第1章

CHAPTER1

INTHEGARRETOFGREENGABLES

\"Thanksbe，I’mdonewithgeometry，learningorteachingit，\"

saidAnneShirley，atriflevindictively，asshethumpedasomewhatbatteredvolumeofEuclidintoabigchestofbooks，bangedthelidintriumph，andsatdownuponit，lookingatDianaWrightacrosstheGreenGablesgarret，withgrayeyesthatwerelikeamorningsky。

Thegarretwasashadowy，suggestive，delightfulplace，asallgarretsshouldbe。Throughtheopenwindow，bywhichAnnesat，blewthesweet，scented，sun-warmairoftheAugustafternoon；outside，poplarboughsrustledandtossedinthewind；beyondthemwerethewoods，whereLover’sLanewounditsenchantedpath，andtheoldappleorchardwhichstillboreitsrosyharvestsmunificently。And，overall，wasagreatmountainrangeofsnowycloudsinthebluesouthernsky。

Throughtheotherwindowwasglimpsedadistant，white-capped，bluesea——thebeautifulSt。LawrenceGulf，onwhichfloats，likeajewel，Abegweit，whosesofter，sweeterIndiannamehaslongbeenforsakenforthemoreprosaiconeofPrinceEdwardIsland。

DianaWright，threeyearsolderthanwhenwelastsawher，hadgrownsomewhatmatronlyintheinterveningtime。Buthereyeswereasblackandbrilliant，hercheeksasrosy，andherdimplesasenchanting，asinthelong-agodayswhensheandAnneShirleyhadvowedeternalfriendshipinthegardenatOrchardSlope。Inherarmssheheldasmall，sleeping，black-curledcreature，whofortwohappyyearshadbeenknowntotheworldofAvonleaas\"SmallAnneCordelia。\"AvonleafolksknewwhyDianahadcalledherAnne，ofcourse，butAvonleafolkswerepuzzledbytheCordelia。TherehadneverbeenaCordeliaintheWrightorBarryconnections。Mrs。HarmonAndrewssaidshesupposedDianahadfoundthenameinsometrashynovel，andwonderedthatFredhadn’tmoresensethantoallowit。

ButDianaandAnnesmiledateachother。TheyknewhowSmallAnneCordeliahadcomebyhername。

\"Youalwayshatedgeometry，\"saidDianawitharetrospectivesmile。\"Ishouldthinkyou’dberealgladtobethroughwithteaching，anyhow。\"

\"Oh，I’vealwayslikedteaching，apartfromgeometry。

ThesepastthreeyearsinSummersidehavebeenverypleasantones。Mrs。HarmonAndrewstoldmewhenIcamehomethatIwouldn’tlikelyfindmarriedlifeasmuchbetterthanteachingasIexpected。EvidentlyMrs。

HarmonisofHamlet’sopinionthatitmaybebettertobeartheillsthatwehavethanflytoothersthatweknownotof。\"

Anne’slaugh，asblitheandirresistibleasofyore，withanaddednoteofsweetnessandmaturity，rangthroughthegarret。Marillainthekitchenbelow，compoundingblueplumpreserve，hearditandsmiled；

thensighedtothinkhowseldomthatdearlaughwouldechothroughGreenGablesintheyearstocome。

NothinginherlifehadevergivenMarillasomuchhappinessastheknowledgethatAnnewasgoingtomarryGilbertBlythe；buteveryjoymustbringwithititslittleshadowofsorrow。DuringthethreeSummersideyearsAnnehadbeenhomeoftenforvacationsandweekends；but，afterthis，abi-annualvisitwouldbeasmuchascouldbehopedfor。

\"Youneedn’tletwhatMrs。Harmonsaysworryyou，\"

saidDiana，withthecalmassuranceofthefour-yearsmatron。\"Marriedlifehasitsupsanddowns，ofcourse。Youmustn’texpectthateverythingwillalwaysgosmoothly。ButIcanassureyou，Anne，thatit’sahappylife，whenyou’remarriedtotherightman。\"

Annesmotheredasmile。Diana’sairsofvastexperiencealwaysamusedheralittle。

\"IdaresayI’llbeputtingthemontoo，whenI’vebeenmarriedfouryears，\"shethought。\"Surelymysenseofhumorwillpreservemefromit，though。\"

\"Isitsettledyetwhereyouaregoingtolive？\"askedDiana，cuddlingSmallAnneCordeliawiththeinimitablegestureofmotherhoodwhichalwayssentthroughAnne’sheart，filledwithsweet，unuttereddreamsandhopes，athrillthatwashalfpurepleasureandhalfastrange，etherealpain。

\"Yes。ThatwaswhatIwantedtotellyouwhenI

’phonedtoyoutocomedowntoday。Bytheway，Ican’trealizethatwereallyhavetelephonesinAvonleanow。

Itsoundssopreposterouslyup-to-dateandmodernishforthisdarling，leisurelyoldplace。\"

\"WecanthanktheA。V。I。S。forthem，\"saidDiana。

\"Weshouldneverhavegotthelineiftheyhadn’ttakenthematterupandcarrieditthrough。Therewasenoughcoldwaterthrowntodiscourageanysociety。

Buttheystucktoit，nevertheless。YoudidasplendidthingforAvonleawhenyoufoundedthatsociety，Anne。

Whatfunwedidhaveatourmeetings！WillyoueverforgetthebluehallandJudsonParker’sschemeforpaintingmedicineadvertisementsonhisfence？\"

\"Idon’tknowthatI’mwhollygratefultotheA。V。I。

S。inthematterofthetelephone，\"saidAnne。\"Oh，I

knowit’smostconvenient——evenmoresothanourolddeviceofsignallingtoeachotherbyflashesofcandlelight！And，asMrs。Rachelsays，`Avonleamustkeepupwiththeprocession，that’swhat。’ButsomehowIfeelasifIdidn’twantAvonleaspoiledbywhatMr。

Harrison，whenhewantstobewitty，calls`moderninconveniences。’Ishouldliketohaveitkeptalwaysjustasitwasinthedearoldyears。That’sfoolish——andsentimental——andimpossible。SoIshallimmediatelybecomewiseandpracticalandpossible。

Thetelephone，asMr。Harrisonconcedes，is`abusterofagoodthing’——evenifyoudoknowthatprobablyhalfadozeninterestedpeoplearelisteningalongtheline。\"

\"That’stheworstofit，\"sighedDiana。\"It’ssoannoyingtohearthereceiversgoingdownwheneveryouringanyoneup。TheysayMrs。HarmonAndrewsinsistedthattheir`phoneshouldbeputintheirkitchenjustsothatshecouldlistenwheneveritrangandkeepaneyeonthedinneratthesametime。Today，whenyoucalledme，IdistinctlyheardthatqueerclockofthePyes’striking。SonodoubtJosieorGertiewaslistening。\"

\"Oh，sothatiswhyyousaid，`You’vegotanewclockatGreenGables，haven’tyou？’Icouldn’timaginewhatyoumeant。Iheardaviciousclickassoonasyouhadspoken。IsupposeitwasthePyereceiverbeinghungupwithprofaneenergy。Well，nevermindthePyes。AsMrs。Rachelsays，`PyestheyalwayswereandPyestheyalwayswillbe，worldwithoutend，amen。’Iwanttotalkofpleasanterthings。It’sallsettledastowheremynewhomeshallbe。\"

\"Oh，Anne，where？Idohopeit’snearhere。\"

\"No-o-o，that’sthedrawback。GilbertisgoingtosettleatFourWindsHarbor——sixtymilesfromhere。\"

\"Sixty！Itmightaswellbesixhundred，\"sighedDiana。\"InevercangetfurtherfromhomenowthanCharlottetown。\"

\"You’llhavetocometoFourWinds。It’sthemostbeautifulharborontheIsland。There’salittlevillagecalledGlenSt。Maryatitshead，andDr。DavidBlythehasbeenpracticingthereforfiftyyears。HeisGilbert’sgreat-uncle，youknow。Heisgoingtoretire，andGilbertistotakeoverhispractice。Dr。

Blytheisgoingtokeephishouse，though，soweshallhavetofindahabitationforourselves。Idon’tknowyetwhatitis，orwhereitwillbeinreality，butI

havealittlehouseo’dreamsallfurnishedinmyimagination——atiny，delightfulcastleinSpain。\"

\"Whereareyougoingforyourweddingtour？\"askedDiana。

\"Nowhere。Don’tlookhorrified，Dianadearest。YousuggestMrs。HarmonAndrews。She，nodoubt，willremarkcondescendinglythatpeoplewhocan’taffordwedding`towers’arerealsensiblenottotakethem；

andthenshe’llremindmethatJanewenttoEuropeforhers。IwanttospendMYhoneymoonatFourWindsinmyowndearhouseofdreams。\"

\"Andyou’vedecidednottohaveanybridesmaid？\"

\"Thereisn’tanyonetohave。YouandPhilandPriscillaandJaneallstoleamarchonmeinthematterofmarriage；andStellaisteachinginVancouver。Ihavenoother`kindredsoul’andIwon’thaveabridesmaidwhoisn’t。\"

\"Butyouaregoingtowearaveil，aren’tyou？\"askedDiana，anxiously。

\"Yes，indeedy。Ishouldn’tfeellikeabridewithoutone。IremembertellingMatthew，thateveningwhenhebroughtmetoGreenGables，thatIneverexpectedtobeabridebecauseIwassohomelynoonewouldeverwanttomarryme——unlesssomeforeignmissionarydid。Ihadanideathenthatforeignmissionariescouldn’taffordtobefinickyinthematteroflooksiftheywantedagirltoriskherlifeamongcannibals。YoushouldhaveseentheforeignmissionaryPriscillamarried。Hewasashandsomeandinscrutableasthosedaydreamsweonceplannedtomarryourselves，Diana；hewasthebestdressedmanIevermet，andheravedoverPriscilla’s`ethereal，goldenbeauty。’ButofcoursetherearenocannibalsinJapan。\"

\"Yourweddingdressisadream，anyhow，\"sighedDianarapturously。\"You’lllooklikeaperfectqueeninit——you’resotallandslender。HowDOyoukeepsoslim，Anne？I’mfatterthanever——I’llsoonhavenowaistatall。\"

\"Stoutnessandslimnessseemtobemattersofpredestination，\"saidAnne。\"Atallevents，Mrs。

HarmonAndrewscan’tsaytoyouwhatshesaidtomewhenIcamehomefromSummerside，`Well，Anne，you’rejustaboutasskinnyasever。’Itsoundsquiteromantictobe`slender，’but`skinny’hasaverydifferenttang。\"

\"Mrs。Harmonhasbeentalkingaboutyourtrousseau。

Sheadmitsit’sasniceasJane’s，althoughshesaysJanemarriedamillionaireandyouareonlymarryinga`pooryoungdoctorwithoutacenttohisname。’\"

Annelaughed。

\"MydressesAREnice。Iloveprettythings。I

rememberthefirstprettydressIeverhad——thebrowngloriaMatthewgavemeforourschoolconcert。BeforethateverythingIhadwassougly。ItseemedtomethatIsteppedintoanewworldthatnight。\"

\"ThatwasthenightGilbertrecited`BingenontheRhine，’andlookedatyouwhenhesaid，`There’sanother，NOTasister。’Andyouweresofuriousbecauseheputyourpinktissueroseinhisbreastpocket！Youdidn’tmuchimaginethenthatyouwouldevermarryhim。\"

\"Oh，well，that’sanotherinstanceofpredestination，\"

laughedAnne，astheywentdownthegarretstairs。

CHAPTER2

THEHOUSEOFDREAMS

TherewasmoreexcitementintheairofGreenGablesthantherehadeverbeenbeforeinallitshistory。

EvenMarillawassoexcitedthatshecouldn’thelpshowingit——whichwaslittleshortofbeingphenomenal。

\"There’sneverbeenaweddinginthishouse，\"shesaid，halfapologetically，toMrs。RachelLynde。

\"WhenIwasachildIheardanoldministersaythatahousewasnotarealhomeuntilithadbeenconsecratedbyabirth，aweddingandadeath。We’vehaddeathshere——myfatherandmotherdiedhereaswellasMatthew；andwe’veevenhadabirthhere。Longago，justafterwemovedintothishouse，wehadamarriedhiredmanforalittlewhile，andhiswifehadababyhere。Butthere’sneverbeenaweddingbefore。ItdoesseemsostrangetothinkofAnnebeingmarried。

InawayshejustseemstomethelittlegirlMatthewbroughthomeherefourteenyearsago。Ican’trealizethatshe’sgrownup。IshallneverforgetwhatIfeltwhenIsawMatthewbringinginaGIRL。Iwonderwhatbecameoftheboywewouldhavegotiftherehadn’tbeenamistake。IwonderwhatHISfatewas。\"

\"Well，itwasafortunatemistake，\"saidMrs。RachelLynde，\"though，mindyou，therewasatimeIdidn’tthinkso——thateveningIcameuptoseeAnneandshetreatedustosuchascene。Manythingshavechangedsincethen，that’swhat。\"

Mrs。Rachelsighed，andthenbriskedupagain。WhenweddingswereinorderMrs。Rachelwasreadytoletthedeadpastburyitsdead。

\"I’mgoingtogiveAnnetwoofmycottonwarpspreads，\"sheresumed。\"Atobacco-stripeoneandanapple-leafone。Shetellsmethey’regettingtoberealfashionableagain。Well，fashionornofashion，I

don’tbelievethere’sanythingprettierforaspare-roombedthananiceapple-leafspread，that’swhat。Imustseeaboutgettingthembleached。I’vehadthemsewedupincottonbagseversinceThomasdied，andnodoubtthey’reanawfulcolor。Butthere’samonthyet，anddew-bleachingwillworkwonders。\"

Onlyamonth！Marillasighedandthensaidproudly:

\"I’mgivingAnnethathalfdozenbraidedrugsIhaveinthegarret。Ineversupposedshe’dwantthem——they’resoold-fashioned，andnobodyseemstowantanythingbuthookedmatsnow。Butsheaskedmeforthem——saidshe’dratherhavethemthananythingelseforherfloors。TheyAREpretty。Imadethemofthenicestrags，andbraidedtheminstripes。Itwassuchcompanytheselastfewwinters。AndI’llmakeherenoughblueplumpreservetostockherjamclosetforayear。Itseemsrealstrange。Thoseblueplumtreeshadn’tevenablossomforthreeyears，andI

thoughttheymightaswellbecutdown。Andthislastspringtheywerewhite，andsuchacropofplumsI

neverrememberatGreenGables。\"

\"Well，thankgoodnessthatAnneandGilbertreallyaregoingtobemarriedafterall。It’swhatI’vealwaysprayedfor，\"saidMrs。Rachel，inthetoneofonewhoiscomfortablysurethatherprayershaveavailedmuch。

\"Itwasagreatrelieftofindoutthatshereallydidn’tmeantotaketheKingsportman。Hewasrich，tobesure，andGilbertispoor——atleast，tobeginwith；

butthenhe’sanIslandboy。\"

\"He’sGilbertBlythe，\"saidMarillacontentedly。

MarillawouldhavediedthedeathbeforeshewouldhaveputintowordsthethoughtthatwasalwaysinthebackgroundofhermindwhenevershehadlookedatGilbertfromhischildhoodup——thethoughtthat，haditnotbeenforherownwilfulpridelong，longago，hemighthavebeenHERson。Marillafeltthat，insomestrangeway，hismarriagewithAnnewouldputrightthatoldmistake。Goodhadcomeoutoftheeviloftheancientbitterness。

AsforAnneherself，shewassohappythatshealmostfeltfrightened。Thegods，sosaystheoldsuperstition，donotliketobeholdtoohappymortals。

Itiscertain，atleast，thatsomehumanbeingsdonot。

TwoofthatilkdescendeduponAnneonevioletduskandproceededtodowhatinthemlaytopricktherainbowbubbleofhersatisfaction。IfshethoughtshewasgettinganyparticularprizeinyoungDr。Blythe，orifsheimaginedthathewasstillasinfatuatedwithherashemighthavebeeninhissaladdays，itwassurelytheirdutytoputthematterbeforeherinanotherlight。YetthesetwoworthyladieswerenotenemiesofAnne；onthecontrary，theywerereallyquitefondofher，andwouldhavedefendedherastheirownyounghadanyoneelseattackedher。Humannatureisnotobligedtobeconsistent。

Mrs。Inglis——neeJaneAndrews，toquotefromtheDailyEnterprise——camewithhermotherandMrs。JasperBell。

ButinJanethemilkofhumankindnesshadnotbeencurdledbyyearsofmatrimonialbickerings。Herlineshadfalleninpleasantplaces。Inspiteofthefact——asMrs。RachelLyndewouldsay——thatshehadmarriedamillionaire，hermarriagehadbeenhappy。

Wealthhadnotspoiledher。Shewasstilltheplacid，amiable，pink-cheekedJaneoftheoldquartette，sympathisingwithheroldchum’shappinessandaskeenlyinterestedinallthedaintydetailsofAnne’strousseauasifitcouldrivalherownsilkenandbejewelledsplendors。Janewasnotbrilliant，andhadprobablynevermadearemarkworthlisteningtoinherlife；butsheneversaidanythingthatwouldhurtanyone’sfeelings——whichmaybeanegativetalentbutislikewisearareandenviableone。

\"SoGilbertdidn’tgobackonyouafterall，\"saidMrs。HarmonAndrews，contrivingtoconveyanexpressionofsurpriseinhertone。\"Well，theBlythesgenerallykeeptheirwordwhenthey’veoncepassedit，nomatterwhathappens。Letmesee——you’retwenty-five，aren’tyou，Anne？WhenIwasagirltwenty-fivewasthefirstcorner。Butyoulookquiteyoung。Red-headedpeoplealwaysdo。\"

\"Redhairisveryfashionablenow，\"saidAnne，tryingtosmile，butspeakingrathercoldly。Lifehaddevelopedinherasenseofhumorwhichhelpedherovermanydifficulties；butasyetnothinghadavailedtosteelheragainstareferencetoherhair。

\"Soitis——soitis，\"concededMrs。Harmon。\"There’snotellingwhatqueerfreaksfashionwilltake。Well，Anne，yourthingsareverypretty，andverysuitabletoyourpositioninlife，aren’tthey，Jane？Ihopeyou’llbeveryhappy。Youhavemybestwishes，I’msure。Alongengagementdoesn’toftenturnoutwell。

But，ofcourse，inyourcaseitcouldn’tbehelped。\"

\"Gilbertlooksveryyoungforadoctor。I’mafraidpeoplewon’thavemuchconfidenceinhim，\"saidMrs。

JasperBellgloomily。Thensheshuthermouthtightly，asifshehadsaidwhatsheconsidereditherdutytosayandheldherconscienceclear。Shebelongedtothetypewhichalwayshasastringyblackfeatherinitshatandstragglinglocksofhaironitsneck。

Anne’ssurfacepleasureinherprettybridalthingswastemporarilyshadowed；butthedeepsofhappinessbelowcouldnotthusbedisturbed；andthelittlestingsofMesdamesBellandAndrewswereforgottenwhenGilbertcamelater，andtheywandereddowntothebirchesofthebrook，whichhadbeensaplingswhenAnnehadcometoGreenGables，butwerenowtall，ivorycolumnsinafairypalaceoftwilightandstars。IntheirshadowsAnneandGilberttalkedinlover-fashionoftheirnewhomeandtheirnewlifetogether。

\"I’vefoundanestforus，Anne。\"

\"Oh，where？Notrightinthevillage，Ihope。I

wouldn’tlikethataltogether。\"

\"No。Therewasnohousetobehadinthevillage。

Thisisalittlewhitehouseontheharborshore，halfwaybetweenGlenSt。MaryandFourWindsPoint。It’salittleoutoftheway，butwhenwegeta’phoneinthatwon’tmattersomuch。Thesituationisbeautiful。Itlookstothesunsetandhasthegreatblueharborbeforeit。Thesand-dunesaren’tveryfaraway——theseawindsblowoverthemandtheseaspraydrenchesthem。\"

\"Butthehouseitself，Gilbert，——OURfirsthome？Whatisitlike？\"

\"Notverylarge，butlargeenoughforus。There’sasplendidlivingroomwithafireplaceinitdownstairs，andadiningroomthatlooksoutontheharbor，andalittleroomthatwilldoformyoffice。Itisaboutsixtyyearsold——theoldesthouseinFourWinds。Butithasbeenkeptinprettygoodrepair，andwasalldoneoveraboutfifteenyearsago——shingled，plasteredandre-floored。Itwaswellbuilttobeginwith。I

understandthattherewassomeromanticstoryconnectedwithitsbuilding，butthemanIrenteditfromdidn’tknowit。

HesaidCaptainJimwastheonlyonewhocouldspinthatoldyarnnow。\"

\"WhoisCaptainJim？\"

\"ThekeeperofthelighthouseonFourWindsPoint。

You’lllovethatFourWindslight，Anne。It’sarevolvingone，anditflasheslikeamagnificentstarthroughthetwilights。Wecanseeitfromourlivingroomwindowsandourfrontdoor。\"

\"Whoownsthehouse？\"

\"Well，it’sthepropertyoftheGlenSt。MaryPresbyterianChurchnow，andIrenteditfromthetrustees。Butitbelongeduntillatelytoaveryoldlady，MissElizabethRussell。Shediedlastspring，andasshehadnonearrelativessheleftherpropertytotheGlenSt。MaryChurch。Herfurnitureisstillinthehouse，andIboughtmostofit——forameresongyoumightsay，becauseitwasallsoold-fashionedthatthetrusteesdespairedofsellingit。GlenSt。Maryfolkspreferplushbrocadeandsideboardswithmirrorsandornamentations，Ifancy。ButMissRussell’sfurnitureisverygoodandIfeelsureyou’lllikeit，Anne。\"

\"Sofar，good，\"saidAnne，noddingcautiousapproval。

\"But，Gilbert，peoplecannotlivebyfurniturealone。

Youhaven’tyetmentionedoneveryimportantthing。

ArethereTREESaboutthishouse？\"

\"Heapsofthem，oh，dryad！Thereisabiggroveoffirtreesbehindit，tworowsofLombardypoplarsdownthelane，andaringofwhitebirchesaroundaverydelightfulgarden。Ourfrontdooropensrightintothegarden，butthereisanotherentrance——alittlegatehungbetweentwofirs。Thehingesareononetrunkandthecatchontheother。Theirboughsformanarchoverhead。\"

\"Oh，I’msoglad！Icouldn’tlivewheretherewerenotrees——somethingvitalinmewouldstarve。Well，afterthat，there’snouseaskingyouifthere’sabrookanywherenear。THATwouldbeexpectingtoomuch。\"

\"ButthereISabrook——anditactuallycutsacrossonecornerofthegarden。\"

\"Then，\"saidAnne，withalongsighofsupremesatisfaction，\"thishouseyouhavefoundISmyhouseofdreamsandnoneother。\"

CHAPTER3

THELANDOFDREAMSAMONG

\"Haveyoumadeupyourmindwhoyou’regoingtohavetothewedding，Anne？\"askedMrs。RachelLynde，asshehemstitchedtablenapkinsindustriously。\"It’stimeyourinvitationsweresent，eveniftheyaretobeonlyinformalones。\"

\"Idon’tmeantohaveverymany，\"saidAnne。\"Wejustwantthosewelovebesttoseeusmarried。Gilbert’speople，andMr。andMrs。Allan，andMr。andMrs。

Harrison。\"

\"Therewasatimewhenyou’dhardlyhavenumberedMr。

Harrisonamongyourdearestfriends，\"saidMarilladrily。

\"Well，Iwasn’tVERYstronglyattractedtohimatourfirstmeeting，\"acknowledgedAnne，withalaughovertherecollection。\"ButMr。Harrisonhasimprovedonacquaintance，andMrs。Harrisonisreallyadear。

Then，ofcourse，thereareMissLavendarandPaul。\"

\"HavetheydecidedtocometotheIslandthissummer？

IthoughttheyweregoingtoEurope。\"

\"TheychangedtheirmindswhenIwrotethemIwasgoingtobemarried。IhadaletterfromPaultoday。

HesaysheMUSTcometomywedding，nomatterwhathappenstoEurope。\"

\"Thatchildalwaysidolisedyou，\"remarkedMrs。

Rachel。

\"That`child’isayoungmanofnineteennow，Mrs。

Lynde。\"

\"Howtimedoesfly！\"wasMrs。Lynde’sbrilliantandoriginalresponse。

\"CharlottatheFourthmaycomewiththem。ShesentwordbyPaulthatshewouldcomeifherhusbandwouldlether。Iwonderifshestillwearsthoseenormousbluebows，andwhetherherhusbandcallsherCharlottaorLeonora。IshouldlovetohaveCharlottaatmywedding。CharlottaandIwereataweddinglongsyne。

TheyexpecttobeatEchoLodgenextweek。ThentherearePhilandtheReverendJo——\"

\"Itsoundsawfultohearyouspeakingofaministerlikethat，Anne，\"saidMrs。Rachelseverely。

\"Hiswifecallshimthat。\"

\"Sheshouldhavemorerespectforhisholyoffice，then，\"retortedMrs。Rachel。

\"I’veheardyoucriticiseministersprettysharplyyourself，\"teasedAnne。

\"Yes，butIdoitreverently，\"protestedMrs。Lynde。

\"YouneverheardmeNICKNAMEaminister。\"

Annesmotheredasmile。

\"Well，thereareDianaandFredandlittleFredandSmallAnneCordelia——andJaneAndrews。IwishIcouldhaveMissStaceyandAuntJamesinaandPriscillaandStella。ButStellaisinVancouver，andPrisisinJapan，andMissStaceyismarriedinCalifornia，andAuntJamesinahasgonetoIndiatoexploreherdaughter’smissionfield，inspiteofherhorrorofsnakes。It’sreallydreadful——thewaypeoplegetscatteredovertheglobe。\"

\"TheLordneverintendedit，that’swhat，\"saidMrs。

Rachelauthoritatively。\"Inmyyoungdayspeoplegrewupandmarriedandsettleddownwheretheywereborn，orprettynearit。Thankgoodnessyou’vestucktotheIsland，Anne。IwasafraidGilbertwouldinsistonrushingofftotheendsoftheearthwhenhegotthroughcollege，anddraggingyouwithhim。\"

\"Ifeverybodystayedwherehewasbornplaceswouldsoonbefilledup，Mrs。Lynde。\"

\"Oh，I’mnotgoingtoarguewithyou，Anne。_I_amnotaB。A。Whattimeofthedayistheceremonytobe？\"

\"Wehavedecidedonnoon——highnoon，asthesocietyreporterssay。ThatwillgiveustimetocatchtheeveningtraintoGlenSt。Mary。\"

\"Andyou’llbemarriedintheparlor？\"

\"No——notunlessitrains。Wemeantobemarriedintheorchard——withtheblueskyoverusandthesunshinearoundus。DoyouknowwhenandwhereI’dliketobemarried，ifIcould？Itwouldbeatdawn——aJunedawn，withaglorioussunrise，androsesbloominginthegardens；andIwouldslipdownandmeetGilbertandwewouldgotogethertotheheartofthebeechwoods，——andthere，underthegreenarchesthatwouldbelikeasplendidcathedral，wewouldbemarried。\"

MarillasniffedscornfullyandMrs。Lyndelookedshocked。

\"Butthatwouldbeterriblequeer，Anne。Why，itwouldn’treallyseemlegal。AndwhatwouldMrs。HarmonAndrewssay？\"

\"Ah，there’stherub，\"sighedAnne。\"TherearesomanythingsinlifewecannotdobecauseofthefearofwhatMrs。HarmonAndrewswouldsay。`’Tistrue，’tispity，andpity’tis，’tistrue。’WhatdelightfulthingswemightdowereitnotforMrs。HarmonAndrews！\"

\"Bytimes，Anne，Idon’tfeelquitesurethatI

understandyoualtogether，\"complainedMrs。Lynde。

\"Annewasalwaysromantic，youknow，\"saidMarillaapologetically。

\"Well，marriedlifewillmostlikelycureherofthat，\"Mrs。Rachelrespondedcomfortingly。

AnnelaughedandslippedawaytoLover’sLane，whereGilbertfoundher；andneitherofthemseemedtoentertainmuchfear，orhope，thattheirmarriedlifewouldcurethemofromance。

TheEchoLodgepeoplecameoverthenextweek，andGreenGablesbuzzedwiththedelightofthem。MissLavendarhadchangedsolittlethatthethreeyearssinceherlastIslandvisitmighthavebeenawatchinthenight；butAnnegaspedwithamazementoverPaul。

CouldthissplendidsixfeetofmanhoodbethelittlePaulofAvonleaschooldays？

\"Youreallymakemefeelold，Paul，\"saidAnne。\"Why，Ihavetolookuptoyou！\"

\"You’llnevergrowold，Teacher，\"saidPaul。\"YouareoneofthefortunatemortalswhohavefoundanddrunkfromtheFountainofYouth，——youandMotherLavendar。

Seehere！Whenyou’remarriedIWON’TcallyouMrs。

Blythe。Tomeyou’llalwaysbe`Teacher’——theteacherofthebestlessonsIeverlearned。Iwanttoshowyousomething。\"

The\"something\"wasapocketbookfullofpoems。Paulhadputsomeofhisbeautifulfanciesintoverse，andmagazineeditorshadnotbeenasunappreciativeastheyaresometimessupposedtobe。AnnereadPaul’spoemswithrealdelight。Theywerefullofcharmandpromise。

\"You’llbefamousyet，Paul。Ialwaysdreamedofhavingonefamouspupil。Hewastobeacollegepresident——butagreatpoetwouldbeevenbetter。SomedayI’llbeabletoboastthatIwhippedthedistinguishedPaulIrving。ButthenIneverdidwhipyou，didI，Paul？Whatanopportunitylost！IthinkI

keptyouinatrecess，however。\"

\"Youmaybefamousyourself，Teacher。I’veseenagooddealofyourworktheselastthreeyears。\"

\"No。IknowwhatIcando。Icanwritepretty，fancifullittlesketchesthatchildrenloveandeditorssendwelcomechequesfor。ButIcandonothingbig。

MyonlychanceforearthlyimmortalityisacornerinyourMemoirs。\"

CharlottatheFourthhaddiscardedthebluebowsbutherfreckleswerenotnoticeablyless。

\"IneverdidthinkI’dcomedowntomarryingaYankee，MissShirley，ma’am，\"shesaid。\"Butyouneverknowwhat’sbeforeyou，anditisn’thisfault。Hewasbornthatway。\"

\"You’reaYankeeyourself，Charlotta，sinceyou’vemarriedone。\"

\"MissShirley，ma’am，I’mNOT！AndIwouldn’tbeifI

wastomarryadozenYankees！Tom’skindofnice。Andbesides，IthoughtI’dbetternotbetoohardtoplease，forImightn’tgetanotherchance。Tomdon’tdrinkandhedon’tgrowlbecausehehastoworkbetweenmeals，andwhenall’ssaidanddoneI’msatisfied，MissShirley，ma’am。\"

\"DoeshecallyouLeonora？\"askedAnne。

\"Goodness，no，MissShirley，ma’am。Iwouldn’tknowwhohemeantifhedid。Ofcourse，whenwegotmarriedhehadtosay，`Itakethee，Leonora，’andIdeclaretoyou，MissShirley，ma’am，I’vehadthemostdreadfulfeelingeversincethatitwasn’tmehewastalkingtoandIhaven’tbeenrightlymarriedatall。Andsoyou’regoingtobemarriedyourself，MissShirley，ma’am？IalwaysthoughtI’dliketomarryadoctor。

Itwouldbesohandywhenthechildrenhadmeaslesandcroup。Tomisonlyabricklayer，buthe’srealgood-

tempered。WhenIsaidtohim，saysI，`Tom，canIgotoMissShirley’swedding？Imeantogoanyhow，butI’dliketohaveyourconsent，’hejustsays，`Suityourself，Charlotta，andyou’llsuitme。’That’sarealpleasantkindofhusbandtohave，MissShirley，ma’am。\"

PhilippaandherReverendJoarrivedatGreenGablesthedaybeforethewedding。AnneandPhilhadarapturousmeetingwhichpresentlysimmereddowntoacosy，confidentialchatoverallthathadbeenandwasabouttobe。

\"QueenAnne，you’reasqueenlyasever。I’vegotfearfullythinsincethebabiescame。I’mnothalfsogood-looking；butIthinkJolikesit。There’snotsuchacontrastbetweenus，yousee。Andoh，it’sperfectlymagnificentthatyou’regoingtomarryGilbert。RoyGardnerwouldn’thavedoneatall，atall。Icanseethatnow，thoughIwashorriblydisappointedatthetime。Youknow，Anne，youdidtreatRoyverybadly。\"

\"Hehasrecovered，Iunderstand，\"smiledAnne。

\"Oh，yes。Heismarriedandhiswifeisasweetlittlethingandthey’reperfectlyhappy。Everythingworkstogetherforgood。JoandtheBiblesaythat，andtheyareprettygoodauthorities。\"

\"AreAlecandAlonzomarriedyet？\"

\"Alecis，butAlonzoisn’t。HowthosedearolddaysatPatty’sPlacecomebackwhenI’mtalkingtoyou，Anne！Whatfunwehad！\"

\"HaveyoubeentoPatty’sPlacelately？\"

\"Oh，yes，Igooften。MissPattyandMissMariastillsitbythefireplaceandknit。Andthatremindsme——we’vebroughtyouaweddinggiftfromthem，Anne。

Guesswhatitis。\"

\"Inevercould。HowdidtheyknowIwasgoingtobemarried？\"

\"Oh，Itoldthem。Iwastherelastweek。Andtheyweresointerested。TwodaysagoMissPattywrotemeanoteaskingmetocall；andthensheaskedifIwouldtakehergifttoyou。WhatwouldyouwishmostfromPatty’sPlace，Anne？\"

\"Youcan’tmeanthatMissPattyhassentmeherchinadogs？\"

\"Gouphead。They’reinmytrunkthisverymoment。

AndI’vealetterforyou。WaitamomentandI’llgetit。\"

\"DearMissShirley，\"MissPattyhadwritten，\"MariaandIwereverymuchinterestedinhearingofyourapproachingnuptials。Wesendyouourbestwishes。

MariaandIhavenevermarried，butwehavenoobjectiontootherpeopledoingso。Wearesendingyouthechinadogs。Iintendedtoleavethemtoyouinmywill，becauseyouseemedtohavesincereaffectionforthem。ButMariaandIexpecttoliveagoodwhileyet(D。V。)，soIhavedecidedtogiveyouthedogswhileyouareyoung。YouwillnothaveforgottenthatGoglookstotherightandMagogtotheleft。\"

\"Justfancythoselovelyolddogssittingbythefireplaceinmyhouseofdreams，\"saidAnnerapturously。\"Ineverexpectedanythingsodelightful。\"

ThateveningGreenGableshummedwithpreparationsforthefollowingday；butinthetwilightAnneslippedaway。Shehadalittlepilgrimagetomakeonthislastdayofhergirlhoodandshemustmakeitalone。ShewenttoMatthew’sgrave，inthelittlepoplar-shadedAvonleagraveyard，andtherekeptasilenttrystwitholdmemoriesandimmortalloves。

\"HowgladMatthewwouldbetomorrowifhewerehere，\"

shewhispered。\"ButIbelievehedoesknowandisgladofit——somewhereelse。I’vereadsomewherethat`ourdeadareneverdeaduntilwehaveforgottenthem。’

Matthewwillneverbedeadtome，forIcanneverforgethim。\"

Sheleftonhisgravetheflowersshehadbroughtandwalkedslowlydownthelonghill。Itwasagraciousevening，fullofdelectablelightsandshadows。Inthewestwasaskyofmackerelclouds——crimsonandamber-tinted，withlongstripsofapple-greenskybetween。Beyondwastheglimmeringradianceofasunsetsea，andtheceaselessvoiceofmanywaterscameupfromthetawnyshore。Allaroundher，lyinginthefine，beautifulcountrysilence，werethehillsandfieldsandwoodsshehadknownandlovedsolong。

\"Historyrepeatsitself，\"saidGilbert，joiningherasshepassedtheBlythegate。\"Doyourememberourfirstwalkdownthishill，Anne——ourfirstwalktogetheranywhere，forthatmatter？\"

\"IwascominghomeinthetwilightfromMatthew’sgrave——andyoucameoutofthegate；andIswallowedtheprideofyearsandspoketoyou。\"

\"Andallheavenopenedbeforeme，\"supplementedGilbert。\"FromthatmomentIlookedforwardtotomorrow。WhenIleftyouatyourgatethatnightandwalkedhomeIwasthehappiestboyintheworld。Annehadforgivenme。\"

\"Ithinkyouhadthemosttoforgive。Iwasanungratefullittlewretch——andafteryouhadreallysavedmylifethatdayonthepond，too。HowIloathedthatloadofobligationatfirst！Idon’tdeservethehappinessthathascometome。\"

Gilbertlaughedandclaspedtighterthegirlishhandthatworehisring。Anne’sengagementringwasacircletofpearls。Shehadrefusedtowearadiamond。

\"I’veneverreallylikeddiamondssinceIfoundouttheyweren’tthelovelypurpleIhaddreamed。Theywillalwayssuggestmyolddisappointment。\"

\"Butpearlsarefortears，theoldlegendsays，\"

Gilberthadobjected。

\"I’mnotafraidofthat。Andtearscanbehappyaswellassad。MyveryhappiestmomentshavebeenwhenI

hadtearsinmyeyes——whenMarillatoldmeImightstayatGreenGables——whenMatthewgavemethefirstprettydressIeverhad——whenIheardthatyouweregoingtorecoverfromthefever。Sogivemepearlsforourtrothring，Gilbert，andI’llwillinglyacceptthesorrowoflifewithitsjoy。\"

Buttonightourloversthoughtonlyofjoyandneverofsorrow。Forthemorrowwastheirweddingday，andtheirhouseofdreamsawaitedthemonthemisty，purpleshoreofFourWindsHarbor。

CHAPTER4

THEFIRSTBRIDEOFGREENGABLES

AnnewakenedonthemorningofherweddingdaytofindthesunshinewinkinginatthewindowofthelittleporchgableandaSeptemberbreezefrolickingwithhercurtains。

\"I’msogladthesunwillshineonme，\"shethoughthappily。

Sherecalledthefirstmorningshehadwakenedinthatlittleporchroom，whenthesunshinehadcreptinonherthroughtheblossom-driftoftheoldSnowQueen。

Thathadnotbeenahappywakening，foritbroughtwithitthebitterdisappointmentoftheprecedingnight。

Butsincethenthelittleroomhadbeenendearedandconsecratedbyyearsofhappychildhooddreamsandmaidenvisions。Toitshehadcomebackjoyfullyafterallherabsences；atitswindowshehadkneltthroughthatnightofbitteragonywhenshebelievedGilbertdying，andbyitshehadsatinspeechlesshappinessthenightofherbetrothal。Manyvigilsofjoyandsomeofsorrowhadbeenkeptthere；andtodayshemustleaveitforever。Henceforthitwouldbehersnomore；

fifteen-year-oldDorawastoinherititwhenshehadgone。NordidAnnewishitotherwise；thelittleroomwassacredtoyouthandgirlhood——tothepastthatwastoclosetodaybeforethechapterofwifehoodopened。

GreenGableswasabusyandjoyoushousethatforenoon。

Dianaarrivedearly，withlittleFredandSmallAnneCordelia，tolendahand。DavyandDora，theGreenGablestwins，whiskedthebabiesofftothegarden。

\"Don’tletSmallAnneCordeliaspoilherclothes，\"

warnedDianaanxiously。

\"Youneedn’tbeafraidtotrustherwithDora，\"saidMarilla。\"ThatchildismoresensibleandcarefulthanmostofthemothersI’veknown。She’sreallyawonderinsomeways。Notmuchlikethatotherharum-scarumIbroughtup。\"

MarillasmiledacrossherchickensaladatAnne。Itmightevenbesuspectedthatshelikedtheharum-scarumbestafterall。

\"Thosetwinsarerealnicechildren，\"saidMrs。

Rachel，whenshewassuretheywereoutofearshot。

\"Doraissowomanlyandhelpful，andDavyisdevelopingintoaverysmartboy。Heisn’ttheholyterrorformischiefheusedtobe。\"

\"IneverwassodistractedinmylifeasIwasthefirstsixmonthshewashere，\"acknowledgedMarilla。

\"AfterthatIsupposeIgotusedtohim。He’stakenagreatnotiontofarminglately，andwantsmetolethimtryrunningthefarmnextyear。Imay，forMr。Barrydoesn’tthinkhe’llwanttorentitmuchlonger，andsomenewarrangementwillhavetobemade。\"

\"Well，youcertainlyhavealovelydayforyourwedding，Anne，\"saidDiana，assheslippedavoluminousapronoverhersilkenarray。\"Youcouldn’thavehadafineroneifyou’dordereditfromEaton’s。\"

\"Indeed，there’stoomuchmoneygoingoutofthisIslandtothatsameEaton’s，\"saidMrs。Lyndeindignantly。Shehadstrongviewsonthesubjectofoctopus-likedepartmentstores，andneverlostanopportunityofairingthem。\"Andasforthosecataloguesoftheirs，they’retheAvonleagirls’Biblenow，that’swhat。TheyporeoverthemonSundaysinsteadofstudyingtheHolyScriptures。\"

\"Well，they’resplendidtoamusechildrenwith，\"saidDiana。\"FredandSmallAnnelookatthepicturesbythehour。\"

\"_I_amusedtenchildrenwithouttheaidofEaton’scatalogue，\"saidMrs。Rachelseverely。

\"Come，youtwo，don’tquarreloverEaton’scatalogue，\"

saidAnnegaily。\"Thisismydayofdays，youknow。

I’msohappyIwanteveryoneelsetobehappy，too。\"

\"I’msureIhopeyourhappinesswilllast，child，\"

sighedMrs。Rachel。Shedidhopeittruly，andbelievedit，butshewasafraiditwasinthenatureofachallengetoProvidencetoflauntyourhappinesstooopenly。Anne，forherowngood，mustbetoneddownatrifle。

Butitwasahappyandbeautifulbridewhocamedowntheold，homespun-carpetedstairsthatSeptembernoon——thefirstbrideofGreenGables，slenderandshining-eyed，inthemistofhermaidenveil，withherarmsfullofroses。Gilbert，waitingforherinthehallbelow，lookedupatherwithadoringeyes。Shewashisatlast，thisevasive，long-soughtAnne，wonafteryearsofpatientwaiting。Itwastohimshewascominginthesweetsurrenderofthebride。Washeworthyofher？Couldhemakeherashappyashehoped？

Ifhefailedher——ifhecouldnotmeasureuptoherstandardofmanhood——then，assheheldoutherhand，theireyesmetandalldoubtwassweptawayinagladcertainty。Theybelongedtoeachother；and，nomatterwhatlifemightholdforthem，itcouldneveralterthat。Theirhappinesswasineachother’skeepingandbothwereunafraid。

Theyweremarriedinthesunshineoftheoldorchard，circledbythelovingandkindlyfacesoflong-familiarfriends。Mr。Allanmarriedthem，andtheReverendJomadewhatMrs。RachelLyndeafterwardspronouncedtobethe\"mostbeautifulweddingprayer\"shehadeverheard。BirdsdonotoftensinginSeptember，butonesangsweetlyfromsomehiddenboughwhileGilbertandAnnerepeatedtheirdeathlessvows。Annehearditandthrilledtoit；Gilbertheardit，andwonderedonlythatallthebirdsintheworldhadnotburstintojubilantsong；Paulhearditandlaterwrotealyricaboutitwhichwasoneofthemostadmiredinhisfirstvolumeofverse；CharlottatheFourthhearditandwasblissfullysureitmeantgoodluckforheradoredMissShirley。Thebirdsanguntiltheceremonywasendedandthenitwoundupwithonemadlittle，gladlittletrill。Neverhadtheoldgray-greenhouseamongitsenfoldingorchardsknownablither，merrierafternoon。

AlltheoldjestsandquipsthatmusthavedonedutyatweddingssinceEdenwereservedup，andseemedasnewandbrilliantandmirth-provokingasiftheyhadneverbeenutteredbefore。Laughterandjoyhadtheirway；

andwhenAnneandGilbertlefttocatchtheCarmodytrain，withPaulasdriver，thetwinswerereadywithriceandoldshoes，inthethrowingofwhichCharlottatheFourthandMr。Harrisonboreavaliantpart。

Marillastoodatthegateandwatchedthecarriageoutofsightdownthelonglanewithitsbanksofgoldenrod。Anneturnedatitsendtowaveherlastgood-bye。Shewasgone——GreenGableswasherhomenomore；Marilla’sfacelookedverygrayandoldassheturnedtothehousewhichAnnehadfilledforfourteenyears，andeveninherabsence，withlightandlife。

ButDianaandhersmallfry，theEchoLodgepeopleandtheAllans，hadstayedtohelpthetwooldladiesoverthelonelinessofthefirstevening；andtheycontrivedtohaveaquietlypleasantlittlesuppertime，sittinglongaroundthetableandchattingoverallthedetailsoftheday。WhiletheyweresittingthereAnneandGilbertwerealightingfromthetrainatGlenSt。Mary。

CHAPTER5

THEHOMECOMING

Dr。DavidBlythehadsenthishorseandbuggytomeetthem，andtheurchinwhohadbroughtitslippedawaywithasympatheticgrin，leavingthemtothedelightofdrivingalonetotheirnewhomethroughtheradiantevening。

Anneneverforgotthelovelinessoftheviewthatbrokeuponthemwhentheyhaddrivenoverthehillbehindthevillage。Hernewhomecouldnotyetbeseen；butbeforeherlayFourWindsHarborlikeagreat，shiningmirrorofroseandsilver。Fardown，shesawitsentrancebetweenthebarofsanddunesononesideandasteep，high，grim，redsandstonecliffontheother。

Beyondthebarthesea，calmandaustere，dreamedintheafterlight。Thelittlefishingvillage，nestledinthecovewherethesand-dunesmettheharborshore，lookedlikeagreatopalinthehaze。Theskyoverthemwaslikeajewelledcupfromwhichtheduskwaspouring；theairwascrispwiththecompellingtangofthesea，andthewholelandscapewasinfusedwiththesubtletiesofaseaevening。Afewdimsailsdriftedalongthedarkening，fir-cladharborshores。Abellwasringingfromthetowerofalittlewhitechurchonthefarside；mellowlyanddreamilysweet，thechimefloatedacrossthewaterblentwiththemoanofthesea。Thegreatrevolvinglightonthecliffatthechannelflashedwarmandgoldenagainsttheclearnorthernsky，atrembling，quiveringstarofgoodhope。

Faroutalongthehorizonwasthecrinkledgrayribbonofapassingsteamer’ssmoke。

\"Oh，beautiful，beautiful，\"murmuredAnne。\"IshallloveFourWinds，Gilbert。Whereisourhouse？\"

\"Wecan’tseeityet——thebeltofbirchrunningupfromthatlittlecovehidesit。It’sabouttwomilesfromGlenSt。Mary，andthere’sanothermilebetweenitandthelight-house。Wewon’thavemanyneighbors，Anne。There’sonlyonehousenearusandIdon’tknowwholivesinit。ShallyoubelonelywhenI’maway？\"

\"Notwiththatlightandthatlovelinessforcompany。

Wholivesinthathouse，Gilbert？\"

\"Idon’tknow。Itdoesn’tlook——exactly——asiftheoccupantswouldbekindredspirits，Anne，doesit？\"

Thehousewasalarge，substantialaffair，paintedsuchavividgreenthatthelandscapeseemedquitefadedbycontrast。Therewasanorchardbehindit，andanicelykeptlawnbeforeit，but，somehow，therewasacertainbarenessaboutit。Perhapsitsneatnesswasresponsibleforthis；thewholeestablishment，house，barns，orchard，garden，lawnandlane，wassostarklyneat。

\"Itdoesn’tseemprobablethatanyonewiththattasteinpaintcouldbeVERYkindred，\"acknowledgedAnne，\"unlessitwereanaccident——likeourbluehall。I

feelcertaintherearenochildrenthere，atleast。

It’sevenneaterthantheoldCoppplaceontheToryroad，andIneverexpectedtoseeanythingneaterthanthat。\"

Theyhadnotmetanybodyonthemoist，redroadthatwoundalongtheharborshore。Butjustbeforetheycametothebeltofbirchwhichhidtheirhome，Annesawagirlwhowasdrivingaflockofsnow-whitegeesealongthecrestofavelvetygreenhillontheright。Great，scatteredfirsgrewalongit。Betweentheirtrunksonesawglimpsesofyellowharvestfields，gleamsofgoldensand-hills，andbitsofbluesea。Thegirlwastallandworeadressofpaleblueprint。Shewalkedwithacertainspringinessofstepanderectnessofbearing。SheandhergeesecameoutofthegateatthefootofthehillasAnneandGilbertpassed。Shestoodwithherhandonthefasteningofthegate，andlookedsteadilyatthem，withanexpressionthathardlyattainedtointerest，butdidnotdescendtocuriosity。

ItseemedtoAnne，forafleetingmoment，thattherewasevenaveiledhintofhostilityinit。Butitwasthegirl’sbeautywhichmadeAnnegivealittlegasp——abeautysomarkedthatitmusthaveattractedattentionanywhere。Shewashatless，butheavybraidsofburnishedhair，thehueofripewheat，weretwistedaboutherheadlikeacoronet；hereyeswereblueandstar-like；herfigure，initsplainprintgown，wasmagnificent；andherlipswereascrimsonasthebunchofblood-redpoppiessheworeatherbelt。

\"Gilbert，whoisthegirlwehavejustpassed？\"askedAnne，inalowvoice。

\"Ididn’tnoticeanygirl，\"saidGilbert，whohadeyesonlyforhisbride。

\"Shewasstandingbythatgate——no，don’tlookback。

Sheisstillwatchingus。Ineversawsuchabeautifulface。\"

\"Idon’trememberseeinganyveryhandsomegirlswhileIwashere。TherearesomeprettygirlsupattheGlen，butIhardlythinktheycouldbecalledbeautiful。\"

\"Thisgirlis。Youcan’thaveseenher，oryouwouldrememberher。Nobodycouldforgether。Ineversawsuchafaceexceptinpictures。Andherhair！ItmademethinkofBrowning’s`cordofgold’and`gorgeoussnake’！\"

\"Probablyshe’ssomevisitorinFourWinds——likelysomeonefromthatbigsummerhotelovertheharbor。\"

\"Sheworeawhiteapronandshewasdrivinggeese。\"

\"Shemightdothatforamusement。Look，Anne——there’sourhouse。\"

Annelookedandforgotforatimethegirlwiththesplendid，resentfuleyes。Thefirstglimpseofhernewhomewasadelighttoeyeandspirit——itlookedsolikeabig，creamyseashellstrandedontheharborshore。

TherowsoftallLombardypoplarsdownitslanestoodoutinstately，purplesilhouetteagainstthesky。

Behindit，shelteringitsgardenfromthetookeenbreathofseawinds，wasacloudyfirwood，inwhichthewindsmightmakeallkindsofweirdandhauntingmusic。Likeallwoods，itseemedtobeholdingandenfoldingsecretsinitsrecesses，——secretswhosecharmisonlytobewonbyenteringinandpatientlyseeking。

Outwardly，darkgreenarmskeeptheminviolatefromcuriousorindifferenteyes。

ThenightwindswerebeginningtheirwilddancesbeyondthebarandthefishinghamletacrosstheharborwasgemmedwithlightsasAnneandGilbertdroveupthepoplarlane。Thedoorofthelittlehouseopened，andawarmglowoffirelightflickeredoutintothedusk。

GilbertliftedAnnefromthebuggyandledherintothegarden，throughthelittlegatebetweentheruddy-tippedfirs，upthetrim，redpathtothesandstonestep。

\"Welcomehome，\"hewhispered，andhandinhandtheysteppedoverthethresholdoftheirhouseofdreams。