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〃You mustn't marry anybody you don't love； Phil； when all's said
and done；〃 said Aunt Jamesina。
〃‘Oh； hearts that loved in the good old way
Have been out o' the fashion this many a day。'〃
trilled Phil mockingly。 〃There's the carriage。 I fly Bi…bi；
you two old…fashioned darlings。〃
When Phil had gone Aunt Jamesina looked solemnly at Anne。
〃That girl is pretty and sweet and goodhearted； but do you think
she is quite right in her mind； by spells； Anne？〃
〃Oh； I don't think there's anything the matter with Phil's mind；〃
said Anne； hiding a smile。 〃It's just her way of talking。〃
Aunt Jamesina shook her head。
〃Well； I hope so； Anne。 I do hope so； because I love her。 But _I_
can't understand her she beats me。 She isn't like any of the
girls I ever knew； or any of the girls I was myself。〃
〃How many girls were you； Aunt Jimsie？〃
〃About half a dozen； my dear。〃
Chapter XX
Gilbert Speaks
〃This has been a dull； prosy day；〃 yawned Phil； stretching
herself idly on the sofa； having previously dispossessed two
exceedingly indignant cats。
Anne looked up from Pickwick Papers。 Now that spring
examinations were over she was treating herself to Dickens。
〃It has been a prosy day for us；〃 she said thoughtfully； 〃but to
some people it has been a wonderful day。 Some one has been
rapturously happy in it。 Perhaps a great deed has been done
somewhere today or a great poem written or a great man born。
And some heart has been broken； Phil。〃
〃Why did you spoil your pretty thought by tagging that last
sentence on； honey？〃 grumbled Phil。 〃I don't like to think of
broken hearts or anything unpleasant。〃
〃Do you think you'll be able to shirk unpleasant things all your
life； Phil？〃
〃Dear me； no。 Am I not up against them now？ You don't call Alec and
Alonzo pleasant things； do you； when they simply plague my life out？〃
〃You never take anything seriously； Phil。〃
〃Why should I？ There are enough folks who do。 The world needs
people like me； Anne； just to amuse it。 It would be a terrible
place if EVERYBODY were intellectual and serious and in deep；
deadly earnest。 MY mission is； as Josiah Allen says； ‘to charm
and allure。' Confess now。 Hasn't life at Patty's Place been
really much brighter and pleasanter this past winter because
I've been here to leaven you？〃
〃Yes； it has；〃 owned Anne。
〃And you all love me even Aunt Jamesina； who thinks I'm stark mad。
So why should I try to be different？ Oh； dear； I'm so sleepy。 I was
awake until one last night； reading a harrowing ghost story。 I read
it in bed； and after I had finished it do you suppose I could get out
of bed to put the light out？ No！ And if Stella had not fortunately
come in late that lamp would have burned good and bright till morning。
When I heard Stella I called her in； explained my predicament； and got
her to put out the light。 If I had got out myself to do it I knew
something would grab me by the feet when I was getting in again。
By the way； Anne； has Aunt Jamesina decided what to do this summer？〃
〃Yes； she's going to stay here。 I know she's doing it for the
sake of those blessed cats； although she says it's too much
trouble to open her own house； and she hates visiting。〃
〃What are you reading？〃
〃Pickwick。〃
〃That's a book that always makes me hungry；〃 said Phil。 〃There's so
much good eating in it。 The characters seem always to be reveling
on ham and eggs and milk punch。 I generally go on a cupboard rummage
after reading Pickwick。 The mere thought reminds me that I'm starving。
Is there any tidbit in the pantry； Queen Anne？〃
〃I made a lemon pie this morning。 You may have a piece of it。〃
Phil dashed out to the pantry and Anne betook herself to the
orchard in company with Rusty。 It was a moist； pleasantly…
odorous night in early spring。 The snow was not quite all gone
from the park； a little dingy bank of it yet lay under the pines
of the harbor road； screened from the influence of April suns。
It kept the harbor road muddy； and chilled the evening air。
But grass was growing green in sheltered spots and Gilbert
had found some pale； sweet arbutus in a hidden corner。
He came up from the park； his hands full of it。
Anne was sitting on the big gray boulder in the orchard looking
at the poem of a bare； birchen bough hanging against the pale red
sunset with the very perfection of grace。 She was building a
castle in air a wondrous mansion whose sunlit courts and
stately halls were steeped in Araby's perfume； and where she
reigned queen and chatelaine。 She frowned as she saw Gilbert
coming through the orchard。 Of late she had managed not to be
left alone with Gilbert。 But he had caught her fairly now； and
even Rusty had deserted her。
Gilbert sat down beside her on the boulder and held out his Mayflowers。
〃Don't these remind you of home and our old schoolday picnics； Anne？〃
Anne took them and buried her face in them。
〃I'm in Mr。 Silas Sloane's barrens this very minute；〃 she said rapturously。
〃I suppose you will be there in reality in a few days？〃
〃No； not for a fortnight。 I'm going to visit with Phil in Bolingbroke
before I go home。 You'll be in Avonlea before I will。〃
〃No； I shall not be in Avonlea at all this summer； Anne。 I've been
offered a job in the Daily News office and I'm going to take it。〃
〃Oh；〃 said Anne vaguely。 She wondered what a whole Avonlea summer
would be like without Gilbert。 Somehow she did not like the prospect。
〃Well；〃 she concluded flatly； 〃it is a good thing for you； of course。〃
〃Yes； I've been hoping I would get it。 It will help me out next year。〃
〃You mustn't work too HARD；〃 said Anne； without any very clear
idea of what she was saying。 She wished desperately that Phil
would come out。 〃You've studied very constantly this winter。
Isn't this a delightful evening？ Do you know； I found a cluster
of white violets under that old twisted tree over there today？
I felt as if I had discovered a gold mine。〃
〃You are always discovering gold mines；〃 said Gilbert also absently。
〃Let us go and see if we can find some more；〃 suggested Anne eagerly。
〃I'll call Phil and 〃
〃Never mind Phil and the violets just now； Anne；〃 said Gilbert quietly；
taking her hand in a clasp from which she could not free it。 〃There is
something I want to say to you。〃
〃Oh； don't say it；〃 cried Anne； pleadingly。 〃Don't PLEASE； Gilbert。〃
〃I must。 Things can't go on like this any longer。 Anne； I love you。
You know I do。 I I can't tell you how much。 Will you promise me
that some day you'll be my wife？〃
〃I I can't；〃 said Anne miserably。 〃Oh； Gilbert you
you've spoiled everything。〃
〃Don't you care for me at all？〃 Gilbert asked after a very
dreadful pause； during which Anne had not dared to look up。
〃Not not in that way。 I do care a