第5章

Dianawasnotthemostdiscerningofmortals，butjustatthismomentitstruckherthatAnnewasnotlookingexactlyoverjoyed。

Thesurprisewasthere，beyonddoubt——butwherewasthedelight？

"Why，Anne，youdon’tseemabitpleased！"sheexclaimed。

Anneinstantlymanufacturedasmileandputiton。

"OfcourseIcouldn’tbeanythingbutpleasedoveryourunselfishwishtogivemepleasure，"shesaidslowly。"Butyouknow——I’msoamazed——Ican’trealizeit——andIdon’tunderstand。Therewasn’tawordinmystoryabout——about——"Annechokedalittleovertheword——"bakingpowder。"

"Oh，_I_putthatin，"saidDiana，reassured。"Itwasaseasyaswink——andofcoursemyexperienceinouroldStoryClubhelpedme。

YouknowthescenewhereAverilmakesthecake？Well，IjuststatedthatsheusedtheRollingsReliableinit，andthatwaswhyitturnedoutsowell；andthen，inthelastparagraph，wherePERCEVALclaspsAVERILinhisarmsandsays，`Sweetheart，thebeautifulcomingyearswillbringusthefulfilmentofourhomeofdreams，’Iadded，`inwhichwewillneveruseanybakingpowderexceptRollingsReliable。’"

"Oh，"gaspedpoorAnne，asifsomeonehaddashedcoldwateronher。

"Andyou’vewonthetwenty-fivedollars，"continuedDianajubilantly。

"Why，IheardPriscillasayoncethattheCanadianWomanonlypaysfivedollarsforastory！"

Anneheldoutthehatefulpinkslipinshakingfingers。

"Ican’ttakeit——it’syoursbyright，Diana。Yousentthestoryinandmadethealterations。I——Iwouldcertainlyneverhavesentit。Soyoumusttakethecheck。"

"I’dliketoseemyself，"saidDianascornfully。"Why，whatI

didwasn’tanytrouble。Thehonorofbeingafriendoftheprizewinnerisenoughforme。Well，Imustgo。Ishouldhavegonestraighthomefromthepostofficeforwehavecompany。

ButIsimplyhadtocomeandhearthenews。I’msogladforyoursake，Anne。"

Annesuddenlybentforward，putherarmsaboutDiana，andkissedhercheek。

"Ithinkyouarethesweetestandtruestfriendintheworld，Diana，"shesaid，withalittletrembleinhervoice，"andI

assureyouIappreciatethemotiveofwhatyou’vedone。"

Diana，pleasedandembarrassed，gotherselfaway，andpoorAnne，afterflingingtheinnocentcheckintoherbureaudrawerasifitwereblood-money，castherselfonherbedandwepttearsofshameandoutragedsensibility。Oh，shecouldneverlivethisdown——never！

Gilbertarrivedatdusk，brimmingoverwithcongratulations，forhehadcalledatOrchardSlopeandheardthenews。ButhiscongratulationsdiedonhislipsatsightofAnne’sface。

"Why，Anne，whatisthematter？IexpectedtofindyouradiantoverwinningRollingsReliableprize。Goodforyou！"

"Oh，Gilbert，notyou，"imploredAnne，inanET-TUBRUTEtone。

"IthoughtYOUwouldunderstand。Can’tyouseehowawfulitis？"

"ImustconfessIcan’t。WHATiswrong？"

"Everything，"moanedAnne。"IfeelasifIweredisgracedforever。

Whatdoyouthinkamotherwouldfeellikeifshefoundherchildtattooedoverwithabakingpowderadvertisement？

Ifeeljustthesame。Ilovedmypoorlittlestory，andI

wroteitoutofthebestthatwasinme。AnditisSACRILEGEtohaveitdegradedtothelevelofabakingpowderadvertisement。

Don’tyourememberwhatProfessorHamiltonusedtotellusintheliteratureclassatQueen’s？Hesaidwewerenevertowriteawordforaloworunworthymotive，butalwaystoclingtotheveryhighestideals。WhatwillhethinkwhenhehearsI’vewrittenastorytoadvertiseRollingsReliable？And，oh，whenitgetsoutatRedmond！ThinkhowI’llbeteasedandlaughedat！"

"Thatyouwon’t，"saidGilbert，wonderinguneasilyifitwerethatconfoundedJunior’sopinioninparticularoverwhichAnnewasworried。"TheRedswillthinkjustasIthought——thatyou，beinglikenineoutoftenofus，notoverburdenedwithworldlywealth，hadtakenthiswayofearninganhonestpennytohelpyourselfthroughtheyear。Idon’tseethatthere’sanythingloworunworthyaboutthat，oranythingridiculouseither。Onewouldratherwritemasterpiecesofliteraturenodoubt——butmeanwhileboardandtuitionfeeshavetobepaid。"

Thiscommonsense，matter-of-factviewofthecasecheeredAnnealittle。Atleastitremovedherdreadofbeinglaughedat，thoughthedeeperhurtofanoutragedidealremained。

ChapterXVI

AdjustedRelationships"It’sthehomiestspotIeversaw——it’shomierthanhome，"

avowedPhilippaGordon，lookingaboutherwithdelightedeyes。

Theywereallassembledattwilightinthebigliving-roomatPatty’sPlace——AnneandPriscilla，PhilandStella，AuntJamesina，Rusty，Joseph，theSarah-Cat，andGogandMagog。Thefirelightshadowsweredancingoverthewalls；thecatswerepurring；

andahugebowlofhothousechrysanthemums，senttoPhilbyoneofthevictims，shonethroughthegoldengloomlikecreamymoons。

Itwasthreeweekssincetheyhadconsideredthemselvessettled，andalreadyallbelievedtheexperimentwouldbeasuccess。Thefirstfortnightaftertheirreturnhadbeenapleasantlyexcitingone；theyhadbeenbusysettinguptheirhouseholdgoods，organizingtheirlittleestablishment，andadjustingdifferentopinions。

Annewasnotover-sorrytoleaveAvonleawhenthetimecametoreturntocollege。Thelastfewdaysofhervacationhadnotbeenpleasant。HerprizestoryhadbeenpublishedintheIslandpapers；andMr。WilliamBlairhad，uponthecounterofhisstore，ahugepileofpink，greenandyellowpamphlets，containingit，oneofwhichhegavetoeverycustomer。HesentacomplimentarybundletoAnne，whopromptlydroppedthemallinthekitchenstove。Herhumiliationwastheconsequenceofherownidealsonly，forAvonleafolksthoughtitquitesplendidthatsheshouldhavewontheprize。Hermanyfriendsregardedherwithhonestadmiration；herfewfoeswithscornfulenvy。

JosiePyesaidshebelievedAnneShirleyhadjustcopiedthestory；

shewassuresherememberedreadingitinapaperyearsbefore。

TheSloanes，whohadfoundoutorguessedthatCharliehadbeen"turneddown，"saidtheydidn’tthinkitwasmuchtobeproudof；

almostanyonecouldhavedoneit，ifshetried。AuntAtossatoldAnneshewasverysorrytohearshehadtakentowritingnovels；nobodybornandbredinAvonleawoulddoit；thatwaswhatcameofadoptingorphansfromgoodnessknewwhere，withgoodnessknewwhatkindofparents。EvenMrs。RachelLyndewasdarklydubiousabouttheproprietyofwritingfiction，thoughshewasalmostreconciledtoitbythattwenty-fivedollarcheck。

"Itisperfectlyamazing，thepricetheypayforsuchlies，that’swhat，"shesaid，half-proudly，half-severely。

Allthingsconsidered，itwasareliefwhengoing-awaytimecame。

AnditwasveryjollytobebackatRedmond，awise，experiencedSophwithhostsoffriendstogreetonthemerryopeningday。

PrisandStellaandGilbertwerethere，CharlieSloane，lookingmoreimportantthaneveraSophomorelookedbefore，Phil，withtheAlec-and-Alonzoquestionstillunsettled，andMoodySpurgeonMacPherson。MoodySpurgeonhadbeenteachingschooleversinceleavingQueen’s，buthismotherhadconcludeditwashightimehegaveitupandturnedhisattentiontolearninghowtobeaminister。PoorMoodySpurgeonfellonhardluckattheverybeginningofhiscollegecareer。HalfadozenruthlessSophs，whowereamonghisfellow-boarders，swoopeddownuponhimonenightandshavedhalfofhishead。InthisguisethelucklessMoodySpurgeonhadtogoaboutuntilhishairgrewagain。HetoldAnnebitterlythatthereweretimeswhenhehadhisdoubtsastowhetherhewasreallycalledtobeaminister。

AuntJamesinadidnotcomeuntilthegirlshadPatty’sPlacereadyforher。MissPattyhadsentthekeytoAnne，withaletterinwhichshesaidGogandMagogwerepackedinaboxunderthespare-roombed，butmightbetakenoutwhenwanted；inapostscriptsheaddedthatshehopedthegirlswouldbecarefulaboutputtinguppictures。ThelivingroomhadbeennewlypaperedfiveyearsbeforeandsheandMissMariadidnotwantanymoreholesmadeinthatnewpaperthanwasabsolutelynecessary。

FortherestshetrustedeverythingtoAnne。

Howthosegirlsenjoyedputtingtheirnestinorder！AsPhilsaid，itwasalmostasgoodasgettingmarried。Youhadthefunofhomemakingwithoutthebotherofahusband。Allbroughtsomethingwiththemtoadornormakecomfortablethelittlehouse。PrisandPhilandStellahadknick-knacksandpicturesgalore，whichlattertheyproceededtohangaccordingtotaste，inrecklessdisregardofMissPatty’snewpaper。

"We’llputtytheholesupwhenweleave，dear——she’llneverknow，"

theysaidtoprotestingAnne。

DianahadgivenAnneapineneedlecushionandMissAdahadgivenbothherandPriscillaafearfullyandwonderfullyembroideredone。

Marillahadsentabigboxofpreserves，anddarklyhintedatahamperforThanksgiving，andMrs。LyndegaveAnneapatchworkquiltandloanedherfivemore。

"Youtakethem，"shesaidauthoritatively。"Theymightaswellbeinuseaspackedawayinthattrunkinthegarretformothstognaw。"

Nomothswouldeverhaveventurednearthosequilts，fortheyreekedofmothballstosuchanextentthattheyhadtobehungintheorchardofPatty’sPlaceafullfortnightbeforetheycouldbeenduredindoors。Verily，aristocraticSpoffordAvenuehadrarelybeheldsuchadisplay。Thegruffoldmillionairewholived"nextdoor"cameoverandwantedtobuythegorgeousredandyellow"tulip-pattern"onewhichMrs。RachelhadgivenAnne。

Hesaidhismotherusedtomakequiltslikethat，andbyJove，hewantedonetoremindhimofher。Annewouldnotsellit，muchtohisdisappointment，butshewroteallaboutittoMrs。Lynde。

Thathighly-gratifiedladysentwordbackthatshehadonejustlikeittospare，sothetobaccokinggothisquiltafterall，andinsistedonhavingitspreadonhisbed，tothedisgustofhisfashionablewife。

Mrs。Lynde’squiltsservedaveryusefulpurposethatwinter。

Patty’sPlaceforallitsmanyvirtues，haditsfaultsalso。

Itwasreallyarathercoldhouse；andwhenthefrostynightscamethegirlswereverygladtosnuggledownunderMrs。Lynde’squilts，andhopedthattheloanofthemmightbeaccounteduntoherforrighteousness。Annehadtheblueroomshehadcovetedatsight。PriscillaandStellahadthelargeone。Philwasblissfullycontentwiththelittleoneoverthekitchen；andAuntJamesinawastohavethedownstairsoneofftheliving-room。

Rustyatfirstsleptonthedoorstep。

Anne，walkinghomefromRedmondafewdaysafterherreturn，becameawarethatthepeoplethatshemetsurveyedherwithacovert，indulgentsmile。Annewondereduneasilywhatwasthematterwithher。Washerhatcrooked？Washerbeltloose？

Craningherheadtoinvestigate，Anne，forthefirsttime，sawRusty。

Trottingalongbehindher，closetoherheels，wasquitethemostforlornspecimenofthecattribeshehadeverbeheld。

Theanimalwaswellpastkitten-hood，lank，thin，disreputablelooking。Piecesofbothearswerelacking，oneeyewastemporarilyoutofrepair，andonejowlludicrouslyswollen。

Asforcolor，ifaonceblackcathadbeenwellandthoroughlysingedtheresultwouldhaveresembledthehueofthiswaif’sthin，draggled，unsightlyfur。

Anne"shooed，"butthecatwouldnot"shoo。"Aslongasshestoodhesatbackonhishaunchesandgazedatherreproachfullyoutofhisonegoodeye；whensheresumedherwalkhefollowed。

AnneresignedherselftohiscompanyuntilshereachedthegateofPatty’sPlace，whichshecoldlyshutinhisface，fondlysupposingshehadseenthelastofhim。Butwhen，fifteenminuteslater，Philopenedthedoor，theresattherusty-browncatonthestep。More，hepromptlydartedinandspranguponAnne’slapwithahalf-pleading，half-triumphant"miaow。"

"Anne，"saidStellaseverely，"doyouownthatanimal？"

"No，IdoNOT，"protesteddisgustedAnne。"Thecreaturefollowedmehomefromsomewhere。Icouldn’tgetridofhim。Ugh，getdown。

Ilikedecentcatsreasonablywell；butIdon’tlikebeastiesofyourcomplexion。"

Pussy，however，refusedtogetdown。HecoollycurledupinAnne’slapandbegantopurr。

"Hehasevidentlyadoptedyou，"laughedPriscilla。

"Iwon’tBEadopted，"saidAnnestubbornly。

"Thepoorcreatureisstarving，"saidPhilpityingly。"Why，hisbonesarealmostcomingthroughhisskin。"

"Well，I’llgivehimasquaremealandthenhemustreturntowhencehecame，"saidAnneresolutely。

Thecatwasfedandputout。Inthemorninghewasstillonthedoorstep。Onthedoorstephecontinuedtosit，boltinginwheneverthedoorwasopened。Nocoolnessofwelcomehadtheleasteffectonhim；ofnobodysaveAnnedidhetaketheleastnotice。Outofcompassionthegirlsfedhim；butwhenaweekhadpassedtheydecidedthatsomethingmustbedone。

Thecat’sappearancehadimproved。Hiseyeandcheekhadresumedtheirnormalappearance；hewasnotquitesothin；

andhehadbeenseenwashinghisface。

"Butforallthatwecan’tkeephim，"saidStella。"AuntJimsieiscomingnextweekandshewillbringtheSarah-catwithher。

Wecan’tkeeptwocats；andifwedidthisRustyCoatwouldfightallthetimewiththeSarah-cat。He’safighterbynature。

Hehadapitchedbattlelasteveningwiththetobacco-king’scatandroutedhim，horse，footandartillery。"

"Wemustgetridofhim，"agreedAnne，lookingdarklyatthesubjectoftheirdiscussion，whowaspurringonthehearthrugwithanairoflamb-likemeekness。"Butthequestionis——how？

Howcanfourunprotectedfemalesgetridofacatwhowon’tbegotridof？"

Wemustchloroformhim，"saidPhilbriskly。"Thatisthemosthumaneway。"

"Whoofusknowsanythingaboutchloroformingacat？"demandedAnnegloomily。

"Ido，honey。It’soneofmyfew——sadlyfew——usefulaccomplishments。

I’vedisposedofseveralathome。Youtakethecatinthemorningandgivehimagoodbreakfast。Thenyoutakeanoldburlapbag——there’soneinthebackporch——putthecatonitandturnoverhimawoodenbox。

Thentakeatwo-ouncebottleofchloroform，uncorkit，andslipitundertheedgeofthebox。Putaheavyweightontopoftheboxandleaveittillevening。Thecatwillbedead，curleduppeacefullyasifhewereasleep。Nopain——nostruggle。"

"Itsoundseasy，"saidAnnedubiously。

"ItISeasy。Justleaveittome。I’llseetoit，"saidPhilreassuringly。

Accordinglythechloroformwasprocured，andthenextmorningRustywasluredtohisdoom。Heatehisbreakfast，lickedhischops，andclimbedintoAnne’slap。Anne’sheartmisgaveher。Thispoorcreaturelovedher——trustedher。Howcouldshebeapartytothisdestruction？

"Here，takehim，"shesaidhastilytoPhil。"Ifeellikeamurderess。"

"Hewon’tsuffer，youknow，"comfortedPhil，butAnnehadfled。

Thefataldeedwasdoneinthebackporch。Nobodywentnearitthatday。ButatduskPhildeclaredthatRustymustbeburied。

"PrisandStellamustdighisgraveintheorchard，"declaredPhil，"andAnnemustcomewithmetolifttheboxoff。That’sthepartIalwayshate。"

Thetwoconspiratorstip-toedreluctantlytothebackporch。

Philgingerlyliftedthestoneshehadputonthebox。Suddenly，faintbutdistinct，soundedanunmistakablemewunderthebox。

"He——heisn’tdead，"gaspedAnne，sittingblanklydownonthekitchendoorstep。

"Hemustbe，"saidPhilincredulously。

Anothertinymewprovedthathewasn’t。Thetwogirlsstaredateachother。"

Whatwillwedo？"questionedAnne。

"Whyintheworlddon’tyoucome？"demandedStella，appearinginthedoorway。"We’vegotthegraveready。`Whatsilentstillandsilentall？’"shequotedteasingly。

"`Oh，no，thevoicesofthedeadSoundlikethedistanttorrent’sfall，’"

promptlycounter-quotedAnne，pointingsolemnlytothebox。

Aburstoflaughterbrokethetension。

"Wemustleavehimheretillmorning，"saidPhil，replacingthestone。

"Hehasn’tmewedforfiveminutes。Perhapsthemewsweheardwerehisdyinggroan。Orperhapswemerelyimaginedthem，underthestrainofourguiltyconsciences。"

But，whentheboxwasliftedinthemorning，RustyboundedatonegayleaptoAnne’sshoulderwherehebegantolickherfaceaffectionately。

Neverwasthereacatmoredecidedlyalive。

"Here’saknotholeinthebox，"groanedPhil。"Ineversawit。

That’swhyhedidn’tdie。Now，we’vegottodoitalloveragain。"

"No，wehaven’t，"declaredAnnesuddenly。"Rustyisn’tgoingtobekilledagain。He’smycat——andyou’vejustgottomakethebestofit。"

"Oh，well，ifyou’llsettlewithAuntJimsieandtheSarah-cat，"

saidStella，withtheairofonewashingherhandsofthewholeaffair。

FromthattimeRustywasoneofthefamily。Heslepto’nightsonthescrubbingcushioninthebackporchandlivedonthefatoftheland。

BythetimeAuntJamesinacamehewasplumpandglossyandtolerablyrespectable。But，likeKipling’scat，he"walkedbyhimself。"

Hispawwasagainsteverycat，andeverycat’spawagainsthim。

OnebyonehevanquishedthearistocraticfelinesofSpoffordAvenue。

Asforhumanbeings，helovedAnneandAnnealone。Nobodyelseevendaredstrokehim。Anangryspitandsomethingthatsoundedmuchlikeveryimproperlanguagegreetedanyonewhodid。

"Theairsthatcatputsonareperfectlyintolerable，"declaredStella。

"Himwasaniceoldpussens，himwas，"vowedAnne，cuddlingherpetdefiantly。

"Well，Idon’tknowhowheandtheSarah-catwillevermakeouttolivetogether，"saidStellapesimistically。"Cat-fightsintheorchardo’nightsarebadenough。Butcat-fightshereinthelivingroomareunthinkable。"InduetimeAuntJamesinaarrived。

AnneandPriscillaandPhilhadawaitedheradventratherdubiously；

butwhenAuntJamesinawasenthronedintherockingchairbeforetheopenfiretheyfigurativelyboweddownandworshippedher。

AuntJamesinawasatinyoldwomanwithalittle，softly-triangularface，andlarge，softblueeyesthatwerealightwithunquenchableyouth，andasfullofhopesasagirl’s。Shehadpinkcheeksandsnow-whitehairwhichsheworeinquaintlittlepuffsoverherears。

"It’saveryold-fashionedway，"shesaid，knittingindustriouslyatsomethingasdaintyandpinkasasunsetcloud。"But_I_amold-fashioned。

Myclothesare，anditstandstoreasonmyopinionsare，too。Idon’tsaythey’reanythebetterofthat，mindyou。Infact，Idaresaythey’reagooddealtheworse。Butthey’vewornniceandeasy。Newshoesaresmarterthanoldones，buttheoldonesaremorecomfortable。I’moldenoughtoindulgemyselfinthematterofshoesandopinions。Imeantotakeitrealeasyhere。

Iknowyouexpectmetolookafteryouandkeepyouproper，butI’mnotgoingtodoit。

You’reoldenoughtoknowhowtobehaveifyou’reevergoingtobe。

So，asfarasIamconcerned，"concludedAuntJamesina，withatwinkleinheryoungeyes，"youcanallgotodestructioninyourownway。"

"Oh，willsomebodyseparatethosecats？"pleadedStella，shudderingly。

AuntJamesinahadbroughtwithhernotonlytheSarah-catbutJoseph。

Joseph，sheexplained，hadbelongedtoadearfriendofherswhohadgonetoliveinVancouver。

"Shecouldn’ttakeJosephwithhersoshebeggedmetotakehim。

Ireallycouldn’trefuse。He’sabeautifulcat——thatis，hisdispositionisbeautiful。ShecalledhimJosephbecausehiscoatisofmanycolors。"

Itcertainlywas。Joseph，asthedisgustedStellasaid，lookedlikeawalkingrag-bag。Itwasimpossibletosaywhathisgroundcolorwas。Hislegswerewhitewithblackspotsonthem。

Hisbackwasgraywithahugepatchofyellowononesideandablackpatchontheother。Histailwasyellowwithagraytip。

Oneearwasblackandoneyellow。Ablackpatchoveroneeyegavehimafearfullyrakishlook。Inrealityhewasmeekandinoffensive，ofasociabledisposition。Inonerespect，ifinnoother，Josephwaslikealilyofthefield。Hetoilednotneitherdidhespinorcatchmice。YetSolomoninallhisglorysleptnotonsoftercushions，orfeastedmorefullyonfatthings。

JosephandtheSarah-catarrivedbyexpressinseparateboxes。

Aftertheyhadbeenreleasedandfed，Josephselectedthecushionandcornerwhichappealedtohim，andtheSarah-catgravelysatherselfdownbeforethefireandproceededtowashherface。Shewasalarge，sleek，gray-and-whitecat，withanenormousdignitywhichwasnotatallimpairedbyanyconsciousnessofherplebianorigin。ShehadbeengiventoAuntJamesinabyherwasherwoman。

"HernamewasSarah，somyhusbandalwayscalledpusstheSarah-cat，"explainedAuntJamesina。"Sheiseightyearsold，andaremarkablemouser。Don’tworry，Stella。TheSarah-catNEVERfightsandJosephrarely。"

"They’llhavetofighthereinself-defense，"saidStella。

AtthisjunctureRustyarrivedonthescene。Heboundedjoyouslyhalfwayacrosstheroombeforehesawtheintruders。

Thenhestoppedshort；histailexpandeduntilitwasasbigasthreetails。Thefuronhisbackroseupinadefiantarch；

Rustyloweredhishead，utteredafearfulshriekofhatredanddefiance，andlaunchedhimselfattheSarah-cat。

Thestatelyanimalhadstoppedwashingherfaceandwaslookingathimcuriously。Shemethisonslaughtwithonecontemptuoussweepofhercapablepaw。Rustywentrollinghelplesslyoverontherug；hepickedhimselfupdazedly。Whatsortofacatwasthiswhohadboxedhisears？HelookeddubiouslyattheSarah-cat。

Wouldheorwouldhenot？TheSarah-catdeliberatelyturnedherbackonhimandresumedhertoiletoperations。Rustydecidedthathewouldnot。Heneverdid。FromthattimeontheSarah-catruledtheroost。Rustyneveragaininterferedwithher。

ButJosephrashlysatupandyawned。Rusty，burningtoavengehisdisgrace，swoopeddownuponhim。Joseph，pacificbynature，couldfightuponoccasionandfightwell。Theresultwasaseriesofdrawnbattles。EverydayRustyandJosephfoughtatsight。AnnetookRusty’spartanddetestedJoseph。Stellawasindespair。ButAuntJamesinaonlylaughed。

Letthemfightitout，"shesaidtolerantly。"They’llmakefriendsafterabit。Josephneedssomeexercise——hewasgettingtoofat。

AndRustyhastolearnheisn’ttheonlycatintheworld。"

EventuallyJosephandRustyacceptedthesituationandfromswornenemiesbecameswornfriends。Theysleptonthesamecushionwiththeirpawsabouteachother，andgravelywashedeachother’sfaces。

"We’veallgotusedtoeachother，"saidPhil。"AndI’velearnedhowtowashdishesandsweepafloor。"

"Butyouneedn’ttrytomakeusbelieveyoucanchloroformacat，"

laughedAnne。

"Itwasallthefaultoftheknothole，"protestedPhil。

"Itwasagoodthingtheknotholewasthere，"saidAuntJamesinaratherseverely。"KittensHAVEtobedrowned，Iadmit，ortheworldwouldbeoverrun。Butnodecent，grown-upcatshouldbedonetodeath——unlesshesuckseggs。"

"Youwouldn’thavethoughtRustyverydecentifyou’dseenhimwhenhecamehere，"saidStella。"HepositivelylookedliketheOldNick。"

"Idon’tbelieveOldNickcanbesovery，ugly"saidAuntJamesinareflectively。"Hewouldn’tdosomuchharmifhewas。_I_alwaysthinkofhimasaratherhandsomegentleman。"

ChapterXVII

ALetterfromDavy"It’sbeginningtosnow，girls，"saidPhil，cominginoneNovemberevening，"andtherearetheloveliestlittlestarsandcrossesalloverthegardenwalk。Inevernoticedbeforewhatexquisitethingssnowflakesreallyare。Onehastimetonoticethingslikethatinthesimplelife。Blessyouallforpermittingmetoliveit。It’sreallydelightfultofeelworriedbecausebutterhasgoneupfivecentsapound。"

"Hasit？"demandedStella，whokeptthehouseholdaccounts。

"Ithas——andhere’syourbutter。I’mgettingquiteexpertatmarketing。

It’sbetterfunthanflirting，"concludedPhilgravely。

"Everythingisgoingupscandalously，"sighedStella。

"Nevermind。Thankgoodnessairandsalvationarestillfree，"

saidAuntJamesina。

"Andsoislaughter，"addedAnne。"There’snotaxonityetandthatiswell，becauseyou’reallgoingtolaughpresently。

I’mgoingtoreadyouDavy’sletter。Hisspellinghasimprovedimmenselythispastyear，thoughheisnotstrongonapostrophes，andhecertainlypossessesthegiftofwritinganinterestingletter。

Listenandlaugh，beforewesettledowntotheevening’sstudy-grind。"

"DearAnne，"ranDavy’sletter，"Itakemypentotellyouthatweareallprettywellandhopethiswillfindyouthesame。

It’ssnowingsometodayandMarillasaystheoldwomanintheskyisshakingherfeatherbeds。IstheoldwomanintheskyGod’swife，Anne？Iwanttoknow。

"Mrs。Lyndehasbeenrealsickbutsheisbetternow。Shefelldownthecellarstairslastweek。Whenshefellshegrabbedholdoftheshelfwithallthemilkpailsandstewpansonit，anditgavewayandwentdownwithherandmadeasplendidcrash。

Marillathoughtitwasanearthquakeatfirst。

OneofthestewpanswasalldingedupandMrs。Lyndestranedherribs。

Thedoctorcameandgavehermedicinetorubonherribsbutshedidn’tunderstandhimandtookitallinsideinstead。

ThedoctorsaiditwasawonderitdidentkillherbutitdidentanditcuredherribsandMrs。Lyndesaysdoctorsdontknowmuchanyhow。Butwecouldentfixupthestewpan。Marillahadtothrowitout。Thanksgivingwaslastweek。Therewasnoschoolandwehadagreatdinner。Ietmincepieandrostturkeyandfrutcakeanddonutsandcheeseandjamandchoklutcake。

MarillasaidI’ddiebutIdident。Dorahadearakeafterit，onlyitwasentinherearsitwasinherstummick。Ididenthaveearakeanywhere。

"Ournewteacherisaman。Hedoesthingsforjokes。Lastweekhemadeallusthird-classboyswriteacomposishunonwhatkindofawifewe’dliketohaveandthegirlsonwhatkindofahusband。Helaughedfittokillwhenhereadthem。Thiswasmine。Ithoughtyoudliketoseeit。

"`ThekindofawifeI’dliketoHave。

"`ShemusthavegoodmannersandgetmymealsontimeanddowhatItellherandalwaysbeverypolitetome。Shemustbefifteenyersold。Shemustbegoodtothepoorandkeepherhousetidyandbegoodtemperedandgotochurchregularly。

Shemustbeveryhandsomeandhavecurlyhair。IfIgetawifethatisjustwhatIlikeIllbeanawfulgoodhusbandtoher。

Ithinkawomanoughttobeawfulgoodtoherhusband。Somepoorwomenhaventanyhusbands。

`THEEND。’"

"IwasatMrs。IsaacWrightsfuneralatWhiteSandslastweek。

Thehusbandofthecorpsefeltrealsorry。Mrs。LyndesaysMrs。WrightsgrandfatherstoleasheepbutMarillasayswemustentspeakillofthedead。Whymustentwe，Anne？Iwanttoknow。

It’sprettysafe，ain’tit？

"Mrs。LyndewasawfulmadtheotherdaybecauseIaskedherifshewasaliveinNoah’stime。Ididentmeantohurtherfeelings。

Ijustwantedtoknow。Wasshe，Anne？

"Mr。Harrisonwantedtogetridofhisdog。SohehungedhimoncebuthecometolifeandscootedforthebarnwhileMr。

Harrisonwasdiggingthegrave，sohehungedhimagainandhestayeddeadthattime。Mr。Harrisonhasanewmanworkingforhim。

He’sawfulokward。Mr。Harrisonsaysheislefthandedinbothhisfeet。Mr。Barry’shiredmanislazy。Mrs。BarrysaysthatbutMr。Barrysaysheaintlazyexactlyonlyhethinksiteasiertoprayforthingsthantoworkforthem。

"Mrs。HarmonAndrewsprizepigthatshetalkedsomuchofdiedinafit。Mrs。Lyndesaysitwasajudgmentonherforpride。

ButIthinkitwashardonthepig。MiltyBoulterhasbeensick。

Thedoctorgavehimmedicineandittastedhorrid。IofferedtotakeitforhimforaquarterbuttheBoultersaresomean。

Miltysayshe’drathertakeithimselfandsavehismoney。

IaskedMrs。Boulterhowapersonwouldgoaboutcatchingamanandshegotawfulmadandsaidshedidentknow，shedneverchasedmen。

"TheA。V。I。S。isgoingtopaintthehallagain。They’retiredofhavingitblue。

"Thenewministerwasheretotealastnight。Hetookthreepiecesofpie。

IfIdidthatMrs。Lyndewouldcallmepiggy。AndheetfastandtookbigbitesandMarillaisalwaystellingmenottodothat。

Whycanministersdowhatboyscan’t？Iwanttoknow。

"Ihaven’tanymorenews。Herearesixkisses。xxxxxx。Dorasendsone。Hereshers。x。

"YourlovingfriendDAVIDKEITH"

"P。S。Anne，whowasthedevilsfather？Iwanttoknow。"

ChapterXVIII

MissJosepineRememberstheAnne-girlWhenChristmasholidayscamethegirlsofPatty’sPlacescatteredtotheirrespectivehomes，butAuntJamesinaelectedtostaywhereshewas。

"Icouldn’tgotoanyoftheplacesI’vebeeninvitedandtakethosethreecats，"shesaid。"AndI’mnotgoingtoleavethepoorcreaturesherealonefornearlythreeweeks。IfwehadanydecentneighborswhowouldfeedthemImight，butthere’snothingexceptmillionairesonthisstreet。SoI’llstayhereandkeepPatty’sPlacewarmforyou。"

Annewenthomewiththeusualjoyousanticipations——whichwerenotwhollyfulfilled。ShefoundAvonleainthegripofsuchanearly，cold，andstormywinteraseventhe"oldestinhabitant"

couldnotrecall。GreenGableswasliterallyhemmedinbyhugedrifts。Almosteverydayofthatill-starredvacationitstormedfiercely；andevenonfinedaysitdriftedunceasingly。Nosoonerweretheroadsbrokenthantheyfilledinagain。Itwasalmostimpossibletostirout。TheA。V。I。S。tried，onthreeevenings，tohaveapartyinhonorofthecollegestudents，andoneacheveningthestormwassowildthatnobodycouldgo，sotheygaveuptheattemptindespair。Anne，despiteherloveofandloyaltytoGreenGables，couldnothelpthinkinglonginglyofPatty’sPlace，itscosyopenfire，AuntJamesina’smirthfuleyes，thethreecats，themerrychatterofthegirls，thepleasantnessofFridayeveningswhencollegefriendsdroppedintotalkofgraveandgay。

Annewaslonely；Diana，duringthewholeoftheholidays，wasimprisonedathomewithabadattackofbronchitis。ShecouldnotcometoGreenGablesanditwasrarelyAnnecouldgettoOrchardSlope，fortheoldwaythroughtheHauntedWoodwasimpassablewithdrifts，andthelongwayoverthefrozenLakeofShiningWaterswasalmostasbad。RubyGilliswassleepinginthewhite-heapedgraveyard；JaneAndrewswasteachingaschoolonwesternprairies。Gilbert，tobesure，wasstillfaithful，andwadeduptoGreenGableseverypossibleevening。ButGilbert’svisitswerenotwhattheyoncewere。Annealmostdreadedthem。

ItwasverydisconcertingtolookupinthemidstofasuddensilenceandfindGilbert’shazeleyesfixeduponherwithaquiteunmistakableexpressionintheirgravedepths；anditwasstillmoredisconcertingtofindherselfblushinghotlyanduncomfortablyunderhisgaze，justasif——justasif——well，itwasveryembarrassing。AnnewishedherselfbackatPatty’sPlace，wheretherewasalwayssomebodyelseabouttotaketheedgeoffadelicatesituation。AtGreenGablesMarillawentpromptlytoMrs。Lynde’sdomainwhenGilbertcameandinsistedontakingthetwinswithher。ThesignificanceofthiswasunmistakableandAnnewasinahelplessfuryoverit。

Davy，however，wasperfectlyhappy。Hereveledingettingoutinthemorningandshovelingoutthepathstothewellandhenhouse。

HegloriedintheChristmas-tidedelicacieswhichMarillaandMrs。LyndeviedwitheachotherinpreparingforAnne，andhewasreadinganenthrallingtale，inaschoollibrarybook，ofawonderfulherowhoseemedblessedwithamiraculousfacultyforgettingintoscrapesfromwhichhewasusuallydeliveredbyanearthquakeoravolcanicexplosion，whichblewhimhighanddryoutofhistroubles，landedhiminafortune，andclosedthestorywithproperECLAT。

"Itellyouit’sabullystory，Anne，"hesaidecstatically。

"I’deversomuchratherreaditthantheBible。"

"Wouldyou？"smiledAnne。

Davypeeredcuriouslyather。

"Youdon’tseemabitshocked，Anne。Mrs。LyndewasawfulshockedwhenIsaidittoher。"

"No，I’mnotshocked，Davy。Ithinkit’squitenaturalthatanine-year-oldboywouldsoonerreadanadventurestorythantheBible。ButwhenyouareolderIhopeandthinkthatyouwillrealizewhatawonderfulbooktheBibleis。"

"Oh，Ithinksomepartsofitarefine，"concededDavy。"ThatstoryaboutJosephnow——it’sbully。ButifI’dbeenJoseph_I_

wouldn’thaveforgivethebrothers。No，siree，Anne。I’dhavecutalltheirheadsoff。Mrs。LyndewasawfulmadwhenIsaidthatandshuttheBibleupandsaidshe’dneverreadmeanymoreofitifItalkedlikethat。SoIdon’ttalknowwhenshereadsitSundayafternoons；IjustthinkthingsandsaythemtoMiltyBoulternextdayinschool。ItoldMiltythestoryaboutElishaandthebearsanditscaredhimsohe’snevermadefunofMr。Harrison’sbaldheadonce。ArethereanybearsonP。E。Island，Anne？Iwanttoknow。"

"Notnowadays，"saidAnne，absently，asthewindblewascudofsnowagainstthewindow。"Oh，dear，williteverstopstorming。"

"Godknows，"saidDavyairily，preparingtoresumehisreading。

AnneWASshockedthistime。

"Davy！"sheexclaimedreproachfully。

"Mrs。Lyndesaysthat，"protestedDavy。"OnenightlastweekMarillasaid`WillLudovicSpeedandTheodoraDixEVERgetmarried"andMrs。Lyndesaid，`Godknows’——justlikethat。"

"Well，itwasn’trightforhertosayit，"saidAnne，promptlydecidinguponwhichhornofthisdilemmatoempaleherself。

"Itisn’trightforanybodytotakethatnameinvainorspeakitlightly，Davy。Don’teverdoitagain。"

"NotifIsayitslowandsolemn，liketheminister？"queriedDavygravely。

"No，noteventhen。"

"Well，Iwon’t。LudovicSpeedandTheodoraDixliveinMiddleGraftonandMrs。Rachelsayshehasbeencourtingherforahundredyears。Won’ttheysoonbetoooldtogetmarried，Anne？

IhopeGilbertwon’tcourtYOUthatlong。Whenareyougoingtobemarried，Anne？Mrs。Lyndesaysit’sasurething。"

"Mrs。Lyndeisa——"beganAnnehotly；thenstopped。"Awfuloldgossip，"completedDavycalmly。"That’swhateveryonecallsher。

Butisitasurething，Anne？Iwanttoknow。"

"You’reaverysillylittleboy，Davy，"saidAnne，stalkinghaughtilyoutoftheroom。Thekitchenwasdesertedandshesatdownbythewindowinthefastfallingwintrytwilight。Thesunhadsetandthewindhaddieddown。Apalechillymoonlookedoutbehindabankofpurplecloudsinthewest。Theskyfadedout，butthestripofyellowalongthewesternhorizongrewbrighterandfiercer，asifallthestraygleamsoflightwereconcentratinginonespot；thedistanthills，rimmedwithpriest-likefirs，stoodoutindarkdistinctnessagainstit。

Annelookedacrossthestill，whitefields，coldandlifelessintheharshlightofthatgrimsunset，andsighed。Shewasverylonely；andshewassadatheart；forshewaswonderingifshewouldbeabletoreturntoRedmondnextyear。Itdidnotseemlikely。TheonlyscholarshippossibleintheSophomoreyearwasaverysmallaffair。ShewouldnottakeMarilla’smoney；

andthereseemedlittleprospectofbeingabletoearnenoughinthesummervacation。

"IsupposeI’lljusthavetodropoutnextyear，"shethoughtdrearily，"andteachadistrictschoolagainuntilIearnenoughtofinishmycourse。AndbythattimeallmyoldclasswillhavegraduatedandPatty’sPlacewillbeoutofthequestion。Butthere！

I’mnotgoingtobeacoward。I’mthankfulIcanearnmywaythroughifnecessary。"

"Here’sMr。Harrisonwadingupthelane，"announcedDavy，runningout。

"Ihopehe’sbroughtthemail。It’sthreedayssincewegotit。

IwanttoseewhatthempeskyGritsaredoing。I’maConservative，Anne。

AndItellyou，youhavetokeepyoureyeonthemGrits。"

Mr。Harrisonhadbroughtthemail，andmerrylettersfromStellaandPriscillaandPhilsoondissipatedAnne’sblues。AuntJamesina，too，hadwritten，sayingthatshewaskeepingthehearth-firealight，andthatthecatswereallwell，andthehouseplantsdoingfine。

"Theweatherhasbeenrealcold，"shewrote，"soIletthecatssleepinthehouse——RustyandJosephonthesofaintheliving-room，andtheSarah-catonthefootofmybed。It’srealcompanytohearherpurringwhenIwakeupinthenightandthinkofmypoordaughterintheforeignfield。IfitwasanywherebutinIndiaIwouldn’tworry，buttheysaythesnakesoutthereareterrible。IttakesalltheSarah-cats’spurringtodriveawaythethoughtofthosesnakes。

Ihaveenoughfaithforeverythingbutthesnakes。Ican’tthinkwhyProvidenceevermadethem。SometimesIdon’tthinkHedid。

I’minclinedtobelievetheOldHarryhadahandinmakingTHEM。"

Annehadleftathin，typewrittencommunicationtillthelast，thinkingitunimportant。Whenshehadreaditshesatverystill，withtearsinhereyes。

"Whatisthematter，Anne？"askedMarilla。

"MissJosephineBarryisdead，"saidAnne，inalowtone。

"Soshehasgoneatlast，"saidMarilla。"Well，shehasbeensickforoverayear，andtheBarryshavebeenexpectingtohearofherdeathanytime。Itiswellsheisatrestforshehassuffereddreadfully，Anne。Shewasalwayskindtoyou。"

"Shehasbeenkindtothelast，Marilla。Thisletterisfromherlawyer。

Shehasleftmeathousanddollarsinherwill。"

"Gracious，ain’tthatanawfullotofmoney，"exclaimedDavy。

"She’sthewomanyouandDianalitonwhenyoujumpedintothespareroombed，ain’tshe？Dianatoldmethatstory。

Isthatwhysheleftyousomuch？"

"Hush，Davy，"saidAnnegently。Sheslippedawaytotheporchgablewithafullheart，leavingMarillaandMrs。Lyndetotalkoverthenewstotheirhearts’content。

"Doyous’poseAnnewillevergetmarriednow？"speculatedDavyanxiously。"WhenDorcasSloanegotmarriedlastsummershesaidifshe’dhadenoughmoneytoliveonshe’dneverhavebeenbotheredwithaman，butevenawidowerwitheightchildrenwasbetter’nlivingwithasister-in-law。"

"DavyKeith，doholdyourtongue，"saidMrs。Rachelseverely。

"Thewayyoutalkisscandalousforasmallboy，that’swhat。"

ChapterXIX

AnInterlude"Tothinkthatthisismytwentiethbirthday，andthatI’veleftmyteensbehindmeforever，"saidAnne，whowascurleduponthehearth-rugwithRustyinherlap，toAuntJamesinawhowasreadinginherpetchair。Theywerealoneinthelivingroom。StellaandPriscillahadgonetoacommitteemeetingandPhilwasupstairsadorningherselfforaparty。

"Isupposeyoufeelkindof，sorry"saidAuntJamesina。"Theteensaresuchanicepartoflife。I’mgladI’venevergoneoutofthemmyself。"

Annelaughed。

"Youneverwill，Aunty。You’llbeeighteenwhenyoushouldbeahundred。Yes，I’msorry，andalittledissatisfiedaswell。

MissStacytoldmelongagothatbythetimeIwastwentymycharacterwouldbeformed，forgoodorevil。Idon’tfeelthatit’swhatitshouldbe。It’sfullofflaws。"

"So’severybody’s，"saidAuntJamesinacheerfully。"Mine’scrackedinahundredplaces。YourMissStacylikelymeantthatwhenyouaretwentyyourcharacterwouldhavegotitspermanentbentinonedirectionor’tother，andwouldgoondevelopinginthatline。Don’tworryoverit，Anne。DoyourdutybyGodandyourneighborandyourself，andhaveagoodtime。That’smyphilosophyandit’salwaysworkedprettywell。Where’sPhilofftotonight？"

"She’sgoingtoadance，andshe’sgotthesweetestdressforit——creamyyellowsilkandcobwebbylace。Itjustsuitsthosebrowntintsofhers。"

"There’smagicinthewords`silk’and`lace，’isn’tthere？"saidAuntJamesina。"Theverysoundofthemmakesmefeellikeskippingofftoadance。AndYELLOWsilk。Itmakesonethinkofadressofsunshine。Ialwayswantedayellowsilkdress，butfirstmymotherandthenmyhusbandwouldn’thearofit。TheveryfirstthingI’mgoingtodowhenIgettoheavenistogetayellowsilkdress。"

AmidAnne’spealoflaughterPhilcamedownstairs，trailingcloudsofglory，andsurveyedherselfinthelongovalmirroronthewall。

"Aflatteringlookingglassisapromoterofamiability，"shesaid。"Theoneinmyroomdoescertainlymakemegreen。DoI

lookprettynice，Anne？"

"Doyoureallyknowhowprettyyouare，Phil？"askedAnne，inhonestadmiration。

"OfcourseIdo。Whatarelookingglassesandmenfor？Thatwasn’twhatImeant。Areallmyendstuckedin？Ismyskirtstraight？

Andwouldthisroselookbetterlowerdown？I’mafraidit’stoohigh——itwillmakemelooklop-sided。ButIhatethingsticklingmyears。"

"Everythingisjustright，andthatsouthwestdimpleofyoursislovely。"

"Anne，there’sonethinginparticularIlikeaboutyou——you’resoungrudging。Thereisn’taparticleofenvyinyou。"

"Whyshouldshebeenvious？"demandedAuntJamesina。"She’snotquiteasgoodlookingasyou，maybe，butshe’sgotafarhandsomernose。"

"Iknowit，"concededPhil。

"Mynosealwayshasbeenagreatcomforttome，"confessedAnne。

"AndIlovethewayyourhairgrowsonyourforehead，Anne。Andthatoneweecurl，alwayslookingasifitweregoingtodrop，butneverdropping，isdelicious。Butasfornoses，mineisadreadfulworrytome。IknowbythetimeI’mfortyitwillbeByrney。WhatdoyouthinkI’lllooklikewhenI’mforty，Anne？"

"Likeanold，matronly，marriedwoman，"teasedAnne。

"Iwon’t，"saidPhil，sittingdowncomfortablytowaitforherescort。

"Joseph，youcalicobeastie，don’tyoudarejumponmylap。Iwon’tgotoadanceallovercathairs。No，Anne，IWON’Tlookmatronly。ButnodoubtI’llbemarried。"

"ToAlecorAlonzo？"askedAnne。

"Tooneofthem，Isuppose，"sighedPhil，"ifIcaneverdecidewhich。"

"Itshouldn’tbehardtodecide，"scoldedAuntJamesina。

"Iwasbornasee-sawAunty，andnothingcaneverpreventmefromteetering。"

"Yououghttobemorelevelheaded，Philippa。"

"It’sbesttobelevelheaded，ofcourse，"agreedPhilippa，"butyoumisslotsoffun。AsforAlecandAlonzo，ifyouknewthemyou’dunderstandwhyit’sdifficulttochoosebetweenthem。They’reequallynice。"

"Thentakesomebodywhoisnicer"suggestedAuntJamesina。

"There’sthatSeniorwhoissodevotedtoyou——WillLeslie。

Hehassuchnice，large，mildeyes。"

"They’realittlebittoolargeandtoomild——likeacow’s，"

saidPhilcruelly。

"WhatdoyousayaboutGeorgeParker？"

"There’snothingtosayabouthimexceptthathealwayslooksasifhehadjustbeenstarchedandironed。"

"MarrHolworthythen。Youcan’tfindafaultwithhim。"

"No，hewoulddoifhewasn’tpoor。Imustmarryarichman，AuntJamesina。That——andgoodlooks——isanindispensablequalification。I’dmarryGilbertBlytheifhewererich。"

"Oh，wouldyou？"saidAnne，ratherviciously。

"Wedon’tlikethatideaalittlebit，althoughwedon’twantGilbertourselves，oh，no，"mockedPhil。"Butdon’tlet’stalkofdisagreeablesubjects。I’llhavetomarrysometime，Isuppose，butIshallputofftheevildayaslongasIcan。"

"Youmustn’tmarryanybodyyoudon’tlove，Phil，whenall’ssaidanddone，"saidAuntJamesina。

"`Oh，heartsthatlovedinthegoodoldwayHavebeenouto’thefashionthismanyaday。’"

trilledPhilmockingly。"There’sthecarriage。Ifly——Bi-bi，youtwoold-fashioneddarlings。"

WhenPhilhadgoneAuntJamesinalookedsolemnlyatAnne。

"Thatgirlisprettyandsweetandgoodhearted，butdoyouthinksheisquiterightinhermind，byspells，Anne？"

"Oh，Idon’tthinkthere’sanythingthematterwithPhil’smind，"

saidAnne，hidingasmile。"It’sjustherwayoftalking。"

AuntJamesinashookherhead。

"Well，Ihopeso，Anne。Idohopeso，becauseIloveher。But_I_

can’tunderstandher——shebeatsme。Sheisn’tlikeanyofthegirlsIeverknew，oranyofthegirlsIwasmyself。"

"Howmanygirlswereyou，AuntJimsie？"

"Abouthalfadozen，mydear。"

ChapterXX

GilbertSpeaks"Thishasbeenadull，prosyday，"yawnedPhil，stretchingherselfidlyonthesofa，havingpreviouslydispossessedtwoexceedinglyindignantcats。

AnnelookedupfromPickwickPapers。NowthatspringexaminationswereovershewastreatingherselftoDickens。

"Ithasbeenaprosydayforus，"shesaidthoughtfully，"buttosomepeopleithasbeenawonderfulday。Someonehasbeenrapturouslyhappyinit。Perhapsagreatdeedhasbeendonesomewheretoday——oragreatpoemwritten——oragreatmanborn。

Andsomehearthasbeenbroken，Phil。"

"Whydidyouspoilyourprettythoughtbytaggingthatlastsentenceon，honey？"grumbledPhil。"Idon’tliketothinkofbrokenhearts——oranythingunpleasant。"

"Doyouthinkyou’llbeabletoshirkunpleasantthingsallyourlife，Phil？"

"Dearme，no。AmInotupagainstthemnow？Youdon’tcallAlecandAlonzopleasantthings，doyou，whentheysimplyplaguemylifeout？"

"Younevertakeanythingseriously，Phil。"

"WhyshouldI？Thereareenoughfolkswhodo。Theworldneedspeoplelikeme，Anne，justtoamuseit。ItwouldbeaterribleplaceifEVERYBODYwereintellectualandseriousandindeep，deadlyearnest。MYmissionis，asJosiahAllensays，`tocharmandallure。’Confessnow。Hasn’tlifeatPatty’sPlacebeenreallymuchbrighterandpleasanterthispastwinterbecauseI’vebeenheretoleavenyou？"

"Yes，ithas，"ownedAnne。

"Andyouallloveme——evenAuntJamesina，whothinksI’mstarkmad。

SowhyshouldItrytobedifferent？Oh，dear，I’msosleepy。Iwasawakeuntilonelastnight，readingaharrowingghoststory。Ireaditinbed，andafterIhadfinisheditdoyousupposeIcouldgetoutofbedtoputthelightout？No！AndifStellahadnotfortunatelycomeinlatethatlampwouldhaveburnedgoodandbrighttillmorning。

WhenIheardStellaIcalledherin，explainedmypredicament，andgothertoputoutthelight。IfIhadgotoutmyselftodoitIknewsomethingwouldgrabmebythefeetwhenIwasgettinginagain。

Bytheway，Anne，hasAuntJamesinadecidedwhattodothissummer？"

"Yes，she’sgoingtostayhere。Iknowshe’sdoingitforthesakeofthoseblessedcats，althoughshesaysit’stoomuchtroubletoopenherownhouse，andshehatesvisiting。"

"Whatareyoureading？"

"Pickwick。"

"That’sabookthatalwaysmakesmehungry，"saidPhil。"There’ssomuchgoodeatinginit。Thecharactersseemalwaystoberevelingonhamandeggsandmilkpunch。IgenerallygoonacupboardrummageafterreadingPickwick。ThemerethoughtremindsmethatI’mstarving。

Isthereanytidbitinthepantry，QueenAnne？"

"Imadealemonpiethismorning。Youmayhaveapieceofit。"

PhildashedouttothepantryandAnnebetookherselftotheorchardincompanywithRusty。Itwasamoist，pleasantly-

odorousnightinearlyspring。Thesnowwasnotquiteallgonefromthepark；alittledingybankofityetlayunderthepinesoftheharborroad，screenedfromtheinfluenceofAprilsuns。

Itkepttheharborroadmuddy，andchilledtheeveningair。

ButgrasswasgrowinggreeninshelteredspotsandGilberthadfoundsomepale，sweetarbutusinahiddencorner。

Hecameupfromthepark，hishandsfullofit。

Annewassittingonthebiggrayboulderintheorchardlookingatthepoemofabare，birchenboughhangingagainstthepaleredsunsetwiththeveryperfectionofgrace。Shewasbuildingacastleinair——awondrousmansionwhosesunlitcourtsandstatelyhallsweresteepedinAraby’sperfume，andwhereshereignedqueenandchatelaine。ShefrownedasshesawGilbertcomingthroughtheorchard。OflateshehadmanagednottobeleftalonewithGilbert。Buthehadcaughtherfairlynow；andevenRustyhaddesertedher。

GilbertsatdownbesideherontheboulderandheldouthisMayflowers。

"Don’ttheseremindyouofhomeandouroldschooldaypicnics，Anne？"

Annetookthemandburiedherfaceinthem。

"I’minMr。SilasSloane’sbarrensthisveryminute，"shesaidrapturously。

"Isupposeyouwillbethereinrealityinafewdays？"

"No，notforafortnight。I’mgoingtovisitwithPhilinBolingbrokebeforeIgohome。You’llbeinAvonleabeforeIwill。"

"No，IshallnotbeinAvonleaatallthissummer，Anne。I’vebeenofferedajobintheDailyNewsofficeandI’mgoingtotakeit。"

"Oh，"saidAnnevaguely。ShewonderedwhatawholeAvonleasummerwouldbelikewithoutGilbert。Somehowshedidnotliketheprospect。

"Well，"sheconcludedflatly，"itisagoodthingforyou，ofcourse。"

"Yes，I’vebeenhopingIwouldgetit。Itwillhelpmeoutnextyear。"

"Youmustn’tworktooHARD，"saidAnne，withoutanyveryclearideaofwhatshewassaying。ShewisheddesperatelythatPhilwouldcomeout。"You’vestudiedveryconstantlythiswinter。

Isn’tthisadelightfulevening？Doyouknow，Ifoundaclusterofwhitevioletsunderthatoldtwistedtreeovertheretoday？

IfeltasifIhaddiscoveredagoldmine。"

"Youarealwaysdiscoveringgoldmines，"saidGilbert——alsoabsently。

"Letusgoandseeifwecanfindsomemore，"suggestedAnneeagerly。

"I’llcallPhiland——"

"NevermindPhilandthevioletsjustnow，Anne，"saidGilbertquietly，takingherhandinaclaspfromwhichshecouldnotfreeit。"ThereissomethingIwanttosaytoyou。"

"Oh，don’tsayit，"criedAnne，pleadingly。"Don’t——PLEASE，Gilbert。"

"Imust。Thingscan’tgoonlikethisanylonger。Anne，Iloveyou。

YouknowIdo。I——Ican’ttellyouhowmuch。Willyoupromisemethatsomedayyou’llbemywife？"

"I——Ican’t，"saidAnnemiserably。"Oh，Gilbert——you——

you’vespoiledeverything。"

"Don’tyoucareformeatall？"Gilbertaskedafteraverydreadfulpause，duringwhichAnnehadnotdaredtolookup。

"Not——notinthatway。Idocareagreatdealforyouasafriend。

ButIdon’tloveyou，Gilbert。"

"Butcan’tyougivemesomehopethatyouwill——yet？"

"No，Ican’t，"exclaimedAnnedesperately。"Inever，nevercanloveyou——inthatway——Gilbert。Youmustneverspeakofthistomeagain。"