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〃I suppose we'll get used to being grownup in time；〃 said Anne
cheerfully。 〃There won't be so many unexpected things about it
by and by though； after all； I fancy it's the unexpected
things that give spice to life。 We're eighteen； Diana。 In two
more years we'll be twenty。 When I was ten I thought twenty was
a green old age。 In no time you'll be a staid； middle…aged
matron； and I shall be nice； old maid Aunt Anne； coming to visit
you on vacations。 You'll always keep a corner for me； won't you；
Di darling？ Not the spare room； of course old maids can't
aspire to spare rooms； and I shall be as 'umble as Uriah Heep；
and quite content with a little over…the…porch or off…the…parlor
cubby hole。〃
〃What nonsense you do talk； Anne；〃 laughed Diana。 〃You'll marry
somebody splendid and handsome and rich and no spare room in
Avonlea will be half gorgeous enough for you and you'll turn
up your nose at all the friends of your youth。〃
〃That would be a pity； my nose is quite nice； but I fear turning
it up would spoil it；〃 said Anne； patting that shapely organ。
〃I haven't so many good features that I could afford to spoil
those I have； so； even if I should marry the King of the Cannibal
Islands； I promise you I won't turn up my nose at you； Diana。〃
With another gay laugh the girls separated； Diana to return to
Orchard Slope； Anne to walk to the Post Office。 She found a
letter awaiting her there； and when Gilbert Blythe overtook her
on the bridge over the Lake of Shining Waters she was sparkling
with the excitement of it。
〃Priscilla Grant is going to Redmond； too；〃 she exclaimed。
〃Isn't that splendid？ I hoped she would； but she didn't think
her father would consent。 He has； however； and we're to board
together。 I feel that I can face an army with banners or all
the professors of Redmond in one fell phalanx with a chum like
Priscilla by my side。〃
〃I think we'll like Kingsport；〃 said Gilbert。 〃It's a nice old
burg； they tell me； and has the finest natural park in the world。
I've heard that the scenery in it is magnificent。〃
〃I wonder if it will be can be any more beautiful than this；〃
murmured Anne； looking around her with the loving； enraptured eyes
of those to whom 〃home〃 must always be the loveliest spot in the world；
no matter what fairer lands may lie under alien stars。
They were leaning on the bridge of the old pond； drinking deep of
the enchantment of the dusk； just at the spot where Anne had climbed
from her sinking Dory on the day Elaine floated down to Camelot。
The fine； empurpling dye of sunset still stained the western skies；
but the moon was rising and the water lay like a great； silver dream
in her light。 Remembrance wove a sweet and subtle spell over the
two young creatures。
〃You are very quiet； Anne；〃 said Gilbert at last。
〃I'm afraid to speak or move for fear all this wonderful beauty
will vanish just like a broken silence；〃 breathed Anne。
Gilbert suddenly laid his hand over the slender white one lying
on the rail of the bridge。 His hazel eyes deepened into darkness；
his still boyish lips opened to say something of the dream and hope
that thrilled his soul。 But Anne snatched her hand away and
turned quickly。 The spell of the dusk was broken for her。
〃I must go home；〃 she exclaimed； with a rather overdone carelessness。
〃Marilla had a headache this afternoon； and I'm sure the twins will
be in some dreadful mischief by this time。 I really shouldn't have
stayed away so long。〃
She chattered ceaselessly and inconsequently until they reached
the Green Gables lane。 Poor Gilbert hardly had a chance to get
a word in edgewise。 Anne felt rather relieved when they parted。
There had been a new； secret self…consciousness in her heart with
regard to Gilbert； ever since that fleeting moment of revelation
in the garden of Echo Lodge。 Something alien had intruded into
the old； perfect； school…day comradeship something that
threatened to mar it。
〃I never felt glad to see Gilbert go before；〃 she thought； half…
resentfully； half…sorrowfully； as she walked alone up the lane。
〃Our friendship will be spoiled if he goes on with this nonsense。
It mustn't be spoiled I won't let it。 Oh； WHY can't boys be
just sensible！〃
Anne had an uneasy doubt that it was not strictly 〃sensible〃 that
she should still feel on her hand the warm pressure of Gilbert's；
as distinctly as she had felt it for the swift second his had
rested there； and still less sensible that the sensation was far
from being an unpleasant one very different from that which
had attended a similar demonstration on Charlie Sloane's part；
when she had been sitting out a dance with him at a White Sands
party three nights before。 Anne shivered over the disagreeable
recollection。 But all problems connected with infatuated swains
vanished from her mind when she entered the homely； unsentimental
atmosphere of the Green Gables kitchen where an eight…year…old
boy was crying grievously on the sofa。
〃What is the matter； Davy？〃 asked Anne； taking him up in her arms。
〃Where are Marilla and Dora？〃
〃Marilla's putting Dora to bed；〃 sobbed Davy； 〃and I'm crying
'cause Dora fell down the outside cellar steps； heels over head；
and scraped all the skin off her nose； and 〃
〃Oh； well； don't cry about it； dear。 Of course； you are sorry
for her； but crying won't help her any。 She'll be all right
tomorrow。 Crying never helps any one； Davy…boy； and 〃
〃I ain't crying 'cause Dora fell down cellar；〃 said Davy； cutting
short Anne's wellmeant preachment with increasing bitterness。
〃I'm crying； cause I wasn't there to see her fall。 I'm always
missing some fun or other； seems to me。〃
〃Oh； Davy！〃 Anne choked back an unholy shriek of laughter。
〃Would you call it fun to see poor little Dora fall down the
steps and get hurt？〃
〃She wasn't MUCH hurt；〃 said Davy； defiantly。 〃'Course； if
she'd been killed I'd have been real sorry； Anne。 But the Keiths
ain't so easy killed。 They're like the Blewetts； I guess。 Herb
Blewett fell off the hayloft last Wednesday； and rolled right
down through the turnip chute into the box stall； where they had
a fearful wild； cross horse； and rolled right under his heels。
And still he got out alive； with only three bones broke。 Mrs。
Lynde says there are some folks you can't kill with a meat…axe。
Is Mrs。 Lynde coming here tomorrow； Anne？〃
〃Yes； Davy； and I hope you'll be always very nice and good to her。〃
〃I'll be nice and good。 But will she ever put me to bed at nights； Anne？〃
〃Perhaps。 Why？〃
〃'Cause；〃 said Davy very decidedly； 〃if she does I won't say my
prayers before her like I do before you； Anne。〃
〃Why not？〃
〃'Cause I don't think it would be nice to talk to God before
strangers； Anne。 Dora can say hers to Mrs。 Lynde if she likes；
but _I_ won't。 I'll wait till she's gone and then say 'em。 Won't
that be all right； Anne？〃
〃Yes； if you are sure you won't forget to say them； Davy…boy。〃
〃Oh； I won't forget； you bet。 I think saying my prayers is great fun。
But it won't be as good fun saying them alone as saying them to you。
I wish you'd stay home； Anne。 I don't see what you want to go away
and leave us for。〃
〃I don't exactly WANT to； Davy； but I feel I ought to go。〃
〃If you don't want to go you needn't。 You're grown up。 When _I_'m
grown up I'm not going to do one single thing I don't want to do； Anne。〃
〃All your life； Davy； you'll find yourself doing things you don't
want to do。〃
〃I won't；〃 said Davy flatly。 〃Catch me！ I have to do things I
don't want to now 'cause you and Marilla'll send me to bed if I don't。
But when I grow up you can't do that； and there'll be nobody to tell me
not to do things。 Won't I have the time！ Say； Anne； Milty Boulter says
his mother says you're going to college to see if you can catch a man。
Are you； Anne？ I want to know。〃
For a second Anne burned with resentment。 Then she laughed；
reminding herself that Mrs。 Boulter's crude vulgarity of thought
and speech could not harm her。
〃No； Davy； I'm not。 I'm going to study and grow and learn about many things。〃
〃What things？〃
〃‘Shoes and ships and sealing wax
And cabbages and kings；'〃
quoted Anne。
〃But if you DID want to catch a man how would you go about it？
I want to know；〃 persisted Davy； for whom the subject evidently
possessed a certain fascination。
〃You'd better ask Mrs。 Boulter；〃 said Anne thoughtlessly。 〃I
think it's likely she knows more about the process than I do。〃
〃I will； the next time I see her；〃 said Davy gravely。
〃Davy！ If you do！〃 cried Anne； realizing her mistake。
〃But you just told me to；〃 protested Davy aggrieved。
〃It's time you went to bed；〃 decreed Anne； by way of getting out
of the scrape。
After Davy had gone to bed Anne wandered down to V