THEnextafternoonAnne,bendingoverherpatchworkatthekitchenwindow,happenedtoglanceoutandbeheldDianadownbytheDryad’sBubblebeckoningmysteriously. InatriceAnnewasoutofthehouseandflyingdowntothehollow,astonishmentandhopestrugglinginherexpressiveeyes. ButthehopefadedwhenshesawDiana’sdejectedcountenance. “Yourmotherhasn’trelented?”shegasped. Dianashookherheadmournfully. “No;andoh,Anne,shesaysI’mnevertoplaywithyouagain. I’vecriedandcriedandItoldheritwasn’tyourfault,butitwasn’tanyuse. Ihadeversuchatimecoaxinghertoletmecomedownandsaygood-byetoyou. ShesaidIwasonlytostaytenminutesandshe’stimingmebytheclock.” “Tenminutesisn’tverylongtosayaneternalfarewellin,”saidAnnetearfully. “Oh,Diana,willyoupromisefaithfullynevertoforgetme,thefriendofyouryouth,nomatterwhatdearerfriendsmaycaressthee?” “IndeedIwill,”sobbedDiana,“andI’llneverhaveanotherbosomfriend—Idon’twanttohave.Icouldn’tloveanybodyasIloveyou.” “Oh,Diana,”criedAnne,claspingherhands,“doyouLOVEme?” “Why,ofcourseIdo.Didn’tyouknowthat?” “No.”Annedrewalongbreath. “IthoughtyouLIKEDmeofcoursebutIneverhopedyouLOVEDme. Why,Diana,Ididn’tthinkanybodycouldloveme. NobodyeverhaslovedmesinceIcanremember.Oh,thisiswonderful! It’sarayoflightwhichwillforevershineonthedarknessofapathseveredfromthee,Diana.Oh,justsayitonceagain.” “Iloveyoudevotedly,Anne,”saidDianastanchly,“andIalwayswill,youmaybesureofthat.” “AndIwillalwayslovethee,Diana,”saidAnne,solemnlyextendingherhand. “Intheyearstocomethymemorywillshinelikeastarovermylonelylife,asthatlaststorywereadtogethersays. Diana,wiltthougivemealockofthyjet-blacktressesinpartingtotreasureforevermore?” “Haveyougotanythingtocutitwith?”queriedDiana,wipingawaythetearswhichAnne’saffectingaccentshadcausedtoflowafresh,andreturningtopracticalities. “Yes.I’vegotmypatchworkscissorsinmyapronpocketfortunately,”saidAnne. ShesolemnlyclippedoneofDiana’scurls.“Faretheewell,mybelovedfriend. Henceforthwemustbeasstrangersthoughlivingsidebyside. Butmyheartwilleverbefaithfultothee.” AnnestoodandwatchedDianaoutofsight,mournfullywavingherhandtothelatterwheneversheturnedtolookback. Thenshereturnedtothehouse,notalittleconsoledforthetimebeingbythisromanticparting. “Itisallover,”sheinformedMarilla.“Ishallneverhaveanotherfriend. I’mreallyworseoffthaneverbefore,forIhaven’tKatieMauriceandViolettanow. AndevenifIhaditwouldn’tbethesame. Somehow,littledreamgirlsarenotsatisfyingafterarealfriend. DianaandIhadsuchanaffectingfarewelldownbythespring.Itwillbesacredinmymemoryforever. IusedthemostpatheticlanguageIcouldthinkofandsaid‘thou’and‘thee.’ ‘Thou’and‘thee’seemsomuchmoreromanticthan‘you.’ DianagavemealockofherhairandI’mgoingtosewitupinalittlebagandwearitaroundmyneckallmylife. Pleaseseethatitisburiedwithme,forIdon’tbelieveI’llliveverylong. PerhapswhensheseesmelyingcoldanddeadbeforeherMrs.BarrymayfeelremorseforwhatshehasdoneandwillletDianacometomyfuneral.” “Idon’tthinkthereismuchfearofyourdyingofgriefaslongasyoucantalk,Anne,”saidMarillaunsympathetically. ThefollowingMondayAnnesurprisedMarillabycomingdownfromherroomwithherbasketofbooksonherarmandhipandherlipsprimmedupintoalineofdetermination. “I’mgoingbacktoschool,”sheannounced.“Thatisallthereisleftinlifeforme,nowthatmyfriendhasbeenruthlesslytornfromme.InschoolIcanlookatherandmuseoverdaysdeparted.” “You’dbettermuseoveryourlessonsandsums,”saidMarilla,concealingherdelightatthisdevelopmentofthesituation. “Ifyou’regoingbacktoschoolIhopewe’llhearnomoreofbreakingslatesoverpeople’sheadsandsuchcarryingson. Behaveyourselfanddojustwhatyourteachertellsyou.” “I’lltrytobeamodelpupil,”agreedAnnedolefully. “Therewon’tbemuchfuninit,Iexpect. Mr.PhillipssaidMinnieAndrewswasamodelpupilandthereisn’tasparkofimaginationorlifeinher. Sheisjustdullandpokyandneverseemstohaveagoodtime. ButIfeelsodepressedthatperhapsitwillcomeeasytomenow.I’mgoingroundbytheroad. Icouldn’tbeartogobytheBirchPathallalone.IshouldweepbittertearsifIdid.” Annewaswelcomedbacktoschoolwithopenarms. Herimaginationhadbeensorelymissedingames,hervoiceinthesingingandherdramaticabilityintheperusalaloudofbooksatdinnerhour. RubyGillissmuggledthreeblueplumsovertoherduringtestamentreading;EllaMayMacPhersongaveheranenormousyellowpansycutfromthecoversofafloralcatalogue—aspeciesofdeskdecorationmuchprizedinAvonleaschool. SophiaSloaneofferedtoteachheraperfectlyelegantnewpatternofknitlace,sonicefortrimmingaprons. KatieBoultergaveheraperfumebottletokeepslatewaterin,andJuliaBellcopiedcarefullyonapieceofpalepinkpaperscallopedontheedgesthefollowingeffusion:“ Whentwilightdropshercurtaindown Rememberthatyouhaveafriend It’ssonicetobeappreciated,”sighedAnnerapturouslytoMarillathatnight. Thegirlswerenottheonlyscholarswho“appreciated”her. WhenAnnewenttoherseatafterdinnerhour—shehadbeentoldbyMr.PhillipstositwiththemodelMinnieAndrews—shefoundonherdeskabigluscious“strawberryapple.” AnnecaughtitupallreadytotakeabitewhensherememberedthattheonlyplaceinAvonleawherestrawberryapplesgrewwasintheoldBlytheorchardontheothersideoftheLakeofShiningWaters. Annedroppedtheappleasifitwereared-hotcoalandostentatiouslywipedherfingersonherhandkerchief. Theapplelayuntouchedonherdeskuntilthenextmorning,whenlittleTimothyAndrews,whoswepttheschoolandkindledthefire,annexeditasoneofhisperquisites. CharlieSloane’sslatepencil,gorgeouslybedizenedwithstripedredandyellowpaper,costingtwocentswhereordinarypencilscostonlyone,whichhesentuptoherafterdinnerhour,metwithamorefavorablereception. AnnewasgraciouslypleasedtoacceptitandrewardedthedonorwithasmilewhichexaltedthatinfatuatedyouthstraightwayintotheseventhheavenofdelightandcausedhimtomakesuchfearfulerrorsinhisdictationthatMr.Phillipskepthiminafterschooltorewriteit. TheCaesar'spageantshornofBrutus'bust DidbutofRome'sbestsonremindhermore. sothemarkedabsenceofanytributeorrecognitionfromDianaBarrywhowassittingwithGertiePyeembitteredAnne’slittletriumph. “Dianamightjusthavesmiledatmeonce,Ithink,”shemournedtoMarillathatnight. Butthenextmorninganotemostfearfullyandwonderfullytwistedandfolded,andasmallparcelwerepassedacrosstoAnne. MothersaysI’mnottoplaywithyouortalktoyoueveninschool. Itisn’tmyfaultanddon’tbecrossatme,becauseIloveyouasmuchasever. ImissyouawfullytotellallmysecretstoandIdon’tlikeGertiePyeonebit. Imadeyouoneofthenewbookmarkersoutofredtissuepaper. Theyareawfullyfashionablenowandonlythreegirlsinschoolknowhowtomakethem.Whenyoulookatitremember Annereadthenote,kissedthebookmark,anddispatchedapromptreplybacktotheothersideoftheschool. OfcourseIamnotcrossatyoubecauseyouhavetoobeyyourmother.Ourspiritscancommune. Ishallkeepyourlovelypresentforever. MinnieAndrewsisaverynicelittlegirl—althoughshehasnoimagination—butafterhavingbeenDiana’sbusumfriendIcannotbeMinnie’s. Pleaseexcusemistakesbecausemyspellingisn’tverygoodyet,althoughmuchimprooved. P.S.Ishallsleepwithyourletterundermypillowtonight.A.ORC.S. MarillapessimisticallyexpectedmoretroublesinceAnnehadagainbeguntogotoschool.Butnonedeveloped. PerhapsAnnecaughtsomethingofthe“model”spiritfromMinnieAndrews;atleastshegotonverywellwithMr.Phillipsthenceforth. Sheflungherselfintoherstudiesheartandsoul,determinednottobeoutdoneinanyclassbyGilbertBlythe. Therivalrybetweenthemwassoonapparent;itwasentirelygoodnaturedonGilbert’sside;butitismuchtobefearedthatthesamethingcannotbesaidofAnne,whohadcertainlyanunpraiseworthytenacityforholdinggrudges. Shewasasintenseinherhatredsasinherloves. ShewouldnotstooptoadmitthatshemeanttorivalGilbertinschoolwork,becausethatwouldhavebeentoacknowledgehisexistencewhichAnnepersistentlyignored;buttherivalrywasthereandhonorsfluctuatedbetweenthem. NowGilbertwasheadofthespellingclass;nowAnne,withatossofherlongredbraids,spelledhimdown. OnemorningGilberthadallhissumsdonecorrectlyandhadhisnamewrittenontheblackboardontherollofhonor;thenextmorningAnne,havingwrestledwildlywithdecimalstheentireeveningbefore,wouldbefirst. Oneawfuldaytheyweretiesandtheirnameswerewrittenuptogether. Itwasalmostasbadasatake-noticeandAnne’smortificationwasasevidentasGilbert’ssatisfaction. Whenthewrittenexaminationsattheendofeachmonthwereheldthesuspensewasterrible. ThefirstmonthGilbertcameoutthreemarksahead.ThesecondAnnebeathimbyfive. ButhertriumphwasmarredbythefactthatGilbertcongratulatedherheartilybeforethewholeschool. Itwouldhavebeeneversomuchsweetertoherifhehadfeltthestingofhisdefeat. Mr.Phillipsmightnotbeaverygoodteacher;butapupilsoinflexiblydeterminedonlearningasAnnewascouldhardlyescapemakingprogressunderanykindofteacher. BytheendofthetermAnneandGilbertwerebothpromotedintothefifthclassandallowedtobeginstudyingtheelementsof“thebranches”—bywhichLatin,geometry,French,andalgebraweremeant.IngeometryAnnemetherWaterloo. “It’sperfectlyawfulstuff,Marilla,”shegroaned. “I’msureI’llneverbeabletomakeheadortailofit. Thereisnoscopeforimaginationinitatall. Mr.PhillipssaysI’mtheworstdunceheeversawatit. AndGil—Imeansomeoftheothersaresosmartatit.Itisextremelymortifying,Marilla. “EvenDianagetsalongbetterthanIdo.ButIdon’tmindbeingbeatenbyDiana. EvenalthoughwemeetasstrangersnowIstillloveherwithanINEXTINGUISHABLElove. Itmakesmeverysadattimestothinkabouther. Butreally,Marilla,onecan’tstaysadverylonginsuchaninterestingworld,canone?” 
