They comforted and strengthened each other . Walter felt , for the time being at least , that it was not such a despicable thing after all to dread the horror of war ; and Rilla was glad to be made the confidante of his struggles -- to sympathize with and encourage him . She was of importance to somebody . When they went back to Ingleside they found callers sitting on the veranda . Mr. and Mrs. Meredith had come over from the manse , and Mr. and Mrs. Norman Douglas had come up from the farm . Cousin Sophia was there also , sitting with Susan in the shadowy background . Mrs. Blythe and Nan and Di were away , but Dr. Blythe was home and so was Dr. Jekyll , sitting in golden majesty on the top step . And of course they were all talking of the war , except Dr. Jekyll who kept his own counsel and looked contempt as only a cat can . When two people foregathered in those days they talked of the war ; and old Highland Sandy of the Harbour Head talked of it when he was alone and hurled anathemas at the Kaiser across all the acres of his farm . Walter slipped away , not caring to see or be seen , but Rilla sat down on the steps , where the garden mint was dewy and pungent . It was a very calm evening with a dim , golden afterlight irradiating the glen . She felt happier than at any time in the dreadful week that had passed . She was no longer haunted by the fear that Walter would go . `` I 'd go myself if I was twenty years younger , '' Norman Douglas was shouting . Norman always shouted when he was excited . `` I 'd show the Kaiser a thing or two ! Did I ever say there was n't a hell ? Of course there 's a hell -- dozens of hells -- hundreds of hells -- where the Kaiser and all his brood are bound for . '' `` I knew this war was coming , '' said Mrs. Norman triumphantly . `` I saw it coming right along .
I could have told all those stupid Englishmen what was ahead XXXXX them .
across along as by except if of on that with