In the night she awakened, with the stillness and the darkness about her, and the recollection of the day came over her like a wave of sorrow. She could see Matthew’s face smiling at her as he had smiled when they parted at the gate that last evening--she could hear his voice saying, “My girl--my girl that I’m proud of.” Then the tears came and Anne wept her heart out. Marilla heard her and crept in to comfort her.
“There--there--don’t cry so, dearie. It can’t bring him back. It--it--isn’t right to cry so. I knew that today, but I couldn’t help it then. He’d always been such a good, kind brother to me--but God knows best.”
“Oh, just let me cry, Marilla,” sobbed Anne. “The tears don’t hurt me like that ache did. Stay here for a little while with me and keep your arm round me--so. I couldn’t have Diana stay, she’s good and kind and sweet--but it’s not her sorrow--she’s outside of it and she couldn’t come close enough to my heart to help me. It’s our sorrow--yours and mine. Oh, Marilla, what will we do without him?”
“We’ve got each other, Anne. I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here--if you’d never come. Oh, Anne, I know I’ve been kind of strict and harsh with you maybe--but you mustn’t think I didn’t love you as well as Matthew did, for all that. I want to tell you now when I can. It’s never been easy for me to say things out of my heart, but at times like this it’s easier. I love you as dear as if you were my own flesh and blood and you’ve been my joy and comfort ever since you came to Green Gables.”