Nor did she wish it . All winter she had felt under her other and more serious worries , a little feeling of regret for her lost chum . Now it was suddenly gone . Irene was not as Mrs. Elliott would say , of the race that knew Joseph . Rilla did not say or think that she had outgrown Irene . Had the thought occurred to her she would have considered it absurd when she was not yet seventeen and Irene was twenty . But it was the truth . Irene was just what she had been a year ago -- just what she would always be . Rilla Blythe 's nature in that year had changed and matured and deepened . She found herself seeing through Irene with a disconcerting clearness -- discerning under all her superficial sweetness , her pettiness , her vindictiveness , her insincerity , her essential cheapness . Irene had lost for ever her faithful worshipper . But not until Rilla had traversed the Upper Glen Road and found herself in the moon-dappled solitude of Rainbow Valley did she fully recover her composure of spirit . Then she stopped under a tall wild plum that was ghostly white and fair in its misty spring bloom and laughed . `` There is only one thing of importance just now -- and that is that the Allies win the war , '' she said aloud . `` Therefore , it follows without dispute that the fact that I went to see Irene Howard with odd shoes and stockings on is of no importance whatever . Nevertheless , I , Bertha Marilla Blythe , swear solemnly with the moon as witness '' -- Rilla lifted her hand dramatically to the said moon -- `` that I will never leave my room again without looking carefully at both my feet . '' CHAPTER XIV THE VALLEY OF DECISION Susan kept the flag flying at Ingleside all the next day , in honour of Italy 's declaration of war . `` And not before it was time , Mrs. Dr. dear , considering the way things have begun to go on the Russian front . Say what you will , those Russians are kittle cattle , the grand duke Nicholas to the contrary notwithstanding . It is a fortunate thing for Italy that she has come in on the right side , but whether it is as fortunate for the Allies I will not predict until I know more about Italians than I do now .
However , she will give that old reprobate of a Francis XXXXX something to think about .
Howard Ingleside Joseph Nicholas Rilla Susan XIV insincerity vindictiveness worshipper