anne of the island-第23章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



editor　of　the　Canadian　Woman　sent　Averil's　Atonement　back　so

promptly　that　the　indignant　Diana　declared　that　it　couldn't　have

been　read　at　all；　and　vowed　she　was　going　to　stop　her　subscription

immediately。　　Anne　took　this　second　rejection　with　the　calmness　of

despair。　　She　locked　the　story　away　in　the　garret　trunk　where　the

old　Story　Club　tales　reposed；　but　first　she　yielded　to　Diana's

entreaties　and　gave　her　a　copy。



〃This　is　the　end　of　my　literary　ambitions；〃　she　said　bitterly。



She　never　mentioned　the　matter　to　Mr。　Harrison；　but　one　evening

he　asked　her　bluntly　if　her　story　had　been　accepted。



〃No；　the　editor　wouldn't　take　it；〃　she　answered　briefly。



Mr。　Harrison　looked　sidewise　at　the　flushed；　delicate　profile。



〃Well；　I　suppose　you'll　keep　on　writing　them；〃　he　said　encouragingly。



〃No；　I　shall　never　try　to　write　a　story　again；〃　declared　Anne；　with

the　hopeless　finality　of　nineteen　when　a　door　is　shut　in　its　face。



〃I　wouldn't　give　up　altogether；〃　said　Mr。　Harrison　reflectively。　　〃I'd

write　a　story　once　in　a　while；　but　I　wouldn't　pester　editors　with　it。

I'd　write　of　people　and　places　like　I　knew；　and　I'd　make　my　characters

talk　everyday　English；　and　I'd　let　the　sun　rise　and　set　in　the　usual

quiet　way　without　much　fuss　over　the　fact。　　If　I　had　to　have　villains

at　all；　I'd　give　them　a　chance；　Anne　　I'd　give　them　a　chance。

There　are　some　terrible　bad　men　in　the　world；　I　suppose；　but　you'd

have　to　go　a　long　piece　to　find　them　　though　Mrs。　Lynde　believes　we're

all　bad。　　But　most　of　us　have　got　a　little　decency　somewhere　in　us。

Keep　on　writing；　Anne。〃



〃No。　　It　was　very　foolish　of　me　to　attempt　it。　　When　I'm　through

Redmond　I'll　stick　to　teaching。　　I　can　teach。　　I　can't　write　stories。〃



〃It'll　be　time　for　you　to　be　getting　a　husband　when　you're

through　Redmond；〃　said　Mr。　Harrison。　　〃I　don't　believe　in

putting　marrying　off　too　long　　like　I　did。〃



Anne　got　up　and　marched　home。　　There　were　times　when　Mr。　Harrison

was　really　intolerable。　　〃Pitching；〃　〃mooning；〃　and　〃getting　a

husband。〃　　Ow！！









Chapter　XIII



The　Way　of　Transgressors





Davy　and　Dora　were　ready　for　Sunday　School。　　They　were　going　alone；

which　did　not　often　happen；　for　Mrs。　Lynde　always　attended　Sunday　School。

But　Mrs。　Lynde　had　twisted　her　ankle　and　was　lame；　so　she　was　staying

home　this　morning。　　The　twins　were　also　to　represent　the　family　at　church；

for　Anne　had　gone　away　the　evening　before　to　spend　Sunday　with　friends

in　Carmody；　and　Marilla　had　one　of　her　headaches。



Davy　came　downstairs　slowly。　　Dora　was　waiting　in　the　hall　for　him；　having

been　made　ready　by　Mrs。　Lynde。　　Davy　had　attended　to　his　own　preparations。

He　had　a　cent　in　his　pocket　for　the　Sunday　School　collection；　and　a　five…cent

piece　for　the　church　collection；　he　carried　his　Bible　in　one　hand　and　his

Sunday　School　quarterly　in　the　other；　he　knew　his　lesson　and　his　Golden　Text

and　his　catechism　question　perfectly。　　Had　he　not　studied　them　　perforce

　in　Mrs。　Lynde's　kitchen；　all　last　Sunday　afternoon？　　Davy；　therefore；

should　have　been　in　a　placid　frame　of　mind。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　despite

text　and　catechism；　he　was　inwardly　as　a　ravening　wolf。



Mrs。　Lynde　limped　out　of　her　kitchen　as　he　joined　Dora。



〃Are　you　clean？〃　she　demanded　severely。



〃Yes　　all　of　me　that　shows；〃　Davy　answered　with　a　defiant　scowl。



Mrs。　Rachel　sighed。　　She　had　her　suspicions　about　Davy's　neck

and　ears。　　But　she　knew　that　if　she　attempted　to　make　a　personal

examination　Davy　would　likely　take　to　his　heels　and　she　could　not

pursue　him　today。



〃Well；　be　sure　you　behave　yourselves；〃　she　warned　them。　　〃Don't　walk

in　the　dust。　　Don't　stop　in　the　porch　to　talk　to　the　other　children。

Don't　squirm　or　wriggle　in　your　places。　　Don't　forget　the　Golden　Text。

Don't　lose　your　collection　or　forget　to　put　it　in。　　Don't　whisper　at

prayer　time；　and　don't　forget　to　pay　attention　to　the　sermon。〃



Davy　deigned　no　response。　　He　marched　away　down　the　lane；

followed　by　the　meek　Dora。　　But　his　soul　seethed　within。

Davy　had　suffered；　or　thought　he　had　suffered；　many　things　at　the

hands　and　tongue　of　Mrs。　Rachel　Lynde　since　she　had　come　to　Green

Gables；　for　Mrs。　Lynde　could　not　live　with　anybody；　whether　they

were　nine　or　ninety；　without　trying　to　bring　them　up　properly。

And　it　was　only　the　preceding　afternoon　that　she　had　interfered

to　influence　Marilla　against　allowing　Davy　to　go　fishing　with　the

Timothy　Cottons。　　Davy　was　still　boiling　over　this。



As　soon　as　he　was　out　of　the　lane　Davy　stopped　and　twisted　his

countenance　into　such　an　unearthly　and　terrific　contortion　that　Dora；

although　she　knew　his　gifts　in　that　respect；　was　honestly　alarmed　lest

he　should　never　in　the　world　be　able　to　get　it　straightened　out　again。



〃Darn　her；〃　exploded　Davy。



〃Oh；　Davy；　don't　swear；〃　gasped　Dora　in　dismay。



〃‘Darn'　isn't　swearing　　not　real　swearing。　　And　I　don't　care

if　it　is；〃　retorted　Davy　recklessly。



〃Well；　if　you　MUST　say　dreadful　words　don't　say　them　on　Sunday；〃　pleaded　Dora。



Davy　was　as　yet　far　from　repentance；　but　in　his　secret　soul　he　felt　that；

perhaps；　he　had　gone　a　little　too　far。



〃I'm　going　to　invent　a　swear　word　of　my　own；〃　he　declared。



〃God　will　punish　you　if　you　do；〃　said　Dora　solemnly。



〃Then　I　think　God　is　a　mean　old　scamp；〃　retorted　Davy。　　〃Doesn't

He　know　a　fellow　must　have　some　way　of　'spressing　his　feelings？〃



〃Davy！！！〃　said　Dora。　　She　expected　that　Davy　would　be　struck　down

dead　on　the　spot。　　But　nothing　happened。



〃Anyway；　I　ain't　going　to　stand　any　more　of　Mrs。　Lynde's　bossing；〃

spluttered　Davy。　　〃Anne　and　Marilla　may　have　the　right　to　boss　me；

but　SHE　hasn't。　　I'm　going　to　do　every　single　thing　she　told　me　not　to　do。

You　watch　me。〃



In　grim；　deliberate　silence；　while　Dora　watched　him　with　the

fascination　of　horror；　Davy　stepped　off　the　green　grass　of　the

roadside；　ankle　deep　into　the　fine　dust　which　four　weeks　of

rainless　weather　had　made　on　the　road；　and　marched　along　in　it；

shuffling　his　feet　viciously　until　he　was　enveloped　in　a　hazy　cloud。



〃That's　the　beginning；〃　he　announced　triumphantly。〃　　And　I'm

going　to　stop　in　the　porch　and　talk　as　long　as　there's　anybody

there　to　talk　to。　　I'm　going　to　squirm　and　wriggle　and　whisper；

and　I'm　going　to　say　I　don't　know　the　Golden　Text。　　And　I'm　going

to　throw　away　both　of　my　collections　RIGHT　NOW。〃



And　Davy　hurled　cent　and　nickel　over　Mr。　Barry's　fence　with

fierce　delight。



〃Satan　made　you　do　that；〃　said　Dora　reproachfully。



〃He　didn't；〃　cried　Davy　indignantly。　　〃I　just　thought　it　out　for　myself。

And　I've　thought　of　something　else。　　I'm　not　going　to　Sunday　School　or

church　at　all。　　I'm　going　up　to　play　with　the　Cottons。　　They　told　me

yesterday　they　weren't　going　to　Sunday　School　today；　'cause　their　mother

was　away　and　there　was　nobody　to　make　them。　　Come　along；　Dora；　we'll　have

a　great　time。〃



〃I　don't　want　to　go；〃　protested　Dora。



〃You've　got　to；〃　said　Davy。　　〃If　you　don't　come　I'll　tell　Marilla

that　Frank　Bell　kissed　you　in　school　last　Monday。〃



〃I　couldn't　help　it。　　I　didn't　know　he　was　going　to；〃　cried　Dora；

blushing　scarlet。



〃Well；　you　didn't　slap　him　or　seem　a　bit　cross；〃　retorted　Davy。

〃I'll　tell　her　THAT；　too；　if　you　don't　come。　　We'll　take　the

short　cut　up　this　field。〃



〃I'm　afraid　of　those　cows；〃　protested　poor　Dora；　seeing　a

prospect　of　escape。



〃The　very　idea　of　your　being　scared　of　those　cows；〃　scoffed　Davy。

〃Why；　they're　both　younger　than　you。〃



〃They're　bigger；〃　said　Dora。



〃They　won't　hurt　you。　　Come　along；　now。　　This　is　great。　　When　I

grow　up　I　ain't　going　to　bother　going　to　church　at　all。　　I

believe　I　can　get　to　heaven　by　myself。〃



〃You'll　go　to　the　other　place　if　you　break　the　Sabbath　day；〃

said　unhappy　Dora；　following　him　sorely　against　her　will。



But　Davy　was　not　scared　　yet。　　Hell　was　very　far　off；　and　the

delights　of　a　fishing　expedition　with　th