To Anne, this was as the end of all things. It was bad enough to be
singled out for punishment from among a dozen equally guilty ones; it
was worse still to be sent to sit with a boy, but that that boy should
be Gilbert Blythe was heaping insult on injury to a degree utterly
unbearable. Anne felt that she could not bear it and it would be of
no use to try. Her whole being seethed with shame and anger and
humiliation.
At first the other scholars looked and whispered and giggled and nudged.
But as Anne never lifted her head and as Gilbert worked fractions as if
his whole soul was absorbed in them and them only, they soon returned
to their own tasks and Anne was forgotten. When Mr. Phillips called the
history class out Anne should have gone, but Anne did not move, and
Mr. Phillips, who had been writing some verses To Priscilla before he
called the class, was thinking about an obstinate rhyme still and never
missed her. Once, when nobody was looking, Gilbert took from his desk
a little pink candy heart with a gold motto on it, You are sweet, and
slipped it under the curve of Anne s arm. Whereupon Anne arose, took the
pink heart gingerly between the tips of her fingers, dropped it on the
floor, ground it to powder beneath her heel, and resumed her position
without deigning to bestow a glance on Gilbert.
When school went out Anne marched to her desk, ostentatiously took out
everything therein, books and writing tablet, pen and ink, testament and
arithmetic, and piled them neatly on her cracked slate.
What are you taking all those things home for, Anne? Diana wanted to
know, as soon as they were out on the road. She had not dared to ask the
question before.
I am not coming back to school any more, said Anne. Diana gasped and
stared at Anne to see if she meant it.
Will Marilla let you stay home? she asked.
She ll have to, said Anne. I ll _never_ go to school to that man
again.
Oh, Anne! Diana looked as if she were ready to cry. I do think you re
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