Marilla had a sneaking interest in politics herself , and as she thought it might be her only chance to see a real live Premier , she promptly took it , leaving Anne and Matthew to keep house until her return the following day . Hence , while Marilla and Mrs. Rachel were enjoying themselves hugely at the mass meeting , Anne and Matthew had the cheerful kitchen at Green Gables all to themselves . A bright fire was glowing in the old-fashioned Waterloo stove and blue-white frost crystals were shining on the windowpanes . Matthew nodded over a FARMERS ' ADVOCATE on the sofa and Anne at the table studied her lessons with grim determination , despite sundry wistful glances at the clock shelf , where lay a new book that Jane Andrews had lent her that day . Jane had assured her that it was warranted to produce any number of thrills , or words to that effect , and Anne 's fingers tingled to reach out for it . But that would mean Gilbert Blythe 's triumph on the morrow . Anne turned her back on the clock shelf and tried to imagine it was n't there . `` Matthew , did you ever study geometry when you went to school ? '' `` Well now , no , I did n't , '' said Matthew , coming out of his doze with a start . `` I wish you had , '' sighed Anne , `` because then you 'd be able to sympathize with me . You ca n't sympathize properly if you 've never studied it . It is casting a cloud over my whole life . I 'm such a dunce at it , Matthew . '' `` Well now , I dunno , '' said Matthew soothingly . `` I guess you 're all right at anything . Mr. Phillips told me last week in Blair 's store at Carmody that you was the smartest scholar in school and was making rapid progress . ` Rapid progress ' was his very words . There 's them as runs down Teddy Phillips and says he ai n't much of a teacher , but I guess he 's all right . '' Matthew would have thought anyone who praised Anne was `` all right . '' `` I 'm sure I 'd get on better with geometry if only he would n't change the letters , '' complained Anne .
`` I learn the proposition off by heart and then he draws it XXXXX the blackboard and puts different letters from what are in the book and I get all mixed up .
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