I've heard him say he studied the multiplication
table by her freckles."

"Oh, don't speak about freckles to me," implored Anne. "It isn't
delicate when I've got so many. But I do think that writing take-notices
up on the wall about the boys and girls is the silliest ever. I should
just like to see anybody dare to write my name up with a boy's. Not, of
course," she hastened to add, "that anybody would."

Anne sighed. She didn't want her name written up. But it was a little
humiliating to know that there was no danger of it.

"Nonsense," said Diana, whose black eyes and glossy tresses had played
such havoc with the hearts of Avonlea schoolboys that her name figured
on the porch walls in half a dozen take-notices. "It's only meant as
a joke. And don't you be too sure your name won't ever be written up.
Charlie Sloane is DEAD GONE on you. He told his mother--his MOTHER, mind
you--that you were the smartest girl in school. That's better than being
good looking."

"No, it isn't," said Anne, feminine to the core. "I'd rather be pretty
than clever. And I hate Charlie Sloane, I can't bear a boy with goggle
eyes. If anyone wrote my name up with his I'd never GET over it, Diana
Barry. But it IS nice to keep head of your class."

"You'll have Gilbert in your class after this," said Diana, "and he's
used to being head of his class, I can tell you. He's only in the fourth
book although he's nearly fourteen. Four years ago his father was sick
and had to go out to Alberta for his health and Gilbert went with him.
They were there three years and Gil didn't go to school hardly any
until they came back. You won't find it so easy to keep head after this,
Anne."

"I'm glad," said Anne quickly. "I couldn't really feel proud of keeping
head of little boys and girls of just nine or ten. I got up yesterday
spelling 'ebullition.' Josie Pye was head and, mind you, she peeped
in her book. Mr. Phillips didn't see her--he was looking at Prissy
Andrews--but I did. I just swept her a look of freezing scorn and she
got as red as a beet and spelled it wrong after all."

"Those Pye girls are cheats all round," said Diana indignantly, as they
climbed the fence of the main road. "Gertie Pye actually went and put
her milk bottle in my place in the brook yesterday. Did you ever? I
don't speak to her now."

When Mr. Phillips was in the back of the room hearing Prissy Andrews's
Latin, Diana whispered to Anne,

"That's Gilbert Blythe sitting right a