Page:Anne's house of dreams (1920 Canada).djvu/189

 “Oh, I know I’ve been very selfish,” sighed Anne. “I love Gilbert more than ever—and I want to live for his sake. But it seems as if part of me was buried over there in that little harbor graveyard—and it hurts so much that I’m afraid of life.”

“It won’t hurt so much always, Anne.”

“The thought that it may stop hurting sometimes hurts me worse than all else, Marilla.”

“Yes, I know, I’ve felt that too, about other things. But we all love you, Anne. Captain Jim has been up every day to ask for you—and Mrs. Moore haunts the place—and Miss Bryant spends most of her time, I think, cooking up nice things for you. Susan doesn’t like it very well. She thinks she can cook as well as Miss Bryant.”

“Dear Susan! Oh, everybody has been so dear and good and lovely to me, Marilla. I’m not ungrateful—and perhaps—when this horrible ache grows a little less—I’ll find that I can go on living.”