Allwasverystillandremote，asiftheworldandthecaresoftheworldwerefaraway。
\"Ifeelasifwewerewalkingthroughanenchantedforest，\"saidAnneinahushedtone。\"Doyousupposewe’lleverfindourwaybacktotherealworldagain，Diana？Weshallpresentlycometoapalacewithaspellboundprincessinit，Ithink。\"
Aroundthenextturntheycameinsight，notindeedofapalace，butofalittlehousealmostassurprisingasapalacewouldhavebeeninthisprovinceofconventionalwoodenfarmhouses，allasmuchalikeingeneralcharacteristicsasiftheyhadgrownfromthesameseed。AnnestoppedshortinraptureandDianaexclaimed，\"Oh，Iknowwherewearenow。ThatisthelittlestonehousewhereMissLavendarLewislives……EchoLodge，shecallsit，Ithink。
I’veoftenheardofitbutI’veneverseenitbefore。Isn’titaromanticspot？\"
\"It’sthesweetest，prettiestplaceIeversaworimagined，\"saidAnnedelightedly。\"Itlookslikeabitoutofastorybookoradream。\"
Thehousewasalow-eavedstructurebuiltofundressedblocksofredIslandsandstone，withalittlepeakedroofoutofwhichpeeredtwodormerwindows，withquaintwoodenhoodsoverthem，andtwogreatchimneys。Thewholehousewascoveredwithaluxuriantgrowthofivy，findingeasyfootholdontheroughstoneworkandturnedbyautumnfroststomostbeautifulbronzeandwine-redtints。
Beforethehousewasanoblonggardenintowhichthelanegatewherethegirlswerestandingopened。Thehouseboundeditononeside；onthethreeothersitwasenclosedbyanoldstonedyke，soovergrownwithmossandgrassandfernsthatitlookedlikeahigh，greenbank。Ontherightandleftthetall，darksprucesspreadtheirpalm-likebranchesoverit；butbelowitwasalittlemeadow，greenwithcloveraftermath，slopingdowntotheblueloopoftheGraftonRiver。Nootherhouseorclearingwasinsight……nothingbuthillsandvalleyscoveredwithfeatheryyoungfirs。
\"IwonderwhatsortofapersonMissLewisis，\"speculatedDianaastheyopenedthegateintothegarden。\"Theysaysheisverypeculiar。\"
\"She’llbeinterestingthen，\"saidAnnedecidedly。\"Peculiarpeoplearealwaysthatatleast，whateverelsetheyareorarenot。
Didn’tItellyouwewouldcometoanenchantedpalace？
Iknewtheelveshadn’twovenmagicoverthatlanefornothing。\"
\"ButMissLavendarLewisishardlyaspellboundprincess，\"laughedDiana。\"She’sanoldmaid……she’sforty-fiveandquitegray，I’veheard。\"
\"Oh，that’sonlypartofthespell，\"assertedAnneconfidently。
\"Atheartshe’syoungandbeautifulstill……andifweonlyknewhowtounloosethespellshewouldstepforthradiantandfairagain。
Butwedon’tknowhow……it’salwaysandonlytheprincewhoknowsthat……andMissLavendar’sprincehasn’tcomeyet。Perhapssomefatalmischancehasbefallenhim……thoughTHAT’Sagainstthelawofallfairytales。\"
\"I’mafraidhecamelongagoandwentawayagain，\"saidDiana。
\"TheysaysheusedtobeengagedtoStephanIrving……Paul’sfather……whentheywereyoung。Buttheyquarreledandparted。\"
\"Hush，\"warnedAnne。\"Thedoorisopen。\"
Thegirlspausedintheporchunderthetendrilsofivyandknockedattheopendoor。Therewasapatterofstepsinsideandaratheroddlittlepersonagepresentedherself……agirlofaboutfourteen，withafreckledface，asnubnose，amouthsowidethatitdidreallyseemasifitstretched\"fromeartoear，\"andtwolongbraidsoffairhairtiedwithtwoenormousbowsofblueribbon。
\"IsMissLewisathome？\"askedDiana。
\"Yes，ma’am。Comein，ma’am。I’lltellMissLavendaryou’rehere，ma’am。She’supstairs，ma’am。\"
Withthisthesmallhandmaidenwhiskedoutofsightandthegirls，leftalone，lookedaboutthemwithdelightedeyes。Theinteriorofthiswonderfullittlehousewasquiteasinterestingasitsexterior。
Theroomhadalowceilingandtwosquare，small-panedwindows，curtainedwithmuslinfrills。Allthefurnishingswereold-fashioned，butsowellanddaintilykeptthattheeffectwasdelicious。
Butitmustbecandidlyadmittedthatthemostattractivefeature，totwohealthygirlswhohadjusttrampedfourmilesthroughautumnair，wasatable，setoutwithpalebluechinaandladenwithdelicacies，whilelittlegolden-huedfernsscatteredovertheclothgaveitwhatAnnewouldhavetermed\"afestalair。\"
\"MissLavendarmustbeexpectingcompanytotea，\"shewhispered。
\"Therearesixplacesset。Butwhatafunnylittlegirlshehas。
Shelookedlikeamessengerfrompixyland。Isupposeshecouldhavetoldustheroad，butIwascurioustoseeMissLavendar。
S……s……sh，she’scoming。\"
AndwiththatMissLavendarLewiswasstandinginthedoorway。
Thegirlsweresosurprisedthattheyforgotgoodmannersandsimplystared。Theyhadunconsciouslybeenexpectingtoseetheusualtypeofelderlyspinsterasknowntotheirexperience……aratherangularpersonage，withprimgrayhairandspectacles。
NothingmoreunlikeMissLavendarcouldpossiblybeimagined。
Shewasalittleladywithsnow-whitehairbeautifullywavyandthick，andcarefullyarrangedinbecomingpuffsandcoils。Beneathitwasanalmostgirlishface，pinkcheekedandsweetlipped，withbigsoftbrowneyesanddimples……actuallydimples。Sheworeaverydaintygownofcreammuslinwithpale-huedrosesonit……agownwhichwouldhaveseemedridiculouslyjuvenileonmostwomenofherage，butwhichsuitedMissLavendarsoperfectlythatyouneverthoughtaboutitatall。
\"CharlottatheFourthsaysthatyouwishedtoseeme，\"shesaid，inavoicethatmatchedherappearance。
\"WewantedtoasktherightroadtoWestGrafton，\"saidDiana。
\"WeareinvitedtoteaatMr。Kimball’s，butwetookthewrongpathcomingthroughthewoodsandcameouttothebaselineinsteadoftheWestGraftonroad。Dowetaketherightorleftturningatyourgate？\"
\"Theleft，\"saidMissLavendar，withahesitatingglanceatherteatable。
Thensheexclaimed，asifinasuddenlittleburstofresolution，\"Butoh，won’tyoustayandhaveteawithme？Please，do。
Mr。Kimball’swillhaveteaoverbeforeyougetthere。
AndCharlottatheFourthandIwillbesogladtohaveyou。\"
DianalookedmuteinquiryatAnne。
\"We’dliketostay，\"saidAnnepromptly，forshehadmadeuphermindthatshewantedtoknowmoreofthissurprisingMissLavendar，\"ifitwon’tinconvenienceyou。Butyouareexpectingotherguests，aren’tyou？\"
MissLavendarlookedatherteatableagain，andblushed。
\"Iknowyou’llthinkmedreadfullyfoolish，\"shesaid。\"IAM
foolish……andI’mashamedofitwhenI’mfoundout，butneverunlessIAMfoundout。I’mnotexpectinganybody……IwasjustpretendingIwas。Yousee，Iwassolonely。Ilovecompany……
thatis，therightkindofcompany……butsofewpeopleevercomeherebecauseitissofaroutoftheway。CharlottatheFourthwaslonelytoo。SoIjustpretendedIwasgoingtohaveateaparty。Icookedforit……anddecoratedthetableforit……
andsetitwithmymother’sweddingchina……andIdressedupforit。\"DianasecretlythoughtMissLavendarquiteaspeculiarasreporthadpicturedher。Theideaofawomanofforty-fiveplayingathavingateaparty，justasifshewerealittlegirl！
ButAnneoftheshiningeyesexclaimedjoyfuly，\"Oh，doYOUimaginethingstoo？\"
That\"too\"revealedakindredspirittoMissLavendar。
\"Yes，Ido，\"sheconfessed，boldly。\"Ofcourseit’ssillyinanybodyasoldasIam。Butwhatistheuseofbeinganindependentoldmaidifyoucan’tbesillywhenyouwantto，andwhenitdoesn’thurtanybody？
Apersonmusthavesomecompensations。Idon’tbelieveIcouldliveattimesifIdidn’tpretendthings。I’mnotoftencaughtatitthough，andCharlottatheFourthnevertells。ButI’mgladtobecaughttoday，foryouhavereallycomeandIhaveteaallreadyforyou。Willyougouptothespareroomandtakeoffyourhats？It’sthewhitedoorattheheadofthestairs。ImustrunouttothekitchenandseethatCharlottatheFourthisn’tlettingtheteaboil。CharlottatheFourthisaverygoodgirlbutsheWILLlettheteaboil。\"
MissLavendartrippedofftothekitchenonhospitablethoughtsintentandthegirlsfoundtheirwayuptothespareroom，anapartmentaswhiteasitsdoor，lightedbytheivy-hungdormerwindowandlooking，asAnnesaid，liketheplacewherehappydreamsgrew。
\"Thisisquiteanadventure，isn’tit？\"saidDiana。\"Andisn’tMissLavendarsweet，ifsheISalittleodd？Shedoesn’tlookabitlikeanoldmaid。\"
\"Shelooksjustasmusicsounds，Ithink，\"answeredAnne。
WhentheywentdownMissLavendarwascarryingintheteapot，andbehindher，lookingvastlypleased，wasCharlottatheFourth，withaplateofhotbiscuits。
\"Now，youmusttellmeyournames，\"saidMissLavendar。\"I’msogladyouareyounggirls。Iloveyounggirls。It’ssoeasytopretendI’magirlmyselfwhenI’mwiththem。Idohate\"……withalittlegrimace……\"tobelieveI’mold。Now，whoareyou……
justforconvenience’sake？DianaBarry？AndAnneShirley？MayI
pretendthatI’veknownyouforahundredyearsandcallyouAnneandDianarightaway？\"
\"You，may\"thegirlssaidbothtogether。
\"Thenjustlet’ssitcomfilydownandeateverything，\"saidMissLavendarhappily。\"Charlotta，yousitatthefootandhelpwiththechicken。
ItissofortunatethatImadethespongecakeanddoughnuts。
Ofcourse，itwasfoolishtodoitforimaginaryguests……
IknowCharlottatheFourththoughtso，didn’tyou，Charlotta？
Butyouseehowwellithasturnedout。Ofcoursetheywouldn’thavebeenwasted，forCharlottatheFourthandIcouldhaveeatenthemthroughtime。Butspongecakeisnotathingthatimproveswithtime。\"
Thatwasamerryandmemorablemeal；andwhenitwasovertheyallwentouttothegarden，lyingintheglamorofsunset。
\"Idothinkyouhavetheloveliestplacehere，\"saidDiana，lookingroundheradmiringly。
\"WhydoyoucallitEchoLodge？\"askedAnne。
\"Charlotta，\"saidMissLavendar，\"gointothehouseandbringoutthelittletinhornthatishangingovertheclockshelf。\"
CharlottatheFourthskippedoffandreturnedwiththehorn。
\"Blowit，Charlotta，\"commandedMissLavendar。
Charlottaaccordinglyblew，aratherraucous，stridentblast。
Therewasmoment’sstillness……andthenfromthewoodsovertherivercameamultitudeoffairyechoes，sweet，elusive，silvery，asifallthe\"hornsofelfland\"wereblowingagainstthesunset。
AnneandDianaexclaimedindelight。
\"Nowlaugh，Charlotta……laughloudly。\"
Charlotta，whowouldprobablyhaveobeyedifMissLavendarhadtoldhertostandonherhead，climbeduponthestonebenchandlaughedloudandheartily。Backcametheechoes，asifahostofpixypeopleweremimickingherlaughterinthepurplewoodlandsandalongthefir-fringedpoints。
\"Peoplealwaysadmiremyechoesverymuch，\"saidMissLavendar，asiftheechoeswereherpersonalproperty。\"Ilovethemmyself。
Theyareverygoodcompany……withalittlepretending。OncalmeveningsCharlottatheFourthandIoftensitouthereandamuseourselveswiththem。Charlotta，takebackthehornandhangitcarefullyinitsplace。\"
\"WhydoyoucallherCharlottatheFourth？\"askedDiana，whowasburstingwithcuriosityonthispoint。
\"JusttokeepherfromgettingmixedupwithotherCharlottasinmythoughts，\"saidMissLavendarseriously。\"Theyalllooksomuchalikethere’snotellingthemapart。Hernameisn’treallyCharlottaatall。Itis……letmesee……whatisit？ITHINK
it’sLeonora……yes，itISLeonora。Yousee，itisthisway。
WhenmotherdiedtenyearsagoIcouldn’tstayherealone……
andIcouldn’taffordtopaythewagesofagrown-upgirl。
SoIgotlittleCharlottaBowmantocomeandstaywithmeforboardandclothes。HernamereallywasCharlotta……shewasCharlottatheFirst。Shewasjustthirteen。ShestayedwithmetillshewassixteenandthenshewentawaytoBoston，becauseshecoulddobetterthere。Hersistercametostaywithmethen。
HernamewasJulietta……Mrs。BowmanhadaweaknessforfancynamesIthink……butshelookedsolikeCharlottathatI
keptcallingherthatallthetime……andshedidn’tmind。
SoIjustgaveuptryingtorememberherrightname。
ShewasCharlottatheSecond，andwhenshewentawayEvelinacameandshewasCharlottatheThird。NowIhaveCharlottatheFourth；butwhensheissixteen……she’sfourteennow……
shewillwanttogotoBostontoo，andwhatIshalldothenI
reallydonotknow。CharlottatheFourthisthelastoftheBowmangirls，andthebest。TheotherCharlottasalwaysletmeseethattheythoughtitsillyofmetopretendthingsbutCharlottatheFourthneverdoes，nomatterwhatshemayreallythink。
Idon’tcarewhatpeoplethinkaboutmeiftheydon’tletmeseeit。\"
\"Well，\"saidDianalookingregretfullyatthesettingsun。
\"IsupposewemustgoifwewanttogettoMr。Kimball’sbeforedark。
We’vehadalovelytime，MissLewis。\"
\"Won’tyoucomeagaintoseeme？\"pleadedMissLavendar。
TallAnneputherarmaboutthelittlelady。
\"Indeedweshall，\"shepromised。\"Nowthatwehavediscoveredyouwe’llwearoutourwelcomecomingtoseeyou。Yes，wemustgo……
’wemusttearourselvesaway，’asPaulIrvingsayseverytimehecomestoGreenGables。\"
\"PaulIrving？\"TherewasasubtlechangeinMissLavendar’svoice。
\"Whoishe？Ididn’tthinktherewasanybodyofthatnameinAvonlea。\"
Annefeltvexedatherownheedlessness。ShehadforgottenaboutMissLavendar’soldromancewhenPaul’snameslippedout。
\"Heisalittlepupilofmine，\"sheexplainedslowly。\"HecamefromBostonlastyeartolivewithhisgrandmother，Mrs。Irvingoftheshoreroad。\"
\"IsheStephenIrving’sson？\"MissLavendarasked，bendingoverhernamesakebordersothatherfacewashidden。
\"Yes。\"
\"I’mgoingtogiveyougirlsabunchoflavendarapiece，\"saidMissLavendarbrightly，asifshehadnotheardtheanswertoherquestion。
\"It’sverysweet，don’tyouthink？Motheralwayslovedit。
Sheplantedtheseborderslongago。FathernamedmeLavendarbecausehewassofondofit。TheveryfirsttimehesawmotherwaswhenhevisitedherhomeinEastGraftonwithherbrother。Hefellinlovewithheratfirstsight；andtheyputhiminthespareroombedtosleepandthesheetswerescentedwithlavendarandhelayawakeallnightandthoughtofher。Healwayslovedthescentoflavendarafterthat……andthatwaswhyhegavemethename。
Don’tforgettocomebacksoon，girlsdear。We’llbelookingforyou，CharlottatheFourthandI。\"
Sheopenedthegateunderthefirsforthemtopassthrough。Shelookedsuddenlyoldandtired；theglowandradiancehadfadedfromherface；
herpartingsmilewasassweetwithineradicableyouthasever，butwhenthegirlslookedbackfromthefirstcurveinthelanetheysawhersittingontheoldstonebenchunderthesilverpoplarinthemiddleofthegardenwithherheadleaningwearilyonherhand。
\"Shedoeslooklonely，\"saidDianasoftly。\"Wemustcomeoftentoseeher。\"
\"Ithinkherparentsgavehertheonlyrightandfittingnamethatcouldpossiblybegivenher，\"saidAnne。\"IftheyhadbeensoblindastonameherElizabethorNellieorMurielshemusthavebeencalledLavendarjustthesame，Ithink。It’ssosuggestiveofsweetnessandold-fashionedgracesand`silkattire。’Now，mynamejustsmacksofbreadandbutter，patchworkandchores。\"
\"Oh，Idon’tthinkso，\"saidDiana。\"Anneseemstomerealstatelyandlikeaqueen。ButI’dlikeKerrenhappuchifithappenedtobeyourname。Ithinkpeoplemaketheirnamesniceoruglyjustbywhattheyarethemselves。Ican’tbearJosieorGertiefornamesnowbutbeforeIknewthePyegirlsIthoughtthemrealpretty。\"
\"That’salovelyidea，Diana，\"saidAnneenthusiastically。
\"Livingsothatyoubeautifyyourname，evenifitwasn’tbeautifultobeginwith……makingitstandinpeople’sthoughtsforsomethingsolovelyandpleasantthattheyneverthinkofitbyitself。Thankyou，Diana。\"
XXII
OddsandEnds\"SoyouhadteaatthestonehousewithLavendarLewis？\"saidMarillaatthebreakfasttablenextmorning。\"Whatisshelikenow？
It’soverfifteenyearssinceIsawherlast……itwasoneSundayinGraftonchurch。Isupposeshehaschangedagreatdeal。
DavyKeith，whenyouwantsomethingyoucan’treach，asktohaveitpassedanddon’tspreadyourselfoverthetableinthatfashion。
DidyoueverseePaulIrvingdoingthatwhenhewasheretomeals？\"
\"ButPaul’sarmsarelonger’nmine，\"brumbledDavy。\"They’vehadelevenyearstogrowandmine’veonlyhadseven。’Sides，IDIDask，butyouandAnnewassobusytalkingyoudidn’tpayany’tention。
’Sides，Paul’sneverbeenheretoanymealescepttea，andit’seasiertobep’liteatteathanatbreakfast。Youain’thalfashungry。
It’sanawfullongwhilebetweensupperandbreakfast。Now，Anne，thatspoonfulain’tanybiggerthanitwaslastyearandI’Meversomuchbigger。\"
\"Ofcourse，Idon’tknowwhatMissLavendarusedtolooklikebutI
don’tfancysomehowthatshehaschangedagreatdeal，\"saidAnne，aftershehadhelpedDavytomaplesyrup，givinghimtwospoonfulstopacifyhim。\"Herhairissnow-whitebutherfaceisfreshandalmostgirlish，andshehasthesweetestbrowneyes……suchaprettyshadeofwood-brownwithlittlegoldenglintsinthem……
andhervoicemakesyouthinkofwhitesatinandtinklingwaterandfairybellsallmixeduptogether。\"
\"Shewasreckonedagreatbeautywhenshewasagirl，\"saidMarilla。
\"IneverknewherverywellbutIlikedherasfarasIdidknowher。
Somefolksthoughtherpeculiareventhen。DAVY，ifeverIcatchyouatsuchatrickagainyou’llbemadetowaitforyourmealstilleveryoneelseisdone，liketheFrench。\"
MostconversationsbetweenAnneandMarillainthepresenceofthetwins，werepunctuatedbytheserebukesDavy-ward。Inthisinstance，Davy，sadtorelate，notbeingabletoscoopupthelastdropsofhissyrupwithhisspoon，hadsolvedthedifficultybyliftinghisplateinbothhandsandapplyinghissmallpinktonguetoit。
Annelookedathimwithsuchhorrifiedeyesthatthelittlesinnerturnedredandsaid，halfshamefacedly，halfdefiantly，\"Thereain’tanywastedthatway。\"
\"Peoplewhoaredifferentfromotherpeoplearealwayscalledpeculiar，\"saidAnne。\"AndMissLavendariscertainlydifferent，thoughit’shardtosayjustwherethedifferencecomesin。
Perhapsitisbecausesheisoneofthosepeoplewhonevergrowold。\"
\"Onemightaswellgrowoldwhenallyourgenerationdo，\"saidMarilla，ratherrecklessofherpronouns。\"Ifyoudon’t，youdon’tfitinanywhere。FarasIcanlearnLavendarLewishasjustdroppedoutofeverything。She’slivedinthatoutofthewayplaceuntileverybodyhasforgottenher。ThatstonehouseisoneoftheoldestontheIsland。OldMr。LewisbuiltiteightyyearsagowhenhecameoutfromEngland。Davy，stopjogglingDora’selbow。
Oh，Isawyou！Youneedn’ttrytolookinnocent。Whatdoesmakeyoubehavesothismorning？\"
\"MaybeIgotoutofthewrongsideofthebed，\"suggestedDavy。
\"MiltyBoultersaysifyoudothatthingsareboundtogowrongwithyouallday。Hisgrandmothertoldhim。Butwhichistherightside？Andwhatareyoutodowhenyourbed’sagainstthewall？Iwanttoknow。\"
\"I’vealwayswonderedwhatwentwrongbetweenStephenIrvingandLavendarLewis，\"continuedMarilla，ignoringDavy。\"Theywerecertainlyengagedtwenty-fiveyearsagoandthenallatonceitwasbrokenoff。Idon’tknowwhatthetroublewasbutitmusthavebeensomethingterrible，forhewentawaytotheStatesandnevercomehomesince。\"
\"Perhapsitwasnothingverydreadfulafterall。Ithinkthelittlethingsinlifeoftenmakemoretroublethanthebigthings，\"
saidAnne，withoneofthoseflashesofinsightwhichexperiencecouldnothavebettered。\"Marilla，pleasedon’tsayanythingaboutmybeingatMissLavendar’stoMrs。Lynde。She’dbesuretoaskahundredquestionsandsomehowIwouldn’tlikeit……norMissLavendareitherifsheknew，Ifeelsure。\"
\"IdaresayRachelwouldbecurious，\"admittedMarilla，\"thoughshehasn’tasmuchtimeassheusedtohaveforlookingafterotherpeople’saffairs。She’stiedhomenowonaccountofThomas；andshe’sfeelingprettydownhearted，forIthinkshe’sbeginningtolosehopeofhisevergettingbetter。Rachelwillbeleftprettylonelyifanythinghappenstohim，withallherchildrensettledoutwest，exceptElizaintown；andshedoesn’tlikeherhusband。\"
Marilla’spronounsslanderedEliza，whowasveryfondofherhusband。
\"Rachelsaysifhe’donlybraceupandexerthiswillpowerhe’dgetbetter。Butwhatistheuseofaskingajellyfishtositupstraight？\"continuedMarilla。\"ThomasLyndeneverhadanywillpowertoexert。HismotherruledhimtillhemarriedandthenRachelcarriediton。It’sawonderhedaredtogetsickwithoutaskingherpermission。Butthere，Ishouldn’ttalkso。Rachelhasbeenagoodwifetohim。He’dneverhaveamountedtoanythingwithouther，that’scertain。Hewasborntoberuled；andit’swellhefellintothehandsofaclever，capablemanagerlikeRachel。
Hedidn’tmindherway。Itsavedhimthebotherofevermakinguphisownmindaboutanything。Davy，dostopsquirminglikeaneel。\"
\"I’venothingelsetodo，\"protestedDavy。\"Ican’teatanymore，andit’snofunwatchingyouandAnneeat。\"
\"Well，youandDoragooutandgivethehenstheirwheat，\"saidMarilla。\"Anddon’tyoutrytopullanymorefeathersoutofthewhiterooster’staileither。\"
\"IwantedsomefeathersforanInjunheaddress，\"saidDavysulkily。
\"MiltyBoulterhasadandyone，madeoutofthefeathershismothergivehimwhenshekilledtheiroldwhitegobbler。Youmightletmehavesome。Thatrooster’sgoteversomanymore’nhewants。\"
\"Youmayhavetheoldfeatherdusterinthegarret，\"saidAnne，\"andI’lldyethemgreenandredandyellowforyou。\"
\"Youdospoilthatboydreadfully，\"saidMarilla，whenDavy，witharadiantface，hadfollowedprimDoraout。Marilla’seducationhadmadegreatstridesinthepastsixyears；butshehadnotyetbeenabletoridherselfoftheideathatitwasverybadforachildtohavetoomanyofitswishesindulged。
\"AlltheboysofhisclasshaveIndianheaddresses，andDavywantsonetoo，\"saidAnne。\"_I_knowhowitfeels……I’llneverforgethowIusedtolongforpuffedsleeveswhenalltheothergirlshadthem。
AndDavyisn’tbeingspoiled。Heisimprovingeveryday。Thinkwhatadifferencethereisinhimsincehecamehereayearago。\"
\"Hecertainlydoesn’tgetintoasmuchmischiefsincehebegantogotoschool，\"acknowledgedMarilla。\"Isupposeheworksoffthetendencywiththeotherboys。Butit’sawondertomewehaven’theardfromRichardKeithbeforethis。NeverawordsincelastMay。\"
\"I’llbeafraidtohearfromhim，\"sighedAnne，beginningtoclearawaythedishes。\"IfalettershouldcomeI’ddreadopeningit，forfearitwouldtellustosendthetwinstohim。\"
Amonthlateraletterdidcome。ButitwasnotfromRichardKeith。
AfriendofhiswrotetosaythatRichardKeithhaddiedofconsumptionafortnightpreviously。ThewriteroftheletterwastheexecutorofhiswillandbythatwillthesumoftwothousanddollarswaslefttoMissMarillaCuthbertintrustforDavidandDoraKeithuntiltheycameofageormarried。Inthemeantimetheinterestwastobeusedfortheirmaintenance。
\"Itseemsdreadfultobegladofanythinginconnectionwithadeath，\"
saidAnnesoberly。\"I’msorryforpoorMr。Keith；butIAMgladthatwecankeepthetwins。\"
\"It’saverygoodthingaboutthemoney，\"saidMarillapractically。
\"IwantedtokeepthembutIreallydidn’tseehowIcouldaffordtodoit，especiallywhentheygrewolder。Therentofthefarmdoesn’tdoanymorethankeepthehouseandIwasboundthatnotacentofyourmoneyshouldbespentonthem。Youdofartoomuchforthemasitis。Doradidn’tneedthatnewhatyouboughtheranymorethanacatneedstwotails。Butnowthewayismadeclearandtheyareprovidedfor。\"
DavyandDoraweredelightedwhentheyheardthattheyweretoliveatGreenGables，\"forgood。\"Thedeathofanunclewhomtheyhadneverseencouldnotweighamomentinthebalanceagainstthat。
ButDorahadonemisgiving。
\"WasUncleRichardburied？\"shewhisperedtoAnne。
\"Yes，dear，ofcourse。\"
\"He……he……isn’tlikeMirabelCotton’suncle，ishe？\"inastillmoreagitatedwhisper。\"Hewon’twalkabouthousesafterbeingburied，willhe，Anne？\"
XXIII
MissLavendar’sRomance\"IthinkI’lltakeawalkthroughtoEchoLodgethisevening，\"saidAnne，oneFridayafternooninDecember。
\"Itlookslikesnow，\"saidMarilladubiously。
\"I’llbetherebeforethesnowcomesandImeantostayallnight。
Dianacan’tgobecauseshehascompany，andI’msureMissLavendarwillbelookingformetonight。It’sawholefortnightsinceIwasthere。\"
AnnehadpaidmanyavisittoEchoLodgesincethatOctoberday。
SometimessheandDianadrovearoundbytheroad；sometimestheywalkedthroughthewoods。WhenDianacouldnotgoAnnewentalone。
BetweenherandMissLavendarhadsprunguponeofthosefervent，helpfulfriendshipspossibleonlybetweenawomanwhohaskeptthefreshnessofyouthinherheartandsoul，andagirlwhoseimaginationandintuitionsuppliedtheplaceofexperience。
Annehadatlastdiscoveredareal\"kindredspirit，\"whileintothelittlelady’slonely，sequesteredlifeofdreamsAnneandDianacamewiththewholesomejoyandexhilarationoftheouterexistence，whichMissLavendar，\"theworldforgetting，bytheworldforgot，\"
hadlongceasedtoshare；theybroughtanatmosphereofyouthandrealitytothelittlestonehouse。CharlottatheFourthalwaysgreetedthemwithherverywidestsmile……andCharlotta’ssmilesWEREfearfullywide……lovingthemforthesakeofheradoredmistressaswellasfortheirown。Neverhadtherebeensuch\"highjinks\"heldinthelittlestonehouseaswereheldtherethatbeautiful，late-lingeringautumn，whenNovemberseemedOctoberoveragain，andevenDecemberapedthesunshineandhazesofsummer。
ButonthisparticulardayitseemedasifDecemberhadrememberedthatitwastimeforwinterandhadturnedsuddenlydullandbrooding，withawindlesshushpredictiveofcomingsnow。
Nevertheless，Annekeenlyenjoyedherwalkthroughthegreatgraymazeofthebeechlands；thoughalonesheneverfounditlonely；herimaginationpeopledherpathwithmerrycompanions，andwiththeseshecarriedonagay，pretendedconversationthatwaswittierandmorefascinatingthanconversationsareapttobeinreallife，wherepeoplesometimesfailmostlamentablytotalkuptotherequirements。Ina\"makebelieve\"assemblyofchoicespiritseverybodysaysjustthethingyouwanthertosayandsogivesyouthechancetosayjustwhatYOUwanttosay。Attendedbythisinvisiblecompany，Annetraversedthewoodsandarrivedatthefirlanejustasbroad，featheryflakesbegantoflutterdownsoftly。
AtthefirstbendshecameuponMissLavendar，standingunderabig，broad-branchingfir。Sheworeagownofwarm，richred，andherheadandshoulderswerewrappedinasilverygraysilkshawl。
\"Youlooklikethequeenofthefirwoodfairies，\"calledAnnemerrily。
\"Ithoughtyouwouldcometonight，Anne，\"saidMissLavendar，runningforward。\"AndI’mdoublyglad，forCharlottatheFourthisaway。Hermotherissickandshehadtogohomeforthenight。
Ishouldhavebeenverylonelyifyouhadn’tcome……eventhedreamsandtheechoeswouldn’thavebeenenoughcompany。Oh，Anne，howprettyyouare，\"sheaddedsuddenly，lookingupatthetall，slimgirlwiththesoftrose-flushofwalkingonherface。\"Howprettyandhowyoung！It’ssodelightfultobeseventeen，isn’tit？
Idoenvyyou，\"concludedMissLavendarcandidly。
\"Butyouareonlyseventeenatheart，\"smiledAnne。
\"No，I’mold……orrathermiddle-aged，whichisfarworse，\"
sighedMissLavendar。\"SometimesIcanpretendI’mnot，butatothertimesIrealizeit。AndIcan’treconcilemyselftoitasmostwomenseemto。I’mjustasrebelliousasIwaswhenI
discoveredmyfirstgrayhair。Now，Anne，don’tlookasifyouweretryingtounderstand。SeventeenCAN’Tunderstand。I’mgoingtopretendrightawaythatIamseventeentoo，andIcandoit，nowthatyou’rehere。Youalwaysbringyouthinyourhandlikeagift。
We’regoingtohaveajollyevening。Teafirst……whatdoyouwantfortea？We’llhavewhateveryoulike。Dothinkofsomethingniceandindigestible。\"
Thereweresoundsofriotandmirthinthelittlestonehousethatnight。Whatwithcookingandfeastingandmakingcandyandlaughingand\"pretending，\"itisquitetruethatMissLavendarandAnnecomportedthemselvesinafashionentirelyunsuitedtothedignityofaspinsterofforty-fiveandasedateschoolma’am。
Then，whentheyweretired，theysatdownontherugbeforethegrateintheparlor，lightedonlybythesoftfireshineandperfumeddeliciouslybyMissLavendar’sopenrose-jaronthemantel。
Thewindhadrisenandwassighingandwailingaroundtheeavesandthesnowwasthuddingsoftlyagainstthewindows，asifahundredstormspritesweretappingforentrance。
\"I’msogladyou’rehere，Anne，\"saidMissLavendar，nibblingathercandy。\"Ifyouweren’tIshouldbeblue……veryblue……
almostnavyblue。Dreamsandmake-believesareallverywellinthedaytimeandthesunshine，butwhendarkandstormcometheyfailtosatisfy。Onewantsrealthingsthen。Butyoudon’tknowthis……seventeenneverknowsit。AtseventeendreamsDOsatisfybecauseyouthinktherealitiesarewaitingforyoufurtheron。
WhenIwasseventeen，Anne，Ididn’tthinkforty-fivewouldfindmeawhite-hairedlittleoldmaidwithnothingbutdreamstofillmylife。\"
\"Butyouaren’tanoldmaid，\"saidAnne，smilingintoMissLavendar’swistfulwoodbrowneyes。\"OldmaidsareBORN……theydon’tBECOME。\"
\"Somearebornoldmaids，someachieveoldmaidenhood，andsomehaveoldmaidenhoodthrustuponthem，\"parodiedMissLavendarwhimsically。
\"Youareoneofthosewhohaveachieveditthen，\"laughedAnne，\"andyou’vedoneitsobeautifullythatifeveryoldmaidwerelikeyoutheywouldcomeintothefashion，Ithink。\"
\"Ialwaysliketodothingsaswellaspossible，\"saidMissLavendarmeditatively，\"andsinceanoldmaidIhadtobeIwasdeterminedtobeaveryniceone。PeoplesayI’modd；butit’sjustbecauseIfollowmyownwayofbeinganoldmaidandrefusetocopythetraditionalpattern。Anne，didanyoneevertellyouanythingaboutStephenIrvingandme？\"
\"Yes，\"saidAnnecandidly，\"I’veheardthatyouandhewereengagedonce。\"
\"Sowewere……twenty-fiveyearsago……alifetimeago。Andweweretohavebeenmarriedthenextspring。Ihadmyweddingdressmade，althoughnobodybutmotherandStepheneverknewTHAT。
We’dbeenengagedinawayalmostallourlives，youmightsay。
WhenStephenwasalittleboyhismotherwouldbringhimherewhenshecametoseemymother；andthesecondtimeheevercame……
hewasnineandIwassix……hetoldmeoutinthegardenthathehadprettywellmadeuphismindtomarrymewhenhegrewup。
IrememberthatIsaid`Thankyou’；andwhenhewasgoneItoldmotherverygravelythattherewasagreatweightoffmymind，becauseIwasn’tfrightenedanymoreabouthavingtobeanoldmaid。Howpoormotherlaughed！\"
\"Andwhatwentwrong？\"askedAnnebreathlessly。
\"Wehadjustastupid，silly，commonplacequarrel。Socommonplacethat，ifyou’llbelieveme，Idon’tevenrememberjusthowitbegan。
Ihardlyknowwhowasthemoretoblameforit。Stephendidreallybeginit，butIsupposeIprovokedhimbysomefoolishnessofmine。
Hehadarivalortwo，yousee。Iwasvainandcoquettishandlikedtoteasehimalittle。Hewasaveryhigh-strung，sensitivefellow。
Well，wepartedinatemperonbothsides。ButIthoughtitwouldallcomeright；anditwouldhaveifStephenhadn’tcomebacktoosoon。
Anne，mydear，I’msorrytosay\"……MissLavendardroppedhervoiceasifshewereabouttoconfessapredilectionformurderingpeople，\"thatIamadreadfullysulkyperson。Oh，youneedn’tsmile，……
it’sonlytootrue。IDOsulk；andStephencamebackbeforeIhadfinishedsulking。Iwouldn’tlistentohimandIwouldn’tforgivehim；
andsohewentawayforgood。Hewastooproudtocomeagain。AndthenIsulkedbecausehedidn’tcome。Imighthavesentforhimperhaps，butIcouldn’thumblemyselftodothat。Iwasjustasproudashewas……prideandsulkinessmakeaverybadcombination，Anne。ButIcouldnevercareforanybodyelseandIdidn’twantto。
IknewIwouldratherbeanoldmaidforathousandyearsthanmarryanybodywhowasn’tStephenIrving。Well，itallseemslikeadreamnow，ofcourse。Howsympatheticyoulook，Anne……assympatheticasonlyseventeencanlook。Butdon’toverdoit。I’mreallyaveryhappy，contentedlittlepersoninspiteofmybrokenheart。Myheartdidbreak，ifeveraheartdid，whenIrealizedthatStephenIrvingwasnotcomingback。
But，Anne，abrokenheartinreallifeisn’thalfasdreadfulasitisinbooks。It’sagooddeallikeabadtooth……thoughyouwon’tthinkTHATaveryromanticsimile。Ittakesspellsofachingandgivesyouasleeplessnightnowandthen，butbetweentimesitletsyouenjoylifeanddreamsandechoesandpeanutcandyasiftherewerenothingthematterwithit。Andnowyou’relookingdisappointed。
Youdon’tthinkI’mhalfasinterestingapersonasyoudidfiveminutesagowhenyoubelievedIwasalwaysthepreyofatragicmemorybravelyhiddenbeneathexternalsmiles。That’stheworst……orthebest……
ofreallife，Anne。ItWON’Tletyoubemiserable。Itkeepsontryingtomakeyoucomfortable……andsucceeding……evenwhenyou’redeterminedtobeunhappyandromantic。Isn’tthiscandyscrumptious？I’veeatenfarmorethanisgoodformealreadybutI’mgoingtokeeprecklesslyon。\"
AfteralittlesilenceMissLavendarsaidabruptly，\"ItgavemeashocktohearaboutStephen’ssonthatfirstdayyouwerehere，Anne。I’veneverbeenabletomentionhimtoyousince，butI’vewantedtoknowallabouthim。Whatsortofaboyishe？\"
\"Heisthedearest，sweetestchildIeverknew，MissLavendar……
andhepretendsthingstoo，justasyouandIdo。\"
\"I’dliketoseehim，\"saidMissLavendarsoftly，asiftalkingtoherself。
\"Iwonderifhelooksanythinglikethelittledream-boywholivesherewithme……MYlittledream-boy。\"
\"IfyouwouldliketoseePaulI’llbringhimthroughwithmesometime，\"
saidAnne。
\"Iwouldlikeit……butnottoosoon。Iwanttogetusedtothethought。
Theremightbemorepainthanpleasureinit……ifhelookedtoomuchlikeStephen……orifhedidn’tlookenoughlikehim。Inamonth’stimeyoumaybringhim。\"
Accordingly，amonthlaterAnneandPaulwalkedthroughthewoodstothestonehouse，andmetMissLavendarinthelane。Shehadnotbeenexpectingthemjustthenandsheturnedverypale。
\"SothisisStephen’sboy，\"shesaidinalowtone，takingPaul’shandandlookingathimashestood，beautifulandboyish，inhissmartlittlefurcoatandcap。\"He……heisverylikehisfather。\"
\"EverybodysaysI’machipofftheoldblock，\"remarkedPaul，quiteathisease。
Anne，whohadbeenwatchingthelittlescene，drewarelievedbreath。
ShesawthatMissLavendarandPaulhad\"taken\"toeachother，andthattherewouldbenoconstraintorstiffness。MissLavendarwasaverysensibleperson，inspiteofherdreamsandromance，andafterthatfirstlittlebetrayalshetuckedherfeelingsoutofsightandentertainedPaulasbrightlyandnaturallyasifhewereanybody’ssonwhohadcometoseeher。
TheyallhadajollyafternoontogetherandsuchafeastoffatthingsbywayofsupperaswouldhavemadeoldMrs。Irvingholdupherhandsinhorror，believingthatPaul’sdigestionwouldberuinedforever。
\"Comeagain，laddie，\"saidMissLavendar，shakinghandswithhimatparting。
\"Youmaykissmeifyoulike，\"saidPaulgravely。
MissLavendarstoopedandkissedhim。
\"HowdidyouknowIwantedto？\"shewhispered。
\"Becauseyoulookedatmejustasmylittlemotherusedtodowhenshewantedtokissme。Asarule，Idon’tliketobekissed。
Boysdon’t。Youknow，MissLewis。ButIthinkIratherliketohaveyoukissme。AndofcourseI’llcometoseeyouagain。
IthinkI’dliketohaveyouforaparticularfriendofmine，ifyoudon’tobject。\"
\"I……Idon’tthinkIshallobject，\"saidMissLavendar。
Sheturnedandwentinveryquickly；butamomentlatershewaswavingagayandsmilinggood-byetothemfromthewindow。
\"IlikeMissLavendar，\"announcedPaul，astheywalkedthroughthebeechwoods。\"Ilikethewayshelookedatme，andIlikeherstonehouse，andIlikeCharlottatheFourth。IwishGrandmaIrvinghadaCharlottatheFourthinsteadofaMaryJoe。IfeelsureCharlottatheFourthwouldn’tthinkIwaswronginmyupperstorywhenItoldherwhatIthinkaboutthings。Wasn’tthatasplendidteawehad，teacher？Grandmasaysaboyshouldn’tbethinkingaboutwhathegetstoeat，buthecan’thelpitsometimeswhenheisrealhungry。YOUknow，teacher。Idon’tthinkMissLavendarwouldmakeaboyeatporridgeforbreakfastifhedidn’tlikeit。She’dgetthingsforhimhedidlike。Butofcourse\"……
Paulwasnothingifnotfair-minded……\"thatmightn’tbeverygoodforhim。It’sveryniceforachangethough，teacher。YOUknow。\"
XXIV
AProphetinHisOwnCountryOneMaydayAvonleafolksweremildlyexcitedoversome\"AvonleaNotes，\"
signed\"Observer，\"whichappearedintheCharlottetown`DailyEnterprise。’
GossipascribedtheauthorshipthereoftoCharlieSloane，partlybecausethesaidCharliehadindulgedinsimilarliteraryflightsintimespast，andpartlybecauseoneofthenotesseemedtoembodyasneeratGilbertBlythe。AvonleajuvenilesocietypersistedinregardingGilbertBlytheandCharlieSloaneasrivalsinthegoodgracesofacertaindamselwithgrayeyesandanimagination。
Gossip，asusual，waswrong。GilbertBlythe，aidedandabettedbyAnne，hadwrittenthenotes，puttingintheoneabouthimselfasablind。Onlytwoofthenoteshaveanybearingonthishistory:
\"Rumorhasitthattherewillbeaweddinginourvillageerethedaisiesareinbloom。Anewandhighlyrespectedcitizenwillleadtothehymenealaltaroneofourmostpopularladies。
\"UncleAbe，ourwell-knownweatherprophet，predictsaviolentstormofthunderandlightningfortheeveningofthetwenty-thirdofMay，beginningatseveno’clocksharp。TheareaofthestormwillextendoverthegreaterpartoftheProvince。Peopletravelingthateveningwilldowelltotakeumbrellasandmackintosheswiththem。\"
\"UncleAbereallyhaspredictedastormforsometimethisspring，\"
saidGilbert，\"butdoyousupposeMr。HarrisonreallydoesgotoseeIsabellaAndrews？\"
\"No，\"saidAnne，laughing，\"I’msureheonlygoestoplaycheckerswithMr。HarrisonAndrews，butMrs。LyndesayssheknowsIsabellaAndrewsmustbegoingtogetmarried，she’sinsuchgoodspiritsthisspring。\"
PooroldUncleAbefeltratherindignantoverthenotes。Hesuspectedthat\"Observer\"wasmakingfunofhim。Heangrilydeniedhavingassignedanyparticulardateforhisstormbutnobodybelievedhim。
LifeinAvonleacontinuedonthesmoothandeventenorofitsway。
The\"planting\"wasputin；theImproverscelebratedanArborDay。
EachImproversetout，orcausedtobesetout，fiveornamentaltrees。
Asthesocietynownumberedfortymembers，thismeantatotaloftwohundredyoungtrees。Earlyoatsgreenedovertheredfields；
appleorchardsflunggreatblossomingarmsaboutthefarmhousesandtheSnowQueenadorneditselfasabrideforherhusband。
Annelikedtosleepwithherwindowopenandletthecherryfragranceblowoverherfaceallnight。Shethoughtitverypoetical。Marillathoughtshewasriskingherlife。
\"Thanksgivingshouldbecelebratedinthespring，\"saidAnneoneeveningtoMarilla，astheysatonthefrontdoorstepsandlistenedtothesilver-sweetchorusofthefrogs。\"IthinkitwouldbeeversomuchbetterthanhavingitinNovemberwheneverythingisdeadorasleep。Thenyouhavetoremembertobethankful；butinMayonesimplycan’thelpbeingthankful……
thattheyarealive，iffornothingelse。IfeelexactlyasEvemusthavefeltinthegardenofEdenbeforethetroublebegan。
ISthatgrassinthehollowgreenorgolden？Itseemstome，Marilla，thatapearlofadaylikethis，whentheblossomsareoutandthewindsdon’tknowwheretoblowfromnextforsheercrazydelightmustbeprettynearasgoodasheaven。\"
Marillalookedscandalizedandglancedapprehensivelyaroundtomakesurethetwinswerenotwithinearshot。Theycamearoundthecornerofthehousejustthen。
\"Ain’titanawfulnice-smellingevening？\"askedDavy，sniffingdelightedlyasheswungahoeinhisgrimyhands。Hehadbeenworkinginhisgarden。ThatspringMarilla，bywayofturningDavy’spassionforrevelinginmudandclayintousefulchannels，hadgivenhimandDoraasmallplotofgroundforagarden。
Bothhadeagerlygonetoworkinacharacteristicfashion。
Doraplanted，weeded，andwateredcarefully，systematically，anddispassionately。Asaresult，herplotwasalreadygreenwithprim，orderlylittlerowsofvegetablesandannuals。
Davy，however，workedwithmorezealthandiscretion；hedugandhoedandrakedandwateredandtransplantedsoenergeticallythathisseedshadnochancefortheirlives。
\"Howisyourgardencomingon，Davy-boy？\"askedAnne。
\"Kindofslow，\"saidDavywithasigh。\"Idon’tknowwhythethingsdon’tgrowbetter。MiltyBoultersaysImusthaveplantedtheminthedarkofthemoonandthat’sthewholetrouble。
Hesaysyoumustneversowseedsorkillporkorcutyourhairordoany’portantthinginthewrongtimeofthemoon。Isthattrue，Anne？Iwanttoknow。\"
\"Maybeifyoudidn’tpullyourplantsupbytherootseveryotherdaytoseehowthey’regettingon`attheotherend，’they’ddobetter，\"
saidMarillasarcastically。
\"Ionlypulledsixofthemup，\"protestedDavy。\"Iwantedtoseeiftherewasgrubsattheroots。MiltyBoultersaidifitwasn’tthemoon’sfaultitmustbegrubs。ButIonlyfoundonegrub。
Hewasagreatbigjuicycurlygrub。Iputhimonastoneandgotanotherstoneandsmashedhimflat。HemadeajollySQUISHItellyou。
Iwassorrytherewasn’tmoreofthem。Dora’sgardenwasplantedsametime’smineandherthingsaregrowingallright。ItCAN’Tbethemoon，\"
Davyconcludedinareflectivetone。
\"Marilla，lookatthatappletree，\"saidAnne。\"Why，thethingishuman。
Itisreachingoutlongarmstopickitsownpinkskirtsdaintilyupandprovokeustoadmiration。\"
\"ThoseYellowDuchesstreesalwaysbearwell，\"saidMarillacomplacently。
\"Thattree’llbeloadedthisyear。I’mrealglad……they’regreatforpies。\"
ButneitherMarillanorAnnenoranybodyelsewasfatedtomakepiesoutofYellowDuchessapplesthatyear。
Thetwenty-thirdofMaycame……anunseasonablywarmday，asnonerealizedmorekeenlythanAnneandherlittlebeehiveofpupils，swelteringoverfractionsandsyntaxintheAvonleaschoolroom。
Ahotbreezeblewalltheforenoon；butafternoonhouritdiedawayintoaheavystillness。AthalfpastthreeAnneheardalowrumbleofthunder。Shepromptlydismissedschoolatonce，sothatthechildrenmightgethomebeforethestormcame。
AstheywentouttotheplaygroundAnneperceivedacertainshadowandgloomovertheworldinspiteofthefactthatthesunwasstillshiningbrightly。AnnettaBellcaughtherhandnervously。
\"Oh，teacher，lookatthatawfulcloud！\"
Annelookedandgaveanexclamationofdismay。Inthenorthwestamassofcloud，suchasshehadneverinallherlifebeheldbefore，wasrapidlyrollingup。Itwasdeadblack，savewhereitscurledandfringededgesshowedaghastly，lividwhite。Therewassomethingaboutitindescribablymenacingasitgloomedupintheclearbluesky；nowandagainaboltoflightningshotacrossit，followedbyasavagegrowl。Ithungsolowthatitalmostseemedtobetouchingthetopsofthewoodedhills。
Mr。HarmonAndrewscameclatteringupthehillinhistruckwagon，urginghisteamofgraystotheirutmostspeed。Hepulledthemtoahaltoppositetheschool。
\"GuessUncleAbe’shititforonceinhislife，Anne，\"heshouted。
\"Hisstorm’scomingaleetleaheadoftime。Didyeeverseethelikeofthatcloud？Here，allyouyoungones，thataregoingmyway，pilein，andthosethatain’tscootforthepostofficeifye’vemore’naquarterofamiletogo，andstaytheretilltheshower’sover。\"
AnnecaughtDavyandDorabythehandsandflewdownthehill，alongtheBirchPath，andpastVioletValeandWillowmere，asfastasthetwins’fatlegscouldgo。TheyreachedGreenGablesnotamomenttoosoonandwerejoinedatthedoorbyMarilla，whohadbeenhustlingherducksandchickensundershelter。Astheydashedintothekitchenthelightseemedtovanish，asifblownoutbysomemightybreath；theawfulcloudrolledoverthesunandadarknessasoflatetwilightfellacrosstheworld。Atthesamemoment，withacrashofthunderandablindingglareoflightning，thehailswoopeddownandblottedthelandscapeoutinonewhitefury。
Throughalltheclamorofthestormcamethethudoftornbranchesstrikingthehouseandthesharpcrackofbreakingglass。Inthreeminuteseverypaneinthewestandnorthwindowswasbrokenandthehailpouredinthroughtheaperturescoveringthefloorwithstones，thesmallestofwhichwasasbigasahen’segg。Forthreequartersofanhourthestormragedunabatedandnoonewhounderwentiteverforgotit。Marilla，foronceinherlifeshakenoutofhercomposurebysheerterror，kneltbyherrockingchairinacornerofthekitchen，gaspingandsobbingbetweenthedeafeningthunderpeals。Anne，whiteaspaper，haddraggedthesofaawayfromthewindowandsatonitwithatwinoneitherside。Davyatthefirstcrashhadhowled，\"Anne，Anne，isittheJudgmentDay？Anne，Anne，Inevermeanttobenaughty，\"andthenhadburiedhisfaceinAnne’slapandkeptitthere，hislittlebodyquivering。Dora，somewhatpalebutquitecomposed，satwithherhandclaspedinAnne’s，quietandmotionless。ItisdoubtfulifanearthquakewouldhavedisturbedDora。
Then，almostassuddenlyasitbegan，thestormceased。Thehailstopped，thethunderrolledandmutteredawaytotheeastward，andthesunburstoutmerryandradiantoveraworldsochangedthatitseemedanabsurdthingtothinkthatascantthreequartersofanhourcouldhaveeffectedsuchatransformation。
Marillarosefromherknees，weakandtrembling，anddroppedonherrocker。
Herfacewashaggardandshelookedtenyearsolder。
\"Haveweallcomeoutofthatalive？\"sheaskedsolemnly。
\"Youbetwehave，\"pipedDavycheerfully，quitehisownmanagain。
\"Iwasn’tabitscaredeither……onlyjustatthefirst。Itcomeonafellowsosudden。ImadeupmymindquickasawinkthatIwouldn’tfightTeddySloaneMondayasI’dpromised；butnowmaybeIwill。
Say，Dora，wasyouscared？\"
\"Yes，Iwasalittlescared，\"saidDoraprimly，\"butIheldtighttoAnne’shandandsaidmyprayersoverandoveragain。\"
\"Well，I’dhavesaidmyprayerstooifI’dhavethoughtofit，\"
saidDavy；\"but，\"headdedtriumphantly，\"youseeIcamethroughjustassafeasyouforallIdidn’tsaythem。\"
AnnegotMarillaaglassfulofherpotentcurrantwine……HOW
potentitwasAnne，inherearlierdays，hadhadalltoogoodreasontoknow……andthentheywenttothedoortolookoutonthestrangescene。
Farandwidewasawhitecarpet，kneedeep，ofhailstones；driftsofthemwereheapedupundertheeavesandonthesteps。When，threeorfourdayslater，thosehailstonesmelted，thehavoctheyhadwroughtwasplainlyseen，foreverygreengrowingthinginthefieldorgardenwascutoff。Notonlywaseveryblossomstrippedfromtheappletreesbutgreatboughsandbrancheswerewrenchedaway。AndoutofthetwohundredtreessetoutbytheImproversbyfarthegreaternumberweresnappedoffortorntoshreds。
\"Canitpossiblybethesameworlditwasanhourago？\"askedAnne，dazedly。\"ItMUSThavetakenlongerthanthattoplaysuchhavoc。\"
\"ThelikeofthishasneverbeenknowninPrinceEdwardIsland，\"
saidMarilla，\"never。IrememberwhenIwasagirltherewasabadstorm，butitwasnothingtothis。We’llhearofterribledestruction，youmaybesure。\"
\"Idohopenoneofthechildrenwerecaughtoutinit，\"murmuredAnneanxiously。Asitwasdiscoveredlater，noneofthechildrenhadbeen，sinceallthosewhohadanydistancetogohadtakenMr。