The next morning Anne realized that Matthew was not looking well.
After he had left, Anne said, "Marilla, is Matthew well?"
"No," said Marilla in a troubled tone.
"His heart has been quite bad this spring, but he keeps working.
Maybe he'll rest now that you're home. You always cheer him up."
Anne looked at Marilla. "You're not looking well yourself, Marilla.
You must rest, now that I'm home."
Marilla smiled affectionately at her girl. "It's not the work, it's my eyes. I'm seeing an optometrist soon."
In the evening Anne went to see Matthew in the fields.
Matthew walked slowly with his head down.
"You've been working too hard, Matthew," she said reproachfully.
"I forget I'm getting older," Matthew replied.
"If I'd been the boy you sent for," said Anne, "I could help you."
"Anne, I'd rather have you than a dozen boys.
It wasn't a boy who got that scholarship.
It was a girl, my girl, whom I'm proud of."
Later that night Anne remembered Matthew's words.
It was the last night before sorrow touched Anne's life, and no life is quite the same afterward.
"Matthew, what is the matter?" It was Marilla who spoke, holding Matthew's head.
Anne burst through the door. "He's fainted," gasped Marilla. "Anne, run for Martin. Quick!"
Martin was the hired man, and he drove to get the doctor, stopping at the Lyndes' house to tell them the news.
Mrs. Lynde came as quickly as she could.
She pushed Anne and Marilla gently aside and then laid her ear on Matthew's heart.
She looked at their anxious faces sorrowfully.
"Oh, Marilla," she said gravely. "I don't think we can do anything for him."
Anne spoke quietly. "Mrs. Lynde, you don't think Matthew is . . . is . . ."
Anne could not say the dreadful word. She turned sick and pale.
The doctor said Matthew's death had been painless.
The news spread quickly through Avonlea, and all day friends and neighbors came to pay their respects.
That night the house was quiet. Matthew's death left a horrible ache.
When Anne sobbed, Marilla came to comfort her.
"What will we do without him?" Anne cried.
"We've got each other, Anne," Marilla said softly. "I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here—if you'd never come."
Slowly life went on, and work was done as before.
Anne, new to grief, thought this was sad—that they could go on in the old way without Matthew.
She felt almost ashamed that she could feel happy again.
She missed him so much, and yet the world still seemed beautiful.
But Mrs. Lynde assured her, "Matthew would want you to be happy, Anne. He liked to hear you laugh."
"I saw Gilbert Blythe today," Marilla said one afternoon.
"What a nice-looking fellow he is," she went on. "He's so tall and manly.
He looks a lot like his father did at the same age.
We used to be very good friends. People called him my boyfriend."
Anne looked up with interest. "Oh Marilla, what happened?"
"We had a fight," Marilla said. "I wouldn't forgive him right away; I wanted to punish him first.
He never came back. The Blythes were very independent.
But I've always wished I'd forgiven him when I had the chance."
"So you've had a bit of romance in your life too," said Anne softly.
"Yes, I guess. You wouldn't know from looking at me!
But you can never tell people from their outsides."
The next day Anne came home to find Marilla looking dejected. "Are you tired, Marilla?"
"Yes . . . no . . . I don't know," said Marilla wearily. "It's not that."
"Did you see the optometrist?" asked Anne anxiously.
"Yes, I saw him," said Marilla. "He said if I wear glasses and stop reading and sewing, my eyes will be all right.
But if I don't, I'll be blind in six months! Blind! Anne, just think of it."
"Things have changed so much since I came home!" Anne thought sadly.
One afternoon a few days later, Marilla came in from the yard.
She had been talking to a man named Mr. Sadler.
There were tears in Marilla's eyes, and her voice broke as she told Anne, "He heard I was going to sell Green Gables, and he wants to buy it."
"Buy Green Gables?" Anne burst out. "Marilla, are you selling Green Gables?"
"If my eyes were strong, I could stay here.
But I may lose my sight, and I can't stay here alone.
Mrs. Lynde advised me to sell and stay with her.
I'm sorry you won't have a home to come to on vacation . . ." Marilla broke down and wept bitterly.
"You mustn't sell Green Gables," said Anne firmly, "and you won't stay here alone, Marilla. I'll be with you."
Marilla looked at Anne, "What do you mean?"
"I'm not taking the scholarship. I couldn't leave you after all you've done for me.
The Avonlea School is promised to Gilbert Blythe, but I can teach in Carmody. I won't leave you, Marilla."
Marilla was stunned. "But I can't let you sacrifice your education for me."
"Nonsense, there is no sacrifice!" Anne laughed.
"Nothing could be worse than giving up Green Gables.
I'll be a good teacher—and save your eyesight.
Besides, I'll study college courses at home."
"I feel as if you've given me a new life," Marilla said, beaming.
In Avonlea people heard that Anne had given up the idea of going to university and, not knowing about Marilla's eyes, thought she was foolish.
But Mrs. Lynde told Anne, "I'm glad to hear you're not going, Anne.
I don't believe in women going to university."
"But I'll teach at Carmody and study Latin and Greek at home, Mrs. Lynde!" said Anne laughing.
"The school board gave you Avonlea School," Mrs. Lynde said.
Anne jumped to her feet. "I thought they promised it to Gilbert Blythe!"
"They did. But when Gilbert heard you applied, he withdrew his application and suggested you for the job.
He is going to teach at White Sands.
Wasn't that kind and thoughtful of him?"
"Gilbert did that for me?" Anne murmured.
At dusk Anne went to the little Avonlea graveyard and put fresh flowers on Matthew's grave.
She lingered there, liking the peace of the place.
A tall man came toward her, whistling.
"Gilbert!" Anne said, her cheeks flushed. "Thank you for giving up the school for me."
Gilbert took her hand eagerly. "That's all right, Anne.
Are we going to be friends after this? Have you really forgiven me?"
Anne laughed. "I forgave you the day you rescued me from the brook, although I didn't know it."
When Anne came home later, Marilla asked curiously, "Who was with you, Anne?"
"Gilbert Blythe," answered Anne, blushing. "He walked with me."
"I didn't think you two were such good friends." Marilla smiled.
"We've been good enemies," said Anne. "But it's more sensible to be friends."
Anne sat at her window that night, content.
Green Gables was her home, and the dreams of a little redheaded orphan girl had come true.