mean. What shall I do? Mr. Phillips will make me sit with that horrid
Gertie Pye--I know he will because she is sitting alone. Do come back,
Anne.
I d do almost anything in the world for you, Diana, said Anne sadly.
I d let myself be torn limb from limb if it would do you any good. But
I can t do this, so please don t ask it. You harrow up my very soul.
Just think of all the fun you will miss, mourned Diana. We are going
to build the loveliest new house down by the brook; and we ll be playing
ball next week and you ve never played ball, Anne. It s tremendously
exciting. And we re going to learn a new song--Jane Andrews is
practicing it up now; and Alice Andrews is going to bring a new Pansy
book next week and we re all going to read it out loud, chapter about,
down by the brook. And you know you are so fond of reading out loud,
Anne.
Nothing moved Anne in the least. Her mind was made up. She would not go
to school to Mr. Phillips again; she told Marilla so when she got home.
Nonsense, said Marilla.
It isn t nonsense at all, said Anne, gazing at Marilla with solemn,
reproachful eyes. Don t you understand, Marilla? I ve been insulted.
Insulted fiddlesticks! You ll go to school tomorrow as usual.
Oh, no. Anne shook her head gently. I m not going back, Marilla. I ll
learn my lessons at home and I ll be as good as I can be and hold my
tongue all the time if it s possible at all. But I will not go back to
school, I assure you.
Marilla saw something remarkably like unyielding stubbornness looking
out of Anne s small face. She understood that she would have trouble in
overcoming it; but she resolved wisely to say nothing more just then.
I ll run down and see Rachel about it this evening, she thought.
There s no use reasoning with Anne now. She s too worked up and I ve
an idea she can be awful stubborn if she takes the notion. Far as I can
make out from her story, Mr. Phillips has been carrying matters with
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