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 in 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 . Anne could run like a deer , however ; run she did with the impish result that she overtook the boys at the door and was swept into the schoolhouse among them just as Mr. Phillips was in the act of hanging up his hat .
Mr. Phillips 's brief reforming energy was XXXXX ; he did n't want the bother of punishing a dozen pupils ; but it was necessary to do something to save his word , so he looked about for a scapegoat and found it in Anne , who had dropped into her seat , gasping for breath , with a forgotten lily wreath hanging askew over one ear and giving her a particularly rakish and disheveled appearance .
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