I tried to look the facts squarely in the face . There was a Cecil Fenwick , extraordinary as the coincidence was , and he was here in Avonlea . All my friends -- and foes -- believed that he was the estranged lover of my youth . If he stayed long in Avonlea , one of two things was bound to happen . He would hear the story I had told about him and deny it , and I would be held up to shame and derision for the rest of my natural life ; or else he would simply go away in ignorance , and everybody would suppose he had forgotten me and would pity me maddeningly . The latter possibility was bad enough , but it was n't to be compared to the former ; and oh , how I prayed -- yes , I DID pray about it -- that he would go right away . But Providence had other views for me . Cecil Fenwick did n't go away . He stayed right on in Avonlea , and the Maxwells blossomed out socially in his honor and tried to give him a good time . Mrs. Maxwell gave a party for him . I got a card -- but you may be very sure I did n't go , although Nancy thought I was crazy not to . Then every one else gave parties in honor of Mr. Fenwick and I was invited and never went . Wilhelmina Mercer came and pleaded and scolded and told me if I avoided Mr. Fenwick like that he would think I still cherished bitterness against him , and he would n't make any advances towards a reconciliation . Wilhelmina means well , but she has n't a great deal of sense . Cecil Fenwick seemed to be a great favorite with everybody , young and old . He was very rich , too , and Wilhelmina declared that half the girls were after him . `` If it was n't for you , Miss Holmes , I believe I 'd have a try for him myself , in spite of his gray hair and quick temper -- for Mrs. Maxwell says he has a pretty quick temper , but it 's all over in a minute , '' said Wilhelmina , half in jest and wholly in earnest . As for me , I gave up going out at all , even to church . I fretted and pined and lost my appetite and never wrote a line in my blank book . Nancy was half frantic and insisted on dosing me with her favorite patent pills .
I took them meekly , because it is a waste of time and energy to oppose Nancy , but , XXXXX course , they did n't do me any good .
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