The second term at Redmond sped by as quickly as the first, and Anne enjoyed it thoroughly.
She studied hard, for she wanted to win a scholarship in English.
If she won it, the scholarship would pay for her tuition fees at Redmond College next year, and she would not have to use Marilla's savings.
Gilbert, too, was hoping to get a scholarship, but he still found plenty of time to drop in and visit Anne at her boardinghouse.
He was Anne's escort to most college events, and Anne knew students gossiped about them being a "couple."
The gossip made Anne furious, but she could not refuse Gilbert's company.
He was her old friend, and she would feel bad declining his kind offers to accompany her to college events.
Besides, he had stopped acting like a suitor toward her.
Anne was very glad of that, though she did secretly wonder why he'd changed.
Only one disagreeable incident spoiled that winter.
One night Charlie Sloane asked Anne if she would promise "to become Mrs. Charlie Sloane some day."
Of course, Anne knew that she could never marry Charlie.
After all, he was not her romantic hero either!
"Another unromantic proposal!" Anne sighed. "Where is my Prince Charming?"
The next day Anne scurried into Priscilla's room.
"Read that," she cried, tossing Priscilla a letter from Stella Maynard, who had been one of their friends at Queen's College.
"Stella is coming to Redmond to study next year.
Tell me what you think of her idea. I think it's wonderful, if it's possible."
"Anne, I have a little plan," Stella had written.
"You know how I hate boarding. I've boarded for four years and I'm so sick of it.
I can imagine you are not a huge fan of boardinghouses either.
Why don't you and Priscilla and I rent a little house somewhere in Halifax?"
"I think it's a good idea," said Priscilla after she read the letter.
"So do I," agreed Anne delightedly. "Let's go house-hunting at once, before exams start."
"I'm afraid it will be hard to get a house that fits our budget," warned Priscilla.
"We'll have to be happy with a shabby little place."
Over the next few days, they saw many houses, but they were either too big, too small, too expensive, or too far from Redmond.
The house-hunting was not going well.
A few weeks later, Anne and Priscilla were walking home the usual way, down Spofford Avenue, so that they could look at Patty's Place.
As they stopped to admire the garden, Anne suddenly shouted, "Look, look! Am I seeing things, Priscilla?
Look over there and tell me if it's true!" Priscilla looked where Anne was pointing.
Over the arched gateway of Patty's Place dangled a little sign.
It said "For Rent. Furnished. Inquire Within."
"Priscilla," said Anne in a whisper, "is it possible we could rent Patty's Place?"
"It's too good to be true, Anne. Fairy tales don't happen nowadays . . . But then again maybe they do," Priscilla replied excitedly.
"Anyway, it's too late to knock on their door this evening. Let's come back tomorrow."
Early the next evening, the girls went back to Patty's Place.
They knocked on the door rather timidly, and then stepped into a large living room.
Two old ladies sat by the fire.
They were very similar, except that one looked about seventy years old and the other fifty.
They were both knitting, and the older one invited Anne and Priscilla to take a seat.
Behind each lady sat a large white china dog, with a green nose and ears and green spots all over.
Anne liked the dogs straight away; they seemed to her like the guardians of Patty's Place.
For a few minutes nobody spoke. The girls were too nervous, and the ladies were content to knit and wait for their guests to speak first.
Anne glanced about the room. What a nice place it was!
Finally she spoke. "We . . . we . . . saw your sign that this house is for rent," said Anne to the older lady.
"Oh, yes," said Miss Patty. "I meant to take that sign down today."
"Oh, are we too late?" asked Anne, barely hiding her disappointment.
"No," Miss Patty said. "We have decided not to rent it after all."
"What a shame!" exclaimed Anne. "I love this place so much.
I really hoped we could have lived here."
"You love it?" said Miss Patty.
"I really do love it," Anne said. "I've loved it ever since I first saw it last fall."
"You're not just saying that you 'love it'?
Young people 'love' everything these days," said Miss Patty.
"No, I really adore this house. Priscilla and I walk by it often," Anne said.
"If you love it, you can have it," said Miss Patty.
"I decided today that I wouldn't rent it because we didn't like any of the people who asked to rent it.
You are different. I believe you do love it and will take care of it."
"If . . . if we can afford the rent.
We have a limited budget," said Anne meekly.
Miss Patty named the amount. Anne and Priscilla looked at each other, and Priscilla shook her head.
"I'm afraid we can't afford it," said Anne, choking back her disappointment. "We're only students and we're poor."
"What can you afford?" asked Miss Patty. Anne named her amount and Miss Patty nodded.
"That will do. You can move in.
We leave in two months, at the start of next term.
You don't object, I hope, to this house being called Patty's Place?"
"No, that's one of the nicest things about it," Anne said, smiling.
Patty's Place was theirs. At least one small dream had come true!