That , Anne felt , was something it would be foolish to hope for even in the wildest dreams . But she did hope fervently that she would be among the first ten at least , so that she might see Matthew 's kindly brown eyes gleam with pride in her achievement . That , she felt , would be a sweet reward indeed for all her hard work and patient grubbing among unimaginative equations and conjugations . At the end of the fortnight Anne took to `` haunting '' the post office also , in the distracted company of Jane , Ruby , and Josie , opening the Charlottetown dailies with shaking hands and cold , sinkaway feelings as bad as any experienced during the Entrance week . Charlie and Gilbert were not above doing this too , but Moody Spurgeon stayed resolutely away . `` I have n't got the grit to go there and look at a paper in cold blood , '' he told Anne . `` I 'm just going to wait until somebody comes and tells me suddenly whether I 've passed or not . '' When three weeks had gone by without the pass list appearing Anne began to feel that she really could n't stand the strain much longer . Her appetite failed and her interest in Avonlea doings languished . Mrs. Lynde wanted to know what else you could expect with a Tory superintendent of education at the head of affairs , and Matthew , noting Anne 's paleness and indifference and the lagging steps that bore her home from the post office every afternoon , began seriously to wonder if he had n't better vote Grit at the next election . But one evening the news came . Anne was sitting at her open window , for the time forgetful of the woes of examinations and the cares of the world , as she drank in the beauty of the summer dusk , sweet-scented with flower breaths from the garden below and sibilant and rustling from the stir of poplars . The eastern sky above the firs was flushed faintly pink from the reflection of the west , and Anne was wondering dreamily if the spirit of color looked like that , when she saw Diana come flying down through the firs , over the log bridge , and up the slope , with a fluttering newspaper in her hand . Anne sprang to her feet , knowing at once what that paper contained . The pass list was out ! Her head whirled and her heart beat until it hurt her . She could not move a step . It seemed an hour to her before Diana came rushing along the hall and burst into the room without even knocking , so great was her excitement . `` Anne , you 've passed , '' she cried , `` passed the VERY FIRST -- you and Gilbert both -- you 're ties -- but your name is first . Oh , I 'm so proud ! ''
Diana flung the paper on the table and herself on Anne 's bed , utterly breathless and incapable XXXXX further speech .
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