"But wasn't I worth waiting for? Surely Lisette was a wise young woman. You would not have me give my daughter to any Tom, Dick or Harry, would you? My star, who, in spite of your disparaging remarks, is fit to shine in the palaces of kings?”
"We have no kings in Canada," retorted Miss Cornelia. "I'm not saying Stella isn't a lovely girl. I'm only saying the men don't seem to see it and, considering her constitution, I think it is just as well. A good thing for you, too. You could never get on without her ... you'd be as helpless as a baby. Well, promise us a contribution to the church stove range and we'll be off. I know you're dying to pick up that book of yours.”
"Admirable, clear-sighted woman! What a treasure you are for a cousin-in-law! I admit it... I AM dying. But no other than yourself would have been perspicacious enough to see it or amiable enough to save my life by acting upon it. How much are you holding me up for?”
"You can afford five dollars.”
"I never argue with a lady. Five dollars it is. Ah, going? She never loses time, this unique woman! Once her object is attained she straightway leaves you in peace. They don't hatch her breed of cats nowadays. Good-evening pearl of in-laws.”
During the whole call Anne had not uttered one word. Why should she when Mrs. Elliott was doing her work for her so cleverly and unconsciously? But as Richard Chase bowed them out he suddenly bent forward confidentially.
"You've got the finest pair of ankles I've ever seen, Mrs. Blythe, and I've been about a bit in my time.”
"Isn't he dreadful?" gasped Miss Cornelia as they went down the lane. "He's always saying outrageous things like that to women.
You mustn't mind him, Anne dearie.”
Anne didn't. She rather liked Richard Chase.
"I don't think," she reflected, "that he quite liked the idea of Stella not being popular with the men, in spite of the fact that their grandfathers were monkeys. I think he'd like to 'show folks,' too. Well I have done all I can do. I have interested Alden and Stella in each other; and, between us, Miss Cornelia and I have, I think, made Mrs. Churchill and Mr. Chase rather for the match than against it. Now I must just sit tight and see how it turns out.”
A month later Stella Chase came to Ingleside and again sat down by Anne on the verandah steps ... thinking, as she did so, that she hoped she would look like Mrs. Blythe some day ... with that RIPENED look ... the look of a woman who has lived fully and graciously.
The cool smoky evening had followed a cool, yellowish-grey day in early September. It was threaded with the gentle moan of the sea.
"The sea is unhappy tonight," Walter would say when he heard that sound.
Stella seemed absent-minded and quiet. Presently she said abruptly, looking up at a sorcery of stars that was being woven in the purple night, "Mrs. Blythe, I want to tell you something.”
"Yes, dear?”
"I'm engaged to Alden Churchill," said Stella desperately. "We've been engaged ever since last Christmas. We told Father and Mrs.
Churchill right away but we've kept it a secret from everyone else just because it was so sweet to have such a secret. We hated to share it with the world. But we are going to be married next month.”
Anne gave an excellent imitation of a woman who had been turned to stone. Stella was still staring at the stars, so she did not see the expression on Mrs. Blythe's face. She went on, a little more easily:
"Alden and I met at a party in Lowbridge last November. We ... loved each other from the very first moment. He said he had always dreamed of me ... had always been looking for me. He said to himself, 'There is my wife,' when he saw me come in at the door.
And I ... felt just the same. Oh, we are so happy, Mrs. Blythe!”
Still Anne said nothing, several times over.
"The only cloud on my happiness is your attitude about the matter, Mrs. Blythe. Won't you try to approve? You've been such a dear friend to me since I came to Glen St. Mary ... I've felt as if you were an older sister. And I'll feel so badly if I think my marriage is against your wish.”
There was a sound of tears in Stella's voice. Anne recovered her powers of speech.
"Dearest, your happiness is all I've wanted. I like Alden ... he's a splendid fellow ... only he HAD the reputation of being a flirt ...”
"But he isn't. He was just looking for the right one, don't you see, Mrs. Blythe? And he couldn't find her.”
"How does your father regard it?”
"Oh, Father is greatly pleased. He took to Alden from the start.
They used to argue for hours about evolution. Father said he always meant to let me marry when the right man came along. I feel dreadfully about leaving him, but he says young birds have a right to their own nest. Cousin Delia Chase is coming to keep house for him and Father likes her very much.”
"And Alden's mother?”
"She is quite willing, too. When Alden told her last Christmas that we were engaged she went to the Bible and the very first verse she turned up was, 'A man shall leave father and mother and cleave unto his wife.' She said it was perfectly clear then what she ought to do and she consented at once. She is going to go to that little house of hers in Lowbridge.”
"I am glad you won't have to live with that green plush sofa," said Anne.
"The sofa? Oh, yes, the furniture is very old-fashioned, isn't it?
But she is taking it with her and Alden is going to refurnish completely. So you see everyone is pleased, Mrs. Blythe, and won't you give us your good wishes, too?”
Anne leaned forward and kissed Stella's cool satin cheek.
"I am VERY glad for you. God bless the days that are coming for you, my dear.”
When Stella had gone Anne flew up to her own room to avoid seeing anyone for a few moments. A cynical, lopsided old moon was coming out from behind some shaggy clouds in the east and the fields beyond seemed to wink slyly and impishly at her.
She took stock of all the preceding weeks. She had ruined her dining-room carpet, destroyed two treasured heirlooms and spoiled her library ceiling; she had been trying to use Mrs. Churchill as a cat's-paw and Mrs. Churchill must have been laughing in her sleeve all the time.
"Who," asked Anne of the moon, "has been made the biggest fool of in this affair? I know what Gilbert's opinion will be. All the trouble I've gone to, to bring about a marriage between two people who were already engaged? I'm cured of matchmaking then ... absolutely cured. Never will I lift a finger to promote a marriage if nobody in the world ever gets married again. Well, there is one consolation ... Jen Pringle's letter today saying she is going to marry Lewis Stedman whom she met at my party. The Bristol candlesticks were not sacrificed entirely in vain. Boys ... boys! MUST you make such unearthly noises down there?”
"We're owls ... we HAVE to hoot," Jem's injured voice proclaimed from the dark shrubbery. He knew he was making a very good job of hooting. Jem could mimic the voice of any little wild thing out in the woods. Walter was not so good at it and he presently ceased being an owl and became a rather disillusioned little boy, creeping to Mother for comfort.
"Mummy, I thought crickets SANG ... and Mr. Carter Flagg said today they don't ... they just make that noise scraping their hind-legs. DO they, Mummy?”
"Something like that ... I'm not quite sure of the process. But THAT is their way of singing, you know.”
"I don't like it. I'll never like to hear them singing again.”
"Oh, yes, you will. You'll forget about the hind-legs in time and just think of their fairy chorus all over the harvest meadows and the autumn hills. Isn't it bedtime, small son?”