It 's nice to be eating ice cream at brilliant restaurants at eleven o'clock at night once in a while ; but as a regular thing I 'd rather be in the east gable at eleven , sound asleep , but kind of knowing even in my sleep that the stars were shining outside and that the wind was blowing in the firs across the brook . I told Miss Barry so at breakfast the next morning and she laughed . Miss Barry generally laughed at anything I said , even when I said the most solemn things . I do n't think I liked it , Marilla , because I was n't trying to be funny . But she is a most hospitable lady and treated us royally . '' Friday brought going-home time , and Mr. Barry drove in for the girls . `` Well , I hope you 've enjoyed yourselves , '' said Miss Barry , as she bade them good-bye . `` Indeed we have , '' said Diana . `` And you , Anne-girl ? '' `` I 've enjoyed every minute of the time , '' said Anne , throwing her arms impulsively about the old woman 's neck and kissing her wrinkled cheek . Diana would never have dared to do such a thing and felt rather aghast at Anne 's freedom . But Miss Barry was pleased , and she stood on her veranda and watched the buggy out of sight . Then she went back into her big house with a sigh . It seemed very lonely , lacking those fresh young lives . Miss Barry was a rather selfish old lady , if the truth must be told , and had never cared much for anybody but herself . She valued people only as they were of service to her or amused her . Anne had amused her , and consequently stood high in the old lady 's good graces . But Miss Barry found herself thinking less about Anne 's quaint speeches than of her fresh enthusiasms , her transparent emotions , her little winning ways , and the sweetness of her eyes and lips . `` I thought Marilla Cuthbert was an old fool when I heard she 'd adopted a girl out of an orphan asylum , '' she said to herself , `` but I guess she did n't make much of a mistake after all . If I 'd a child like Anne in the house all the time I 'd be a better and happier woman . ''
Anne and Diana found the drive home as pleasant XXXXX the drive in -- pleasanter , indeed , since there was the delightful consciousness of home waiting at the end of it .
about across as because for if into of on to