It was the last week in August when Mr. Irving and Miss Lavender had their wedding in the garden at Miss Lavender's home.
As they said their vows, gentle rays of sunlight shone down upon them.
Paul Irving watched the ceremony happily, looking forward to having a mother once again.
After Mr. Irving and Miss Lavender had left for their honeymoon and all the wedding guests had gone,
Anne stayed behind to tidy up Miss Lavender's house.
She was staring out the kitchen window when Gilbert came to help her.
"What are you thinking of, Anne?" Gilbert asked.
"Of Miss Lavender and Mr. Irving," answered Anne dreamily.
"Isn't it beautiful to think how everything has turned out . . .
how they have come together again after all those years of separation and misunderstanding?"
"Yes, it is beautiful," said Gilbert. He looked steadily at Anne.
"But wouldn't it have been more beautiful, Anne, if there had been no separation or misunderstanding—
if they had come hand-in-hand all the way through life?"
For a moment, Anne's heart fluttered, and for the first time, her eyes faltered under Gilbert's gaze.
It was a strange feeling, and she blushed.
When Anne arrived home, Marilla had some sad news.
"Mr. Lynde has died," she said. "He died quietly, in his sleep."
Thomas Lynde had been sick for a long time, and Mrs. Lynde had taken care of him for many years.
Marilla went to comfort Mrs. Lynde and came back to Green Gables the next morning.
Marilla sat down with Anne, who was eating breakfast, and nervously said, "I suppose Gilbert Blythe is going to college in the fall.
Would you like to go to college too?"
Anne looked up, astonished. "Of course, Marilla, but it's not possible!
I know your eyes are better now, but the twins—they need so much looking after."
"Well, I've always felt that you should go to college," said Marilla.
"You've saved enough from your teaching job for one year at Redmond College, and perhaps you could win a scholarship to pay for the other years.
Besides, I wouldn't be alone with the twins. That's what I want to discuss."
Marilla continued, "I had a long talk with Mrs. Lynde last night.
She has to sell her farm, but she doesn't want to leave Avonlea.
So I suggested she move to Green Gables. How do you feel about that?"
"Well, that's your decision, Marilla," said Anne.
"Mrs. Lynde is a good woman and a kind neighbor, but . . ."
"But she's got her faults?" Marilla finished, smiling.
"Well, she does, of course. But if she left Avonlea, I'd miss her terribly.
She's the only close friend I have here.
Mrs. Lynde and I have never had a fight, though we almost did when she met you for the first time, Anne. Do you remember?"
"Yes, I do. I hated her then!" Anne said.
"Well, you were so different from other children, Anne," said Marilla.
"I didn't know how to manage you at first! My brother, Matthew, understood you better."
"Matthew understood everything," said Anne softly, the way she always spoke of him.
That night Anne thought long and hard about whether to stop teaching and go to college.
She loved every one of her pupils, even the naughty ones, but the idea of college—of learning more—excited her.
The next day Anne resigned. Meanwhile Mrs. Lynde gratefully accepted Marilla's offer to move into Green Gables.
Gilbert Blythe was probably the only person who was happy to hear the news that Anne was going to college.
Her students looked upon it as a catastrophe. Barbara Shaw cried all night.
Anthony Pye picked a fight because he was so upset.
And Paul Irving defiantly told his father he wouldn't eat any breakfast for a week.
Diana was sad too. "It will be horribly lonely here," she moaned.
"You'll have Fred," Anne teased her, giggling.
"It's all right for you to be happy, Anne," Diana said.
"You're going to college, and you'll have fun and make heaps of lovely new friends."
"I hope I shall make new friends," said Anne thoughtfully. "New friends make life very interesting.
But no matter how many new friends I make, they'll never be as special to me as the old ones.
Especially a certain girl with black eyes and dimples. Can you guess who she is, Diana?"
Diana cheered up.
Anne smiled at her and said, "Do you remember that evening we first met?
We were in your garden and promised eternal friendship.
We've kept that oath, I think. I shall never forget that day.
All through my early childhood, nobody cared for me or wanted to be friends with me.
But when I came to Green Gables, everything changed.
Thank you for your friendship and love, Diana."
Anne and Diana hugged tightly. No matter where Anne went, they were true friends who would remain in each other's hearts always.