In the Woods When First We Met

113. Walden Pond and False Words

The day began with recitations, which further helped Anne in her quest to have a good day.

Billy was not going to have a good day. Jane had said she'd tell their parents, and he had eight hours to convince her not to.

Their readers had selections from Henry David Thoreau's Walden. Anne loved it and wished she had the entire book. He was a man who built his own house by a pond and lived in isolation with nature. While Anne thought isolation would be awfully difficult, she supposed you didn't have to have people to talk to- you could talk to the birds and animals, you could talk to the flowers and trees, you could even talk to the stars in the sky- she'd done it herself often enough. And how exquisite, she thought, to commune with nature so fully.

Although she knew she wasn't supposed to make notes in her reader, she'd used her pen and ink and re-wrote one of Thoreau's quotes in the inside of the back cover of her book: "Books are the treasured wealth of the world and the fit inheritance of generations and nations." The line gave her goosebumps.

When recitations began, Anne waited excitedly to see which part she would get to read aloud. When Mr. Phillips finally got to her, she stood up to do her part of the recitation,

"However mean your life is, meet and live it; do not shun it and call it hard names. It is not so bad as you are. It looks poorest when you are richest. The fault-finder will find faults even in paradise.

Love your life, poor as it is. You may perhaps have some pleasant, thrilling, glorious hours, even in a poorhouse.

The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the almshouse as brightly as from the rich man's abode; the snow melts before its doors as early in the spring.

Cultivate property like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Turn the old; return to them.

Things do not change; we change.

Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts... Superfluous wealth can buy superfluities only. Money is not required to buy one necessary of the soul."

Billy listened to Anne's recitation, trying not to laugh. Why did she read like that? It was embarrassing.

Billy's pals sat in the row in front of him. When they began to snicker, Billy tried hard to resist the urge to join in with them, and instead said loudly- to make sure Jane heard him- "Cut it out, guys!"

Anne stopped reading and looked in his direction, caught off guard.

Billy's pals both turned back to him, surprised.

"Don't talk out of turn," Mr. Phillips snapped.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Phillips, I was just telling them to stop making fun of Anne." He then turned to Anne with a repentant expression and said, "Anne, I'm sorry my friends were so rude. They must not have any appreciation for your talent."

Billy looked at Jane, triumphant. See? His eyes were saying.

Gilbert was looking backward at Billy, too, surprised.

Anne was glad her part was over. She didn't know what Billy was up to, but thinking that he was enjoying her recitation made her want to stop doing it.

The rest of the morning passed uneventfully, and Anne was excited for lunchtime so that she could catch up with Diana.

The girls all gathered in their corner and split up their food. Anne was glad she and Marilla had made cookies, because it gave her something good to share.

"So Billy defended you," Josie said, not sounding terribly pleased about that.

Anne nodded uncomfortably.

"I wonder why," Josie continued. "I can't imagine he likes you."

"Josie! What a thing to say," Diana said. She turned to Anne comfortingly and said, "Everyone should like you, Anne. You're kind, and smart, and...and you have a wonderful imagination!"

"She'd have to have a good imagination, to believe that Billy might like her," Josie said with a laugh.

"I don't think he does, and I never said that. You're the one who said it, Josie Pye, and if you're so fascinated with the subject of who likes who, then maybe you'd better start being nicer, or no one's going to like you, either!" Anne burst out angrily.

The other girls stared at her, surprised at her standing up to Josie.

Josie just adjusted her bow. "Pretty girls can get beaus whether they're nice or not."

"I think Billy likes you, Josie," Tillie said haltingly.

Josie blushed. But then she went back to eating her lunch as if everything was fine now.

Ruby, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up, sounding bright, "Maybe Billy does like Anne. Anne, you like him, don't you?! I think you should like him. He's a much better choice for you than Gilbert."

Diana almost rolled her eyes, seeing what Ruby's intentions were.

Jane said firmly, "That's enough talk about Billy. Let's talk about something else."

Anne looked gratefully at her.

The afternoon was lively because they played Around the World in math.

Diana made it about halfway across the room before she and Anne faced off against each other and Anne won. Anne wondered if she ought to have answered incorrectly on purpose so that her bosom friend could have gone before her. But Diana seemed happy to sit down and let Anne move on. Anne and Gilbert were the only ones who made it all the way around the room. Eventually they faced off against each other. Neither of them ended up winning, because they both kept answering the questions correctly until at last Mr. Phillips said that was enough and they needed to move on to other things. Anne was disappointed they couldn't keep going, but it had been nice to sit next to Gilbert for a little while.

When Anne and Gilbert were walking back to their desks, Billy came up to them.

Anne shrank back from him, and Gilbert automatically looked defensive before Billy even said or did anything.

But Billy put on a superficial smile and said, "Congratulations, Anne. I'm sure you would have won if Mr. Phillips had let the game go on longer. After all, you're the smartest one in the class."

He smiled at Gilbert too, but his smile to Gilbert was a real smile, not fake- because he realized that his compliment to Anne also served as an insult to Gilbert.

Anne just stared at him. Gilbert's expression looked like he'd smelled something bad. He guided Anne past Billy and they each went to their own seats.

Josie was watching Billy unhappily.

Billy looked over at Jane and raised his eyebrows, as if to say, There. Is that enough?

Jane gave a small shrug and Billy felt sure he'd placated her. He sighed with relief. Jane figured Billy was making an effort to be a kinder person and stop hurting Anne, and that was what she wanted.

While Jane's intentions were good, she had no idea how it was making Anne feel.

Anne felt unsettled by Billy's attention. What was he doing? She didn't like this. And it wasn't just because she wanted him to leave her alone. It was also that she could tell his smiles were fake and his words insincere, and it scared her to think that he might be trying to get her to trust him.