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harmless　screed　across　her　room　and　sat　down　to　write　an

especially　nice　epistle　to　Roy。



Diana　was　to　be　married　in　five　more　days。　　The　gray　house　at

Orchard　Slope　was　in　a　turmoil　of　baking　and　brewing　and　boiling

and　stewing；　for　there　was　to　be　a　big；　old…timey　wedding。　　Anne；

of　course；　was　to　be　bridesmaid；　as　had　been　arranged　when　they

were　twelve　years　old；　and　Gilbert　was　coming　from　Kingsport　to

be　best　man。　　Anne　was　enjoying　the　excitement　of　the　various

preparations；　but　under　it　all　she　carried　a　little　heartache。

She　was；　in　a　sense；　losing　her　dear　old　chum；　Diana's　new　home

would　be　two　miles　from　Green　Gables；　and　the　old　constant

companionship　could　never　be　theirs　again。　　Anne　looked　up　at

Diana's　light　and　thought　how　it　had　beaconed　to　her　for　many　years；

but　soon　it　would　shine　through　the　summer　twilights　no　more。

Two　big；　painful　tears　welled　up　in　her　gray　eyes。



〃Oh；〃　she　thought；　〃how　horrible　it　is　that　people　have　to　grow

up　　and　marry　　and　CHANGE！〃









Chapter　XXIX



Diana's　Wedding





〃After　all；　the　only　real　roses　are　the　pink　ones；〃　said　Anne；　as

she　tied　white　ribbon　around　Diana's　bouquet　in　the　westwardlooking

gable　at　Orchard　Slope。　　〃They　are　the　flowers　of　love　and　faith。〃



Diana　was　standing　nervously　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　arrayed

in　her　bridal　white；　her　black　curls　frosted　over　with　the　film

of　her　wedding　veil。　　Anne　had　draped　that　veil；　in　accordance

with　the　sentimental　compact　of　years　before。



〃It's　all　pretty　much　as　I　used　to　imagine　it　long　ago；　when　I

wept　over　your　inevitable　marriage　and　our　consequent　parting；〃

she　laughed。　　〃You　are　the　bride　of　my　dreams；　Diana；　with

the　‘lovely　misty　veil'；　and　I　am　YOUR　bridesmaid。　　But；　alas！

I　haven't　the　puffed　sleeves　　though　these　short　lace　ones　are

even　prettier。　　Neither　is　my　heart　wholly　breaking　nor　do　I

exactly　hate　Fred。〃



〃We　are　not　really　parting；　Anne；〃　protested　Diana。　　〃I'm　not

going　far　away。　　We'll　love　each　other　just　as　much　as　ever。

We've　always　kept　that　‘oath'　of　friendship　we　swore　long　ago；

haven't　we？〃



〃Yes。　　We've　kept　it　faithfully。　　We've　had　a　beautiful

friendship；　Diana。　　We've　never　marred　it　by　one　quarrel　or

coolness　or　unkind　word；　and　I　hope　it　will　always　be　so。

But　things　can't　be　quite　the　same　after　this。　　You'll　have

other　interests。　　I'll　just　be　on　the　outside。　　But　‘such　is

life'　as　Mrs。　Rachel　says。　　Mrs。　Rachel　has　given　you　one　of

her　beloved　knitted　quilts　of　the　‘tobacco　stripe'　pattern；

and　she　says　when　I　am　married　she'll　give　me　one；　too。〃



〃The　mean　thing　about　your　getting　married　is　that　I　won't　be

able　to　be　your　bridesmaid；〃　lamented　Diana。



〃I'm　to　be　Phil's　bridesmaid　next　June；　when　she　marries

Mr。　Blake；　and　then　I　must　stop；　for　you　know　the　proverb

‘three　times　a　bridesmaid；　never　a　bride；'　〃　said　Anne；

peeping　through　the　window　over　the　pink　and　snow　of　the

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