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And what's this I hear about Gilbert Blythe being engaged to a
Miss Stuart？ Charlie Sloane tells me she is perfectly beautiful。
Is it true？〃
〃I don't know if it is true that he is engaged to Miss Stuart；〃
replied Anne； with Spartan composure； 〃but it is certainly true
that she is very lovely。〃
〃I once thought you and Gilbert would have made a match of it；〃
said Mrs。 Harmon。 〃If you don't take care； Anne； all of your
beaux will slip through your fingers。〃
Anne decided not to continue her duel with Mrs。 Harmon。
You could not fence with an antagonist who met rapier thrust
with blow of battle axe。
〃Since Jane is away；〃 she said； rising haughtily； 〃I don't think
I can stay longer this morning。 I'll come down when she comes home。〃
〃Do；〃 said Mrs。 Harmon effusively。 〃Jane isn't a bit proud。
She just means to associate with her old friends the same as ever。
She'll be real glad to see you。〃
Jane's millionaire arrived the last of May and carried her off in
a blaze of splendor。 Mrs。 Lynde was spitefully gratified to
find that Mr。 Inglis was every day of forty； and short and thin
and grayish。 Mrs。 Lynde did not spare him in her enumeration of
his shortcomings； you may be sure。
〃It will take all his gold to gild a pill like him； that's what；〃
said Mrs。 Rachel solemnly。
〃He looks kind and good…hearted；〃 said Anne loyally； 〃and I'm
sure he thinks the world of Jane。〃
〃Humph！〃 said Mrs。 Rachel。
Phil Gordon was married the next week and Anne went over to
Bolingbroke to be her bridesmaid。 Phil made a dainty fairy of
a bride； and the Rev。 Jo was so radiant in his happiness that
nobody thought him plain。
〃We're going for a lovers' saunter through the land of Evangeline；〃
said Phil； 〃and then we'll settle down on Patterson Street。
Mother thinks it is terrible she thinks Jo might at least
take a church in a decent place。 But the wilderness of the
Patterson slums will blossom like the rose for me if Jo is there。
Oh； Anne； I'm so happy my heart aches with it。〃
Anne was always glad in the happiness of her friends； but it
is sometimes a little lonely to be surrounded everywhere by a
happiness that is not your own。 And it was just the same when
she went back to Avonlea。 This time it was Diana who was bathed
in the wonderful glory that comes to a woman when her first…born
is laid beside her。 Anne looked at the white young mother with a
certain awe that had never entered into her feelings for Diana
before。 Could this pale woman with the rapture in her eyes be
the little black…curled； rosy…cheeked Diana she had played with
in vanished schooldays？ It gave her a queer desolate feeling
that she herself somehow belonged only in those past years and
had no business in the present at all。
〃Isn't he perfectly beautiful？〃 said Diana proudly。
The little fat fellow was absurdly like Fred just as round；
just as red。 Anne really could not say conscientiously that she
thought him beautiful； but she vowed sincerely that he was sweet
and kissable and altogether delightful。
〃Before he came I wanted a girl； so that I could call her ANNE；〃
said Diana。 〃But now that little Fred is here I wouldn't exchange
him for a million girls。 He just COULDN'T have been anything but
his own precious self。〃
〃‘Every little baby is the sweetest and the best；' 〃 quoted
Mrs。 Allan gaily。 〃If little Anne HAD come you'd have felt
just the same about her。〃
Mrs。 Allan was visiting in Avonlea； for the first time since
leaving it。 She was as gay and sweet and sympathetic as ever。
Her old girl friends had welcomed her back rapturously。
The reigning minister's wife was an estimable lady； but she
was not exactly a kindred spirit。
〃I can hardly wait till he gets old enough to talk；〃 sighed Diana。
〃I just long to hear him say ‘mother。' And oh； I'm determined that
his first memory of me shall be a nice one。 The first memory I
have of my mother is of her slapping me for something I had done。
I am sure I deserved it； and mother was always a good mother and I
love her dearly。 But I do wish my first memory of her was nicer。〃
〃I have just one memory of my mother and it is the sweetest of
all my memories；〃 said Mrs。 Allan。 〃I was five years old； and I
had been allowed to go to school one day with my two older sisters。
When school came out my sisters went home in different groups； each
supposing I was with the other。 Instead I had run off with a little
girl I had played with at recess。 We went to her home； which was
near the school； and began making mud pies。 We were having a
glorious time when my older sister arrived； breathless and angry。
〃‘You naughty girl〃 she cried； snatching my reluctant hand and
dragging me along with her。 ‘Come home this minute。 Oh； you're
going to catch it！ Mother is awful cross。 She is going to give
you a good whipping。'
〃I had never been whipped。 Dread and terror filled my poor
little heart。 I have never been so miserable in my life as I was
on that walk home。 I had not meant to be naughty。 Phemy Cameron
had asked me to go home with her and I had not known it was wrong
to go。 And now I was to be whipped for it。 When we got home my
sister dragged me into the kitchen where mother was sitting by
the fire in the twilight。 My poor wee legs were trembling so
that I could hardly stand。 And mother mother just took me up
in her arms； without one word of rebuke or harshness； kissed me
and held me close to her heart。 ‘I was so frightened you were
lost； darling；' she said tenderly。 I could see the love shining
in her eyes as she looked down on me。 She never scolded or
reproached me for what I had done only told me I must never go
away again without asking permission。 She died very soon
afterwards。 That is the only memory I have of her。 Isn't it a
beautiful one？〃
Anne felt lonelier than ever as she walked home； going by way of
the Birch Path and Willowmere。 She had not walked that way for
many moons。 It was a darkly…purple bloomy night。 The air was
heavy with blossom fragrance almost too heavy。 The cloyed
senses recoiled from it as from an overfull cup。 The birches of
the path had grown from the fairy saplings of old to big trees。
Everything had changed。 Anne felt that she would be glad when
the summer was over and she was away at work again。 Perhaps life
would not seem so empty then。
〃‘I've tried the world it wears no more
The coloring of romance it wore；'〃
sighed Anne and was straightway much comforted by the romance
in the idea of the world being denuded of romance！
Chapter XL
A Book of Revelation
The Irvings came back to Echo Lodge for the summer； and Anne spent
a happy three weeks there in July。 Miss Lavendar had not changed；
Charlotta the Fourth was a very grown…up young lady now； but still
adored Anne sincerely。
〃When all's said and done； Miss Shirley； ma'am； I haven't seen
any one in Boston that's equal to you；〃 she said frankly。
Paul was almost grown up； too。 He was sixteen； his chestnut
curls had given place to close…cropped brown locks； and he was
more interested in football than fairies。 But the bond between
him and his old teacher still held。 Kindred spirits alone do not
change with changing years。
It was a wet； bleak； cruel evening in July when Anne came back to
Green Gables。 One of the fierce summer storms which sometimes
sweep over the gulf was ravaging the sea。 As Anne came in the
first raindrops dashed against the panes。
〃Was that Paul who brought you home？〃 asked Marilla。 〃Why didn't
you make him stay all night。 It's going to be a wild evening。〃
〃He'll reach Echo Lodge before the rain gets very heavy； I think。
Anyway； he wanted to go back tonight。 Well； I've had a splendid
visit； but I'm glad to see you dear folks again。 ‘East； west；
hame's best。' Davy； have you been growing again lately？〃
〃I've growed a whole inch since you left；〃 said Davy proudly。
〃I'm as tall as Milty Boulter now。 Ain't I glad。 He'll have to
stop crowing about being bigger。 Say； Anne； did you know that
Gilbert Blythe is dying？〃 Anne stood quite silent and motionless；
looking at Davy。 Her face had gone so white that Marilla thought
she was going to faint。
〃Davy； hold your tongue；〃 said Mrs。 Rachel angrily。 〃Anne；
don't look like that DON'T LOOK LIKE THAT！ We didn't mean
to tell you so suddenly。〃
〃Is it true？〃 asked Anne in a voice that was not hers。
〃Gilbert is very ill；〃 said Mrs。 Lynde gravely。 〃He took down
with typhoid fever just after you left for Echo Lodge。 Did you
never hear of it？〃
〃No；〃 said that unknown voice。
〃It was a very bad case from the start。 The doctor said he'd
been terribly run down。 They've a trained nurse and everything's
been done。 DON'T look like that； Anne。 While there's life
there's h