anne of the island-第20章

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She　hasn't　been　able　to　teach　since　she　had　that　attack　of

congestion　in　the　winter；　but　she　says　she's　going　to　teach

again　in　the　fall；　and　she's　after　the　White　Sands　school。

She'll　be　in　her　grave；　poor　girl；　when　White　Sands　school　opens；

that's　what。〃



Anne　listened　in　shocked　silence。　　Ruby　Gillis；　her　old　school…chum；

dying？　　Could　it　be　possible？　　Of　late　years　they　had　grown　apart；

but　the　old　tie　of　school…girl　intimacy　was　there；　and　made　itself

felt　sharply　in　the　tug　the　news　gave　at　Anne's　heartstrings。

Ruby；　the　brilliant；　the　merry；　the　coquettish！　　It　was　impossible

to　associate　the　thought　of　her　with　anything　like　death。　　She　had

greeted　Anne　with　gay　cordiality　after　church；　and　urged　her　to

come　up　the　next　evening。



〃I'll　be　away　Tuesday　and　Wednesday　evenings；〃　she　had　whispered

triumphantly。　　〃There's　a　concert　at　Carmody　and　a　party　at　White

Sands。　　Herb　Spencer's　going　to　take　me。　　He's　my　LATEST。　　Be　sure

to　come　up　tomorrow。　　I'm　dying　for　a　good　talk　with　you。　　I　want

to　hear　all　about　your　doings　at　Redmond。〃



Anne　knew　that　Ruby　meant　that　she　wanted　to　tell　Anne　all　about

her　own　recent　flirtations；　but　she　promised　to　go；　and　Diana

offered　to　go　with　her。



〃I've　been　wanting　to　go　to　see　Ruby　for　a　long　while；〃　she　told　Anne；

when　they　left　Green　Gables　the　next　evening；　〃but　I　really　couldn't

go　alone。　　It's　so　awful　to　hear　Ruby　rattling　on　as　she　does；　and

pretending　there　is　nothing　the　matter　with　her；　even　when　she　can

hardly　speak　for　coughing。　　She's　fighting　so　hard　for　her　life；

and　yet　she　hasn't　any　chance　at　all；　they　say。〃



The　girls　walked　silently　down　the　red；　twilit　road。　　The　robins

were　singing　vespers　in　the　high　treetops；　filling　the　golden　air

with　their　jubilant　voices。　　The　silver　fluting　of　the　frogs　came

from　marshes　and　ponds；　over　fields　where　seeds　were　beginning　to

stir　with　life　and　thrill　to　the　sunshine　and　rain　that　had

drifted　over　them。　　The　air　was　fragrant　with　the　wild；　sweet；

wholesome　smell　of　young　raspberry　copses。　　White　mists　were

hovering　in　the　silent　hollows　and　violet　stars　were　shining

bluely　on　the　brooklands。



〃What　a　beautiful　sunset；〃　said　Diana。　　〃Look；　Anne；　it's　just　like

a　land　in　itself；　isn't　it？　　That　long；　low　back　of　purple　cloud

is　the　shore；　and　the　clear　sky　further　on　is　like　a　golden　sea。〃



〃If　we　could　sail　to　it　in　the　moonshine　boat　Paul　wrote　of　in

his　old　composition　　you　remember？　　　how　nice　it　would　be；〃

said　Anne；　rousing　from　her　reverie。　　〃Do　you　think　we　could　find

all　our　yesterdays　there；　Diana　　all　our　old　springs　and

blossoms？　　The　beds　of　flowers　that　Paul　saw　there　are　the　roses

that　have　bloomed　for　us　in　the　past？〃



〃Don't！〃　said　Diana。　　〃You　make　me　feel　as　if　we　were　old　women

with　everything　in　life　behind　us。〃



〃I　think　I've　almost　felt　as　if　we　were　since　I　heard　about　poor　Ruby；〃

said　Anne。　　〃If　it　is　true　that　she　is　dying　any　other　sad　thing　might

be　true；　too。〃



〃You　don't　mind　calling　in　at　Elisha　Wright's　for　a　moment；　do　you？〃

asked　Diana。　　〃Mother　asked　me　to　leave　this　little　dish　of　jelly

for　Aunt　Atossa。〃



〃Who　is　Aunt　Atossa？〃



〃Oh；　haven't　you　heard？　　She's　Mrs。　Samson　Coates　of　Spencervale

　Mrs。　Elisha　Wright's　aunt。　　She's　father's　aunt；　too。　　Her

husband　died　last　winter　and　she　was　left　very　poor　and　lonely；

so　the　Wrights　took　her　to　live　with　them。　　Mother　thought　we

ought　to　take　her；　but　father　put　his　foot　down。　　Live　with　Aunt

Atossa　he　would　not。〃



〃Is　she　so　terrible？〃　asked　Anne　absently。



〃You'll　probably　see　what　she's　like　before　we　can　get　away；〃

said　Diana　significantly。　　〃Father　says　she　has　a　face　like　a

hatchet　　it　cuts　the　air。　　But　her　tongue　is　sharper　still。〃



Late　as　it　was　Aunt　Atossa　was　cutting　potato　sets　in　the　Wright

kitchen。　　She　wore　a　faded　old　wrapper；　and　her　gray　hair　was

decidedly　untidy。　　Aunt　Atossa　did　not　like　being　〃caught　in　a

kilter；〃　so　she　went　out　of　her　way　to　be　disagreeable。



〃Oh；　so　you're　Anne　Shirley？〃　she　said；　when　Diana　introduced　Anne。

〃I've　heard　of　you。〃　　Her　tone　implied　that　she　had　heard　nothing　good。

〃Mrs。　Andrews　was　telling　me　you　were　home。　　She　said　you　had　improved

a　good　deal。〃



There　was　no　doubt　Aunt　Atossa　thought　there　was　plenty　of　room　for

further　improvement。　　She　ceased　not　from　cutting　sets　with　much　energy。



〃Is　it　any　use　to　ask　you　to　sit　down？〃　she　inquired　sarcastically。

〃Of　course；　there's　nothing　very　entertaining　here　for　you。　　The　rest

are　all　away。〃



〃Mother　sent　you　this　little　pot　of　rhubarb　jelly；〃　said　Diana

pleasantly。　　〃She　made　it　today　and　thought　you　might　like　some。〃



〃Oh；　thanks；〃　said　Aunt　Atossa　sourly。　　〃I　never　fancy　your

mother's　jelly　　she　always　makes　it　too　sweet。　　However；　I'll

try　to　worry　some　down。　　My　appetite's　been　dreadful　poor　this

spring。　　I'm　far　from　well；〃　continued　Aunt　Atossa　solemnly；　〃but

still　I　keep　a…doing。　　People　who　can't　work　aren't　wanted　here。

If　it　isn't　too　much　trouble　will　you　be　condescending　enough

to　set　the　jelly　in　the　pantry？　　I'm　in　a　hurry　to　get　these　spuds

done　tonight。　　I　suppose　you　two　LADIES　never　do　anything　like　this。

You'd　be　afraid　of　spoiling　your　hands。〃



〃I　used　to　cut　potato　sets　before　we　rented　the　farm；〃　smiled　Anne。



〃I　do　it　yet；〃　laughed　Diana。　　〃I　cut　sets　three　days　last　week。

Of　course；〃　she　added　teasingly；　〃I　did　my　hands　up　in　lemon

juice　and　kid　gloves　every　night　after　it。〃



Aunt　Atossa　sniffed。



〃I　suppose　you　got　that　notion　out　of　some　of　those　silly

magazines　you　read　so　many　of。　　I　wonder　your　mother　allows　you。

But　she　always　spoiled　you。　　We　all　thought　when　George　married

her　she　wouldn't　be　a　suitable　wife　for　him。〃



Aunt　Atossa　sighed　heavily；　as　if　all　forebodings　upon　the

occasion　of　George　Barry's　marriage　had　been　amply　and　darkly

fulfilled。



〃Going；　are　you？〃　she　inquired；　as　the　girls　rose。　　〃Well；　I

suppose　you　can't　find　much　amusement　talking　to　an　old　woman

like　me。　　It's　such　a　pity　the　boys　ain't　home。〃



〃We　want　to　run　in　and　see　Ruby　Gillis　a　little　while；〃　explained　Diana。



〃Oh；　anything　does　for　an　excuse；　of　course；〃　said　Aunt　Atossa；　amiably。

〃Just　whip　in　and　whip　out　before　you　have　time　to　say　how…do　decently。

It's　college　airs；　I　s'pose。　　You'd　be　wiser　to　keep　away　from　Ruby　Gillis。

The　doctors　say　consumption's　catching。　　I　always　knew　Ruby'd　get　something；

gadding　off　to　Boston　last　fall　for　a　visit。　　People　who　ain't　content　to

stay　home　always　catch　something。〃



〃People　who　don't　go　visiting　catch　things；　too。　　Sometimes　they　even　die；〃

said　Diana　solemnly。



〃Then　they　don't　have　themselves　to　blame　for　it；〃　retorted　Aunt　Atossa

triumphantly。　　〃I　hear　you　are　to　be　married　in　June；　Diana。〃



〃There　is　no　truth　in　that　report；〃　said　Diana；　blushing。



〃Well；　don't　put　it　off　too　long；〃　said　Aunt　Atossa　significantly。

〃You'll　fade　soon　　you're　all　complexion　and　hair。　　And　the　Wrights

are　terrible　fickle。　　You　ought　to　wear　a　hat；　MISS　SHIRLEY。　　Your　nose

is　freckling　scandalous。　　My；　but　you　ARE　redheaded！　　Well；　I　s'pose

we're　all　as　the　Lord　made　us！　　Give　Marilla　Cuthbert　my　respects。

She's　never　been　to　see　me　since　I　come　to　Avonlea；　but　I　s'pose　I

oughtn't　to　complain。　　The　Cuthberts　always　did　think　themselves

a　cut　higher　than　any　one　else　round　here。〃



〃Oh；　isn't　she　dreadful？〃　gasped　Diana；　as　they　escaped　down　the　lane。



〃She's　worse　than　Miss　Eliza　Andrews；〃　said　Anne。　　〃But　then　think

of　living　all　your　life　with　a　name　like　Atossa！　　Wouldn't　it　sour

almost　any　one？　　She　should　have　tried　to　imagine　her　name　was　Cordelia。

It　might　have　helped　her　a　great　deal。　　It　certainly　helped　me　in　the

days　when　I　didn't　like　ANNE。〃



〃Josie　Pye　will　be　just　like　her　when　she　grows　up；〃　said　Diana。

〃Josie's　mother　and　Aunt　Atossa　are　cousins；　you　know。　　Oh；　dear；

I'm　glad　that's　over。　　She's　so　malicio