anne of the island-第36章

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Boulters'。　　I　think　I　hear　him　coming　now。〃



Davy　burst　in；　saw　Anne；　stopped；　and　then　hurled　himself　upon

her　with　a　joyful　yell。



〃Oh；　Anne；　ain't　I　glad　to　see　you！　　Say；　Anne；　I've　grown　two　inches

since　last　fall。　　Mrs。　Lynde　measured　me　with　her　tape　today；　and　say；

Anne；　see　my　front　tooth。　　It's　gone。　　Mrs。　Lynde　tied　one　end　of　a

string　to　it　and　the　other　end　to　the　door；　and　then　shut　the　door。

I　sold　it　to　Milty　for　two　cents。　　Milty's　collecting　teeth。〃



〃What　in　the　world　does　he　want　teeth　for？〃　asked　Marilla。



〃To　make　a　necklace　for　playing　Indian　Chief；〃　explained　Davy；

climbing　upon　Anne's　lap。　　〃He's　got　fifteen　already；　and

everybody's　else's　promised；　so　there's　no　use　in　the　rest　of　us

starting　to　collect；　too。　　I　tell　you　the　Boulters　are　great

business　people。〃



〃Were　you　a　good　boy　at　Mrs。　Boulter's？〃　asked　Marilla　severely。



〃Yes；　but　say；　Marilla；　I'm　tired　of　being　good。〃



〃You'd　get　tired　of　being　bad　much　sooner；　Davy…boy；〃　said　Anne。



〃Well；　it'd　be　fun　while　it　lasted；　wouldn't　it？〃　persisted　Davy。

〃I　could　be　sorry　for　it　afterwards；　couldn't　I？〃



〃Being　sorry　wouldn't　do　away　with　the　consequences　of　being　bad；

Davy。　　Don't　you　remember　the　Sunday　last　summer　when　you　ran

away　from　Sunday　School？　　You　told　me　then　that　being　bad　wasn't

worth　while。　　What　were　you　and　Milty　doing　today？〃



〃Oh；　we　fished　and　chased　the　cat；　and　hunted　for　eggs；　and

yelled　at　the　echo。　　There's　a　great　echo　in　the　bush　behind　the

Boulter　barn。　　Say；　what　is　echo；　Anne；　I　want　to　know。〃



〃Echo　is　a　beautiful　nymph；　Davy；　living　far　away　in　the　woods；

and　laughing　at　the　world　from　among　the　hills。〃



〃What　does　she　look　like？〃



〃Her　hair　and　eyes　are　dark；　but　her　neck　and　arms　are　white　as　snow。

No　mortal　can　ever　see　how　fair　she　is。　　She　is　fleeter　than　a　deer；

and　that　mocking　voice　of　hers　is　all　we　can　know　of　her。　　You　can

hear　her　calling　at　night；　you　can　hear　her　laughing　under　the　stars。

But　you　can　never　see　her。　　She　flies　afar　if　you　follow　her；　and

laughs　at　you　always　just　over　the　next　hill。〃



〃Is　that　true；　Anne？　　Or　is　it　a　whopper？〃　demanded　Davy　staring。



〃Davy；〃　said　Anne　despairingly；　〃haven't　you　sense　enough　to

distinguish　between　a　fairytale　and　a　falsehood？〃



〃Then　what　is　it　that　sasses　back　from　the　Boulter　bush？　　I　want

to　know；〃　insisted　Davy。



〃When　you　are　a　little　older；　Davy；　I'll　explain　it　all　to　you。〃



The　mention　of　age　evidently　gave　a　new　turn　to　Davy's　thoughts

for　after　a　few　moments　of　reflection；　he　whispered　solemnly：



〃Anne；　I'm　going　to　be　married。〃



〃When？〃　asked　Anne　with　equal　solemnity。



〃Oh；　not　until　I'm　grown…up；　of　course。〃



〃Well；　that's　a　relief；　Davy。　　Who　is　the　lady？〃



〃Stella　Fletcher；　she's　in　my　class　at　school。　　And　say；　Anne；

she's　the　prettiest　girl　you　ever　saw。　　If　I　die　before　I　grow　up

you'll　keep　an　eye　on　her；　won't　you？〃



〃Davy　Keith；　do　stop　talking　such　nonsense；〃　said　Marilla　severely。



〃　'Tisn't　nonsense；〃　protested　Davy　in　an　injured　tone。　　〃She's

my　promised　wife；　and　if　I　was　to　die　she'd　be　my　promised　widow；

wouldn't　she？　　And　she　hasn't　got　a　soul　to　look　after　her　except

her　old　grandmother。〃



〃Come　and　have　your　supper；　Anne；〃　said　Marilla；　〃and　don't

encourage　that　child　in　his　absurd　talk。〃









Chapter　XXIII



Paul　Cannot　Find　the　Rock　People





Life　was　very　pleasant　in　Avonlea　that　summer；　although　Anne；

amid　all　her　vacation　joys；　was　haunted　by　a　sense　of　〃something

gone　which　should　be　there。〃　　She　would　not　admit；　even　in　her

inmost　reflections；　that　this　was　caused　by　Gilbert's　absence。

But　when　she　had　to　walk　home　alone　from　prayer　meetings　and

A。V。I。S。　pow…wows；　while　Diana　and　Fred；　and　many　other　gay　couples；

loitered　along　the　dusky；　starlit　country　roads；　there　was　a　queer；

lonely　ache　in　her　heart　which　she　could　not　explain　away。　　Gilbert

did　not　even　write　to　her；　as　she　thought　he　might　have　done。

She　knew　he　wrote　to　Diana　occasionally；　but　she　would　not　inquire

about　him；　and　Diana；　supposing　that　Anne　heard　from　him；　volunteered

no　information。　　Gilbert's　mother；　who　was　a　gay；　frank；　light…hearted

lady；　but　not　overburdened　with　tact；　had　a　very　embarrassing　habit　of

asking　Anne；　always　in　a　painfully　distinct　voice　and　always　in　the

presence　of　a　crowd；　if　she　had　heard　from　Gilbert　lately。　　Poor　Anne

could　only　blush　horribly　and　murmur；　〃not　very　lately；〃　which　was

taken　by　all；　Mrs。　Blythe　included；　to　be　merely　a　maidenly　evasion。



Apart　from　this；　Anne　enjoyed　her　summer。　　Priscilla　came　for　a

merry　visit　in　June；　and；　when　she　had　gone；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Irving；

Paul　and　Charlotta　the　Fourth　came　〃home〃　for　July　and　August。



Echo　Lodge　was　the　scene　of　gaieties　once　more；　and　the　echoes

over　the　river　were　kept　busy　mimicking　the　laughter　that　rang　in

the　old　garden　behind　the　spruces。



〃Miss　Lavendar〃　had　not　changed；　except　to　grow　even　sweeter　and

prettier。　　Paul　adored　her；　and　the　companionship　between　them

was　beautiful　to　see。



〃But　I　don't　call　her　‘mother'　just　by　itself；〃　he　explained　to

Anne。　　〃You　see；　THAT　name　belongs　just　to　my　own　little　mother；

and　I　can't　give　it　to　any　one　else。　　You　know；　teacher。　　But　I

call　her　‘Mother　Lavendar'　and　I　love　her　next　best　to　father。

I　　I　even　love　her　a　LITTLE　better　than　you；　teacher。〃



〃Which　is　just　as　it　ought　to　be；〃　answered　Anne。



Paul　was　thirteen　now　and　very　tall　for　his　years。　　His　face　and

eyes　were　as　beautiful　as　ever；　and　his　fancy　was　still　like　a　prism；

separating　everything　that　fell　upon　it　into　rainbows。　　He　and　Anne

had　delightful　rambles　to　wood　and　field　and　shore。　　Never　were　there

two　more　thoroughly　〃kindred　spirits。〃



Charlotta　the　Fourth　had　blossomed　out　into　young　ladyhood。　　She

wore　her　hair　now　in　an　enormous　pompador　and　had　discarded　the

blue　ribbon　bows　of　auld　lang　syne；　but　her　face　was　as　freckled；

her　nose　as　snubbed；　and　her　mouth　and　smiles　as　wide　as　ever。



〃You　don't　think　I　talk　with　a　Yankee　accent；　do　you；　Miss

Shirley；　ma'am？〃　she　demanded　anxiously。



〃I　don't　notice　it；　Charlotta。〃



〃I'm　real　glad　of　that。　　They　said　I　did　at　home；　but　I　thought

likely　they　just　wanted　to　aggravate　me。　　I　don't　want　no　Yankee

accent。　　Not　that　I've　a　word　to　say　against　the　Yankees；　Miss

Shirley；　ma'am。　　They're　real　civilized。　　But　give　me　old　P。E。

Island　every　time。〃



Paul　spent　his　first　fortnight　with　his　grandmother　Irving　in

Avonlea。　　Anne　was　there　to　meet　him　when　he　came；　and　found　him

wild　with　eagerness　to　get　to　the　shore　　Nora　and　the　Golden

Lady　and　the　Twin　Sailors　would　be　there。　　He　could　hardly　wait

to　eat　his　supper。　　Could　he　not　see　Nora's　elfin　face　peering

around　the　point；　watching　for　him　wistfully？　　But　it　was　a　very

sober　Paul　who　came　back　from　the　shore　in　the　twilight。



〃Didn't　you　find　your　Rock　People？〃　asked　Anne。



Paul　shook　his　chestnut　curls　sorrowfully。



〃The　Twin　Sailors　and　the　Golden　Lady　never　came　at　all；〃　he　said。

〃Nora　was　there　　but　Nora　is　not　the　same；　teacher。　　She　is　changed。〃



〃Oh；　Paul；　it　is　you　who　are　changed；〃　said　Anne。　　〃You　have

grown　too　old　for　the　Rock　People。　　They　like　only　children　for

playfellows。　　I　am　afraid　the　Twin　Sailors　will　never　again　come

to　you　in　the　pearly；　enchanted　boat　with　the　sail　of　moonshine；

and　the　Golden　Lady　will　play　no　more　for　you　on　her　golden　harp。

Even　Nora　will　not　meet　you　much　longer。　　You　must　pay　the　penalty

of　growing…up；　Paul。　　You　must　leave　fairyland　behind　you。〃



〃You　two　talk　as　much　foolishness　as　ever　you　did；〃　said　old

Mrs。　Irving；　half…indulgently；　half…reprovingly。



〃Oh；　no；　we　don't；〃　said　Anne；　shaking　her　head　gravely。　　〃We　are

getting　very；　very　wise；　and　it　is　such　a　pity。　　We　are　never

half　so　interesting　when　we　have　learned　that　language　is　given

us　to　enable　us　to　conceal　our　t