anne of the island-第4章

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dismal　and　cheerless　as　a　November　morning。〃



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



〃Oh；　no；　they　weren't；〃　said　Anne　seriously。　　〃That　is　just　the

trouble。　　If　they　had　been　spiteful　cats　I　wouldn't　have　minded

them。　　But　they　are　all　nice；　kind；　motherly　souls；　who　like　me

and　whom　I　like；　and　that　is　why　what　they　said；　or　hinted；　had

such　undue　weight　with　me。　　They　let　me　see　they　thought　I　was

crazy　going　to　Redmond　and　trying　to　take　a　B。A。；　and　ever　since

I've　been　wondering　if　I　am。　　Mrs。　Peter　Sloane　sighed　and　said

she　hoped　my　strength　would　hold　out　till　I　got　through；　and　at

once　I　saw　myself　a　hopeless　victim　of　nervous　prostration　at　the

end　of　my　third　year；　Mrs。　Eben　Wright　said　it　must　cost　an　awful

lot　to　put　in　four　years　at　Redmond；　and　I　felt　all　over　me　that

it　was　unpardonable　of　me　to　squander　Marilla's　money　and　my　own

on　such　a　folly。　　Mrs。　Jasper　Bell　said　she　hoped　I　wouldn't　let

college　spoil　me；　as　it　did　some　people；　and　I　felt　in　my　bones

that　the　end　of　my　four　Redmond　years　would　see　me　a　most

insufferable　creature；　thinking　I　knew　it　all；　and　looking　down

on　everything　and　everybody　in　Avonlea；　Mrs。　Elisha　Wright　said

she　understood　that　Redmond　girls；　especially　those　who　belonged

to　Kingsport；　were　'dreadful　dressy　and　stuck…up；'　and　she

guessed　I　wouldn't　feel　much　at　home　among　them；　and　I　saw

myself；　a　snubbed；　dowdy；　humiliated　country　girl；　shuffling

through　Redmond's　classic　halls　in　coppertoned　boots。〃



Anne　ended　with　a　laugh　and　a　sigh　commingled。　　With　her　sensitive

nature　all　disapproval　had　weight；　even　the　disapproval　of　those

for　whose　opinions　she　had　scant　respect。　　For　the　time　being　life

was　savorless；　and　ambition　had　gone　out　like　a　snuffed　candle。



〃You　surely　don't　care　for　what　they　said；〃　protested　Gilbert。

〃You　know　exactly　how　narrow　their　outlook　on　life　is；　excellent

creatures　though　they　are。　　To　do　anything　THEY　have　never　done

is　anathema　maranatha。　　You　are　the　first　Avonlea　girl　who　has

ever　gone　to　college；　and　you　know　that　all　pioneers　are　considered

to　be　afflicted　with　moonstruck　madness。〃



〃Oh；　I　know。　　But　FEELING　is　so　different　from　KNOWING。　　My　common

sense　tells　me　all　you　can　say；　but　there　are　times　when　common

sense　has　no　power　over　me。　　Common　nonsense　takes　possession　of

my　soul。　　Really；　after　Mrs。　Elisha　went　away　I　hardly　had　the

heart　to　finish　packing。〃



〃You're　just　tired；　Anne。　　Come；　forget　it　all　and　take　a　walk

with　me　　a　ramble　back　through　the　woods　beyond　the　marsh。

There　should　be　something　there　I　want　to　show　you。〃



〃Should　be！　　Don't　you　know　if　it　is　there？〃



〃No。　　I　only　know　it　should　be；　from　something　I　saw　there　in　spring。

Come　on。　　We'll　pretend　we　are　two　children　again　and　we'll　go　the

way　of　the　wind。〃



They　started　gaily　off。　　Anne；　remembering　the　unpleasantness　of

the　preceding　evening；　was　very　nice　to　Gilbert；　and　Gilbert；　who

was　learning　wisdom；　took　care　to　be　nothing　save　the　schoolboy

comrade　again。　　Mrs。　Lynde　and　Marilla　watched　them　from　the

kitchen　window。



〃That'll　be　a　match　some　day；〃　Mrs。　Lynde　said　approvingly。



Marilla　winced　slightly。　　In　her　heart　she　hoped　it　would；　but　it

went　against　her　grain　to　hear　the　matter　spoken　of　in　Mrs。　Lynde's

gossipy　matter…of…fact　way。



〃They're　only　children　yet；〃　she　said　shortly。



Mrs。　Lynde　laughed　good…naturedly。



〃Anne　is　eighteen；　I　was　married　when　I　was　that　age。　　We　old

folks；　Marilla；　are　too　much　given　to　thinking　children　never

grow　up；　that's　what。　　Anne　is　a　young　woman　and　Gilbert's　a　man；

and　he　worships　the　ground　she　walks　on；　as　any　one　can　see。

He's　a　fine　fellow；　and　Anne　can't　do　better。　　I　hope　she　won't

get　any　romantic　nonsense　into　her　head　at　Redmond。　　I　don't

approve　of　them　coeducational　places　and　never　did；　that's　what。

I　don't　believe；〃　concluded　Mrs。　Lynde　solemnly；　〃that　the

students　at　such　colleges　ever　do　much　else　than　flirt。〃



〃They　must　study　a　little；〃　said　Marilla；　with　a　smile。



〃Precious　little；〃　sniffed　Mrs。　Rachel。　　〃However；　I　think　Anne

will。　　She　never　was　flirtatious。　　But　she　doesn't　appreciate

Gilbert　at　his　full　value；　that's　what。　　Oh；　I　know　girls！

Charlie　Sloane　is　wild　about　her；　too；　but　I'd　never　advise　her

to　marry　a　Sloane。　　The　Sloanes　are　good；　honest；　respectable　people；

of　course。　　But　when　all's　said　and　done；　they're　SLOANES。〃



Marilla　nodded。　　To　an　outsider；　the　statement　that　Sloanes　were

Sloanes　might　not　be　very　illuminating；　but　she　understood。

Every　village　has　such　a　family；　good；　honest；　respectable　people

they　may　be；　but　SLOANES　they　are　and　must　ever　remain；　though

they　speak　with　the　tongues　of　men　and　angels。



Gilbert　and　Anne；　happily　unconscious　that　their　future　was　thus

being　settled　by　Mrs。　Rachel；　were　sauntering　through　the　shadows

of　the　Haunted　Wood。　　Beyond；　the　harvest　hills　were　basking　in

an　amber　sunset　radiance；　under　a　pale；　aerial　sky　of　rose　and　blue。

The　distant　spruce　groves　were　burnished　bronze；　and　their　long　shadows

barred　the　upland　meadows。　　But　around　them　a　little　wind　sang　among

the　fir　tassels；　and　in　it　there　was　the　note　of　autumn。



〃This　wood　really　is　haunted　now　　by　old　memories；〃　said　Anne；

stooping　to　gather　a　spray　of　ferns；　bleached　to　waxen　whiteness

by　frost。　　〃It　seems　to　me　that　the　little　girls　Diana　and　I　used

to　be　play　here　still；　and　sit　by　the　Dryad's　Bubble　in　the

twilights；　trysting　with　the　ghosts。　　Do　you　know；　I　can　never　go

up　this　path　in　the　dusk　without　feeling　a　bit　of　the　old　fright

and　shiver？　　There　was　one　especially　horrifying　phantom　which　we

created　　the　ghost　of　the　murdered　child　that　crept　up　behind

you　and　laid　cold　fingers　on　yours。　　I　confess　that；　to　this　day；

I　cannot　help　fancying　its　little；　furtive　footsteps　behind　me

when　I　come　here　after　nightfall。　　I'm　not　afraid　of　the　White

Lady　or　the　headless　man　or　the　skeletons；　but　I　wish　I　had　never

imagined　that　baby's　ghost　into　existence。　　How　angry　Marilla

and　Mrs。　Barry　were　over　that　affair；〃　concluded　Anne；　with

reminiscent　laughter。



The　woods　around　the　head　of　the　marsh　were　full　of　purple　vistas；

threaded　with　gossamers。　　Past　a　dour　plantation　of　gnarled　spruces

and　a　maple…fringed；　sun…warm　valley　they　found　the　〃something〃

Gilbert　was　looking　for。



〃Ah；　here　it　is；〃　he　said　with　satisfaction。



〃An　apple　tree　　and　away　back　here！〃　exclaimed　Anne　delightedly。



〃Yes；　a　veritable　apple…bearing　apple　tree；　too；　here　in　the　very

midst　of　pines　and　beeches；　a　mile　away　from　any　orchard。　　I　was

here　one　day　last　spring　and　found　it；　all　white　with　blossom。

So　I　resolved　I'd　come　again　in　the　fall　and　see　if　it　had　been

apples。　　See；　it's　loaded。　　They　look　good；　too　　tawny　as

russets　but　with　a　dusky　red　cheek。　　Most　wild　seedlings　are

green　and　uninviting。〃



〃I　suppose　it　sprang　years　ago　from　some　chance…sown　seed；〃　said

Anne　dreamily。〃　　And　how　it　has　grown　and　flourished　and　held　its

own　here　all　alone　among　aliens；　the　brave　determined　thing！〃



〃Here's　a　fallen　tree　with　a　cushion　of　moss。　　Sit　down；　Anne　

it　will　serve　for　a　woodland　throne。　　I'll　climb　for　some　apples。

They　all　grow　high　　the　tree　had　to　reach　up　to　the　sunlight。〃



The　apples　proved　to　be　delicious。　　Under　the　tawny　skin　was　a

white；　white　flesh；　faintly　veined　with　red；　and；　besides　their

own　proper　apple　taste；　they　had　a　certain　wild；　delightful　tang

no　orchard…grown　apple　ever　possessed。



〃The　fatal　apple　of　Eden　couldn't　have　had　a　rarer　flavor；〃

commented　Anne。　　〃But　it's　time　we　were　going　home。　　See；　it　was

twilight　three　minutes　ago　and　now　it's　moonlight。　　What　a　pity

we　couldn't　have　caught　the　moment　of　transformation。　　But　such

moments　never　are　caught；　I　suppose。〃



〃Let's　go　back　around　the　marsh　and　home　by　way　of　Lover's　Lane。

Do　you　feel　as　disgruntled　now　as　when　you　started　out；　Anne？〃