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forget it ever。〃
〃They used to sing so madly in the marsh and brook that year。
I would listen to them at my window in the dusk； and wonder how
they could seem so glad and so sad at the same time。 Oh； but
it's good to be home again！ Redmond was splendid and Bolingbroke
delightful but Green Gables is HOME。〃
〃Gilbert isn't coming home this summer； I hear；〃 said Marilla。
〃No。〃 Something in Anne's tone made Marilla glance at her
sharply； but Anne was apparently absorbed in arranging her
violets in a bowl。 〃See； aren't they sweet？〃 she went on
hurriedly。 〃The year is a book； isn't it； Marilla？ Spring's
pages are written in Mayflowers and violets； summer's in roses；
autumn's in red maple leaves； and winter in holly and evergreen。〃
〃Did Gilbert do well in his examinations？〃 persisted Marilla。
〃Excellently well。 He led his class。 But where are the twins
and Mrs。 Lynde？〃
〃Rachel and Dora are over at Mr。 Harrison's。 Davy is down at
Boulters'。 I think I hear him coming now。〃
Davy burst in； saw Anne； stopped； and then hurled himself upon
her with a joyful yell。
〃Oh； Anne； ain't I glad to see you！ Say； Anne； I've grown two inches
since last fall。 Mrs。 Lynde measured me with her tape today； and say；
Anne； see my front tooth。 It's gone。 Mrs。 Lynde tied one end of a
string to it and the other end to the door； and then shut the door。
I sold it to Milty for two cents。 Milty's collecting teeth。〃
〃What in the world does he want teeth for？〃 asked Marilla。
〃To make a necklace for playing Indian Chief；〃 explained Davy；
climbing upon Anne's lap。 〃He's got fifteen already； and
everybody's else's promised； so there's no use in the rest of us
starting to collect； too。 I tell you the Boulters are great
business people。〃
〃Were you a good boy at Mrs。 Boulter's？〃 asked Marilla severely。
〃Yes； but say； Marilla； I'm tired of being good。〃
〃You'd get tired of being bad much sooner； Davy…boy；〃 said Anne。
〃Well； it'd be fun while it lasted； wouldn't it？〃 persisted Davy。
〃I could be sorry for it afterwards； couldn't I？〃
〃Being sorry wouldn't do away with the consequences of being bad；
Davy。 Don't you remember the Sunday last summer when you ran
away from Sunday School？ You told me then that being bad wasn't
worth while。 What were you and Milty doing today？〃
〃Oh； we fished and chased the cat； and hunted for eggs； and
yelled at the echo。 There's a great echo in the bush behind the
Boulter barn。 Say； what is echo； Anne； I want to know。〃
〃Echo is a beautiful nymph； Davy； living far away in the woods；
and laughing at the world from among the hills。〃
〃What does she look like？〃
〃Her hair and eyes are dark； but her neck and arms are white as snow。
No mortal can ever see how fair she is。 She is fleeter than a deer；
and that mocking voice of hers is all we can know of her。 You can
hear her calling at night； you can hear her laughing under the stars。
But you can never see her。 She flies afar if you follow her； and
laughs at you always just over the next hill。〃
〃Is that true； Anne？ Or is it a whopper？〃 demanded Davy staring。
〃Davy；〃 said Anne despairingly； 〃haven't you sense enough to
distinguish between a fairytale and a falsehood？〃
〃Then what is it that sasses back from the Boulter bush？ I want
to know；〃 insisted Davy。
〃When you are a little older； Davy； I'll explain it all to you。〃
The mention of age evidently gave a new turn to Davy's thoughts
for after a few moments of reflection； he whispered solemnly：
〃Anne； I'm going to be married。〃
〃When？〃 asked Anne with equal solemnity。
〃Oh； not until I'm grown…up； of course。〃
〃Well； that's a relief； Davy。 Who is the lady？〃
〃Stella Fletcher； she's in my class at school。 And say； Anne；
she's the prettiest girl you ever saw。 If I die before I grow up
you'll keep an eye on her； won't you？〃
〃Davy Keith； do stop talking such nonsense；〃 said Marilla severely。
〃 'Tisn't nonsense；〃 protested Davy in an injured tone。 〃She's
my promised wife； and if I was to die she'd be my promised widow；
wouldn't she？ And she hasn't got a soul to look after her except
her old grandmother。〃
〃Come and have your supper； Anne；〃 said Marilla； 〃and don't
encourage that child in his absurd talk。〃
Chapter XXIII
Paul Cannot Find the Rock People
Life was very pleasant in Avonlea that summer； although Anne；
amid all her vacation joys； was haunted by a sense of 〃something
gone which should be there。〃 She would not admit； even in her
inmost reflections； that this was caused by Gilbert's absence。
But when she had to walk home alone from prayer meetings and
A。V。I。S。 pow…wows； while Diana and Fred； and many other gay couples；
loitered along the dusky； starlit country roads； there was a queer；
lonely ache in her heart which she could not explain away。 Gilbert
did not even write to her； as she thought he might have done。
She knew he wrote to Diana occasionally； but she would not inquire
about him； and Diana； supposing that Anne heard from him； volunteered
no information。 Gilbert's mother； who was a gay； frank； light…hearted
lady； but not overburdened with tact； had a very embarrassing habit of
asking Anne； always in a painfully distinct voice and always in the
presence of a crowd； if she had heard from Gilbert lately。 Poor Anne
could only blush horribly and murmur； 〃not very lately；〃 which was
taken by all； Mrs。 Blythe included； to be merely a maidenly evasion。
Apart from this； Anne enjoyed her summer。 Priscilla came for a
merry visit in June； and； when she had gone； Mr。 and Mrs。 Irving；
Paul and Charlotta the Fourth came 〃home〃 for July and August。
Echo Lodge was the scene of gaieties once more； and the echoes
over the river were kept busy mimicking the laughter that rang in
the old garden behind the spruces。
〃Miss Lavendar〃 had not changed； except to grow even sweeter and
prettier。 Paul adored her； and the companionship between them
was beautiful to see。
〃But I don't call her ‘mother' just by itself；〃 he explained to
Anne。 〃You see； THAT name belongs just to my own little mother；
and I can't give it to any one else。 You know； teacher。 But I
call her ‘Mother Lavendar' and I love her next best to father。
I I even love her a LITTLE better than you； teacher。〃
〃Which is just as it ought to be；〃 answered Anne。
Paul was thirteen now and very tall for his years。 His face and
eyes were as beautiful as ever； and his fancy was still like a prism；
separating everything that fell upon it into rainbows。 He and Anne
had delightful rambles to wood and field and shore。 Never were there
two more thoroughly 〃kindred spirits。〃
Charlotta the Fourth had blossomed out into young ladyhood。 She
wore her hair now in an enormous pompador and had discarded the
blue ribbon bows of auld lang syne； but her face was as freckled；
her nose as snubbed； and her mouth and smiles as wide as ever。
〃You don't think I talk with a Yankee accent； do you； Miss
Shirley； ma'am？〃 she demanded anxiously。
〃I don't notice it； Charlotta。〃
〃I'm real glad of that。 They said I did at home； but I thought
likely they just wanted to aggravate me。 I don't want no Yankee
accent。 Not that I've a word to say against the Yankees； Miss
Shirley； ma'am。 They're real civilized。 But give me old P。E。
Island every time。〃
Paul spent his first fortnight with his grandmother Irving in
Avonlea。 Anne was there to meet him when he came； and found him
wild with eagerness to get to the shore Nora and the Golden
Lady and the Twin Sailors would be there。 He could hardly wait
to eat his supper。 Could he not see Nora's elfin face peering
around the point； watching for him wistfully？ But it was a very
sober Paul who came back from the shore in the twilight。
〃Didn't you find your Rock People？〃 asked Anne。
Paul shook his chestnut curls sorrowfully。
〃The Twin Sailors and the Golden Lady never came at all；〃 he said。
〃Nora was there but Nora is not the same； teacher。 She is changed。〃
〃Oh； Paul； it is you who are changed；〃 said Anne。 〃You have
grown too old for the Rock People。 They like only children for
playfellows。 I am afraid the Twin Sailors will never again come
to you in the pearly； enchanted boat with the sail of moonshine；
and the Golden Lady will play no more for you on her golden harp。
Even Nora will not meet you much longer。 You must pay the penalty
of growing…up； Paul。 You must leave fairyland behind you。〃
〃You two talk as much foolishness as ever you did；〃 said old
Mrs。 Irving； half…indulgently； half…reprovingly。
〃Oh； no； we don't；〃 said Anne； shaking her head gravely。 〃We are
getting very； very wise； and it is such a pity。 We are never
half so interesting when we have learned that language is given
us to enable us to conceal our thoug