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but she wished Aunt Jamesina and the girls would not take things
so for granted。 When Roy murmured a poetical compliment as he helped
her on with her coat； she did not blush and thrill as usual； and he
found her rather silent in their brief walk to Redmond。 He thought
she looked a little pale when she came out of the coeds' dressing room；
but as they entered the reception room her color and sparkle suddenly
returned to her。 She turned to Roy with her gayest expression。
He smiled back at her with what Phil called 〃his deep； black；
velvety smile。〃 Yet she really did not see Roy at all。 She was
acutely conscious that Gilbert was standing under the palms just
across the room talking to a girl who must be Christine Stuart。
She was very handsome； in the stately style destined to become
rather massive in middle life。 A tall girl； with large dark…blue
eyes； ivory outlines； and a gloss of darkness on her smooth hair。
〃She looks just as I've always wanted to look；〃 thought Anne
miserably。 〃Rose…leaf complexion starry violet eyes raven
hair yes； she has them all。 It's a wonder her name isn't
Cordelia Fitzgerald into the bargain！ But I don't believe her
figure is as good as mine； and her nose certainly isn't。〃
Anne felt a little comforted by this conclusion。
Chapter XXVII
Mutual Confidences
March came in that winter like the meekest and mildest of lambs；
bringing days that were crisp and golden and tingling； each
followed by a frosty pink twilight which gradually lost itself in
an elfland of moonshine。
Over the girls at Patty's Place was falling the shadow of April
examinations。 They were studying hard； even Phil had settled down
to text and notebooks with a doggedness not to be expected of her。
〃I'm going to take the Johnson Scholarship in Mathematics；〃 she
announced calmly。 〃I could take the one in Greek easily； but I'd
rather take the mathematical one because I want to prove to Jonas
that I'm really enormously clever。〃
〃Jonas likes you better for your big brown eyes and your crooked
smile than for all the brains you carry under your curls；〃 said Anne。
〃When I was a girl it wasn't considered lady…like to know anything
about Mathematics；〃 said Aunt Jamesina。 〃But times have changed。
I don't know that it's all for the better。 Can you cook； Phil？〃
〃No； I never cooked anything in my life except a gingerbread and
it was a failure flat in the middle and hilly round the edges。
You know the kind。 But； Aunty； when I begin in good earnest to
learn to cook don't you think the brains that enable me to win a
mathematical scholarship will also enable me to learn cooking
just as well？〃
〃Maybe；〃 said Aunt Jamesina cautiously。 〃I am not decrying the
higher education of women。 My daughter is an M。A。 She can cook；
too。 But I taught her to cook BEFORE I let a college professor
teach her Mathematics。〃
In mid…March came a letter from Miss Patty Spofford； saying that
she and Miss Maria had decided to remain abroad for another year。
〃So you may have Patty's Place next winter； too；〃 she wrote。
〃Maria and I are going to run over Egypt。 I want to see the
Sphinx once before I die。〃
〃Fancy those two dames ‘running over Egypt'！ I wonder if they'll
look up at the Sphinx and knit；〃 laughed Priscilla。
〃I'm so glad we can keep Patty's Place for another year；〃 said
Stella。 〃I was afraid they'd come back。 And then our jolly
little nest here would be broken up and we poor callow
nestlings thrown out on the cruel world of boardinghouses again。〃
〃I'm off for a tramp in the park；〃 announced Phil； tossing her
book aside。 〃I think when I am eighty I'll be glad I went for a
walk in the park tonight。〃
〃What do you mean？〃 asked Anne。
〃Come with me and I'll tell you； honey。〃
They captured in their ramble all the mysteries and magics of a
March evening。 Very still and mild it was； wrapped in a great；
white； brooding silence a silence which was yet threaded
through with many little silvery sounds which you could hear if
you hearkened as much with your soul as your ears。 The girls
wandered down a long pineland aisle that seemed to lead right out
into the heart of a deep…red； overflowing winter sunset。
〃I'd go home and write a poem this blessed minute if I only knew how；〃
declared Phil； pausing in an open space where a rosy light was staining
the green tips of the pines。 〃It's all so wonderful here this great；
white stillness； and those dark trees that always seem to be thinking。〃
〃‘The woods were God's first temples；'〃 quoted Anne softly。
〃One can't help feeling reverent and adoring in such a place。
I always feel so near Him when I walk among the pines。〃
〃Anne； I'm the happiest girl in the world；〃 confessed Phil suddenly。
〃So Mr。 Blake has asked you to marry him at last？〃 said Anne calmly。
〃Yes。 And I sneezed three times while he was asking me。
Wasn't that horrid？ But I said ‘yes' almost before he finished
I was so afraid he might change his mind and stop。 I'm besottedly
happy。 I couldn't really believe before that Jonas would ever care
for frivolous me。〃
〃Phil； you're not really frivolous；〃 said Anne gravely。 〃'Way
down underneath that frivolous exterior of yours you've got a
dear； loyal； womanly little soul。 Why do you hide it so？〃
〃I can't help it； Queen Anne。 You are right I'm not frivolous
at heart。 But there's a sort of frivolous skin over my soul and
I can't take it off。 As Mrs。 Poyser says； I'd have to be hatched
over again and hatched different before I could change it。 But
Jonas knows the real me and loves me； frivolity and all。 And I
love him。 I never was so surprised in my life as I was when I
found out I loved him。 I'd never thought it possible to fall in
love with an ugly man。 Fancy me coming down to one solitary
beau。 And one named Jonas！ But I mean to call him Jo。 That's
such a nice； crisp little name。 I couldn't nickname Alonzo。〃
〃What about Alec and Alonzo？〃
〃Oh； I told them at Christmas that I never could marry either of
them。 It seems so funny now to remember that I ever thought it
possible that I might。 They felt so badly I just cried over both
of them howled。 But I knew there was only one man in the
world I could ever marry。 I had made up my own mind for once and
it was real easy； too。 It's very delightful to feel so sure； and
know it's your own sureness and not somebody else's。〃
〃Do you suppose you'll be able to keep it up？〃
〃Making up my mind； you mean？ I don't know； but Jo has given me
a splendid rule。 He says； when I'm perplexed； just to do what I
would wish I had done when I shall be eighty。 Anyhow； Jo can
make up his mind quickly enough； and it would be uncomfortable
to have too much mind in the same house。〃
〃What will your father and mother say？〃
〃Father won't say much。 He thinks everything I do right。
But mother WILL talk。 Oh； her tongue will be as Byrney as
her nose。 But in the end it will be all right。〃
〃You'll have to give up a good many things you've always had；
when you marry Mr。 Blake； Phil。〃
〃But I'll have HIM。 I won't miss the other things。 We're to be
married a year from next June。 Jo graduates from St。 Columbia
this spring； you know。 Then he's going to take a little mission
church down on Patterson Street in the slums。 Fancy me in the
slums！ But I'd go there or to Greenland's icy mountains with him。〃
〃And this is the girl who would NEVER marry a man who wasn't rich；〃
commented Anne to a young pine tree。
〃Oh； don't cast up the follies of my youth to me。 I shall be
poor as gaily as I've been rich。 You'll see。 I'm going to learn
how to cook and make over dresses。 I've learned how to market
since I've lived at Patty's Place； and once I taught a Sunday
School class for a whole summer。 Aunt Jamesina says I'll ruin
Jo's career if I marry him。 But I won't。 I know I haven't much
sense or sobriety； but I've got what is ever so much better
the knack of making people like me。 There is a man in
Bolingbroke who lisps and always testifies in prayer…meeting。
He says； 'If you can't thine like an electric thtar thine like
a candlethtick。' I'll be Jo's little candlestick。〃
〃Phil； you're incorrigible。 Well； I love you so much that
I can't make nice； light； congratulatory little speeches。
But I'm heart…glad of your happiness。〃
〃I know。 Those big gray eyes of yours are brimming over with
real friendship； Anne。 Some day I'll look the same way at you。
You're going to marry Roy； aren't you； Anne？〃
〃My dear Philippa； did you ever hear of the famous Betty Baxter；
who ‘refused a man before he'd axed her'？ I am not going to
emulate that celebrated lady by either refusing or accepting any
one before he ‘axes' me。〃
〃All Redmond knows that Roy is crazy about you；〃 said Phil candidly。〃
And you