As for this horrid old war , there 'll be plenty to go without you . It wo n't last long . '' `` I wish I could believe it . Well , it 's supper-time , Rilla . You 'd better run . I do n't want anything . '' `` Neither do I. I could n't eat a mouthful . Let me stay here with you , Walter . It 's such a comfort to talk things over with someone . The rest all think that I 'm too much of a baby to understand . '' So they two sat there in the old valley until the evening star shone through a pale-grey , gauzy cloud over the maple grove , and a fragrant dewy darkness filled their little sylvan dell . It was one of the evenings Rilla was to treasure in remembrance all her life -- the first one on which Walter had ever talked to her as if she were a woman and not a child . They comforted and strengthened each other . Walter felt , for the time being at least , that it was not such a despicable thing after all to dread the horror of war ; and Rilla was glad to be made the confidante of his struggles -- to sympathize with and encourage him . She was of importance to somebody . When they went back to Ingleside they found callers sitting on the veranda . Mr. and Mrs. Meredith had come over from the manse , and Mr. and Mrs. Norman Douglas had come up from the farm . Cousin Sophia was there also , sitting with Susan in the shadowy background . Mrs. Blythe and Nan and Di were away , but Dr. Blythe was home and so was Dr. Jekyll , sitting in golden majesty on the top step . And of course they were all talking of the war , except Dr. Jekyll who kept his own counsel and looked contempt as only a cat can .
When two people foregathered XXXXX those days they talked of the war ; and old Highland Sandy of the Harbour Head talked of it when he was alone and hurled anathemas at the Kaiser across all the acres of his farm .
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