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blossoming orchard beneath。 〃Here comes the minister； Diana。〃
〃Oh； Anne；〃 gasped Diana； suddenly turning very pale and
beginning to tremble。 〃Oh； Anne I'm so nervous I can't
go through with it Anne； I know I'm going to faint。〃
〃If you do I'll drag you down to the rainwater hogshed and drop
you in；〃 said Anne unsympathetically。 〃Cheer up； dearest。
Getting married can't be so very terrible when so many
people survive the ceremony。 See how cool and composed
I am； and take courage。〃
〃Wait till your turn comes； Miss Anne。 Oh； Anne； I hear father
coming upstairs。 Give me my bouquet。 Is my veil right？ Am I
very pale？〃
〃You look just lovely。 Di； darling； kiss me good…bye for the
last time。 Diana Barry will never kiss me again。〃
〃Diana Wright will； though。 There； mother's calling。 Come。〃
Following the simple； old…fashioned way in vogue then； Anne went
down to the parlor on Gilbert's arm。 They met at the top of the
stairs for the first time since they had left Kingsport； for
Gilbert had arrived only that day。 Gilbert shook hands courteously。
He was looking very well； though； as Anne instantly noted； rather thin。
He was not pale； there was a flush on his cheek that had burned into it
as Anne came along the hall towards him； in her soft； white dress with
lilies…of…the…valley in the shining masses of her hair。 As they entered
the crowded parlor together a little murmur of admiration ran around the
room。 〃What a fine…looking pair they are；〃 whispered the impressible
Mrs。 Rachel to Marilla。
Fred ambled in alone； with a very red face； and then Diana swept
in on her father's arm。 She did not faint； and nothing untoward
occurred to interrupt the ceremony。 Feasting and merry…making
followed； then； as the evening waned； Fred and Diana drove away
through the moonlight to their new home； and Gilbert walked with
Anne to Green Gables。
Something of their old comradeship had returned during the
informal mirth of the evening。 Oh； it was nice to be walking
over that well…known road with Gilbert again！
The night was so very still that one should have been able to hear
the whisper of roses in blossom the laughter of daisies the
piping of grasses many sweet sounds； all tangled up together。
The beauty of moonlight on familiar fields irradiated the world。
〃Can't we take a ramble up Lovers' Lane before you go in？〃 asked
Gilbert as they crossed the bridge over the Lake of Shining Waters；
in which the moon lay like a great； drowned blossom of gold。
Anne assented readily。 Lovers' Lane was a veritable path in a
fairyland that night a shimmering； mysterious place； full of
wizardry in the white…woven enchantment of moonlight。 There had
been a time when such a walk with Gilbert through Lovers' Lane
would have been far too dangerous。 But Roy and Christine had
made it very safe now。 Anne found herself thinking a good deal
about Christine as she chatted lightly to Gilbert。 She had met
her several times before leaving Kingsport； and had been charmingly
sweet to her。 Christine had also been charmingly sweet。 Indeed；
they were a most cordial pair。 But for all that； their acquaintance
had not ripened into friendship。 Evidently Christine was not a
kindred spirit。
〃Are you going to be in Avonlea all summer？〃 asked Gilbert。
〃No。 I'm going down east to Valley Road next week。 Esther
Haythorne wants me to teach for her through July and August。
They have a summer term in that school； and Esther isn't feeling well。
So I'm going to substitute for her。 In one way I don't mind。
Do you know； I'm beginning to feel a little bit like a stranger
in Avonlea now？ It makes me sorry but it's true。 It's quite
appalling to see the number of children who have shot up into big
boys and girls really young men and women these past two years。
Half of my pupils are grown up。 It makes me feel awfully old to see
them in the places you and I and our mates used to fill。〃
Anne laughed and sighed。 She felt very old and mature and wise
which showed how young she was。 She told herself that she
longed greatly to go back to those dear merry days when life was
seen through a rosy mist of hope and illusion； and possessed an
indefinable something that had passed away forever。 Where was it
now the glory and the dream？
〃‘So wags the world away；' 〃 quoted Gilbert practically； and a
trifle absently。 Anne wondered if he were thinking of Christine。
Oh； Avonlea was going to be so lonely now with Diana gone！
Chapter XXX
Mrs。 Skinner's Romance
Anne stepped off the train at Valley Road station and looked
about to see if any one had come to meet her。 She was to board
with a certain Miss Janet Sweet； but she saw no one who answered
in the least to her preconception of that lady； as formed from
Esther's letter。 The only person in sight was an elderly woman；
sitting in a wagon with mail bags piled around her。 Two hundred
would have been a charitable guess at her weight； her face was
as round and red as a harvest…moon and almost as featureless。
She wore a tight； black； cashmere dress； made in the fashion of
ten years ago； a little dusty black straw hat trimmed with bows
of yellow ribbon； and faded black lace mits。
〃Here； you；〃 she called； waving her whip at Anne。 〃Are you the
new Valley Road schoolma'am？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Well； I thought so。 Valley Road is noted for its good…looking
schoolma'ams； just as Millersville is noted for its humly ones。
Janet Sweet asked me this morning if I could bring you out。 I
said； ‘Sartin I kin； if she don't mind being scrunched up some。
This rig of mine's kinder small for the mail bags and I'm some
heftier than Thomas！' Just wait； miss； till I shift these bags a
bit and I'll tuck you in somehow。 It's only two miles to Janet's。
Her next…door neighbor's hired boy is coming for your trunk tonight。
My name is Skinner Amelia Skinner。〃
Anne was eventually tucked in； exchanging amused smiles with herself
during the process。
〃Jog along； black mare；〃 commanded Mrs。 Skinner； gathering up the
reins in her pudgy hands。 〃This is my first trip on the mail rowte。
Thomas wanted to hoe his turnips today so he asked me to come。
So I jest sot down and took a standing…up snack and started。
I sorter like it。 O' course it's rather tejus。 Part of the
time I sits and thinks and the rest I jest sits。 Jog along；
black mare。 I want to git home airly。 Thomas is terrible
lonesome when I'm away。 You see； we haven't been married very long。〃
〃Oh！〃 said Anne politely。
〃Just a month。 Thomas courted me for quite a spell； though。 It
was real romantic。〃 Anne tried to picture Mrs。 Skinner on
speaking terms with romance and failed。
〃Oh？〃 she said again。
〃Yes。 Y'see； there was another man after me。 Jog along； black mare。
I'd been a widder so long folks had given up expecting me to marry again。
But when my darter