Marilla put her knitting on her lap. Her eyes were tired again.
Anne was curled up on the rug in front of the fire. Marilla looked at her with tenderness.
Anne had no idea of how much Marilla loved her.
Anne sometimes thought Marilla was hard to please and lacked understanding.
But she always stopped that thought and remembered what she owed to Marilla.
"Anne," Marilla said abruptly, "Miss Stacy was here this afternoon."
"Was she? Why?" asked Anne.
"She came to talk about you," answered Marilla.
"About me?" Anne looked rather scared. Then she flushed and exclaimed, "Oh, I know what she said.
I meant to tell you, Marilla, honestly I did, but I forgot.
Miss Stacy caught me reading Ben-Hur in school when I should have been studying Canadian history.
"I was reading it at lunch and was at the chariot race when lunch ended.
I was dying to know what happened.
So I opened my history book and put Ben-Hur on my lap.
It looked like I was studying history.
I was so interested in it that I never noticed Miss Stacy looking down at me.
I was very ashamed, Marilla, especially when I heard Josie Pye giggling."
Marilla listened with a frown. "Miss Stacy didn't mention that, Anne. It's just your guilty conscience.
Miss Stacy wants to organize a class of students to study for the entrance exam of Queen's College.
She asked Matthew and me if we would like you to join it.
Would you like to go to Queen's College and become a teacher, Anne?"
"Oh, Marilla!" Anne got up from the rug.
"I'd love to be a teacher, but isn't it expensive?"
"Don't worry about that," Marilla said. "Education is important, for girls as much as boys."
"Oh, thank you, Marilla! I'll study as hard as I can, though I warn you not to expect much in geometry," Anne said.
The Queen's class was organized. Gilbert Blythe, Anne Shirley, Ruby Gillis, Josie Pye, and Charlie Sloane joined.
Diana Barry did not, as her parents did not intend to send her to Queen's College.
It was the first time that Diana and Anne had been separated in anything.
When the Queen's class stayed after school for extra lessons, Anne saw Diana leave slowly with the others.
A lump came into Anne's throat, and she hid behind her Latin book to hide the tears in her eyes.
She would never let Gilbert Blythe or Josie Pye see those tears.
Anne enjoyed the Queen's class very much.
She chatted away to Marilla, "Jane and Ruby are studying to be teachers.
Ruby says she'll study for two years and then get married.
Jane says she'll never marry because you are paid for teaching, but a husband won't pay you anything."
"What is Gilbert Blythe going to be?" asked Marilla.
"I don't know what Gilbert's ambition is—if he has one," said Anne scornfully.
Since the day Gilbert had rescued Anne from the bridge and she had not forgiven him, Gilbert had steadily ignored Anne.
He talked and joked with the other girls and sometimes walked them home.
But he simply ignored Anne, and Anne found that it was not pleasant to be ignored.
Mrs. Lynde came to Green Gables one afternoon to find out why Marilla had not come to visit her.
"Matthew had chest pains," Marilla explained, "and I thought I shouldn't leave him.
He's all right now, but he gets chest pains more often.
Sit down, Rachel. Will you stay for tea?"
Mrs. Lynde and Marilla ate some biscuits Anne had made.
Mrs. Lynde thought the biscuits were delicious.
"Anne has turned out to be a real smart girl," admitted Mrs. Lynde. "She must be a great help."
"She is," said Marilla, "and she's steady and reliable too.
I was afraid she'd never stop her daydreaming, but she has. I trust her with anything now."
Mrs. Lynde continued, "Yes, she really improved these three years, especially in looks. You could even say she's pretty."
Anne enjoyed her vacation thoroughly. She and Diana spent most of the time outdoors, walking, rowing, and wandering.
When September came, she was ready to study. The Queen's exam loomed.
Anne had a nightmare where she was staring at the pass list for the exam.
Gilbert's name was on top and her name was absent.
The school year passed quickly. Soon June came and the Queen's exams were held in Charlottetown.
"Dearest Diana," wrote Anne in a letter back home to her friend.
"Today we had the history and geometry exam. Geometry was hard.
Josie Pye said the geometry was so easy, a ten-year-old could have done it.
Oh Diana, I wish you were here with me!"
Anne returned to Avonlea and waited for the results to be published in the newspaper.
While she wanted to beat Gilbert Blythe, she also wanted to do well for Matthew and Marilla—
especially Matthew, who said she "would beat the whole island."
That would only happen in her wildest dreams!
But she hoped she would be among the top ten students.
Finally Anne saw Diana racing to Green Gables with a newspaper in her hand.
Anne sprang to her feet. The pass list had been printed! Anne's head whirled.
"Anne, you've passed!" Diana cried. "Passed first—you and Gilbert both. You've tied! Oh, I'm so proud."
Anne grabbed the paper. Yes, she had passed.
There was her name at the very top of a list of two hundred!
That moment was worth living for. Everyone from Avonlea had passed!
They hurried to tell Matthew and Marilla.
"Oh, Matthew," exclaimed Anne, "I've passed and I'm first—or one of the first. I'm not vain, but I'm thankful."
"Well now, I've always said it," said Matthew, gazing at the list happily.
"I knew you could beat them all."
"You've done pretty well, I must say, Anne," said Marilla, trying to hide her extreme pride. "We're all proud of you."