anne of the island-第41章

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〃Yes。　　And　I　sneezed　three　times　while　he　was　asking　me。

Wasn't　that　horrid？　　But　I　said　‘yes'　almost　before　he　finished

　I　was　so　afraid　he　might　change　his　mind　and　stop。　　I'm　besottedly

happy。　　I　couldn't　really　believe　before　that　Jonas　would　ever　care

for　frivolous　me。〃



〃Phil；　you're　not　really　frivolous；〃　said　Anne　gravely。　　〃'Way

down　underneath　that　frivolous　exterior　of　yours　you've　got　a

dear；　loyal；　womanly　little　soul。　　Why　do　you　hide　it　so？〃



〃I　can't　help　it；　Queen　Anne。　　You　are　right　　I'm　not　frivolous

at　heart。　　But　there's　a　sort　of　frivolous　skin　over　my　soul　and

I　can't　take　it　off。　　As　Mrs。　Poyser　says；　I'd　have　to　be　hatched

over　again　and　hatched　different　before　I　could　change　it。　　But

Jonas　knows　the　real　me　and　loves　me；　frivolity　and　all。　　And　I

love　him。　　I　never　was　so　surprised　in　my　life　as　I　was　when　I

found　out　I　loved　him。　　I'd　never　thought　it　possible　to　fall　in

love　with　an　ugly　man。　　Fancy　me　coming　down　to　one　solitary

beau。　　And　one　named　Jonas！　　But　I　mean　to　call　him　Jo。　　That's

such　a　nice；　crisp　little　name。　　I　couldn't　nickname　Alonzo。〃



〃What　about　Alec　and　Alonzo？〃



〃Oh；　I　told　them　at　Christmas　that　I　never　could　marry　either　of

them。　　It　seems　so　funny　now　to　remember　that　I　ever　thought　it

possible　that　I　might。　　They　felt　so　badly　I　just　cried　over　both

of　them　　howled。　　But　I　knew　there　was　only　one　man　in　the

world　I　could　ever　marry。　　I　had　made　up　my　own　mind　for　once　and

it　was　real　easy；　too。　　It's　very　delightful　to　feel　so　sure；　and

know　it's　your　own　sureness　and　not　somebody　else's。〃



〃Do　you　suppose　you'll　be　able　to　keep　it　up？〃



〃Making　up　my　mind；　you　mean？　　I　don't　know；　but　Jo　has　given　me

a　splendid　rule。　　He　says；　when　I'm　perplexed；　just　to　do　what　I

would　wish　I　had　done　when　I　shall　be　eighty。　　Anyhow；　Jo　can

make　up　his　mind　quickly　enough；　and　it　would　be　uncomfortable

to　have　too　much　mind　in　the　same　house。〃



〃What　will　your　father　and　mother　say？〃



〃Father　won't　say　much。　　He　thinks　everything　I　do　right。

But　mother　WILL　talk。　　Oh；　her　tongue　will　be　as　Byrney　as

her　nose。　　But　in　the　end　it　will　be　all　right。〃



〃You'll　have　to　give　up　a　good　many　things　you've　always　had；

when　you　marry　Mr。　Blake；　Phil。〃



〃But　I'll　have　HIM。　　I　won't　miss　the　other　things。　　We're　to　be

married　a　year　from　next　June。　　Jo　graduates　from　St。　Columbia

this　spring；　you　know。　　Then　he's　going　to　take　a　little　mission

church　down　on　Patterson　Street　in　the　slums。　　Fancy　me　in　the

slums！　　But　I'd　go　there　or　to　Greenland's　icy　mountains　with　him。〃



〃And　this　is　the　girl　who　would　NEVER　marry　a　man　who　wasn't　rich；〃

commented　Anne　to　a　young　pine　tree。



〃Oh；　don't　cast　up　the　follies　of　my　youth　to　me。　　I　shall　be

poor　as　gaily　as　I've　been　rich。　　You'll　see。　　I'm　going　to　learn

how　to　cook　and　make　over　dresses。　　I've　learned　how　to　market

since　I've　lived　at　Patty's　Place；　and　once　I　taught　a　Sunday

School　class　for　a　whole　summer。　　Aunt　Jamesina　says　I'll　ruin

Jo's　career　if　I　marry　him。　　But　I　won't。　　I　know　I　haven't　much

sense　or　sobriety；　but　I've　got　what　is　ever　so　much　better　

the　knack　of　making　people　like　me。　　There　is　a　man　in

Bolingbroke　who　lisps　and　always　testifies　in　prayer…meeting。

He　says；　'If　you　can't　thine　like　an　electric　thtar　thine　like

a　candlethtick。'　　I'll　be　Jo's　little　candlestick。〃



〃Phil；　you're　incorrigible。　　Well；　I　love　you　so　much　that

I　can't　make　nice；　light；　congratulatory　little　speeches。

But　I'm　heart…glad　of　your　happiness。〃



〃I　know。　　Those　big　gray　eyes　of　yours　are　brimming　over　with

real　friendship；　Anne。　　Some　day　I'll　look　the　same　way　at　you。

You're　going　to　marry　Roy；　aren't　you；　Anne？〃



〃My　dear　Philippa；　did　you　ever　hear　of　the　famous　Betty　Baxter；

who　‘refused　a　man　before　he'd　axed　her'？　　I　am　not　going　to

emulate　that　celebrated　lady　by　either　refusing　or　accepting　any

one　before　he　‘axes'　me。〃



〃All　Redmond　knows　that　Roy　is　crazy　about　you；〃　said　Phil　candidly。〃

And　you　DO　love　him；　don't　you；　Anne？〃



〃I　　I　suppose　so；〃　said　Anne　reluctantly。　　She　felt　that　she　ought

to　be　blushing　while　making　such　a　confession；　but　she　was　not；

on　the　other　hand；　she　always　blushed　hotly　when　any　one　said

anything　about　Gilbert　Blythe　or　Christine　Stuart　in　her　hearing。

Gilbert　Blythe　and　Christine　Stuart　were　nothing　to　her　

absolutely　nothing。　　But　Anne　had　given　up　trying　to　analyze

the　reason　of　her　blushes。　　As　for　Roy；　of　course　she　was　in

love　with　him　　madly　so。　　How　could　she　help　it？　　Was　he　not

her　ideal？　　Who　could　resist　those　glorious　dark　eyes；　and　that

pleading　voice？　　Were　not　half　the　Redmond　girls　wildly　envious？

And　what　a　charming　sonnet　he　had　sent　her；　with　a　box　of　violets；

on　her　birthday！　　Anne　knew　every　word　of　it　by　heart。　　It　was　very

good　stuff　of　its　kind；　too。　　Not　exactly　up　to　the　level　of　Keats　or

Shakespeare　　even　Anne　was　not　so　deeply　in　love　as　to　think　that。

But　it　was　very　tolerable　magazine　verse。　　And　it　was　addressed　to　HER　

not　to　Laura　or　Beatrice　or　the　Maid　of　Athens；　but　to　her；　Anne　Shirley。

To　be　told　in　rhythmical　cadences　that　her　eyes　were　stars　of　the　morning

　that　her　cheek　had　the　flush　it　stole　from　the　sunrise　　that　her

lips　were　redder　than　the　roses　of　Paradise；　was　thrillingly　romantic。

Gilbert　would　never　have　dreamed　of　writing　a　sonnet　to　her　eyebrows。

But　then；　Gilbert　could　see　a　joke。　　She　had　once　told　Roy　a　funny　story

　and　he　had　not　seen　the　point　of　it。　　She　recalled　the　chummy　laugh

she　and　Gilbert　had　had　together　over　it；　and　wondered　uneasily　if　life

with　a　man　who　had　no　sense　of　humor　might　not　be　somewhat　uninteresting

in　the　long　run。　　But　who　could　expect　a　melancholy；　inscrutable　hero　to

see　the　humorous　side　of　things？　　It　would　be　flatly　unreasonable。









Chapter　XXVIII



A　June　Evening





〃I　wonder　what　it　would　be　like　to　live　in　a　world　where　it　was

always　June；〃　said　Anne；　as　she　came　through　the　spice　and　bloom

of　the　twilit　orchard　to　the　front　door　steps；　where　Marilla　and

Mrs。　Rachel　were　sitting；　talking　over　Mrs。　Samson　Coates'　funeral；

which　they　had　attended　that　day。　　Dora　sat　between　them；　diligently

studying　her　lessons；　but　Davy　was　sitting　tailor…fashion　on　the　grass；

looking　as　gloomy　and　depressed　as　his　single　dimple　would　let　him。



〃You'd　get　tired　of　it；〃　said　Marilla；　with　a　sigh。



〃I　daresay；　but　just　now　I　feel　that　it　would　take　me　a　long

time　to　get　tired　of　it；　if　it　were　all　as　charming　as　today。

Everything　loves　June。　　Davy…boy；　why　this　melancholy　November

face　in　blossom…time？〃



〃I'm　just　sick　and　tired　of　living；〃　said　the　youthful　pessimist。



〃At　ten　years？　　Dear　me；　how　sad！〃



〃I'm　not　making　fun；〃　said　Davy　with　dignity。　　〃I'm　dis　　dis　

discouraged〃　　bringing　out　the　big　word　with　a　valiant　effort。



〃Why　and　wherefore？〃　asked　Anne；　sitting　down　beside　him。



〃'Cause　the　new　teacher　that　come　when　Mr。　Holmes　got　sick　give

me　ten　sums　to　do　for　Monday。　　It'll　take　me　all　day　tomorrow　to

do　them。　　It　isn't　fair　to　have　to　work　Saturdays。　　Milty　Boulter

said　he　wouldn't　do　them；　but　Marilla　says　I've　got　to。　　I　don't

like　Miss　Carson　a　bit。〃



〃Don't　talk　like　that　about　your　teacher；　Davy　Keith；〃　said

Mrs。　Rachel　severely。　　〃Miss　Carson　is　a　very　fine　girl。

There　is　no　nonsense　about　her。〃



〃That　doesn't　sound　very　attractive；〃　laughed　Anne。　　〃I　like

people　to　have　a　little　nonsense　about　them。　　But　I'm　inclined

to　have　a　better　opinion　of　Miss　Carson　than　you　have。　　I　saw　her

in　prayer…meeting　last　night；　and　she　has　a　pair　of　eyes　that

can't　always　look　sensible。　　Now；　Davy…boy；　take　heart　of　grace。

‘Tomorrow　will　bring　another　day'　and　I'll　help　you　with　the　sums

as　far　as　in　me　lies。　　Don't　waste　this　lovely　hour　‘twixt　light

and　dark　worrying　over　arithmetic。〃



〃Well；　I　won't；〃　said　Davy；　brightening　up。　　〃If　you　help　me

with　the　s