I 'll get some sand and scrub up the spots before I go to school . Oh , Marilla , my heart was just set on going to that concert . I never was to a concert in my life , and when the other girls talk about them in school I feel so out of it . You did n't know just how I felt about it , but you see Matthew did . Matthew understands me , and it 's so nice to be understood , Marilla . '' Anne was too excited to do herself justice as to lessons that morning in school . Gilbert Blythe spelled her down in class and left her clear out of sight in mental arithmetic . Anne 's consequent humiliation was less than it might have been , however , in view of the concert and the spare-room bed . She and Diana talked so constantly about it all day that with a stricter teacher than Mr. Phillips dire disgrace must inevitably have been their portion . Anne felt that she could not have borne it if she had not been going to the concert , for nothing else was discussed that day in school . The Avonlea Debating Club , which met fortnightly all winter , had had several smaller free entertainments ; but this was to be a big affair , admission ten cents , in aid of the library . The Avonlea young people had been practicing for weeks , and all the scholars were especially interested in it by reason of older brothers and sisters who were going to take part . Everybody in school over nine years of age expected to go , except Carrie Sloane , whose father shared Marilla 's opinions about small girls going out to night concerts . Carrie Sloane cried into her grammar all the afternoon and felt that life was not worth living . For Anne the real excitement began with the dismissal of school and increased therefrom in crescendo until it reached to a crash of positive ecstasy in the concert itself . They had a `` perfectly elegant tea ; '' and then came the delicious occupation of dressing in Diana 's little room upstairs . Diana did Anne 's front hair in the new pompadour style and Anne tied Diana 's bows with the especial knack she possessed ; and they experimented with at least half a dozen different ways of arranging their back hair . At last they were ready , cheeks scarlet and eyes glowing with excitement . True , Anne could not help a little pang when she contrasted her plain black tam and shapeless , tight-sleeved , homemade gray-cloth coat with Diana 's jaunty fur cap and smart little jacket . But she remembered in time that she had an imagination and could use it .
Then Diana 's cousins , the Murrays from Newbridge , came ; they all crowded XXXXX the big pung sleigh , among straw and furry robes .
At For before if in into of than that up