第2章

CAPTAINJIM

"OldDoctorDave"and"Mrs。DoctorDave"hadcomedowntothelittlehousetogreetthebrideandgroom。

DoctorDavewasabig，jolly，white-whiskeredoldfellow，andMrs。Doctorwasatrimrosy-cheeked，silver-hairedlittleladywhotookAnneatoncetoherheart，literallyandfiguratively。

"I’msogladtoseeyou，dear。Youmustberealtired。We’vegotabiteofsupperready，andCaptainJimbroughtupsometroutforyou。CaptainJim——whereareyou？Oh，he’sslippedouttoseetothehorse，I

suppose。Comeupstairsandtakeyourthingsoff。"

Annelookedaboutherwithbright，appreciativeeyesasshefollowedMrs。DoctorDaveupstairs。Shelikedtheappearanceofhernewhomeverymuch。ItseemedtohavetheatmosphereofGreenGablesandtheflavorofheroldtraditions。

"IthinkIwouldhavefoundMissElizabethRussella`kindredspirit，’"shemurmuredwhenshewasaloneinherroom。Thereweretwowindowsinit；thedormeronelookedoutonthelowerharborandthesand-barandtheFourWindslight。

"AmagiccasementopeningonthefoamOfperilousseasinfairylandsforlorn，"

quotedAnnesoftly。Thegablewindowgaveaviewofalittleharvest-huedvalleythroughwhichabrookran。

Halfamileupthebrookwastheonlyhouseinsight——anold，rambling，grayonesurroundedbyhugewillowsthroughwhichitswindowspeered，likeshy，seekingeyes，intothedusk。Annewonderedwholivedthere；theywouldbehernearestneighborsandshehopedtheywouldbenice。Shesuddenlyfoundherselfthinkingofthebeautifulgirlwiththewhitegeese。

"Gilbertthoughtshedidn’tbelonghere，"musedAnne，"butIfeelsureshedoes。Therewassomethingaboutherthatmadeherpartoftheseaandtheskyandtheharbor。FourWindsisinherblood。"

WhenAnnewentdownstairsGilbertwasstandingbeforethefireplacetalkingtoastranger。BothturnedasAnneentered。

"Anne，thisisCaptainBoyd。CaptainBoyd，mywife。"

ItwasthefirsttimeGilberthadsaid"mywife"toanybodybutAnne，andhenarrowlyescapedburstingwiththeprideofit。TheoldcaptainheldoutasinewyhandtoAnne；theysmiledateachotherandwerefriendsfromthatmoment。Kindredspiritflashedrecognitiontokindredspirit。

"I’mrightdownpleasedtomeetyou，MistressBlythe；

andIhopeyou’llbeashappyasthefirstbridewaswhocamehere。Ican’twishyounobetterthanTHAT。

Butyourhusbanddoesn’tintroducemejestexactlyright。`CaptainJim’ismyweek-a-daynameandyoumightaswellbeginasyou’resartaintoendup——callingmethat。Yousartainlyareanicelittlebride，MistressBlythe。LookingatyousortermakesmefeelthatI’vejestbeenmarriedmyself。"

AmidthelaughterthatfollowedMrs。DoctorDaveurgedCaptainJimtostayandhavesupperwiththem。

"Thankyoukindly。’Twillbearealtreat，MistressDoctor。Imostlyhastoeatmymealsalone，withthereflectionofmyuglyoldphizinalooking-glassoppositeforcompany。’Tisn’toftenIhaveachancetositdownwithtwosuchsweet，purtyladies。"

CaptainJim’scomplimentsmaylookverybaldonpaper，buthepaidthemwithsuchagracious，gentledeferenceoftoneandlookthatthewomanuponwhomtheywerebestowedfeltthatshewasbeingofferedaqueen’stributeinakinglyfashion。

CaptainJimwasahigh-souled，simple-mindedoldman，witheternalyouthinhiseyesandheart。Hehadatall，ratherungainlyfigure，somewhatstooped，yetsuggestiveofgreatstrengthandendurance；aclean-shavenfacedeeplylinedandbronzed；athickmaneofiron-grayhairfallingquitetohisshoulders，andapairofremarkablyblue，deep-seteyes，whichsometimestwinkledandsometimesdreamed，andsometimeslookedoutseawardwithawistfulquestinthem，asofoneseekingsomethingpreciousandlost。

AnnewastolearnonedaywhatitwasforwhichCaptainJimlooked。

ItcouldnotbedeniedthatCaptainJimwasahomelyman。Hissparejaws，ruggedmouth，andsquarebrowwerenotfashionedonthelinesofbeauty；andhehadpassedthroughmanyhardshipsandsorrowswhichhadmarkedhisbodyaswellashissoul；butthoughatfirstsightAnnethoughthimplainsheneverthoughtanythingmoreaboutit——thespiritshiningthroughthatruggedtenementbeautifieditsowholly。

Theygatheredgailyaroundthesuppertable。ThehearthfirebanishedthechilloftheSeptemberevening，butthewindowofthediningroomwasopenandseabreezesenteredattheirownsweetwill。Theviewwasmagnificent，takingintheharborandthesweepoflow，purplehillsbeyond。ThetablewasheapedwithMrs。Doctor’sdelicaciesbutthepiecederesistancewasundoubtedlythebigplatterofseatrout。

"Thoughtthey’dbesortertastyaftertravelling，"

saidCaptainJim。"They’refreshastroutcanbe，MistressBlythe。TwohoursagotheywereswimmingintheGlenPond。"

"Whoisattendingtothelighttonight，CaptainJim？"

askedDoctorDave。

"NephewAlec。HeunderstandsitaswellasIdo。

Well，now，I’mrealgladyouaskedmetostaytosupper。I’mproperhungry——didn’thavemuchofadinnertoday。"

"Ibelieveyouhalfstarveyourselfmostofthetimedownatthatlight，"saidMrs。DoctorDaveseverely。

"Youwon’ttakethetroubletogetupadecentmeal。"

"Oh，Ido，MistressDoctor，Ido，"protestedCaptainJim。"Why，Ilivelikeakinggen’rally。LastnightIwasuptotheGlenandtookhometwopoundsofsteak。

Imeanttohaveaspankinggooddinnertoday。"

"Andwhathappenedtothesteak？"askedMrs。DoctorDave。"Didyouloseitonthewayhome？"

"No。"CaptainJimlookedsheepish。"Justatbedtimeapoor，ornerysortofdogcamealongandaskedforanight’slodging。Guesshebelongedtosomeofthefishermen’longshore。Icouldn’tturnthepoorcurout——hehadasorefoot。SoIshuthimintheporch，withanoldbagtolieon，andwenttobed。ButsomehowIcouldn’tsleep。Cometothinkitover，I

sorterrememberedthatthedoglookedhungry。"

"Andyougotupandgavehimthatsteak——ALLthatsteak，"saidMrs。DoctorDave，withakindoftriumphantreproof。

"Well，therewasn’tanythingelseTOgivehim，"saidCaptainJimdeprecatingly。"Nothingadog’dcarefor，thatis。IreckonheWAShungry，forhemadeabouttwobitesofit。Ihadafinesleeptherestofthenightbutmydinnerhadtobesorterscanty——potatoesandpoint，asyoumightsay。Thedog，helitoutforhomethismorning。IreckonHEweren’tavegetarian。"

"Theideaofstarvingyourselfforaworthlessdog！"

sniffedMrs。Doctor。

"Youdon’tknowbuthemaybeworthalottosomebody，"protestedCaptainJim。"Hedidn’tLOOKofmuchaccount，butyoucan’tgobylooksinjedgingadog。Likemeself，hemightbearealbeautyinside。

TheFirstMatedidn’tapproveofhim，I’llallow。Hislanguagewasrightdownforcible。ButtheFirstMateisprejudiced。Nouseintakingacat’sopinionofadog。

’Tennyrate，Ilostmydinner，sothisnicespreadinthisdee-lightfulcompanyisrealpleasant。It’sagreatthingtohavegoodneighbors。"

"Wholivesinthehouseamongthewillowsupthebrook？"askedAnne。

"Mrs。DickMoore，"saidCaptainJim——"andherhusband，"headded，asifbywayofanafterthought。

Annesmiled，anddeducedamentalpictureofMrs。DickMoorefromCaptainJim’swayofputtingit；evidentlyasecondMrs。RachelLynde。

"Youhaven’tmanyneighbors，MistressBlythe，"CaptainJimwenton。"Thissideoftheharborismightythinlysettled。MostofthelandbelongstoMr。HowardupyanderpasttheGlen，andherentsitoutforpasture。

Theothersideoftheharbor，now，isthickwithfolks——’speciallyMacAllisters。There’sawholecolonyofMacAllistersyoucan’tthrowastonebutyouhitone。IwastalkingtooldLeonBlacquieretheotherday。He’sbeenworkingontheharborallsummer。

`Dey’renearlyallMacAllistersoverthar，’hetoldme。

`Dare’sNeilMacAllisterandSandyMacAllisterandWilliamMacAllisterandAlecMacAllisterandAngusMacAllister——andIbelievedare’sdeDevilMacAllister。’"

"TherearenearlyasmanyElliottsandCrawfords，"

saidDoctorDave，afterthelaughterhadsubsided。

"Youknow，Gilbert，wefolkonthissideofFourWindshaveanoldsaying——`FromtheconceitoftheElliotts，theprideoftheMacAllisters，andthevaingloryoftheCrawfords，goodLorddeliverus。’"

"There’saplentyoffinepeopleamongthem，though，"

saidCaptainJim。"IsailedwithWilliamCrawfordformanyayear，andforcourageandenduranceandtruththatmanhadn’tanequal。They’vegotbrainsoveronthatsideofFourWinds。Mebbethat’swhythissideissorterinclinedtopickon’em。Strange，ain’tit，howfolksseemtoresentanyonebeingbornamiteclevererthantheybe。"

DoctorDave，whohadafortyyears’feudwiththeover-harborpeople，laughedandsubsided。

"Wholivesinthatbrilliantemeraldhouseabouthalfamileuptheroad？"askedGilbert。

CaptainJimsmileddelightedly。

"MissCorneliaBryant。She’lllikelybeovertoseeyousoon，seeingyou’rePresbyterians。IfyouwereMethodistsshewouldn’tcomeatall。CorneliahasaholyhorrorofMethodists。"

"She’squiteacharacter，"chuckledDoctorDave。"A

mostinveterateman-hater！"

"Sourgrapes？"queriedGilbert，laughing。

"No，’tisn’tsourgrapes，"answeredCaptainJimseriously。"Corneliacouldhavehadherpickwhenshewasyoung。Evenyetshe’sonlytosaythewordtoseetheoldwidowersjump。ShejestseemstohavebeenbornwithasortofchronicspiteaginmenandMethodists。She’sgotthebitteresttongueandthekindestheartinFourWinds。Whereverthere’sanytrouble，thatwomanisthere，doingeverythingtohelpinthetenderestway。Sheneversaysaharshwordaboutanotherwoman，andifshelikestocarduspoorscalawagsofmendownIreckonourtougholdhidescanstandit。"

"Shealwaysspeakswellofyou，CaptainJim，"saidMrs。Doctor。

"Yes，I’mafraidso。Idon’thalflikeit。Itmakesmefeelasiftheremustbesomethingsorterunnateralaboutme。"

CHAPTER7

THESCHOOLMASTER’SBRIDE

"Whowasthefirstbridewhocametothishouse，CaptainJim？"Anneasked，astheysataroundthefireplaceaftersupper。

"WassheapartofthestoryI’veheardwasconnectedwiththishouse？"askedGilbert。"Somebodytoldmeyoucouldtellit，CaptainJim。"

"Well，yes，Iknowit。IreckonI’mtheonlypersonlivinginFourWindsnowthatcanremembertheschoolmaster’sbrideasshewaswhenshecometotheIsland。She’sbeendeadthisthirtyyear，butshewasoneofthemwomenyouneverforget。"

"Tellusthestory，"pleadedAnne。"Iwanttofindoutallaboutthewomenwhohavelivedinthishousebeforeme。"

"Well，there’sjestbeenthree——ElizabethRussell，andMrs。NedRussell，andtheschoolmaster’sbride。

ElizabethRussellwasanice，cleverlittlecritter，andMrs。Nedwasanicewoman，too。Buttheyweren’teverliketheschoolmaster’sbride。

"Theschoolmaster’snamewasJohnSelwyn。HecameoutfromtheOldCountrytoteachschoolattheGlenwhenI

wasaboyofsixteen。Hewasn’tmuchliketheusualrunofderelictswhousedtocomeouttoP。E。I。toteachschoolinthemdays。Mostofthemwereclever，drunkencritterswhotaughtthechildrenthethreeR’swhentheyweresober，andlambastedthemwhentheywasn’t。ButJohnSelwynwasafine，handsomeyoungfellow。Heboardedatmyfather’s，andheandmewerecronies，thoughhewastenyearsolder’nme。Wereadandwalkedandtalkedaheaptogether。Heknewaboutallthepoetrythatwaseverwritten，Ireckon，andheusedtoquoteittomealongshoreintheevenings。

Dadthoughtitanawfulwasteoftime，buthesorterenduredit，hopingit’dputmeoffthenotionofgoingtosea。Well，nothingcoulddoTHAT——mothercomeofaraceofsea-goingfolkanditwasborninme。ButI

lovedtohearJohnreadandrecite。It’salmostsixtyyearsago，butIcouldrepeatyardsofpoetryIlearnedfromhim。Nearlysixtyyears！"

CaptainJimwassilentforaspace，gazingintotheglowingfireinaquestofthebygones。Then，withasigh，heresumedhisstory。

"IrememberonespringeveningImethimonthesand-hills。Helookedsorteruplifted——jestlikeyoudid，Dr。Blythe，whenyoubroughtMistressBlytheintonight。IthoughtofhimtheminuteIseenyou。Andhetoldmethathehadasweetheartbackhomeandthatshewascomingouttohim。Iwasn’tmore’nhalfpleased，orneryyounglumpofselfishnessthatIwas；I

thoughthewouldn’tbeasmuchmyfriendaftershecame。ButI’denoughdecencynottolethimseeit。

Hetoldmeallabouther。HernamewasPersisLeigh，andshewouldhavecomeoutwithhimifithadn’tbeenforherolduncle。Hewassick，andhe’dlookedafterherwhenherparentsdiedandshewouldn’tleavehim。

AndnowhewasdeadandshewascomingouttomarryJohnSelwyn。’Twasn’tnoeasyjourneyforawomaninthemdays。Thereweren’tnosteamers，youmustricollect。

"`Whendoyouexpecther？’saysI。

"`ShesailsontheRoyalWilliam，the20thofJune，’

sayshe，`andsosheshouldbeherebymid-July。I

mustsetCarpenterJohnsontobuildingmeahomeforher。Herlettercometoday。IknowbeforeIopeneditthatithadgoodnewsforme。Isawherafewnightsago。’

"Ididn’tunderstandhim，andthenheexplained——thoughIdidn’tunderstandTHATmuchbetter。

Hesaidhehadagift——oracurse。Themwashiswords，MistressBlythe——agiftoracurse。Hedidn’tknowwhichitwas。Hesaidagreat-great-grandmotherofhishadhadit，andtheyburnedherforawitchonaccountofit。Hesaidqueerspells——trances，Ithinkwasthenamehegive’em——comeoverhimnowandagain。Aretheresuchthings，Doctor？"

"Therearepeoplewhoarecertainlysubjecttotrances，"answeredGilbert。"Thematterismoreinthelineofpsychicalresearchthanmedical。WhatwerethetrancesofthisJohnSelwynlike？"

"Likedreams，"saidtheoldDoctorskeptically。

"Hesaidhecouldseethingsinthem，"saidCaptainJimslowly。

"Mindyou，I’mtellingyoujestwhatHEsaid——thingsthatwerehappening——thingsthatwereGOINGtohappen。

Hesaidtheyweresometimesacomforttohimandsometimesahorror。Fournightsbeforethishe’dbeeninone——wentintoitwhilehewassittinglookingatthefire。AndhesawanoldroomheknewwellinEngland，andPersisLeighinit，holdingoutherhandstohimandlookinggladandhappy。Soheknewhewasgoingtoheargoodnewsofher。"

"Adream——adream，"scoffedtheoldDoctor。

"Likely——likely，"concededCaptainJim。"That’swhat_I_saidtohimatthetime。Itwasavastmorecomfortabletothinkso。Ididn’tliketheideaofhimseeingthingslikethat——itwasrealuncanny。

"`No，’sayshe，`Ididn’tdreamit。Butwewon’ttalkofthisagain。Youwon’tbesomuchmyfriendifyouthinkmuchaboutit。’

"Itoldhimnothingcouldmakemeanylesshisfriend。

Buthejestshookhisheadandsays，sayshe:

"`Lad，Iknow。I’velostfriendsbeforebecauseofthis。Idon’tblamethem。TherearetimeswhenIfeelhardlyfriendlytomyselfbecauseofit。Suchapowerhasabitofdivinityinit——whetherofagoodoranevildivinitywhoshallsay？AndwemortalsallshrinkfromtooclosecontactwithGodordevil。’

"Themwashiswords。Irememberthemasif’twasyesterday，thoughIdidn’tknowjestwhathemeant。

Whatdoyous’poseheDIDmean，doctor？"

"Idoubtifheknewwhathemeanthimself，"saidDoctorDavetestily。

"IthinkIunderstand，"whisperedAnne。Shewaslisteninginheroldattitudeofclaspedlipsandshiningeyes。CaptainJimtreatedhimselftoanadmiringsmilebeforehewentonwithhisstory。

"Well，purtysoonalltheGlenandFourWindspeopleknewtheschoolmaster’sbridewascoming，andtheywereallgladbecausetheythoughtsomuchofhim。Andeverybodytookaninterestinhisnewhouse——THIS

house。Hepickedthissiteforit，becauseyoucouldseetheharborandheartheseafromit。Hemadethegardenoutthereforhisbride，buthedidn’tplanttheLombardies。Mrs。NedRussellplantedTHEM。Butthere’sadoublerowofrose-bushesinthegardenthatthelittlegirlswhowenttotheGlenschoolsetouttherefortheschoolmaster’sbride。Hesaidtheywerepinkforhercheeksandwhiteforherbrowandredforherlips。He’dquotedpoetrysomuchthathesortergotintothehabitoftalkingit，too，Ireckon。

"Almosteverybodysenthimsomelittlepresenttohelpoutthefurnishingofthehouse。WhentheRussellscameintoittheywerewell-to-doandfurnisheditrealhandsome，asyoucansee；butthefirstfurniturethatwentintoitwasplainenough。Thislittlehousewasrichinlove，though。Thewomensentinquiltsandtableclothsandtowels，andonemanmadeachestforher，andanotheratableandsoon。EvenblindoldAuntMargaretBoydwovealittlebasketforheroutofthesweet-scentedsand-hillgrass。Theschoolmaster’swifeuseditforyearstokeepherhandkerchiefsin。

"Well，atlasteverythingwasready——eventothelogsinthebigfireplacereadyforlighting。’Twasn’texactlyTHISfireplace，though’twasinthesameplace。

MissElizabethhadthisputinwhenshemadethehouseoverfifteenyearsago。Itwasabig，old-fashionedfireplacewhereyoucouldhaveroastedanox。Many’sthetimeI’vesathereandspunyarns，same’sI’mdoingtonight。"

Againtherewasasilence，whileCaptainJimkeptapassingtrystwithvisitantsAnneandGilbertcouldnotsee——thefolkswhohadsatwithhimaroundthatfireplaceinthevanishedyears，withmirthandbridaljoyshiningineyeslongsinceclosedforeverunderchurchyardsodorheavingleaguesofsea。Hereonoldennightschildrenhadtossedlaughterlightlytoandfro。Hereonwintereveningsfriendshadgathered。Danceandmusicandjesthadbeenhere。

Hereyouthsandmaidenshaddreamed。ForCaptainJimthelittlehousewastenantedwithshapesentreatingremembrance。

"ItwasthefirstofJulywhenthehousewasfinished。

Theschoolmasterbegantocountthedaysthen。Weusedtoseehimwalkingalongtheshore，andwe’dsaytoeachother，`She’llsoonbewithhimnow。’

"ShewasexpectedthemiddleofJuly，butshedidn’tcomethen。Nobodyfeltanxious。Vesselswereoftendelayedfordaysandmebbeweeks。TheRoyalWilliamwasaweekoverdue——andthentwo——andthenthree。Andatlastwebegantobefrightened，anditgotworseandworse。Fin’llyIcouldn’tbeartolookintoJohnSelwyn’seyes。D’yeknow，MistressBlythe"——CaptainJimloweredhisvoice——"Iusedtothinkthattheylookedjustlikewhathisoldgreat-great-grandmother’smusthavebeenwhentheywereburninghertodeath。Heneversaidmuchbuthetaughtschoollikeamaninadreamandthenhurriedtotheshore。Manyanighthewalkedtherefromdarktodawn。Peoplesaidhewaslosinghismind。Everybodyhadgivenuphope——theRoyalWilliamwaseightweeksoverdue。ItwasthemiddleofSeptemberandtheschoolmaster’sbridehadn’tcome——neverwouldcome，wethought。

"Therewasabigstormthenthatlastedthreedays，andontheeveningafteritdiedawayIwenttotheshore。

Ifoundtheschoolmasterthere，leaningwithhisarmsfoldedagainstabigrock，gazingouttosea。

"Ispoketohimbuthedidn’tanswer。HiseyesseemedtobelookingatsomethingIcouldn’tsee。Hisfacewasset，likeadeadman’s。

"`John——John，’Icalledout——jestlikethat——jestlikeafrightenedchild，`wakeup——wakeup。’

"Thatstrange，awfullookseemedtosorterfadeoutofhiseyes。

Heturnedhisheadandlookedatme。I’veneverforgothisface——neverwillforgetittillIshipsformylastvoyage。

"`Alliswell，lad，’hesays。`I’veseentheRoyalWilliamcomingaroundEastPoint。Shewillbeherebydawn。TomorrownightIshallsitwithmybridebymyownhearth-fire。’

"Doyouthinkhedidseeit？"demandedCaptainJimabruptly。

"Godknows，"saidGilbertsoftly。"Greatloveandgreatpainmightcompassweknownotwhatmarvels。"

"Iamsurehedidseeit，"saidAnneearnestly。

"Fol-de-rol，"saidDoctorDave，buthespokewithlessconvictionthanusual。

"Because，youknow，"saidCaptainJimsolemnly，"theRoyalWilliamcameintoFourWindsHarboratdaylightthenextmorning。

EverysoulintheGlenandalongtheshorewasattheoldwharftomeether。Theschoolmasterhadbeenwatchingthereallnight。Howwecheeredasshesailedupthechannel。"

CaptainJim’seyeswereshining。TheywerelookingattheFourWindsHarborofsixtyyearsagone，withabatteredoldshipsailingthroughthesunrisesplendor。

"AndPersisLeighwasonboard？"askedAnne。

"Yes——herandthecaptain’swife。They’dhadanawfulpassage——stormafterstorm——andtheirprovisionsgiveout，too。Buttheretheywereatlast。WhenPersisLeighsteppedontotheoldwharfJohnSelwyntookherinhisarms——andfolksstoppedcheeringandbeguntocry。Icriedmyself，though’twasyears，mindyou，aforeI’dadmitit。Ain’titfunnyhowashamedboysareoftears？"

"WasPersisLeighbeautiful？"askedAnne。

"Well，Idon’tknowthatyou’dcallherbeautifulexactly——I——don’t——know，"saidCaptainJimslowly。

"Somehow，younevergotsofaralongastowonderifshewashandsomeornot。Itjestdidn’tmatter。Therewassomethingsosweetandwinsomeaboutherthatyouhadtoloveher，thatwasall。Butshewaspleasanttolookat——big，clear，hazeleyesandheapsofglossybrownhair，andanEnglishskin。Johnandherweremarriedatourhousethatnightatearlycandle-lighting；everybodyfromfarandnearwastheretoseeitandweallbroughtthemdownhereafterwards。

MistressSelwynlightedthefire，andwewentawayandleftthemsittinghere，jestasJohnhadseeninthatvisionofhis。Astrangething——astrangething！ButI’veseenaturriblelotofstrangethingsinmytime。"

CaptainJimshookhisheadsagely。

"It’sadearstory，"saidAnne，feelingthatforonceshehadgotenoughromancetosatisfyher。"Howlongdidtheylivehere？"

"Fifteenyears。Iranofftoseasoonaftertheyweremarried，liketheyoungscalawagIwas。ButeverytimeIcomebackfromavoyageI’dheadforhere，evenbeforeIwenthome，andtellMistressSelwynallaboutit。Fifteenhappyyears！Theyhadasortoftalentforhappiness，themtwo。Somefolksarelikethat，ifyou’venoticed。TheyCOULDN’Tbeunhappyforlong，nomatterwhathappened。Theyquarrelledonceortwice，fortheywasbothhigh-sperrited。ButMistressSelwynsaystomeonce，saysshe，laughinginthatprettywayofhers，`IfeltdreadfulwhenJohnandIquarrelled，butunderneathitallIwasveryhappybecauseIhadsuchanicehusbandtoquarrelwithandmakeitupwith。’ThentheymovedtoCharlottetown，andNedRussellboughtthishouseandbroughthisbridehere。

Theywereagayyoungpair，asIrememberthem。MissElizabethRussellwasAlec’ssister。Shecametolivewiththemayearorsolater，andshewasacreatureofmirth，too。ThewallsofthishousemustbesorterSOAKEDwithlaughingandgoodtimes。You’rethethirdbrideI’veseencomehere，MistressBlythe——andthehandsomest。"

CaptainJimcontrivedtogivehissunflowercomplimentthedelicacyofaviolet，andAnneworeitproudly。

Shewaslookingherbestthatnight，withthebridalroseonhercheeksandthelove-lightinhereyes；evengruffoldDoctorDavegaveheranapprovingglance，andtoldhiswife，astheydrovehometogether，thatthatred-headedwifeoftheboy’swassomethingofabeauty。

"Imustbegettingbacktothelight，"announcedCaptainJim。"I’veenj’yedthiseveningsomethingtremenjus。"

"Youmustcomeoftentoseeus，"saidAnne。

"Iwonderifyou’dgivethatinvitationifyouknewhowlikelyI’llbetoacceptit，"CaptainJimremarkedwhimsically。

"WhichisanotherwayofsayingyouwonderifImeanit，"smiledAnne。"Ido，`crossmyheart，’asweusedtosayatschool。"

"ThenI’llcome。You’relikelytobepesteredwithmeatanyhour。AndI’llbeproudtohaveyoudropdownandvisitmenowandthen，too。Gin’rallyIhaven’tanyonetotalktobuttheFirstMate，blesshissociableheart。He’samightygoodlistener，andhasforgotmore’nanyMacAllisterofthemalleverknew，butheisn’tmuchofaconversationalist。You’reyoungandI’mold，butoursoulsareaboutthesameage，I

reckon。WebothbelongtotheracethatknowsJoseph，asCorneliaBryantwouldsay。"

"TheracethatknowsJoseph？"puzzledAnne。

"Yes。Corneliadividesallthefolksintheworldintotwokinds——theracethatknowsJosephandtheracethatdon’t。Ifapersonsorterseeseyetoeyewithyou，andhasprettymuchthesameideasaboutthings，andthesametasteinjokes——why，thenhebelongstotheracethatknowsJoseph。"

"Oh，Iunderstand，"exclaimedAnne，lightbreakinginuponher。

"It’swhatIusedtocall——andstillcallinquotationmarks`kindredspirits。’"

"Jestso——jestso，"agreedCaptainJim。"We’reit，whateverITis。Whenyoucomeintonight，MistressBlythe，Isaystomyself，saysI，`Yes，she’softheracethatknowsJoseph。’AndmightygladIwas，forifitwasn’tsowecouldn’thavehadanyrealsatisfactionineachother’scompany。TheracethatknowsJosephisthesaltoftheairth，Ireckon。"

ThemoonhadjustrisenwhenAnneandGilbertwenttothedoorwiththeirguests。FourWindsHarborwasbeginningtobeathingofdreamandglamourandenchantment——aspellboundhavenwherenotempestmighteverravin。TheLombardiesdownthelane，tallandsombreasthepriestlyformsofsomemysticband，weretippedwithsilver。

"AlwayslikedLombardies，"saidCaptainJim，wavingalongarmatthem。"They’rethetreesofprincesses。

They’reoutoffashionnow。Folkscomplainthattheydieatthetopandgetragged-looking。Sotheydo——sotheydo，ifyoudon’triskyourneckeveryspringclimbingupalightladdertotrimthemout。IalwaysdiditforMissElizabeth，soherLombardiesnevergotout-at-elbows。Shewasespeciallyfondofthem。Shelikedtheirdignityandstand-offishness。THEYdon’thobnobwitheveryTom，DickandHarry。Ifit’smaplesforcompany，MistressBlythe，it’sLombardiesforsociety。"

"Whatabeautifulnight，"saidMrs。DoctorDave，assheclimbedintotheDoctor’sbuggy。

"Mostnightsarebeautiful，"saidCaptainJim。"ButI

’lowthatmoonlightoverFourWindsmakesmesorterwonderwhat’sleftforheaven。Themoon’sagreatfriendofmine，MistressBlythe。I’velovedhereversinceIcanremember。WhenIwasalittlechapofeightIfellasleepinthegardenoneeveningandwasn’tmissed。IwokeupalonginthenightandIwasmostscaredtodeath。Whatshadowsandqueernoisestherewas！Idursn’tmove。Jestcrouchedtherequaking，poorsmallmite。Seemed’sifthereweren’tanyoneintheworldbutmeselfanditwasmightybig。

ThenallatonceIsawthemoonlookingdownatmethroughtheappleboughs，jestlikeanoldfriend。I

wascomfortedrightoff。Gotupandwalkedtothehouseasbraveasalion，lookingather。Many’sthenightI’vewatchedherfromthedeckofmyvessel，onseasfarawayfromhere。Whydon’tyoufolkstellmetotakeintheslackofmyjawandgohome？"

Thelaughterofthegoodnightsdiedaway。AnneandGilbertwalkedhandinhandaroundtheirgarden。Thebrookthatranacrossthecornerdimpledpellucidlyintheshadowsofthebirches。Thepoppiesalongitsbankswerelikeshallowcupsofmoonlight。Flowersthathadbeenplantedbythehandsoftheschoolmaster’sbrideflungtheirsweetnessontheshadowyair，likethebeautyandblessingofsacredyesterdays。Annepausedinthegloomtogatheraspray。

"Ilovetosmellflowersinthedark，"shesaid。"Yougetholdoftheirsoulthen。Oh，Gilbert，thislittlehouseisallI’vedreamedit。AndI’msogladthatwearenotthefirstwhohavekeptbridaltrysthere！"

CHAPTER8

MISSCORNELIABRYANTCOMESTOCALL

ThatSeptemberwasamonthofgoldenmistsandpurplehazesatFourWindsHarbor——amonthofsun-steepeddaysandofnightsthatwereswimminginmoonlight，orpulsatingwithstars。Nostormmarredit，noroughwindblew。AnneandGilbertputtheirnestinorder，rambledontheshores，sailedontheharbor，droveaboutFourWindsandtheGlen，orthroughtheferny，sequesteredroadsofthewoodsaroundtheharborhead；

inshort，hadsuchahoneymoonasanyloversintheworldmighthaveenviedthem。

"Iflifeweretostopshortjustnowitwouldstillhavebeenrichlyworthwhile，justforthesakeofthesepastfourweeks，wouldn’tit？"saidAnne。"I

don’tsupposewewilleverhavefoursuchperfectweeksagain——butwe’veHADthem。Everything——wind，weather，folks，houseofdreams——hasconspiredtomakeourhoneymoondelightful。Therehasn’tevenbeenarainydaysincewecamehere。"

"Andwehaven’tquarrelledonce，"teasedGilbert。

"Well，`that’sapleasureallthegreaterforbeingdeferred，’"quotedAnne。"I’msogladwedecidedtospendourhoneymoonhere。Ourmemoriesofitwillalwaysbelonghere，inourhouseofdreams，insteadofbeingscatteredaboutinstrangeplaces。"

TherewasacertaintangofromanceandadventureintheatmosphereoftheirnewhomewhichAnnehadneverfoundinAvonlea。There，althoughshehadlivedinsightofthesea，ithadnotenteredintimatelyintoherlife。InFourWindsitsurroundedherandcalledtoherconstantly。Fromeverywindowofhernewhomeshesawsomevaryingaspectofit。Itshauntingmurmurwaseverinherears。VesselssaileduptheharboreverydaytothewharfattheGlen，orsailedoutagainthroughthesunset，boundforportsthatmightbehalfwayroundtheglobe。Fishingboatswentwhite-wingeddownthechannelinthemornings，andreturnedladenintheevenings。Sailorsandfisher-folktravelledthered，windingharborroads，light-heartedandcontent。Therewasalwaysacertainsenseofthingsgoingtohappen——ofadventuresandfarings-forth。ThewaysofFourWindswerelessstaidandsettledandgroovedthanthoseofAvonlea；windsofchangeblewoverthem；theseacalledevertothedwellersonshore，andeventhosewhomightnotansweritscallfeltthethrillandunrestandmysteryandpossibilitiesofit。

"Iunderstandnowwhysomemenmustgotosea，"saidAnne。"Thatdesirewhichcomestousallattimes——`tosailbeyondthebourneofsunset’——mustbeveryimperiouswhenitisborninyou。Idon’twonderCaptainJimranawaybecauseofit。Ineverseeashipsailingoutofthechannel，oragullsoaringoverthesand-bar，withoutwishingIwereonboardtheshiporhadwings，notlikeadove`toflyawayandbeatrest，’butlikeagull，tosweepoutintotheveryheartofastorm。"

"You’llstayrightherewithme，Anne-girl，"saidGilbertlazily。"Iwon’thaveyouflyingawayfrommeintotheheartsofstorms。"

Theyweresittingontheirredsand-stonedoorstepinthelateafternoon。Greattranquillitieswereallabouttheminlandandseaandsky。Silverygullsweresoaringoverthem。Thehorizonswerelacedwithlongtrailsoffrail，pinkishclouds。Thehushedairwasthreadedwithamurmurousrefrainofminstrelwindsandwaves。Paleasterswereblowinginthesereandmistymeadowsbetweenthemandtheharbor。

"Doctorswhohavetobeupallnightwaitingonsickfolkdon’tfeelveryadventurous，Isuppose，"Annesaidindulgently。"Ifyouhadhadagoodsleeplastnight，Gilbert，you’dbeasreadyasIamforaflightofimagination。"

"Ididgoodworklastnight，Anne，"saidGilbertquietly。"UnderGod，Isavedalife。ThisisthefirsttimeIcouldeverreallyclaimthat。InothercasesImayhavehelped；but，Anne，ifIhadnotstayedatAllonby’slastnightandfoughtdeathhandtohand，thatwomanwouldhavediedbeforemorning。ItriedanexperimentthatwascertainlynevertriedinFourWindsbefore。Idoubtifitwasevertriedanywherebeforeoutsideofahospital。ItwasanewthinginKingsporthospitallastwinter。IcouldneverhavedaredtryithereifIhadnotbeenabsolutelycertainthattherewasnootherchance。Iriskedit——anditsucceeded。

Asaresult，agoodwifeandmotherissavedforlongyearsofhappinessandusefulness。AsIdrovehomethismorning，whilethesunwasrisingovertheharbor，IthankedGodthatIhadchosentheprofessionIdid。

Ihadfoughtagoodfightandwon——thinkofit，Anne，WON，againsttheGreatDestroyer。It’swhatIdreamedofdoinglongagowhenwetalkedtogetherofwhatwewantedtodoinlife。Thatdreamofminecametruethismorning。"

"Wasthattheonlyoneofyourdreamsthathascometrue？"askedAnne，whoknewperfectlywellwhatthesubstanceofhisanswerwouldbe，butwantedtohearitagain。

"YOUknow，Anne-girl，"saidGilbert，smilingintohereyes。AtthatmomenttherewerecertainlytwoperfectlyhappypeoplesittingonthedoorstepofalittlewhitehouseontheFourWindsHarborshore。

PresentlyGilbertsaid，withachangeoftone，"DoIordoInotseeafull-riggedshipsailingupourlane？"

Annelookedandsprangup。

"ThatmustbeeitherMissCorneliaBryantorMrs。Moorecomingtocall，"shesaid。

"I’mgoingintotheoffice，andifitisMissCorneliaIwarnyouthatI’lleavesdrop，"saidGilbert。"FromallI’veheardregardingMissCorneliaIconcludethatherconversationwillnotbedull，tosaytheleast。"

"ItmaybeMrs。Moore。"

"Idon’tthinkMrs。Mooreisbuiltonthoselines。I

sawherworkinginhergardentheotherday，and，thoughIwastoofarawaytoseeclearly，Ithoughtshewasratherslender。Shedoesn’tseemverysociallyinclinedwhenshehasnevercalledonyouyet，althoughshe’syournearestneighbor。"

"Shecan’tbelikeMrs。Lynde，afterall，orcuriositywouldhavebroughther，"saidAnne。"Thiscalleris，Ithink，MissCornelia。"

MissCorneliaitwas；moreover，MissCorneliahadnotcometomakeanybriefandfashionableweddingcall。

Shehadherworkunderherarminasubstantialparcel，andwhenAnneaskedhertostayshepromptlytookoffhercapacioussun-hat，whichhadbeenheldonherhead，despiteirreverentSeptemberbreezes，byatightelasticbandunderherhardlittleknoboffairhair。

NohatpinsforMissCornelia，anitpleaseye！

ElasticbandshadbeengoodenoughforhermotherandtheyweregoodenoughforHER。Shehadafresh，round，pink-and-whiteface，andjollybrowneyes。Shedidnotlookintheleastlikethetraditionaloldmaid，andtherewassomethinginherexpressionwhichwonAnneinstantly。WithheroldinstinctivequicknesstodiscernkindredspiritssheknewshewasgoingtolikeMissCornelia，inspiteofuncertainodditiesofopinion，andcertainodditiesofattire。

NobodybutMissCorneliawouldhavecometomakeacallarrayedinastripedblue-and-whiteapronandawrapperofchocolateprint，withadesignofhuge，pinkrosesscatteredoverit。AndnobodybutMissCorneliacouldhavelookeddignifiedandsuitablygarbedinit。HadMissCorneliabeenenteringapalacetocallonaprince’sbride，shewouldhavebeenjustasdignifiedandjustaswhollymistressofthesituation。Shewouldhavetrailedherrose-spatteredflounceoverthemarblefloorsjustasunconcernedly，andshewouldhaveproceededjustascalmlytodisabusethemindoftheprincessofanyideathatthepossessionofamereman，beheprinceorpeasant，wasanythingtobragof。

"I’vebroughtmywork，Mrs。Blythe，dearie，"sheremarked，unrollingsomedaintymaterial。"I’minahurrytogetthisdone，andthereisn’tanytimetolose。"

AnnelookedinsomesurpriseatthewhitegarmentspreadoverMissCornelia’samplelap。Itwascertainlyababy’sdress，anditwasmostbeautifullymade，withtinyfrillsandtucks。MissCorneliaadjustedherglassesandfelltoembroideringwithexquisitestitches。

"ThisisforMrs。FredProctorupattheGlen，"sheannounced。"She’sexpectinghereighthbabyanydaynow，andnotastitchhasshereadyforit。Theothersevenhaveworeoutallshemadeforthefirst，andshe’sneverhadtimeorstrengthorspirittomakeanymore。Thatwomanisamartyr，Mrs。Blythe，believeME。

WhenshemarriedFredProctor_I_knewhowitwouldturnout。Hewasoneofyourwicked，fascinatingmen。

Afterhegotmarriedheleftoffbeingfascinatingandjustkeptonbeingwicked。Hedrinksandheneglectshisfamily。Isn’tthatlikeaman？Idon’tknowhowMrs。Proctorwouldeverkeepherchildrendecentlyclothedifherneighborsdidn’thelpherout。"

AsAnnewasafterwardstolearn，MissCorneliawastheonlyneighborwhotroubledherselfmuchaboutthedecencyoftheyoungProctors。

"WhenIheardthiseighthbabywascomingIdecidedtomakesomethingsforit，"MissCorneliawenton。

"ThisisthelastandIwanttofinishittoday。"

"It’scertainlyverypretty，"saidAnne。"I’llgetmysewingandwe’llhavealittlethimblepartyoftwo。

Youareabeautifulsewer，MissBryant。"

"Yes，I’mthebestsewerintheseparts，"saidMissCorneliainamatter-of-facttone。"Ioughttobe！

Lord，I’vedonemoreofitthanifI’dhadahundredchildrenofmyown，believeME！Is’poseI’mafool，tobeputtinghandembroideryonthisdressforaneighthbaby。But，Lord，Mrs。Blythe，dearie，itisn’ttoblameforbeingtheeighth，andIkindofwishedittohaveonerealprettydress，justasifitWAS

wanted。Nobody’swantingthepoormite——soIputsomeextrafussonitslittlethingsjustonthataccount。"

"Anybabymightbeproudofthatdress，"saidAnne，feelingstillmorestronglythatshewasgoingtolikeMissCornelia。

"Is’poseyou’vebeenthinkingIwasnevercomingtocallonyou，"resumedMissCornelia。"Butthisisharvestmonth，youknow，andI’vebeenbusy——andalotofextrahandshanginground，eatingmore’ntheywork，justlikethemen。I’dhavecomeyesterday，butIwenttoMrs。RoderickMacAllister’sfuneral。AtfirstI

thoughtmyheadwasachingsobadlyIcouldn’tenjoymyselfifIdidgo。Butshewasahundredyearsold，andI’dalwayspromisedmyselfthatI’dgotoherfuneral。"

"Wasitasuccessfulfunction？"askedAnne，noticingthattheofficedoorwasajar。

"What’sthat？Oh，yes，itwasatremendousfuneral。

Shehadaverylargeconnection。Therewasoveronehundredandtwentycarriagesintheprocession。Therewasoneortwofunnythingshappened。IthoughtthatdieIwouldtoseeoldJoeBradshaw，whoisaninfidelandneverdarkensthedoorofachurch，singing`SafeintheArmsofJesus’withgreatgustoandfervor。Hegloriesinsinging——that’swhyhenevermissesafuneral。PoorMrs。Bradshawdidn’tlookmuchlikesinging——allworeoutslaving。OldJoestartsoutonceinawhiletobuyherapresentandbringshomesomenewkindoffarmmachinery。Isn’tthatlikeaman？

Butwhatelsewouldyouexpectofamanwhonevergoestochurch，evenaMethodistone？IwasrealthankfultoseeyouandtheyoungDoctorinthePresbyterianchurchyourfirstSunday。Nodoctorformewhoisn’taPresbyterian。"

"WewereintheMethodistchurchlastSundayevening，"

saidAnnewickedly。

"Oh，Is’poseDr。BlythehastogototheMethodistchurchonceinawhileorhewouldn’tgettheMethodistpractice。"

"Welikedthesermonverymuch，"declaredAnneboldly。

"AndIthoughttheMethodistminster’sprayerwasoneofthemostbeautifulIeverheard。"

"Oh，I’venodoubthecanpray。IneverheardanyonemakemorebeautifulprayersthanoldSimonBentley，whowasalwaysdrunk，orhopingtobe，andthedrunkerhewasthebetterheprayed。"

"TheMethodistministerisveryfinelooking，"saidAnne，forthebenefitoftheofficedoor。

"Yes，he’squiteornamental，"agreedMissCornelia。

"Oh，andVERYladylike。Andhethinksthateverygirlwholooksathimfallsinlovewithhim——asifaMethodistminister，wanderingaboutlikeanyJew，wassuchaprize！IfyouandtheyoungdoctortakeMY

advice，youwon’thavemuchtodowiththeMethodists。

Mymottois——ifyouAREaPresbyterian，BEaPresbyterian。"

"Don’tyouthinkthatMethodistsgotoheavenaswellasPresbyterians？"askedAnnesmilelessly。

"Thatisn’tforUStodecide。It’sinhigherhandsthanours，"saidMissCorneliasolemnly。"ButIain’tgoingtoassociatewiththemonearthwhateverImayhavetodoinheaven。THISMethodistministerisn’tmarried。Thelastonetheyhadwas，andhiswifewasthesilliest，flightiestlittlethingIeversaw。I

toldherhusbandoncethatheshouldhavewaitedtillshewasgrownupbeforehemarriedher。Hesaidhewantedtohavethetrainingofher。Wasn’tthatlikeaman？"

"It’sratherhardtodecidejustwhenpeopleAREgrownup，"laughedAnne。

"That’satrueword，dearie。Somearegrownupwhenthey’reborn，andothersain’tgrownupwhenthey’reeighty，believeME。ThatsameMrs。RoderickIwasspeakingofnevergrewup。Shewasasfoolishwhenshewasahundredaswhenshewasten。"

"Perhapsthatwaswhyshelivedsolong，"suggestedAnne。

"Maybe’twas。_I_’dratherlivefiftysensibleyearsthanahundredfoolishones。"

"Butjustthinkwhatadullworlditwouldbeifeveryonewassensible，"pleadedAnne。

MissCorneliadisdainedanyskirmishofflippantepigram。

"Mrs。RoderickwasaMilgrave，andtheMilgravesneverhadmuchsense。Hernephew，EbenezerMilgrave，usedtobeinsaneforyears。Hebelievedhewasdeadandusedtorageathiswifebecauseshewouldn’tburyhim。

_I_’da-doneit。"

MissCornelialookedsogrimlydeterminedthatAnnecouldalmostseeherwithaspadeinherhand。

"Don’tyouknowANYgoodhusbands，MissBryant？"

"Oh，yes，lotsofthem——overyonder，"saidMissCornelia，wavingherhandthroughtheopenwindowtowardsthelittlegraveyardofthechurchacrosstheharbor。

"Butliving——goingaboutintheflesh？"persistedAnne。

"Oh，there’safew，justtoshowthatwithGodallthingsarepossible，"acknowledgedMissCorneliareluctantly。"Idon’tdenythatanoddmanhereandthere，ifhe’scaughtyoungandtrainedupproper，andifhismotherhasspankedhimwellbeforehand，mayturnoutadecentbeing。YOURhusband，now，isn’tsobad，asmengo，fromallIhear。Is’pose"——MissCornelialookedsharplyatAnneoverherglasses——"youthinkthere’snobodylikehimintheworld。"

"Thereisn’t，"saidAnnepromptly。

"Ah，well，Iheardanotherbridesaythatonce，"

sighedMissCornelia。"JennieDeanthoughtwhenshemarriedthattherewasn’tanybodylikeHERhusbandintheworld。Andshewasright——therewasn’t！Andagoodthing，too，believeME！Heledheranawfullife——andhewascourtinghissecondwifewhileJenniewasdying。

Wasn’tthatlikeaman？However，IhopeYOUR

confidencewillbebetterjustified，dearie。Theyoungdoctoristakingrealwell。Iwasafraidatfirsthemightn’t，forfolkshereaboutshavealwaysthoughtoldDoctorDavetheonlydoctorintheworld。DoctorDavehadn’tmuchtact，tobesure——hewasalwaystalkingofropesinhouseswheresomeonehadhangedhimself。Butfolksforgottheirhurtfeelingswhentheyhadapainintheirstomachs。Ifhe’dbeenaministerinsteadofadoctorthey’dneverhaveforgivenhim。Soul-achedoesn’tworryfolksnearasmuchasstomach-ache。

Seeingaswe’rebothPresbyteriansandnoMethodistsaround，willyoutellmeyourcandidopinionofOUR

minister？"

"Why——really——I——well，"hesitatedAnne。

MissCornelianodded。

"Exactly。Iagreewithyou，dearie。WemadeamistakewhenwecalledHIM。Hisfacejustlookslikeoneofthoselong，narrowstonesinthegraveyard，doesn’tit？

`Sacredtothememory’oughttobewrittenonhisforehead。Ishallneverforgetthefirstsermonhepreachedafterhecame。Itwasonthesubjectofeveryonedoingwhattheywerebestfittedfor——averygoodsubject，ofcourse；butsuchillustrationsasheused！Hesaid，`Ifyouhadacowandanappletree，andifyoutiedtheappletreeinyourstableandplantedthecowinyourorchard，withherlegsup，howmuchmilkwouldyougetfromtheappletree，orhowmanyapplesfromthecow？’Didyoueverhearthelikeinyourborndays，dearie？IwassothankfultherewerenoMethodiststherethatday——they’dneverhavebeendonehootingoverit。ButwhatIdislikemostinhimishishabitofagreeingwitheverybody，nomatterwhatissaid。Ifyousaidtohim，`You’reascoundrel，’he’dsay，withthatsmoothsmileofhis，`Yes，that’sso。’Aministershouldhavemorebackbone。Thelongandtheshortofitis，Iconsiderhimareverendjackass。But，ofcourse，thisisjustbetweenyouandme。WhenthereareMethodistsinhearingIpraisehimtotheskies。Somefolksthinkhiswifedressestoogay，but_I_saywhenshehastolivewithafacelikethatsheneedssomethingtocheerherup。You’llneverhearMEcondemningawomanforherdress。I’monlytoothankfulwhenherhusbandisn’ttoomeanandmiserlytoallowit。NotthatI

bothermuchwithdressmyself。Womenjustdresstopleasethemen，andI’dneverstooptoTHAT。Ihavehadarealplacid，comfortablelife，dearie，andit’sjustbecauseInevercaredacentwhatthementhought。"

"Whydoyouhatethemenso，MissBryant？"

"Lord，dearie，Idon’thatethem。Theyaren’tworthit。Ijustsortofdespisethem。IthinkI’lllikeYOURhusbandifhekeepsonashehasbegun。ButapartfromhimabouttheonlymenintheworldI’vemuchuseforaretheolddoctorandCaptainJim。"

"CaptainJimiscertainlysplendid，"agreedAnnecordially。

"CaptainJimisagoodman，buthe’skindofvexinginoneway。YouCAN’Tmakehimmad。I’vetriedfortwentyyearsandhejustkeepsonbeingplacid。Itdoessortofrileme。AndIs’posethewomanheshouldhavemarriedgotamanwhowentintotantrumstwiceaday。"

"Whowasshe？"

"Oh，Idon’tknow，dearie。IneverrememberofCaptainJimmakinguptoanybody。Hewasedgingonoldasfarasmymemorygoes。He’sseventy-six，youknow。I

neverheardanyreasonforhisstayingabachelor，buttheremustbeone，believeME。Hesailedallhislifetillfiveyearsago，andthere’snocorneroftheearthhehasn’tpokedhisnoseinto。HeandElizabethRussellweregreatcronies，alltheirlives，buttheyneverhadanynotionofsweet-hearting。Elizabethnevermarried，thoughshehadplentyofchances。Shewasagreatbeautywhenshewasyoung。TheyearthePrinceofWalescametotheIslandshewasvisitingheruncleinCharlottetownandhewasaGovernmentofficial，andsoshegotinvitedtothegreatball。

Shewastheprettiestgirlthere，andthePrincedancedwithher，andalltheotherwomenhedidn’tdancewithwerefuriousaboutit，becausetheirsocialstandingwashigherthanhersandtheysaidheshouldn’thavepassedthemover。Elizabethwasalwaysveryproudofthatdance。Meanfolkssaidthatwaswhyshenevermarried——shecouldn’tputupwithanordinarymanafterdancingwithaprince。Butthatwasn’tso。Shetoldmethereasononce——itwasbecauseshehadsuchatemperthatshewasafraidshecouldn’tlivepeaceablywithanyman。SheHADanawfultemper——sheusedtohavetogoupstairsandbitepiecesoutofherbureautokeepitdownbytimes。ButItoldherthatwasn’tanyreasonfornotmarryingifshewantedto。There’snoreasonwhyweshouldletthemenhaveamonopolyoftemper，isthere，Mrs。Blythe，dearie？"

"I’veabitoftempermyself，"sighedAnne。

"It’swellyouhave，dearie。Youwon’tbehalfsolikelytobetroddenon，believeME！My，howthatgoldenglowofyoursisblooming！Yourgardenlooksfine。PoorElizabethalwaystooksuchcareofit。"

"Iloveit，"saidAnne。"I’mgladit’ssofullofold-fashionedflowers。Speakingofgardening，wewanttogetamantodigupthatlittlelotbeyondthefirgroveandsetitoutwithstrawberryplantsforus。

Gilbertissobusyhewillnevergettimeforitthisfall。Doyouknowanyonewecanget？"

"Well，HenryHammondupattheGlengoesoutdoingjobslikethat。He’lldo，maybe。He’salwaysaheapmoreinterestedinhiswagesthaninhiswork，justlikeaman，andhe’ssoslowintheuptakethathestandsstillforfiveminutesbeforeitdawnsonhimthathe’sstopped。Hisfatherthrewastumpathimwhenhewassmall。

Nicegentlemissile，wasn’tit？Solikeaman！

Course，theboynevergotoverit。Buthe’stheonlyoneIcanrecommendatall。Hepaintedmyhouseformelastspring。Itlooksrealnicenow，don’tyouthink？"

Annewassavedbytheclockstrikingfive。

"Lord，isitthatlate？"exclaimedMissCornelia。

"Howtimedoesslipbywhenyou’reenjoyingyourself！

Well，Imustbetakemyselfhome。"

"No，indeed！Youaregoingtostayandhaveteawithus，"saidAnneeagerly。

"Areyouaskingmebecauseyouthinkyououghtto，orbecauseyoureallywantto？"demandedMissCornelia。

"BecauseIreallywantto。"

"ThenI’llstay。YOUbelongtotheracethatknowsJoseph。"

"Iknowwearegoingtobefriends，"saidAnne，withthesmilethatonlytheyofthehouseholdoffaitheversaw。

"Yes，weare，dearie。Thankgoodness，wecanchooseourfriends。Wehavetotakeourrelativesastheyare，andbethankfuliftherearenopenitentiarybirdsamongthem。NotthatI’vemany——nonenearerthansecondcousins。I’makindoflonelysoul，Mrs。

Blythe。"

TherewasawistfulnoteinMissCornelia’svoice。

"IwishyouwouldcallmeAnne，"exclaimedAnneimpulsively。"ItwouldseemmoreHOMEY。EveryoneinFourWinds，exceptmyhusband，callsmeMrs。Blythe，anditmakesmefeellikeastranger。DoyouknowthatyournameisverynearbeingtheoneIyearnedafterwhenIwasachild。Ihated`Anne’andIcalledmyself`Cordelia’inimagination。"

"IlikeAnne。Itwasmymother’sname。Old-fashionednamesarethebestandsweetestinmyopinion。Ifyou’regoingtogetteayoumightsendtheyoungdoctortotalktome。He’sbeenlyingonthesofainthatofficeeversinceIcame，laughingfittokilloverwhatI’vebeensaying。"

"Howdidyouknow？"criedAnne，tooaghastatthisinstanceofMissCornelia’suncannypresciencetomakeapolitedenial。

"IsawhimsittingbesideyouwhenIcameupthelane，andIknowmen’stricks，"retortedMissCornelia。

"There，I’vefinishedmylittledress，dearie，andtheeighthbabycancomeassoonasitpleases。"