anne of the island-第25章

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I'd　done。　　I　was　'shamed　to　have　Him　know。〃



〃But　He　knew　anyway；　Davy。〃



〃That's　what　Dora　said。　　But　I　thought　p'raps　He　mightn't　have

noticed　just　at　the　time。　　Anyway；　I'd　rather　tell　you　first。〃



〃WHAT　is　it　you　did？〃



Out　it　all　came　in　a　rush。



〃I　run　away　from　Sunday　School　　and　went　fishing　with　the

Cottons　　and　I　told　ever　so　many　whoppers　to　Mrs。　Lynde　　oh！

'most　half　a　dozen　　and　　and　　I　　I　said　a　swear　word；

Anne　　a　pretty　near　swear　word；　anyhow　　and　I　called　God　names。〃



There　was　silence。　　Davy　didn't　know　what　to　make　of　it。　　Was

Anne　so　shocked　that　she　never　would　speak　to　him　again？



〃Anne；　what　are　you　going　to　do　to　me？〃　he　whispered。



〃Nothing；　dear。　　You've　been　punished　already；　I　think。〃



〃No；　I　haven't。　　Nothing's　been　done　to　me。〃



〃You've　been　very　unhappy　ever　since　you　did　wrong；　haven't　you？〃



〃You　bet！〃　said　Davy　emphatically。



〃That　was　your　conscience　punishing　you；　Davy。〃



〃What's　my　conscience？　　I　want　to　know。〃



〃It's　something　in　you；　Davy；　that　always　tells　you　when　you　are

doing　wrong　and　makes　you　unhappy　if　you　persist　in　doing　it。

Haven't　you　noticed　that？〃



〃Yes；　but　I　didn't　know　what　it　was。　　I　wish　I　didn't　have　it。

I'd　have　lots　more　fun。　　Where　is　my　conscience；　Anne？　　I　want　to　know。

Is　it　in　my　stomach？〃



〃No；　it's　in　your　soul；〃　answered　Anne；　thankful　for　the

darkness；　since　gravity　must　be　preserved　in　serious　matters。



〃I　s'pose　I　can't　get　clear　of　it　then；〃　said　Davy　with　a　sigh。

〃Are　you　going　to　tell　Marilla　and　Mrs。　Lynde　on　me；　Anne？〃



〃No；　dear；　I'm　not　going　to　tell　any　one。　　You　are　sorry　you　were

naughty；　aren't　you？〃



〃You　bet！〃



〃And　you'll　never　be　bad　like　that　again。〃



〃No；　but　　〃　added　Davy　cautiously；　〃I　might　be　bad　some　other　way。〃



〃You　won't　say　naughty　words；　or　run　away　on　Sundays；　or　tell　falsehoods

to　cover　up　your　sins？〃



〃No。　　It　doesn't　pay；〃　said　Davy。



〃Well；　Davy；　just　tell　God　you　are　sorry　and　ask　Him　to　forgive　you。〃



〃Have　YOU　forgiven　me；　Anne？〃



〃Yes；　dear。〃



〃Then；〃　said　Davy　joyously；　〃I　don't　care　much　whether　God　does　or　not。〃



〃Davy！〃



〃Oh　　I'll　ask　Him　　I'll　ask　Him；〃　said　Davy　quickly；

scrambling　off　the　bed；　convinced　by　Anne's　tone　that　he　must

have　said　something　dreadful。　　〃I　don't　mind　asking　Him；　Anne。

　Please；　God；　I'm　awful　sorry　I　behaved　bad　today　and

I'll　try　to　be　good　on　Sundays　always　and　please　forgive　me。

　There　now；　Anne。〃



〃Well；　now；　run　off　to　bed　like　a　good　boy。〃



〃All　right。　　Say；　I　don't　feel　mis'rubul　any　more。　　I　feel　fine。

Good　night。〃



〃Good　night。〃



Anne　slipped　down　on　her　pillows　with　a　sigh　of　relief。　　Oh　

how　sleepy　　she　was！　　In　another　second　



〃Anne！〃　　Davy　was　back　again　by　her　bed。　　Anne　dragged　her　eyes　open。



〃What　is　it　now；　dear？〃　she　asked；　trying　to　keep　a　note　of

impatience　out　of　her　voice。



〃Anne；　have　you　ever　noticed　how　Mr。　Harrison　spits？　　Do　you

s'pose；　if　I　practice　hard；　I　can　learn　to　spit　just　like　him？〃



Anne　sat　up。



〃Davy　Keith；〃　she　said；　〃go　straight　to　your　bed　and　don't　let　me

catch　you　out　of　it　again　tonight！　　Go；　now！〃



Davy　went；　and　stood　not　upon　the　order　of　his　going。









Chapter　XIV



The　Summons





Anne　was　sitting　with　Ruby　Gillis　in　the　Gillis'　garden　after　the　day

had　crept　lingeringly　through　it　and　was　gone。　　It　had　been　a　warm；

smoky　summer　afternoon。　　The　world　was　in　a　splendor　of　out…flowering。

The　idle　valleys　were　full　of　hazes。　　The　woodways　were　pranked　with

shadows　and　the　fields　with　the　purple　of　the　asters。



Anne　had　given　up　a　moonlight　drive　to　the　White　Sands　beach　that

she　might　spend　the　evening　with　Ruby。　　She　had　so　spent　many

evenings　that　summer；　although　she　often　wondered　what　good　it　did

any　one；　and　sometimes　went　home　deciding　that　she　could　not　go　again。



Ruby　grew　paler　as　the　summer　waned；　the　White　Sands　school　was

given　up　　〃her　father　thought　it　better　that　she　shouldn't

teach　till　New　Year's〃　　and　the　fancy　work　she　loved　oftener

and　oftener　fell　from　hands　grown　too　weary　for　it。　　But　she　was

always　gay；　always　hopeful；　always　chattering　and　whispering　of

her　beaux；　and　their　rivalries　and　despairs。　　It　was　this　that

made　Anne's　visits　hard　for　her。　　What　had　once　been　silly　or

amusing　was　gruesome；　now；　it　was　death　peering　through　a　wilful

mask　of　life。　　Yet　Ruby　seemed　to　cling　to　her；　and　never　let　her

go　until　she　had　promised　to　come　again　soon。　　Mrs。　Lynde

grumbled　about　Anne's　frequent　visits；　and　declared　she　would

catch　consumption；　even　Marilla　was　dubious。



〃Every　time　you　go　to　see　Ruby　you　come　home　looking　tired　out；〃

she　said。



〃It's　so　very　sad　and　dreadful；〃　said　Anne　in　a　low　tone。　　〃Ruby

doesn't　seem　to　realize　her　condition　in　the　least。　　And　yet　I

somehow　feel　she　needs　help　　craves　it　　and　I　want　to　give　it

to　her　and　can't。　　All　the　time　I'm　with　her　I　feel　as　if　I　were

watching　her　struggle　with　an　invisible　foe　　trying　to　push　it

back　with　such　feeble　resistance　as　she　has。　　That　is　why　I　come

home　tired。〃



But　tonight　Anne　did　not　feel　this　so　keenly。　　Ruby　was　strangely

quiet。　　She　said　not　a　word　about　parties　and　drives　and　dresses

and　〃fellows。〃　　She　lay　in　the　hammock；　with　her　untouched　work

beside　her；　and　a　white　shawl　wrapped　about　her　thin　shoulders。

Her　long　yellow　braids　of　hair　　how　Anne　had　envied　those

beautiful　braids　in　old　schooldays！　　　lay　on　either　side　of　her。

She　had　taken　the　pins　out　　they　made　her　head　ache；　she　said。

The　hectic　flush　was　gone　for　the　time；　leaving　her　pale　and　childlike。



The　moon　rose　in　the　silvery　sky；　empearling　the　clouds

around　her。　Below；　the　pond　shimmered　in　its　hazy　radiance。

Just　beyond　the　Gillis　homestead　was　the　church；　with　the　old

graveyard　beside　it。　　The　moonlight　shone　on　the　white　stones；

bringing　them　out　in　clear…cut　relief　against　the　dark　trees　behind。



〃How　strange　the　graveyard　looks　by　moonlight！〃　said　Ruby　suddenly。

〃How　ghostly！〃　she　shuddered。　　〃Anne；　it　won't　be　long　now　before

I'll　be　lying　over　there。　　You　and　Diana　and　all　the　rest　will　be

going　about；　full　of　life　　and　I'll　be　there　　in　the　old　graveyard

　dead！〃



The　surprise　of　it　bewildered　Anne。　　For　a　few　moments　she　could　not　speak。



〃You　know　it's　so；　don't　you？〃　said　Ruby　insistently。



〃Yes；　I　know；〃　answered　Anne　in　a　low　tone。　　〃Dear　Ruby；　I　know。〃



〃Everybody　knows　it；〃　said　Ruby　bitterly。　　〃I　know　it　　I've

known　it　all　summer；　though　I　wouldn't　give　in。　　And；　oh；　Anne〃

　she　reached　out　and　caught　Anne's　hand　pleadingly；　impulsively

　〃I　don't　want　to　die。　　I'm　AFRAID　to　die。〃



〃Why　should　you　be　afraid；　Ruby？〃　asked　Anne　quietly。



〃Because　　because　　oh；　I'm　not　afraid　but　that　I'll　go　to

heaven；　Anne。　　I'm　a　church　member。　　But　　it'll　be　all　so

different。　　I　think　　and　think　　and　I　get　so　frightened　

and　　and　　homesick。　　Heaven　must　be　very　beautiful；　of　course；

the　Bible　says　so　　but；　Anne；　IT　WON'T　BE　WHAT　I'VE　BEEN　USED　TO。〃



Through　Anne's　mind　drifted　an　intrusive　recollection　of　a　funny

story　she　had　heard　Philippa　Gordon　tell　　the　story　of　some　old

man　who　had　said　very　much　the　same　thing　about　the　world　to　come。

It　had　sounded　funny　then　　she　remembered　how　she　and

Priscilla　had　laughed　over　it。　　But　it　did　not　seem　in　the

least　humorous　now；　coming　from　Ruby's　pale；　trembling　lips。

It　was　sad；　tragic　　and　true！　　Heaven　could　not　be　what　Ruby　had

been　used　to。　　There　had　been　nothing　in　her　gay；　frivolous　life；

her　shallow　ideals　and　aspirations；　to　fit　her　for　that　great　change；

or　make　the　life　to　come　seem　to　her　anything　but　alien　and

unreal　and　undesirable。　　Anne　wondered　helplessly　what　she　could

say　that　would　help　her。　　Could　she　say　anything？　　〃I　think；　Ruby；〃

she　began　hesitatingly　　for　it　was　difficult　for　Anne　to　speak

to　any　one　of　the　deepest　thoughts　of　h