ilbert turned to the cheerier view indoors.

The firelight flickered from point to point, gleaming on the white and
green coats of Gog and Magog, on the sleek, brown head of the beautiful
setter basking on the rug, on the picture frames on the walls, on the
vaseful of daffodils from the window garden, on Anne herself, sitting
by her little table, with her sewing beside her and her hands clasped
over her knee while she traced out pictures in the fire--Castles in
Spain whose airy turrets pierced moonlit cloud and sunset bar-ships
sailing from the Haven of Good Hopes straight to Four Winds Harbor with
precious burthen. For Anne was again a dreamer of dreams, albeit a
grim shape of fear went with her night and day to shadow and darken her
visions.

Gilbert was accustomed to refer to himself as "an old married man."
But he still looked upon Anne with the incredulous eyes of a lover. He
couldn't wholly believe yet that she was really his. It MIGHT be only
a dream after all, part and parcel of this magic house of dreams. His
soul still went on tip-toe before her, lest the charm be shattered and
the dream dispelled.

"Anne," he said slowly, "lend me your ears. I want to talk with you
about something."

Anne looked across at him through the fire-lit gloom.

"What is it?" she asked gaily. "You look fearfully solemn, Gilbert. I
really haven't done anything naughty today. Ask Susan."

"It's not of you--or ourselves--I want to talk. It's about Dick Moore."

"Dick Moore?" echoed Anne, sitting up alertly. "Why, what in the world
have you to say about Dick Moore?"

"I've been thinking a great deal about him lately. Do you remember
that time last summer I treated him for those carbuncles on his neck?"

"Yes--yes."

"I took the opportunity to examine the scars on his head thoroughly.
I've always thought Dick was a very interesting case from a medical
point of view. Lately I've been studying the history of trephining and
the cases where it has been employed. Anne, I have come to the
conclusion that if Dick Moore were taken to a good hospital and the
operation of trephining performed on several places in his skull, his
memory and faculties might be restored."

"Gilbert!" Anne's voice was full of protest. "Surely you don't mean
it!"

"I do, indeed. And I have decided that it is my duty to broach the
subject to Leslie."

"Gilbert Blythe, you shall NOT do any such thing," cried Anne
vehemently. "Oh, Gilbert, y