“Oh, the boy may be well enough, but he’ll be different from Avonlea children,” said Mrs. Rachel, as if that clinched the matter.  Mrs. Rachel’s opinions concerning any person, place, or thing, were always warranted to wear.  “What’s this I hear about your going to start up a Village Improvement Society, Anne?”

“I was just talking it over with some of the girls and boys at the last Debating Club,” said Anne, flushing.  “They thought it would be rather nice . . . and so do Mr. and Mrs. Allan.  Lots of villages have them now.”

“Well, you’ll get into no end of hot water if you do.  Better leave it alone, Anne, that’s what.  People don’t like being improved.”

“Oh, we are not going to try to improve the people.  It is Avonlea itself.  There are lots of things which might be done to make it prettier.  For instance, if we could coax Mr. Levi Boulter to pull down that dreadful old house on his upper farm wouldn’t that be an improvement?”

“It certainly would,” admitted Mrs. Rachel.  “That old ruin has been an eyesore to the settlement for years.  But if you Improvers can coax Levi Boulter to do anything for the public that he isn’t to be paid for doing, may I be there to see and hear the process, that’s what.  I don’t want to discourage you, Anne, for there may be something in your idea, though I suppose you did get it out of some rubbishy Yankee magazine; but you’ll have your hands full with your school and I advise you as a friend not to bother with your improvements, that’s what.  But there, I know you’ll go ahead with it if you’ve set your mind on it.  You were always one to carry a thing through somehow.”

Something about the firm outlines of Anne’s lips told that Mrs. Rachel was not far astray in this estimate.  Anne’s heart was bent on forming the Improvement Society.  Gilbert Blythe, who was to teach in White Sands but would always be home from Friday night to Monday morning, was enthusiastic about it; and most of the other folks were willing to go in for anything that meant occasional meetings and consequently some “fun.”  As for what the “improvements” were to be, nobody had any very clear idea except Anne and Gilbert.  They had talked them over and planned them out until an ideal Avonlea existed in their minds, if nowhere else.

Mrs. Rachel had still another item of news.

“They’ve given the Carmody school to a Priscilla Grant.  Didn’t you go to Queen’s with a girl of that name, Anne?”

“Yes, indeed.  Priscilla to teach at Carmody!  How perfectly lovely!” exclaimed Anne, her gray eyes lighting up until they looked like evening stars, causing Mrs. Lynde to wonder anew if she would ever get it settled to her satisfaction whether Anne Shirley were really a pretty girl or not.

II

Selling in Haste and Repenting at Leisure

Anne drove over to Carmody on a shopping expedition the next afternoon and took Diana Barry with her.  Diana was, of course, a pledged member of the Improvement Society, and the two girls talked about little else all the way to Carmody and back.