第1章

CHAPTER1

INTHEGARRETOFGREENGABLES

"Thanksbe，I’mdonewithgeometry，learningorteachingit，"

saidAnneShirley，atriflevindictively，asshethumpedasomewhatbatteredvolumeofEuclidintoabigchestofbooks，bangedthelidintriumph，andsatdownuponit，lookingatDianaWrightacrosstheGreenGablesgarret，withgrayeyesthatwerelikeamorningsky。

Thegarretwasashadowy，suggestive，delightfulplace，asallgarretsshouldbe。Throughtheopenwindow，bywhichAnnesat，blewthesweet，scented，sun-warmairoftheAugustafternoon；outside，poplarboughsrustledandtossedinthewind；beyondthemwerethewoods，whereLover’sLanewounditsenchantedpath，andtheoldappleorchardwhichstillboreitsrosyharvestsmunificently。And，overall，wasagreatmountainrangeofsnowycloudsinthebluesouthernsky。

Throughtheotherwindowwasglimpsedadistant，white-capped，bluesea——thebeautifulSt。LawrenceGulf，onwhichfloats，likeajewel，Abegweit，whosesofter，sweeterIndiannamehaslongbeenforsakenforthemoreprosaiconeofPrinceEdwardIsland。

DianaWright，threeyearsolderthanwhenwelastsawher，hadgrownsomewhatmatronlyintheinterveningtime。Buthereyeswereasblackandbrilliant，hercheeksasrosy，andherdimplesasenchanting，asinthelong-agodayswhensheandAnneShirleyhadvowedeternalfriendshipinthegardenatOrchardSlope。Inherarmssheheldasmall，sleeping，black-curledcreature，whofortwohappyyearshadbeenknowntotheworldofAvonleaas"SmallAnneCordelia。"AvonleafolksknewwhyDianahadcalledherAnne，ofcourse，butAvonleafolkswerepuzzledbytheCordelia。TherehadneverbeenaCordeliaintheWrightorBarryconnections。Mrs。HarmonAndrewssaidshesupposedDianahadfoundthenameinsometrashynovel，andwonderedthatFredhadn’tmoresensethantoallowit。

ButDianaandAnnesmiledateachother。TheyknewhowSmallAnneCordeliahadcomebyhername。

"Youalwayshatedgeometry，"saidDianawitharetrospectivesmile。"Ishouldthinkyou’dberealgladtobethroughwithteaching，anyhow。"

"Oh，I’vealwayslikedteaching，apartfromgeometry。

ThesepastthreeyearsinSummersidehavebeenverypleasantones。Mrs。HarmonAndrewstoldmewhenIcamehomethatIwouldn’tlikelyfindmarriedlifeasmuchbetterthanteachingasIexpected。EvidentlyMrs。

HarmonisofHamlet’sopinionthatitmaybebettertobeartheillsthatwehavethanflytoothersthatweknownotof。"

Anne’slaugh，asblitheandirresistibleasofyore，withanaddednoteofsweetnessandmaturity，rangthroughthegarret。Marillainthekitchenbelow，compoundingblueplumpreserve，hearditandsmiled；

thensighedtothinkhowseldomthatdearlaughwouldechothroughGreenGablesintheyearstocome。

NothinginherlifehadevergivenMarillasomuchhappinessastheknowledgethatAnnewasgoingtomarryGilbertBlythe；buteveryjoymustbringwithititslittleshadowofsorrow。DuringthethreeSummersideyearsAnnehadbeenhomeoftenforvacationsandweekends；but，afterthis，abi-annualvisitwouldbeasmuchascouldbehopedfor。

"Youneedn’tletwhatMrs。Harmonsaysworryyou，"

saidDiana，withthecalmassuranceofthefour-yearsmatron。"Marriedlifehasitsupsanddowns，ofcourse。Youmustn’texpectthateverythingwillalwaysgosmoothly。ButIcanassureyou，Anne，thatit’sahappylife，whenyou’remarriedtotherightman。"

Annesmotheredasmile。Diana’sairsofvastexperiencealwaysamusedheralittle。

"IdaresayI’llbeputtingthemontoo，whenI’vebeenmarriedfouryears，"shethought。"Surelymysenseofhumorwillpreservemefromit，though。"

"Isitsettledyetwhereyouaregoingtolive？"askedDiana，cuddlingSmallAnneCordeliawiththeinimitablegestureofmotherhoodwhichalwayssentthroughAnne’sheart，filledwithsweet，unuttereddreamsandhopes，athrillthatwashalfpurepleasureandhalfastrange，etherealpain。

"Yes。ThatwaswhatIwantedtotellyouwhenI

’phonedtoyoutocomedowntoday。Bytheway，Ican’trealizethatwereallyhavetelephonesinAvonleanow。

Itsoundssopreposterouslyup-to-dateandmodernishforthisdarling，leisurelyoldplace。"

"WecanthanktheA。V。I。S。forthem，"saidDiana。

"Weshouldneverhavegotthelineiftheyhadn’ttakenthematterupandcarrieditthrough。Therewasenoughcoldwaterthrowntodiscourageanysociety。

Buttheystucktoit，nevertheless。YoudidasplendidthingforAvonleawhenyoufoundedthatsociety，Anne。

Whatfunwedidhaveatourmeetings！WillyoueverforgetthebluehallandJudsonParker’sschemeforpaintingmedicineadvertisementsonhisfence？"

"Idon’tknowthatI’mwhollygratefultotheA。V。I。

S。inthematterofthetelephone，"saidAnne。"Oh，I

knowit’smostconvenient——evenmoresothanourolddeviceofsignallingtoeachotherbyflashesofcandlelight！And，asMrs。Rachelsays，`Avonleamustkeepupwiththeprocession，that’swhat。’ButsomehowIfeelasifIdidn’twantAvonleaspoiledbywhatMr。

Harrison，whenhewantstobewitty，calls`moderninconveniences。’Ishouldliketohaveitkeptalwaysjustasitwasinthedearoldyears。That’sfoolish——andsentimental——andimpossible。SoIshallimmediatelybecomewiseandpracticalandpossible。

Thetelephone，asMr。Harrisonconcedes，is`abusterofagoodthing’——evenifyoudoknowthatprobablyhalfadozeninterestedpeoplearelisteningalongtheline。"

"That’stheworstofit，"sighedDiana。"It’ssoannoyingtohearthereceiversgoingdownwheneveryouringanyoneup。TheysayMrs。HarmonAndrewsinsistedthattheir`phoneshouldbeputintheirkitchenjustsothatshecouldlistenwheneveritrangandkeepaneyeonthedinneratthesametime。Today，whenyoucalledme，IdistinctlyheardthatqueerclockofthePyes’striking。SonodoubtJosieorGertiewaslistening。"

"Oh，sothatiswhyyousaid，`You’vegotanewclockatGreenGables，haven’tyou？’Icouldn’timaginewhatyoumeant。Iheardaviciousclickassoonasyouhadspoken。IsupposeitwasthePyereceiverbeinghungupwithprofaneenergy。Well，nevermindthePyes。AsMrs。Rachelsays，`PyestheyalwayswereandPyestheyalwayswillbe，worldwithoutend，amen。’Iwanttotalkofpleasanterthings。It’sallsettledastowheremynewhomeshallbe。"

"Oh，Anne，where？Idohopeit’snearhere。"

"No-o-o，that’sthedrawback。GilbertisgoingtosettleatFourWindsHarbor——sixtymilesfromhere。"

"Sixty！Itmightaswellbesixhundred，"sighedDiana。"InevercangetfurtherfromhomenowthanCharlottetown。"

"You’llhavetocometoFourWinds。It’sthemostbeautifulharborontheIsland。There’salittlevillagecalledGlenSt。Maryatitshead，andDr。DavidBlythehasbeenpracticingthereforfiftyyears。HeisGilbert’sgreat-uncle，youknow。Heisgoingtoretire，andGilbertistotakeoverhispractice。Dr。

Blytheisgoingtokeephishouse，though，soweshallhavetofindahabitationforourselves。Idon’tknowyetwhatitis，orwhereitwillbeinreality，butI

havealittlehouseo’dreamsallfurnishedinmyimagination——atiny，delightfulcastleinSpain。"

"Whereareyougoingforyourweddingtour？"askedDiana。

"Nowhere。Don’tlookhorrified，Dianadearest。YousuggestMrs。HarmonAndrews。She，nodoubt，willremarkcondescendinglythatpeoplewhocan’taffordwedding`towers’arerealsensiblenottotakethem；

andthenshe’llremindmethatJanewenttoEuropeforhers。IwanttospendMYhoneymoonatFourWindsinmyowndearhouseofdreams。"

"Andyou’vedecidednottohaveanybridesmaid？"

"Thereisn’tanyonetohave。YouandPhilandPriscillaandJaneallstoleamarchonmeinthematterofmarriage；andStellaisteachinginVancouver。Ihavenoother`kindredsoul’andIwon’thaveabridesmaidwhoisn’t。"

"Butyouaregoingtowearaveil，aren’tyou？"askedDiana，anxiously。

"Yes，indeedy。Ishouldn’tfeellikeabridewithoutone。IremembertellingMatthew，thateveningwhenhebroughtmetoGreenGables，thatIneverexpectedtobeabridebecauseIwassohomelynoonewouldeverwanttomarryme——unlesssomeforeignmissionarydid。Ihadanideathenthatforeignmissionariescouldn’taffordtobefinickyinthematteroflooksiftheywantedagirltoriskherlifeamongcannibals。YoushouldhaveseentheforeignmissionaryPriscillamarried。Hewasashandsomeandinscrutableasthosedaydreamsweonceplannedtomarryourselves，Diana；hewasthebestdressedmanIevermet，andheravedoverPriscilla’s`ethereal，goldenbeauty。’ButofcoursetherearenocannibalsinJapan。"

"Yourweddingdressisadream，anyhow，"sighedDianarapturously。"You’lllooklikeaperfectqueeninit——you’resotallandslender。HowDOyoukeepsoslim，Anne？I’mfatterthanever——I’llsoonhavenowaistatall。"

"Stoutnessandslimnessseemtobemattersofpredestination，"saidAnne。"Atallevents，Mrs。

HarmonAndrewscan’tsaytoyouwhatshesaidtomewhenIcamehomefromSummerside，`Well，Anne，you’rejustaboutasskinnyasever。’Itsoundsquiteromantictobe`slender，’but`skinny’hasaverydifferenttang。"

"Mrs。Harmonhasbeentalkingaboutyourtrousseau。

Sheadmitsit’sasniceasJane’s，althoughshesaysJanemarriedamillionaireandyouareonlymarryinga`pooryoungdoctorwithoutacenttohisname。’"

Annelaughed。

"MydressesAREnice。Iloveprettythings。I

rememberthefirstprettydressIeverhad——thebrowngloriaMatthewgavemeforourschoolconcert。BeforethateverythingIhadwassougly。ItseemedtomethatIsteppedintoanewworldthatnight。"

"ThatwasthenightGilbertrecited`BingenontheRhine，’andlookedatyouwhenhesaid，`There’sanother，NOTasister。’Andyouweresofuriousbecauseheputyourpinktissueroseinhisbreastpocket！Youdidn’tmuchimaginethenthatyouwouldevermarryhim。"

"Oh，well，that’sanotherinstanceofpredestination，"

laughedAnne，astheywentdownthegarretstairs。

CHAPTER2

THEHOUSEOFDREAMS

TherewasmoreexcitementintheairofGreenGablesthantherehadeverbeenbeforeinallitshistory。

EvenMarillawassoexcitedthatshecouldn’thelpshowingit——whichwaslittleshortofbeingphenomenal。

"There’sneverbeenaweddinginthishouse，"shesaid，halfapologetically，toMrs。RachelLynde。

"WhenIwasachildIheardanoldministersaythatahousewasnotarealhomeuntilithadbeenconsecratedbyabirth，aweddingandadeath。We’vehaddeathshere——myfatherandmotherdiedhereaswellasMatthew；andwe’veevenhadabirthhere。Longago，justafterwemovedintothishouse，wehadamarriedhiredmanforalittlewhile，andhiswifehadababyhere。Butthere’sneverbeenaweddingbefore。ItdoesseemsostrangetothinkofAnnebeingmarried。

InawayshejustseemstomethelittlegirlMatthewbroughthomeherefourteenyearsago。Ican’trealizethatshe’sgrownup。IshallneverforgetwhatIfeltwhenIsawMatthewbringinginaGIRL。Iwonderwhatbecameoftheboywewouldhavegotiftherehadn’tbeenamistake。IwonderwhatHISfatewas。"

"Well，itwasafortunatemistake，"saidMrs。RachelLynde，"though，mindyou，therewasatimeIdidn’tthinkso——thateveningIcameuptoseeAnneandshetreatedustosuchascene。Manythingshavechangedsincethen，that’swhat。"

Mrs。Rachelsighed，andthenbriskedupagain。WhenweddingswereinorderMrs。Rachelwasreadytoletthedeadpastburyitsdead。

"I’mgoingtogiveAnnetwoofmycottonwarpspreads，"sheresumed。"Atobacco-stripeoneandanapple-leafone。Shetellsmethey’regettingtoberealfashionableagain。Well，fashionornofashion，I

don’tbelievethere’sanythingprettierforaspare-roombedthananiceapple-leafspread，that’swhat。Imustseeaboutgettingthembleached。I’vehadthemsewedupincottonbagseversinceThomasdied，andnodoubtthey’reanawfulcolor。Butthere’samonthyet，anddew-bleachingwillworkwonders。"

Onlyamonth！Marillasighedandthensaidproudly:

"I’mgivingAnnethathalfdozenbraidedrugsIhaveinthegarret。Ineversupposedshe’dwantthem——they’resoold-fashioned，andnobodyseemstowantanythingbuthookedmatsnow。Butsheaskedmeforthem——saidshe’dratherhavethemthananythingelseforherfloors。TheyAREpretty。Imadethemofthenicestrags，andbraidedtheminstripes。Itwassuchcompanytheselastfewwinters。AndI’llmakeherenoughblueplumpreservetostockherjamclosetforayear。Itseemsrealstrange。Thoseblueplumtreeshadn’tevenablossomforthreeyears，andI

thoughttheymightaswellbecutdown。Andthislastspringtheywerewhite，andsuchacropofplumsI

neverrememberatGreenGables。"

"Well，thankgoodnessthatAnneandGilbertreallyaregoingtobemarriedafterall。It’swhatI’vealwaysprayedfor，"saidMrs。Rachel，inthetoneofonewhoiscomfortablysurethatherprayershaveavailedmuch。

"Itwasagreatrelieftofindoutthatshereallydidn’tmeantotaketheKingsportman。Hewasrich，tobesure，andGilbertispoor——atleast，tobeginwith；

butthenhe’sanIslandboy。"

"He’sGilbertBlythe，"saidMarillacontentedly。

MarillawouldhavediedthedeathbeforeshewouldhaveputintowordsthethoughtthatwasalwaysinthebackgroundofhermindwhenevershehadlookedatGilbertfromhischildhoodup——thethoughtthat，haditnotbeenforherownwilfulpridelong，longago，hemighthavebeenHERson。Marillafeltthat，insomestrangeway，hismarriagewithAnnewouldputrightthatoldmistake。Goodhadcomeoutoftheeviloftheancientbitterness。

AsforAnneherself，shewassohappythatshealmostfeltfrightened。Thegods，sosaystheoldsuperstition，donotliketobeholdtoohappymortals。

Itiscertain，atleast，thatsomehumanbeingsdonot。

TwoofthatilkdescendeduponAnneonevioletduskandproceededtodowhatinthemlaytopricktherainbowbubbleofhersatisfaction。IfshethoughtshewasgettinganyparticularprizeinyoungDr。Blythe，orifsheimaginedthathewasstillasinfatuatedwithherashemighthavebeeninhissaladdays，itwassurelytheirdutytoputthematterbeforeherinanotherlight。YetthesetwoworthyladieswerenotenemiesofAnne；onthecontrary，theywerereallyquitefondofher，andwouldhavedefendedherastheirownyounghadanyoneelseattackedher。Humannatureisnotobligedtobeconsistent。

Mrs。Inglis——neeJaneAndrews，toquotefromtheDailyEnterprise——camewithhermotherandMrs。JasperBell。

ButinJanethemilkofhumankindnesshadnotbeencurdledbyyearsofmatrimonialbickerings。Herlineshadfalleninpleasantplaces。Inspiteofthefact——asMrs。RachelLyndewouldsay——thatshehadmarriedamillionaire，hermarriagehadbeenhappy。

Wealthhadnotspoiledher。Shewasstilltheplacid，amiable，pink-cheekedJaneoftheoldquartette，sympathisingwithheroldchum’shappinessandaskeenlyinterestedinallthedaintydetailsofAnne’strousseauasifitcouldrivalherownsilkenandbejewelledsplendors。Janewasnotbrilliant，andhadprobablynevermadearemarkworthlisteningtoinherlife；butsheneversaidanythingthatwouldhurtanyone’sfeelings——whichmaybeanegativetalentbutislikewisearareandenviableone。

"SoGilbertdidn’tgobackonyouafterall，"saidMrs。HarmonAndrews，contrivingtoconveyanexpressionofsurpriseinhertone。"Well，theBlythesgenerallykeeptheirwordwhenthey’veoncepassedit，nomatterwhathappens。Letmesee——you’retwenty-five，aren’tyou，Anne？WhenIwasagirltwenty-fivewasthefirstcorner。Butyoulookquiteyoung。Red-headedpeoplealwaysdo。"

"Redhairisveryfashionablenow，"saidAnne，tryingtosmile，butspeakingrathercoldly。Lifehaddevelopedinherasenseofhumorwhichhelpedherovermanydifficulties；butasyetnothinghadavailedtosteelheragainstareferencetoherhair。

"Soitis——soitis，"concededMrs。Harmon。"There’snotellingwhatqueerfreaksfashionwilltake。Well，Anne，yourthingsareverypretty，andverysuitabletoyourpositioninlife，aren’tthey，Jane？Ihopeyou’llbeveryhappy。Youhavemybestwishes，I’msure。Alongengagementdoesn’toftenturnoutwell。

But，ofcourse，inyourcaseitcouldn’tbehelped。"

"Gilbertlooksveryyoungforadoctor。I’mafraidpeoplewon’thavemuchconfidenceinhim，"saidMrs。

JasperBellgloomily。Thensheshuthermouthtightly，asifshehadsaidwhatsheconsidereditherdutytosayandheldherconscienceclear。Shebelongedtothetypewhichalwayshasastringyblackfeatherinitshatandstragglinglocksofhaironitsneck。

Anne’ssurfacepleasureinherprettybridalthingswastemporarilyshadowed；butthedeepsofhappinessbelowcouldnotthusbedisturbed；andthelittlestingsofMesdamesBellandAndrewswereforgottenwhenGilbertcamelater，andtheywandereddowntothebirchesofthebrook，whichhadbeensaplingswhenAnnehadcometoGreenGables，butwerenowtall，ivorycolumnsinafairypalaceoftwilightandstars。IntheirshadowsAnneandGilberttalkedinlover-fashionoftheirnewhomeandtheirnewlifetogether。

"I’vefoundanestforus，Anne。"

"Oh，where？Notrightinthevillage，Ihope。I

wouldn’tlikethataltogether。"

"No。Therewasnohousetobehadinthevillage。

Thisisalittlewhitehouseontheharborshore，halfwaybetweenGlenSt。MaryandFourWindsPoint。It’salittleoutoftheway，butwhenwegeta’phoneinthatwon’tmattersomuch。Thesituationisbeautiful。Itlookstothesunsetandhasthegreatblueharborbeforeit。Thesand-dunesaren’tveryfaraway——theseawindsblowoverthemandtheseaspraydrenchesthem。"

"Butthehouseitself，Gilbert，——OURfirsthome？Whatisitlike？"

"Notverylarge，butlargeenoughforus。There’sasplendidlivingroomwithafireplaceinitdownstairs，andadiningroomthatlooksoutontheharbor，andalittleroomthatwilldoformyoffice。Itisaboutsixtyyearsold——theoldesthouseinFourWinds。Butithasbeenkeptinprettygoodrepair，andwasalldoneoveraboutfifteenyearsago——shingled，plasteredandre-floored。Itwaswellbuilttobeginwith。I

understandthattherewassomeromanticstoryconnectedwithitsbuilding，butthemanIrenteditfromdidn’tknowit。

HesaidCaptainJimwastheonlyonewhocouldspinthatoldyarnnow。"

"WhoisCaptainJim？"

"ThekeeperofthelighthouseonFourWindsPoint。

You’lllovethatFourWindslight，Anne。It’sarevolvingone，anditflasheslikeamagnificentstarthroughthetwilights。Wecanseeitfromourlivingroomwindowsandourfrontdoor。"

"Whoownsthehouse？"

"Well，it’sthepropertyoftheGlenSt。MaryPresbyterianChurchnow，andIrenteditfromthetrustees。Butitbelongeduntillatelytoaveryoldlady，MissElizabethRussell。Shediedlastspring，andasshehadnonearrelativessheleftherpropertytotheGlenSt。MaryChurch。Herfurnitureisstillinthehouse，andIboughtmostofit——forameresongyoumightsay，becauseitwasallsoold-fashionedthatthetrusteesdespairedofsellingit。GlenSt。Maryfolkspreferplushbrocadeandsideboardswithmirrorsandornamentations，Ifancy。ButMissRussell’sfurnitureisverygoodandIfeelsureyou’lllikeit，Anne。"

"Sofar，good，"saidAnne，noddingcautiousapproval。

"But，Gilbert，peoplecannotlivebyfurniturealone。

Youhaven’tyetmentionedoneveryimportantthing。

ArethereTREESaboutthishouse？"

"Heapsofthem，oh，dryad！Thereisabiggroveoffirtreesbehindit，tworowsofLombardypoplarsdownthelane，andaringofwhitebirchesaroundaverydelightfulgarden。Ourfrontdooropensrightintothegarden，butthereisanotherentrance——alittlegatehungbetweentwofirs。Thehingesareononetrunkandthecatchontheother。Theirboughsformanarchoverhead。"

"Oh，I’msoglad！Icouldn’tlivewheretherewerenotrees——somethingvitalinmewouldstarve。Well，afterthat，there’snouseaskingyouifthere’sabrookanywherenear。THATwouldbeexpectingtoomuch。"

"ButthereISabrook——anditactuallycutsacrossonecornerofthegarden。"

"Then，"saidAnne，withalongsighofsupremesatisfaction，"thishouseyouhavefoundISmyhouseofdreamsandnoneother。"

CHAPTER3

THELANDOFDREAMSAMONG

"Haveyoumadeupyourmindwhoyou’regoingtohavetothewedding，Anne？"askedMrs。RachelLynde，asshehemstitchedtablenapkinsindustriously。"It’stimeyourinvitationsweresent，eveniftheyaretobeonlyinformalones。"

"Idon’tmeantohaveverymany，"saidAnne。"Wejustwantthosewelovebesttoseeusmarried。Gilbert’speople，andMr。andMrs。Allan，andMr。andMrs。

Harrison。"

"Therewasatimewhenyou’dhardlyhavenumberedMr。

Harrisonamongyourdearestfriends，"saidMarilladrily。

"Well，Iwasn’tVERYstronglyattractedtohimatourfirstmeeting，"acknowledgedAnne，withalaughovertherecollection。"ButMr。Harrisonhasimprovedonacquaintance，andMrs。Harrisonisreallyadear。

Then，ofcourse，thereareMissLavendarandPaul。"

"HavetheydecidedtocometotheIslandthissummer？

IthoughttheyweregoingtoEurope。"

"TheychangedtheirmindswhenIwrotethemIwasgoingtobemarried。IhadaletterfromPaultoday。

HesaysheMUSTcometomywedding，nomatterwhathappenstoEurope。"

"Thatchildalwaysidolisedyou，"remarkedMrs。

Rachel。

"That`child’isayoungmanofnineteennow，Mrs。

Lynde。"

"Howtimedoesfly！"wasMrs。Lynde’sbrilliantandoriginalresponse。

"CharlottatheFourthmaycomewiththem。ShesentwordbyPaulthatshewouldcomeifherhusbandwouldlether。Iwonderifshestillwearsthoseenormousbluebows，andwhetherherhusbandcallsherCharlottaorLeonora。IshouldlovetohaveCharlottaatmywedding。CharlottaandIwereataweddinglongsyne。

TheyexpecttobeatEchoLodgenextweek。ThentherearePhilandtheReverendJo——"

"Itsoundsawfultohearyouspeakingofaministerlikethat，Anne，"saidMrs。Rachelseverely。

"Hiswifecallshimthat。"

"Sheshouldhavemorerespectforhisholyoffice，then，"retortedMrs。Rachel。

"I’veheardyoucriticiseministersprettysharplyyourself，"teasedAnne。

"Yes，butIdoitreverently，"protestedMrs。Lynde。

"YouneverheardmeNICKNAMEaminister。"

Annesmotheredasmile。

"Well，thereareDianaandFredandlittleFredandSmallAnneCordelia——andJaneAndrews。IwishIcouldhaveMissStaceyandAuntJamesinaandPriscillaandStella。ButStellaisinVancouver，andPrisisinJapan，andMissStaceyismarriedinCalifornia，andAuntJamesinahasgonetoIndiatoexploreherdaughter’smissionfield，inspiteofherhorrorofsnakes。It’sreallydreadful——thewaypeoplegetscatteredovertheglobe。"

"TheLordneverintendedit，that’swhat，"saidMrs。

Rachelauthoritatively。"Inmyyoungdayspeoplegrewupandmarriedandsettleddownwheretheywereborn，orprettynearit。Thankgoodnessyou’vestucktotheIsland，Anne。IwasafraidGilbertwouldinsistonrushingofftotheendsoftheearthwhenhegotthroughcollege，anddraggingyouwithhim。"

"Ifeverybodystayedwherehewasbornplaceswouldsoonbefilledup，Mrs。Lynde。"

"Oh，I’mnotgoingtoarguewithyou，Anne。_I_amnotaB。A。Whattimeofthedayistheceremonytobe？"

"Wehavedecidedonnoon——highnoon，asthesocietyreporterssay。ThatwillgiveustimetocatchtheeveningtraintoGlenSt。Mary。"

"Andyou’llbemarriedintheparlor？"

"No——notunlessitrains。Wemeantobemarriedintheorchard——withtheblueskyoverusandthesunshinearoundus。DoyouknowwhenandwhereI’dliketobemarried，ifIcould？Itwouldbeatdawn——aJunedawn，withaglorioussunrise，androsesbloominginthegardens；andIwouldslipdownandmeetGilbertandwewouldgotogethertotheheartofthebeechwoods，——andthere，underthegreenarchesthatwouldbelikeasplendidcathedral，wewouldbemarried。"

MarillasniffedscornfullyandMrs。Lyndelookedshocked。

"Butthatwouldbeterriblequeer，Anne。Why，itwouldn’treallyseemlegal。AndwhatwouldMrs。HarmonAndrewssay？"

"Ah，there’stherub，"sighedAnne。"TherearesomanythingsinlifewecannotdobecauseofthefearofwhatMrs。HarmonAndrewswouldsay。`’Tistrue，’tispity，andpity’tis，’tistrue。’WhatdelightfulthingswemightdowereitnotforMrs。HarmonAndrews！"

"Bytimes，Anne，Idon’tfeelquitesurethatI

understandyoualtogether，"complainedMrs。Lynde。

"Annewasalwaysromantic，youknow，"saidMarillaapologetically。

"Well，marriedlifewillmostlikelycureherofthat，"Mrs。Rachelrespondedcomfortingly。

AnnelaughedandslippedawaytoLover’sLane，whereGilbertfoundher；andneitherofthemseemedtoentertainmuchfear，orhope，thattheirmarriedlifewouldcurethemofromance。

TheEchoLodgepeoplecameoverthenextweek，andGreenGablesbuzzedwiththedelightofthem。MissLavendarhadchangedsolittlethatthethreeyearssinceherlastIslandvisitmighthavebeenawatchinthenight；butAnnegaspedwithamazementoverPaul。

CouldthissplendidsixfeetofmanhoodbethelittlePaulofAvonleaschooldays？

"Youreallymakemefeelold，Paul，"saidAnne。"Why，Ihavetolookuptoyou！"

"You’llnevergrowold，Teacher，"saidPaul。"YouareoneofthefortunatemortalswhohavefoundanddrunkfromtheFountainofYouth，——youandMotherLavendar。

Seehere！Whenyou’remarriedIWON’TcallyouMrs。

Blythe。Tomeyou’llalwaysbe`Teacher’——theteacherofthebestlessonsIeverlearned。Iwanttoshowyousomething。"

The"something"wasapocketbookfullofpoems。Paulhadputsomeofhisbeautifulfanciesintoverse，andmagazineeditorshadnotbeenasunappreciativeastheyaresometimessupposedtobe。AnnereadPaul’spoemswithrealdelight。Theywerefullofcharmandpromise。

"You’llbefamousyet，Paul。Ialwaysdreamedofhavingonefamouspupil。Hewastobeacollegepresident——butagreatpoetwouldbeevenbetter。SomedayI’llbeabletoboastthatIwhippedthedistinguishedPaulIrving。ButthenIneverdidwhipyou，didI，Paul？Whatanopportunitylost！IthinkI

keptyouinatrecess，however。"

"Youmaybefamousyourself，Teacher。I’veseenagooddealofyourworktheselastthreeyears。"

"No。IknowwhatIcando。Icanwritepretty，fancifullittlesketchesthatchildrenloveandeditorssendwelcomechequesfor。ButIcandonothingbig。

MyonlychanceforearthlyimmortalityisacornerinyourMemoirs。"

CharlottatheFourthhaddiscardedthebluebowsbutherfreckleswerenotnoticeablyless。

"IneverdidthinkI’dcomedowntomarryingaYankee，MissShirley，ma’am，"shesaid。"Butyouneverknowwhat’sbeforeyou，anditisn’thisfault。Hewasbornthatway。"

"You’reaYankeeyourself，Charlotta，sinceyou’vemarriedone。"

"MissShirley，ma’am，I’mNOT！AndIwouldn’tbeifI

wastomarryadozenYankees！Tom’skindofnice。Andbesides，IthoughtI’dbetternotbetoohardtoplease，forImightn’tgetanotherchance。Tomdon’tdrinkandhedon’tgrowlbecausehehastoworkbetweenmeals，andwhenall’ssaidanddoneI’msatisfied，MissShirley，ma’am。"

"DoeshecallyouLeonora？"askedAnne。

"Goodness，no，MissShirley，ma’am。Iwouldn’tknowwhohemeantifhedid。Ofcourse，whenwegotmarriedhehadtosay，`Itakethee，Leonora，’andIdeclaretoyou，MissShirley，ma’am，I’vehadthemostdreadfulfeelingeversincethatitwasn’tmehewastalkingtoandIhaven’tbeenrightlymarriedatall。Andsoyou’regoingtobemarriedyourself，MissShirley，ma’am？IalwaysthoughtI’dliketomarryadoctor。

Itwouldbesohandywhenthechildrenhadmeaslesandcroup。Tomisonlyabricklayer，buthe’srealgood-

tempered。WhenIsaidtohim，saysI，`Tom，canIgotoMissShirley’swedding？Imeantogoanyhow，butI’dliketohaveyourconsent，’hejustsays，`Suityourself，Charlotta，andyou’llsuitme。’That’sarealpleasantkindofhusbandtohave，MissShirley，ma’am。"

PhilippaandherReverendJoarrivedatGreenGablesthedaybeforethewedding。AnneandPhilhadarapturousmeetingwhichpresentlysimmereddowntoacosy，confidentialchatoverallthathadbeenandwasabouttobe。

"QueenAnne，you’reasqueenlyasever。I’vegotfearfullythinsincethebabiescame。I’mnothalfsogood-looking；butIthinkJolikesit。There’snotsuchacontrastbetweenus，yousee。Andoh，it’sperfectlymagnificentthatyou’regoingtomarryGilbert。RoyGardnerwouldn’thavedoneatall，atall。Icanseethatnow，thoughIwashorriblydisappointedatthetime。Youknow，Anne，youdidtreatRoyverybadly。"

"Hehasrecovered，Iunderstand，"smiledAnne。

"Oh，yes。Heismarriedandhiswifeisasweetlittlethingandthey’reperfectlyhappy。Everythingworkstogetherforgood。JoandtheBiblesaythat，andtheyareprettygoodauthorities。"

"AreAlecandAlonzomarriedyet？"

"Alecis，butAlonzoisn’t。HowthosedearolddaysatPatty’sPlacecomebackwhenI’mtalkingtoyou，Anne！Whatfunwehad！"

"HaveyoubeentoPatty’sPlacelately？"

"Oh，yes，Igooften。MissPattyandMissMariastillsitbythefireplaceandknit。Andthatremindsme——we’vebroughtyouaweddinggiftfromthem，Anne。

Guesswhatitis。"

"Inevercould。HowdidtheyknowIwasgoingtobemarried？"

"Oh，Itoldthem。Iwastherelastweek。Andtheyweresointerested。TwodaysagoMissPattywrotemeanoteaskingmetocall；andthensheaskedifIwouldtakehergifttoyou。WhatwouldyouwishmostfromPatty’sPlace，Anne？"

"Youcan’tmeanthatMissPattyhassentmeherchinadogs？"

"Gouphead。They’reinmytrunkthisverymoment。

AndI’vealetterforyou。WaitamomentandI’llgetit。"

"DearMissShirley，"MissPattyhadwritten，"MariaandIwereverymuchinterestedinhearingofyourapproachingnuptials。Wesendyouourbestwishes。

MariaandIhavenevermarried，butwehavenoobjectiontootherpeopledoingso。Wearesendingyouthechinadogs。Iintendedtoleavethemtoyouinmywill，becauseyouseemedtohavesincereaffectionforthem。ButMariaandIexpecttoliveagoodwhileyet(D。V。)，soIhavedecidedtogiveyouthedogswhileyouareyoung。YouwillnothaveforgottenthatGoglookstotherightandMagogtotheleft。"

"Justfancythoselovelyolddogssittingbythefireplaceinmyhouseofdreams，"saidAnnerapturously。"Ineverexpectedanythingsodelightful。"

ThateveningGreenGableshummedwithpreparationsforthefollowingday；butinthetwilightAnneslippedaway。Shehadalittlepilgrimagetomakeonthislastdayofhergirlhoodandshemustmakeitalone。ShewenttoMatthew’sgrave，inthelittlepoplar-shadedAvonleagraveyard，andtherekeptasilenttrystwitholdmemoriesandimmortalloves。

"HowgladMatthewwouldbetomorrowifhewerehere，"

shewhispered。"ButIbelievehedoesknowandisgladofit——somewhereelse。I’vereadsomewherethat`ourdeadareneverdeaduntilwehaveforgottenthem。’

Matthewwillneverbedeadtome，forIcanneverforgethim。"

Sheleftonhisgravetheflowersshehadbroughtandwalkedslowlydownthelonghill。Itwasagraciousevening，fullofdelectablelightsandshadows。Inthewestwasaskyofmackerelclouds——crimsonandamber-tinted，withlongstripsofapple-greenskybetween。Beyondwastheglimmeringradianceofasunsetsea，andtheceaselessvoiceofmanywaterscameupfromthetawnyshore。Allaroundher，lyinginthefine，beautifulcountrysilence，werethehillsandfieldsandwoodsshehadknownandlovedsolong。

"Historyrepeatsitself，"saidGilbert，joiningherasshepassedtheBlythegate。"Doyourememberourfirstwalkdownthishill，Anne——ourfirstwalktogetheranywhere，forthatmatter？"

"IwascominghomeinthetwilightfromMatthew’sgrave——andyoucameoutofthegate；andIswallowedtheprideofyearsandspoketoyou。"

"Andallheavenopenedbeforeme，"supplementedGilbert。"FromthatmomentIlookedforwardtotomorrow。WhenIleftyouatyourgatethatnightandwalkedhomeIwasthehappiestboyintheworld。Annehadforgivenme。"

"Ithinkyouhadthemosttoforgive。Iwasanungratefullittlewretch——andafteryouhadreallysavedmylifethatdayonthepond，too。HowIloathedthatloadofobligationatfirst！Idon’tdeservethehappinessthathascometome。"

Gilbertlaughedandclaspedtighterthegirlishhandthatworehisring。Anne’sengagementringwasacircletofpearls。Shehadrefusedtowearadiamond。

"I’veneverreallylikeddiamondssinceIfoundouttheyweren’tthelovelypurpleIhaddreamed。Theywillalwayssuggestmyolddisappointment。"

"Butpearlsarefortears，theoldlegendsays，"

Gilberthadobjected。

"I’mnotafraidofthat。Andtearscanbehappyaswellassad。MyveryhappiestmomentshavebeenwhenI

hadtearsinmyeyes——whenMarillatoldmeImightstayatGreenGables——whenMatthewgavemethefirstprettydressIeverhad——whenIheardthatyouweregoingtorecoverfromthefever。Sogivemepearlsforourtrothring，Gilbert，andI’llwillinglyacceptthesorrowoflifewithitsjoy。"

Buttonightourloversthoughtonlyofjoyandneverofsorrow。Forthemorrowwastheirweddingday，andtheirhouseofdreamsawaitedthemonthemisty，purpleshoreofFourWindsHarbor。

CHAPTER4

THEFIRSTBRIDEOFGREENGABLES

AnnewakenedonthemorningofherweddingdaytofindthesunshinewinkinginatthewindowofthelittleporchgableandaSeptemberbreezefrolickingwithhercurtains。

"I’msogladthesunwillshineonme，"shethoughthappily。

Sherecalledthefirstmorningshehadwakenedinthatlittleporchroom，whenthesunshinehadcreptinonherthroughtheblossom-driftoftheoldSnowQueen。

Thathadnotbeenahappywakening，foritbroughtwithitthebitterdisappointmentoftheprecedingnight。

Butsincethenthelittleroomhadbeenendearedandconsecratedbyyearsofhappychildhooddreamsandmaidenvisions。Toitshehadcomebackjoyfullyafterallherabsences；atitswindowshehadkneltthroughthatnightofbitteragonywhenshebelievedGilbertdying，andbyitshehadsatinspeechlesshappinessthenightofherbetrothal。Manyvigilsofjoyandsomeofsorrowhadbeenkeptthere；andtodayshemustleaveitforever。Henceforthitwouldbehersnomore；

fifteen-year-oldDorawastoinherititwhenshehadgone。NordidAnnewishitotherwise；thelittleroomwassacredtoyouthandgirlhood——tothepastthatwastoclosetodaybeforethechapterofwifehoodopened。

GreenGableswasabusyandjoyoushousethatforenoon。

Dianaarrivedearly，withlittleFredandSmallAnneCordelia，tolendahand。DavyandDora，theGreenGablestwins，whiskedthebabiesofftothegarden。

"Don’tletSmallAnneCordeliaspoilherclothes，"

warnedDianaanxiously。

"Youneedn’tbeafraidtotrustherwithDora，"saidMarilla。"ThatchildismoresensibleandcarefulthanmostofthemothersI’veknown。She’sreallyawonderinsomeways。Notmuchlikethatotherharum-scarumIbroughtup。"

MarillasmiledacrossherchickensaladatAnne。Itmightevenbesuspectedthatshelikedtheharum-scarumbestafterall。

"Thosetwinsarerealnicechildren，"saidMrs。

Rachel，whenshewassuretheywereoutofearshot。

"Doraissowomanlyandhelpful，andDavyisdevelopingintoaverysmartboy。Heisn’ttheholyterrorformischiefheusedtobe。"

"IneverwassodistractedinmylifeasIwasthefirstsixmonthshewashere，"acknowledgedMarilla。

"AfterthatIsupposeIgotusedtohim。He’stakenagreatnotiontofarminglately，andwantsmetolethimtryrunningthefarmnextyear。Imay，forMr。Barrydoesn’tthinkhe’llwanttorentitmuchlonger，andsomenewarrangementwillhavetobemade。"

"Well，youcertainlyhavealovelydayforyourwedding，Anne，"saidDiana，assheslippedavoluminousapronoverhersilkenarray。"Youcouldn’thavehadafineroneifyou’dordereditfromEaton’s。"

"Indeed，there’stoomuchmoneygoingoutofthisIslandtothatsameEaton’s，"saidMrs。Lyndeindignantly。Shehadstrongviewsonthesubjectofoctopus-likedepartmentstores，andneverlostanopportunityofairingthem。"Andasforthosecataloguesoftheirs，they’retheAvonleagirls’Biblenow，that’swhat。TheyporeoverthemonSundaysinsteadofstudyingtheHolyScriptures。"

"Well，they’resplendidtoamusechildrenwith，"saidDiana。"FredandSmallAnnelookatthepicturesbythehour。"

"_I_amusedtenchildrenwithouttheaidofEaton’scatalogue，"saidMrs。Rachelseverely。

"Come，youtwo，don’tquarreloverEaton’scatalogue，"

saidAnnegaily。"Thisismydayofdays，youknow。

I’msohappyIwanteveryoneelsetobehappy，too。"

"I’msureIhopeyourhappinesswilllast，child，"

sighedMrs。Rachel。Shedidhopeittruly，andbelievedit，butshewasafraiditwasinthenatureofachallengetoProvidencetoflauntyourhappinesstooopenly。Anne，forherowngood，mustbetoneddownatrifle。

Butitwasahappyandbeautifulbridewhocamedowntheold，homespun-carpetedstairsthatSeptembernoon——thefirstbrideofGreenGables，slenderandshining-eyed，inthemistofhermaidenveil，withherarmsfullofroses。Gilbert，waitingforherinthehallbelow，lookedupatherwithadoringeyes。Shewashisatlast，thisevasive，long-soughtAnne，wonafteryearsofpatientwaiting。Itwastohimshewascominginthesweetsurrenderofthebride。Washeworthyofher？Couldhemakeherashappyashehoped？

Ifhefailedher——ifhecouldnotmeasureuptoherstandardofmanhood——then，assheheldoutherhand，theireyesmetandalldoubtwassweptawayinagladcertainty。Theybelongedtoeachother；and，nomatterwhatlifemightholdforthem，itcouldneveralterthat。Theirhappinesswasineachother’skeepingandbothwereunafraid。

Theyweremarriedinthesunshineoftheoldorchard，circledbythelovingandkindlyfacesoflong-familiarfriends。Mr。Allanmarriedthem，andtheReverendJomadewhatMrs。RachelLyndeafterwardspronouncedtobethe"mostbeautifulweddingprayer"shehadeverheard。BirdsdonotoftensinginSeptember，butonesangsweetlyfromsomehiddenboughwhileGilbertandAnnerepeatedtheirdeathlessvows。Annehearditandthrilledtoit；Gilbertheardit，andwonderedonlythatallthebirdsintheworldhadnotburstintojubilantsong；Paulhearditandlaterwrotealyricaboutitwhichwasoneofthemostadmiredinhisfirstvolumeofverse；CharlottatheFourthhearditandwasblissfullysureitmeantgoodluckforheradoredMissShirley。Thebirdsanguntiltheceremonywasendedandthenitwoundupwithonemadlittle，gladlittletrill。Neverhadtheoldgray-greenhouseamongitsenfoldingorchardsknownablither，merrierafternoon。

AlltheoldjestsandquipsthatmusthavedonedutyatweddingssinceEdenwereservedup，andseemedasnewandbrilliantandmirth-provokingasiftheyhadneverbeenutteredbefore。Laughterandjoyhadtheirway；

andwhenAnneandGilbertlefttocatchtheCarmodytrain，withPaulasdriver，thetwinswerereadywithriceandoldshoes，inthethrowingofwhichCharlottatheFourthandMr。Harrisonboreavaliantpart。

Marillastoodatthegateandwatchedthecarriageoutofsightdownthelonglanewithitsbanksofgoldenrod。Anneturnedatitsendtowaveherlastgood-bye。Shewasgone——GreenGableswasherhomenomore；Marilla’sfacelookedverygrayandoldassheturnedtothehousewhichAnnehadfilledforfourteenyears，andeveninherabsence，withlightandlife。

ButDianaandhersmallfry，theEchoLodgepeopleandtheAllans，hadstayedtohelpthetwooldladiesoverthelonelinessofthefirstevening；andtheycontrivedtohaveaquietlypleasantlittlesuppertime，sittinglongaroundthetableandchattingoverallthedetailsoftheday。WhiletheyweresittingthereAnneandGilbertwerealightingfromthetrainatGlenSt。Mary。

CHAPTER5

THEHOMECOMING

Dr。DavidBlythehadsenthishorseandbuggytomeetthem，andtheurchinwhohadbroughtitslippedawaywithasympatheticgrin，leavingthemtothedelightofdrivingalonetotheirnewhomethroughtheradiantevening。

Anneneverforgotthelovelinessoftheviewthatbrokeuponthemwhentheyhaddrivenoverthehillbehindthevillage。Hernewhomecouldnotyetbeseen；butbeforeherlayFourWindsHarborlikeagreat，shiningmirrorofroseandsilver。Fardown，shesawitsentrancebetweenthebarofsanddunesononesideandasteep，high，grim，redsandstonecliffontheother。

Beyondthebarthesea，calmandaustere，dreamedintheafterlight。Thelittlefishingvillage，nestledinthecovewherethesand-dunesmettheharborshore，lookedlikeagreatopalinthehaze。Theskyoverthemwaslikeajewelledcupfromwhichtheduskwaspouring；theairwascrispwiththecompellingtangofthesea，andthewholelandscapewasinfusedwiththesubtletiesofaseaevening。Afewdimsailsdriftedalongthedarkening，fir-cladharborshores。Abellwasringingfromthetowerofalittlewhitechurchonthefarside；mellowlyanddreamilysweet，thechimefloatedacrossthewaterblentwiththemoanofthesea。Thegreatrevolvinglightonthecliffatthechannelflashedwarmandgoldenagainsttheclearnorthernsky，atrembling，quiveringstarofgoodhope。

Faroutalongthehorizonwasthecrinkledgrayribbonofapassingsteamer’ssmoke。

"Oh，beautiful，beautiful，"murmuredAnne。"IshallloveFourWinds，Gilbert。Whereisourhouse？"

"Wecan’tseeityet——thebeltofbirchrunningupfromthatlittlecovehidesit。It’sabouttwomilesfromGlenSt。Mary，andthere’sanothermilebetweenitandthelight-house。Wewon’thavemanyneighbors，Anne。There’sonlyonehousenearusandIdon’tknowwholivesinit。ShallyoubelonelywhenI’maway？"

"Notwiththatlightandthatlovelinessforcompany。

Wholivesinthathouse，Gilbert？"

"Idon’tknow。Itdoesn’tlook——exactly——asiftheoccupantswouldbekindredspirits，Anne，doesit？"

Thehousewasalarge，substantialaffair，paintedsuchavividgreenthatthelandscapeseemedquitefadedbycontrast。Therewasanorchardbehindit，andanicelykeptlawnbeforeit，but，somehow，therewasacertainbarenessaboutit。Perhapsitsneatnesswasresponsibleforthis；thewholeestablishment，house，barns，orchard，garden，lawnandlane，wassostarklyneat。

"Itdoesn’tseemprobablethatanyonewiththattasteinpaintcouldbeVERYkindred，"acknowledgedAnne，"unlessitwereanaccident——likeourbluehall。I

feelcertaintherearenochildrenthere，atleast。

It’sevenneaterthantheoldCoppplaceontheToryroad，andIneverexpectedtoseeanythingneaterthanthat。"

Theyhadnotmetanybodyonthemoist，redroadthatwoundalongtheharborshore。Butjustbeforetheycametothebeltofbirchwhichhidtheirhome，Annesawagirlwhowasdrivingaflockofsnow-whitegeesealongthecrestofavelvetygreenhillontheright。Great，scatteredfirsgrewalongit。Betweentheirtrunksonesawglimpsesofyellowharvestfields，gleamsofgoldensand-hills，andbitsofbluesea。Thegirlwastallandworeadressofpaleblueprint。Shewalkedwithacertainspringinessofstepanderectnessofbearing。SheandhergeesecameoutofthegateatthefootofthehillasAnneandGilbertpassed。Shestoodwithherhandonthefasteningofthegate，andlookedsteadilyatthem，withanexpressionthathardlyattainedtointerest，butdidnotdescendtocuriosity。

ItseemedtoAnne，forafleetingmoment，thattherewasevenaveiledhintofhostilityinit。Butitwasthegirl’sbeautywhichmadeAnnegivealittlegasp——abeautysomarkedthatitmusthaveattractedattentionanywhere。Shewashatless，butheavybraidsofburnishedhair，thehueofripewheat，weretwistedaboutherheadlikeacoronet；hereyeswereblueandstar-like；herfigure，initsplainprintgown，wasmagnificent；andherlipswereascrimsonasthebunchofblood-redpoppiessheworeatherbelt。

"Gilbert，whoisthegirlwehavejustpassed？"askedAnne，inalowvoice。

"Ididn’tnoticeanygirl，"saidGilbert，whohadeyesonlyforhisbride。

"Shewasstandingbythatgate——no，don’tlookback。

Sheisstillwatchingus。Ineversawsuchabeautifulface。"

"Idon’trememberseeinganyveryhandsomegirlswhileIwashere。TherearesomeprettygirlsupattheGlen，butIhardlythinktheycouldbecalledbeautiful。"

"Thisgirlis。Youcan’thaveseenher，oryouwouldrememberher。Nobodycouldforgether。Ineversawsuchafaceexceptinpictures。Andherhair！ItmademethinkofBrowning’s`cordofgold’and`gorgeoussnake’！"

"Probablyshe’ssomevisitorinFourWinds——likelysomeonefromthatbigsummerhotelovertheharbor。"

"Sheworeawhiteapronandshewasdrivinggeese。"

"Shemightdothatforamusement。Look，Anne——there’sourhouse。"

Annelookedandforgotforatimethegirlwiththesplendid，resentfuleyes。Thefirstglimpseofhernewhomewasadelighttoeyeandspirit——itlookedsolikeabig，creamyseashellstrandedontheharborshore。

TherowsoftallLombardypoplarsdownitslanestoodoutinstately，purplesilhouetteagainstthesky。

Behindit，shelteringitsgardenfromthetookeenbreathofseawinds，wasacloudyfirwood，inwhichthewindsmightmakeallkindsofweirdandhauntingmusic。Likeallwoods，itseemedtobeholdingandenfoldingsecretsinitsrecesses，——secretswhosecharmisonlytobewonbyenteringinandpatientlyseeking。

Outwardly，darkgreenarmskeeptheminviolatefromcuriousorindifferenteyes。

ThenightwindswerebeginningtheirwilddancesbeyondthebarandthefishinghamletacrosstheharborwasgemmedwithlightsasAnneandGilbertdroveupthepoplarlane。Thedoorofthelittlehouseopened，andawarmglowoffirelightflickeredoutintothedusk。

GilbertliftedAnnefromthebuggyandledherintothegarden，throughthelittlegatebetweentheruddy-tippedfirs，upthetrim，redpathtothesandstonestep。

"Welcomehome，"hewhispered，andhandinhandtheysteppedoverthethresholdoftheirhouseofdreams。