"Royal Gardner!" she exclaimed. "Why, Anne, I didn't know you
were acquainted with Roy Gardner!"

"I met him in the park this afternoon in the rain," explained Anne
hurriedly. "My umbrella turned inside out and he came to my rescue

with his."
"Oh!" Phil peered curiously at Anne." And is that exceedingly

commonplace incident any reason why he should send us longstemmed
roses by the dozen, with a very sentimental rhyme? Or why we

should blush divinest rosy-red when we look at his card? Anne,
thy face betrayeth thee."

"Don't talk nonsense, Phil. Do you know Mr. Gardner?"
"I've met his two sisters, and I know of him. So does everybody

worthwhile in Kingsport. The Gardners are among the richest,
bluest, of Bluenoses. Roy is adorably handsome and clever.

Two years ago his mother's health failed and he had to leave
college and go abroad with her -- his father is dead. He must

have been greatly disappointed to have to give up his class, but
they say he was perfectly sweet about it. Fee -- fi -- fo -- fum,

Anne. I smell romance. Almost do I envy you, but not quite.
After all, Roy Gardner isn't Jonas."

"You goose!" said Anne loftily. But she lay long awake that night,
nor did she wish for sleep. Her waking fancies were more alluring

than any vision of dreamland. Had the real Prince come at last?
Recalling those glorious dark eyes which had gazed so deeply into

her own, Anne was very strongly inclined to think he had.
Chapter XXVI

Enter Christine
The girls at Patty's Place were dressing for the reception which

the Juniors were giving for the Seniors in February. Anne surveyed
herself in the mirror of the blue room with girlish satisfaction.

She had a particularly pretty gown on. Originally it had been
only a simple little slip of cream silk with a chiffon overdress.

But Phil had insisted on taking it home with her in the Christmas
holidays and embroidering tiny rosebuds all over the chiffon.

Phil's fingers were deft, and the result was a dress which was
the envy of every Redmond girl. Even Allie Boone, whose frocks

came from Paris, was wont to look with longing eyes on that rosebud
concoction as Anne trailed up the main staircase at Redmond in it.

Anne was trying the effect of a white orchid in her hair.
Roy Gardner had sent her white orchids for the reception,

and she knew no other Redmond girl would have them that night
-- when Phil came in with admiring gaze.

"Anne, this is certainly your night for looking handsome.
Nine nights out of ten I can easily outshine you. The tenth

you blossom out suddenly into something that eclipses me altogether.
How do you manage it?"

"It's the dress, dear. Fine feathers."
"`Tisn't. The last evening you flamed out into beauty you

wore your old blue flannel shirtwaist that Mrs. Lynde made you.
If Roy hadn't already lost head and heart about you he certainly

would tonight. But I don't like orchids on you, Anne. No; it
isn't jealousy. Orchids don't seem to BELONG to you. They're

too exotic -- too tropical -- too insolent. Don't put them in
your hair, anyway."

"Well, I won't. I admit I'm not fond of orchids myself. I don't
think they're related to me. Roy doesn't often send them -- he

knows I like flowers I can live with. Orchids are only things
you can visit with."

"Jonas sent me some dear pink rosebuds for the evening -- but --
he isn't coming himself. He said he had to lead a prayer-meeting

in the slums! I don't believe he wanted to come. Anne, I'm
horribly afraid Jonas doesn't really care anything about me. And

I'm trying to decide whether I'll pine away and die, or go on and
get my B.A. and be sensible and useful."

"You couldn't possibly be sensible and useful, Phil, so you'd
better pine away and die," said Anne cruelly.

"Heartless Anne!"
"Silly Phil! You know quite well that Jonas loves you."

"But -- he won't TELL me so. And I can't MAKE him. He LOOKS it,
I'll admit. But speak-to-me-only-with-thine-eyes isn't a really

reliable reason for embroidering doilies and hemstitching
tablecloths. I don't want to begin such work until I'm really

engaged. It would be tempting Fate."
"Mr. Blake is afraid to ask you to marry him, Phil. He is poor

and can't offer you a home such as you've always had. You know
that is the only reason he hasn't spoken long ago."

"I suppose so," agreed Phil dolefully. "Well" -- brightening up
-- "if he WON'T ask me to marry him I'll ask him, that's all.

So it's bound to come right. I won't worry. By the way,
Gilbert Blythe is going about constantly with Christine Stuart.

Did you know?"
Anne was trying to fasten a little gold chain about her throat.

She suddenly found the clasp difficult to manage. WHAT was the
matter with it -- or with her fingers?

"No," she said carelessly." Who is Christine Stuart?"
"Ronald Stuart's sister. She's in Kingsport this winter studying

music. I haven't seen her, but they say she's very pretty and
that Gilbert is quite crazy over her. How angry I was when you

refused Gilbert, Anne. But Roy Gardner was foreordained for you.
I can see that now. You were right, after all."

Anne did not blush, as she usually did when the girls assumed
that her eventual marriage to Roy Gardner was a settled thing.

All at once she felt rather dull. Phil's chatter seemed trivial
and the reception a bore. She boxed poor Rusty's ears.

"Get off that cushioninstantly, you cat, you! Why don't you
stay down where you belong?"

Anne picked up her orchids and went downstairs, where Aunt Jamesina
was presiding over a row of coats hung before the fire to warm.

Roy Gardner was waiting for Anne and teasing the Sarah-cat while
he waited. The Sarah-cat did not approve of him. She always

turned her back on him. But everybody else at Patty's Place liked
him very much. Aunt Jamesina, carried away by his unfailing and

deferential courtesy, and the pleading tones of his delightful voice,
declared he was the nicest young man she ever knew, and that Anne

was a very fortunate girl. Such remarks made Anne restive. Roy's
wooing had certainly been as romantic as girlish heart could desire,

but -- she wished Aunt Jamesina and the girls would not take things
so for granted. When Roy murmured a poeticalcompliment as he helped

her on with her coat, she did not blush and thrill as usual; and he
found her rather silent in their brief walk to Redmond. He thought

she looked a little pale when she came out of the coeds' dressing room;
but as they entered the reception room her color and sparkle suddenly

returned to her. She turned to Roy with her gayest expression.
He smiled back at her with what Phil called "his deep, black,

velvety smile." Yet she really did not see Roy at all. She was
acutely conscious that Gilbert was standing under the palms just

across the room talking to a girl who must be Christine Stuart.
She was very handsome, in the stately style destined to become

rather massive in middle life. A tall girl, with large dark-blue
eyes, ivory outlines, and a gloss of darkness on her smooth hair.

"She looks just as I've always wanted to look," thought Anne
miserably. "Rose-leaf complexion -- starryviolet eyes -- raven

hair -- yes, she has them all. It's a wonder her name isn't
Cordelia Fitzgerald into the bargain! But I don't believe her

figure is as good as mine, and her nose certainly isn't."
Anne felt a little comforted by this conclusion.