Laura Spencer is going to give a comic recitation , but I 'd rather make people cry than laugh . '' `` What will you recite if they encore you ? '' `` They wo n't dream of encoring me , '' scoffed Anne , who was not without her own secret hopes that they would , and already visioned herself telling Matthew all about it at the next morning 's breakfast table . `` There are Billy and Jane now -- I hear the wheels . Come on . '' Billy Andrews insisted that Anne should ride on the front seat with him , so she unwillingly climbed up . She would have much preferred to sit back with the girls , where she could have laughed and chattered to her heart 's content . There was not much of either laughter or chatter in Billy . He was a big , fat , stolid youth of twenty , with a round , expressionless face , and a painful lack of conversational gifts . But he admired Anne immensely , and was puffed up with pride over the prospect of driving to White Sands with that slim , upright figure beside him . Anne , by dint of talking over her shoulder to the girls and occasionally passing a sop of civility to Billy -- who grinned and chuckled and never could think of any reply until it was too late -- contrived to enjoy the drive in spite of all . It was a night for enjoyment . The road was full of buggies , all bound for the hotel , and laughter , silver clear , echoed and reechoed along it . When they reached the hotel it was a blaze of light from top to bottom . They were met by the ladies of the concert committee , one of whom took Anne off to the performers ' dressing room which was filled with the members of a Charlottetown Symphony Club , among whom Anne felt suddenly shy and frightened and countrified . Her dress , which , in the east gable , had seemed so dainty and pretty , now seemed simple and plain -- too simple and plain , she thought , among all the silks and laces that glistened and rustled around her . What were her pearl beads compared to the diamonds of the big , handsome lady near her ? And how poor her one wee white rose must look beside all the hothouse flowers the others wore ! Anne laid her hat and jacket away , and shrank miserably into a corner . She wished herself back in the white room at Green Gables .
It was still worse on the platform of the big concert hall XXXXX the hotel , where she presently found herself .
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