"
Anne and Gilbert were silent. If Miss Cornelia had
announced her intention of going out to the channel and
drowning herself the thing might have been believable.
This was not. So they waited. Of course Miss Cornelia
had made a mistake.
"Well, you both look sort of kerflummexed," said Miss
Cornelia, with a twinkle in her eyes. Now that the
awkward moment of revelation was over, Miss Cornelia
was her own woman again. "Do you think I'm too young
and inexperienced for matrimony?"
"You know--it IS rather staggering," said Gilbert,
trying to gather his wits together. "I've heard you
say a score of times that you wouldn't marry the best
man in the world."
"I'm not going to marry the best man in the world,"
retorted Miss Cornelia. "Marshall Elliott is a long
way from being the best."
"Are you going to marry Marshall Elliott?" exclaimed
Anne, recovering her power of speech under this second
shock.
"Yes. I could have had him any time these twenty years
if I'd lifted my finger. But do you suppose I was
going to walk into church beside a perambulating
haystack like that?"
"I am sure we are very glad--and we wish you all
possible happiness," said Anne, very flatly and
inadequately, as she felt.
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