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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　that　horrid？　　But　I　said　‘yes'　almost　before　he　finished

　I　was　so　afraid　he　might　change　his　mind　and　stop。　　I'm　besottedly

happy。　　I　couldn't　really　believe　before　that　Jonas　would　ever　care

for　frivolous　me。〃



〃Phil；　you're　not　really　frivolous；〃　said　Anne　gravely。　　〃'Way

down　underneath　that　frivolous　exterior　of　yours　you've　got　a

dear；　loyal；　womanly　little　soul。　　Why　do　you　hide　it　so？〃



〃I　can't　help　it；　Queen　Anne。　　You　are　right　　I'm　not　frivolous

at　heart。　　But　there's　a　sort　of　frivolous　skin　over　my　soul　and

I　can't　take　it　off。　　As　Mrs。　Poyser　says；　I'd　have　to　be　hatched

over　again　and　hatched　different　before　I　could　change　it。　　But

Jonas　knows　the　real　me　and　loves　me；　frivolity　and　all。　　And　I

love　him。　　I　never　was　so　surprised　in　my　life　as　I　was　when　I

found　out　I　loved　him。　　I'd　never　thought　it　possible　to　fall　in

love　with　an　ugly　man。　　Fancy　me　coming　down　to　one　solitary

beau。　　And　one　named　Jonas！　　But　I　mean　to　call　him　Jo。　　That's

such　a　nice；　crisp　little　name。　　I　couldn't　nickname　Alonzo。〃



〃What　about　Alec　and　Alonzo？〃



〃Oh；　I　told　them　at　Christmas　that　I　never　could　marry　either　of

them。　　It　seems　so　funny　now　to　remember　that　I　ever　thought　it

possible　that　I　might。　　They　felt　so　badly　I　just　cried　over　both

of　them　　howled。　　But　I　knew　there　was　only　one　man　in　the

world　I　could　ever　marry。　　I　had　made　up　my　own　mind　for　once　and

it　was　real　easy；　too。　　It's　very　delightful　to　feel　so　sure；　and

know　it's　your　own　sureness　and　not　somebody　else's。〃



〃Do　you　suppose　you'll　be　able　to　keep　it　up？〃



〃Making　up　my　mind；　you　mean？　　I　don't　know；　but　Jo　has　given　me

a　splendid　rule。　　He　says；　when　I'm　perplexed；　just　to　do　what　I

would　wish　I　had　done　when　I　shall　be　eighty。　　Anyhow；　Jo　can

make　up　his　mind　quickly　enough；　and　it　would　be　uncomfortable

to　have　too　much　mind　in　the　same　house。〃



〃What　will　your　father　and　mother　say？〃



〃Father　won't　say　much。　　He　thinks　everything　I　do　right。

But　mother　WILL　talk。　　Oh；　her　tongue　will　be　as　Byrney　as

her　nose。　　But　in　the　end　it　will　be　all　right。〃



〃You'll　have　to　give　up　a　good　many　things　you've　always　had；

when　you　marry　Mr。　Blake；　Phil。〃



〃But　I'll　have　HIM。　　I　won't　miss　the　other　things。　　We're　to　be

married　a　year　from　next　June。　　Jo　graduates　from　St。　Columbia

this　spring；　you　know。　　Then　he's　going　to　take　a　little　mission

church　down　on　Patterson　Street　in　the　slums。　　Fancy　me　in　the

slums！　　But　I'd　go　there　or　to　Greenland's　icy　mountains　with　him。〃



〃And　this　is　the　girl　who　would　NEVER　marry　a　man　who　wasn't　rich；〃

commented　Anne　to　a　young　pine　tree。



〃Oh；　don't　cast　up　the　follies　of　my　youth　to　me。　　I　shall　be

poor　as　gaily　as　I've　been　rich。　　You'll　see。　　I'm　going　to　learn

how　to　cook　and　make　over　dresses。　　I've　learned　how　to　market

since　I've　lived　at　Patty's　Place；　and　once　I　taught　a　Sunday

School　class　for　a　whole　summer。　　Aunt　Jamesina　says　I'll　ruin

Jo's　career　if　I　marry　him。　　But　I　won't。　　I　know　I　haven't　much

sense　or　sobriety；　but　I've　got　what　is　ever　so　much　better　

the　knack　of　making　people　like　me。　　There　is　a　man　in

Bolingbroke　who　lisps　and　always　testifies　in　prayer…meeting。

He　says；　'If　you　can't　thine　like　an　electric　thtar　thine　like

a　candlethtick。'　　I'll　be　Jo's　little　candlestick。〃



〃Phil；　you're　incorrigible。　　Well；　I　love　you　so　much　that

I　can't　make　nice；　light；　congratulatory　little　speeches。

But　I'm　heart…glad　of　your　happiness。〃



〃I　know。　　Those　big　gray　eyes　of　yours　are　brimming　over　with

real　friendship；　Anne。　　Some　day　I'll　look　the　same　way　at　you。

You're　going　to　marry　Roy；　aren't　you；　Anne？〃



〃My　dear　Philippa；　did　you　ever　hear　of　the　famous　Betty　Baxter；

who　‘refused　a　man　before　he'd　axed　her'？　　I　am　not　going　to

emulate　that　celebrated　lady　by　either　refusing　or　accepting　any

one　before　he　‘axes'　me。〃



〃All　Redmond　knows　that　Roy　is　crazy　about　you；〃　said　Phil　candidly。〃

And　you