But I could never care for anybody else and I did n't want to . I knew I would rather be an old maid for a thousand years than marry anybody who was n't Stephen Irving . Well , it all seems like a dream now , of course . How sympathetic you look , Anne ... as sympathetic as only seventeen can look . But do n't overdo it . I 'm really a very happy , contented little person in spite of my broken heart . My heart did break , if ever a heart did , when I realized that Stephen Irving was not coming back . But , Anne , a broken heart in real life is n't half as dreadful as it is in books . It 's a good deal like a bad tooth ... though you wo n't think THAT a very romantic simile . It takes spells of aching and gives you a sleepless night now and then , but between times it lets you enjoy life and dreams and echoes and peanut candy as if there were nothing the matter with it . And now you 're looking disappointed . You do n't think I 'm half as interesting a person as you did five minutes ago when you believed I was always the prey of a tragic memory bravely hidden beneath external smiles . That 's the worst ... or the best ... of real life , Anne . It WO N'T let you be miserable . It keeps on trying to make you comfortable ... and succeeding ... even when you 're determined to be unhappy and romantic . Is n't this candy scrumptious ? I 've eaten far more than is good for me already but I 'm going to keep recklessly on . '' After a little silence Miss Lavendar said abruptly , `` It gave me a shock to hear about Stephen 's son that first day you were here , Anne . I 've never been able to mention him to you since , but I 've wanted to know all about him . What sort of a boy is he ? ''
`` He is the dearest , sweetest child I ever knew , Miss Lavendar ... and he pretends things too , just XXXXX you and I do . ''
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