5 Queen's College

　　One day Marilla said, 'Anne, your new teacher, Miss Stacy, spoke to me yesterday. She says you must study for the examinations for Queen's College in two years' time. Then if you do well, you can study at Queen's in Charlotte-town for a year, and after that you'll be a teacher! '

　　'Oh Marilla! I'd love to be a teacher! But won't it be very expensive? '

　　'That doesn't matter, Anne. When Matthew and I adopted you three years ago, we decided to look after you as well as we could. Of course we'll pay for you to study. '

　　So in the afternoons Anne and some of her friends stayed late at school, and Miss Stacy helped them with the special ex-amination work. Diana didn't want to go to Queen's, so she went home early, but Gilbert stayed. He and Anne still never spoke and everybody knew that they were enemies, because they both wanted to be first in the examination. Secretly, Anne was sorry that she and Gilbert weren't friends, but it was too late now.

　　For two years Anne studied hard at school. She enjoyed learning, and Miss Stacy was pleased with her. But she didn't study all the time. In the evenings and at weekends she visited her friends, or walked through the fields with Diana, or sat talking to Matthew.

　　'Your Anne is a big girl now. She's taller than you, 'Rachel Lynde told Marilla one day.

　　'You're right, Rache! 'said Marilla in surprise.

　　'And she's a very good girl now, isn't she? She doesn't get into trouble these days. I'm sure she helps you a lot with the housework, Marilla. '

　　'Yes, I don't know what I'd do without her, 'said Marilla, smiling.

　　'And look at her! Those beautiful grey eyes, and that red-brown hair! You know, Marilla, I thought you and Matthew made a mistake when you adopted her. But now I see I was wrong. You've looked after her very well. '

　　'Well, thank you, Rachel, 'replied Marilla, pleased.

　　That evening, when Matthew came into the kitchen, he saw that his sister was crying.

　　'What's the matter? 'he asked, surprised. 'You haven't cried since…well, I can't remember when. '

　　'It's just…well, I was thinking about Anne, 'said Marilla. 'I'll…I'll miss her when she goes away. '

　　'When she goes to Queen's, you mean? Yes, but she can come home at weekends, on the train. '

　　'I'll still miss her, ' said Marilla sadly.

　　In June the Avonlea boys and girls had to go to Charlotte-town to take their examinations.

　　'Oh, I do hope that I've done well, 'Anne told Diana when she arrived back at Green Gables. 'The examinations were very difficult. And I've got to wait for three weeks before I know! Three weeks! I'll die! '

　　Anne wanted to do better than Gilbert. But she also wanted to do well for Matthew and Marilla. That was very important to her.

　　Diana was the first to hear the news. She ran into the kitchen at Green Gables and shouted, 'Look, Anne! It's in Father's newspaper! You're first… with Gilbert…out of all the students on the island! Oh, how wonderful! 'Anne took the paper with shaking hands, and saw her name, at the top of the list of two hundred. She could not speak.

　　'Well, now, I knew it, 'said Matthew with a warm smile.

　　'You've done well, I must say, Anne, 'said Marilla, who was secretly very pleased.

　　For the next three weeks Anne and Marilla were very busy. Anne needed new dresses to take to Charlottetown.

　　The evening before she left, she put on one of her new dresses to show Matthew. Marilla watched the happy young face. She remembered the strange, thin little child, with her sad eyes, who arrived at Green Gables five years ago, and she started crying quietly.

　　'Marilla, why are you crying? 'asked Anne.

　　'I was just thinking of you when you were a little girl, 'said Marilla. 'And…you're going away now…and I'll be lonely without you. '

　　Anne took Marilla's face in her hands, 'Marilla, nothing will change. Perhaps I'm bigger and older now, but I'll al-ways be your little Anne. And I'll love you and Matthew and Green Gables more every day of my life. '

　　Marilla could not say what she felt, like Anne, but she could show it. She put her arms round her girl and held her close to her heart.

　　And so for the next year Anne lived in Charlottetown, and went to college every day. She sometimes came home at week-ends, but she had to study hard. Some of her Avonlea friends were at Queen's too, and also her enemy, Gilbert Blythe. Anne saw that he often walked and talked with other girls. She felt sure that she and Gilbert could have some interesting conversations. But she didn't want to be the first to speak to him, and he never looked at her.

　　There were examinations at the end of the college year, in May. Anne studied very hard for them.

　　'I'd love to get the first place, 'she thought. 'Or perhaps I could get the Avery prize. 'This was a prize for the student who was best at English writing, and Anne knew she was good at that. The Avery prize paid for a free place for four years at Redmond College, one of the best colleges in Canada.

　　When news of the examinations came, Anne waited for her friends to tell her. She heard shouting. 'It's Gilbert! He's the first! ' She felt ill. But just then she heard another shout. 'Anne Shirley's got the Avery! 'And then all the girls were round her, laughing and shouting.

　　'Matthew and Marilla will be pleased! 'thought Anne. 'Now I can go on studying, and they won't have to pay! '

　　5 女王学院

　　一天，玛丽拉说：“安妮，你的新老师，斯塔西小姐昨天跟我谈了谈。她说你必须准备参加两年后的女王学院入学考试。如果你考得好，可以在夏洛特镇的女王学院学习一年，然后成为一名教师。”

　　“哦，玛丽拉！我喜欢当老师！可那是不是太贵了？”

　　“那没关系，安妮。3年前马修和我收养你的时候，我们决定尽力照顾你。我们当然会花钱让你上学。”

　　这样，每天下午，安妮和她的一些伙伴在学校呆到很晚，斯塔西小姐帮助她们准备考试。戴安娜不准备去女王学院上学，因此她很早就回家，可吉尔伯特留了下来。他和安妮还是不说话，每个人都知道他们是敌人，因为他们都想在考试中获得第一名。安妮为她没有和吉尔伯特成为朋友暗暗感到后悔，但已经太晚了。

　　安妮在学校里刻苦学习了两年。她热爱学习，斯塔西小姐对她很满意。但她并非把所有的时间都花在学习上。晚上或周末的时候，她去拜访朋友，或与戴安娜在田野里散步，或坐着与马修聊天。

　　一天，雷切尔·林德对玛丽拉说：“你们的安妮现在已经成了大孩子了。现在她比你还高了。”

　　“是的，雷切尔！”玛丽拉有点惊讶地回答。

　　“她是个好姑娘了，不是吗？现在她不再惹麻烦。我想她帮你干很多的家务活，玛丽拉。”

　　“对，我不知道没有她我该怎么办，”玛丽拉笑着说。

　　“看看她现在！那双漂亮的灰色眼睛和红褐色头发！你知道，玛丽拉，你们刚刚收养她的时候，我觉得你们犯了一个错误。可现在我知道是我错了。你们把她照看得真好。”

　　“哦，谢谢，雷切尔。”玛丽拉高兴地回答。

　　那天晚上，当马修走进厨房的时候，看见他的妹妹正在哭泣。

　　“发生什么事了？”他吃惊地问道。“你上一次掉眼泪是在……唉，我也想不起是什么时候了。”

　　“只是因为……我在想关于安妮的事，”玛丽拉说。“她走了以后我会……我会想念她的。”

　　“你的意思是当她去女王学院的时候？是的，但周末的时候她可以坐火车回来。”

　　“但我还是会想念她，”玛丽拉难过地说。

　　六月里，埃文利村的男孩子和女孩子们必须去夏洛特镇参加考试。

　　“噢，我真希望我考得很好，”安妮回到格林·盖布尔斯后对戴安娜说。“考试非常难。而且我还得等3周才能知道成绩！3周啊！我会着急死的！”

　　安妮希望超过吉尔伯特。但她也希望为马修和玛丽拉争气。这对她很重要。

　　戴安娜是最先听到消息的。她跑进格林·盖布尔斯的厨房高喊道：“看，安妮！登在父亲的报纸上！你是第一名……还有吉尔伯特……超过了岛上所有的学生！哦，多棒啊！”安妮用颤抖的手接过了报纸，看到自己的名字在200个学生的名单中排在首位。她激动得说不出话。

　　“好，现在，我终于听到这好消息了，”马修面带微笑地说。

　　“我必须说，你干得很出色，安妮，”玛丽拉说，她的心里暗暗高兴。

　　在随后的3周时间里，玛丽拉和安妮非常忙碌。安妮需要一些新衣服带到夏洛特镇去。

　　出发的前一天晚上，安妮穿上一件新衣服给马修看。玛丽拉端详着安妮年轻快乐的脸。她回忆起5年前到格林·盖布尔斯来的那个奇怪、瘦弱、眼神忧伤的女孩，玛丽拉轻声地哭了起来。

　　“玛丽拉，您怎么哭了？”安妮问。

　　“我只是想起了你小的时候，”玛丽拉回答。“而你……你现在就要走了……没有你我会感到很孤单的。”

　　安妮双手捧着玛丽拉的面颊。“玛丽拉，一切都不会改变。也许我长大一些了，但我永远是您的小安妮。这辈子我每天都会更爱您、马修和格林·盖布尔斯的。”

　　玛丽拉无法像安妮那样说出自己的感觉，但她可以显示出来。她伸出双臂将安妮紧紧地搂在胸前。

　　这样，第二年安妮住在夏洛特镇，每天去上学。有时她周末回家去，但她必须刻苦学习。女王学院有她在埃文利村的一些朋友，还有她的敌人吉尔伯特·布莱思。安妮发现他经常与其他女孩交谈或散步。她觉得自己和吉尔伯特可以谈得很开心。但她不想主动和他讲话，而吉尔伯特从来也不看她一眼。

　　五月，学年末的考试就要来了，安妮刻苦地准备着。

　　“我想得第一名，”她想。“或许我能得到艾弗里奖学金。”这是为英语写作成绩最出色的学生颁发的，而安妮知道这门功课是自己的强项。得到艾弗里奖学金的学生可以在加拿大最好的大学——雷德蒙德大学免费学习4年。

　　考试的成绩公布以后，安妮等待着朋友来告诉她消息。她听到喊声。“是吉尔伯特！他是第一名！”她感觉很难过。而就在这时她听到另外有人喊。“安妮·雪利得到了艾弗里奖学金！”所有的女孩子都来到了安妮的身边，笑啊叫啊。

　　“马修和玛丽拉会很高兴的！”安妮想。“现在我可以继续学习，而他们不必付学费了！”