anne of the island-第16章

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The　second　term　at　Redmond　sped　as　quickly　as　had　the　first　

〃actually　whizzed　away；〃　Philippa　said。　　Anne　enjoyed　it

thoroughly　in　all　its　phases　　the　stimulating　class　rivalry；

the　making　and　deepening　of　new　and　helpful　friendships；　the　gay

little　social　stunts；　the　doings　of　the　various　societies　of

which　she　was　a　member；　the　widening　of　horizons　and　interests。

She　studied　hard；　for　she　had　made　up　her　mind　to　win　the　Thorburn

Scholarship　in　English。　　This　being　won；　meant　that　she　could

come　back　to　Redmond　the　next　year　without　trenching　on　Marilla's

small　savings　　something　Anne　was　determined　she　would　not　do。



Gilbert；　too；　was　in　full　chase　after　a　scholarship；　but　found

plenty　of　time　for　frequent　calls　at　Thirty…eight；　St。　John's。

He　was　Anne's　escort　at　nearly　all　the　college　affairs；　and　she

knew　that　their　names　were　coupled　in　Redmond　gossip。　　Anne　raged

over　this　but　was　helpless；　she　could　not　cast　an　old　friend　like

Gilbert　aside；　especially　when　he　had　grown　suddenly　wise　and

wary；　as　behooved　him　in　the　dangerous　proximity　of　more　than　one

Redmond　youth　who　would　gladly　have　taken　his　place　by　the　side

of　the　slender；　red…haired　coed；　whose　gray　eyes　were　as　alluring

as　stars　of　evening。　　Anne　was　never　attended　by　the　crowd　of

willing　victims　who　hovered　around　Philippa's　conquering　march

through　her　Freshman　year；　but　there　was　a　lanky；　brainy　Freshie；

a　jolly；　little；　round　Sophomore；　and　a　tall；　learned　Junior　who

all　liked　to　call　at　Thirty…eight；　St。　John's；　and　talk　over

'ologies　and　'isms；　as　well　as　lighter　subjects；　with　Anne；　in

the　becushioned　parlor　of　that　domicile。　　Gilbert　did　not　love

any　of　them；　and　he　was　exceedingly　careful　to　give　none　of　them

the　advantage　over　him　by　any　untimely　display　of　his　real

feelings　Anne…ward。　　To　her　he　had　become　again　the　boy…comrade

of　Avonlea　days；　and　as　such　could　hold　his　own　against　any

smitten　swain　who　had　so　far　entered　the　lists　against　him。

As　a　companion；　Anne　honestly　acknowledged　nobody　could　be　so

satisfactory　as　Gilbert；　she　was　very　glad；　so　she　told　herself；

that　he　had　evidently　dropped　all　nonsensical　ideas　　though　she

spent　considerable　time　secretly　wondering　why。



Only　one　disagreeable　incident　marred　that　winter。　　Charlie　Sloane；

sitting　bolt　upright　on　Miss　Ada's　most　dearly　beloved　cushion；

asked　Anne　one　night　if　she　would　promise　〃to　become　Mrs。　Charlie

Sloane　some　day。〃　　Coming　after　Billy　Andrews'　proxy　effort；

this　was　not　quite　the　shock　to　Anne's　romantic　sensibilities

that　it　would　otherwise　have　been；　but　it　was　certainly　another

heart…rending　disillusion。　　She　was　angry；　too；　for　she　felt　that

she　had　never　given　Charlie　the　slightest　encouragement　to　suppose

such　a　thing　possible。　　But　what　could　you　expect　of　a　Sloane；

as　Mrs。　Rachel　Lynde　would　ask　scornfully？　　Charlie's　whole　attitude；

tone；　air；　words；　fairly　reeked　with　Sloanishness。　　〃He　was　conferring

a　great　honor　　no　doubt　whatever　about　that。　　And　when　Anne；　utterly

insensible　to　the　honor；　refused　him；　as　delicately　and　considerately

as　she　could　　for　even　a　Sloane　had　feelings　which　ought　not　to　be

unduly　lacerated　　Sloanishness　still　further　betrayed　itself。

Charlie　certainly　did　not　take　his　dismissal　as　Anne's　imaginary

rejected　suitors　did。　　Instead；　he　became　angry；　and　showed　it；

he　said　two　or　three　quite　nasty　things；　Anne's　temper　flashed　up

mutinously　and　she　retorted　with　a　cutting　little　speech　whose

keenness　pierced　even　Charlie's　protective　Sloanishness　and

reached　the　quick；　he　caught　up　his　hat　and　flung　himself　out　of

the　house　with　a　very　red　face；　Anne　rushed　upstairs；　falling　twice

over　Miss　Ada's　cushions　on　the　way；　and　threw　herself　on　her　bed；

in　tears　of　humiliation　and　rage。　　Had　she　actually　stooped　to

quarrel　with　a　Sloane？　　Was　it　possible　anything　Charlie　Sloane

could　say　had　power　to　make　her　angry？　　Oh；　this　was　degradation；

indeed　　worse　even　than　being　the　rival　of　Nettie　Blewett！



〃I　wish　I　need　never　see　the　horrible　creature　again；〃　she　sobbed

vindictively　into　her　pillows。



She　could　not　avoid　seeing　him　again；　but　the　outraged　Charlie

took　care　that　it　should　not　be　at　very　close　quarters。　　Miss

Ada's　cushions　were　henceforth　safe　from　his　depredations；

and　when　he　met　Anne　on　the　street；　or　in　Redmond's　halls；

his　bow　was　icy　in　the　extreme。　　Relations　between　these　two

old　schoolmates　continued　to　be　thus　strained　for　nearly　a　year！

Then　Charlie　transferred　his　blighted　affections　to　a　round；

rosy；　snub…nosed；　blue…eyed；　little　Sophomore　who　appreciated

them　as　they　deserved；　whereupon　he　forgave　Anne　and　condescended

to　be　civil　to　her　again；　in　a　patronizing　manner　intended　to

show　her　just　what　she　had　lost。



One　day　Anne　scurried　excitedly　into　Priscilla's　room。



〃Read　that；〃　she　cried；　tossing　Priscilla　a　letter。　　〃It's　from

Stella　　and　she's　coming　to　Redmond　next　year　　and　what　do

you　think　of　her　idea？　　I　think　it's　a　perfectly　splendid　one；

if　we　can　only　carry　it　out。　　Do　you　suppose　we　can；　Pris？〃



〃I'll　be　better　able　to　tell　you　when　I　find　out　what　it　is；〃

said　Priscilla；　casting　aside　a　Greek　lexicon　and　taking　up

Stella's　letter。　　Stella　Maynard　had　been　one　of　their　chums　at

Queen's　Academy　and　had　been　teaching　school　ever　since。



〃But　I'm　going　to　give　it　up；　Anne　dear；〃　she　wrote；　〃and　go　to

college　next　year。　　As　I　took　the　third　year　at　Queen's　I　can

enter　the　Sophomore　year。　　I'm　tired　of　teaching　in　a　back

country　school。　　Some　day　I'm　going　to　write　a　treatise　on

‘The　Trials　of　a　Country　Schoolmarm。'　It　will　be　a　harrowing　bit

of　realism。　　It　seems　to　be　the　prevailing　impression　that　we　live

in　clover；　and　have　nothing　to　do　but　draw　our　quarter's　salary。

My　treatise　shall　tell　the　truth　about　us。　　Why；　if　a　week　should

pass　without　some　one　telling　me　that　I　am　doing　easy　work　for

big　pay　I　would　conclude　that　I　might　as　well　order　my　ascension

robe　‘immediately　and　to　onct。'　　‘Well；　you　get　your　money　easy；'

some　rate…payer　will　tell　me；　condescendingly。　　‘All　you　have　to

do　is　to　sit　there　and　hear　lessons。'　　I　used　to　argue　the　matter

at　first；　but　I'm　wiser　now。　　Facts　are　stubborn　things；　but

as　some　one　has　wisely　said；　not　half　so　stubborn　as　fallacies。

So　I　only　smile　loftily　now　in　eloquent　silence。　　Why；　I　have　nine

grades　in　my　school　and　I　have　to　teach　a　little　of　everything；

from　investigating　the　interiors　of　earthworms　to　the　study　of

the　solar　system。　　My　youngest　pupil　is　four　　his　mother　sends

him　to　school　to　‘get　him　out　of　the　way'　　and　my　oldest　twenty

　it　‘suddenly　struck　him'　that　it　would　be　easier　to　go　to

school　and　get　an　education　than　follow　the　plough　any　longer。

In　the　wild　effort　to　cram　all　sorts　of　research　into　six　hours　a

day　I　don't　wonder　if　the　children　feel　like　the　little　boy　who

was　taken　to　see　the　biograph。　　‘I　have　to　look　for　what's　coming

next　before　I　know　what　went　last；'　he　complained。　　I　feel　like

that　myself。



〃And　the　letters　I　get；　Anne！　　Tommy's　mother　writes　me　that

Tommy　is　not　coming　on　in　arithmetic　as　fast　as　she　would　like。

He　is　only　in　simple　reduction　yet；　and　Johnny　Johnson　is　in

fractions；　and　Johnny　isn't　half　as　smart　as　her　Tommy；　and　she

can't　understand　it。　　And　Susy's　father　wants　to　know　why　Susy

can't　write　a　letter　without　misspelling　half　the　words；　and

Dick's　aunt　wants　me　to　change　his　seat；　because　that　bad　Brown

boy　he　is　sitting　with　is　teaching　him　to　say　naughty　words。



〃As　to　the　financial　part　　but　I'll　not　begin　on　that。　　Those

whom　the　gods　wish　to　destroy　they　first　make　country　schoolmarms！



〃There；　I　feel　better；　after　that　growl。　　After　all；　I've　enjoyed

these　past　two　years。　　But　I'm　coming　to　Redmond。



〃And　now；　Anne；　I've　a　little　plan。　　You　know　how　I　loathe　boarding。

I've　boarded　for　four　years　and　I'm　so　tired　of　it。　　I　don't　feel　like

enduring　three　years　more　of　it。



Now；　why　ca