasthesunandmoonshallendure。Nowyousayitandputmynamein。"

Dianarepeatedthe"oath"withalaughforeandaft。Thenshesaid:

"You’reaqueergirl，Anne。Iheardbeforethatyouwerequeer。ButIbelieveI’mgoingtolikeyourealwell。"

WhenMarillaandAnnewenthomeDianawentwiththemasforasthelogbridge。Thetwolittlegirlswalkedwiththeirarmsabouteachother。Atthebrooktheypartedwithmanypromisestospendthenextafternoontogether。

"Well，didyoufindDianaakindredspirit？"askedMarillaastheywentupthroughthegardenofGreenGables。

"Ohyes，"sighedAnne，blissfullyunconsciousofanysarcasmonMarilla’spart。"OhMarilla，I’mthehappiestgirlonPrinceEdwardIslandthisverymoment。IassureyouI’llsaymyprayerswitharightgood-willtonight。

DianaandIaregoingtobuildaplayhouseinMr。WilliamBell’sbirchgrovetomorrow。CanIhavethosebrokenpiecesofchinathatareoutinthewoodshed？Diana’sbirthdayisinFebruaryandmineisinMarch。Don’tyouthinkthatisaverystrangecoincidence？Dianaisgoingtolendmeabooktoread。Shesaysit’sperfectlysplendidandtremendouslyexciting。She’sgoingtoshowmeaplacebackinthewoodswherericeliliesgrow。Don’tyouthinkDianahasgotverysoulfuleyes？IwishIhadsoulfuleyes。Dianaisgoingtoteachmetosingasongcalled`NellyintheHazelDell。’She’sgoingtogivemeapicturetoputupinmyroom；it’saperfectlybeautifulpicture，shesays——alovelyladyinapalebluesilkdress。

Asewing-machineagentgaveittoher。IwishIhadsomethingtogiveDiana。I’maninchtallerthanDiana，butsheiseversomuchfatter；shesaysshe’dliketobethinbecauseit’ssomuchmoregraceful，butI’mafraidsheonlysaidittosoothemyfeelings。We’regoingtotheshoresomedaytogathershells。

WehaveagreedtocallthespringdownbythelogbridgetheDryad’sBubble。Isn’tthataperfectlyelegantname？Ireadastoryonceaboutaspringcalledthat。Adryadissortofagrown-upfairy，Ithink。"

"Well，allIhopeisyouwon’ttalkDianatodeath，"saidMarilla。"Butrememberthisinallyourplanning，Anne。

You’renotgoingtoplayallthetimenormostofit。You’llhaveyourworktodoandit’llhavetobedonefirst。"

Anne’scupofhappinesswasfull，andMatthewcausedittooverflow。HehadjustgothomefromatriptothestoreatCarmody，andhesheepishlyproducedasmallparcelfromhispocketandhandedittoAnne，withadeprecatorylookatMarilla。

"Iheardyousayyoulikedchocolatesweeties，soIgotyousome，"hesaid。

"Humph，"sniffedMarilla。"It’llruinherteethandstomach。

There，there，child，don’tlooksodismal。Youcaneatthose，sinceMatthewhasgoneandgotthem。He’dbetterhavebroughtyoupeppermints。They’rewholesomer。Don’tsickenyourselfeatingallthematoncenow。"

"Oh，no，indeed，Iwon’t，"saidAnneeagerly。"I’lljusteatonetonight，Marilla。AndIcangiveDianahalfofthem，can’tI？TheotherhalfwilltastetwiceassweettomeifIgivesometoher。It’sdelightfultothinkIhavesomethingtogiveher。"

"Iwillsayitforthechild，"saidMarillawhenAnnehadgonetohergable，"sheisn’tstingy。I’mglad，forofallfaultsIdeteststinginessinachild。Dearme，it’sonlythreeweekssinceshecame，anditseemsasifshe’dbeenherealways。Ican’timaginetheplacewithouther。Now，don’tbelookingItold-you-so，Matthew。That’sbadenoughinawoman，butitisn’ttobeenduredinaman。I’mperfectlywillingtoownupthatI’mgladIconsentedtokeepthechildandthatI’mgettingfondofher，butdon’tyourubitin，MatthewCuthbert。"

CHAPTERXIII

TheDelightsofAnticipation"It’stimeAnnewasintodohersewing，"saidMarilla，glancingattheclockandthenoutintotheyellowAugustafternoonwhereeverythingdrowsedintheheat。"ShestayedplayingwithDianamorethanhalfanhourmore’nIgaveherleaveto；andnowshe’sperchedoutthereonthewoodpiletalkingtoMatthew，nineteentothedozen，whensheknowsperfectlywellsheoughttobeatherwork。Andofcoursehe’slisteningtoherlikeaperfectninny。

Ineversawsuchaninfatuatedman。Themoreshetalksandtheodderthethingsshesays，themorehe’sdelightedevidently。

AnneShirley，youcomerightinherethisminute，doyouhearme！"

AseriesofstaccatotapsonthewestwindowbroughtAnneflyinginfromtheyard，eyesshining，cheeksfaintlyflushedwithpink，unbraidedhairstreamingbehindherinatorrentofbrightness。

"Oh，Marilla，"sheexclaimedbreathlessly，"there’sgoingtobeaSunday-schoolpicnicnextweek——inMr。HarmonAndrews’sfield，rightnearthelakeofShiningWaters。AndMrs。SuperintendentBellandMrs。RachelLyndearegoingtomakeicecream——thinkofit，Marilla——ICECREAM！And，oh，Marilla，canIgotoit？"

"Justlookattheclock，ifyouplease，Anne。WhattimedidI

tellyoutocomein？"

"Twoo’clock——butisn’titsplendidaboutthepicnic，Marilla？

PleasecanIgo？Oh，I’veneverbeentoapicnic——I’vedreamedofpicnics，butI’venever——"

"Yes，Itoldyoutocomeattwoo’clock。Andit’saquartertothree。I’dliketoknowwhyyoudidn’tobeyme，Anne。"

"Why，Imeantto，Marilla，asmuchascouldbe。ButyouhavenoideahowfascinatingIdlewildis。Andthen，ofcourse，IhadtotellMatthewaboutthepicnic。Matthewissuchasympatheticlistener。PleasecanIgo？"

"You’llhavetolearntoresistthefascinationofIdlewhatever-

you-call-it。WhenItellyoutocomeinatacertaintimeI

meanthattimeandnothalfanhourlater。Andyouneedn’tstoptodiscoursewithsympatheticlistenersonyourway，either。

Asforthepicnic，ofcourseyoucango。You’reaSunday-schoolscholar，andit’snotlikelyI’drefusetoletyougowhenalltheotherlittlegirlsaregoing。"

"But——but，"falteredAnne，"Dianasaysthateverybodymusttakeabasketofthingstoeat。Ican’tcook，asyouknow，Marilla，and——and——Idon’tmindgoingtoapicnicwithoutpuffedsleevessomuch，butI’dfeelterriblyhumiliatedifIhadtogowithoutabasket。It’sbeenpreyingonmymindeversinceDianatoldme。"

"Well，itneedn’tpreyanylonger。I’llbakeyouabasket。"

"Oh，youdeargoodMarilla。Oh，youaresokindtome。Oh，I’msomuchobligedtoyou。"

Gettingthroughwithher"ohs"AnnecastherselfintoMarilla’sarmsandrapturouslykissedhersallowcheek。ItwasthefirsttimeinherwholelifethatchildishlipshadvoluntarilytouchedMarilla’sface。Againthatsuddensensationofstartlingsweetnessthrilledher。ShewassecretlyvastlypleasedatAnne’simpulsivecaress，whichwasprobablythereasonwhyshesaidbrusquely:

"There，there，nevermindyourkissingnonsense。I’dsoonerseeyoudoingstrictlyasyou’retold。Asforcooking，Imeantobegingivingyoulessonsinthatsomeofthesedays。Butyou’resofeatherbrained，Anne，I’vebeenwaitingtoseeifyou’dsoberdownalittleandlearntobesteadybeforeIbegin。You’vegottokeepyourwitsaboutyouincookingandnotstopinthemiddleofthingstoletyourthoughtsroveallovercreation。Now，getoutyourpatchworkandhaveyoursquaredonebeforeteatime。"

"IdoNOTlikepatchwork，"saidAnnedolefully，huntingoutherworkbasketandsittingdownbeforealittleheapofredandwhitediamondswithasigh。"Ithinksomekindsofsewingwouldbenice；butthere’snoscopeforimaginationinpatchwork。It’sjustonelittleseamafteranotherandyouneverseemtobegettinganywhere。ButofcourseI’dratherbeAnneofGreenGablessewingpatchworkthanAnneofanyotherplacewithnothingtodobutplay。IwishtimewentasquicksewingpatchesasitdoeswhenI’mplayingwithDiana，though。Oh，wedohavesucheleganttimes，Marilla。Ihavetofurnishmostoftheimagination，butI’mwellabletodothat。Dianaissimplyperfectineveryotherway。YouknowthatlittlepieceoflandacrossthebrookthatrunsupbetweenourfarmandMr。Barry’s。

ItbelongstoMr。WilliamBell，andrightinthecornerthereisalittleringofwhitebirchtrees——themostromanticspot，Marilla。DianaandIhaveourplayhousethere。WecallitIdlewild。Isn’tthatapoeticalname？Iassureyouittookmesometimetothinkitout。IstayedawakenearlyawholenightbeforeIinventedit。Then，justasIwasdroppingofftosleep，itcamelikeaninspiration。DianawasENRAPTUREDwhensheheardit。Wehavegotourhousefixedupelegantly。Youmustcomeandseeit，Marilla——won’tyou？Wehavegreatbigstones，allcoveredwithmoss，forseats，andboardsfromtreetotreeforshelves。Andwehaveallourdishesonthem。Ofcourse，they’reallbrokenbutit’stheeasiestthingintheworldtoimaginethattheyarewhole。There’sapieceofaplatewithasprayofredandyellowivyonitthatisespeciallybeautiful。Wekeepitintheparlorandwehavethefairyglassthere，too。Thefairyglassisaslovelyasadream。Dianafounditoutinthewoodsbehindtheirchickenhouse。It’sallfullofrainbows——justlittleyoungrainbowsthathaven’tgrownbigyet——andDiana’smothertoldheritwasbrokenoffahanginglamptheyoncehad。Butit’snicetoimaginethefairieslostitonenightwhentheyhadaball，sowecallitthefairyglass。

Matthewisgoingtomakeusatable。Oh，wehavenamedthatlittleroundpooloverinMr。Barry’sfieldWillowmere。IgotthatnameoutofthebookDianalentme。Thatwasathrillingbook，Marilla。Theheroinehadfivelovers。I’dbesatisfiedwithone，wouldn’tyou？Shewasveryhandsomeandshewentthroughgreattribulations。Shecouldfaintaseasyasanything。

I’dlovetobeabletofaint，wouldn’tyou，Marilla？It’ssoromantic。ButI’mreallyveryhealthyforallI’msothin。

IbelieveI’mgettingfatter，though。Don’tyouthinkIam？

IlookatmyelbowseverymorningwhenIgetuptoseeifanydimplesarecoming。Dianaishavinganewdressmadewithelbowsleeves。Sheisgoingtowearittothepicnic。Oh，IdohopeitwillbefinenextWednesday。Idon’tfeelthatIcouldendurethedisappointmentifanythinghappenedtopreventmefromgettingtothepicnic。IsupposeI’dlivethroughit，butI’mcertainitwouldbealifelongsorrow。Itwouldn’tmatterifI

gottoahundredpicnicsinafteryears；theywouldn’tmakeupformissingthisone。They’regoingtohaveboatsontheLakeofShiningWaters——andicecream，asItoldyou。Ihavenevertastedicecream。Dianatriedtoexplainwhatitwaslike，butI

guessicecreamisoneofthosethingsthatarebeyondimagination。"

"Anne，youhavetalkedevenonfortenminutesbytheclock，"

saidMarilla。"Now，justforcuriosity’ssake，seeifyoucanholdyourtongueforthesamelengthoftime。"

Anneheldhertongueasdesired。Butfortherestoftheweekshetalkedpicnicandthoughtpicnicanddreamedpicnic。OnSaturdayitrainedandsheworkedherselfupintosuchafranticstatelestitshouldkeeponraininguntilandoverWednesdaythatMarillamadehersewanextrapatchworksquarebywayofsteadyinghernerves。

OnSundayAnneconfidedtoMarillaonthewayhomefromchurchthatshegrewactuallycoldalloverwithexcitementwhentheministerannouncedthepicnicfromthepulpit。

"Suchathrillaswentupanddownmyback，Marilla！Idon’tthinkI’deverreallybelieveduntilthenthattherewashonestlygoingtobeapicnic。Icouldn’thelpfearingI’donlyimaginedit。

Butwhenaministersaysathinginthepulpityoujusthavetobelieveit。"

"Yousetyourhearttoomuchonthings，Anne，"saidMarilla，withasigh。"I’mafraidthere’llbeagreatmanydisappointmentsinstoreforyouthroughlife。"

"Oh，Marilla，lookingforwardtothingsishalfthepleasureofthem，"exclaimedAnne。"Youmayn’tgetthethingsthemselves；

butnothingcanpreventyoufromhavingthefunoflookingforwardtothem。Mrs。Lyndesays，`Blessedaretheywhoexpectnothingfortheyshallnotbedisappointed。’ButIthinkitwouldbeworsetoexpectnothingthantobedisappointed。"

Marillaworeheramethystbroochtochurchthatdayasusual。

Marillaalwaysworeheramethystbroochtochurch。Shewouldhavethoughtitrathersacrilegioustoleaveitoff——asbadasforgettingherBibleorhercollectiondime。ThatamethystbroochwasMarilla’smosttreasuredpossession。AseafaringunclehadgivenittohermotherwhointurnhadbequeathedittoMarilla。Itwasanold-fashionedoval，containingabraidofhermother’shair，surroundedbyaborderofveryfineamethysts。

Marillaknewtoolittleaboutpreciousstonestorealizehowfinetheamethystsactuallywere；butshethoughtthemverybeautifulandwasalwayspleasantlyconsciousoftheirvioletshimmeratherthroat，abovehergoodbrownsatindress，evenalthoughshecouldnotseeit。

Annehadbeensmittenwithdelightedadmirationwhenshefirstsawthatbrooch。

"Oh，Marilla，it’saperfectlyelegantbrooch。Idon’tknowhowyoucanpayattentiontothesermonortheprayerswhenyouhaveiton。Icouldn’t，Iknow。Ithinkamethystsarejustsweet。

TheyarewhatIusedtothinkdiamondswerelike。Longago，beforeIhadeverseenadiamond，IreadaboutthemandItriedtoimaginewhattheywouldbelike。Ithoughttheywouldbelovelyglimmeringpurplestones。WhenIsawarealdiamondinalady’sringonedayIwassodisappointedIcried。Ofcourse，itwasverylovelybutitwasn’tmyideaofadiamond。Willyouletmeholdthebroochforoneminute，Marilla？Doyouthinkamethystscanbethesoulsofgoodviolets？"