Springtime arrives in Avonlea, and the blossoming new world captivates Anne’s attention once more. Anne shares with Marilla her belief that mayflowers are “the souls of the flowers that died last summer” (194) and tells her that all the girls made wreaths of the mayflowers at school one day and marched down the road bedecked in springtime. As usual, Marilla finds these adventures a silly waste of time.

One June evening, Anne sits by the window in her east gable room and gazes at the Snow Queen, bedazzled once more in flowery blooms. The room still maintains its stiff and rigid feel, but there is a certain vibrant pulse to it now, brought on by the life of the young woman sitting in it. Marilla enters with Anne’s laundry and sits down quickly, troubled by a headache. She commends Anne for helping with the housework and sarcastically chides her for burning the pie.

Anne explains that she got lost in daydreaming about being a princess locked in a lonely tower. She apologizes and claims she “wanted to be extra good today because it’s an anniversary” (196). She came to Green Gables a year ago, but Anne assumes that the day means nothing to Marilla.