第2章

Lyndehadfitted，lookedVERYcountrifiedandhome-madebesidesthestranger’ssmartattire。Foramomentbothgirlsfeltliketurningback。

Buttheyhadalreadystoppedandturnedtowardsthegrayslab。

Itwastoolatetoretreat，forthebrown-eyedgirlhadevidentlyconcludedthattheywerecomingtospeaktoher。Instantlyshesprangupandcameforwardwithoutstretchedhandandagay，friendlysmileinwhichthereseemednotashadowofeithershynessorburdenedconscience。

"Oh，Iwanttoknowwhoyoutwogirlsare，"sheexclaimedeagerly。

"I’vebeenDYINGtoknow。IsawyouatRedmondthismorning。

Say，wasn’titAWFULthere？ForthetimeIwishedIhadstayedhomeandgotmarried。"

AnneandPriscillabothbrokeintounconstrainedlaughteratthisunexpectedconclusion。Thebrown-eyedgirllaughed，too。

"Ireallydid。ICOULDhave，youknow。Come，let’sallsitdownonthisgravestoneandgetacquainted。Itwon’tbehard。Iknowwe’regoingtoadoreeachother——IknewitassoonasIsawyouatRedmondthismorning。Iwantedsomuchtogorightoverandhugyouboth。"

"Whydidn’tyou？"askedPriscilla。

"BecauseIsimplycouldn’tmakeupmymindtodoit。Inevercanmakeupmymindaboutanythingmyself——I’malwaysafflictedwithindecision。JustassoonasIdecidetodosomethingIfeelinmybonesthatanothercoursewouldbethecorrectone。It’sadreadfulmisfortune，butIwasbornthatway，andthereisnouseinblamingmeforit，assomepeopledo。SoIcouldn’tmakeupmymindtogoandspeaktoyou，muchasIwantedto。"

"Wethoughtyouweretooshy，"saidAnne。

"No，no，dear。Shynessisn’tamongthemanyfailings——orvirtues——ofPhilippaGordon——Philforshort。DocallmePhilrightoff。Now，whatareyourhandles？"

"She’sPriscillaGrant，"saidAnne，pointing。

"AndSHE’SAnneShirley，"saidPriscilla，pointinginturn。

"Andwe’refromtheIsland，"saidbothtogether。

"IhailfromBolingbroke，NovaScotia，"saidPhilippa。

"Bolingbroke！"exclaimedAnne。"Why，thatiswhereIwasborn。"

"Doyoureallymeanit？Why，thatmakesyouaBluenoseafterall。"

"No，itdoesn’t，"retortedAnne。"Wasn’titDanO’Connellwhosaidthatifamanwasborninastableitdidn’tmakehimahorse？

I’mIslandtothecore。"

"Well，I’mgladyouwereborninBolingbrokeanyway。Itmakesuskindofneighbors，doesn’tit？AndIlikethat，becausewhenItellyousecretsitwon’tbeasifIweretellingthemtoastranger。

Ihavetotellthem。Ican’tkeepsecrets——it’snousetotry。

That’smyworstfailing——that，andindecision，asaforesaid。

Wouldyoubelieveit？——ittookmehalfanhourtodecidewhichhattowearwhenIwascominghere——HERE，toagraveyard！

AtfirstIinclinedtomybrownonewiththefeather；

butassoonasIputitonIthoughtthispinkonewiththefloppybrimwouldbemorebecoming。WhenIgotITpinnedinplaceIlikedthebrownonebetter。AtlastIputthemclosetogetheronthebed，shutmyeyes，andjabbedwithahatpin。

Thepinspearedthepinkone，soIputiton。Itisbecoming，isn’tit？Tellme，whatdoyouthinkofmylooks？"

Atthisnaivedemand，madeinaperfectlyserioustone，Priscillalaughedagain。ButAnnesaid，impulsivelysqueezingPhilippa’shand，"WethoughtthismorningthatyouweretheprettiestgirlwesawatRedmond。"

Philippa’scrookedmouthflashedintoabewitching，crookedsmileoververywhitelittleteeth。

"Ithoughtthatmyself，"washernextastoundingstatement，"butIwantedsomeoneelse’sopiniontobolstermineup。

Ican’tdecideevenonmyownappearance。JustassoonasI’vedecidedthatI’mprettyIbegintofeelmiserablythatI’mnot。

Besides，haveahorribleoldgreat-auntwhoisalwayssayingtome，withamournfulsigh，`Youweresuchaprettybaby。It’sstrangehowchildrenchangewhentheygrowup。’Iadoreaunts，butIdetestgreat-

aunts。PleasetellmequiteoftenthatIampretty，ifyoudon’tmind。

IfeelsomuchmorecomfortablewhenIcanbelieveI’mpretty。AndI’llbejustasobligingtoyouifyouwantmeto——ICANbe，withaclearconscience。"

"Thanks，"laughedAnne，"butPriscillaandIaresofirmlyconvincedofourowngoodlooksthatwedon’tneedanyassuranceaboutthem，soyouneedn’ttrouble。"

"Oh，you’relaughingatme。IknowyouthinkI’mabominablyvain，butI’mnot。Therereallyisn’tonesparkofvanityinme。

AndI’mneverabitgrudgingaboutpayingcomplimentstoothergirlswhentheydeservethem。I’msogladIknowyoufolks。

IcameuponSaturdayandI’venearlydiedofhomesicknesseversince。It’sahorriblefeeling，isn’tit？InBolingbrokeI’manimportantpersonage，andinKingsportI’mjustnobody！

ThereweretimeswhenIcouldfeelmysoulturningadelicateblue。

Wheredoyouhangout？"

"Thirty-eightSt。John’sStreet。"

"Betterandbetter。Why，I’mjustaroundthecorneronWallaceStreet。

Idon’tlikemyboardinghouse，though。It’sbleakandlonesome，andmyroomlooksoutonsuchanunholybackyard。It’stheugliestplaceintheworld。Asforcats——well，surelyALLtheKingsportcatscan’tcongregatethereatnight，buthalfofthemmust。Iadorecatsonhearthrugs，snoozingbeforenice，friendlyfires，butcatsinbackyardsatmidnightaretotallydifferentanimals。ThefirstnightIwashereIcriedallnight，andsodidthecats。Youshouldhaveseenmynoseinthemorning。HowIwishedIhadneverlefthome！"

"Idon’tknowhowyoumanagedtomakeupyourmindtocometoRedmondatall，ifyouarereallysuchanundecidedperson，"saidamusedPriscilla。

"Blessyourheart，honey，Ididn’t。Itwasfatherwhowantedmetocomehere。Hisheartwassetonit——why，Idon’tknow。ItseemsperfectlyridiculoustothinkofmestudyingforaB。A。

degree，doesn’tit？NotbutwhatIcandoit，allright。

Ihaveheapsofbrains。"

"Oh！"saidPriscillavaguely。

"Yes。Butit’ssuchhardworktousethem。AndB。A。’saresuchlearned，dignified，wise，solemncreatures——theymustbe。No，_I_didn’twanttocometoRedmond。Ididitjusttoobligefather。

HeISsuchaduck。Besides，IknewifIstayedhomeI’dhavetogetmarried。Motherwantedthat——wanteditdecidedly。Motherhasplentyofdecision。ButIreallyhatedthethoughtofbeingmarriedforafewyearsyet。IwanttohaveheapsoffunbeforeIsettledown。And，ridiculousastheideaofmybeingaB。A。is，theideaofmybeinganoldmarriedwomanisstillmoreabsurd，isn’tit？I’monlyeighteen。No，IconcludedIwouldrathercometoRedmondthanbemarried。Besides，howcouldI

everhavemadeupmymindwhichmantomarry？"

"Weretheresomany？"laughedAnne。

"Heaps。Theboyslikemeawfully——theyreallydo。Buttherewereonlytwothatmattered。Therestwerealltooyoungandtoopoor。Imustmarryarichman，youknow。"

"Whymustyou？"

"Honey，youcouldn’timagineMEbeingapoorman’swife，couldyou？

Ican’tdoasingleusefulthing，andIamVERYextravagant。Oh，no，myhusbandmusthaveheapsofmoney。Sothatnarrowedthemdowntotwo。

ButIcouldn’tdecidebetweentwoanyeasierthanbetweentwohundred。

IknewperfectlywellthatwhicheveroneIchoseI’dregretallmylifethatIhadn’tmarriedtheother。"

"Didn’tyou——love——eitherofthem？"askedAnne，alittlehesitatingly。

Itwasnoteasyforhertospeaktoastrangerofthegreatmysteryandtransformationoflife。

"Goodness，no。_I_couldn’tloveanybody。Itisn’tinme。

BesidesIwouldn’twantto。Beinginlovemakesyouaperfectslave，_I_think。Anditwouldgiveamansuchpowertohurtyou。

I’dbeafraid。No，no，AlecandAlonzoaretwodearboys，andIlikethembothsomuchthatIreallydon’tknowwhichIlikethebetter。

Thatisthetrouble。Alecisthebestlooking，ofcourse，andI

simplycouldn’tmarryamanwhowasn’thandsome。Heisgood-temperedtoo，andhaslovely，curly，blackhair。He’srathertooperfect——

Idon’tbelieveI’dlikeaperfecthusband——somebodyIcouldneverfindfaultwith。"

"ThenwhynotmarryAlonzo？"askedPriscillagravely。

"ThinkofmarryinganamelikeAlonzo！"saidPhildolefully。

"Idon’tbelieveIcouldendureit。Buthehasaclassicnose，anditWOULDbeacomforttohaveanoseinthefamilythatcouldbedependedon。Ican’tdependonmine。Sofar，ittakesaftertheGordonpattern，butI’msoafraiditwilldevelopByrnetendenciesasIgrowolder。Iexamineiteverydayanxiouslytomakesureit’sstillGordon。MotherwasaByrneandhastheByrnenoseintheByrnestdegree。Waittillyouseeit。Iadorenicenoses。

Yournoseisawfullynice，AnneShirley。Alonzo’snosenearlyturnedthebalanceinhisfavor。ButALONZO！No，Icouldn’tdecide。

IfIcouldhavedoneasIdidwiththehats——stoodthembothuptogether，shutmyeyes，andjabbedwithahatpin——itwouldhavebeenquiteeasy。"

"WhatdidAlecandAlonzofeellikewhenyoucameaway？"queriedPriscilla。

"Oh，theystillhavehope。Itoldthemthey’dhavetowaittillIcouldmakeupmymind。They’requitewillingtowait。

Theybothworshipme，youknow。Meanwhile，Iintendtohaveagoodtime。IexpectIshallhaveheapsofbeauxatRedmond。

Ican’tbehappyunlessIhave，youknow。Butdon’tyouthinkthefreshmenarefearfullyhomely？

Isawonlyonereallyhandsomefellowamongthem。Hewentawaybeforeyoucame。IheardhischumcallhimGilbert。HischumhadeyesthatstuckoutTHATFAR。Butyou’renotgoingyet，girls？

Don’tgoyet。"

"Ithinkwemust，"saidAnne，rathercoldly。"It’sgettinglate，andI’vesomeworktodo。"

"Butyou’llbothcometoseeme，won’tyou？"askedPhilippa，gettingupandputtinganarmaroundeach。"Andletmecometoseeyou。Iwanttobechummywithyou。I’vetakensuchafancytoyouboth。AndIhaven’tquitedisgustedyouwithmyfrivolity，haveI？"

"Notquite，"laughedAnne，respondingtoPhil’ssqueeze，withareturnofcordiality。

"BecauseI’mnothalfsosillyasIseemonthesurface，youknow。YoujustacceptPhilippaGordon，astheLordmadeher，withallherfaults，andIbelieveyou’llcometolikeher。

Isn’tthisgraveyardasweetplace？I’dlovetobeburiedhere。

Here’sagraveIdidn’tseebefore——thisoneintheironrailing——oh，girls，look，see——thestonesaysit’sthegraveofamiddywhowaskilledinthefightbetweentheShannonandtheChesapeake。Justfancy！"

Annepausedbytherailingandlookedatthewornstone，herpulsesthrillingwithsuddenexcitement。Theoldgraveyard，withitsover-archingtreesandlongaislesofshadows，fadedfromhersight。

Instead，shesawtheKingsportHarborofnearlyacenturyagone。

Outofthemistcameslowlyagreatfrigate，brilliantwith"themeteorflagofEngland。"Behindherwasanother，withastill，heroicform，wrappedinhisownstarryflag，lyingonthequarterdeck——thegallantLawrence。Time’sfingerhadturnedbackhispages，andthatwastheShannonsailingtriumphantupthebaywiththeChesapeakeasherprize。

"Comeback，AnneShirley——comeback，"laughedPhilippa，pullingherarm。"You’reahundredyearsawayfromus。Comeback。"

Annecamebackwithasigh；hereyeswereshiningsoftly。

"I’vealwayslovedthatoldstory，"shesaid，"andalthoughtheEnglishwonthatvictory，Ithinkitwasbecauseofthebrave，defeatedcommanderIloveit。Thisgraveseemstobringitsonearandmakeitsoreal。Thispoorlittlemiddywasonlyeighteen。He`diedofdesperatewoundsreceivedingallantaction’——soreadshisepitaph。Itissuchasasoldiermightwishfor。"

Beforesheturnedaway，Anneunpinnedthelittleclusterofpurplepansiessheworeanddroppeditsoftlyonthegraveoftheboywhohadperishedinthegreatsea-duel。

"Well，whatdoyouthinkofournewfriend？"askedPriscilla，whenPhilhadleftthem。

"Ilikeher。Thereissomethingverylovableabouther，inspiteofallhernonsense。Ibelieve，asshesaysherself，thatsheisn’thalfassillyasshesounds。She’sadear，kissablebaby——andIdon’tknowthatshe’lleverreallygrowup。"

"Ilikeher，too，"saidPriscilla，decidedly。"ShetalksasmuchaboutboysasRubyGillisdoes。ButitalwaysenragesorsickensmetohearRuby，whereasIjustwantedtolaughgood-naturedlyatPhil。Now，whatisthewhyofthat？"

"Thereisadifference，"saidAnnemeditatively。"Ithinkit’sbecauseRubyisreallysoCONSCIOUSofboys。Sheplaysatloveandlove-making。Besides，youfeel，whensheisboastingofherbeauxthatsheisdoingittorubitwellintoyouthatyouhaven’thalfsomany。Now，whenPhiltalksofherbeauxitsoundsasifshewasjustspeakingofchums。Shereallylooksuponboysasgoodcomrades，andsheispleasedwhenshehasdozensofthemtagginground，simplybecauseshelikestobepopularandtobethoughtpopular。EvenAlexandAlonzo——I’llneverbeabletothinkofthosetwonamesseparatelyafterthis——aretoherjusttwoplayfellowswhowanthertoplaywiththemalltheirlives。I’mgladwemether，andI’mgladwewenttoOldSt。John’s。IbelieveI’veputforthatinysoul-rootintoKingsportsoilthisafternoon。Ihopeso。Ihatetofeeltransplanted。"

ChapterV

LettersfromHomeForthenextthreeweeksAnneandPriscillacontinuedtofeelasstrangersinastrangeland。Then，suddenly，everythingseemedtofallintofocus——Redmond，professors，classes，students，studies，socialdoings。Lifebecamehomogeneousagain，insteadofbeingmadeupofdetachedfragments。TheFreshmen，insteadofbeingacollectionofunrelatedindividuals，foundthemselvesaclass，withaclassspirit，aclassyell，classinterests，classantipathiesandclassambitions。Theywonthedayintheannual"ArtsRush"againsttheSophomores，andtherebygainedtherespectofalltheclasses，andanenormous，confidence-givingopinionofthemselves。ForthreeyearstheSophomoreshadwoninthe"rush"；thatthevictoryofthisyearperchedupontheFreshmen’sbannerwasattributedtothestrategicgeneralshipofGilbertBlythe，whomarshalledthecampaignandoriginatedcertainnewtactics，whichdemoralizedtheSophsandswepttheFreshmentotriumph。AsarewardofmerithewaselectedpresidentoftheFreshmanClass，apositionofhonorandresponsibility——fromaFreshpointofview，atleast——covetedbymany。Hewasalsoinvitedtojointhe"Lambs"——RedmondeseforLambaTheta——acomplimentrarelypaidtoaFreshman。AsapreparatoryinitiationordealhehadtoparadetheprincipalbusinessstreetsofKingsportforawholedaywearingasunbonnetandavoluminouskitchenapronofgaudilyfloweredcalico。Thishedidcheerfully，doffinghissunbonnetwithcourtlygracewhenhemetladiesofhisacquaintance。CharlieSloane，whohadnotbeenaskedtojointheLambs，toldAnnehedidnotseehowBlythecoulddoit，andHE，forhispart，couldneverhumiliatehimselfso。

"FancyCharlieSloaneina`caliker’apronanda`sunbunnit，’"

giggledPriscilla。"He’dlookexactlylikehisoldGrandmotherSloane。Gilbert，now，lookedasmuchlikeamaninthemasinhisownproperhabiliments。"

AnneandPriscillafoundthemselvesinthethickofthesociallifeofRedmond。ThatthiscameaboutsospeedilywasdueingreatmeasuretoPhilippaGordon。Philippawasthedaughterofarichandwell-knownman，andbelongedtoanoldandexclusive"Bluenose"family。This，combinedwithherbeautyandcharm——acharmacknowledgedbyallwhomether——promptlyopenedthegatesofallcliques，clubsandclassesinRedmondtoher；andwhereshewentAnneandPriscillawent，too。Phil"adored"AnneandPriscilla，especiallyAnne。Shewasaloyallittlesoul，crystal-freefromanyformofsnobbishness。"Loveme，lovemyfriends"seemedtobeherunconsciousmotto。Withouteffort，shetookthemwithherintohereverwideningcircleofacquaintanceship，andthetwoAvonleagirlsfoundtheirsocialpathwayatRedmondmadeveryeasyandpleasantforthem，totheenvyandwondermentoftheotherfreshettes，who，lackingPhilippa’ssponsorship，weredoomedtoremainratheronthefringeofthingsduringtheirfirstcollegeyear。

ToAnneandPriscilla，withtheirmoreseriousviewsoflife，Philremainedtheamusing，lovablebabyshehadseemedontheirfirstmeeting。Yet，asshesaidherself，shehad"heaps"ofbrains。Whenorwhereshefoundtimetostudywasamystery，forsheseemedalwaysindemandforsomekindof"fun，"andherhomeeveningswerecrowdedwithcallers。Shehadallthe"beaux"thatheartcoulddesire，fornine-tenthsoftheFreshmenandabigfractionofalltheotherclasseswererivalsforhersmiles。

Shewasnaivelydelightedoverthis，andgleefullyrecountedeachnewconquesttoAnneandPriscilla，withcommentsthatmighthavemadetheunluckylover’searsburnfiercely。

"AlecandAlonzodon’tseemtohaveanyseriousrivalyet，"

remarkedAnne，teasingly。

"Notone，"agreedPhilippa。"Iwritethembotheveryweekandtellthemallaboutmyyoungmenhere。I’msureitmustamusethem。

But，ofcourse，theoneIlikebestIcan’tget。GilbertBlythewon’ttakeanynoticeofme，excepttolookatmeasifIwereanicelittlekittenhe’dliketopat。ToowellIknowthereason。

Ioweyouagrudge，QueenAnne。IreallyoughttohateyouandinsteadIloveyoumadly，andI’mmiserableifIdon’tseeyoueveryday。You’redifferentfromanygirlIeverknewbefore。

WhenyoulookatmeinacertainwayIfeelwhataninsignificant，frivolouslittlebeastIam，andIlongtobebetterandwiserandstronger。AndthenImakegoodresolutions；butthefirstnice-lookingmanniewhocomesmywayknocksthemalloutofmyhead。Isn’tcollegelifemagnificent？

It’ssofunnytothinkIhateditthatfirstday。ButifIhadn’tImightnevergotreallyacquaintedwithyou。Anne，pleasetellmeoveragainthatyoulikemealittlebit。Iyearntohearit。"

"Ilikeyouabigbit——andIthinkyou’readear，sweet，adorable，velvety，clawless，little——kitten，"laughedAnne，"butIdon’tseewhenyouevergettimetolearnyourlessons。"

Philmusthavefoundtimeforsheheldherownineveryclassofheryear。EventhegrumpyoldprofessorofMathematics，whodetestedcoeds，andhadbitterlyopposedtheiradmissiontoRedmond，couldn’tfloorher。Sheledthefreshetteseverywhere，exceptinEnglish，whereAnneShirleyleftherfarbehind。AnneherselffoundthestudiesofherFreshmanyearveryeasy，thanksingreatparttothesteadyworksheandGilberthadputinduringthosetwopastyearsinAvonlea。Thislefthermoretimeforasociallifewhichshethoroughlyenjoyed。ButneverforamomentdidsheforgetAvonleaandthefriendsthere。Toher，thehappiestmomentsineachweekwerethoseinwhichletterscamefromhome。ItwasnotuntilshehadgotherfirstlettersthatshebegantothinkshecouldeverlikeKingsportorfeelathomethere。Beforetheycame，Avonleahadseemedthousandsofmilesaway；thoselettersbroughtitnearandlinkedtheoldlifetothenewsocloselythattheybegantoseemoneandthesame，insteadoftwohopelesslysegregatedexistences。Thefirstbatchcontainedsixletters，fromJaneAndrews，RubyGillis，DianaBarry，Marilla，Mrs。LyndeandDavy。Jane’swasacopperplateproduction，withevery"t"nicelycrossedandevery"i"preciselydotted，andnotaninterestingsentenceinit。Shenevermentionedtheschool，concerningwhichAnnewasavidtohear；sheneveransweredoneofthequestionsAnnehadaskedinherletter。

ButshetoldAnnehowmanyyardsoflaceshehadrecentlycrocheted，andthekindofweathertheywerehavinginAvonlea，andhowsheintendedtohavehernewdressmade，andthewayshefeltwhenherheadached。RubyGilliswroteagushingepistledeploringAnne’sabsence，assuringhershewashorriblymissedineverything，askingwhattheRedmond"fellows"werelike，andfillingtherestwithaccountsofherownharrowingexperienceswithhernumerousadmirers。Itwasasilly，harmlessletter，andAnnewouldhavelaughedoverithaditnotbeenforthepostscript。

"GilbertseemstobeenjoyingRedmond，judgingfromhisletters，"

wroteRuby。"Idon’tthinkCharlieissostuckonit。"

SoGilbertwaswritingtoRuby！Verywell。Hehadaperfectrightto，ofcourse。Only——！！AnnedidnotknowthatRubyhadwrittenthefirstletterandthatGilberthadanswereditfrommerecourtesy。ShetossedRuby’sletterasidecontemptuously。

ButittookallDiana’sbreezy，newsy，delightfulepistletobanishthestingofRuby’spostscript。Diana’slettercontainedalittletoomuchFred，butwasotherwisecrowdedandcrossedwithitemsofinterest，andAnnealmostfeltherselfbackinAvonleawhilereadingit。Marilla’swasaratherprimandcolorlessepistle，severelyinnocentofgossiporemotion。

YetsomehowitconveyedtoAnneawhiffofthewholesome，simplelifeatGreenGables，withitssavorofancientpeace，andthesteadfastabidinglovethatwasthereforher。Mrs。Lynde’sletterwasfullofchurchnews。Havingbrokenuphousekeeping，Mrs。Lyndehadmoretimethanevertodevotetochurchaffairsandhadflungherselfintothemheartandsoul。Shewasatpresentmuchworkedupoverthepoor"supplies"theywerehavinginthevacantAvonleapulpit。

"Idon’tbelieveanybutfoolsentertheministrynowadays，"shewrotebitterly。"Suchcandidatesastheyhavesentus，andsuchstuffastheypreach！Halfofitain’ttrue，and，what’sworse，itain’tsounddoctrine。Theonewehavenowistheworstofthelot。Hemostlytakesatextandpreachesaboutsomethingelse。

Andhesayshedoesn’tbelievealltheheathenwillbeeternallylost。Theidea！Iftheywon’tallthemoneywe’vebeengivingtoForeignMissionswillbecleanwasted，that’swhat！LastSundaynightheannouncedthatnextSundayhe’dpreachontheaxe-headthatswam。Ithinkhe’dbetterconfinehimselftotheBibleandleavesensationalsubjectsalone。Thingshavecometoaprettypassifaministercan’tfindenoughinHolyWrittopreachabout，that’swhat。Whatchurchdoyouattend，Anne？I

hopeyougoregularly。Peopleareapttogetsocarelessaboutchurch-goingawayfromhome，andIunderstandcollegestudentsaregreatsinnersinthisrespect。I’mtoldmanyofthemactuallystudytheirlessonsonSunday。Ihopeyou’llneversinkthatlow，Anne。Rememberhowyouwerebroughtup。Andbeverycarefulwhatfriendsyoumake。Youneverknowwhatsortofcreaturesareinthemcolleges。Outwardlytheymaybeaswhitedsepulchersandinwardlyasraveningwolves，that’swhat。You’dbetternothaveanythingtosaytoanyyoungmanwhoisn’tfromtheIsland。

"Iforgottotellyouwhathappenedthedaytheministercalledhere。ItwasthefunniestthingIeversaw。IsaidtoMarilla，`IfAnnehadbeenherewouldn’tshehavehadalaugh？’EvenMarillalaughed。Youknowhe’saveryshort，fatlittlemanwithbowlegs。Well，thatoldpigofMr。Harrison’s——thebig，tallone——hadwanderedoverherethatdayagainandbrokeintotheyard，anditgotintothebackporch，unbeknownstous，anditwastherewhentheministerappearedinthedoorway。Itmadeonewildbolttogetout，buttherewasnowheretobolttoexceptbetweenthembowlegs。Sothereitwent，and，beingasitwassobigandtheministersolittle，ittookhimcleanoffhisfeetandcarriedhimaway。Hishatwentonewayandhiscaneanother，justasMarillaandIgottothedoor。I’llneverforgetthelookofhim。Andthatpoorpigwasnearscaredtodeath。I’llneverbeabletoreadthataccountintheBibleoftheswinethatrushedmadlydownthesteepplaceintotheseawithoutseeingMr。Harrison’spigcareeringdownthehillwiththatminister。

IguessthepigthoughthehadtheOldBoyonhisbackinsteadofinsideofhim。Iwasthankfulthetwinsweren’tabout。

Itwouldn’thavebeentherightthingforthemtohaveseenaministerinsuchanundignifiedpredicament。Justbeforetheygottothebrooktheministerjumpedofforfelloff。

Thepigrushedthroughthebrooklikemadandupthroughthewoods。

MarillaandIrundownandhelpedtheministergetupandbrushhiscoat。Hewasn’thurt，buthewasmad。HeseemedtoholdMarillaandmeresponsibleforitall，thoughwetoldhimthepigdidn’tbelongtous，andhadbeenpesteringusallsummer。

Besides，whatdidhecometothebackdoorfor？You’dneverhavecaughtMr。Allandoingthat。It’llbealongtimebeforewegetamanlikeMr。Allan。Butit’sanillwindthatblowsnogood。

We’veneverseenhooforhairofthatpigsince，andit’smybeliefweneverwill。

"ThingsisprettyquietinAvonlea。Idon’tfindGreenGablesaslonesomeasIexpected。IthinkI’llstartanothercottonwarpquiltthiswinter。Mrs。SilasSloanehasahandsomenewapple-leafpattern。

"WhenIfeelthatImusthavesomeexcitementIreadthemurdertrialsinthatBostonpapermyniecesendsme。Ineverusedtodoit，butthey’rerealinteresting。TheStatesmustbeanawfulplace。Ihopeyou’llnevergothere，Anne。Butthewaygirlsroamovertheearthnowissomethingterrible。ItalwaysmakesmethinkofSatanintheBookofJob，goingtoandfroandwalkingupanddown。Idon’tbelievetheLordeverintendedit，that’swhat。

"Davyhasbeenprettygoodsinceyouwentaway。OnedayhewasbadandMarillapunishedhimbymakinghimwearDora’sapronallday，andthenhewentandcutallDora’sapronsup。Ispankedhimforthatandthenhewentandchasedmyroostertodeath。

"TheMacPhersonshavemoveddowntomyplace。She’sagreathousekeeperandveryparticular。She’srootedallmyJuneliliesupbecauseshesaystheymakeagardenlooksountidy。Thomassetthemliliesoutwhenweweremarried。Herhusbandseemsanicesortofaman，butshecan’tgetoverbeinganoldmaid，that’swhat。

"Don’tstudytoohard，andbesureandputyourwinterunderclothesonassoonastheweathergetscool。

Marillaworriesalotaboutyou，butItellheryou’vegotalotmoresensethanIeverthoughtyouwouldhaveatonetime，andthatyou’llbeallright。"

Davy’sletterplungedintoagrievanceatthestart。

"Dearanne，pleasewriteandtellmarillanottotiemetotheraleofthebridgewhenIgofishingtheboysmakefunofmewhenshedoes。Itsawfullonesomeherewithoutyoubutgratefuninschool。Janeandrewsiscrosserthanyou。Iscaredmrs。lyndewithajackylanternlastnite。ShewasoffelmadandshewasmadcauseIchasedheroldroosterroundtheyardtillhefelldownded。Ididn’tmeantomakehimfalldownded。Whatmadehimdie，anne，Iwanttoknow。mrs。lyndethrewhimintothepigpenshemiteofsoldhimtomr。blair。mr。blairisgiving50senseapeaceforgooddedroostersnow。Iherdmrs。lyndeaskingtheministertoprayforher。Whatdidshedothatwassobad，anne，Iwanttoknow。I’vegotakitewithamagnificenttail，anne。Miltyboltertoldmeagratestoryinschoolyesterday。itistroo。oldJoeMoseyandLeonwereplayingcardsonenitelastweekinthewoods。Thecardswereonastumpandabigblackmanbiggerthanthetreescomealongandgrabbedthecardsandthestumpanddisaperedwithanoyslikethunder。

Illbettheywereskared。Miltysaystheblackmanwastheoldharry。washe，anne，Iwanttoknow。Mr。kimballoveratspenservaleisverysickandwillhavetogotothehospitable。

pleaseexcusemewhileIaskmarillaifthatsspelledrite。

Marillasaysitsthesilemhehastogotonottheotherplace。

Hethinkshehasasnakeinsideofhim。whatsitliketohaveasnakeinsideofyou，anne。Iwanttoknow。mrs。lawrencebellissickto。mrs。lyndesaysthatallthatisthematterwithheristhatshethinkstoomuchaboutherinsides。"

"Iwonder，"saidAnne，asshefoldedupherletters，"whatMrs。

LyndewouldthinkofPhilippa。"

ChapterVI

InthePark"Whatareyougoingtodowithyourselvestoday，girls？"

askedPhilippa，poppingintoAnne’sroomoneSaturdayafternoon。

"Wearegoingforawalkinthepark，"answeredAnne。"Ioughttostayinandfinishmyblouse。ButIcouldn’tsewonadaylikethis。

There’ssomethingintheairthatgetsintomybloodandmakesasortofgloryinmysoul。MyfingerswouldtwitchandI’dsewacrookedseam。

Soit’shofortheparkandthepines。"

"Does`we’includeanyonebutyourselfandPriscilla？"

"Yes，itincludesGilbertandCharlie，andwe’llbeverygladifitwillincludeyou，also。"

"But，"saidPhilippadolefully，"ifIgoI’llhavetobegooseberry，andthatwillbeanewexperienceforPhilippaGordon。"

"Well，newexperiencesarebroadening。Comealong，andyou’llbeabletosympathizewithallpoorsoulswhohavetoplaygooseberryoften。Butwhereareallthevictims？"

"Oh，Iwastiredofthemallandsimplycouldn’tbebotheredwithanyofthemtoday。Besides，I’vebeenfeelingalittleblue——

justapale，elusiveazure。Itisn’tseriousenoughforanythingdarker。IwroteAlecandAlonzolastweek。Iputthelettersintoenvelopesandaddressedthem，butIdidn’tsealthemup。

Thateveningsomethingfunnyhappened。Thatis，Alecwouldthinkitfunny，butAlonzowouldn’tbelikelyto。Iwasinahurry，soIsnatchedAlec’sletter——asIthought——outoftheenvelopeandscribbleddownapostscript。ThenImailedbothletters。I

gotAlonzo’sreplythismorning。Girls，Ihadputthatpostscripttohisletterandhewasfurious。Ofcoursehe’llgetoverit——

andIdon’tcareifhedoesn’t——butitspoiledmyday。

SoIthoughtI’dcometoyoudarlingstogetcheeredup。

AfterthefootballseasonopensIwon’thaveanyspareSaturdayafternoons。Iadorefootball。I’vegotthemostgorgeouscapandsweaterstripedinRedmondcolorstoweartothegames。

Tobesure，alittlewayoffI’lllooklikeawalkingbarber’spole。

DoyouknowthatthatGilbertofyourshasbeenelectedCaptainoftheFreshmanfootballteam？"

"Yes，hetoldussolastevening，"saidPriscilla，seeingthatoutragedAnnewouldnotanswer。"HeandCharlieweredown。

Weknewtheywerecoming，sowepainstakinglyputoutofsightoroutofreachallMissAda’scushions。ThatveryelaborateonewiththeraisedembroideryIdroppedonthefloorinthecornerbehindthechairitwason。Ithoughtitwouldbesafethere。

Butwouldyoubelieveit？CharlieSloanemadeforthatchair，noticedthecushionbehindit，solemnlyfisheditup，andsatonitthewholeevening。Suchawreckofacushionasitwas！PoorMissAdaaskedmetoday，stillsmiling，butoh，soreproachfully，whyIhadallowedittobesatupon。ItoldherIhadn’t——thatitwasamatterofpredestinationcoupledwithinveterateSloanishnessandIwasn’tamatchforbothcombined。"

"MissAda’scushionsarereallygettingonmynerves，"saidAnne。

"Shefinishedtwonewoneslastweek，stuffedandembroideredwithinaninchoftheirlives。Therebeingabsolutelynoothercushionlessplacetoputthemshestoodthemupagainstthewallonthestairlanding。Theytoppleoverhalfthetimeandifwecomeupordownthestairsinthedarkwefalloverthem。LastSunday，whenDr。Davisprayedforallthoseexposedtotheperilsofthesea，Iaddedinthought`andforallthosewholiveinhouseswherecushionsarelovednotwiselybuttoowell！’

There！we’reready，andIseetheboyscomingthroughOldSt。John’s。

Doyoucastinyourlotwithus，Phil？"

"I’llgo，ifIcanwalkwithPriscillaandCharlie。Thatwillbeabearabledegreeofgooseberry。ThatGilbertofyoursisadarling，Anne，butwhydoeshegoaroundsomuchwithGoggle-eyes？"

Annestiffened。ShehadnogreatlikingforCharlieSloane；buthewasofAvonlea，sonooutsiderhadanybusinesstolaughathim。

"CharlieandGilberthavealwaysbeenfriends，"shesaidcoldly。

"Charlieisaniceboy。He’snottoblameforhiseyes。"

"Don’ttellmethat！Heis！Hemusthavedonesomethingdreadfulinapreviousexistencetobepunishedwithsucheyes。

PrisandIaregoingtohavesuchsportwithhimthisafternoon。

We’llmakefunofhimtohisfaceandhe’llneverknowit。"

Doubtless，"theabandonedP’s，"asAnnecalledthem，didcarryouttheiramiableintentions。ButSloanewasblissfullyignorant；hethoughthewasquiteafinefellowtobewalkingwithtwosuchcoeds，especiallyPhilippaGordon，theclassbeautyandbelle。ItmustsurelyimpressAnne。Shewouldseethatsomepeopleappreciatedhimathisrealvalue。

GilbertandAnneloiteredalittlebehindtheothers，enjoyingthecalm，stillbeautyoftheautumnafternoonunderthepinesofthepark，ontheroadthatclimbedandtwistedroundtheharborshore。

"Thesilencehereislikeaprayer，isn’tit？"saidAnne，herfaceupturnedtotheshiningsky。"HowIlovethepines！

Theyseemtostriketheirrootsdeepintotheromanceofalltheages。

Itissocomfortingtocreepawaynowandthenforagoodtalkwiththem。

Ialwaysfeelsohappyouthere。"

"`Andsoinmountainsolitudeso’ertakenAsbysomespelldivine，TheircaresdropfromthemliketheneedlesshakenFromoutthegustypine，’"

quotedGilbert。

"Theymakeourlittleambitionsseemratherpetty，don’tthey，Anne？"

"Ithink，ifeveranygreatsorrowcametome，Iwouldcometothepinesforcomfort，"saidAnnedreamily。

"Ihopenogreatsorroweverwillcometoyou，Anne，"saidGilbert，whocouldnotconnecttheideaofsorrowwiththevivid，joyouscreaturebesidehim，unwittingthatthosewhocansoartothehighestheightscanalsoplungetothedeepestdepths，andthatthenatureswhichenjoymostkeenlyarethosewhichalsosuffermostsharply。

"Buttheremust——sometime，"musedAnne。"Lifeseemslikeacupofgloryheldtomylipsjustnow。Buttheremustbesomebitternessinit——thereisineverycup。Ishalltasteminesomeday。Well，IhopeIshallbestrongandbravetomeetit。

AndIhopeitwon’tbethroughmyownfaultthatitwillcome。

DoyourememberwhatDr。DavissaidlastSundayevening——thatthesorrowsGodsentusbroughtcomfortandstrengthwiththem，whilethesorrowswebroughtonourselves，throughfollyorwickedness，werebyfarthehardesttobear？Butwemustn’ttalkofsorrowonanafternoonlikethis。It’smeantforthesheerjoyofliving，isn’tit？"

"IfIhadmywayI’dshuteverythingoutofyourlifebuthappinessandpleasure，Anne，"saidGilbertinthetonethatmeant"dangerahead。"

"Thenyouwouldbeveryunwise，"rejoinedAnnehastily。"I’msurenolifecanbeproperlydevelopedandroundedoutwithoutsometrialandsorrow——thoughIsupposeitisonlywhenweareprettycomfortablethatweadmitit。Come——theothershavegottothepavilionandarebeckoningtous。"

Theyallsatdowninthelittlepaviliontowatchanautumnsunsetofdeepredfireandpallidgold。TotheirleftlayKingsport，itsroofsandspiresdimintheirshroudofvioletsmoke。

Totheirrightlaytheharbor，takingontintsofroseandcopperasitstretchedoutintothesunset。Beforethemthewatershimmered，satinsmoothandsilvergray，andbeyond，cleanshavenWilliam’sIslandloomedoutofthemist，guardingthetownlikeasturdybulldog。

Itslighthousebeaconflaredthroughthemistlikeabalefulstar，andwasansweredbyanotherinthefarhorizon。

"Didyoueverseesuchastrong-lookingplace？"askedPhilippa。

"Idon’twantWilliam’sIslandespecially，butI’msureIcouldn’tgetitifIdid。Lookatthatsentryonthesummitofthefort，rightbesidetheflag。Doesn’thelookasifhehadsteppedoutofaromance？"

"Speakingofromance，"saidPriscilla，"we’vebeenlookingforheather——but，ofcourse，wecouldn’tfindany。It’stoolateintheseason，Isuppose。"

"Heather！"exclaimedAnne。"Heatherdoesn’tgrowinAmerica，doesit？"

"Therearejusttwopatchesofitinthewholecontinent，"saidPhil，"onerighthereinthepark，andonesomewhereelseinNovaScotia，Iforgetwhere。ThefamousHighlandRegiment，theBlackWatch，campedhereoneyear，and，whenthemenshookoutthestrawoftheirbedsinthespring，someseedsofheathertookroot。"

"Oh，howdelightful！"saidenchantedAnne。

"Let’sgohomearoundbySpoffordAvenue，"suggestedGilbert。

"Wecanseeall`thehandsomehouseswherethewealthynoblesdwell。’SpoffordAvenueisthefinestresidentialstreetinKingsport。Nobodycanbuildonitunlesshe’samillionaire。"

"Oh，do，"saidPhil。"There’saperfectlykillinglittleplaceI

wanttoshowyou，Anne。ITwasn’tbuiltbyamillionaire。It’sthefirstplaceafteryouleavethepark，andmusthavegrownwhileSpoffordAvenuewasstillacountryroad。ItDIDgrow——

itwasn’tbuilt！Idon’tcareforthehousesontheAvenue。

They’retoobrandnewandplateglassy。Butthislittlespotisadream——anditsname——butwaittillyouseeit。"

Theysawitastheywalkedupthepine-fringedhillfromthepark。

Justonthecrest，whereSpoffordAvenuepeteredoutintoaplainroad，wasalittlewhiteframehousewithgroupsofpinesoneithersideofit，stretchingtheirarmsprotectinglyoveritslowroof。Itwascoveredwithredandgoldvines，throughwhichitsgreen-shutteredwindowspeeped。Beforeitwasatinygarden，surroundedbyalowstonewall。Octoberthoughitwas，thegardenwasstillverysweetwithdear，old-fashioned，unworldlyflowersandshrubs——sweetmay，southern-wood，lemonverbena，alyssum，petunias，marigoldsandchrysanthemums。Atinybrickwall，inherring-bonepattern，ledfromthegatetothefrontporch。Thewholeplacemighthavebeentransplantedfromsomeremotecountryvillage；yettherewassomethingaboutitthatmadeitsnearestneighbor，thebiglawn-encircledpalaceofatobaccoking，lookexceedinglycrudeandshowyandill-bredbycontrast。AsPhilsaid，itwasthedifferencebetweenbeingbornandbeingmade。

"It’sthedearestplaceIeversaw，"saidAnnedelightedly。"Itgivesmeoneofmyold，delightfulfunnyaches。It’sdearerandquainterthanevenMissLavendar’sstonehouse。"

"It’sthenameIwantyoutonoticeespecially，"saidPhil。

"Look——inwhiteletters，aroundthearchwayoverthegate。

`Patty’sPlace。’Isn’tthatkilling？EspeciallyonthisAvenueofPinehurstsandElmwoldsandCedarcrofts？`Patty’sPlace，’

ifyouplease！Iadoreit。"

"HaveyouanyideawhoPattyis？"askedPriscilla。

"PattySpoffordisthenameoftheoldladywhoownsit，I’vediscovered。Shelivestherewithherniece，andthey’velivedthereforhundredsofyears，moreorless——maybealittleless，Anne。Exaggerationismerelyaflightofpoeticfancy。Iunderstandthatwealthyfolkhavetriedtobuythelottimeandagain——it’sreallyworthasmallfortunenow，youknow——but`Patty’won’tselluponanyconsideration。Andthere’sanappleorchardbehindthehouseinplaceofabackyard——you’llseeitwhenwegetalittlepast——

arealappleorchardonSpoffordAvenue！"

"I’mgoingtodreamabout`Patty’sPlace’tonight，"saidAnne。

"Why，IfeelasifIbelongedtoit。Iwonderif，byanychance，we’lleverseetheinsideofit。"

"Itisn’tlikely，"saidPriscilla。

Annesmiledmysteriously。

"No，itisn’tlikely。ButIbelieveitwillhappen。Ihaveaqueer，creepy，crawlyfeeling——youcancallitapresentiment，ifyoulike——that`Patty’sPlace’andIaregoingtobebetteracquaintedyet。"

ChapterVII

HomeAgainThosefirstthreeweeksatRedmondhadseemedlong；buttherestofthetermflewbyonwingsofwind。BeforetheyrealizedittheRedmondstudentsfoundthemselvesinthegrindofChristmasexaminations，emergingtherefrommoreorlesstriumphantly。ThehonorofleadingintheFreshmanclassesfluctuatedbetweenAnne，GilbertandPhilippa；Priscilladidverywell；CharlieSloanescrapedthroughrespectably，andcomportedhimselfascomplacentlyasifhehadledineverything。

"Ican’treallybelievethatthistimetomorrowI’llbeinGreenGables，"

saidAnneonthenightbeforedeparture。"ButIshallbe。Andyou，Phil，willbeinBolingbrokewithAlecandAlonzo。"

"I’mlongingtoseethem，"admittedPhil，betweenthechocolateshewasnibbling。"Theyreallyaresuchdearboys，youknow。

There’stobenoendofdancesanddrivesandgeneraljamborees。

Ishallneverforgiveyou，QueenAnne，fornotcominghomewithmefortheholidays。"

"`Never’meansthreedayswithyou，Phil。Itwasdearofyoutoaskme——andI’dlovetogotoBolingbrokesomeday。ButI

can’tgothisyear——IMUSTgohome。Youdon’tknowhowmyheartlongsforit。"

"Youwon’thavemuchofatime，"saidPhilscornfully。"There’llbeoneortwoquiltingparties，Isuppose；andalltheoldgossipswilltalkyouovertoyourfaceandbehindyourback。

You’lldieoflonesomeness，child。"

"InAvonlea？"saidAnne，highlyamused。

"Now，ifyou’dcomewithmeyou’dhaveaperfectlygorgeoustime。

Bolingbrokewouldgowildoveryou，QueenAnne——yourhairandyourstyleand，oh，everything！You’resoDIFFERENT。You’dbesuchasuccess——andIwouldbaskinreflectedglory——`nottherosebutneartherose。’Docome，afterall，Anne。"

"Yourpictureofsocialtriumphsisquitefascinating，Phil，butI’llpaintonetooffsetit。I’mgoinghometoanoldcountryfarmhouse，oncegreen，ratherfadednow，setamongleaflessappleorchards。ThereisabrookbelowandaDecemberfirwoodbeyond，whereI’veheardharpssweptbythefingersofrainandwind。

Thereisapondnearbythatwillbegrayandbroodingnow。Therewillbetwooldishladiesinthehouse，onetallandthin，oneshortandfat；andtherewillbetwotwins，oneaperfectmodel，theotherwhatMrs。Lyndecallsa`holyterror。’Therewillbealittleroomupstairsovertheporch，whereolddreamshangthick，andabig，fat，gloriousfeatherbedwhichwillalmostseemtheheightofluxuryafteraboardinghousemattress。Howdoyoulikemypicture，Phil？"

"Itseemsaverydullone，"saidPhil，withagrimace。

"Oh，butI’veleftoutthetransformingthing，"saidAnnesoftly。

"There’llbelovethere，Phil——faithful，tenderlove，suchasI’llneverfindanywhereelseintheworld——lovethat’swaitingforme。Thatmakesmypictureamasterpiece，doesn’tit，evenifthecolorsarenotverybrilliant？"

Philsilentlygotup，tossedherboxofchocolatesaway，wentuptoAnne，andputherarmsabouther。

"Anne，IwishIwaslikeyou，"shesaidsoberly。

DianametAnneattheCarmodystationthenextnight，andtheydrovehometogetherundersilent，star-sowndepthsofsky。GreenGableshadaveryfestalappearanceastheydroveupthelane。

Therewasalightineverywindow，theglowbreakingoutthroughthedarknesslikeflame-redblossomsswungagainstthedarkbackgroundoftheHauntedWood。Andintheyardwasabravebonfirewithtwogaylittlefiguresdancingaroundit，oneofwhichgaveanunearthlyyellasthebuggyturnedinunderthepoplars。

"DavymeansthatforanIndianwar-whoop，"saidDiana。"Mr。

Harrison’shiredboytaughtittohim，andhe’sbeenpracticingituptowelcomeyouwith。Mrs。Lyndesaysithaswornhernervestoafrazzle。Hecreepsupbehindher，youknow，andthenletsgo。Hewasdeterminedtohaveabonfireforyou，too。He’sbeenpilingupbranchesforafortnightandpesteringMarillatobeletpoursomekeroseneoiloveritbeforesettingitonfire。

Iguessshedid，bythesmell，thoughMrs。LyndesaiduptothelastthatDavywouldblowhimselfandeverybodyelseupifhewaslet。"

Annewasoutofthebuggybythistime，andDavywasrapturouslyhuggingherknees，whileevenDorawasclingingtoherhand。

"Isn’tthatabullybonfire，Anne？Justletmeshowyouhowtopokeit——seethesparks？Ididitforyou，Anne，’causeIwassogladyouwerecominghome。"

ThekitchendooropenedandMarilla’sspareformdarkenedagainsttheinnerlight。ShepreferredtomeetAnneintheshadows，forshewashorriblyafraidthatshewasgoingtocrywithjoy——

she，stern，repressedMarilla，whothoughtalldisplayofdeepemotionunseemly。Mrs。Lyndewasbehindher，sonsy，kindly，matronly，asofyore。ThelovethatAnnehadtoldPhilwaswaitingforhersurroundedherandenfoldedherwithitsblessinganditssweetness。Nothing，afterall，couldcomparewitholdties，oldfriends，andoldGreenGables！HowstarryAnne’seyeswereastheysatdowntotheloadedsuppertable，howpinkhercheeks，howsilver-clearherlaughter！AndDianawasgoingtostayallnight，too。Howlikethedearoldtimesitwas！Andtherose-budtea-setgracedthetable！WithMarillatheforceofnaturecouldnofurthergo。

"IsupposeyouandDianawillnowproceedtotalkallnight，"

saidMarillasarcastically，asthegirlswentupstairs。

Marillawasalwayssarcasticafteranyself-betrayal。

"Yes，"agreedAnnegaily，"butI’mgoingtoputDavytobedfirst。

Heinsistsonthat。"

"Youbet，"saidDavy，astheywentalongthehall。"Iwantsomebodytosaymyprayerstoagain。It’snofunsayingthemalone。"

"Youdon’tsaythemalone，Davy。Godisalwayswithyoutohearyou。"

"Well，Ican’tseeHim，"objectedDavy。"IwanttopraytosomebodyIcansee，butIWON’TsaythemtoMrs。LyndeorMarilla，therenow！"

Nevertheless，whenDavywasgarbedinhisgrayflannelnighty，hedidnotseeminahurrytobegin。HestoodbeforeAnne，shufflingonebarefootovertheother，andlookedundecided。

"Come，dear，kneeldown，"saidAnne。

DavycameandburiedhisheadinAnne’slap，buthedidnotkneeldown。

"Anne，"hesaidinamuffledvoice。"Idon’tfeellikeprayingafterall。

Ihaven’tfeltlikeitforaweeknow。I——IDIDN’Tpraylastnightnorthenightbefore。"

"Whynot，Davy？"askedAnnegently。

"You——youwon’tbemadifItellyou？"imploredDavy。

Anneliftedthelittlegray-flannelledbodyonherkneeandcuddledhisheadonherarm。

"DoIeverget`mad’whenyoutellmethings，Davy？"

"No-o-o，youneverdo。Butyougetsorry，andthat’sworse。

You’llbeawfulsorrywhenItellyouthis，Anne——andyou’llbe’shamedofme，Is’pose。"

"Haveyoudonesomethingnaughty，Davy，andisthatwhyyoucan’tsayyourprayers？"

"No，Ihaven’tdoneanythingnaughty——yet。ButIwanttodoit。"

"Whatisit，Davy？"

"I——Iwanttosayabadword，Anne，"blurtedoutDavy，withadesperateeffort。"IheardMr。Harrison’shiredboysayitonedaylastweek，andeversinceI’vebeenwantingtosayitALLthetime——evenwhenI’msayingmyprayers。"

"Sayitthen，Davy。"

Davyliftedhisflushedfaceinamazement。

"But，Anne，it’sanAWFULbadword。"

"SAYIT！"

Davygaveheranotherincredulouslook，theninalowvoicehesaidthedreadfulword。Thenextminutehisfacewasburrowingagainsther。

"Oh，Anne，I’llneversayitagain——never。I’llneverWANTtosayitagain。Iknewitwasbad，butIdidn’ts’poseitwasso——so——Ididn’ts’poseitwaslikeTHAT。"

"No，Idon’tthinkyou’lleverwanttosayitagain，Davy——orthinkit，either。AndIwouldn’tgoaboutmuchwithMr。Harrison’shiredboyifIwereyou。"

"Hecanmakebullywar-whoops，"saidDavyalittleregretfully。

"Butyoudon’twantyourmindfilledwithbadwords，doyou，Davy——wordsthatwillpoisonitanddriveoutallthatisgoodandmanly？"

"No，"saidDavy，owl-eyedwithintrospection。

"Thendon’tgowiththosepeoplewhousethem。Andnowdoyoufeelasifyoucouldsayyourprayers，Davy？"

"Oh，yes，"saidDavy，eagerlywrigglingdownonhisknees，"Icansaythemnowallright。Iain’tscarednowtosay`ifIshoulddiebeforeIwake，’likeIwaswhenIwaswantingtosaythatword。"

ProbablyAnneandDianadidemptyouttheirsoulstoeachotherthatnight，butnorecordoftheirconfidenceshasbeenpreserved。

Theybothlookedasfreshandbright-eyedatbreakfastasonlyyouthcanlookafterunlawfulhoursofrevelryandconfession。

Therehadbeennosnowuptothistime，butasDianacrossedtheoldlogbridgeonherhomewardwaythewhiteflakeswerebeginningtoflutterdownoverthefieldsandwoods，russetandgrayintheirdreamlesssleep。Soonthefar-awayslopesandhillsweredimandwraith-likethroughtheirgauzyscarfing，asifpaleautumnhadflungamistybridalveiloverherhairandwaswaitingforherwintrybridegroom。SotheyhadawhiteChristmasafterall，andaverypleasantdayitwas。IntheforenoonlettersandgiftscamefromMissLavendarandPaul；

AnneopenedtheminthecheerfulGreenGableskitchen，whichwasfilledwithwhatDavy，sniffinginecstasy，called"prettysmells。"

"MissLavendarandMr。Irvingaresettledintheirnewhomenow，"

reportedAnne。"IamsureMissLavendarisperfectlyhappy——

Iknowitbythegeneraltoneofherletter——butthere’sanotefromCharlottatheFourth。Shedoesn’tlikeBostonatall，andsheisfearfullyhomesick。MissLavendarwantsmetogothroughtoEchoLodgesomedaywhileI’mhomeandlightafiretoairit，andseethatthecushionsaren’tgettingmoldy。IthinkI’llgetDianatogooverwithmenextweek，andwecanspendtheeveningwithTheodoraDix。IwanttoseeTheodora。Bytheway，isLudovicSpeedstillgoingtoseeher？"

"Theysayso，"saidMarilla，"andhe’slikelytocontinueit。

Folkshavegivenupexpectingthatthatcourtshipwilleverarriveanywhere。"

"I’dhurryhimupabit，ifIwasTheodora，that’swhat，"saidMrs。Lynde。Andthereisnottheslightestdoubtbutthatshewould。

TherewasalsoacharacteristicscrawlfromPhilippa，fullofAlecandAlonzo，whattheysaidandwhattheydid，andhowtheylookedwhentheysawher。

"ButIcan’tmakeupmymindyetwhichtomarry，"wrotePhil。

"Idowishyouhadcomewithmetodecideforme。Someonewillhaveto。WhenIsawAlecmyheartgaveagreatthumpandI

thought，`Hemightbetherightone。’Andthen，whenAlonzocame，thumpwentmyheartagain。Sothat’snoguide，thoughitshouldbe，accordingtoallthenovelsI’veeverread。Now，Anne，YOURheartwouldn’tthumpforanybodybutthegenuinePrinceCharming，wouldit？

Theremustbesomethingradicallywrongwithmine。ButI’mhavingaperfectlygorgeoustime。HowIwishyouwerehere！It’ssnowingtoday，andI’mrapturous。Iwassoafraidwe’dhaveagreenChristmasandIloathethem。Youknow，whenChristmasisadirtygrayey-browneyaffair，lookingasifithadbeenleftoverahundredyearsagoandhadbeeninsoakeversince，itiscalledaGREENChristmas！

Don’taskmewhy。AsLordDundrearysays，`therearethomethingthnofellowcanunderthtand。’

"Anne，didyouevergetonastreetcarandthendiscoverthatyouhadn’tanymoneywithyoutopayyourfare？Idid，theotherday。

It’squiteawful。IhadanickelwithmewhenIgotonthecar。

Ithoughtitwasintheleftpocketofmycoat。WhenIgotsettleddowncomfortablyIfeltforit。Itwasn’tthere。

Ihadacoldchill。Ifeltintheotherpocket。Notthere。

Ihadanotherchill。ThenIfeltinalittleinsidepocket。

Allinvain。Ihadtwochillsatonce。

"Itookoffmygloves，laidthemontheseat，andwentoverallmypocketsagain。Itwasnotthere。Istoodupandshookmyself，andthenlookedonthefloor。Thecarwasfullofpeople，whoweregoinghomefromtheopera，andtheyallstaredatme，butIwaspastcaringforalittlethinglikethat。

"ButIcouldnotfindmyfare。IconcludedImusthaveputitinmymouthandswalloweditinadvertently。

"Ididn’tknowwhattodo。Wouldtheconductor，Iwondered，stopthecarandputmeoffinignominyandshame？WasitpossiblethatIcouldconvincehimthatIwasmerelythevictimofmyownabsentmindedness，andnotanunprincipledcreaturetryingtoobtainarideuponfalsepretenses？HowIwishedthatAlecorAlonzowerethere。Buttheyweren’tbecauseIwantedthem。

IfIHADN’Twantedthemtheywouldhavebeentherebythedozen。

AndIcouldn’tdecidewhattosaytotheconductorwhenhecamearound。AssoonasIgotonesentenceofexplanationmappedoutinmymindIfeltnobodycouldbelieveitandImustcomposeanother。ItseemedtherewasnothingtodobuttrustinProvidence，andforallthecomfortthatgavemeImightaswellhavebeentheoldladywho，whentoldbythecaptainduringastormthatshemustputhertrustintheAlmightyexclaimed，`Oh，Captain，isitasbadasthat？’

"Justattheconventionalmoment，whenallhopehadfled，andtheconductorwasholdingouthisboxtothepassengernexttome，IsuddenlyrememberedwhereIhadputthatwretchedcoinoftherealm。

Ihadn’tswalloweditafterall。Imeeklyfisheditoutoftheindexfingerofmygloveandpokeditinthebox。Ismiledateverybodyandfeltthatitwasabeautifulworld。"

ThevisittoEchoLodgewasnottheleastpleasantofmanypleasantholidayoutings。AnneandDianawentbacktoitbytheoldwayofthebeechwoods，carryingalunchbasketwiththem。