Anne wanted to speak but she could find no words . Happiness was breaking over her like a wave . It almost frightened her . `` I asked you a question over two years ago , Anne . If I ask it again today will you give me a different answer ? '' Still Anne could not speak . But she lifted her eyes , shining with all the love-rapture of countless generations , and looked into his for a moment . He wanted no other answer . They lingered in the old garden until twilight , sweet as dusk in Eden must have been , crept over it . There was so much to talk over and recall -- things said and done and heard and thought and felt and misunderstood . `` I thought you loved Christine Stuart , '' Anne told him , as reproachfully as if she had not given him every reason to suppose that she loved Roy Gardner . Gilbert laughed boyishly . `` Christine was engaged to somebody in her home town . I knew it and she knew I knew it . When her brother graduated he told me his sister was coming to Kingsport the next winter to take music , and asked me if I would look after her a bit , as she knew no one and would be very lonely . So I did . And then I liked Christine for her own sake . She is one of the nicest girls I 've ever known . I knew college gossip credited us with being in love with each other . I did n't care .
Nothing mattered much XXXXX me for a time there , after you told me you could never love me , Anne .
So after for if like of over to until with