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"Oh, Marilla, it was beyond description. I was so excited I
couldn't even talk, so you may know what it was like. I just sat
in enraptured silence. Madame Selitsky was perfectly beautiful,
and wore white satin and diamonds. But when she began to sing I
never thought about anything else. Oh, I can't tell you how I
felt. But it seemed to me that it could never be hard to be good
any more. I felt like I do when I look up to the stars. Tears
came into my eyes, but, oh, they were such happy tears. I was so
sorry when it was all over, and I told Miss Barry I didn't see
how I was ever to return to common life again. She said she
thought if we went over to the restaurant across the street and
had an ice cream it might help me. That sounded so prosaic; but
to my surprise I found it true. The ice cream was delicious,
Marilla, and it was so lovely and dissipated to be sitting there
eating it at eleven o'clock at night. Diana said she believed
she was born for city life. Miss Barry asked me what my opinion
was, but I said I would have to think it over very seriously
before I could tell her what I really thought. So I thought it
over after I went to bed. That is the to think things out. And I
came to the conclusion, Marilla, that I wasn't born for city life
and that I was glad of it. It's nice to be eating ice cream at
brilliant restaurants at eleven o'clock at night once in a while;
but as a regular thing I'd rather be in the east gable at eleven,
sound asleep, but kind of knowing even in my sleep that the stars
were shining outside and that the wind was blowing in the firs
across the brook. I told Miss Barry so at breakfast the next
morning and she laughed. Miss Barry generally laughed at
anything I said, even when I said the most solemn things.
I don't think I liked it, Marilla, because I wasn't trying to be
funny. But she is a most hospitable lady and treated us royally."
Friday brought going-home time, and Mr. Barry drove in for the girls.
"Well, I hope you've enjoyed yourselves," said Miss Barry, as she
bade them good-bye.
"Indeed we have," said Diana.
"And you, Anne-girl?"
"I've enjoyed every minute of the time," said Anne, throwing her
arms impulsively about the old woman's neck and kissing her
wrinkled cheek. Diana would never have dared to do such a thing
and felt rather aghast at Anne's freedom. But Miss Barry was
pleased, and she stood on her veranda and watched the buggy out
of sight. Then she went back into her big house with a sigh. It
seemed very lonely, lacking those fresh young lives. Miss Barry
was a rather selfish old lady, if the truth must be told, and had
never cared much for anybody but herself. She valued people only
as they were of service to her or amused her. Anne had amused
her, and consequently stood high in the old lady's good graces.
But Miss Barry found herself thinking less about Anne's quaint
speeches than of her fresh enthusiasms, her transparent emotions,
her little winning ways, and the sweetness of her eyes and lips.
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