`` I shall never forgive Gilbert Blythe , '' said Anne firmly . `` And Mr. Phillips spelled my name without an e , too . The iron has entered into my soul , Diana . '' Diana had n't the least idea what Anne meant but she understood it was something terrible . `` You must n't mind Gilbert making fun of your hair , '' she said soothingly . `` Why , he makes fun of all the girls . He laughs at mine because it 's so black . He 's called me a crow a dozen times ; and I never heard him apologize for anything before , either . '' `` There 's a great deal of difference between being called a crow and being called carrots , '' said Anne with dignity . `` Gilbert Blythe has hurt my feelings EXCRUCIATINGLY , Diana . '' It is possible the matter might have blown over without more excruciation if nothing else had happened . But when things begin to happen they are apt to keep on . Avonlea scholars often spent noon hour picking gum in Mr. Bell 's spruce grove over the hill and across his big pasture field . From there they could keep an eye on Eben Wright 's house , where the master boarded . When they saw Mr. Phillips emerging therefrom they ran for the schoolhouse ; but the distance being about three times longer than Mr. Wright 's lane they were very apt to arrive there , breathless and gasping , some three minutes too late . On the following day Mr. Phillips was seized with one of his spasmodic fits of reform and announced before going home to dinner , that he should expect to find all the scholars in their seats when he returned . Anyone who came in late would be punished . All the boys and some of the girls went to Mr. Bell 's spruce grove as usual , fully intending to stay only long enough to `` pick a chew . '' But spruce groves are seductive and yellow nuts of gum beguiling ; they picked and loitered and strayed ; and as usual the first thing that recalled them to a sense of the flight of time was Jimmy Glover shouting from the top of a patriarchal old spruce `` Master 's coming . '' The girls who were on the ground , started first and managed to reach the schoolhouse in time but without a second to spare .
The boys , who had to wriggle hastily down from the trees , were later ; and Anne , who had not been picking gum at all but was wandering happily XXXXX the far end of the grove , waist deep among the bracken , singing softly to herself , with a wreath of rice lilies on her hair as if she were some wild divinity of the shadowy places , was latest of all .
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