anne of the island-第32章

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afternoons；　I　just　think　things　and　say　them　to　Milty　Boulter　next

day　in　school。　　I　told　Milty　the　story　about　Elisha　and　the　bears

and　it　scared　him　so　he's　never　made　fun　of　Mr。　Harrison's　bald

head　once。　　Are　there　any　bears　on　P。E。　Island；　Anne？　　I　want　to　know。〃



〃Not　nowadays；〃　said　Anne；　absently；　as　the　wind　blew　a　scud　of

snow　against　the　window。　　〃Oh；　dear；　will　it　ever　stop　storming。〃



〃God　knows；〃　said　Davy　airily；　preparing　to　resume　his　reading。



Anne　WAS　shocked　this　time。



〃Davy！〃　she　exclaimed　reproachfully。



〃Mrs。　Lynde　says　that；〃　protested　Davy。　　〃One　night　last　week

Marilla　said　‘Will　Ludovic　Speed　and　Theodora　Dix　EVER　get

married〃　and　Mrs。　Lynde　said；　‘God　knows'　　just　like　that。〃



〃Well；　it　wasn't　right　for　her　to　say　it；〃　said　Anne；　promptly

deciding　upon　which　horn　of　this　dilemma　to　empale　herself。

〃It　isn't　right　for　anybody　to　take　that　name　in　vain　or

speak　it　lightly；　Davy。　　Don't　ever　do　it　again。〃



〃Not　if　I　say　it　slow　and　solemn；　like　the　minister？〃　queried

Davy　gravely。



〃No；　not　even　then。〃



〃Well；　I　won't。　　Ludovic　Speed　and　Theodora　Dix　live　in　Middle

Grafton　and　Mrs。　Rachel　says　he　has　been　courting　her　for　a

hundred　years。　　Won't　they　soon　be　too　old　to　get　married；　Anne？

I　hope　Gilbert　won't　court　YOU　that　long。　　When　are　you　going　to

be　married；　Anne？　　Mrs。　Lynde　says　it's　a　sure　thing。〃



〃Mrs。　Lynde　is　a　〃　began　Anne　hotly；　then　stopped。　　〃Awful　old

gossip；〃　completed　Davy　calmly。　　〃That's　what　every　one　calls　her。

But　is　it　a　sure　thing；　Anne？　　I　want　to　know。〃



〃You're　a　very　silly　little　boy；　Davy；〃　said　Anne；　stalking

haughtily　out　of　the　room。　　The　kitchen　was　deserted　and　she　sat

down　by　the　window　in　the　fast　falling　wintry　twilight。　　The　sun

had　set　and　the　wind　had　died　down。　　A　pale　chilly　moon　looked

out　behind　a　bank　of　purple　clouds　in　the　west。　　The　sky　faded

out；　but　the　strip　of　yellow　along　the　western　horizon　grew

brighter　and　fiercer；　as　if　all　the　stray　gleams　of　light　were

concentrating　in　one　spot；　the　distant　hills；　rimmed　with

priest…like　firs；　stood　out　in　dark　distinctness　against　it。

Anne　looked　across　the　still；　white　fields；　cold　and　lifeless

in　the　harsh　light　of　that　grim　sunset；　and　sighed。　　She　was

very　lonely；　and　she　was　sad　at　heart；　for　she　was　wondering

if　she　would　be　able　to　return　to　Redmond　next　year。　　It　did　not

seem　likely。　　The　only　scholarship　possible　in　the　Sophomore　year

was　a　very　small　affair。　　She　would　not　take　Marilla's　money；

and　there　seemed　little　prospect　of　being　able　to　earn　enough

in　the　summer　vacation。



〃I　suppose　I'll　just　have　to　drop　out　next　year；〃　she　thought

drearily；　〃and　teach　a　district　school　again　until　I　earn　enough

to　finish　my　course。　　And　by　that　time　all　my　old　class　will　have

graduated　and　Patty's　Place　will　be　out　of　the　question。　　But　there！

I'm　not　going　to　be　a　coward。　　I'm　thankful　I　can　earn　my　way　through

if　necessary。〃



〃Here's　Mr。　Harrison　wading　up　the　lane；〃　announced　Davy；　running　out。

〃I　hope　he's　brought　the　mail。　　It's　three　days　since　we　got　it。

I　want　to　see　what　them　pesky　Grits　are　doing。　　I'm　a　Conservative；　Anne。

And　I　tell　you；　you　have　to　keep　your　eye　on　them　Grits。〃



Mr。　Harrison　had　brought　the　mail；　and　merry　letters　from　Stella

and　Priscilla　and　Phil　soon　dissipated　Anne's　blues。　　Aunt　Jamesina；

too；　had　written；　saying　that　she　was　keeping　the　hearth…fire　alight；

and　that　the　cats　were　all　well；　and　the　house　plants　doing　fine。



〃The　weather　has　been　real　cold；〃　she　wrote；　〃so　I　let　the　cats　sleep

in　the　house　　Rusty　and　Joseph　on　the　sofa　in　the　living…room；　and

the　Sarah…cat　on　the　foot　of　my　bed。　　It's　real　company　to　hear　her

purring　when　I　wake　up　in　the　night　and　think　of　my　poor　daughter　in

the　foreign　field。　　If　it　was　anywhere　but　in　India　I　wouldn't　worry；

but　they　say　the　snakes　out　there　are　terrible。　　It　takes　all　the

Sarah…cats's　purring　to　drive　away　the　thought　of　those　snakes。

I　have　enough　faith　for　everything　but　the　snakes。　　I　can't　think

why　Providence　ever　made　them。　　Sometimes　I　don't　think　He　did。

I'm　inclined　to　believe　the　Old　Harry　had　a　hand　in　making　THEM。〃



Anne　had　left　a　thin；　typewritten　communication　till　the　last；

thinking　it　unimportant。　　When　she　had　read　it　she　sat　very

still；　with　tears　in　her　eyes。



〃What　is　the　matter；　Anne？〃　asked　Marilla。



〃Miss　Josephine　Barry　is　dead；〃　said　Anne；　in　a　low　tone。



〃So　she　has　gone　at　last；〃　said　Marilla。　　〃Well；　she　has　been

sick　for　over　a　year；　and　the　Barrys　have　been　expecting　to　hear

of　her　death　any　time。　　It　is　well　she　is　at　rest　for　she　has

suffered　dreadfully；　Anne。　　She　was　always　kind　to　you。〃



〃She　has　been　kind　to　the　last；　Marilla。　　This　letter　is　from　her　lawyer。

She　has　left　me　a　thousand　dollars　in　her　will。〃



〃Gracious；　ain't　that　an　awful　lot　of　money；〃　exclaimed　Davy。

〃She's　the　woman　you　and　Diana　lit　on　when　you　jumped　into

the　spare　room　bed；　ain't　she？　　Diana　told　me　that　story。

Is　that　why　she　left　you　so　much？〃



〃Hush；　Davy；〃　said　Anne　gently。　　She　slipped　away　to　the　porch

gable　with　a　full　heart；　leaving　Marilla　and　Mrs。　Lynde　to　talk

over　the　news　to　their　hearts'　content。



〃Do　you　s'pose　Anne　will　ever　get　married　now？〃　speculated　Davy

anxiously。　　〃When　Dorcas　Sloane　got　married　last　summer　she　said

if　she'd　had　enough　money　to　live　on　she'd　never　have　been

bothered　with　a　man；　but　even　a　widower　with　eight　children　was

better'n　living　with　a　sister…in…law。〃



〃Davy　Keith；　do　hold　your　tongue；〃　said　Mrs。　Rachel　severely。

〃The　way　you　talk　is　scandalous　for　a　small　boy；　that's　what。〃









Chapter　XIX



An　Interlude





〃To　think　that　this　is　my　twentieth　birthday；　and　that　I've　left

my　teens　behind　me　forever；〃　said　Anne；　who　was　curled　up　on　the

hearth…rug　with　Rusty　in　her　lap；　to　Aunt　Jamesina　who　was　reading

in　her　pet　chair。　　They　were　alone　in　the　living　room。　　Stella　and

Priscilla　had　gone　to　a　committee　meeting　and　Phil　was　upstairs

adorning　herself　for　a　party。



〃I　suppose　you　feel　kind　of；　sorry〃　said　Aunt　Jamesina。　　〃The　teens　are

such　a　nice　part　of　life。　　I'm　glad　I've　never　gone　out　of　them　myself。〃



Anne　laughed。



〃You　never　will；　Aunty。　　You'll　be　eighteen　when　you　should　be　a

hundred。　　Yes；　I'm　sorry；　and　a　little　dissatisfied　as　well。

Miss　Stacy　told　me　long　ago　that　by　the　time　I　was　twenty　my

character　would　be　formed；　for　good　or　evil。　　I　don't　feel　that

it's　what　it　should　be。　　It's　full　of　flaws。〃



〃So's　everybody's；〃　said　Aunt　Jamesina　cheerfully。　　〃Mine's　cracked

in　a　hundred　places。　　Your　Miss　Stacy　likely　meant　that　when　you　are

twenty　your　character　would　have　got　its　permanent　bent　in　one　direction

or　'tother；　and　would　go　on　developing　in　that　line。　　Don't　worry　over　it；

Anne。　　Do　your　duty　by　God　and　your　neighbor　and　yourself；　and　have　a　good

time。　　That's　my　philosophy　and　it's　always　worked　pretty　well。　　Where's

Phil　off　to　tonight？〃



〃She's　going　to　a　dance；　and　she's　got　the　sweetest　dress　for　it

　creamy　yellow　silk　and　cobwebby　lace。　　It　just　suits　those

brown　tints　of　hers。〃



〃There's　magic　in　the　words　‘silk'　and　‘lace；'　isn't　there？〃　said

Aunt　Jamesina。　　〃The　very　sound　of　them　makes　me　feel　like

skipping　off　to　a　dance。　　And　YELLOW　silk。　　It　makes　one　think　of

a　dress　of　sunshine。　　I　always　wanted　a　yellow　silk　dress；　but

first　my　mother　and　then　my　husband　wouldn't　hear　of　it。　　The

very　first　thing　I'm　going　to　do　when　I　get　to　heaven　is　to　get　a

yellow　silk　dress。〃



Amid　Anne's　peal　of　laughter　Phil　came　downstairs；　trailing　clouds

of　glory；　and　surveyed　herself　in　the　long　oval　mirror　on　the　wall。



〃A　flattering　looking　glass　is　a　promoter　of　amiability；〃　she

said。　　〃The　one　in　my　room　does　certainly　make　me　green。　　Do　I

look　pretty　nice；　Anne？〃



〃Do　you　really　know　how　pretty　you　are；　Phil？〃　asked　Anne；

in　honest　admiration。