anne of the island-第33章

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look　pretty　nice；　Anne？〃



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

in　honest　admiration。



〃Of　course　I　do。　　What　are　looking　glasses　and　men　for？　　That　wasn't

what　I　meant。　　Are　all　my　ends　tucked　in？　　Is　my　skirt　straight？

And　would　this　rose　look　better　lower　down？　　I'm　afraid　it's　too　high

　it　will　make　me　look　lop…sided。　　But　I　hate　things　tickling　my　ears。〃



〃Everything　is　just　right；　and　that　southwest　dimple　of　yours　is　lovely。〃



〃Anne；　there's　one　thing　in　particular　I　like　about　you　　you're

so　ungrudging。　　There　isn't　a　particle　of　envy　in　you。〃



〃Why　should　she　be　envious？〃　demanded　Aunt　Jamesina。　　〃She's　not　quite

as　goodlooking　as　you；　maybe；　but　she's　got　a　far　handsomer　nose。〃



〃I　know　it；〃　conceded　Phil。



〃My　nose　always　has　been　a　great　comfort　to　me；〃　confessed　Anne。



〃And　I　love　the　way　your　hair　grows　on　your　forehead；　Anne。　　And

that　one　wee　curl；　always　looking　as　if　it　were　going　to　drop；

but　never　dropping；　is　delicious。　　But　as　for　noses；　mine　is　a

dreadful　worry　to　me。　　I　know　by　the　time　I'm　forty　it　will　be

Byrney。　　What　do　you　think　I'll　look　like　when　I'm　forty；　Anne？〃



〃Like　an　old；　matronly；　married　woman；〃　teased　Anne。



〃I　won't；〃　said　Phil；　sitting　down　comfortably　to　wait　for　her　escort。

〃Joseph；　you　calico　beastie；　don't　you　dare　jump　on　my　lap。　　I　won't　go

to　a　dance　all　over　cat　hairs。　　No；　Anne；　I　WON'T　look　matronly。　　But　no

doubt　I'll　be　married。〃



〃To　Alec　or　Alonzo？〃　asked　Anne。



〃To　one　of　them；　I　suppose；〃　sighed　Phil；　〃if　I　can　ever　decide　which。〃



〃It　shouldn't　be　hard　to　decide；〃　scolded　Aunt　Jamesina。



〃I　was　born　a　see…saw　Aunty；　and　nothing　can　ever　prevent　me　from　teetering。〃



〃You　ought　to　be　more　levelheaded；　Philippa。〃



〃It's　best　to　be　levelheaded；　of　course；〃　agreed　Philippa；　〃but　you　miss

lots　of　fun。　　As　for　Alec　and　Alonzo；　if　you　knew　them　you'd　understand

why　it's　difficult　to　choose　between　them。　　They're　equally　nice。〃



〃Then　take　somebody　who　is　nicer〃　suggested　Aunt　Jamesina。

〃There's　that　Senior　who　is　so　devoted　to　you　　Will　Leslie。

He　has　such　nice；　large；　mild　eyes。〃



〃They're　a　little　bit　too　large　and　too　mild　　like　a　cow's；〃

said　Phil　cruelly。



〃What　do　you　say　about　George　Parker？〃



〃There's　nothing　to　say　about　him　except　that　he　always　looks　as

if　he　had　just　been　starched　and　ironed。〃



〃Marr　Holworthy　then。　　You　can't　find　a　fault　with　him。〃



〃No；　he　would　do　if　he　wasn't　poor。　　I　must　marry　a　rich　man；

Aunt　Jamesina。　　That　　and　good　looks　　is　an　indispensable

qualification。　　I'd　marry　Gilbert　Blythe　if　he　were　rich。〃



〃Oh；　would　you？〃　said　Anne；　rather　viciously。



〃We　don't　like　that　idea　a　little　bit；　although　we　don't　want

Gilbert　ourselves；　oh；　no；〃　mocked　Phil。　　〃But　don't　let's　talk

of　disagreeable　subjects。　　I'll　have　to　marry　sometime；　I　suppose；

but　I　shall　put　off　the　evil　day　as　long　as　I　can。〃



〃You　mustn't　marry　anybody　you　don't　love；　Phil；　when　all's　said

and　done；〃　said　Aunt　Jamesina。



　　　　　　〃‘Oh；　hearts　that　loved　in　the　good　old　way

　　　　　　Have　been　out　o'　the　fashion　this　many　a　day。'〃



trilled　Phil　mockingly。　　〃There's　the　carriage。　　I　fly　　Bi…bi；

you　two　old…fashioned　darlings。〃



When　Phil　had　gone　Aunt　Jamesina　looked　solemnly　at　Anne。



〃That　girl　is　pretty　and　sweet　and　goodhearted；　but　do　you　think

she　is　quite　right　in　her　mind；　by　spells；　Anne？〃



〃Oh；　I　don't　think　there's　anything　the　matter　with　Phil's　mind；〃

said　Anne；　hiding　a　smile。　　〃It's　just　her　way　of　talking。〃



Aunt　Jamesina　shook　her　head。



〃Well；　I　hope　so；　Anne。　　I　do　hope　so；　because　I　love　her。　　But　_I_

can't　understand　her　　she　beats　me。　　She　isn't　like　any　of　the

girls　I　ever　knew；　or　any　of　the　girls　I　was　myself。〃



〃How　many　girls　were　you；　Aunt　Jimsie？〃



〃About　half　a　dozen；　my　dear。〃









Chapter　XX



Gilbert　Speaks





〃This　has　been　a　dull；　prosy　day；〃　yawned　Phil；　stretching

herself　idly　on　the　sofa；　having　previously　dispossessed　two

exceedingly　indignant　cats。



Anne　looked　up　from　Pickwick　Papers。　　Now　that　spring

examinations　were　over　she　was　treating　herself　to　Dickens。



〃It　has　been　a　prosy　day　for　us；〃　she　said　thoughtfully；　〃but　to

some　people　it　has　been　a　wonderful　day。　　Some　one　has　been

rapturously　happy　in　it。　　Perhaps　a　great　deed　has　been　done

somewhere　today　　or　a　great　poem　written　　or　a　great　man　born。

And　some　heart　has　been　broken；　Phil。〃



〃Why　did　you　spoil　your　pretty　thought　by　tagging　that　last

sentence　on；　honey？〃　grumbled　Phil。　　〃I　don't　like　to　think　of

broken　hearts　　or　anything　unpleasant。〃



〃Do　you　think　you'll　be　able　to　shirk　unpleasant　things　all　your

life；　Phil？〃



〃Dear　me；　no。　　Am　I　not　up　against　them　now？　　You　don't　call　Alec　and

Alonzo　pleasant　things；　do　you；　when　they　simply　plague　my　life　out？〃



〃You　never　take　anything　seriously；　Phil。〃



〃Why　should　I？　　There　are　enough　folks　who　do。　　The　world　needs

people　like　me；　Anne；　just　to　amuse　it。　　It　would　be　a　terrible

place　if　EVERYBODY　were　intellectual　and　serious　and　in　deep；

deadly　earnest。　　MY　mission　is；　as　Josiah　Allen　says；　‘to　charm

and　allure。'　　Confess　now。　　Hasn't　life　at　Patty's　Place　been

really　much　brighter　and　pleasanter　this　past　winter　because

I've　been　here　to　leaven　you？〃



〃Yes；　it　has；〃　owned　Anne。



〃And　you　all　love　me　　even　Aunt　Jamesina；　who　thinks　I'm　stark　mad。

So　why　should　I　try　to　be　different？　　Oh；　dear；　I'm　so　sleepy。　　I　was

awake　until　one　last　night；　reading　a　harrowing　ghost　story。　　I　read

it　in　bed；　and　after　I　had　finished　it　do　you　suppose　I　could　get　out

of　bed　to　put　the　light　out？　　No！　　And　if　Stella　had　not　fortunately

come　in　late　that　lamp　would　have　burned　good　and　bright　till　morning。

When　I　heard　Stella　I　called　her　in；　explained　my　predicament；　and　got

her　to　put　out　the　light。　　If　I　had　got　out　myself　to　do　it　I　knew

something　would　grab　me　by　the　feet　when　I　was　getting　in　again。

By　the　way；　Anne；　has　Aunt　Jamesina　decided　what　to　do　this　summer？〃



〃Yes；　she's　going　to　stay　here。　　I　know　she's　doing　it　for　the

sake　of　those　blessed　cats；　although　she　says　it's　too　much

trouble　to　open　her　own　house；　and　she　hates　visiting。〃



〃What　are　you　reading？〃



〃Pickwick。〃



〃That's　a　book　that　always　makes　me　hungry；〃　said　Phil。　　〃There's　so

much　good　eating　in　it。　　The　characters　seem　always　to　be　reveling

on　ham　and　eggs　and　milk　punch。　　I　generally　go　on　a　cupboard　rummage

after　reading　Pickwick。　　The　mere　thought　reminds　me　that　I'm　starving。

Is　there　any　tidbit　in　the　pantry；　Queen　Anne？〃



〃I　made　a　lemon　pie　this　morning。　　You　may　have　a　piece　of　it。〃



Phil　dashed　out　to　the　pantry　and　Anne　betook　herself　to　the

orchard　in　company　with　Rusty。　　It　was　a　moist；　pleasantly…

odorous　night　in　early　spring。　　The　snow　was　not　quite　all　gone

from　the　park；　a　little　dingy　bank　of　it　yet　lay　under　the　pines

of　the　harbor　road；　screened　from　the　influence　of　April　suns。

It　kept　the　harbor　road　muddy；　and　chilled　the　evening　air。

But　grass　was　growing　green　in　sheltered　spots　and　Gilbert

had　found　some　pale；　sweet　arbutus　in　a　hidden　corner。

He　came　up　from　the　park；　his　hands　full　of　it。



Anne　was　sitting　on　the　big　gray　boulder　in　the　orchard　looking

at　the　poem　of　a　bare；　birchen　bough　hanging　against　the　pale　red

sunset　with　the　very　perfection　of　grace。　　She　was　building　a

castle　in　air　　a　wondrous　mansion　whose　sunlit　courts　and

stately　halls　were　steeped　in　Araby's　perfume；　and　where　she

reigned　queen　and　chatelaine。　　She　frowned　as　she　saw　Gilbert

coming　through　the　orchard。　　Of　late　she　had　managed　not　to　be

left　alone　with　Gilbert。　　But　he　had　caught　her　fairly　now；　and

even　Rusty　had　deserted　her。



Gilbert　sat　down　beside　her　on　the　boulder　and　held　out　his　Mayflowers。



〃Don't　these　remind　you　of　home　and　our　old　schoolday　picnics；　Anne？〃



Anne