Oh, how can you call Ben Hur a novel when it s really such a religious
book? protested Anne. Of course it s a little too exciting to be
proper reading for Sunday, and I only read it on weekdays. And I never
read _any_ book now unless either Miss Stacy or Mrs. Allan thinks it is a
proper book for a girl thirteen and three-quarters to read. Miss Stacy
made me promise that. She found me reading a book one day called, The
Lurid Mystery of the Haunted Hall. It was one Ruby Gillis had lent me,
and, oh, Marilla, it was so fascinating and creepy. It just curdled the
blood in my veins. But Miss Stacy said it was a very silly, unwholesome
book, and she asked me not to read any more of it or any like it. I
didn t mind promising not to read any more like it, but it was _agonizing_
to give back that book without knowing how it turned out. But my love
for Miss Stacy stood the test and I did. It s really wonderful, Marilla,
what you can do when you re truly anxious to please a certain person.
Well, I guess I ll light the lamp and get to work, said Marilla. I
see plainly that you don t want to hear what Miss Stacy had to say.
You re more interested in the sound of your own tongue than in anything
else.
Oh, indeed, Marilla, I do want to hear it, cried Anne contritely. I
won t say another word--not one. I know I talk too much, but I am really
trying to overcome it, and although I say far too much, yet if you only
knew how many things I want to say and don t, you d give me some credit
for it. Please tell me, Marilla.
Well, Miss Stacy wants to organize a class among her advanced students
who mean to study for the entrance examination into Queen s. She intends
to give them extra lessons for an hour after school. And she came to ask
Matthew and me if we would like to have you join it. What do you think
about it yourself, Anne? Would you like to go to Queen s and pass for a
teacher?
Oh, Marilla! Anne straightened to her knees and clasped her hands.
It s been the dream of my life--that is, for the last six months, ever
since Ruby and Jane began to talk of studying for the Entrance. But I
didn t say anything about it, because I supposed it would be perfectly
useless. I d love to be a teacher. But won t it be dreadfully expensive?
Mr. Andrews says it cost him one hundred and fifty dollars to put Prissy
213