anne of the island-第44章

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It　was　worth　looking　after；　too；　mind　you　that。　　It's　a　handsome　house。

Jog　along；　black　mare。　　As　for　Thomas；　he　was　poor；　and　if　his　house

didn't　leak　in　dry　weather　it　was　about　all　that　could　be　said　for　it；

though　it　looks　kind　of　pictureaskew。　　But；　y'see；　I　loved　Thomas；　and

I　didn't　care　one　red　cent　for　W。O。　　So　I　argued　it　out　with　myself。

‘Sarah　Crowe；'　say　I　　my　first　was　a　Crowe　　‘you　can　marry

your　rich　man　if　you　like　but　you　won't　be　happy。　　Folks　can't

get　along　together　in　this　world　without　a　little　bit　of　love。

You'd　just　better　tie　up　to　Thomas；　for　he　loves　you　and　you　love

him　and　nothing　else　ain't　going　to　do　you。'　　Jog　along；　black　mare。

So　I　told　Thomas　I'd　take　him。　　All　the　time　I　was　getting　ready

I　never　dared　drive　past　W。O。's　place　for　fear　the　sight　of　that

fine　house　of　his　would　put　me　in　the　swithers　again。　　But　now　I

never　think　of　it　at　all；　and　I'm　just　that　comfortable　and　happy

with　Thomas。　　Jog　along；　black　mare。〃



〃How　did　William　Obadiah　take　it？〃　queried　Anne。



〃Oh；　he　rumpussed　a　bit。　　But　he's　going　to　see　a　skinny　old　maid

in　Millersville　now；　and　I　guess　she'll　take　him　fast　enough。

She'll　make　him　a　better　wife　than　his　first　did。　　W。O。　never

wanted　to　marry　her。　　He　just　asked　her　to　marry　him　'cause　his

father　wanted　him　to；　never　dreaming　but　that　she'd　say　‘no。'

But　mind　you；　she　said　'yes。'　　There　was　a　predicament　for　you。

Jog　along；　black　mare。　　She　was　a　great　housekeeper；　but　most

awful　mean。　　She　wore　the　same　bonnet　for　eighteen　years。　　Then　she

got　a　new　one　and　W。O。　met　her　on　the　road　and　didn't　know　her。

Jog　along；　black　mare。　　I　feel　that　I'd　a　narrer　escape。　　I　might

have　married　him　and　been　most　awful　miserable；　like　my　poor

cousin；　Jane　Ann。　　Jane　Ann　married　a　rich　man　she　didn't　care

anything　about；　and　she　hasn't　the　life　of　a　dog。　　She　come　to

see　me　last　week　and　says；　says　she；　‘Sarah　Skinner；　I　envy　you。

I'd　rather　live　in　a　little　hut　on　the　side　of　the　road　with　a

man　I　was　fond　of　than　in　my　big　house　with　the　one　I've　got。'

Jane　Ann's　man　ain't　such　a　bad　sort；　nuther；　though　he's　so

contrary　that　he　wears　his　fur　coat　when　the　thermometer's

at　ninety。　　The　only　way　to　git　him　to　do　anything　is　to　coax

him　to　do　the　opposite。　　But　there　ain't　any　love　to　smooth

things　down　and　it's　a　poor　way　of　living。　　Jog　along；　black　mare。

There's　Janet's　place　in　the　hollow　　‘Wayside；'　she　calls　it。

Quite　pictureaskew；　ain't　it？　　I　guess　you'll　be　glad　to　git

out　of　this；　with　all　them　mail　bags　jamming　round　you。〃



〃Yes；　but　I　have　enjoyed　my　drive　with　you　very　much；〃　said

Anne　sincerely。



〃Git　away　now！〃　said　Mrs。　Skinner；　highly　flattered。　　〃Wait　till

I　tell　Thomas　that。　　He　always　feels　dretful　tickled　when　I　git

a　compliment。　　Jog　along；　black　mare。　　Well；　here　we　are。　　I　hope

you'll　git　on　well　in　the　school；　miss。　　There's　a　short　cut　to

it　through　the　ma'sh　back　of　Janet's。　　If　you　take　that　way　be

awful　keerful。　　If　you　once　got　stuck　in　that　black　mud　you'd　be

sucked　right　down　and　never　seen　or　heard　tell　of　again　till　the

day　of　judgment；　like　Adam　Palmer's　cow。　　Jog　along；　black　mare。〃







Chapter　XXXI



Anne　to　Philippa





〃Anne　Shirley　to　Philippa　Gordon；　greeting。



〃Well…beloved；　it's　high　time　I　was　writing　you。　　Here　am　I；

installed　once　more　as　a　country　‘schoolma'am'　at　Valley　Road；

boarding　at　‘Wayside；'　the　home　of　Miss　Janet　Sweet。　　Janet　is　a

dear　soul　and　very　nicelooking；　tall；　but　not　over…tall；　stoutish；

yet　with　a　certain　restraint　of　outline　suggestive　of　a　thrifty

soul　who　is　not　going　to　be　overlavish　even　in　the　matter　of

avoirdupois。　　She　has　a　knot　of　soft；　crimpy；　brown　hair　with

a　thread　of　gray　in　it；　a　sunny　face　with　rosy　cheeks；　and　big；

kind　eyes　as　blue　as　forget…me…nots。　　Moreover；　she　is　one　of　those

delightful；　old…fashioned　cooks　who　don't　care　a　bit　if　they　ruin

your　digestion　as　long　as　they　can　give　you　feasts　of　fat　things。



〃I　like　her；　and　she　likes　me　　principally；　it　seems；　because

she　had　a　sister　named　Anne　who　died　young。



〃‘I'm　real　glad　to　see　you；'　she　said　briskly；　when　I　landed　in　her　yard。

‘My；　you　don't　look　a　mite　like　I　expected。　　I　was　sure　you'd　be　dark　

my　sister　Anne　was　dark。　　And　here　you're　redheaded！'



〃For　a　few　minutes　I　thought　I　wasn't　going　to　like　Janet　as　much

as　I　had　expected　at　first　sight。　　Then　I　reminded　myself　that　I

really　must　be　more　sensible　than　to　be　prejudiced　against　any

one　simply　because　she　called　my　hair　red。　　Probably　the　word

‘auburn'　was　not　in　Janet's　vocabulary　at　all。



〃‘Wayside'　is　a　dear　sort　of　little　spot。　　The　house　is　small

and　white；　set　down　in　a　delightful　little　hollow　that　drops

away　from　the　road。　　Between　road　and　house　is　an　orchard　and

flower…garden　all　mixed　up　together。　　The　front　door　walk　is

bordered　with　quahog　clam…shells　　‘cow…hawks；'　Janet　calls　them；

there　is　Virginia　Creeper　over　the　porch　and　moss　on　the　roof。

My　room　is　a　neat　little　spot　‘off　the　parlor'　　just　big

enough　for　the　bed　and　me。　　Over　the　head　of　my　bed　there　is　a

picture　of　Robby　Burns　standing　at　Highland　Mary's　grave；

shadowed　by　an　enormous　weeping　willow　tree。　　Robby's　face　is

so　lugubrious　that　it　is　no　wonder　I　have　bad　dreams。　　Why；　the

first　night　I　was　here　I　dreamed　I　COULDN'T　LAUGH。



〃The　parlor　is　tiny　and　neat。　　Its　one　window　is　so　shaded　by　a

huge　willow　that　the　room　has　a　grotto…like　effect　of　emerald　gloom。

There　are　wonderful　tidies　on　the　chairs；　and　gay　mats　on　the　floor；

and　books　and　cards　carefully　arranged　on　a　round　table；　and　vases

of　dried　grass　on　the　mantel…piece。　　Between　the　vases　is　a　cheerful

decoration　of　preserved　coffin　plates　　five　in　all；　pertaining

respectively　to　Janet's　father　and　mother；　a　brother；　her　sister　Anne；

and　a　hired　man　who　died　here　once！　　If　I　go　suddenly　insane　some　of

these　days　‘know　all　men　by　these　presents'　that　those　coffin…plates

have　caused　it。



〃But　it's　all　delightful　and　I　said　so。　　Janet　loved　me　for　it；

just　as　she　detested　poor　Esther　because　Esther　had　said　so　much

shade　was　unhygienic　and　had　objected　to　sleeping　on　a　feather　bed。

Now；　I　glory　in　feather…beds；　and　the　more　unhygienic　and　feathery

they　are　the　more　I　glory。　　Janet　says　it　is　such　a　comfort　to　see

me　eat；　she　had　been　so　afraid　I　would　be　like　Miss　Haythorne；　who

wouldn't　eat　anything　but　fruit　and　hot　water　for　breakfast　and　tried

to　make　Janet　give　up　frying　things。　　Esther　is　really　a　dear　girl；

but　she　is　rather　given　to　fads。　　The　trouble　is　that　she　hasn't

enough　imagination　and　HAS　a　tendency　to　indigestion。



〃Janet　told　me　I　could　have　the　use　of　the　parlor　when　any　young

men　called！　　I　don't　think　there　are　many　to　call。　　I　haven't

seen　a　young　man　in　Valley　Road　yet；　except　the　next…door

hired　boy　　Sam　Toliver；　a　very　tall；　lank；　tow…haired　youth。

He　came　over　one　evening　recently　and　sat　for　an　hour　on　the

garden　fence；　near　the　front　porch　where　Janet　and　I　were　doing

fancy…work。　　The　only　remarks　he　volunteered　in　all　that　time

were；　‘Hev　a　peppermint；　miss！　　Dew　now…fine　thing　for　carARRH；

peppermints；'　and；　‘Powerful　lot　o'　jump…grasses　round　here

ternight。　　Yep。'



〃But　there　is　a　love　affair　going　on　here。　　It　seems　to　be　my

fortune　to　be　mixed　up；　more　or　less　actively；　with　elderly　love

affairs。　　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Irving　always　say　that　I　brought　about

their　marriage。　　Mrs。　Stephen　Clark　of　Carmody　persists　in　being

most　grateful　to　me　for　a　suggestion　which　somebody　else　would

probably　have　made　if　I　hadn't。　　I　do　really　think；　though；　that

Ludovic　Speed　would　never　have　got　any　further　along　than　placid

courtship　if　I　had　not　helped　him　and　Theodora　Dix　out。



〃In　the　present　affair　I　am　only　a　passive　spectator。　　I've　tried

once　to　help　things　along　and　made　an　awful　mess　of　it。　　So　I

shall　not　meddle　again。　　I'll　tell　you　all　about　it　when　we　meet。〃









Chapter　XXXII