Leslieshookherhead。
"Notjustnow，thankyou，Anne。Idon’tfeellikehavinganotherdogyet。Idon’tseemtohaveanyaffectionleftforanother。Perhaps——intime——I’llletyougivemeone。Ireallyneedoneasakindofprotection。ButtherewassomethingalmosthumanaboutCarlo——itwouldn’tbeDECENTtofillhisplacetoohurriedly，dearoldfellow。"
AnnewenttoAvonleaaweekbeforeChristmasandstayeduntilaftertheholidays。Gilbertcameupforher，andtherewasagladNewYearcelebrationatGreenGables，whenBarrysandBlythesandWrightsassembledtodevouradinnerwhichhadcostMrs。RachelandMarillamuchcarefulthoughtandpreparation。WhentheywentbacktoFourWindsthelittlehousewasalmostdriftedover，forthethirdstormofawinterthatwastoprovephenomenallystormyhadwhirleduptheharborandheapedhugesnowmountainsabouteverythingitencountered。ButCaptainJimhadshovelledoutdoorsandpaths，andMissCorneliahadcomedownandkindledthehearth-fire。
"It’sgoodtoseeyouback，Anne，dearie！Butdidyoueverseesuchdrifts？Youcan’tseetheMooreplaceatallunlessyougoupstairs。Leslie’llbesogladyou’reback。She’salmostburiedaliveoverthere。
FortunatelyDickcanshovelsnow，andthinksit’sgreatfun。Susansentmewordtotellyoushewouldbeonhandtomorrow。Whereareyouofftonow，Captain？"
"IreckonI’llploughuptotheGlenandsitabitwitholdMartinStrong。He’snotfarfromhisendandhe’slonesome。Hehasn’tmanyfriends——beentoobusyallhislifetomakeany。He’smadeheapsofmoney，though。"
"Well，hethoughtthatsincehecouldn’tserveGodandMammonhe’dbettersticktoMammon，"saidMissCorneliacrisply。"Soheshouldn’tcomplainifhedoesn’tfindMammonverygoodcompanynow。"
CaptainJimwentout，butrememberedsomethingintheyardandturnedbackforamoment。
"I’daletterfromMr。Ford，MistressBlythe，andhesaysthelife-bookisacceptedandisgoingtobepublishednextfall。IfeltfairupliftedwhenIgotthenews。TothinkthatI’mtoseeitinprintatlast。"
"Thatmaniscleancrazyonthesubjectofhislife-book，"saidMissCorneliacompassionately。"Formypart，Ithinkthere’sfartoomanybooksintheworldnow。"
CHAPTER29
GILBERTANDANNEDISAGREE
GilbertlaiddowntheponderousmedicaltomeoverwhichhehadbeenporinguntiltheincreasingduskoftheMarcheveningmadehimdesist。Heleanedbackinhischairandgazedmeditativelyoutofthewindow。Itwasearlyspring——probablytheugliesttimeoftheyear。
Noteventhesunsetcouldredeemthedead，soddenlandscapeandrottenblackharboriceuponwhichhelooked。Nosignoflifewasvisible，saveabigblackcrowwinginghissolitarywayacrossaleadenfield。
Gilbertspeculatedidlyconcerningthatcrow。Washeafamilycrow，withablackbutcomelycrowwifeawaitinghiminthewoodsbeyondtheGlen？Orwasheaglossyyoungbuckofacrowoncourtingthoughtsintent？Orwasheacynicalbachelorcrow，believingthathetravelsthefastestwhotravelsalone？
Whateverhewas，hesoondisappearedincongenialgloomandGilbertturnedtothecheerierviewindoors。
Thefirelightflickeredfrompointtopoint，gleamingonthewhiteandgreencoatsofGogandMagog，onthesleek，brownheadofthebeautifulsetterbaskingontherug，onthepictureframesonthewalls，onthevasefulofdaffodilsfromthewindowgarden，onAnneherself，sittingbyherlittletable，withhersewingbesideherandherhandsclaspedoverherkneewhileshetracedoutpicturesinthefire——CastlesinSpainwhoseairyturretspiercedmoonlitcloudandsunsetbar-shipssailingfromtheHavenofGoodHopesstraighttoFourWindsHarborwithpreciousburthen。ForAnnewasagainadreamerofdreams，albeitagrimshapeoffearwentwithhernightanddaytoshadowanddarkenhervisions。
Gilbertwasaccustomedtorefertohimselfas"anoldmarriedman。"ButhestilllookeduponAnnewiththeincredulouseyesofalover。Hecouldn’twhollybelieveyetthatshewasreallyhis。ItMIGHTbeonlyadreamafterall，partandparcelofthismagichouseofdreams。Hissoulstillwentontip-toebeforeher，lestthecharmbeshatteredandthedreamdispelled。
"Anne，"hesaidslowly，"lendmeyourears。Iwanttotalkwithyouaboutsomething。"
Annelookedacrossathimthroughthefire-litgloom。
"Whatisit？"sheaskedgaily。"Youlookfearfullysolemn，Gilbert。Ireallyhaven’tdoneanythingnaughtytoday。AskSusan。"
"It’snotofyou——orourselves——Iwanttotalk。It’saboutDickMoore。"
"DickMoore？"echoedAnne，sittingupalertly。"Why，whatintheworldhaveyoutosayaboutDickMoore？"
"I’vebeenthinkingagreatdealabouthimlately。DoyourememberthattimelastsummerItreatedhimforthosecarbunclesonhisneck？"
"Yes——yes。"
"Itooktheopportunitytoexaminethescarsonhisheadthoroughly。I’vealwaysthoughtDickwasaveryinterestingcasefromamedicalpointofview。LatelyI’vebeenstudyingthehistoryoftrephiningandthecaseswhereithasbeenemployed。Anne，IhavecometotheconclusionthatifDickMooreweretakentoagoodhospitalandtheoperationoftrephiningperformedonseveralplacesinhisskull，hismemoryandfacultiesmightberestored。"
"Gilbert！"Anne’svoicewasfullofprotest。"Surelyyoudon’tmeanit！"
"Ido，indeed。AndIhavedecidedthatitismydutytobroachthesubjecttoLeslie。"
"GilbertBlythe，youshallNOTdoanysuchthing，"
criedAnnevehemently。"Oh，Gilbert，youwon’t——youwon’t。Youcouldn’tbesocruel。Promisemeyouwon’t。"
"Why，Anne-girl，Ididn’tsupposeyouwouldtakeitlikethis。Bereasonable——"
"Iwon’tbereasonable——Ican’tbereasonable——IAM
reasonable。Itisyouwhoareunreasonable。Gilbert，haveyoueveroncethoughtwhatitwouldmeanforLeslieifDickMooreweretoberestoredtohisrightsenses？Juststopandthink！She’sunhappyenoughnow；butlifeasDick’snurseandattendantisathousandtimeseasierforherthanlifeasDick’swife。
Iknow——IKNOW！It’sunthinkable。Don’tyoumeddlewiththematter。Leavewellenoughalone。"
"IHAVEthoughtoverthataspectofthecasethoroughly，Anne。ButIbelievethatadoctorisboundtosetthesanctityofapatient’smindandbodyaboveallotherconsiderations，nomatterwhattheconsequencesmaybe。Ibelieveithisdutytoendeavortorestorehealthandsanity，ifthereisanyhopewhateverofit。"
"ButDickisn’tyourpatientinthatrespect，"criedAnne，takinganothertack。"IfLesliehadaskedyouifanythingcouldbedoneforhim，THENitmightbeyourdutytotellherwhatyoureallythought。Butyou’venorighttomeddle。"
"Idon’tcallitmeddling。UncleDavetoldLeslietwelveyearsagothatnothingcouldbedoneforDick。
Shebelievesthat，ofcourse。"
"AndwhydidUncleDavetellherthat，ifitwasn’ttrue？"criedAnne，triumphantly。"Doesn’theknowasmuchaboutitasyou？"
"Ithinknot——thoughitmaysoundconceitedandpresumptuoustosayit。AndyouknowaswellasI
thatheisratherprejudicedagainstwhathecalls`thesenew-fanglednotionsofcuttingandcarving。’
He’sevenopposedtooperatingforappendicitis。"
"He’sright，"exclaimedAnne，withacompletechangeoffront。`Ibelievemyselfthatyoumoderndoctorsareentirelytoofondofmakingexperimentswithhumanfleshandblood。"
"RhodaAllonbywouldnotbealivingwomantodayifI
hadbeenafraidofmakingacertainexperiment，"
arguedGilbert。"Itooktherisk——andsavedherlife。"
"I’msickandtiredofhearingaboutRhodaAllonby，"
criedAnne——mostunjustly，forGilberthadnevermentionedMrs。Allonby’snamesincethedayhehadtoldAnneofhissuccessinregardtoher。Andhecouldnotbeblamedforotherpeople’sdiscussionofit。
Gilbertfeltratherhurt。
"Ihadnotexpectedyoutolookatthematterasyoudo，Anne，"hesaidalittlestiffly，gettingupandmovingtowardstheofficedoor。Itwastheirfirstapproachtoaquarrel。
ButAnneflewafterhimanddraggedhimback。
"Now，Gilbert，youarenot`goingoffmad。’SitdownhereandI’llapologisebee-YEW-ti-fully，Ishouldn’thavesaidthat。But——oh，ifyouknew——"
Annecheckedherselfjustintime。ShehadbeenontheveryvergeofbetrayingLeslie’ssecret。
"Knewwhatawomanfeelsaboutit，"sheconcludedlamely。
"IthinkIdoknow。I’velookedatthematterfromeverypointofview——andI’vebeendriventotheconclusionthatitismydutytotellLesliethatI
believeitispossiblethatDickcanberestoredtohimself；theremyresponsibilityends。Itwillbeforhertodecidewhatshewilldo。"
"Idon’tthinkyou’veanyrighttoputsucharesponsibilityonher。Shehasenoughtobear。Sheispoor——howcouldsheaffordsuchanoperation？"
"Thatisforhertodecide，"persistedGilbertstubbornly。
"YousayyouthinkthatDickcanbecured。ButareyouSUREofit？"
"Certainlynot。Nobodycouldbesureofsuchathing。
Theremayhavebeenlesionsofthebrainitself，theeffectofwhichcanneverberemoved。Butif，asI
believe，hislossofmemoryandotherfacultiesisduemerelytothepressureonthebraincentersofcertaindepressedareasofbone，thenhecanbecured。"
"Butit’sonlyapossibility！"insistedAnne。"Now，supposeyoutellLeslieandshedecidestohavetheoperation。Itwillcostagreatdeal。Shewillhavetoborrowthemoney，orsellherlittleproperty。AndsupposetheoperationisafailureandDickremainsthesame。
Howwillshebeabletopaybackthemoneysheborrows，ormakealivingforherselfandthatbighelplesscreatureifshesellsthefarm？"
"Oh，Iknow——Iknow。Butitismydutytotellher。I
can’tgetawayfromthatconviction。"
"Oh，IknowtheBlythestubbornness，"groanedAnne。
"Butdon’tdothissolelyonyourownresponsibility。
ConsultDoctorDave。"
"IHAVEdoneso，"saidGilbertreluctantly。
"Andwhatdidhesay？"
"Inbrief——asyousay——leavewellenoughalone。Apartfromhisprejudiceagainstnew-fangledsurgery，I’mafraidhelooksatthecasefromyourpointofview——don’tdoit，forLeslie’ssake。"
"Therenow，"criedAnnetriumphantly。"Idothink，Gilbert，thatyououghttoabidebythejudgmentofamannearlyeighty，whohasseenagreatdealandsavedscoresofliveshimself——surelyhisopinionoughttoweighmorethanamereboy’s。"
"Thankyou。"
"Don’tlaugh。It’stooserious。"
"That’sjustmypoint。ItISserious。Hereisamanwhoisahelplessburden。Hemayberestoredtoreasonandusefulness——"
"Hewassoveryusefulbefore，"interjectedAnnewitheringly。
"Hemaybegivenachancetomakegoodandredeemthepast。Hiswifedoesn’tknowthis。Ido。Itisthereforemydutytotellherthatthereissuchapossibility。That，boileddown，ismydecision。"
"Don’tsay`decision’yet，Gilbert。Consultsomebodyelse。AskCaptainJimwhathethinksaboutit。"
"Verywell。ButI’llnotpromisetoabidebyhisopinion，Anne。
Thisissomethingamanmustdecideforhimself。MyconsciencewouldneverbeeasyifIkeptsilentonthesubject。"
"Oh，yourconscience！"moanedAnne。"IsupposethatUncleDavehasaconsciencetoo，hasn’the？"
"Yes。ButIamnotthekeeperofhisconscience。
Come，Anne，ifthisaffairdidnotconcernLeslie——ifitwereapurelyabstractcase，youwouldagreewithme，——youknowyouwould。"
"Iwouldn’t，"vowedAnne，tryingtobelieveitherself。"Oh，youcanargueallnight，Gilbert，butyouwon’tconvinceme。JustyouaskMissCorneliawhatshethinksofit。"
"You’redriventothelastditch，Anne，whenyoubringupMissCorneliaasareinforcement。Shewillsay，`Justlikeaman，’andragefuriously。Nomatter。
ThisisnoaffairforMissCorneliatosettle。Lesliealonemustdecideit。"
"Youknowverywellhowshewilldecideit，"saidAnne，almostintears。"Shehasidealsofduty，too。
Idon’tseehowyoucantakesucharesponsibilityonyourshoulders。_I_couldn’t。"
"`BecauserightisrighttofollowrightWerewisdominthescornofconsequence，’"
quotedGilbert。
"Oh，youthinkacoupletofpoetryaconvincingargument！"scoffedAnne。"Thatissolikeaman。"
Andthenshelaughedinspiteofherself。ItsoundedsolikeanechoofMissCornelia。
"Well，ifyouwon’tacceptTennysonasanauthority，perhapsyouwillbelievethewordsofaGreaterthanhe，"saidGilbertseriously。"`Yeshallknowthetruthandthetruthshallmakeyoufree。’Ibelievethat，Anne，withallmyheart。It’sthegreatestandgrandestverseintheBible——orinanyliterature——andtheTRUEST，iftherearecomparativedegreesoftrueness。Andit’sthefirstdutyofamantotellthetruth，asheseesitandbelievesit。"
"Inthiscasethetruthwon’tmakepoorLesliefree，"
sighedAnne。"Itwillprobablyendinstillmorebitterbondageforher。Oh，Gilbert，ICAN’Tthinkyouareright。"
CHAPTER30
LESLIEDECIDES
AsuddenoutbreakofavirulenttypeofinfluenzaattheGlenanddownatthefishingvillagekeptGilbertsobusyforthenextfortnightthathehadnotimetopaythepromisedvisittoCaptainJim。AnnehopedagainsthopethathehadabandonedtheideaaboutDickMoore，and，resolvingtoletsleepingdogslie，shesaidnomoreaboutthesubject。Butshethoughtofitincessantly。
"IwonderifitwouldberightformetotellhimthatLesliecaresforOwen，"shethought。"Hewouldneverlethersuspectthatheknew，soherpridewouldnotsuffer，anditMIGHTconvincehimthatheshouldletDickMoorealone。ShallI——shallI？No，afterall，I
cannot。Apromiseissacred，andI’venorighttobetrayLeslie’ssecret。Butoh，IneverfeltsoworriedoveranythinginmylifeasIdooverthis。
It’sspoilingthespring——it’sspoilingeverything。"
OneeveningGilbertabruptlyproposedthattheygodownandseeCaptainJim。WithasinkingheartAnneagreed，andtheysetforth。TwoweeksofkindsunshinehadwroughtamiracleinthebleaklandscapeoverwhichGilbert’scrowhadflown。Thehillsandfieldsweredryandbrownandwarm，readytobreakintobudandblossom；theharborwaslaughter-shakenagain；thelongharborroadwaslikeagleamingredribbon；downonthedunesacrowdofboys，whowereoutsmeltfishing，wereburningthethick，drysandhillgrassoftheprecedingsummer。Theflamessweptoverthedunesrosily，flingingtheircardinalbannersagainstthedarkgulfbeyond，andilluminatingthechannelandthefishingvillage。ItwasapicturesquescenewhichwouldatothertimeshavedelightedAnne’seyes；butshewasnotenjoyingthiswalk。NeitherwasGilbert。Theirusualgood-comradeshipandJosephiancommunityoftasteandviewpointweresadlylacking。Anne’sdisapprovalofthewholeprojectshoweditselfinthehaughtyupliftofherheadandthestudiedpolitenessofherremarks。
Gilbert’smouthwassetinalltheBlytheobstinacy，buthiseyesweretroubled。Hemeanttodowhathebelievedtobehisduty；buttobeatoutswithAnnewasahighpricetopay。Altogether，bothweregladwhentheyreachedthelight——andremorsefulthattheyshouldbeglad。
CaptainJimputawaythefishingnetuponwhichhewasworking，andwelcomedthemjoyfully。InthesearchinglightofthespringeveninghelookedolderthanAnnehadeverseenhim。Hishairhadgrownmuchgrayer，andthestrongoldhandshookalittle。Buthisblueeyeswereclearandsteady，andthestaunchsoullookedoutthroughthemgallantandunafraid。
CaptainJimlistenedinamazedsilencewhileGilbertsaidwhathehadcometosay。Anne，whoknewhowtheoldmanworshippedLeslie，feltquitesurethathewouldsidewithher，althoughshehadnotmuchhopethatthiswouldinfluenceGilbert。ShewasthereforesurprisedbeyondmeasurewhenCaptainJim，slowlyandsorrowfully，butunhesitatingly，gaveitashisopinionthatLeslieshouldbetold。
"Oh，CaptainJim，Ididn’tthinkyou’dsaythat，"sheexclaimedreproachfully。"Ithoughtyouwouldn’twanttomakemoretroubleforher。"
CaptainJimshookhishead。
"Idon’twantto。Iknowhowyoufeelaboutit，MistressBlythe——justasIfeelmeself。Butitain’tourfeelingswehavetosteerbythroughlife——no，no，we’dmakeshipwreckmightyoftenifwedidthat。
There’sonlytheonesafecompassandwe’vegottosetourcoursebythat——whatit’srighttodo。Iagreewiththedoctor。Ifthere’sachanceforDick，Leslieshouldbetoldofit。There’snotwosidestothat，inmyopinion。"
"Well，"saidAnne，givingupindespair，"waituntilMissCorneliagetsafteryoutwomen。"
"Cornelia’llrakeusforeandaft，nodoubt，"assentedCaptainJim。"Youwomenarelovelycritters，MistressBlythe，butyou’rejustamiteillogical。You’reahighlyeddicatedladyandCorneliaisn’t，butyou’relikeastwopeaswhenitcomestothat。Idunno’syou’reanytheworseforit。Logicisasortofhard，mercilessthing，Ireckon。Now，I’llbrewacupofteaandwe’lldrinkitandtalkofpleasantthings，jesttocalmourmindsabit。"
Atleast，CaptainJim’steaandconversationcalmedAnne’smindtosuchanextentthatshedidnotmakeGilbertsuffersoacutelyonthewayhomeasshehaddeliberatelyintendedtodo。Shedidnotrefertotheburningquestionatall，butshechattedamiablyofothermatters，andGilbertunderstoodthathewasforgivenunderprotest。
"CaptainJimseemsveryfrailandbentthisspring。
Thewinterhasagedhim，"saidAnnesadly。"IamafraidthathewillsoonbegoingtoseeklostMargaret。Ican’tbeartothinkofit。"
"FourWindswon’tbethesameplacewhenCaptainJim`setsouttosea，’"agreedGilbert。
Thefollowingeveninghewenttothehouseupthebrook。Annewandereddismallyarounduntilhisreturn。
"Well，whatdidLesliesay？"shedemandedwhenhecamein。
"Verylittle。Ithinkshefeltratherdazed。"
"Andisshegoingtohavetheoperation？"
"Sheisgoingtothinkitoveranddecideverysoon。"
Gilbertflunghimselfwearilyintotheeasychairbeforethefire。Helookedtired。IthadnotbeenaneasythingforhimtotellLeslie。Andtheterrorthathadsprungintohereyeswhenthemeaningofwhathetoldhercamehometoherwasnotapleasantthingtoremember。Now，whenthediewascast，hewasbesetwithdoubtsofhisownwisdom。
Annelookedathimremorsefully；thensheslippeddownontherugbesidehimandlaidherglossyredheadonhisarm。
"Gilbert，I’vebeenratherhatefuloverthis。Iwon’tbeanymore。Pleasejustcallmered-headedandforgiveme。"
BywhichGilbertunderstoodthat，nomatterwhatcameofit，therewouldbenoI-told-you-so’s。Buthewasnotwhollycomforted。Dutyintheabstractisonething；dutyintheconcreteisquiteanother，especiallywhenthedoerisconfrontedbyawoman’sstrickeneyes。
SomeinstinctmadeAnnekeepawayfromLeslieforthenextthreedays。OnthethirdeveningLesliecamedowntothelittlehouseandtoldGilbertthatshehadmadeuphermind；shewouldtakeDicktoMontrealandhavetheoperation。
Shewasverypaleandseemedtohavewrappedherselfinheroldmantleofaloofness。ButhereyeshadlostthelookwhichhadhauntedGilbert；theywerecoldandbright；andsheproceededtodiscussdetailswithhiminacrisp，business-likeway。Therewereplanstobemadeandmanythingstobethoughtover。WhenLesliehadgottheinformationshewantedshewenthome。Annewantedtowalkpartofthewaywithher。
"Betternot，"saidLesliecurtly。"Today’srainhasmadethegrounddamp。Good-night。"
"HaveIlostmyfriend？"saidAnnewithasigh。"IftheoperationissuccessfulandDickMoorefindshimselfagainLesliewillretreatintosomeremotefastnessofhersoulwherenoneofuscaneverfindher。"
"Perhapsshewillleavehim，"saidGilbert。
"Lesliewouldneverdothat，Gilbert。Hersenseofdutyisverystrong。ShetoldmeoncethatherGrandmotherWestalwaysimpresseduponherthefactthatwhensheassumedanyresponsibilityshemustnevershirkit，nomatterwhattheconsequencesmightbe。
Thatisoneofhercardinalrules。Isupposeit’sveryold-fashioned。"
"Don’tbebitter，Anne-girl。Youknowyoudon’tthinkitold-fashioned——youknowyouhavetheverysameideaofsacrednessofassumedresponsibilitiesyourself。
Andyouareright。Shirkingresponsibilitiesisthecurseofourmodernlife——thesecretofalltheunrestanddiscontentthatisseethingintheworld。"
"Thussaiththepreacher，"mockedAnne。Butunderthemockeryshefeltthathewasright；andshewasverysickatheartforLeslie。
AweeklaterMissCorneliadescendedlikeanavalancheuponthelittlehouse。GilbertwasawayandAnnewascompelledtobeartheshockoftheimpactalone。
MissCorneliahardlywaitedtogetherhatoffbeforeshebegan。
"Anne，doyoumeantotellmeit’struewhatI’veheard——thatDr。BlythehastoldLeslieDickcanbecured，andthatsheisgoingtotakehimtoMontrealtohavehimoperatedon？"
"Yes，itisquitetrue，MissCornelia，"saidAnnebravely。
"Well，it’sinhumancruelty，that’swhatitis，"saidMissCornelia，violentlyagitated。"IdidthinkDr。
Blythewasadecentman。Ididn’tthinkhecouldhavebeenguiltyofthis。"
"Dr。BlythethoughtitwashisdutytotellLesliethattherewasachanceforDick，"saidAnnewithspirit，"and，"sheadded，loyaltytoGilbertgettingthebetterofher，"Iagreewithhim。"
"Oh，no，youdon’t，dearie，"saidMissCornelia。"Nopersonwithanybowelsofcompassioncould。"
"CaptainJimdoes。"
"Don’tquotethatoldninnytome，"criedMissCornelia。"AndIdon’tcarewhoagreeswithhim。
Think——THINKwhatitmeanstothatpoorhunted，harriedgirl。"
"WeDOthinkofit。ButGilbertbelievesthatadoctorshouldputthewelfareofapatient’smindandbodybeforeallotherconsiderations。"
"That’sjustlikeaman。ButIexpectedbetterthingsofyou，Anne，"saidMissCornelia，moreinsorrowthaninwrath；thensheproceededtobombardAnnewithpreciselythesameargumentswithwhichthelatterhadattackedGilbert；andAnnevaliantlydefendedherhusbandwiththeweaponshehadusedforhisownprotection。Longwasthefray，butMissCorneliamadeanendatlast。
"It’saniniquitousshame，"shedeclared，almostintears。"That’sjustwhatitis——aniniquitousshame。
Poor，poorLeslie！"
"Don’tyouthinkDickshouldbeconsideredalittletoo？"pleadedAnne。
"Dick！DickMoore！HE’Shappyenough。He’sabetterbehavedandmorereputablememberofsocietynowthanheeverwasbefore。
Why，hewasadrunkardandperhapsworse。Areyougoingtosethimlooseagaintoroarandtodevour？"
"Hemayreform，"saidpoorAnne，besetbyfoewithoutandtraitorwithin。
"Reformyourgrandmother！"retortedMissCornelia。
"DickMooregottheinjuriesthatlefthimasheisinadrunkenbrawl。HeDESERVEShisfate。Itwassentonhimforapunishment。Idon’tbelievethedoctorhasanybusinesstotamperwiththevisitationsofGod。"
"NobodyknowshowDickwashurt，MissCornelia。Itmaynothavebeeninadrunkenbrawlatall。Hemayhavebeenwaylaidandrobbed。"
"PigsMAYwhistle，butthey’vepoormouthsforit，"
saidMissCornelia。"Well，thegistofwhatyoutellmeisthatthethingissettledandthere’snouseintalking。Ifthat’ssoI’llholdmytongue。Idon’tproposetowearMYteethoutgnawingfiles。WhenathinghastobeIgiveintoit。ButIliketomakemightysurefirstthatitHAStobe。Now，I’lldevoteMYenergiestocomfortingandsustainingLeslie。Andafterall，"addedMissCornelia，brighteninguphopefully，"perhapsnothingcanbedoneforDick。"
CHAPTER31
THETRUTHMAKESFREE
Leslie，havingoncemadeuphermindwhattodo，proceededtodoitwithcharacteristicresolutionandspeed。House-cleaningmustbefinishedwithfirst，whateverissuesoflifeanddeathmightawaitbeyond。
Thegrayhouseupthebrookwasputintoflawlessorderandcleanliness，withMissCornelia’sreadyassistance。
MissCornelia，havingsaidhersaytoAnne，andlaterontoGilbertandCaptainJim——sparingneitherofthem，letitbeassured——neverspokeofthemattertoLeslie。
SheacceptedthefactofDick’soperation，referredtoitwhennecessaryinabusiness-likeway，andignoreditwhenitwasnot。Leslieneverattemptedtodiscussit。Shewasverycoldandquietduringthesebeautifulspringdays。SheseldomvisitedAnne，andthoughshewasinvariablycourteousandfriendly，thatverycourtesywasasanicybarrierbetweenherandthepeopleofthelittlehouse。Theoldjokesandlaughterandchumminessofcommonthingscouldnotreachheroverit。Annerefusedtofeelhurt。SheknewthatLesliewasinthegripofahideousdread——adreadthatwrappedherawayfromalllittleglimpsesofhappinessandhoursofpleasure。Whenonegreatpassionseizespossessionofthesoulallotherfeelingsarecrowdedaside。NeverinallherlifehadLeslieMooreshudderedawayfromthefuturewithmoreintolerableterror。Butshewentforwardasunswervinglyinthepathshehadelectedasthemartyrsofoldwalkedtheirchosenway，knowingtheendofittobethefieryagonyofthestake。
ThefinancialquestionwassettledwithgreatereasethanAnnehadfeared。LeslieborrowedthenecessarymoneyfromCaptainJim，and，atherinsistence，hetookamortgageonthelittlefarm。
"Sothatisonethingoffthepoorgirl’smind，"MissCorneliatoldAnne，"andoffminetoo。Now，ifDickgetswellenoughtoworkagainhe’llbeabletoearnenoughtopaytheinterestonit；andifhedoesn’tI
knowCaptainJim’llmanagesomewaythatLesliewon’thaveto。Hesaidasmuchtome。`I’mgettingold，Cornelia，’hesaid，`andI’venochickorchildofmyown。Lesliewon’ttakeagiftfromalivingman，butmebbeshewillfromadeadone。’SoitwillbeallrightasfarasTHATgoes。Iwisheverythingelsemightbesettledassatisfactorily。AsforthatwretchofaDick，he’sbeenawfultheselastfewdays。Thedevilwasinhim，believeME！LeslieandIcouldn’tgetonwithourworkforthetrickshe’dplay。Hechasedallherducksonedayaroundtheyardtillmostofthemdied。Andnotonethingwouldhedoforus。
Sometimes，youknow，he’llmakehimselfquitehandy，bringinginpailsofwaterandwood。Butthisweekifwesenthimtothewellhe’dtrytoclimbdownintoit。
Ithoughtonce，`Ifyou’donlyshootdowntherehead-firsteverythingwouldbenicelysettled。’"
"Oh，MissCornelia！"
"Now，youneedn’tMissCorneliame，Anne，dearie。
ANYBODYwouldhavethoughtthesame。IftheMontrealdoctorscanmakearationalcreatureoutofDickMoorethey’rewonders。"
LeslietookDicktoMontrealearlyinMay。Gilbertwentwithher，tohelpher，andmakethenecessaryarrangementsforher。HecamehomewiththereportthattheMontrealsurgeonwhomtheyhadconsultedagreedwithhimthattherewasagoodchanceofDick’srestoration。
"Verycomforting，"wasMissCornelia’ssarcasticcomment。
Anneonlysighed。Lesliehadbeenverydistantattheirparting。
Butshehadpromisedtowrite。TendaysafterGilbert’sreturnthelettercame。LesliewrotethattheoperationhadbeensuccessfullyperformedandthatDickwasmakingagoodrecovery。
"Whatdoesshemeanby`successfully？’"askedAnne。
"DoesshemeanthatDick’smemoryisreallyrestored？"
"Notlikely——sinceshesaysnothingofit，"saidGilbert。"Sheusestheword`successfully’fromthesurgeon’spointofview。Theoperationhasbeenperformedandfollowedbynormalresults。ButitistoosoontoknowwhetherDick’sfacultieswillbeeventuallyrestored，whollyorinpart。Hismemorywouldnotbelikelytoreturntohimallatonce。Theprocesswillbegradual，ifitoccursatall。Isthatallshesays？"
"Yes——there’sherletter。It’sveryshort。Poorgirl，shemustbeunderaterriblestrain。GilbertBlythe，thereareheapsofthingsIlongtosaytoyou，onlyitwouldbemean。"
"MissCorneliasaysthemforyou，"saidGilbertwitharuefulsmile。"ShecombsmedowneverytimeI
encounterher。Shemakesitplaintomethatsheregardsmeaslittlebetterthanamurderer，andthatshethinksitagreatpitythatDr。Daveeverletmestepintohisshoes。SheeventoldmethattheMethodistdoctorovertheharborwastobepreferredbeforeme。WithMissCorneliatheforceofcondemnationcannofurthergo。"
"IfCorneliaBryantwassick，itwouldnotbeDoctorDaveortheMethodistdoctorshewouldsendfor，"
sniffedSusan。"Shewouldhaveyououtofyourhard-earnedbedinthemiddleofthenight，doctor，dear，ifshetookaspellofmisery，thatshewould。
Andthenshewouldlikelysayyourbillwaspastallreason。Butdonotmindher，doctor，dear。Ittakesallkindsofpeopletomakeaworld。"
NofurtherwordcamefromLeslieforsometime。TheMaydayscreptawayinasweetsuccessionandtheshoresofFourWindsHarborgreenedandbloomedandpurpled。OnedayinlateMayGilbertcamehometobemetbySusaninthestableyard。
"IamafraidsomethinghasupsetMrs。Doctor，doctor，dear，"shesaidmysteriously。"Shegotaletterthisafternoonandsincethenshehasjustbeenwalkingroundthegardenandtalkingtoherself。Youknowitisnotgoodforhertobeonherfeetsomuch，doctor，dear。Shedidnotseefittotellmewhathernewswas，andIamnopry，doctor，dear，andneverwas，butitisplainsomethinghasupsether。Anditisnotgoodforhertobeupset。"
Gilberthurriedratheranxiouslytothegarden。HadanythinghappenedatGreenGables？ButAnne，sittingontherusticseatbythebrook，didnotlooktroubled，thoughshewascertainlymuchexcited。Hereyesweretheirgrayest，andscarletspotsburnedonhercheeks。
"Whathashappened，Anne？"
Annegaveaqueerlittlelaugh。
"Ithinkyou’llhardlybelieveitwhenItellyou，Gilbert。_I_can’tbelieveityet。AsSusansaidtheotherday，`Ifeellikeaflycomingtoliveinthesun——dazed-like。’It’sallsoincredible。I’vereadtheletterascoreoftimesandeverytimeit’sjustthesame——Ican’tbelievemyowneyes。Oh，Gilbert，youwereright——soright。Icanseethatclearlyenoughnow——andI’msoashamedofmyself——andwillyoueverreallyforgiveme？"
"Anne，I’llshakeyouifyoudon’tgrowcoherent。
Redmondwouldbeashamedofyou。WHAThashappened？"
"Youwon’tbelieveit——youwon’tbelieveit——"
"I’mgoingtophoneforUncleDave，"saidGilbert，pretendingtostartforthehouse。
"Sitdown，Gilbert。I’lltrytotellyou。I’vehadaletter，andoh，Gilbert，it’sallsoamazing——soincrediblyamazing——weneverthought——notoneofuseverdreamed——"
"Isuppose，"saidGilbert，sittingdownwitharesignedair，"theonlythingtodoinacaseofthiskindistohavepatienceandgoatthemattercategorically。Whomisyourletterfrom？"
"Leslie——and，oh，Gilbert——"
"Leslie！Whew！Whathasshetosay？What’sthenewsaboutDick？"
Anneliftedtheletterandhelditout，calmlydramaticinamoment。
"ThereisNODick！ThemanwehavethoughtDickMoore——whomeverybodyinFourWindshasbelievedfortwelveyearstobeDickMoore——ishiscousin，GeorgeMoore，ofNovaScotia，who，itseems，alwaysresembledhimverystrikingly。DickMoorediedofyellowfeverthirteenyearsagoinCuba。"
CHAPTER32
MISSCORNELIADISCUSSESTHEAFFAIR
"Anddoyoumeantotellme，Anne，dearie，thatDickMoorehasturnedoutnottobeDickMooreatallbutsomebodyelse？IsTHATwhatyouphoneduptometoday？"
"Yes，MissCornelia。Itisveryamazing，isn’tit？"
"It’s——it’s——justlikeaman，"saidMissCorneliahelplessly。Shetookoffherhatwithtremblingfingers。ForonceinherlifeMissCorneliawasundeniablystaggered。
"Ican’tseemtosenseit，Anne，"shesaid。"I’veheardyousayit——andIbelieveyou——butIcan’ttakeitin。DickMooreisdead——hasbeendeadalltheseyears——andLeslieisfree？"
"Yes。Thetruthhasmadeherfree。GilbertwasrightwhenhesaidthatversewasthegrandestintheBible。"
"Tellmeeverything，Anne，dearie。SinceIgotyourphoneI’vebeeninaregularmuddle，believeME。
CorneliaBryantwasneversokerflummuxedbefore。"
"Thereisn’taverygreatdealtotell。Leslie’sletterwasshort。Shedidn’tgointoparticulars。
Thisman——GeorgeMoore——hasrecoveredhismemoryandknowswhoheis。HesaysDicktookyellowfeverinCuba，andtheFourSistershadtosailwithouthim。
Georgestayedbehindtonursehim。Buthediedveryshortlyafterwards。
GeorgedidnotwriteLesliebecauseheintendedtocomerighthomeandtellherhimself。"
"Andwhydidn’the？"
"Isupposehisaccidentmusthaveintervened。GilbertsaysitisquitelikelythatGeorgeMooreremembersnothingofhisaccident，orwhatledtoit，andmayneverrememberit。ItprobablyhappenedverysoonafterDick’sdeath。WemayfindoutmoreparticularswhenLesliewritesagain。"
"Doesshesaywhatsheisgoingtodo？Whenisshecominghome？"
"ShesaysshewillstaywithGeorgeMooreuntilhecanleavethehospital。ShehaswrittentohispeopleinNovaScotia。ItseemsthatGeorge’sonlynearrelativeisamarriedsistermucholderthanhimself。ShewaslivingwhenGeorgesailedontheFourSisters，butofcoursewedonotknowwhatmayhavehappenedsince。
DidyoueverseeGeorgeMoore，MissCornelia？"
"Idid。Itisallcomingbacktome。HewasherevisitinghisUncleAbnereighteenyearsago，whenheandDickwouldbeaboutseventeen。Theyweredoublecousins，yousee。Theirfatherswerebrothersandtheirmothersweretwinsisters，andtheydidlookaterriblelotalike。Ofcourse，"addedMissCorneliascornfully，"itwasn’toneofthosefreakresemblancesyoureadofinnovelswheretwopeoplearesomuchalikethattheycanfilleachother’splacesandtheirnearestanddearestcan’ttellbetweenthem。InthosedaysyoucouldtelleasyenoughwhichwasGeorgeandwhichwasDick，ifyousawthemtogetherandnearathand。Apart，orsomedistanceaway，itwasn’tsoeasy。
Theyplayedlotsoftricksonpeopleandthoughtitgreatfun，thetwoscamps。GeorgeMoorewasalittletallerandagooddealfatterthanDick——thoughneitherofthemwaswhatyouwouldcallfat——theywerebothoftheleankind。DickhadhighercolorthanGeorge，andhishairwasashadelighter。Buttheirfeatureswerejustalike，andtheybothhadthatqueerfreakofeyes——oneblueandonehazel。Theyweren’tmuchalikeinanyotherway，though。Georgewasarealnicefellow，thoughhewasascalawagformischief，andsomesaidhehadalikingforaglasseventhen。ButeverybodylikedhimbetterthanDick。Hespentaboutamonthhere。Leslieneversawhim；shewasonlyabouteightorninethenandIremembernowthatshespentthatwholewinteroverharborwithhergrandmotherWest。CaptainJimwasaway，too——thatwasthewinterhewaswreckedontheMagdalens。Idon’tsupposeeitherheorLesliehadeverheardabouttheNovaScotiacousinlookingsomuchlikeDick。NobodyeverthoughtofhimwhenCaptainJimbroughtDick——George，I
shouldsay——home。Ofcourse，weallthoughtDickhadchangedconsiderable——he’dgotsolumpishandfat。Butweputthatdowntowhathadhappenedtohim，andnodoubtthatwasthereason，for，asI’vesaid，Georgewasn’tfattobeginwitheither。Andtherewasnootherwaywecouldhaveguessed，fortheman’ssenseswerecleangone。Ican’tseethatitisanywonderwewerealldeceived。Butit’sastaggeringthing。AndLesliehassacrificedthebestyearsofherlifetonursingamanwhohadn’tanyclaimonher！Oh，dratthemen！Nomatterwhattheydo，it’sthewrongthing。
Andnomatterwhotheyare，it’ssomebodytheyshouldn’tbe。Theydoexasperateme。"
"GilbertandCaptainJimaremen，anditisthroughthemthatthetruthhasbeendiscoveredatlast，"saidAnne。
"Well，Iadmitthat，"concededMissCorneliareluctantly。"I’msorryIrakedthedoctoroffso。
It’sthefirsttimeinmylifeI’veeverfeltashamedofanythingIsaidtoaman。Idon’tknowasIshalltellhimso，though。He’lljusthavetotakeitforgranted。Well，Anne，dearie，it’samercytheLorddoesn’tanswerallourprayers。I’vebeenprayinghardrightalongthattheoperationwouldn’tcureDick。OfcourseIdidn’tputitjustquitesoplain。Butthatwaswhatwasinthebackofmymind，andIhavenodoubttheLordknewit。"
"Well，Hehasansweredthespiritofyourprayer。Youreallywishedthatthingsshouldn’tbemadeanyharderforLeslie。I’mafraidthatinmysecretheartI’vebeenhopingtheoperationwouldn’tsucceed，andIamwholesomelyashamedofit。"
"HowdoesLeslieseemtotakeit？"
"Shewriteslikeonedazed。Ithinkthat，likeourselves，shehardlyrealisesityet。Shesays，`Itallseemslikeastrangedreamtome，Anne。’Thatistheonlyreferenceshemakestoherself。"
"Poorchild！Isupposewhenthechainsarestruckoffaprisonerhe’dfeelqueerandlostwithoutthemforawhile。Anne，dearie，here’sathoughtkeepscomingintomymind。WhataboutOwenFord？WebothknowLesliewasfondofhim。Diditeveroccurtoyouthathewasfondofher？"
"It——did——once，"admittedAnne，feelingthatshemightsaysomuch。
"Well，Ihadn’tanyreasontothinkhewas，butitjustappearedtomeheMUSTbe。Now，Anne，dearie，theLordknowsI’mnotamatch-maker，andIscornallsuchdoings。ButifIwereyouandwritingtothatFordmanI’djustmention，casual-like，whathashappened。Thatiswhat_I_’ddo。"
"OfcourseIwillmentionitwhenIwritehim，"saidAnne，atrifledistantly。Somehow，thiswasathingshecouldnotdiscusswithMissCornelia。Andyet，shehadtoadmitthatthesamethoughthadbeenlurkinginhermindeversinceshehadheardofLeslie’sfreedom。
Butshewouldnotdesecrateitbyfreespeech。
"Ofcoursethereisnogreatrush，dearie。ButDickMoore’sbeendeadforthirteenyearsandLesliehaswastedenoughofherlifeforhim。We’lljustseewhatcomesofit。AsforthisGeorgeMoore，who’sgoneandcomebacktolifewheneveryonethoughthewasdeadanddonefor，justlikeaman，I’mrealsorryforhim。Hewon’tseemtofitinanywhere。"
"Heisstillayoungman，andifherecoverscompletely，asseemslikely，hewillbeabletomakeaplaceforhimselfagain。Itmustbeverystrangeforhim，poorfellow。Isupposealltheseyearssincehisaccidentwillnotexistforhim。"
CHAPTER33
LESLIERETURNS
AfortnightlaterLeslieMoorecamehomealonetotheoldhousewhereshehadspentsomanybitteryears。IntheJunetwilightshewentoverthefieldstoAnne’s，andappearedwithghost-likesuddennessinthescentedgarden。
"Leslie！"criedAnneinamazement。"Wherehaveyousprungfrom？Weneverknewyouwerecoming。Whydidn’tyouwrite？Wewouldhavemetyou。"
"Icouldn’twritesomehow，Anne。Itseemedsofutiletotrytosayanythingwithpenandink。AndIwantedtogetbackquietlyandunobserved。"
AnneputherarmsaboutLeslieandkissedher。Lesliereturnedthekisswarmly。Shelookedpaleandtired，andshegavealittlesighasshedroppeddownonthegrassesbesideagreatbedofdaffodilsthatweregleamingthroughthepale，silverytwilightlikegoldenstars。
"Andyouhavecomehomealone，Leslie？"
"Yes。GeorgeMoore’ssistercametoMontrealandtookhimhomewithher。Poorfellow，hewassorrytopartwithme——thoughIwasastrangertohimwhenhismemoryfirstcameback。HeclungtomeinthosefirstharddayswhenhewastryingtorealisethatDick’sdeathwasnotthethingofyesterdaythatitseemedtohim。
Itwasallveryhardforhim。IhelpedhimallI
could。Whenhissistercameitwaseasierforhim，becauseitseemedtohimonlytheotherdaythathehadseenherlast。Fortunatelyshehadnotchangedmuch，andthathelpedhim，too。"
"Itisallsostrangeandwonderful，Leslie。Ithinkwenoneofusrealiseityet。"
"Icannot。WhenIwentintothehouseoverthereanhourago，IfeltthatitMUSTbeadream——thatDickmustbethere，withhischildishsmile，ashehadbeenforsolong。Anne，Iseemstunnedyet。I’mnotgladorsorry——orANYTHING。Ifeelasifsomethinghadbeentornsuddenlyoutofmylifeandleftaterriblehole。
IfeelasifIcouldn’tbe_I_——asifImusthavechangedintosomebodyelseandcouldn’tgetusedtoit。
Itgivesmeahorriblelonely，dazed，helplessfeeling。
It’sgoodtoseeyouagain——itseemsasifyouwereasortofanchorformydriftingsoul。Oh，Anne，I
dreaditall——thegossipandwondermentandquestioning。WhenIthinkofthat，IwishthatIneednothavecomehomeatall。Dr。DavewasatthestationwhenIcameoffthetrain——hebroughtmehome。Pooroldman，hefeelsverybadlybecausehetoldmeyearsagothatnothingcouldbedoneforDick。`Ihonestlythoughtso，Leslie，’hesaidtometoday。`ButI
shouldhavetoldyounottodependonmyopinion——I
shouldhavetoldyoutogotoaspecialist。IfIhad，youwouldhavebeensavedmanybitteryears，andpoorGeorgeMooremanywastedones。Iblamemyselfverymuch，Leslie。’Itoldhimnottodothat——hehaddonewhathethoughtright。Hehasalwaysbeensokindtome——Icouldn’tbeartoseehimworryingoverit。"
"AndDick——George，Imean？Ishismemoryfullyrestored？"
"Practically。Ofcourse，thereareagreatmanydetailshecan’trecallyet——butheremembersmoreandmoreeveryday。HewentoutforawalkontheeveningafterDickwasburied。HehadDick’smoneyandwatchonhim；hemeanttobringthemhometome，alongwithmyletter。Headmitshewenttoaplacewherethesailorsresorted——andheremembersdrinking——andnothingelse。Anne，Ishallneverforgetthemomentherememberedhisownname。Isawhimlookingatmewithanintelligentbutpuzzledexpression。Isaid，`Doyouknowme，Dick？’Heanswered，`Ineversawyoubefore。
Whoareyou？AndmynameisnotDick。IamGeorgeMoore，andDickdiedofyellowfeveryesterday！WhereamI？Whathashappenedtome？’I——Ifainted，Anne。
AndeversinceIhavefeltasifIwereinadream。"
"Youwillsoonadjustyourselftothisnewstateofthings，Leslie。Andyouareyoung——lifeisbeforeyou——youwillhavemanybeautifulyearsyet。"
"PerhapsIshallbeabletolookatitinthatwayafterawhile，Anne。JustnowIfeeltootiredandindifferenttothinkaboutthefuture。I’m——I’m——Anne，I’mlonely。ImissDick。Isn’titallverystrange？
Doyouknow，IwasreallyfondofpoorDick——George，I
supposeIshouldsay——justasIwouldhavebeenfondofahelplesschildwhodependedonmeforeverything。I
wouldneverhaveadmittedit——Iwasreallyashamedofit——because，yousee，IhadhatedanddespisedDicksomuchbeforehewentaway。WhenIheardthatCaptainJimwasbringinghimhomeIexpectedIwouldjustfeelthesametohim。ButIneverdid——althoughIcontinuedtoloathehimasIrememberedhimbefore。FromthetimehecamehomeIfeltonlypity——apitythathurtandwrungme。Isupposedthenthatitwasjustbecausehisaccidenthadmadehimsohelplessandchanged。ButnowIbelieveitwasbecausetherewasreallyadifferentpersonalitythere。Carloknewit，Anne——I
knownowthatCarloknewit。IalwaysthoughtitstrangethatCarloshouldn’thaveknownDick。Dogsareusuallysofaithful。ButHEknewitwasnothismasterwhohadcomeback，althoughnoneoftherestofusdid。IhadneverseenGeorgeMoore，youknow。I
remembernowthatDickoncementionedcasuallythathehadacousininNovaScotiawholookedasmuchlikehimasatwin；butthethinghadgoneoutofmymemory，andinanycaseIwouldneverhavethoughtitofanyimportance。Yousee，itneveroccurredtometoquestionDick’sidentity。Anychangeinhimseemedtomejusttheresultoftheaccident。
"Oh，Anne，thatnightinAprilwhenGilberttoldmehethoughtDickmightbecured！Icanneverforgetit。
ItseemedtomethatIhadoncebeenaprisonerinahideouscageoftorture，andthenthedoorhadbeenopenedandIcouldgetout。IwasstillchainedtothecagebutIwasnotinit。AndthatnightIfeltthatamercilesshandwasdrawingmebackintothecage——backtoatortureevenmoreterriblethanithadoncebeen。
Ididn’tblameGilbert。Ifelthewasright。Andhehadbeenverygood——hesaidthatif，inviewoftheexpenseanduncertaintyoftheoperation，Ishoulddecidenottoriskit，hewouldnotblamemeintheleast。ButIknewhowIoughttodecide——andI
couldn’tfaceit。AllnightIwalkedthefloorlikeamadwoman，tryingtocompelmyselftofaceit。I
couldn’t，Anne——IthoughtIcouldn’t——andwhenmorningbrokeIsetmyteethandresolvedthatIWOULDN’T。I
wouldletthingsremainastheywere。Itwasverywicked，Iknow。ItwouldhavebeenjustpunishmentforsuchwickednessifIhadjustbeenlefttoabidebythatdecision。Ikepttoitallday。ThatafternoonI
hadtogouptotheGlentodosomeshopping。ItwasoneofDick’squiet，drowsydays，soIlefthimalone。
IwasgonealittlelongerthanIhadexpected，andhemissedme。Hefeltlonely。AndwhenIgothome，herantomeetmejustlikeachild，withsuchapleasedsmileonhisface。Somehow，Anne，Ijustgavewaythen。ThatsmileonhispoorvacantfacewasmorethanIcouldendure。IfeltasifIweredenyingachildthechancetogrowanddevelop。IknewthatImustgivehimhischance，nomatterwhattheconsequencesmightbe。SoIcameoverandtoldGilbert。Oh，Anne，youmusthavethoughtmehatefulinthoseweeksbeforeIwentaway。Ididn’tmeantobe——butIcouldn’tthinkofanythingexceptwhatIhadtodo，andeverythingandeverybodyaboutmewerelikeshadows。"
"Iknow——Iunderstood，Leslie。Andnowitisallover——yourchainisbroken——thereisnocage。"
"Thereisnocage，"repeatedLeslieabsently，pluckingatthefringinggrasseswithherslender，brownhands。
"But——itdoesn’tseemasiftherewereanythingelse，Anne。You——yourememberwhatItoldyouofmyfollythatnightonthesand-bar？Ifindonedoesn’tgetoverbeingafoolveryquickly。SometimesIthinktherearepeoplewhoarefoolsforever。Andtobeafool——ofthatkind——isalmostasbadasbeinga——adogonachain。"
"Youwillfeelverydifferentlyafteryougetoverbeingtiredandbewildered，"saidAnne，who，knowingacertainthingthatLesliedidnotknow，didnotfeelherselfcalledupontowasteovermuchsympathy。
LeslielaidhersplendidgoldenheadagainstAnne’sknee。
"Anyhow，IhaveYOU，"shesaid。"Lifecan’tbealtogetheremptywithsuchafriend。Anne，patmyhead——justasifIwerealittlegirl——MOTHERmeabit——andletmetellyouwhilemystubborntongueisloosedalittlejustwhatyouandyourcomradeshiphavemeanttomesincethatnightImetyouontherockshore。"
CHAPTER34
THESHIPO’DREAMSCOMESTOHARBOR
Onemorning，whenawindygoldensunrisewasbillowingoverthegulfinwavesoflight，acertainwearystorkflewoverthebarofFourWindsHarboronhiswayfromtheLandofEveningStars。Underhiswingwastuckedasleepy，starry-eyed，littlecreature。Thestorkwastired，andhelookedwistfullyabouthim。Heknewhewassomewherenearhisdestination，buthecouldnotyetseeit。Thebig，whitelight-houseontheredsandstonecliffhaditsgoodpoints；butnostorkpossessedofanygumptionwouldleaveanew，velvetbabythere。Anoldgrayhouse，surroundedbywillows，inablossomybrookvalley，lookedmorepromising，butdidnotseemquitethethingeither。Thestaringgreenabodefurtheronwasmanifestlyoutofthequestion。Thenthestorkbrightenedup。Hehadcaughtsightoftheveryplace——alittlewhitehousenestledagainstabig，whisperingfirwood，withaspiralofbluesmokewindingupfromitskitchenchimney——ahousewhichjustlookedasifitweremeantforbabies。Thestorkgaveasighofsatisfaction，andsoftlyalightedontheridge-pole。
HalfanhourlaterGilbertrandownthehallandtappedonthespare-roomdoor。AdrowsyvoiceansweredhimandinamomentMarilla’spale，scaredfacepeepedoutfrombehindthedoor。
"Marilla，Annehassentmetotellyouthatacertainyounggentlemanhasarrivedhere。Hehasn’tbroughtmuchluggagewithhim，butheevidentlymeanstostay。"
"Forpity’ssake！"saidMarillablankly。"Youdon’tmeantotellme，Gilbert，thatit’sallover。Whywasn’tIcalled？"
"Annewouldn’tletusdisturbyouwhentherewasnoneed。Nobodywascalleduntilabouttwohoursago。
Therewasno`passageperilous’thistime。"
"And——and——Gilbert——willthisbabylive？"
"Hecertainlywill。Heweighstenpoundsand——why，listentohim。Nothingwrongwithhislungs，isthere？
Thenursesayshishairwillbered。Anneisfuriouswithher，andI’mtickledtodeath。"
Thatwasawonderfuldayinthelittlehouseofdreams。
"Thebestdreamofallhascometrue，"saidAnne，paleandrapturous。"Oh，Marilla，Ihardlydarebelieveit，afterthathorribledaylastsummer。Ihavehadaheartacheeversincethen——butitisgonenow。"
"ThisbabywilltakeJoy’splace，"saidMarilla。
"Oh，no，no，NO，Marilla。Hecan’t——nothingcaneverdothat。Hehashisownplace，mydear，weeman-child。ButlittleJoyhashers，andalwayswillhaveit。Ifshehadlivedshewouldhavebeenoverayearold。Shewouldhavebeentoddlingaroundonhertinyfeetandlispingafewwords。Icanseehersoplainly，Marilla。Oh，IknownowthatCaptainJimwasrightwhenhesaidGodwouldmanagebetterthanthatmybabywouldseemastrangertomewhenIfoundherBeyond。I’velearnedTHATthispastyear。I’vefollowedherdevelopmentdaybydayandweekbyweek——I
alwaysshall。Ishallknowjusthowshegrowsfromyeartoyear——andwhenImeetheragainI’llknowher——shewon’tbeastranger。Oh，Marilla，LOOKathisdear，darlingtoes！Isn’titstrangetheyshouldbesoperfect？"
"Itwouldbestrangeriftheyweren’t，"saidMarillacrisply。Nowthatallwassafelyover，Marillawasherselfagain。
"Oh，Iknow——butitseemsasiftheycouldn’tbequiteFINISHED，youknow——andtheyare，eventothetinynails。Andhishands——JUSTlookathishands，Marilla。"
"Theyappeartobeagooddeallikehands，"Marillaconceded。
"Seehowheclingstomyfinger。I’msureheknowsmealready。Hecrieswhenthenursetakeshimaway。Oh，Marilla，doyouthink——youdon’tthink，doyou——thathishairisgoingtobered？"
"Idon’tseemuchhairofanycolor，"saidMarilla。
"Iwouldn’tworryaboutit，ifIwereyou，untilitbecomesvisible。"
"Marilla，heHAShair——lookatthatfinelittledownalloverhishead。Anyway，nursesayshiseyeswillbehazelandhisforeheadisexactlylikeGilbert’s。"
"Andhehasthenicestlittleears，Mrs。Doctor，dear，"saidSusan。"ThefirstthingIdidwastolookathisears。Hairisdeceitfulandnosesandeyeschange，andyoucannottellwhatisgoingtocomeofthem，butearsisearsfromstarttofinish，andyoualwaysknowwhereyouarewiththem。Justlookattheirshape——andtheyaresetrightbackagainsthisprecioushead。Youwillneverneedtobeashamedofhisears，Mrs。Doctor，dear。"
Anne’sconvalescencewasrapidandhappy。Folkscameandworshippedthebaby，aspeoplehavebowedbeforethekingshipofthenew-bornsincelongbeforetheWiseMenoftheEastkneltinhomagetotheRoyalBabeoftheBethlehemmanger。Leslie，slowlyfindingherselfamidthenewconditionsofherlife，hoveredoverit，likeabeautiful，golden-crownedMadonna。MissCornelianurseditasknackilyascouldanymotherinIsrael。CaptainJimheldthesmallcreatureinhisbigbrownhandsandgazedtenderlyatit，witheyesthatsawthechildrenwhohadneverbeenborntohim。
"Whatareyougoingtocallhim？"askedMissCornelia。
"Annehassettledhisname，"answeredGilbert。
"JamesMatthew——afterthetwofinestgentlemenI’veeverknown——notevensavingyourpresence，"saidAnnewithasaucyglanceatGilbert。
Gilbertsmiled。
"IneverknewMatthewverywell；hewassoshyweboyscouldn’tgetacquaintedwithhim——butIquiteagreewithyouthatCaptainJimisoneoftherarestandfinestsoulsGodeverclothedinclay。Heissodelightedoverthefactthatwehavegivenhisnametooursmalllad。Itseemshehasnoothernamesake。"
"Well，JamesMatthewisanamethatwillwearwellandnotfadeinthewashing，"saidMissCornelia。"I’mgladyoudidn’tloadhimdownwithsomehighfalutin，romanticnamethathe’dbeashamedofwhenhegetstobeagrandfather。Mrs。WilliamDrewattheGlenhascalledherbabyBertieShakespeare。Quiteacombination，isn’tit？AndI’mgladyouhaven’thadmuchtroublepickingonaname。Somefolkshaveanawfultime。WhentheStanleyFlaggs’firstboywasborntherewassomuchrivalryastowhothechildshouldbenamedforthatthepoorlittlesoulhadtogofortwoyearswithoutaname。Thenabrothercamealongandthereitwas——`BigBaby’and`LittleBaby。’
FinallytheycalledBigBabyPeterandLittleBabyIsaac，afterthetwograndfathers，andhadthembothchristenedtogether。Andeachtriedtoseeifitcouldn’thowltheotherdown。YouknowthatHighlandScotchfamilyofMacNabsbackoftheGlen？They’vegottwelveboysandtheoldestandtheyoungestarebothcalledNeil——BigNeilandLittleNeilinthesamefamily。Well，Is’posetheyranoutofnames。"
"Ihavereadsomewhere，"laughedAnne，"thatthefirstchildisapoembutthetenthisveryprosyprose。
PerhapsMrs。MacNabthoughtthatthetwelfthwasmerelyanoldtalere-told。"
"Well，there’ssomethingtobesaidforlargefamilies，"saidMissCornelia，withasigh。"IwasanonlychildforeightyearsandIdidlongforabrotherandsister。Mothertoldmetoprayforone——andprayIdid，believeME。Well，onedayAuntNelliecametomeandsaid，`Cornelia，thereisalittlebrotherforyouupstairsinyourma’sroom。Youcangoupandseehim。’IwassoexcitedanddelightedIjustflewupstairs。AndoldMrs。Flaggliftedupthebabyformetosee。Lord，Anne，dearie，Ineverwassodisappointedinmylife。Yousee，I’dbeenprayingforABROTHERTWOYEARSOLDERTHANMYSELF。"
"Howlongdidittakeyoutogetoveryourdisappointment？"askedAnne，amidherlaughter。
"Well，IhadaspiteatProvidenceforagoodspell，andforweeksIwouldn’tevenlookatthebaby。Nobodyknewwhy，forInevertold。Thenhebegantogetrealcute，andheldouthisweehandstomeandIbegantogetfondofhim。ButIdidn’tgetreallyreconciledtohimuntilonedayaschoolchumcametoseehimandsaidshethoughthewasawfulsmallforhisage。I
justgotboilingmad，andIsailedrightintoher，andtoldhershedidn’tknowanicebabywhenshesawone，andourswasthenicestbabyintheworld。AndafterthatIjustworshippedhim。MotherdiedbeforehewasthreeyearsoldandIwassisterandmothertohimboth。Poorlittlelad，hewasneverstrong，andhediedwhenhewasn’tmuchovertwenty。SeemstomeI’dhavegivenanythingonearth，Anne，dearie，ifhe’donlylived。"