ThenextdaywasSundayandastherainpoureddownintorrentsfromdawntillduskAnnedidnotstirabroadfromGreenGables。
MondayafternoonMarillasentherdowntoMrs。Lynde’sonanerrand。InaveryshortspaceoftimeAnnecameflyingbackupthelanewithtearsrollingdownhercheeks。Intothekitchenshedashedandflungherselffacedownwardonthesofainanagony。
\"Whateverhasgonewrongnow，Anne？\"queriedMarillaindoubtanddismay。\"Idohopeyouhaven’tgoneandbeensaucytoMrs。Lyndeagain。\"
NoanswerfromAnnesavemoretearsandstormiersobs！
\"AnneShirley，whenIaskyouaquestionIwanttobeanswered。
Sitrightupthisveryminuteandtellmewhatyouarecryingabout。\"
Annesatup，tragedypersonified。
\"Mrs。LyndewasuptoseeMrs。BarrytodayandMrs。Barrywasinanawfulstate，\"shewailed。\"ShesaysthatIsetDianaDRUNK
Saturdayandsentherhomeinadisgracefulcondition。AndshesaysImustbeathoroughlybad，wickedlittlegirlandshe’snever，nevergoingtoletDianaplaywithmeagain。Oh，Marilla，I’mjustovercomewithwoe。\"
Marillastaredinblankamazement。
\"SetDianadrunk！\"shesaidwhenshefoundhervoice。\"AnneareyouorMrs。Barrycrazy？Whatonearthdidyougiveher？\"
\"Notathingbutraspberrycordial，\"sobbedAnne。\"Ineverthoughtraspberrycordialwouldsetpeopledrunk，Marilla——noteveniftheydrankthreebigtumblerfulsasDianadid。Oh，itsoundsso——so——likeMrs。Thomas’shusband！ButIdidn’tmeantosetherdrunk。\"
\"Drunkfiddlesticks！\"saidMarilla，marchingtothesittingroompantry。Thereontheshelfwasabottlewhichsheatoncerecognizedasonecontainingsomeofherthree-year-oldhomemadecurrantwineforwhichshewascelebratedinAvonlea，althoughcertainofthestrictersort，Mrs。Barryamongthem，disapprovedstronglyofit。AndatthesametimeMarillarecollectedthatshehadputthebottleofraspberrycordialdowninthecellarinsteadofinthepantryasshehadtoldAnne。
Shewentbacktothekitchenwiththewinebottleinherhand。
Herfacewastwitchinginspiteofherself。
\"Anne，youcertainlyhaveageniusforgettingintotrouble。YouwentandgaveDianacurrantwineinsteadofraspberrycordial。
Didn’tyouknowthedifferenceyourself？\"
\"Inevertastedit，\"saidAnne。\"Ithoughtitwasthecordial。
Imeanttobeso——so——hospitable。Dianagotawfullysickandhadtogohome。Mrs。BarrytoldMrs。Lyndeshewassimplydeaddrunk。Shejustlaughedsilly-likewhenhermotheraskedherwhatwasthematterandwenttosleepandsleptforhours。Hermothersmelledherbreathandknewshewasdrunk。Shehadafearfulheadachealldayyesterday。Mrs。Barryissoindignant。
ShewillneverbelievebutwhatIdiditonpurpose。\"
\"IshouldthinkshewouldbetterpunishDianaforbeingsogreedyastodrinkthreeglassfulsofanything，\"saidMarillashortly。
\"Why，threeofthosebigglasseswouldhavemadehersickevenifithadonlybeencordial。Well，thisstorywillbeanicehandleforthosefolkswhoaresodownonmeformakingcurrantwine，althoughIhaven’tmadeanyforthreeyearseversinceIfoundoutthattheministerdidn’tapprove。Ijustkeptthatbottleforsickness。There，there，child，don’tcry。Ican’tseeasyouweretoblamealthoughI’msorryithappenedso。\"
\"Imustcry，\"saidAnne。\"Myheartisbroken。Thestarsintheircoursesfightagainstme，Marilla。DianaandIarepartedforever。
Oh，Marilla，Ilittledreamedofthiswhenfirstwesworeourvowsoffriendship。\"
\"Don’tbefoolish，Anne。Mrs。Barrywillthinkbetterofitwhenshefindsyou’renottoblame。Isupposeshethinksyou’vedoneitforasillyjokeorsomethingofthatsort。You’dbestgoupthiseveningandtellherhowitwas。\"
\"MycouragefailsmeatthethoughtoffacingDiana’sinjuredmother，\"sighedAnne。\"Iwishyou’dgo，Marilla。You’resomuchmoredignifiedthanIam。Likelyshe’dlistentoyouquickerthantome。\"
\"Well，Iwill，\"saidMarilla，reflectingthatitwouldprobablybethewisercourse。\"Don’tcryanymore，Anne。Itwillbeallright。\"
MarillahadchangedhermindaboutitbeingallrightbythetimeshegotbackfromOrchardSlope。Annewaswatchingforhercomingandflewtotheporchdoortomeether。
\"Oh，Marilla，Iknowbyyourfacethatit’sbeennouse，\"shesaidsorrowfully。\"Mrs。Barrywon’tforgiveme？\"
\"Mrs。Barryindeed！\"snappedMarilla。\"OfalltheunreasonablewomenIeversawshe’stheworst。Itoldheritwasallamistakeandyouweren’ttoblame，butshejustsimplydidn’tbelieveme。AndsherubbeditwellinaboutmycurrantwineandhowI’dalwayssaiditcouldn’thavetheleasteffectonanybody。
Ijusttoldherplainlythatcurrantwinewasn’tmeanttobedrunkthreetumblerfulsatatimeandthatifachildIhadtodowithwassogreedyI’dsoberherupwitharightgoodspanking。\"
Marillawhiskedintothekitchen，grievouslydisturbed，leavingaverymuchdistractedlittlesoulintheporchbehindher。
PresentlyAnnesteppedoutbareheadedintothechillautumndusk；
verydeterminedlyandsteadilyshetookherwaydownthroughtheserecloverfieldoverthelogbridgeandupthroughthesprucegrove，lightedbyapalelittlemoonhanginglowoverthewesternwoods。Mrs。Barry，comingtothedoorinanswertoatimidknock，foundawhite-lippedeager-eyedsuppliantonthedoorstep。
Herfacehardened。Mrs。Barrywasawomanofstrongprejudicesanddislikes，andherangerwasofthecold，sullensortwhichisalwayshardesttoovercome。Todoherjustice，shereallybelievedAnnehadmadeDianadrunkoutofsheermaliceprepense，？？？
andshewashonestlyanxioustopreserveherlittledaughterfromthecontaminationoffurtherintimacywithsuchachild。
\"Whatdoyouwant？\"shesaidstiffly。
Anneclaspedherhands。
\"Oh，Mrs。Barry，pleaseforgiveme。Ididnotmeanto——to——intoxicateDiana。HowcouldI？Justimagineifyouwereapoorlittleorphangirlthatkindpeoplehadadoptedandyouhadjustonebosomfriendinalltheworld。Doyouthinkyouwouldintoxicateheronpurpose？Ithoughtitwasonlyraspberrycordial。Iwasfirmlyconvinceditwasraspberrycordial。Oh，pleasedon’tsaythatyouwon’tletDianaplaywithmeanymore。
Ifyoudoyouwillcovermylifewithadarkcloudofwoe。\"
ThisspeechwhichwouldhavesoftenedgoodMrs。Lynde’sheartinatwinkling，hadnoeffectonMrs。Barryexcepttoirritateherstillmore。ShewassuspiciousofAnne’sbigwordsanddramaticgesturesandimaginedthatthechildwasmakingfunofher。Soshesaid，coldlyandcruelly:
\"Idon’tthinkyouareafitlittlegirlforDianatoassociatewith。You’dbettergohomeandbehaveyourself。\"
Anne’slipsquivered。
\"Won’tyouletmeseeDianajustoncetosayfarewell？\"sheimplored。
\"DianahasgoneovertoCarmodywithherfather，\"saidMrs。
Barry，goinginandshuttingthedoor。
AnnewentbacktoGreenGablescalmwithdespair。
\"Mylasthopeisgone，\"shetoldMarilla。\"IwentupandsawMrs。Barrymyselfandshetreatedmeveryinsultingly。Marilla，IdoNOTthinksheisawell-bredwoman。ThereisnothingmoretodoexcepttoprayandIhaven’tmuchhopethatthat’lldomuchgoodbecause，Marilla，IdonotbelievethatGodHimselfcandoverymuchwithsuchanobstinatepersonasMrs。Barry。\"
\"Anne，youshouldn’tsaysuchthings\"rebukedMarilla，strivingtoovercomethatunholytendencytolaughterwhichshewasdismayedtofindgrowinguponher。Andindeed，whenshetoldthewholestorytoMatthewthatnight，shedidlaughheartilyoverAnne’stribulations。
ButwhensheslippedintotheeastgablebeforegoingtobedandfoundthatAnnehadcriedherselftosleepanunaccustomedsoftnesscreptintoherface。
\"Poorlittlesoul，\"shemurmured，liftingaloosecurlofhairfromthechild’stear-stainedface。Thenshebentdownandkissedtheflushedcheekonthepillow。
CHAPTERXVII
ANewInterestinLifeTHEnextafternoonAnne，bendingoverherpatchworkatthekitchenwindow，happenedtoglanceoutandbeheldDianadownbytheDryad’sBubblebeckoningmysteriously。InatriceAnnewasoutofthehouseandflyingdowntothehollow，astonishmentandhopestrugglinginherexpressiveeyes。ButthehopefadedwhenshesawDiana’sdejectedcountenance。
\"Yourmotherhasn’trelented？\"shegasped。
Dianashookherheadmournfully。
\"No；andoh，Anne，shesaysI’mnevertoplaywithyouagain。
I’vecriedandcriedandItoldheritwasn’tyourfault，butitwasn’tanyuse。Ihadeversuchatimecoaxinghertoletmecomedownandsaygood-byetoyou。ShesaidIwasonlytostaytenminutesandshe’stimingmebytheclock。\"
\"Tenminutesisn’tverylongtosayaneternalfarewellin，\"saidAnnetearfully。\"Oh，Diana，willyoupromisefaithfullynevertoforgetme，thefriendofyouryouth，nomatterwhatdearerfriendsmaycaressthee？\"
\"IndeedIwill，\"sobbedDiana，\"andI’llneverhaveanotherbosomfriend——Idon’twanttohave。Icouldn’tloveanybodyasIloveyou。\"
\"Oh，Diana，\"criedAnne，claspingherhands，\"doyouLOVEme？\"
\"Why，ofcourseIdo。Didn’tyouknowthat？\"
\"No。\"Annedrewalongbreath。\"IthoughtyouLIKEDmeofcoursebutIneverhopedyouLOVEDme。Why，Diana，Ididn’tthinkanybodycouldloveme。NobodyeverhaslovedmesinceIcanremember。Oh，thisiswonderful！It’sarayoflightwhichwillforevershineonthedarknessofapathseveredfromthee，Diana。
Oh，justsayitonceagain。\"
\"Iloveyoudevotedly，Anne，\"saidDianastanchly，\"andIalwayswill，youmaybesureofthat。\"
\"AndIwillalwayslovethee，Diana，\"saidAnne，solemnlyextendingherhand。\"Intheyearstocomethymemorywillshinelikeastarovermylonelylife，asthatlaststorywereadtogethersays。Diana，wiltthougivemealockofthyjet-blacktressesinpartingtotreasureforevermore？\"
\"Haveyougotanythingtocutitwith？\"queriedDiana，wipingawaythetearswhichAnne’saffectingaccentshadcausedtoflowafresh，andreturningtopracticalities。
\"Yes。I’vegotmypatchworkscissorsinmyapronpocketfortunately，\"saidAnne。ShesolemnlyclippedoneofDiana’scurls。\"Faretheewell，mybelovedfriend。Henceforthwemustbeasstrangersthoughlivingsidebyside。Butmyheartwilleverbefaithfultothee。\"
AnnestoodandwatchedDianaoutofsight，mournfullywavingherhandtothelatterwheneversheturnedtolookback。Thenshereturnedtothehouse，notalittleconsoledforthetimebeingbythisromanticparting。
\"Itisallover，\"sheinformedMarilla。\"Ishallneverhaveanotherfriend。I’mreallyworseoffthaneverbefore，forI
haven’tKatieMauriceandViolettanow。AndevenifIhaditwouldn’tbethesame。Somehow，littledreamgirlsarenotsatisfyingafterarealfriend。DianaandIhadsuchanaffectingfarewelldownbythespring。Itwillbesacredinmymemoryforever。IusedthemostpatheticlanguageIcouldthinkofandsaid`thou’and`thee。’`Thou’and`thee’seemsomuchmoreromanticthan`you。’DianagavemealockofherhairandI’mgoingtosewitupinalittlebagandwearitaroundmyneckallmylife。Pleaseseethatitisburiedwithme，forIdon’tbelieveI’llliveverylong。PerhapswhensheseesmelyingcoldanddeadbeforeherMrs。BarrymayfeelremorseforwhatshehasdoneandwillletDianacometomyfuneral。\"
\"Idon’tthinkthereismuchfearofyourdyingofgriefaslongasyoucantalk，Anne，\"saidMarillaunsympathetically。
ThefollowingMondayAnnesurprisedMarillabycomingdownfromherroomwithherbasketofbooksonherarmandhip？？？lipsprimmedupintoalineofdetermination。
\"I’mgoingbacktoschool，\"sheannounced。\"Thatisallthereisleftinlifeforme，nowthatmyfriendhasbeenruthlesslytornfromme。InschoolIcanlookatherandmuseoverdaysdeparted。\"
\"You’dbettermuseoveryourlessonsandsums，\"saidMarilla，concealingherdelightatthisdevelopmentofthesituation。\"Ifyou’regoingbacktoschoolIhopewe’llhearnomoreofbreakingslatesoverpeople’sheadsandsuchcarryingson。Behaveyourselfanddojustwhatyourteachertellsyou。\"
\"I’lltrytobeamodelpupil，\"agreedAnnedolefully。\"Therewon’tbemuchfuninit，Iexpect。Mr。PhillipssaidMinnieAndrewswasamodelpupilandthereisn’tasparkofimaginationorlifeinher。Sheisjustdullandpokyandneverseemstohaveagoodtime。ButIfeelsodepressedthatperhapsitwillcomeeasytomenow。I’mgoingroundbytheroad。Icouldn’tbeartogobytheBirchPathallalone。IshouldweepbittertearsifIdid。\"
Annewaswelcomedbacktoschoolwithopenarms。Herimaginationhadbeensorelymissedingames，hervoiceinthesingingandherdramaticabilityintheperusalaloudofbooksatdinnerhour。
RubyGillissmuggledthreeblueplumsovertoherduringtestamentreading；EllaMayMacPhersongaveheranenormousyellowpansycutfromthecoversofafloralcatalogue——aspeciesofdeskdecorationmuchprizedinAvonleaschool。SophiaSloaneofferedtoteachheraperfectlyelegantnewpatternofknitlace，sonicefortrimmingaprons。KatieBoultergaveheraperfumebottletokeepslatewaterin，andJuliaBellcopiedcarefullyonapieceofpalepinkpaperscallopedontheedgesthefollowingeffusion:
WhentwilightdropshercurtaindownAndpinsitwithastarRememberthatyouhaveafriendThoughshemaywanderfar。
\"It’ssonicetobeappreciated，\"sighedAnnerapturouslytoMarillathatnight。
Thegirlswerenottheonlyscholarswho\"appreciated\"her。WhenAnnewenttoherseatafterdinnerhour——shehadbeentoldbyMr。
PhillipstositwiththemodelMinnieAndrews——shefoundonherdeskabigluscious\"strawberryapple。\"AnnecaughtitupallreadytotakeabitewhensherememberedthattheonlyplaceinAvonleawherestrawberryapplesgrewwasintheoldBlytheorchardontheothersideoftheLakeofShiningWaters。Annedroppedtheappleasifitwereared-hotcoalandostentatiouslywipedherfingersonherhandkerchief。Theapplelayuntouchedonherdeskuntilthenextmorning，whenlittleTimothyAndrews，whoswepttheschoolandkindledthefire，annexeditasoneofhisperquisites。CharlieSloane’sslatepencil，gorgeouslybedizenedwithstripedredandyellowpaper，costingtwocentswhereordinarypencilscostonlyone，whichhesentuptoherafterdinnerhour，metwithamorefavorablereception。AnnewasgraciouslypleasedtoacceptitandrewardedthedonorwithasmilewhichexaltedthatinfatuatedyouthstraightwayintotheseventhheavenofdelightandcausedhimtomakesuchfearfulerrorsinhisdictationthatMr。Phillipskepthiminafterschooltorewriteit。
Butas，TheCaesar’spageantshornofBrutus’bustDidbutofRome’sbestsonremindhermore。
sothemarkedabsenceofanytributeorrecognitionfromDianaBarrywhowassittingwithGertiePyeembitteredAnne’slittletriumph。
\"Dianamightjusthavesmiledatmeonce，Ithink，\"shemournedtoMarillathatnight。Butthenextmorninganotemostfearfullyandwonderfullytwistedandfolded，andasmallparcelwerepassedacrosstoAnne。
DearAnnerantheformer
MothersaysI’mnottoplaywithyouortalktoyoueveninschool。Itisn’tmyfaultanddon’tbecrossatme，becauseI
loveyouasmuchasever。ImissyouawfullytotellallmysecretstoandIdon’tlikeGertiePyeonebit。Imadeyouoneofthenewbookmarkersoutofredtissuepaper。Theyareawfullyfashionablenowandonlythreegirlsinschoolknowhowtomakethem。WhenyoulookatitrememberYourtruefriendDianaBarry。
Annereadthenote，kissedthebookmark，anddispatchedapromptreplybacktotheothersideoftheschool。
MyowndarlingDiana:——
OfcourseIamnotcrossatyoubecauseyouhavetoobeyyourmother。Ourspiritscancommune。Ishallkeepyourlovelypresentforever。MinnieAndrewsisaverynicelittlegirl——althoughshehasnoimagination——butafterhavingbeenDiana’sbusumfriendIcannotbeMinnie’s。Pleaseexcusemistakesbecausemyspellingisn’tverygoodyet，althoughmuchimprooved。
YoursuntildeathusdopartAnneorCordeliaShirley。
P。S。Ishallsleepwithyourletterundermypillowtonight。
A。ORC。S。
MarillapessimisticallyexpectedmoretroublesinceAnnehadagainbeguntogotoschool。Butnonedeveloped。PerhapsAnnecaughtsomethingofthe\"model\"spiritfromMinnieAndrews；atleastshegotonverywellwithMr。Phillipsthenceforth。Sheflungherselfintoherstudiesheartandsoul，determinednottobeoutdoneinanyclassbyGilbertBlythe。Therivalrybetweenthemwassoonapparent；itwasentirelygoodnaturedonGilbert’sside；butitismuchtobefearedthatthesamethingcannotbesaidofAnne，whohadcertainlyanunpraiseworthytenacityforholdinggrudges。Shewasasintenseinherhatredsasinherloves。ShewouldnotstooptoadmitthatshemeanttorivalGilbertinschoolwork，becausethatwouldhavebeentoacknowledgehisexistencewhichAnnepersistentlyignored；buttherivalrywasthereandhonorsfluctuatedbetweenthem。NowGilbertwasheadofthespellingclass；nowAnne，withatossofherlongredbraids，spelledhimdown。OnemorningGilberthadallhissumsdonecorrectlyandhadhisnamewrittenontheblackboardontherollofhonor；thenextmorningAnne，havingwrestledwildlywithdecimalstheentireeveningbefore，wouldbefirst。Oneawfuldaytheyweretiesandtheirnameswerewrittenuptogether。Itwasalmostasbadasatake-noticeandAnne’smortificationwasasevidentasGilbert’ssatisfaction。Whenthewrittenexaminationsattheendofeachmonthwereheldthesuspensewasterrible。ThefirstmonthGilbertcameoutthreemarksahead。ThesecondAnnebeathimbyfive。ButhertriumphwasmarredbythefactthatGilbertcongratulatedherheartilybeforethewholeschool。Itwouldhavebeeneversomuchsweetertoherifhehadfeltthestingofhisdefeat。
Mr。Phillipsmightnotbeaverygoodteacher；butapupilsoinflexiblydeterminedonlearningasAnnewascouldhardlyescapemakingprogressunderanykindofteacher。BytheendofthetermAnneandGilbertwerebothpromotedintothefifthclassandallowedtobeginstudyingtheelementsof\"thebranches\"——bywhichLatin，geometry，French，andalgebraweremeant。IngeometryAnnemetherWaterloo。
\"It’sperfectlyawfulstuff，Marilla，\"shegroaned。\"I’msureI’llneverbeabletomakeheadortailofit。Thereisnoscopeforimaginationinitatall。Mr。PhillipssaysI’mtheworstdunceheeversawatit。AndGil——Imeansomeoftheothersaresosmartatit。Itisextremelymortifying，Marilla。
EvenDianagetsalongbetterthanIdo。ButIdon’tmindbeingbeatenbyDiana。EvenalthoughwemeetasstrangersnowIstillloveherwithanINEXTINGUISHABLElove。Itmakesmeverysadattimestothinkabouther。Butreally，Marilla，onecan’tstaysadverylonginsuchaninterestingworld，canone？\"
CHAPTERXVIII
AnnetotheRescueALLthingsgreatarewoundupwithallthingslittle。AtfirstglanceitmightnotseemthatthedecisionofacertainCanadianPremiertoincludePrinceEdwardIslandinapoliticaltourcouldhavemuchoranythingtodowiththefortunesoflittleAnneShirleyatGreenGables。Butithad。
ItwasaJanuarythePremiercame，toaddresshisloyalsupportersandsuchofhisnonsupportersaschosetobepresentatthemonstermassmeetingheldinCharlottetown。MostoftheAvonleapeoplewereonPremier’ssideofpolitics；henceonthenightofthemeetingnearlyallthemenandagoodlyproportionofthewomenhadgonetotownthirtymilesaway。Mrs。RachelLyndehadgonetoo。Mrs。RachelLyndewasared-hotpoliticianandcouldn’thavebelievedthatthepoliticalrallycouldbecarriedthroughwithouther，althoughshewasontheoppositesideofpolitics。Soshewenttotownandtookherhusband——Thomaswouldbeusefulinlookingafterthehorse——andMarillaCuthbertwithher。Marillahadasneakinginterestinpoliticsherself，andasshethoughtitmightbeheronlychancetoseeareallivePremier，shepromptlytookit，leavingAnneandMatthewtokeephouseuntilherreturnthefollowingday。
Hence，whileMarillaandMrs。Rachelwereenjoyingthemselveshugelyatthemassmeeting，AnneandMatthewhadthecheerfulkitchenatGreenGablesalltothemselves。Abrightfirewasglowingintheold-fashionedWaterloostoveandblue-whitefrostcrystalswereshiningonthewindowpanes。MatthewnoddedoveraFARMERS’ADVOCATEonthesofaandAnneatthetablestudiedherlessonswithgrimdetermination，despitesundrywistfulglancesattheclockshelf，wherelayanewbookthatJaneAndrewshadlentherthatday。Janehadassuredherthatitwaswarrantedtoproduceanynumberofthrills，orwordstothateffect，andAnne’sfingerstingledtoreachoutforit。ButthatwouldmeanGilbertBlythe’striumphonthemorrow。Anneturnedherbackontheclockshelfandtriedtoimagineitwasn’tthere。
\"Matthew，didyoueverstudygeometrywhenyouwenttoschool？\"
\"Wellnow，no，Ididn’t，\"saidMatthew，comingoutofhisdozewithastart。
\"Iwishyouhad，\"sighedAnne，\"becausethenyou’dbeabletosympathizewithme。Youcan’tsympathizeproperlyifyou’veneverstudiedit。Itiscastingacloudovermywholelife。I’msuchadunceatit，Matthew。\"
\"Wellnow，Idunno，\"saidMatthewsoothingly。\"Iguessyou’reallrightatanything。Mr。PhillipstoldmelastweekinBlair’sstoreatCarmodythatyouwasthesmartestscholarinschoolandwasmakingrapidprogress。`Rapidprogress’washisverywords。There’sthemasrunsdownTeddyPhillipsandsaysheain’tmuchofateacher，butIguesshe’sallright。\"
MatthewwouldhavethoughtanyonewhopraisedAnnewas\"allright。\"
\"I’msureI’dgetonbetterwithgeometryifonlyhewouldn’tchangetheletters，\"complainedAnne。\"IlearnthepropositionoffbyheartandthenhedrawsitontheblackboardandputsdifferentlettersfromwhatareinthebookandIgetallmixedup。Idon’tthinkateachershouldtakesuchameanadvantage，doyou？We’restudyingagriculturenowandI’vefoundoutatlastwhatmakestheroadsred。It’sagreatcomfort。IwonderhowMarillaandMrs。Lyndeareenjoyingthemselves。Mrs。LyndesaysCanadaisgoingtothedogsthewaythingsarebeingrunatOttawaandthatit’sanawfulwarningtotheelectors。Shesaysifwomenwereallowedtovotewewouldsoonseeablessedchange。
Whatwaydoyouvote，Matthew？\"
\"Conservative，\"saidMatthewpromptly。TovoteConservativewaspartofMatthew’sreligion。
\"ThenI’mConservativetoo，\"saidAnnedecidedly。\"I’mgladbecauseGil——becausesomeoftheboysinschoolareGrits。I
guessMr。PhillipsisaGrittoobecausePrissyAndrews’sfatherisone，andRubyGillissaysthatwhenamaniscourtinghealwayshastoagreewiththegirl’smotherinreligionandherfatherinpolitics。Isthattrue，Matthew？\"
\"Wellnow，Idunno，\"saidMatthew。
\"Didyouevergocourting，Matthew？\"
\"Wellnow，no，Idunno’sIeverdid，\"saidMatthew，whohadcertainlyneverthoughtofsuchathinginhiswholeexistence。
Annereflectedwithherchininherhands。
\"Itmustberatherinteresting，don’tyouthink，Matthew？RubyGillissayswhenshegrowsupshe’sgoingtohaveeversomanybeausonthestringandhavethemallcrazyabouther；butI
thinkthatwouldbetooexciting。I’dratherhavejustoneinhisrightmind。ButRubyGillisknowsagreatdealaboutsuchmattersbecauseshehassomanybigsisters，andMrs。LyndesaystheGillisgirlshavegoneofflikehotcakes。Mr。PhillipsgoesuptoseePrissyAndrewsnearlyeveryevening。HesaysitistohelpherwithherlessonsbutMirandaSloaneisstudyingforQueen’stoo，andIshouldthinksheneededhelpalotmorethanPrissybecauseshe’seversomuchstupider，buthenevergoestohelpherintheeveningsatall。ThereareagreatmanythingsinthisworldthatIcan’tunderstandverywell，Matthew。\"
\"Wellnow，IdunnoasIcomprehendthemallmyself，\"acknowledgedMatthew。
\"Well，IsupposeImustfinishupmylessons。Iwon’tallowmyselftoopenthatnewbookJanelentmeuntilI’mthrough。Butit’saterribletemptation，Matthew。EvenwhenIturnmybackonitIcanseeittherejustasplain。Janesaidshecriedherselfsickoverit。Iloveabookthatmakesmecry。ButIthinkI’llcarrythatbookintothesittingroomandlockitinthejamclosetandgiveyouthekey。AndyoumustNOTgiveittome，Matthew，untilmylessonsaredone，notevenifIimploreyouonmybendedknees。It’sallverywelltosayresisttemptation，butit’seversomucheasiertoresistitifyoucan’tgetthekey。AndthenshallIrundownthecellarandgetsomerussets，Matthew？Wouldn’tyoulikesomerussets？\"
\"Wellnow，IdunnobutwhatIwould，\"saidMatthew，whoneveraterussetsbutknewAnne’sweaknessforthem。
JustasAnneemergedtriumphantlyfromthecellarwithherplatefulofrussetscamethesoundofflyingfootstepsontheicyboardwalkoutsideandthenextmomentthekitchendoorwasflungopenandinrushedDianaBarry，whitefacedandbreathless，withashawlwrappedhastilyaroundherhead。Annepromptlyletgoofhercandleandplateinhersurprise，andplate，candle，andapplescrashedtogetherdownthecellarladderandwerefoundatthebottomembeddedinmeltedgrease，thenextday，byMarilla，whogatheredthemupandthankedmercythehousehadn’tbeensetonfire。
\"Whateveristhematter，Diana？\"criedAnne。\"Hasyourmotherrelentedatlast？\"
\"Oh，Anne，docomequick，\"imploredDiananervously。\"MinnieMayisawfulsick——she’sgotcroup。YoungMaryJoesays——andFatherandMotherareawaytotownandthere’snobodytogoforthedoctor。MinnieMayisawfulbadandYoungMaryJoedoesn’tknowwhattodo——andoh，Anne，I’msoscared！\"
Matthew，withoutaword，reachedoutforcapandcoat，slippedpastDianaandawayintothedarknessoftheyard。
\"He’sgonetoharnessthesorrelmaretogotoCarmodyforthedoctor，\"saidAnne，whowashurryingonhoodandjacket。\"Iknowitaswellasifhe’dsaidso。MatthewandIaresuchkindredspiritsIcanreadhisthoughtswithoutwordsatall。\"
\"Idon’tbelievehe’llfindthedoctoratCarmody，\"sobbedDiana。
\"IknowthatDr。BlairwenttotownandIguessDr。Spencerwouldgotoo。YoungMaryJoeneversawanybodywithcroupandMrs。Lyndeisaway。Oh，Anne！\"
\"Don’tcry，Di，\"saidAnnecheerily。\"Iknowexactlywhattodoforcroup。YouforgetthatMrs。Hammondhadtwinsthreetimes。
Whenyoulookafterthreepairsoftwinsyounaturallygetalotofexperience。Theyallhadcroupregularly。JustwaittillI
gettheipecacbottle——youmayn’thaveanyatyourhouse。Comeonnow。\"
ThetwolittlegirlshastenedouthandinhandandhurriedthroughLover’sLaneandacrossthecrustedfieldbeyond，forthesnowwastoodeeptogobytheshorterwoodway。Anne，althoughsincerelysorryforMinnieMay，wasfarfrombeinginsensibletotheromanceofthesituationandtothesweetnessofoncemoresharingthatromancewithakindredspirit。
Thenightwasclearandfrosty，allebonyofshadowandsilverofsnowyslope；bigstarswereshiningoverthesilentfields；hereandtherethedarkpointedfirsstoodupwithsnowpowderingtheirbranchesandthewindwhistlingthroughthem。Annethoughtitwastrulydelightfultogoskimmingthroughallthismysteryandlovelinesswithyourbosomfriendwhohadbeensolongestranged。
MinnieMay，agedthree，wasreallyverysick。Shelayonthekitchensofafeverishandrestless，whileherhoarsebreathingcouldbeheardalloverthehouse。YoungMaryJoe，abuxom，broad-facedFrenchgirlfromthecreek，whomMrs。Barryhadengagedtostaywiththechildrenduringherabsence，washelplessandbewildered，quiteincapableofthinkingwhattodo，ordoingitifshethoughtofit。
Annewenttoworkwithskillandpromptness。
\"MinnieMayhascroupallright；she’sprettybad，butI’veseenthemworse。Firstwemusthavelotsofhotwater。Ideclare，Diana，thereisn’tmorethanacupfulinthekettle！There，I’vefilleditup，and，MaryJoe，youmayputsomewoodinthestove。
Idon’twanttohurtyourfeelingsbutitseemstomeyoumighthavethoughtofthisbeforeifyou’danyimagination。Now，I’llundressMinnieMayandputhertobedandyoutrytofindsomesoftflannelcloths，Diana。I’mgoingtogiveheradoseofipecacfirstofall。\"
MinnieMaydidnottakekindlytotheipecacbutAnnehadnotbroughtupthreepairsoftwinsfornothing。Downthatipecacwent，notonlyonce，butmanytimesduringthelong，anxiousnightwhenthetwolittlegirlsworkedpatientlyoverthesufferingMinnieMay，andYoungMaryJoe，honestlyanxioustodoallshecould，keptuparoaringfireandheatedmorewaterthanwouldhavebeenneededforahospitalofcroupybabies。
Itwasthreeo’clockwhenMatthewcamewithadoctor，forhehadbeenobligedtogoallthewaytoSpencervaleforone。Butthepressingneedforassistancewaspast。MinnieMaywasmuchbetterandwassleepingsoundly。
\"Iwasawfullyneargivingupindespair，\"explainedAnne。\"ShegotworseandworseuntilshewassickerthanevertheHammondtwinswere，eventhelastpair。Iactuallythoughtshewasgoingtochoketodeath。IgavehereverydropofipecacinthatbottleandwhenthelastdosewentdownIsaidtomyself——nottoDianaorYoungMaryJoe，becauseIdidn’twanttoworrythemanymorethantheywereworried，butIhadtosayittomyselfjusttorelievemyfeelings——`ThisisthelastlingeringhopeandI
fear，tisavainone。’Butinaboutthreeminutesshecoughedupthephlegmandbegantogetbetterrightaway。Youmustjustimaginemyrelief，doctor，becauseIcan’texpressitinwords。
Youknowtherearesomethingsthatcannotbeexpressedinwords。\"
\"Yes，Iknow，\"noddedthedoctor。HelookedatAnneasifhewerethinkingsomethingsaboutherthatcouldn’tbeexpressedinwords。Lateron，however，heexpressedthemtoMr。andMrs。Barry。
\"ThatlittleredheadedgirltheyhaveoveratCuthbert’sisassmartastheymake’em。Itellyoushesavedthatbaby’slife，foritwouldhavebeentoolatebythetimeIgotthere。Sheseemstohaveaskillandpresenceofmindperfectlywonderfulinachildofherage。Ineversawanythingliketheeyesofherwhenshewasexplainingthecasetome。\"
Annehadgonehomeinthewonderful，white-frostedwintermorning，heavyeyedfromlossofsleep，butstilltalkingunweariedlytoMatthewastheycrossedthelongwhitefieldandwalkedundertheglitteringfairyarchoftheLover’sLanemaples。
\"Oh，Matthew，isn’titawonderfulmorning？TheworldlookslikesomethingGodhadjustimaginedforHisownpleasure，doesn’tit？
ThosetreeslookasifIcouldblowthemawaywithabreath——pouf！I’msogladIliveinaworldwheretherearewhitefrosts，aren’tyou？AndI’msogladMrs。Hammondhadthreepairsoftwinsafterall。Ifshehadn’tImightn’thaveknownwhattodoforMinnieMay。I’mrealsorryIwasevercrosswithMrs。
Hammondforhavingtwins。But，oh，Matthew，I’msosleepy。I
can’tgotoschool。IjustknowIcouldn’tkeepmyeyesopenandI’dbesostupid。Butlhatetostayhome，forGil——someoftheotherswillgetheadoftheclass，andit’ssohardtogetupagain——althoughofcoursetheharderitisthemoresatisfactionyouhavewhenyoudogetup，haven’tyou？\"
\"Wellnow，Iguessyou’llmanageallright，\"saidMatthew，lookingatAnne’swhitelittlefaceandthedarkshadowsunderhereyes。\"Youjustgorighttobedandhaveagoodsleep。I’lldoallthechores。\"
AnneaccordinglywenttobedandsleptsolongandsoundlythatitwaswelloninthewhiteandrosywinterafternoonwhensheawokeanddescendedtothekitchenwhereMarilla，whohadarrivedhomeinthemeantime，wassittingknitting。
\"Oh，didyouseethePremier？\"exclaimedAnneatonce。\"WhatdidhelooklikeMarilla？\"
\"Well，henevergottobePremieronaccountofhislooks，\"saidMarilla。\"Suchanoseasthatmanhad！Buthecanspeak。IwasproudofbeingaConservative。RachelLynde，ofcourse，beingaLiberal，hadnouseforhim。Yourdinnerisintheoven，Anne，andyoucangetyourselfsomeblueplumpreserveoutofthepantry。Iguessyou’rehungry。Matthewhasbeentellingmeaboutlastnight。Imustsayitwasfortunateyouknewwhattodo。Iwouldn’thavehadanyideamyself，forIneversawacaseofcroup。Therenow，nevermindtalkingtillyou’vehadyourdinner。Icantellbythelookofyouthatyou’rejustfullupwithspeeches，butthey’llkeep。\"
MarillahadsomethingtotellAnne，butshedidnottellitjustthenforsheknewifshedidAnne’sconsequentexcitementwouldliftherclearoutoftheregionofsuchmaterialmattersasappetiteordinner。NotuntilAnnehadfinishedhersaucerofblueplumsdidMarillasay:
\"Mrs。Barrywasherethisafternoon，Anne。Shewantedtoseeyou，butIwouldn’twakeyouup。ShesaysyousavedMinnieMay’slife，andsheisverysorrysheactedasshedidinthataffairofthecurrantwine。Shesayssheknowsnowyoudidn’tmeantosetDianadrunk，andshehopesyou’llforgiveherandbegoodfriendswithDianaagain。You’retogooverthiseveningifyoulikeforDianacan’tstiroutsidethedooronaccountofabadcoldshecaughtlastnight。Now，AnneShirley，forpity’ssakedon’tflyupintotheair。\"
Thewarningseemednotunnecessary，soupliftedandaerialwasAnne’sexpressionandattitudeasshesprangtoherfeet，herfaceirradiatedwiththeflameofherspirit。
\"Oh，Marilla，canIgorightnow——withoutwashingmydishes？
I’llwashthemwhenIcomeback，butIcannottiemyselfdowntoanythingsounromanticasdishwashingatthisthrillingmoment。\"
\"Yes，yes，runalong，\"saidMarillaindulgently。\"AnneShirley——areyoucrazy？Comebackthisinstantandputsomethingonyou。Imightaswellcalltothewind。She’sgonewithoutacaporwrap。Lookathertearingthroughtheorchardwithherhairstreaming。It’llbeamercyifshedoesn’tcatchherdeathofcold。\"
Annecamedancinghomeinthepurplewintertwilightacrossthesnowyplaces。Afarinthesouthwestwasthegreatshimmering，pearl-likesparkleofaneveningstarinaskythatwaspalegoldenandetherealroseovergleamingwhitespacesanddarkglensofspruce。Thetinklesofsleighbellsamongthesnowyhillscamelikeelfinchimesthroughthefrostyair，buttheirmusicwasnotsweeterthanthesonginAnne’sheartandonherlips。
\"Youseebeforeyouaperfectlyhappyperson，Marilla，\"sheannounced。\"I’mperfectlyhappy——yes，inspiteofmyredhair。
JustatpresentIhaveasoulaboveredhair。Mrs。Barrykissedmeandcriedandsaidshewassosorryandshecouldneverrepayme。Ifeltfearfullyembarrassed，Marilla，butIjustsaidaspolitelyasIcould，`Ihavenohardfeelingsforyou，Mrs。
Barry。IassureyouonceforallthatIdidnotmeantointoxicateDianaandhenceforthIshallcoverthepastwiththemantleofoblivion。’Thatwasaprettydignifiedwayofspeakingwasn’tit，Marilla？
IfeltthatIwasheapingcoalsoffireonMrs。Barry’shead。
AndDianaandIhadalovelyafternoon。DianashowedmeanewfancycrochetstitchherauntoveratCarmodytaughther。NotasoulinAvonleaknowsitbutus，andwepledgedasolemnvownevertorevealittoanyoneelse。Dianagavemeabeautifulcardwithawreathofrosesonitandaverseofpoetry:
\"IfyoulovemeasIloveyouNothingbutdeathcanpartustwo。
Andthatistrue，Marilla。We’regoingtoaskMr。Phillipstoletussittogetherinschoolagain，andGertiePyecangowithMinnieAndrews。Wehadaneleganttea。Mrs。Barryhadtheverybestchinasetout，Marilla，justasifIwasrealcompany。I
can’ttellyouwhatathrillitgaveme。Nobodyeverusedtheirverybestchinaonmyaccountbefore。Andwehadfruitcakeandpoundcakeanddoughnutsandtwokindsofpreserves，Marilla。
AndMrs。BarryaskedmeifItookteaandsaid`Pa，whydon’tyoupassthebiscuitstoAnne？’Itmustbelovelytobegrownup，Marilla，whenjustbeingtreatedasifyouwereissonice。\"
\"Idon’tknowaboutthat，\"saidMarilla，withabriefsigh。
\"Well，anyway，whenIamgrownup，\"saidAnnedecidedly，\"I’malwaysgoingtotalktolittlegirlsasiftheyweretoo，andI’llneverlaughwhentheyusebigwords。Iknowfromsorrowfulexperiencehowthathurtsone’sfeelings。AfterteaDianaandI
madetaffy。Thetaffywasn’tverygood，IsupposebecauseneitherDiananorIhadevermadeanybefore。DianaleftmetostiritwhileshebutteredtheplatesandIforgotandletitburn；andthenwhenwesetitoutontheplatformtocoolthecatwalkedoveroneplateandthathadtobethrownaway。Butthemakingofitwassplendidfun。ThenwhenIcamehomeMrs。BarryaskedmetocomeoverasoftenasIcouldandDianastoodatthewindowandthrewkissestomeallthewaydowntoLover’sLane。
Iassureyou，Marilla，thatIfeellikeprayingtonightandI’mgoingtothinkoutaspecialbrand-newprayerinhonoroftheoccasion。\"
CHAPTERXIX
AConcertaCatastropheandaConfession\"MARILLA，canIgoovertoseeDianajustforaminute？\"askedAnne，runningbreathlesslydownfromtheeastgableoneFebruaryevening。
\"Idon’tseewhatyouwanttobetraipsingaboutafterdarkfor，\"
saidMarillashortly。\"YouandDianawalkedhomefromschooltogetherandthenstooddownthereinthesnowforhalfanhourmore，yourtonguesgoingthewholeblessedtime，clickety-clack。
SoIdon’tthinkyou’reverybadlyofftoseeheragain。\"
\"Butshewantstoseeme，\"pleadedAnne。\"Shehassomethingveryimportanttotellme。\"
\"Howdoyouknowshehas？\"
\"Becauseshejustsignaledtomefromherwindow。Wehavearrangedawaytosignalwithourcandlesandcardboard。Wesetthecandleonthewindowsillandmakeflashesbypassingthecardboardbackandforth。Somanyflashesmeanacertainthing。
Itwasmyidea，Marilla。\"
\"I’llwarrantyouitwas，\"saidMarillaemphatically。\"Andthenextthingyou’llbesettingfiretothecurtainswithyoursignalingnonsense。\"
\"Oh，we’reverycareful，Marilla。Andit’ssointeresting。Twoflashesmean，`Areyouthere？’Threemean`yes’andfour`no。’
Fivemean，`Comeoverassoonaspossible，becauseIhavesomethingimportanttoreveal。’Dianahasjustsignaledfiveflashes，andI’mreallysufferingtoknowwhatitis。\"
\"Well，youneedn’tsufferanylonger，\"saidMarillasarcastically。\"Youcango，butyou’retobebackhereinjusttenminutes，rememberthat。\"
Annedidrememberitandwasbackinthestipulatedtime，althoughprobablynomortalwilleverknowjustwhatitcosthertoconfinethediscussionofDiana’simportantcommunicationwithinthelimitsoftenminutes。Butatleastshehadmadegooduseofthem。
\"Oh，Marilla，whatdoyouthink？YouknowtomorrowisDiana’sbirthday。Well，hermothertoldhershecouldaskmetogohomewithherfromschoolandstayallnightwithher。AndhercousinsarecomingoverfromNewbridgeinabigpungsleightogototheDebatingClubconcertatthehalltomorrownight。AndtheyaregoingtotakeDianaandmetotheconcert——ifyou’llletmego，thatis。Youwill，won’tyou，Marilla？Oh，Ifeelsoexcited。\"
\"Youcancalmdownthen，becauseyou’renotgoing。You’rebetterathomeinyourownbed，andasforthatclubconcert，it’sallnonsense，andlittlegirlsshouldnotbeallowedtogoouttosuchplacesatall。\"
\"I’msuretheDebatingClubisamostrespectableaffair，\"
pleadedAnne。
\"I’mnotsayingitisn’t。Butyou’renotgoingtobegingaddingabouttoconcertsandstayingoutallhoursofthenight。Prettydoingsforchildren。I’msurprisedatMrs。Barry’slettingDianago。\"
\"Butit’ssuchaveryspecialoccasion，\"mournedAnne，onthevergeoftears。\"Dianahasonlyonebirthdayinayear。Itisn’tasifbirthdayswerecommonthings，Marilla。PrissyAndrewsisgoingtorecite`CurfewMustNotRingTonight。’Thatissuchagoodmoralpiece，Marilla，I’msureitwoulddomelotsofgoodtohearit。Andthechoiraregoingtosingfourlovelypatheticsongsthatareprettynearasgoodashymns。Andoh，Marilla，theministerisgoingtotakepart；yes，indeed，heis；he’sgoingtogiveanaddress。Thatwillbejustaboutthesamethingasasermon。Please，mayn’tIgo，Marilla？\"
\"YouheardwhatIsaid，Anne，didn’tyou？Takeoffyourbootsnowandgotobed。It’spasteight。\"
\"There’sjustonemorething，Marilla，\"saidAnne，withtheairofproducingthelastshotinherlocker。\"Mrs。BarrytoldDianathatwemightsleepinthespare-roombed。ThinkofthehonorofyourlittleAnnebeingputinthespare-roombed。\"
\"It’sanhonoryou’llhavetogetalongwithout。Gotobed，Anne，anddon’tletmehearanotherwordoutofyou。\"
WhenAnne，withtearsrollingoverhercheeks，hadgonesorrowfullyupstairs，Matthew，whohadbeenapparentlysoundasleepontheloungeduringthewholedialogue，openedhiseyesandsaiddecidedly:
\"Wellnow，Marilla，IthinkyououghttoletAnnego。\"
\"Idon’tthen，\"retortedMarilla。\"Who’sbringingthischildup，Matthew，youorme？\"
\"Wellnow，you，\"admittedMatthew。
\"Don’tinterferethen。\"
\"Wellnow，Iain’tinterfering。Itain’tinterferingtohaveyourownopinion。AndmyopinionisthatyououghttoletAnnego。\"
\"You’dthinkIoughttoletAnnegotothemoonifshetookthenotion，I’venodoubt\"wasMarilla’samiablerejoinder。\"ImighthaveletherspendthenightwithDiana，ifthatwasall。ButI
don’tapproveofthisconcertplan。She’dgothereandcatchcoldlikeasnot，andhaveherheadfilledupwithnonsenseandexcitement。Itwouldunsettleherforaweek。Iunderstandthatchild’sdispositionandwhat’sgoodforitbetterthanyou，Matthew。\"
\"IthinkyououghttoletAnnego，\"repeatedMatthewfirmly。
Argumentwasnothisstrongpoint，butholdingfasttohisopinioncertainlywas。Marillagaveagaspofhelplessnessandtookrefugeinsilence。Thenextmorning，whenAnnewaswashingthebreakfastdishesinthepantry，MatthewpausedonhiswayouttothebarntosaytoMarillaagain:
\"IthinkyououghttoletAnnego，Marilla。\"
ForamomentMarillalookedthingsnotlawfultobeuttered。
Thensheyieldedtotheinevitableandsaidtartly:
\"Verywell，shecango，sincenothingelse’llpleaseyou。\"
Anneflewoutofthepantry，drippingdishclothinhand。
\"Oh，Marilla，Marilla，saythoseblessedwordsagain。\"
\"Iguessonceisenoughtosaythem。ThisisMatthew’sdoingsandIwashmyhandsofit。Ifyoucatchpneumoniasleepinginastrangebedorcomingoutofthathothallinthemiddleofthenight，don’tblameme，blameMatthew。AnneShirley，you’redrippinggreasywateralloverthefloor。Ineversawsuchacarelesschild。\"
\"Oh，IknowI’magreattrialtoyou，Marilla，\"saidAnnerepentantly。\"Imakesomanymistakes。ButthenjustthinkofallthemistakesIdon’tmake，althoughImight。I’llgetsomesandandscrubupthespotsbeforeIgotoschool。Oh，Marilla，myheartwasjustsetongoingtothatconcert。Ineverwastoaconcertinmylife，andwhentheothergirlstalkabouttheminschoolIfeelsooutofit。Youdidn’tknowjusthowIfeltaboutit，butyouseeMatthewdid。Matthewunderstandsme，andit’ssonicetobeunderstood，Marilla。\"
Annewastooexcitedtodoherselfjusticeastolessonsthatmorninginschool。GilbertBlythespelledherdowninclassandleftherclearoutofsightinmentalarithmetic。Anne’sconsequenthumiliationwaslessthanitmighthavebeen，however，inviewoftheconcertandthespare-roombed。SheandDianatalkedsoconstantlyaboutitalldaythatwithastricterteacherthanMr。Phillipsdiredisgracemustinevitablyhavebeentheirportion。
Annefeltthatshecouldnothaveborneitifshehadnotbeengoingtotheconcert，fornothingelsewasdiscussedthatdayinschool。TheAvonleaDebatingClub，whichmetfortnightlyallwinter，hadhadseveralsmallerfreeentertainments；butthiswastobeabigaffair，admissiontencents，inaidofthelibrary。
TheAvonleayoungpeoplehadbeenpracticingforweeks，andallthescholarswereespeciallyinterestedinitbyreasonofolderbrothersandsisterswhoweregoingtotakepart。Everybodyinschoolovernineyearsofageexpectedtogo，exceptCarrieSloane，whosefathersharedMarilla’sopinionsaboutsmallgirlsgoingouttonightconcerts。CarrieSloanecriedintohergrammaralltheafternoonandfeltthatlifewasnotworthliving。
ForAnnetherealexcitementbeganwiththedismissalofschoolandincreasedtherefromincrescendountilitreachedtoacrashofpositiveecstasyintheconcertitself。Theyhada\"perfectlyeleganttea；\"andthencamethedeliciousoccupationofdressinginDiana’slittleroomupstairs。DianadidAnne’sfronthairinthenewpompadourstyleandAnnetiedDiana’sbowswiththeespecialknackshepossessed；andtheyexperimentedwithatleasthalfadozendifferentwaysofarrangingtheirbackhair。Atlasttheywereready，cheeksscarletandeyesglowingwithexcitement。
True，Annecouldnothelpalittlepangwhenshecontrastedherplainblacktamandshapeless，tight-sleeved，homemadegray-clothcoatwithDiana’sjauntyfurcapandsmartlittlejacket。Butsherememberedintimethatshehadanimaginationandcoulduseit。
ThenDiana’scousins，theMurraysfromNewbridge，came；theyallcrowdedintothebigpungsleigh，amongstrawandfurryrobes。
Annereveledinthedrivetothehall，slippingalongoverthesatin-smoothroadswiththesnowcrispingundertherunners。
Therewasamagnificentsunset，andthesnowyhillsanddeep-bluewateroftheSt。LawrenceGulfseemedtorim？？？inthesplendorlikeahugebowlofpearlandsapphirebrimmedwithwineandfire。Tinklesofsleighbellsanddistantlaughter，thatseemedlikethemirthofwoodelves，camefromeveryquarter。
\"Oh，Diana，\"breathedAnne，squeezingDiana’smittenedhandunderthefurrobe，\"isn’titalllikeabeautifuldream？DoIreallylookthesameasusual？Ifeelsodifferentthatitseemstomeitmustshowinmylooks。\"
\"Youlookawfullynice，\"saidDiana，whohavingjustreceivedacomplimentfromoneofhercousins，feltthatsheoughttopassiton。\"You’vegottheloveliestcolor。\"
Theprogramthatnightwasaseriesof\"thrills\"foratleastonelistenerintheaudience，and，asAnneassuredDiana，everysucceedingthrillwasthrillierthanthelast。WhenPrissyAndrews，attiredinanewpink-silkwaistwithastringofpearlsabouthersmoothwhitethroatandrealcarnationsinherhair——rumorwhisperedthatthemasterhadsentallthewaytotownforthemforher——\"climbedtheslimyladder，darkwithoutonerayoflight，\"Anneshiveredinluxurioussympathy；whenthechoirsang\"FarAbovetheGentleDaisies\"Annegazedattheceilingasifitwerefrescoedwithangels；whenSamSloaneproceededtoexplainandillustrate\"HowSockerySetaHen\"Annelaugheduntilpeoplesittingnearherlaughedtoo，moreoutofsympathywithherthanwithamusementataselectionthatwasratherthreadbareeveninAvonlea；andwhenMr。PhillipsgaveMarkAntony’sorationoverthedeadbodyofCaesarinthemostheartstirringtones——lookingatPrissyAndrewsattheendofeverysentence——AnnefeltthatshecouldriseandmutinyonthespotifbutoneRomancitizenledtheway。
Onlyonenumberontheprogramfailedtointeresther。WhenGilbertBlytherecited\"BingenontheRhine\"AnnepickedupRhodaMurray’slibrarybookandreadituntilhehadfinished，whenshesatrigidlystiffandmotionlesswhileDianaclappedherhandsuntiltheytingled。
Itwaselevenwhentheygothome，satedwithdissipation，butwiththeexceedingsweetpleasureoftalkingitalloverstilltocome。Everybodyseemedasleepandthehousewasdarkandsilent。
AnneandDianatiptoedintotheparlor，alongnarrowroomoutofwhichthespareroomopened。Itwaspleasantlywarmanddimlylightedbytheembersofafireinthegrate。
\"Let’sundresshere，\"saidDiana。\"It’ssoniceandwarm。\"
\"Hasn’titbeenadelightfultime？\"sighedAnnerapturously。\"Itmustbesplendidtogetupandrecitethere。Doyousupposewewilleverbeaskedtodoit，Diana？\"
\"Yes，ofcourse，someday。They’realwayswantingthebigscholarstorecite。GilbertBlythedoesoftenandhe’sonlytwoyearsolderthanus。Oh，Anne，howcouldyoupretendnottolistentohim？Whenhecametotheline，\"THERE’SANOTHER，notASISTER，helookedrightdownatyou。\"
\"Diana，\"saidAnnewithdignity，\"youaremybosomfriend，butI
cannotallowevenyoutospeaktomeofthatperson。Areyoureadyforbed？Let’srunaraceandseewho’llgettothebedfirst。\"
ThesuggestionappealedtoDiana。Thetwolittlewhite-cladfiguresflewdownthelongroom，throughthespare-roomdoor，andboundedonthebedatthesamemoment。Andthen——something——movedbeneaththem，therewasagaspandacry——andsomebodysaidinmuffledaccents:
\"Mercifulgoodness！\"
AnneandDianawereneverabletotelljusthowtheygotoffthatbedandoutoftheroom。Theyonlyknewthatafteronefranticrushtheyfoundthemselvestiptoeingshiveringlyupstairs。
\"Oh，whowasit——WHATwasit？\"whisperedAnne，herteethchatteringwithcoldandfright。
\"ItwasAuntJosephine，\"saidDiana，gaspingwithlaughter。\"Oh，Anne，itwasAuntJosephine，howevershecametobethere。Oh，andIknowshewillbefurious。It’sdreadful——it’sreallydreadful——butdidyoueverknowanythingsofunny，Anne？\"
\"WhoisyourAuntJosephine？\"
\"She’sfather’sauntandshelivesinCharlottetown。She’sawfullyold——seventyanyhow——andIdon’tbelieveshewasEVERalittlegirl。Wewereexpectingheroutforavisit，butnotsosoon。She’sawfullyprimandproperandshe’llscolddreadfullyaboutthis，Iknow。Well，we’llhavetosleepwithMinnieMay——andyoucan’tthinkhowshekicks。\"
MissJosephineBarrydidnotappearattheearlybreakfastthenextmorning。Mrs。Barrysmiledkindlyatthetwolittlegirls。
\"Didyouhaveagoodtimelastnight？Itriedtostayawakeuntilyoucamehome，forIwantedtotellyouAuntJosephinehadcomeandthatyouwouldhavetogoupstairsafterall，butIwassotiredIfellasleep。Ihopeyoudidn’tdisturbyouraunt，Diana。\"
Dianapreservedadiscreetsilence，butsheandAnneexchangedfurtivesmilesofguiltyamusementacrossthetable。AnnehurriedhomeafterbreakfastandsoremainedinblissfulignoranceofthedisturbancewhichpresentlyresultedintheBarryhouseholduntilthelateafternoon，whenshewentdowntoMrs。Lynde’sonanerrandforMarilla。
\"SoyouandDiananearlyfrightenedpooroldMissBarrytodeathlastnight？\"saidMrs。Lyndeseverely，butwithatwinkleinhereye。\"Mrs。BarrywashereafewminutesagoonherwaytoCarmody。She’sfeelingrealworriedoverit。OldMissBarrywasinaterribletemperwhenshegotupthismorning——andJosephineBarry’stemperisnojoke，Icantellyouthat。Shewouldn’tspeaktoDianaatall。\"
\"Itwasn’tDiana’sfault，\"saidAnnecontritely。\"Itwasmine。
Isuggestedracingtoseewhowouldgetintobedfirst。\"
\"Iknewit！\"saidMrs。Lynde，withtheexultationofacorrectguesser。\"Iknewthatideacameoutofyourhead。Well，it’smadeanicelotoftrouble，that’swhat。OldMissBarrycameouttostayforamonth，butshedeclaresshewon’tstayanotherdayandisgoingrightbacktotowntomorrow，Sundayandallasitis。She’dhavegonetodayiftheycouldhavetakenher。Shehadpromisedtopayforaquarter’smusiclessonsforDiana，butnowsheisdeterminedtodonothingatallforsuchatomboy。Oh，I
guesstheyhadalivelytimeofittherethismorning。TheBarrysmustfeelcutup。OldMissBarryisrichandthey’dliketokeeponthegoodsideofher。Ofcourse，Mrs。Barrydidn’tsayjustthattome，butI’maprettygoodjudgeofhumannature，that’swhat。\"
\"I’msuchanunluckygirl，\"mournedAnne。\"I’malwaysgettingintoscrapesmyselfandgettingmybestfriends——peopleI’dshedmyheart’sbloodfor——intothemtoo。Canyoutellmewhyitisso，Mrs。Lynde？\"
\"It’sbecauseyou’retooheedlessandimpulsive，child，that’swhat。Youneverstoptothink——whatevercomesintoyourheadtosayordoyousayordoitwithoutamoment’sreflection。\"
\"Oh，butthat’sthebestofit，\"protestedAnne。\"Somethingjustflashesintoyourmind，soexciting，andyoumustoutwithit。
Ifyoustoptothinkitoveryouspoilitall。Haven’tyouneverfeltthatyourself，Mrs。Lynde？\"
No，Mrs。Lyndehadnot。Sheshookherheadsagely。
\"Youmustlearntothinkalittle，Anne，that’swhat。Theproverbyouneedtogobyis`Lookbeforeyouleap’——especiallyintospare-roombeds。\"
Mrs。Lyndelaughedcomfortablyoverhermildjoke，butAnneremainedpensive。Shesawnothingtolaughatinthesituation，whichtohereyesappearedveryserious。WhensheleftMrs。
Lynde’sshetookherwayacrossthecrustedfieldstoOrchardSlope。Dianametheratthekitchendoor。
\"YourAuntJosephinewasverycrossaboutit，wasn’tshe？\"
whisperedAnne。
\"Yes，\"answeredDiana，stiflingagigglewithanapprehensiveglanceoverhershoulderattheclosedsitting-roomdoor。\"Shewasfairlydancingwithrage，Anne。Oh，howshescolded。ShesaidIwastheworst-behavedgirlsheeversawandthatmyparentsoughttobeashamedofthewaytheyhadbroughtmeup。
Shesaysshewon’tstayandI’msureIdon’tcare。ButFatherandMotherdo。\"
\"Whydidn’tyoutellthemitwasmyfault？\"demandedAnne。
\"It’slikelyI’ddosuchathing，isn’tit？\"saidDianawithjustscorn。\"I’mnotelltale，AnneShirley，andanyhowIwasjustasmuchtoblameasyou。\"
\"Well，I’mgoingintotellhermyself，\"saidAnneresolutely。
Dianastared。
\"AnneShirley，you’dnever！why——she’lleatyoualive！\"
\"Don’tfrightenmeanymorethanIamfrightened，\"imploredAnne。
\"I’dratherwalkuptoacannon’smouth。ButI’vegottodoit，Diana。ItwasmyfaultandI’vegottoconfess。I’vehadpracticeinconfessing，fortunately。\"
\"Well，she’sintheroom，\"saidDiana。\"Youcangoinifyouwantto。Iwouldn’tdare。AndIdon’tbelieveyou’lldoabitofgood。\"
WiththisencouragementAnnebeardedthelioninitsden——thatistosay，walkedresolutelyuptothesitting-roomdoorandknockedfaintly。Asharp\"Comein\"followed。
MissJosephineBarry，thin，prim，andrigid，wasknittingfiercelybythefire，herwrathquiteunappeasedandhereyessnappingthroughhergold-rimmedglasses。Shewheeledaroundinherchair，expectingtoseeDiana，andbeheldawhite-facedgirlwhosegreateyeswerebrimmedupwithamixtureofdesperatecourageandshrinkingterror。
\"Whoareyou？\"demandedMissJosephineBarry，withoutceremony。
\"I’mAnneofGreenGables，\"saidthesmallvisitortremulously，claspingherhandswithhercharacteristicgesture，\"andI’vecometoconfess，ifyouplease。\"
\"Confesswhat？\"
\"Thatitwasallmyfaultaboutjumpingintobedonyoulastnight。Isuggestedit。Dianawouldneverhavethoughtofsuchathing，Iamsure。Dianaisaveryladylikegirl，MissBarry。Soyoumustseehowunjustitistoblameher。\"
\"Oh，Imust，hey？IratherthinkDianadidhershareofthejumpingatleast。Suchcarryingsoninarespectablehouse！\"
\"Butwewereonlyinfun，\"persistedAnne。\"Ithinkyououghttoforgiveus，MissBarry，nowthatwe’veapologized。Andanyhow，pleaseforgiveDianaandletherhavehermusiclessons。Diana’sheartissetonhermusiclessons，MissBarry，andIknowtoowellwhatitistosetyourheartonathingandnotgetit。Ifyoumustbecrosswithanyone，becrosswithme。I’vebeensousedinmyearlydaystohavingpeoplecrossatmethatIcanendureitmuchbetterthanDianacan。\"
Muchofthesnaphadgoneoutoftheoldlady’seyesbythistimeandwasreplacedbyatwinkleofamusedinterest。Butshestillsaidseverely:
\"Idon’tthinkitisanyexcuseforyouthatyouwereonlyinfun。LittlegirlsneverindulgedinthatkindoffunwhenIwasyoung。Youdon’tknowwhatitistobeawakenedoutofasoundsleep，afteralongandarduousjourney，bytwogreatgirlscomingbouncedownonyou。\"
\"Idon’tKNOW，butIcanIMAGINE，\"saidAnneeagerly。\"I’msureitmusthavebeenverydisturbing。Butthen，thereisoursideofittoo。Haveyouanyimagination，MissBarry？Ifyouhave，justputyourselfinourplace。Wedidn’tknowtherewasanybodyinthatbedandyounearlyscaredustodeath。Itwassimplyawfulthewaywefelt。Andthenwecouldn’tsleepinthespareroomafterbeingpromised。Isupposeyouareusedtosleepinginsparerooms。Butjustimaginewhatyouwouldfeellikeifyouwerealittleorphangirlwhohadneverhadsuchanhonor。\"
Allthesnaphadgonebythistime。MissBarryactuallylaughed——asoundwhichcausedDiana，waitinginspeechlessanxietyinthekitchenoutside，togiveagreatgaspofrelief。
\"I’mafraidmyimaginationisalittlerusty——it’ssolongsinceIusedit，\"shesaid。\"Idaresayyourclaimtosympathyisjustasstrongasmine。Italldependsonthewaywelookatit。Sitdownhereandtellmeaboutyourself。\"
\"IamverysorryIcan’t，\"saidAnnefirmly。\"Iwouldliketo，becauseyouseemlikeaninterestinglady，andyoumightevenbeakindredspiritalthoughyoudon’tlookverymuchlikeit。ButitismydutytogohometoMissMarillaCuthbert。MissMarillaCuthbertisaverykindladywhohastakenmetobringupproperly。Sheisdoingherbest，butitisverydiscouragingwork。YoumustnotblameherbecauseIjumpedonthebed。ButbeforeIgoIdowishyouwouldtellmeifyouwillforgiveDianaandstayjustaslongasyoumeanttoinAvonlea。\"
\"IthinkperhapsIwillifyouwillcomeoverandtalktomeoccasionally，\"saidMissBarry。
ThateveningMissBarrygaveDianaasilverbanglebraceletandtoldtheseniormembersofthehouseholdthatshehadunpackedhervalise。
\"I’vemadeupmymindtostaysimplyforthesakeofgettingbetteracquaintedwiththatAnne-girl，\"shesaidfrankly。\"Sheamusesme，andatmytimeoflifeanamusingpersonisararity。\"
Marilla’sonlycommentwhensheheardthestorywas，\"Itoldyouso。\"ThiswasforMatthew’sbenefit。
MissBarrystayedhermonthoutandover。Shewasamoreagreeableguestthanusual，forAnnekeptheringoodhumor。
Theybecamefirmfriends。
WhenMissBarrywentawayshesaid:
\"Remember，youAnne-girl，whenyoucometotownyou’retovisitmeandI’llputyouinmyverysparestspare-roombedtosleep。\"
\"MissBarrywasakindredspirit，afterall，\"AnneconfidedtoMarilla。\"Youwouldn’tthinksotolookather，butsheis。Youdon’tfinditrightoutatfirst，asinMatthew’scase，butafterawhileyoucometoseeit。KindredspiritsarenotsoscarceasIusedtothink。It’ssplendidtofindouttherearesomanyofthemintheworld。\"