"
"Mrs. Dr. dear," said Susan. "I wish you would wake me up. Am I dreaming
--or am I awake? Does that blessed boy realize what he is saying? Does
he mean that he is going to enlist as a soldier? You do not mean to tell
me that they want children like him! It is an outrage. Surely you and
the doctor will not permit it."
"We can't stop him," said Mrs. Blythe, chokingly. "Oh, Gilbert!"
Dr. Blythe came up behind his wife and took her hand gently, looking
down into the sweet grey eyes that he had only once before seen filled
with such imploring anguish as now. They both thought of that other time
--the day years ago in the House of Dreams when little Joyce had died.
"Would you have him stay, Anne--when the others are going--when he
thinks it his duty--would you have him so selfish and small-souled?"
"No--no! But--oh--our first-born son--he's only a lad--Gilbert--
I'll try to be brave after a while--just now I can't. It's all come so
suddenly. Give me time."
The doctor and his wife went out of the room. Jem had gone--Walter had
gone--Shirley got up to go. Rilla and Susan remained staring at each
other across the deserted table. Rilla had not yet cried--she was too
stunned for tears. Then she saw that Susan was crying--Susan, whom she
had never seen shed a tear before.
"Oh, Susan, will he really go?" she asked.
"It--it--it is just ridiculous, that is what it is," said Susan.
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