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than　any　vision　of　dreamland。　　Had　the　real　Prince　come　at　last？

Recalling　those　glorious　dark　eyes　which　had　gazed　so　deeply　into

her　own；　Anne　was　very　strongly　inclined　to　think　he　had。









Chapter　XXVI



Enter　Christine





The　girls　at　Patty's　Place　were　dressing　for　the　reception　which

the　Juniors　were　giving　for　the　Seniors　in　February。　　Anne　surveyed

herself　in　the　mirror　of　the　blue　room　with　girlish　satisfaction。

She　had　a　particularly　pretty　gown　on。　　Originally　it　had　been

only　a　simple　little　slip　of　cream　silk　with　a　chiffon　overdress。

But　Phil　had　insisted　on　taking　it　home　with　her　in　the　Christmas

holidays　and　embroidering　tiny　rosebuds　all　over　the　chiffon。

Phil's　fingers　were　deft；　and　the　result　was　a　dress　which　was

the　envy　of　every　Redmond　girl。　　Even　Allie　Boone；　whose　frocks

came　from　Paris；　was　wont　to　look　with　longing　eyes　on　that　rosebud

concoction　as　Anne　trailed　up　the　main　staircase　at　Redmond　in　it。



Anne　was　trying　the　effect　of　a　white　orchid　in　her　hair。

Roy　Gardner　had　sent　her　white　orchids　for　the　reception；

and　she　knew　no　other　Redmond　girl　would　have　them　that　night

　when　Phil　came　in　with　admiring　gaze。



〃Anne；　this　is　certainly　your　night　for　looking　handsome。

Nine　nights　out　of　ten　I　can　easily　outshine　you。　　The　tenth

you　blossom　out　suddenly　into　something　that　eclipses　me　altogether。

How　do　you　manage　it？〃



〃It's　the　dress；　dear。　　Fine　feathers。〃



〃‘Tisn't。　　The　last　evening　you　flamed　out　into　beauty　you

wore　your　old　blue　flannel　shirtwaist　that　Mrs。　Lynde　made　you。

If　Roy　hadn't　already　lost　head　and　heart　about　you　he　certainly

would　tonight。　　But　I　don't　like　orchids　on　you；　Anne。　　No；　it

isn't　jealousy。　　Orchids　don't　seem　to　BELONG　to　you。　　They're

too　exotic　　too　tropical　　too　insolent。　　Don't　put　them　in

your　hair；　anyway。〃



〃Well；　I　won't。　　I　admit　I'm　not　fond　of　orchids　myself。　　I　don't

think　they're　related　to　me。　　Roy　doesn't　often　send　them　　he

knows　I　like　flowers　I　can　live　with。　　Orchids　are　only　things

you　can　visit　with。〃



〃Jonas　sent　me　some　dear　pink　rosebuds　for　the　evening　　but　

he　isn't　coming　himself。　　He　said　he　had　to　lead　a　prayer…meeting

in　the　slums！　　I　don't　believe　he　wanted　to　come。　　Anne；　I'm

horribly　afraid　Jonas　doesn't　really　care　anything　about　me。　　And

I'm　trying　to　decide　whether　I'll　pine　away　and　die；　or　go　on　and

get　my　B。A。　and　be　sensible　and　useful。〃



〃You　couldn't　possibly　be　sensible　and　useful；　Phil；　so　you'd

better　pine　away　and　die；〃　said　Anne　cruelly。



〃Heartless　Anne！〃



〃Silly　Phil！　　You　know　quite　well　that　Jonas　loves　you。〃



〃But　　he　won't　TELL　me　so。　　And　I　can't　MAKE　him。　　He　LOOKS　it；

I'll　admit。　　But　speak…to…me…only…with…thine…eyes　isn't　a　really

reliable　reason　for　embroidering　doilies　and　hemstitching

tablecloths。　　I　don't　want　to　begin　such　work　until　I'm　really

engaged。　　It　would　be　tempting　Fate。〃



〃Mr。　Blake　is　afraid　to　ask　you　to　marry　him；　Phil。　　He　is　poor

and　can't　offer　you　a　home　such　as　you've　always　had。　　You　know

that　is　the　only　reason　he　hasn't　spoken　long　ago。〃



〃I　suppose　so；〃　agreed　Phil　dolefully。　　〃Well〃　　brightening　up

　〃if　he　WON'T　ask　me　to　marry　him　I'll　ask　him；　that's　all。

So　it's　bound　to　come　right。　　I　won't　worry。　　By　the　way；

Gilbert　Blythe　is　going　about　constantly　with　Christine　Stuart。

Did　you　know？〃



Anne　was　trying　to　fasten　a　little　gold　chain　about　her　throat。

She　suddenly　found　the　clasp　difficult　to　manage。　　WHAT　was　the

matter　with　it　　or　with　her　fingers？



〃No；〃　she　said　carelessly。〃　　Who　is　Christine　Stuart？〃



〃Ronald　Stuart's　sister。　　She's　in　Kingsport　this　winter　studying

music。　　I　haven't　seen　her；　but　they　say　she's　very　pretty　and

that　Gilbert　is　quite　crazy　over　her。　　How　angry　I　was　when　you

refused　Gilbert；　Anne。　　But　Roy　Gardner　was　foreordained　for　you。

I　can　see　that　now。　　You　were　right；　after　all。〃



Anne　did　not　blush；　as　she　usually　did　when　the　girls　assumed

that　her　eventual　marriage　to　Roy　Gardner　was　a　settled　thing。

All　at　once　she　felt　rather　dull。　　Phil's　chatter　seemed　trivial

and　the　reception　a　bore。　　She　boxed　poor　Rusty's　ears。



〃Get　off　that　cushion　instantly；　you　cat；　you！　　Why　don't　you

stay　down　where　you　belong？〃



Anne　picked　up　her　orchids　and　went　downstairs；　where　Aunt　Jamesina

was　presiding　over　a　row　of　coats　hung　before　the　fire　to　warm。

Roy　Gardner　was　waiting　for　Anne　and　teasing　the　Sarah…cat　while

he　waited。　　The　Sarah…cat　did　not　approve　of　him。　　She　always

turned　her　back　on　him。　　But　everybody　else　at　Patty's　Place　liked

him　very　much。　　Aunt　Jamesina；　carried　away　by　his　unfailing　and

deferential　courtesy；　and　the　pleading　tones　of　his　delightful　voice；

declared　he　was　the　nicest　young　man　she　ever　knew；　and　that　Anne

was　a　very　fortunate　girl。　　Such　remarks　made　Anne　restive。　　Roy's

wooing　had　certainly　been　as　romantic　as　girlish　heart　could　desire；

but　　she　wished　Aunt　Jamesina　and　the　girls　would　not　take　things

so　for　granted。　　When　Roy　murmured　a　poetical　compliment　as　he　helped

her　on　with　her　coat；　she　did　not　blush　and　thrill　as　usual；　and　he

found　her　rather　silent　in　their　brief　walk　to　Redmond。　　He　thought

she　looked　a　little　pale　when　she　came　out　of　the　coeds'　dressing　room；

but　as　they　entered　the　reception　room　her　color　and　sparkle　suddenly

returned　to　her。　　She　turned　to　Roy　with　her　gayest　expression。

He　smiled　back　at　her　with　what　Phil　called　〃his　deep；　black；

velvety　smile。〃　　Yet　she　really　did　not　see　Roy　at　all。　　She　was

acutely　conscious　that　Gilbert　was　standing　under　the　palms　just

across　the　room　talking　to　a　girl　who　must　be　Christine　Stuart。



She　was　very　handsome；　in　the　stately　style　destined　to　become

rather　massive　in　middle　life。　　A　tall　girl；　with　large　dark…blue

eyes；　ivory　outlines；　and　a　gloss　of　darkness　on　her　smooth　hair。



〃She　looks　just　as　I've　always　wanted　to　look；〃　thought　Anne

miserably。　　〃Rose…leaf　complexion　　starry　violet　eyes　　raven

hair　　yes；　she　has　them　all。　　It's　a　wonder　her　name　isn't

Cordelia　Fitzgerald　into　the　bargain！　　But　I　don't　believe　her

figure　is　as　good　as　mine；　and　her　nose　certainly　isn't。〃



Anne　felt　a　little　comforted　by　this　conclusion。









Chapter　XXVII



Mutual　Confidences





March　came　in　that　winter　like　the　meekest　and　mildest　of　lambs；

bringing　days　that　were　crisp　and　golden　and　tingling；　each

followed　by　a　frosty　pink　twilight　which　gradually　lost　itself　in

an　elfland　of　moonshine。



Over　the　girls　at　Patty's　Place　was　falling　the　shadow　of　April

examinations。　　They　were　studying　hard；　even　Phil　had　settled　down

to　text　and　notebooks　with　a　doggedness　not　to　be　expected　of　her。



〃I'm　going　to　take　the　Johnson　Scholarship　in　Mathematics；〃　she

announced　calmly。　　〃I　could　take　the　one　in　Greek　easily；　but　I'd

rather　take　the　mathematical　one　because　I　want　to　prove　to　Jonas

that　I'm　really　enormously　clever。〃



〃Jonas　likes　you　better　for　your　big　brown　eyes　and　your　crooked

smile　than　for　all　the　brains　you　carry　under　your　curls；〃　said　Anne。



〃When　I　was　a　girl　it　wasn't　considered　lady…like　to　know　anything

about　Mathematics；〃　said　Aunt　Jamesina。　　〃But　times　have　changed。

I　don't　know　that　it's　all　for　the　better。　　Can　you　cook；　Phil？〃



〃No；　I　never　cooked　anything　in　my　life　except　a　gingerbread　and

it　was　a　failure　　flat　in　the　middle　and　hilly　round　the　edges。

You　know　the　kind。　　But；　Aunty；　when　I　begin　in　good　earnest　to

learn　to　cook　don't　you　think　the　brains　that　enable　me　to　win　a

mathematical　scholarship　will　also　enable　me　to　learn　cooking

just　as　well？〃



〃Maybe；〃　said　Aunt　Jamesina　cautiously。　　〃I　am　not　decrying　the

higher　education　of　women。　　My　daughter　is　an　M。A。　　She　can　cook；

too。　　But　I　taught　her　to　cook　BEFORE　I　let　a　college　professor

teach　her　Mathematics。〃



In　mid…March　came　a　letter　from　Miss　Patty　Spofford；　saying　that

she　and　Miss　Maria　had　decided　to　remain　abroad　for　another　year。



〃So　you　may　have　Patty's　Place　next　winter；　too；〃　she　wrote。

〃Maria　and　I　are　going　to　run　over　Egypt。　　I　want　to　see　the

Sphinx　once　before　I　die。〃



〃Fancy　those　two　dames　‘running　over　Egypt'！　　I　wonder　if　they'll

look　up　at　the　Sphinx　and　knit；〃　laughed　Priscilla。



〃I'm　so　glad　we　can　keep　Patty's　Place　for　another　year；〃　said

Stella。　　〃I　was　afraid　they'd　come　back。　　And　then　our　jolly

little　nest　here　would　be　broken　up　　and　we　poor　callow

nestlings　thrown　out　on　the　cruel　world　of　boardinghouses　again。〃



〃I'm　off　for　a　tramp　in　the　park；〃　announced　Phil；　tossing　her

book　aside。　　〃I　think　when　I　am　eighty　I'll　be　glad　I　went　for　a

walk　in　the　park　tonight。〃



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　Anne。



〃Come　with　me　and　I'll　tell　you；　honey。〃



They　captured　in　their　ramble　all　the　mysteries　and　magics　of　a

March　evening。　　Very　still　and　mild　it　was；　wrapped　in　a　great；

white；　brooding　silence　　a　silence　which　was　yet　threaded

through　with　many　little　silvery　sounds　which　you　could　hear　if

you　hearkened　as　much　with　your　soul　as　your　ears。　　The　girls

wandered　down　a　long　pineland　aisle　that　seemed　to　lead　right　out

into　the　heart　of　a　deep…red；　overflowing　winter　sunset。



〃I'd　go　home　and　write　a　poem　this　blessed　minute　if　I　only　knew　how；〃

declared　Phil；　pausing　in　an　open　space　where　a　rosy　light　was　staining

the　green　tips　of　the　pines。　　〃It's　all　so　wonderful　here　　this　great；

white　stillness；　and　those　dark　trees　that　always　seem　to　be　thinking。〃



〃‘The　woods　were　God's　first　temples；'〃　quoted　Anne　softly。

〃One　can't　help　feeling　reverent　and　adoring　in　such　a　place。

I　always　feel　so　near　Him　when　I　walk　among　the　pines。〃



〃Anne；　I'm　the　happiest　girl　in　the　world；〃　confessed　Phil　suddenly。



〃So　Mr。　Blake　has　asked　you　to　marry　him　at　last？〃　said　Anne　calmly。



〃Yes。　　And　I　sneezed　three　times　while　he　was　asking　me。

Wasn't