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half so interesting when we have learned that language is given
us to enable us to conceal our thoughts。〃
〃But it isn't it is given us to exchange our thoughts；〃 said
Mrs。 Irving seriously。 She had never heard of Tallyrand and did
not understand epigrams。
Anne spent a fortnight of halcyon days at Echo Lodge in the
golden prime of August。 While there she incidentally contrived
to hurry Ludovic Speed in his leisurely courting of Theodora Dix；
as related duly in another chronicle of her history。＇1＇ Arnold
Sherman； an elderly friend of the Irvings； was there at the same
time； and added not a little to the general pleasantness of life。
（＇1＇ Chronicles of Avonlea。）
〃What a nice play…time this has been；〃 said Anne。 〃I feel like a
giant refreshed。 And it's only a fortnight more till I go back
to Kingsport； and Redmond and Patty's Place。 Patty's Place
is the dearest spot； Miss Lavendar。 I feel as if I had two homes
one at Green Gables and one at Patty's Place。 But where has the
summer gone？ It doesn't seem a day since I came home that spring
evening with the Mayflowers。 When I was little I couldn't see from
one end of the summer to the other。 It stretched before me like
an unending season。 Now； ‘'tis a handbreadth； 'tis a tale。'〃
〃Anne； are you and Gilbert Blythe as good friends as you used to be？〃
asked Miss Lavendar quietly。
〃I am just as much Gilbert's friend as ever I was； Miss Lavendar。〃
Miss Lavendar shook her head。
〃I see something's gone wrong； Anne。 I'm going to be impertinent
and ask what。 Have you quarrelled？〃
〃No； it's only that Gilbert wants more than friendship and I can't
give him more。〃
〃Are you sure of that； Anne？〃
〃Perfectly sure。〃
〃I'm very； very sorry。〃
〃I wonder why everybody seems to think I ought to marry Gilbert Blythe；〃
said Anne petulantly。
〃Because you were made and meant for each other； Anne that is why。
You needn't toss that young head of yours。 It's a fact。〃
Chapter XXIV
Enter Jonas
〃PROSPECT POINT；
〃August 20th。
〃Dear Anne spelled with an E；〃 wrote Phil； 〃I must
prop my eyelids open long enough to write you。 I've neglected
you shamefully this summer； honey； but all my other correspondents
have been neglected； too。 I have a huge pile of letters to answer；
so I must gird up the loins of my mind and hoe in。 Excuse my
mixed metaphors。 I'm fearfully sleepy。 Last night Cousin Emily
and I were calling at a neighbor's。 There were several other
callers there； and as soon as those unfortunate creatures left；
our hostess and her three daughters picked them all to pieces。
I knew they would begin on Cousin Emily and me as soon as the door
shut behind us。 When we came home Mrs。 Lilly informed us that the
aforesaid neighbor's hired boy was supposed to be down with scarlet
fever。 You can always trust Mrs。 Lilly to tell you cheerful things
like that。 I have a horror of scarlet fever。 I couldn't sleep when
I went to bed for thinking of it。 I tossed and tumbled about；
dreaming fearful dreams when I did snooze for a minute； and at
three I wakened up with a high fever； a sore throat； and a
raging headache。 I knew I had scarlet fever； I got up in a
panic and hunted up Cousin Emily's 'doctor book' to read up
the symptoms。 Anne； I had them all。 So I went back to bed；
and knowing the worst； slept like a top the rest of the night。
Though why a top should sleep sounder than anything else I
never could understand。 But this morning I was quite well；
so it couldn't have been the fever。 I suppose if I did catch
it last night it couldn't have developed so soon。 I can remember
that in daytime； but at three o'clock at night I never can be logical。
〃I suppose you wonder what I'm doing at Prospect Point。 Well； I
always like to spend a month of summer at the shore； and father
insists that I come to his second…cousin Emily's ‘select
boardinghouse' at Prospect Point。 So a fortnight ago I came as
usual。 And as usual old ‘Uncle Mark Miller' brought me from the
station with his ancient buggy and what he calls his ‘generous
purpose' horse。 He is a nice old man and gave me a handful of
pink peppermints。 Peppermints always seem to me such a religious
sort of candy I suppose because when I was a little girl
Grandmother Gordon always gave them to me in church。 Once I
asked； referring to the smell of peppermints； ‘Is that the odor
of sanctity？' I didn't like to eat Uncle Mark's peppermints
because he just fished them loose out of his pocket； and had to
pick some rusty nails and other things from among them before he
gave them to me。 But I wouldn't hurt his dear old feelings for
anything； so I carefully sowed them along the road at intervals。
When the last one was gone； Uncle Mark said； a little rebukingly；
‘Ye shouldn't a'et all them candies to onct； Miss Phil。 You'll
likely have the stummick…ache。'
〃Cousin Emily has only five boarders besides myself four old
ladies and one young man。 My right…hand neighbor is Mrs。 Lilly。
She is one of those people who seem to take a gruesome pleasure
in detailing all their many aches and pains and sicknesses。
You cannot mention any ailment but she says； shaking her head； ‘Ah；
I know too well what that is' and then you get all the details。
Jonas declares he once spoke of locomotor ataxia in hearing and
she said she knew too well what that was。 She suffered from it
for ten years and was finally cured by a traveling doctor。
〃Who is Jonas？ Just wait； Anne Shirley。 You'll hear all about
Jonas in the proper time and place。 He is not to be mixed up
with estimable old ladies。
〃My left…hand neighbor at the table is Mrs。 Phinney。 She always
speaks with a wailing； dolorous voice you are nervously expecting
her to burst into tears every moment。 She gives you the impression
that life to her is indeed a vale of tears； and that a smile； never
to speak of a laugh； is a frivolity truly reprehensible。 She has a
worse opinion of me than Aunt Jamesina； and she doesn't love me hard
to atone for it； as Aunty J。 does； either。
〃Miss Maria Grimsby sits cati…corner from me。 The first day I
came I remarked to Miss Maria that it looked a little like rain
and Miss Maria laughed。 I said the road from the station was
very pretty and Miss Maria laughed。 I said there seemed to be
a few mosquitoes left yet and Miss Maria laughed。 I said that
Prospect Point was as beautiful as ever and Miss Maria laughed。
If I were to say to Miss Maria； ‘My father has hanged himself；
my mother has taken poison； my brother is in the penitentiary；
and I am in the last stages of consumption；' Miss Maria would laugh。
She can't help it she was born so； but is very sad and awful。
〃The fifth old lady is Mrs。 Grant。 She is a sweet old thing；
but she never says anything but good of anybody and so she is a
very uninteresting conversationalist。
〃And now for Jonas； Anne。
〃That first day I came I saw a young man sitting opposite me at
the table； smiling at me as if he had known me from my cradle。
I knew； for Uncle Mark had told me； that his name was Jonas Blake；
that he was a Theological Student from St。 Columbia； and that he had
taken charge of the Point Prospect Mission Church for the summer。
〃He is a very ugly young man really； the ugliest young man
I've ever seen。 He has a big； loose…jointed figure with absurdly
long legs。 His hair is tow…color and lank； his eyes are green；
and his mouth is big； and his ears but I never think about his
ears if I can help it。
〃He has a lovely voice if you shut your eyes he is adorable
and he certainly has a beautiful soul and disposition。
〃We were good chums right way。 Of course he is a graduate of
Redmond； and that is a link between us。 We fished and boated
together； and we walked on the sands by moonlight。 He didn't
look so homely by moonlight and oh； he was nice。 Niceness fairly
exhaled from him。 The old ladies except Mrs。 Grant don't
approve of Jonas； because he laughs and jokes and because he
evidently likes the society of frivolous me better than theirs。
〃Somehow； Anne； I don't want him to think me frivolous。 This is
ridiculous。 Why should I care what a tow…haired person called
Jonas； whom I never saw before thinks of me？
〃Last Sunday Jonas preached in the village church。 I went；
of course； but I couldn't realize that Jonas was going to preach。
The fact that he was a minister or going to be one persisted
in seeming a huge joke to me。
〃Well； Jonas preached。 And； by the time he had preached ten
minutes； I felt so small and insignificant that I thought I must
be invisible to the naked eye。 Jonas never said a word about
women and he never looked at me。 But I realized then and there
what a pitiful； frivilous； s