She knew that she could no more cast him out of her life without agony than she could have cut off her right hand and cast it from her . And the knowledge had come too late -- too late even for the bitter solace of being with him at the last . If she had not been so blind -- so foolish -- she would have had the right to go to him now . But he would never know that she loved him -- he would go away from this life thinking that she did not care . Oh , the black years of emptiness stretching before her ! She could not live through them -- she could not ! She cowered down by her window and wished , for the first time in her gay young life , that she could die , too . If Gilbert went away from her , without one word or sign or message , she could not live . Nothing was of any value without him . She belonged to him and he to her . In her hour of supreme agony she had no doubt of that . He did not love Christine Stuart -- never had loved Christine Stuart . Oh , what a fool she had been not to realize what the bond was that had held her to Gilbert -- to think that the flattered fancy she had felt for Roy Gardner had been love . And now she must pay for her folly as for a crime . Mrs. Lynde and Marilla crept to her door before they went to bed , shook their heads doubtfully at each other over the silence , and went away . The storm raged all night , but when the dawn came it was spent . Anne saw a fairy fringe of light on the skirts of darkness . Soon the eastern hilltops had a fire-shot ruby rim . The clouds rolled themselves away into great , soft , white masses on the horizon ; the sky gleamed blue and silvery . A hush fell over the world .
Anne rose from her knees and XXXXX downstairs .
come crept cut die felt go knew know saw thinking