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Anne looked up with swift interest.

"Oh, Marilla-and what happened?-why didn't you-"

"We had a quarrel.

I wouldn't forgive him when he asked me to.

I meant to, after awhile-but I was sulky and angry and I wanted to punish him first.

He never came back-the Blythes were all mighty independent.

But I always felt-rather sorry.

I've always kind of 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 suppose you might call it that. You wouldn't think so to look at me, would you? But you never can tell about people from their outsides. Everybody has forgot about me and John. I'd forgotten myself. But it all came back to me when I saw Gilbert last Sunday."

Marilla went to town the next day and returned in the evening.

Anne had gone over to Orchard Slope with Diana and came back to find Marilla in the kitchen, sitting by the table with her head leaning on her hand.

Something in her dejected attitude struck a chill to Anne's heart.

She had never seen Marilla sit limply inert like that.

"Are you very tired, Marilla?"

"Yes-no-I don't know," said Marilla wearily, looking up. "I suppose I am tired but I haven't thought about it. It's not that."

"Did you see the oculist? What did he say?" asked Anne anxiously.

"Yes, I saw him.

He examined my eyes.

He says that if I give up all reading and sewing entirely and any kind of work that strains the eyes, and if I'm careful not to cry, and if I wear the glasses he's given me he thinks my eyes may not get any worse and my headaches will be cured.

But if I don't he says I'll certainly be stone-blind in six months.

Blind! Anne, just think of it!"

For a minute Anne, after her first quick exclamation of dismay, was silent. It seemed to her that she could NOT speak. Then she said bravely, but with a catch in her voice:

"Marilla, DON'T think of it. You know he has given you hope. If you are careful you won't lose your sight altogether; and if his glasses cure your headaches it will be a great thing."

CHAPTER XXXVIII. The Bend in the road

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