anne of the island-第45章

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









Chapter　XXXII



Tea　with　Mrs。　Douglas





On　the　first　Thursday　night　of　Anne's　sojourn　in　Valley　Road

Janet　asked　her　to　go　to　prayer…meeting。　　Janet　blossomed　out

like　a　rose　to　attend　that　prayer…meeting。　　She　wore　a　pale…blue；

pansy…sprinkled　muslin　dress　with　more　ruffles　than　one　would　ever

have　supposed　economical　Janet　could　be　guilty　of；　and　a　white

leghorn　hat　with　pink　roses　and　three　ostrich　feathers　on　it。

Anne　felt　quite　amazed。　　Later　on；　she　found　out　Janet's　motive

in　so　arraying　herself　　a　motive　as　old　as　Eden。



Valley　Road　prayer…meetings　seemed　to　be　essentially　feminine。

There　were　thirty…two　women　present；　two　half…grown　boys；　and　one

solitary　man；　beside　the　minister。　　Anne　found　herself　studying

this　man。　　He　was　not　handsome　or　young　or　graceful；　he　had

remarkably　long　legs　　so　long　that　he　had　to　keep　them　coiled

up　under　his　chair　to　dispose　of　them　　and　he　was　stoopshouldered。

His　hands　were　big；　his　hair　wanted　barbering；　and　his　moustache

was　unkempt。　　But　Anne　thought　she　liked　his　face；　it　was　kind　and

honest　and　tender；　there　was　something　else　in　it；　too　　just　what；

Anne　found　it　hard　to　define。　　She　finally　concluded　that　this　man　had

suffered　and　been　strong；　and　it　had　been　made　manifest　in　his　face。

There　was　a　sort　of　patient；　humorous　endurance　in　his　expression

which　indicated　that　he　would　go　to　the　stake　if　need　be；　but　would

keep　on　looking　pleasant　until　he　really　had　to　begin　squirming。



When　prayer…meeting　was　over　this　man　came　up　to　Janet　and　said；



〃May　I　see　you　home；　Janet？〃



Janet　took　his　arm　　〃as　primly　and　shyly　as　if　she　were　no　more

than　sixteen；　having　her　first　escort　home；〃　Anne　told　the　girls

at　Patty's　Place　later　on。



〃Miss　Shirley；　permit　me　to　introduce　Mr。　Douglas；〃　she　said　stiffly。



Mr。　Douglas　nodded　and　said；　〃I　was　looking　at　you　in　prayer…meeting；

miss；　and　thinking　what　a　nice　little　girl　you　were。〃



Such　a　speech　from　ninety…nine　people　out　of　a　hundred　would　have

annoyed　Anne　bitterly；　but　the　way　in　which　Mr。　Douglas　said　it　made

her　feel　that　she　had　received　a　very　real　and　pleasing　compliment。

She　smiled　appreciatively　at　him　and　dropped　obligingly　behind　on

the　moonlit　road。



So　Janet　had　a　beau！　　Anne　was　delighted。　　Janet　would　make　a　paragon

of　a　wife　　cheery；　economical；　tolerant；　and　a　very　queen　of　cooks。

It　would　be　a　flagrant　waste　on　Nature's　part　to　keep　her　a　permanent

old　maid。



〃John　Douglas　asked　me　to　take　you　up　to　see　his　mother；〃　said

Janet　the　next　day。　　〃She's　bed…rid　a　lot　of　the　time　and　never

goes　out　of　the　house。　　But　she's　powerful　fond　of　company　and

always　wants　to　see　my　boarders。　　Can　you　go　up　this　evening？〃



Anne　assented；　but　later　in　the　day　Mr。　Douglas　called　on　his

mother's　behalf　to　invite　them　up　to　tea　on　Saturday　evening。



〃Oh；　why　didn't　you　put　on　your　pretty　pansy　dress？〃　asked　Anne；

when　they　left　home。　　It　was　a　hot　day；　and　poor　Janet；　between

her　excitement　and　her　heavy　black　cashmere　dress；　looked　as　if

she　were　being　broiled　alive。



〃Old　Mrs。　Douglas　would　think　it　terrible　frivolous　and　unsuitable；

I'm　afraid。　　John　likes　that　dress；　though；〃　she　added　wistfully。



The　old　Douglas　homestead　was　half　a　mile　from　〃Wayside〃　cresting

a　windy　hill。　　The　house　itself　was　large　and　comfortable；　old

enough　to　be　dignified；　and　girdled　with　maple　groves　and　orchards。

There　were　big；　trim　barns　behind　it；　and　everything　bespoke　prosperity。

Whatever　the　patient　endurance　in　Mr。　Douglas'　face　had　meant　it　hadn't；

so　Anne　reflected；　meant　debts　and　duns。



John　Douglas　met　them　at　the　door　and　took　them　into　the

sitting…room；　where　his　mother　was　enthroned　in　an　armchair。



Anne　had　expected　old　Mrs。　Douglas　to　be　tall　and　thin；　because

Mr。　Douglas　was。　　Instead；　she　was　a　tiny　scrap　of　a　woman；　with

soft　pink　cheeks；　mild　blue　eyes；　and　a　mouth　like　a　baby's。

Dressed　in　a　beautiful；　fashionably…made　black　silk　dress；

with　a　fluffy　white　shawl　over　her　shoulders；　and　her　snowy

hair　surmounted　by　a　dainty　lace　cap；　she　might　have　posed

as　a　grandmother　doll。



〃How　do　you　do；　Janet　dear？〃　she　said　sweetly。　　〃I　am　so　glad　to

see　you　again；　dear。〃　　She　put　up　her　pretty　old　face　to　be　kissed。

〃And　this　is　our　new　teacher。　　I'm　delighted　to　meet　you。　　My　son

has　been　singing　your　praises　until　I'm　half　jealous；　and　I'm　sure

Janet　ought　to　be　wholly　so。〃



Poor　Janet　blushed；　Anne　said　something　polite　and　conventional；

and　then　everybody　sat　down　and　made　talk。　　It　was　hard　work；

even　for　Anne；　for　nobody　seemed　at　ease　except　old　Mrs。　Douglas；

who　certainly　did　not　find　any　difficulty　in　talking。　　She　made

Janet　sit　by　her　and　stroked　her　hand　occasionally。　　Janet　sat

and　smiled；　looking　horribly　uncomfortable　in　her　hideous　dress；

and　John　Douglas　sat　without　smiling。



At　the　tea　table　Mrs。　Douglas　gracefully　asked　Janet　to　pour

the　tea。　　Janet　turned　redder　than　ever　but　did　it。　　Anne　wrote

a　description　of　that　meal　to　Stella。



〃We　had　cold　tongue　and　chicken　and　strawberry　preserves；　lemon

pie　and　tarts　and　chocolate　cake　and　raisin　cookies　and　pound　cake

and　fruit　cake　　and　a　few　other　things；　including　more　pie

　caramel　pie；　I　think　it　was。　　After　I　had　eaten　twice　as　much

as　was　good　for　me；　Mrs。　Douglas　sighed　and　said　she　feared　she

had　nothing　to　tempt　my　appetite。



〃‘I'm　afraid　dear　Janet's　cooking　has　spoiled　you　for　any　other；'

she　said　sweetly。　　‘Of　course　nobody　in　Valley　Road　aspires　to

rival　HER。　　WON'T　you　have　another　piece　of　pie；　Miss　Shirley？

You　haven't　eaten　ANYTHING。'



〃Stella；　I　had　eaten　a　helping　of　tongue　and　one　of　chicken；

three　biscuits；　a　generous　allowance　of　preserves；　a　piece　of

pie；　a　tart；　and　a　square　of　chocolate　cake！〃



After　tea　Mrs。　Douglas　smiled　benevolently　and　told　John　to

take　〃dear　Janet〃　out　into　the　garden　and　get　her　some　roses。

〃Miss　Shirley　will　keep　me　company　while　you　are　out　

won't　you？〃　she　said　plaintively。　　She　settled　down　in　her

armchair　with　a　sigh。



〃I　am　a　very　frail　old　woman；　Miss　Shirley。　　For　over　twenty

years　I've　been　a　great　sufferer。　　For　twenty　long；　weary　years

I've　been　dying　by　inches。〃



〃How　painful！〃　said　Anne；　trying　to　be　sympathetic　and　succeeding

only　in　feeling　idiotic。



〃There　have　been　scores　of　nights　when　they've　thought　I　could

never　live　to　see　the　dawn；〃　went　on　Mrs。　Douglas　solemnly。

〃Nobody　knows　what　I've　gone　through　　nobody　can　know　but

myself。　　Well；　it　can't　last　very　much　longer　now。　　My　weary

pilgrimage　will　soon　be　over；　Miss　Shirley。　　It　is　a　great

comfort　to　me　that　John　will　have　such　a　good　wife　to　look　after

him　when　his　mother　is　gone　　a　great　comfort；　Miss　Shirley。〃



〃Janet　is　a　lovely　woman；〃　said　Anne　warmly。



〃Lovely！　　A　beautiful　character；〃　assented　Mrs。　Douglas。　　〃And　a

perfect　housekeeper　　something　I　never　was。　　My　health　would

not　permit　it；　Miss　Shirley。　　I　am　indeed　thankful　that　John　has

made　such　a　wise　choice。　　I　hope　and　believe　that　he　will　be　happy。

He　is　my　only　son；　Miss　Shirley；　and　his　happiness　lies　very　near

my　heart。〃



〃Of　course；〃　said　Anne　stupidly。　　For　the　first　time　in　her　life

she　was　stupid。　　Yet　she　could　not　imagine　why。　　She　seemed　to

have　absolutely　nothing　to　say　to　this　sweet；　smiling；　angelic

old　lady　who　was　patting　her　hand　so　kindly。



〃Come　and　see　me　soon　again；　dear　Janet；〃　said　Mrs。　Douglas

lovingly；　when　they　left。　　〃You　don't　come　half　often　enough。

But　then　I　suppose　John　will　be　bringing　you　here　to　stay　all　the

time　one　of　these　days。〃　　Anne；　happening　to　glance　at　John

Douglas；　as　his　mother　spoke；　gave　a　positive　start　of　dismay。

He　looked　as　a　tortured　man　might　look　when　his　tormentors　gave

the　rack　the　last　turn　of　possible　endurance。　She　felt　sure　he

must　be　ill　and　hurried　poor　blushing　Janet　away。