anne of the island-第3章

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but　_I_　won't。　　I'll　wait　till　she's　gone　and　then　say　'em。　　Won't

that　be　all　right；　Anne？〃



〃Yes；　if　you　are　sure　you　won't　forget　to　say　them；　Davy…boy。〃



〃Oh；　I　won't　forget；　you　bet。　　I　think　saying　my　prayers　is　great　fun。

But　it　won't　be　as　good　fun　saying　them　alone　as　saying　them　to　you。

I　wish　you'd　stay　home；　Anne。　　I　don't　see　what　you　want　to　go　away

and　leave　us　for。〃



〃I　don't　exactly　WANT　to；　Davy；　but　I　feel　I　ought　to　go。〃



〃If　you　don't　want　to　go　you　needn't。　　You're　grown　up。　　When　_I_'m

grown　up　I'm　not　going　to　do　one　single　thing　I　don't　want　to　do；　Anne。〃



〃All　your　life；　Davy；　you'll　find　yourself　doing　things　you　don't

want　to　do。〃



〃I　won't；〃　said　Davy　flatly。　　〃Catch　me！　　I　have　to　do　things　I

don't　want　to　now　'cause　you　and　Marilla'll　send　me　to　bed　if　I　don't。

But　when　I　grow　up　you　can't　do　that；　and　there'll　be　nobody　to　tell　me

not　to　do　things。　　Won't　I　have　the　time！　　Say；　Anne；　Milty　Boulter　says

his　mother　says　you're　going　to　college　to　see　if　you　can　catch　a　man。

Are　you；　Anne？　　I　want　to　know。〃



For　a　second　Anne　burned　with　resentment。　　Then　she　laughed；

reminding　herself　that　Mrs。　Boulter's　crude　vulgarity　of　thought

and　speech　could　not　harm　her。



〃No；　Davy；　I'm　not。　　I'm　going　to　study　and　grow　and　learn　about　many　things。〃



〃What　things？〃



　　　　　　〃‘Shoes　and　ships　and　sealing　wax

　　　　　　And　cabbages　and　kings；'〃



quoted　Anne。



〃But　if　you　DID　want　to　catch　a　man　how　would　you　go　about　it？

I　want　to　know；〃　persisted　Davy；　for　whom　the　subject　evidently

possessed　a　certain　fascination。



〃You'd　better　ask　Mrs。　Boulter；〃　said　Anne　thoughtlessly。　　〃I

think　it's　likely　she　knows　more　about　the　process　than　I　do。〃



〃I　will；　the　next　time　I　see　her；〃　said　Davy　gravely。



〃Davy！　　If　you　do！〃　cried　Anne；　realizing　her　mistake。



〃But　you　just　told　me　to；〃　protested　Davy　aggrieved。



〃It's　time　you　went　to　bed；〃　decreed　Anne；　by　way　of　getting　out

of　the　scrape。



After　Davy　had　gone　to　bed　Anne　wandered　down　to　Victoria　Island

and　sat　there　alone；　curtained　with　fine…spun；　moonlit　gloom；

while　the　water　laughed　around　her　in　a　duet　of　brook　and　wind。

Anne　had　always　loved　that　brook。　　Many　a　dream　had　she　spun　over

its　sparkling　water　in　days　gone　by。　　She　forgot　lovelorn　youths；

and　the　cayenne　speeches　of　malicious　neighbors；　and　all　the

problems　of　her　girlish　existence。　　In　imagination　she　sailed

over　storied　seas　that　wash　the　distant　shining　shores　of　〃faery

lands　forlorn；〃　where　lost　Atlantis　and　Elysium　lie；　with　the

evening　star　for　pilot；　to　the　land　of　Heart's　Desire。　　And　she

was　richer　in　those　dreams　than　in　realities；　for　things　seen

pass　away；　but　the　things　that　are　unseen　are　eternal。









Chapter　II



Garlands　of　Autumn





The　following　week　sped　swiftly；　crowded　with　innumerable　〃last　things；〃

as　Anne　called　them。　　Good…bye　calls　had　to　be　made　and　received；　being

pleasant　or　otherwise；　according　to　whether　callers　and　called…upon　were

heartily　in　sympathy　with　Anne's　hopes；　or　thought　she　was　too　much

puffed…up　over　going　to　college　and　that　it　was　their　duty　to　〃take　her

down　a　peg　or　two。〃



The　A。V。I。S。　gave　a　farewell　party　in　honor　of　Anne　and　Gilbert

one　evening　at　the　home　of　Josie　Pye；　choosing　that　place；　partly

because　Mr。　Pye's　house　was　large　and　convenient；　partly　because

it　was　strongly　suspected　that　the　Pye　girls　would　have　nothing

to　do　with　the　affair　if　their　offer　of　the　house　for　the　party

was　not　accepted。　　It　was　a　very　pleasant　little　time；　for　the

Pye　girls　were　gracious；　and　said　and　did　nothing　to　mar　the

harmony　of　the　occasion　　which　was　not　according　to　their　wont。

Josie　was　unusually　amiable　　so　much　so　that　she　even　remarked

condescendingly　to　Anne；



〃Your　new　dress　is　rather　becoming　to　you；　Anne。　　Really；　you

look　ALMOST　PRETTY　in　it。〃



〃How　kind　of　you　to　say　so；〃　responded　Anne；　with　dancing　eyes。

Her　sense　of　humor　was　developing；　and　the　speeches　that　would

have　hurt　her　at　fourteen　were　becoming　merely　food　for　amusement

now。　　Josie　suspected　that　Anne　was　laughing　at　her　behind　those

wicked　eyes；　but　she　contented　herself　with　whispering　to　Gertie；

as　they　went　downstairs；　that　Anne　Shirley　would　put　on　more　airs

than　ever　now　that　she　was　going　to　college　　you'd　see！



All　the　〃old　crowd〃　was　there；　full　of　mirth　and　zest　and

youthful　lightheartedness。　　Diana　Barry；　rosy　and　dimpled；

shadowed　by　the　faithful　Fred；　Jane　Andrews；　neat　and　sensible

and　plain；　Ruby　Gillis；　looking　her　handsomest　and　brightest　in　a

cream　silk　blouse；　with　red　geraniums　in　her　golden　hair；　Gilbert

Blythe　and　Charlie　Sloane；　both　trying　to　keep　as　near　the

elusive　Anne　as　possible；　Carrie　Sloane；　looking　pale　and

melancholy　because；　so　it　was　reported；　her　father　would　not

allow　Oliver　Kimball　to　come　near　the　place；　Moody　Spurgeon

MacPherson；　whose　round　face　and　objectionable　ears　were　as　round

and　objectionable　as　ever；　and　Billy　Andrews；　who　sat　in　a　corner　all

the　evening；　chuckled　when　any　one　spoke　to　him；　and　watched　Anne

Shirley　with　a　grin　of　pleasure　on　his　broad；　freckled　countenance。



Anne　had　known　beforehand　of　the　party；　but　she　had　not　known

that　she　and　Gilbert　were；　as　the　founders　of　the　Society；　to　be

presented　with　a　very　complimentary　〃address〃　and　〃tokens　of

respect〃　　in　her　case　a　volume　of　Shakespeare's　plays；　in

Gilbert's　a　fountain　pen。　　She　was　so　taken　by　surprise　and

pleased　by　the　nice　things　said　in　the　address；　read　in　Moody

Spurgeon's　most　solemn　and　ministerial　tones；　that　the　tears

quite　drowned　the　sparkle　of　her　big　gray　eyes。　　She　had　worked

hard　and　faithfully　for　the　A。V。I。S。；　and　it　warmed　the　cockles

of　her　heart　that　the　members　appreciated　her　efforts　so　sincerely。

And　they　were　all　so　nice　and　friendly　and　jolly　　even　the　Pye

girls　had　their　merits；　at　that　moment　Anne　loved　all　the　world。



She　enjoyed　the　evening　tremendously；　but　the　end　of　it　rather

spoiled　all。　　Gilbert　again　made　the　mistake　of　saying　something

sentimental　to　her　as　they　ate　their　supper　on　the　moonlit

verandah；　and　Anne；　to　punish　him；　was　gracious　to　Charlie　Sloane

and　allowed　the　latter　to　walk　home　with　her。　　She　found；

however；　that　revenge　hurts　nobody　quite　so　much　as　the　one　who

tries　to　inflict　it。　　Gilbert　walked　airily　off　with　Ruby　Gillis；

and　Anne　could　hear　them　laughing　and　talking　gaily　as　they

loitered　along　in　the　still；　crisp　autumn　air。　　They　were

evidently　having　the　best　of　good　times；　while　she　was　horribly

bored　by　Charlie　Sloane；　who　talked　unbrokenly　on；　and　never；

even　by　accident；　said　one　thing　that　was　worth　listening　to。

Anne　gave　an　occasional　absent　〃yes〃　or　〃no；〃　and　thought　how

beautiful　Ruby　had　looked　that　night；　how　very　goggly　Charlie's

eyes　were　in　the　moonlight　　worse　even　than　by　daylight　　and

that　the　world；　somehow；　wasn't　quite　such　a　nice　place　as　she

had　believed　it　to　be　earlier　in　the　evening。



〃I'm　just　tired　out　　that　is　what　is　the　matter　with　me；〃

she　said；　when　she　thankfully　found　herself　alone　in　her　own　room。

And　she　honestly　believed　it　was。　　But　a　certain　little　gush　of　joy；

as　from　some　secret；　unknown　spring；　bubbled　up　in　her　heart

the　next　evening；　when　she　saw　Gilbert　striding　down　through　the

Haunted　Wood　and　crossing　the　old　log　bridge　with　that　firm；

quick　step　of　his。　　So　Gilbert　was　not　going　to　spend　this　last

evening　with　Ruby　Gillis　after　all！



〃You　look　tired；　Anne；〃　he　said。



〃I　am　tired；　and；　worse　than　that；　I'm　disgruntled。　　I'm　tired

because　I've　been　packing　my　trunk　and　sewing　all　day。　　But　I'm

disgruntled　because　six　women　have　been　here　to　say　good…bye　to

me；　and　every　one　of　the　six　managed　to　say　something　that　seemed

to　take　the　color　right　out　of　life　and　leave　it　as　gray　and

dismal　and　cheerless　as　a　November　morning。〃



〃Spiteful　old　cats！〃　was　Gilbert's　elegant　comment。