anne of the island-第14章

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Davy　gave　her　another　incredulous　look；　then　in　a　low　voice　he

said　the　dreadful　word。　　The　next　minute　his　face　was　burrowing

against　her。



〃Oh；　Anne；　I'll　never　say　it　again　　never。　　I'll　never　WANT　to

say　it　again。　　I　knew　it　was　bad；　but　I　didn't　s'pose　it　was　so

　so　　I　didn't　s'pose　it　was　like　THAT。〃



〃No；　I　don't　think　you'll　ever　want　to　say　it　again；　Davy　　or

think　it；　either。　　And　I　wouldn't　go　about　much　with　Mr。　Harrison's

hired　boy　if　I　were　you。〃



〃He　can　make　bully　war…whoops；〃　said　Davy　a　little　regretfully。



〃But　you　don't　want　your　mind　filled　with　bad　words；　do　you；　Davy

　words　that　will　poison　it　and　drive　out　all　that　is　good　and　manly？〃



〃No；〃　said　Davy；　owl…eyed　with　introspection。



〃Then　don't　go　with　those　people　who　use　them。　　And　now　do　you

feel　as　if　you　could　say　your　prayers；　Davy？〃



〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　Davy；　eagerly　wriggling　down　on　his　knees；　〃I　can

say　them　now　all　right。　　I　ain't　scared　now　to　say　‘if　I　should

die　before　I　wake；'　like　I　was　when　I　was　wanting　to　say　that　word。〃



Probably　Anne　and　Diana　did　empty　out　their　souls　to　each　other

that　night；　but　no　record　of　their　confidences　has　been　preserved。

They　both　looked　as　fresh　and　bright…eyed　at　breakfast　as　only

youth　can　look　after　unlawful　hours　of　revelry　and　confession。

There　had　been　no　snow　up　to　this　time；　but　as　Diana　crossed

the　old　log　bridge　on　her　homeward　way　the　white　flakes　were

beginning　to　flutter　down　over　the　fields　and　woods；　russet

and　gray　in　their　dreamless　sleep。　　Soon　the　far…away　slopes

and　hills　were　dim　and　wraith…like　through　their　gauzy　scarfing；

as　if　pale　autumn　had　flung　a　misty　bridal　veil　over　her　hair

and　was　waiting　for　her　wintry　bridegroom。　　So　they　had　a　white

Christmas　after　all；　and　a　very　pleasant　day　it　was。　　In　the

forenoon　letters　and　gifts　came　from　Miss　Lavendar　and　Paul；

Anne　opened　them　in　the　cheerful　Green　Gables　kitchen；　which　was

filled　with　what　Davy；　sniffing　in　ecstasy；　called　〃pretty　smells。〃



〃Miss　Lavendar　and　Mr。　Irving　are　settled　in　their　new　home　now；〃

reported　Anne。　　〃I　am　sure　Miss　Lavendar　is　perfectly　happy　

I　know　it　by　the　general　tone　of　her　letter　　but　there's　a

note　from　Charlotta　the　Fourth。　　She　doesn't　like　Boston　at　all；

and　she　is　fearfully　homesick。　　Miss　Lavendar　wants　me　to　go

through　to　Echo　Lodge　some　day　while　I'm　home　and　light　a　fire　to

air　it；　and　see　that　the　cushions　aren't　getting　moldy。　　I　think

I'll　get　Diana　to　go　over　with　me　next　week；　and　we　can　spend　the

evening　with　Theodora　Dix。　　I　want　to　see　Theodora。　　By　the　way；

is　Ludovic　Speed　still　going　to　see　her？〃



〃They　say　so；〃　said　Marilla；　〃and　he's　likely　to　continue　it。

Folks　have　given　up　expecting　that　that　courtship　will　ever

arrive　anywhere。〃



〃I'd　hurry　him　up　a　bit；　if　I　was　Theodora；　that's　what；〃　said

Mrs。　Lynde。　　And　there　is　not　the　slightest　doubt　but　that　she　would。



There　was　also　a　characteristic　scrawl　from　Philippa；　full　of

Alec　and　Alonzo；　what　they　said　and　what　they　did；　and　how　they

looked　when　they　saw　her。



〃But　I　can't　make　up　my　mind　yet　which　to　marry；〃　wrote　Phil。

〃I　do　wish　you　had　come　with　me　to　decide　for　me。　　Some　one

will　have　to。　　When　I　saw　Alec　my　heart　gave　a　great　thump　and　I

thought；　‘He　might　be　the　right　one。'　　And　then；　when　Alonzo　came；

thump　went　my　heart　again。　　So　that's　no　guide；　though　it　should　be；

according　to　all　the　novels　I've　ever　read。　　Now；　Anne；　YOUR　heart

wouldn't　thump　for　anybody　but　the　genuine　Prince　Charming；　would　it？

There　must　be　something　radically　wrong　with　mine。　　But　I'm　having　a

perfectly　gorgeous　time。　　How　I　wish　you　were　here！　　It's　snowing

today；　and　I'm　rapturous。　　I　was　so　afraid　we'd　have　a　green

Christmas　and　I　loathe　them。　　You　know；　when　Christmas　is　a　dirty

grayey…browney　affair；　looking　as　if　it　had　been　left　over　a　hundred

years　ago　and　had　been　in　soak　ever　since；　it　is　called　a　GREEN　Christmas！

Don't　ask　me　why。　　As　Lord　Dundreary　says；　‘there　are　thome　thingth　no

fellow　can　underthtand。'



〃Anne；　did　you　ever　get　on　a　street　car　and　then　discover　that　you

hadn't　any　money　with　you　to　pay　your　fare？　　I　did；　the　other　day。

It's　quite　awful。　　I　had　a　nickel　with　me　when　I　got　on　the　car。

I　thought　it　was　in　the　left　pocket　of　my　coat。　　When　I　got

settled　down　comfortably　I　felt　for　it。　　It　wasn't　there。

I　had　a　cold　chill。　　I　felt　in　the　other　pocket。　　Not　there。

I　had　another　chill。　　Then　I　felt　in　a　little　inside　pocket。

All　in　vain。　　I　had　two　chills　at　once。



〃I　took　off　my　gloves；　laid　them　on　the　seat；　and　went　over　all

my　pockets　again。　　It　was　not　there。　　I　stood　up　and　shook　myself；

and　then　looked　on　the　floor。　　The　car　was　full　of　people；　who

were　going　home　from　the　opera；　and　they　all　stared　at　me；　but

I　was　past　caring　for　a　little　thing　like　that。



〃But　I　could　not　find　my　fare。　　I　concluded　I　must　have　put　it　in

my　mouth　and　swallowed　it　inadvertently。



〃I　didn't　know　what　to　do。　　Would　the　conductor；　I　wondered；　stop

the　car　and　put　me　off　in　ignominy　and　shame？　　Was　it　possible

that　I　could　convince　him　that　I　was　merely　the　victim　of　my　own

absentmindedness；　and　not　an　unprincipled　creature　trying　to

obtain　a　ride　upon　false　pretenses？　　How　I　wished　that　Alec

or　Alonzo　were　there。　　But　they　weren't　because　I　wanted　them。

If　I　HADN'T　wanted　them　they　would　have　been　there　by　the　dozen。

And　I　couldn't　decide　what　to　say　to　the　conductor　when　he　came

around。　　As　soon　as　I　got　one　sentence　of　explanation　mapped　out

in　my　mind　I　felt　nobody　could　believe　it　and　I　must　compose

another。　　It　seemed　there　was　nothing　to　do　but　trust　in

Providence；　and　for　all　the　comfort　that　gave　me　I　might　as　well

have　been　the　old　lady　who；　when　told　by　the　captain　during　a

storm　that　she　must　put　her　trust　in　the　Almighty　exclaimed；

‘Oh；　Captain；　is　it　as　bad　as　that？'



〃Just　at　the　conventional　moment；　when　all　hope　had　fled；　and

the　conductor　was　holding　out　his　box　to　the　passenger　next　to　me；

I　suddenly　remembered　where　I　had　put　that　wretched　coin　of　the　realm。

I　hadn't　swallowed　it　after　all。　　I　meekly　fished　it　out　of　the

index　finger　of　my　glove　and　poked　it　in　the　box。　　I　smiled　at

everybody　and　felt　that　it　was　a　beautiful　world。〃



The　visit　to　Echo　Lodge　was　not　the　least　pleasant　of　many

pleasant　holiday　outings。　　Anne　and　Diana　went　back　to　it　by　the

old　way　of　the　beech　woods；　carrying　a　lunch　basket　with　them。

Echo　Lodge；　which　had　been　closed　ever　since　Miss　Lavendar's

wedding；　was　briefly　thrown　open　to　wind　and　sunshine　once　more；

and　firelight　glimmered　again　in　the　little　rooms。　　The　perfume

of　Miss　Lavendar's　rose　bowl　still　filled　the　air。　　It　was　hardly

possible　to　believe　that　Miss　Lavendar　would　not　come　tripping　in

presently；　with　her　brown　eyes　a…star　with　welcome；　and　that

Charlotta　the　Fourth；　blue　of　bow　and　wide　of　smile；　would　not

pop　through　the　door。　　Paul；　too；　seemed　hovering　around；　with

his　fairy　fancies。



〃It　really　makes　me　feel　a　little　bit　like　a　ghost　revisiting　the

old　time　glimpses　of　the　moon；〃　laughed　Anne。　　〃Let's　go　out　and

see　if　the　echoes　are　at　home。　　Bring　the　old　horn。　　It　is　still

behind　the　kitchen　door。〃



The　echoes　were　at　home；　over　the　white　river；　as　silver…clear

and　multitudinous　as　ever；　and　when　they　had　ceased　to　answer　the

girls　locked　up　Echo　Lodge　again　and　went　away　in　the　perfect

half　hour　that　follows　the　rose　and　saffron　of　a　winter　sunset。









Chapter　VIII



Anne's　First　Proposal





The　old　year　did　not　slip　away　in　a　green　twilight；　with　a

pinky…yellow　sunset。　　Instead；　it　went　out　with　a　wild；　white

bluster　and　blow。　　It　was　one　of　the　nights　when　the　storm…wind

hurtles　over　the　frozen　meadows　and　black　hollows；　and　moans

around　the　eaves　like　a　lost　creature；　and　drives　the　snow

sharply　against　the　shaking　panes。



〃Just　the　sort　of　night　people　like　to　cuddle　down　between　thei