anne of the island-第49章

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glory　lead　but　to　the　grave。'　　They　must　either　be　murdered　or　die

of　a　broken　heart。　　There　was　no　escape　for　them。〃



〃Let　me　read　some　of　your　stories。〃



〃Well；　here's　my　masterpiece。　　Note　its　cheerful　title　　‘My　Graves。'

I　shed　quarts　of　tears　while　writing　it；　and　the　other　girls　shed　gallons

while　I　read　it。　　Jane　Andrews'　mother　scolded　her　frightfully　because

she　had　so　many　handkerchiefs　in　the　wash　that　week。　　It's　a　harrowing

tale　of　the　wanderings　of　a　Methodist　minister's　wife。　　I　made　her　a

Methodist　because　it　was　necessary　that　she　should　wander。　　She　buried

a　child　every　place　she　lived　in。　　There　were　nine　of　them　and　their

graves　were　severed　far　apart；　ranging　from　Newfoundland　to　Vancouver。

I　described　the　children；　pictured　their　several　death　beds；　and

detailed　their　tombstones　and　epitaphs。　　I　had　intended　to　bury　the

whole　nine　but　when　I　had　disposed　of　eight　my　invention　of　horrors

gave　out　and　I　permitted　the　ninth　to　live　as　a　hopeless　cripple。〃



While　Stella　read　My　Graves；　punctuating　its　tragic　paragraphs

with　chuckles；　and　Rusty　slept　the　sleep　of　a　just　cat　who　has

been　out　all　night　curled　up　on　a　Jane　Andrews　tale　of　a　beautiful

maiden　of　fifteen　who　went　to　nurse　in　a　leper　colony　　of　course

dying　of　the　loathsome　disease　finally　　Anne　glanced　over　the　other

manuscripts　and　recalled　the　old　days　at　Avonlea　school　when　the　members

of　the　Story　Club；　sitting　under　the　spruce　trees　or　down　among　the

ferns　by　the　brook；　had　written　them。　　What　fun　they　had　had！

How　the　sunshine　and　mirth　of　those　olden　summers　returned　as　she　read。

Not　all　the　glory　that　was　Greece　or　the　grandeur　that　was　Rome　could

weave　such　wizardry　as　those　funny；　tearful　tales　of　the　Story　Club。

Among　the　manuscripts　Anne　found　one　written　on　sheets　of　wrapping　paper。

A　wave　of　laughter　filled　her　gray　eyes　as　she　recalled　the　time　and

place　of　its　genesis。　　It　was　the　sketch　she　had　written　the　day　she

fell　through　the　roof　of　the　Cobb　duckhouse　on　the　Tory　Road。



Anne　glanced　over　it；　then　fell　to　reading　it　intently。　　It　was　a

little　dialogue　between　asters　and　sweet…peas；　wild　canaries　in　the

lilac　bush；　and　the　guardian　spirit　of　the　garden。　　After　she　had

read　it；　she　sat；　staring　into　space；　and　when　Stella　had　gone　she

smoothed　out　the　crumpled　manuscript。



〃I　believe　I　will；〃　she　said　resolutely。









Chapter　XXXVI



The　Gardners'Call





〃Here　is　a　letter　with　an　Indian　stamp　for　you；　Aunt　Jimsie；〃

said　Phil。　　〃Here　are　three　for　Stella；　and　two　for　Pris；　and　a

glorious　fat　one　for　me　from　Jo。　　There's　nothing　for　you；　Anne；

except　a　circular。〃



Nobody　noticed　Anne's　flush　as　she　took　the　thin　letter　Phil　tossed

her　carelessly。　　But　a　few　minutes　later　Phil　looked　up　to　see　a

transfigured　Anne。



〃Honey；　what　good　thing　has　happened？〃



〃The　Youth's　Friend　has　accepted　a　little　sketch　I　sent　them　a

fortnight　ago；〃　said　Anne；　trying　hard　to　speak　as　if　she　were

accustomed　to　having　sketches　accepted　every　mail；　but　not

quite　succeeding。



〃Anne　Shirley！　　How　glorious！　　What　was　it？　　When　is　it　to　be

published？　　Did　they　pay　you　for　it？〃



〃Yes；　they've　sent　a　check　for　ten　dollars；　and　the　editor　writes

that　he　would　like　to　see　more　of　my　work。　　Dear　man；　he　shall。

It　was　an　old　sketch　I　found　in　my　box。　　I　re…wrote　it　and　sent

it　in　　but　I　never　really　thought　it　could　be　accepted　because

it　had　no　plot；〃　said　Anne；　recalling　the　bitter　experience　of

Averil's　Atonement。



〃What　are　you　going　to　do　with　that　ten　dollars；　Anne？　　Let's　all

go　up　town　and　get　drunk；〃　suggested　Phil。



〃I　AM　going　to　squander　it　in　a　wild　soulless　revel　of　some　sort；〃

declared　Anne　gaily。　　〃At　all　events　it　isn't　tainted　money　

like　the　check　I　got　for　that　horrible　Reliable　Baking　Powder　story。

I　spent　IT　usefully　for　clothes　and　hated　them　every　time　I　put　them　on。〃



〃Think　of　having　a　real　live　author　at　Patty's　Place；〃　said　Priscilla。



〃It's　a　great　responsibility；〃　said　Aunt　Jamesina　solemnly。



〃Indeed　it　is；〃　agreed　Pris　with　equal　solemnity。　　〃Authors　are

kittle　cattle。　　You　never　know　when　or　how　they　will　break　out。

Anne　may　make　copy　of　us。〃



〃I　meant　that　the　ability　to　write　for　the　Press　was　a　great

responsibility；〃　said　Aunt　Jamesina　severely。　　〃and　I　hope　Anne

realizes；　it。　　My　daughter　used　to　write　stories　before　she　went

to　the　foreign　field；　but　now　she　has　turned　her　attention　to

higher　things。　　She　used　to　say　her　motto　was　‘Never　write　a　line

you　would　be　ashamed　to　read　at　your　own　funeral。'　　You'd　better

take　that　for　yours；　Anne；　if　you　are　going　to　embark　in　literature。

Though；　to　be　sure；〃　added　Aunt　Jamesina　perplexedly；　〃Elizabeth

always　used　to　laugh　when　she　said　it。　　She　always　laughed　so　much

that　I　don't　know　how　she　ever　came　to　decide　on　being　a　missionary。

I'm　thankful　she　did　　I　prayed　that　she　might　　but　　I　wish

she　hadn't。〃



Then　Aunt　Jamesina　wondered　why　those　giddy　girls　all　laughed。



Anne's　eyes　shone　all　that　day；　literary　ambitions　sprouted　and

budded　in　her　brain；　their　exhilaration　accompanied　her　to　Jennie

Cooper's　walking　party；　and　not　even　the　sight　of　Gilbert　and

Christine；　walking　just　ahead　of　her　and　Roy；　could　quite　subdue

the　sparkle　of　her　starry　hopes。　　Nevertheless；　she　was　not　so

rapt　from　things　of　earth　as　to　be　unable　to　notice　that

Christine's　walk　was　decidedly　ungraceful。



〃But　I　suppose　Gilbert　looks　only　at　her　face。　　So　like　a　man；〃

thought　Anne　scornfully。



〃Shall　you　be　home　Saturday　afternoon？〃　asked　Roy。



〃Yes。〃



〃My　mother　and　sisters　are　coming　to　call　on　you；〃　said　Roy　quietly。



Something　went　over　Anne　which　might　be　described　as　a　thrill；　but

it　was　hardly　a　pleasant　one。　　She　had　never　met　any　of　Roy's　family；

she　realized　the　significance　of　his　statement；　and　it　had；　somehow；

an　irrevocableness　about　it　that　chilled　her。



〃I　shall　be　glad　to　see　them；〃　she　said　flatly；　and　then　wondered

if　she　really　would　be　glad。　　She　ought　to　be；　of　course。　　But

would　it　not　be　something　of　an　ordeal？　　Gossip　had　filtered　to

Anne　regarding　the　light　in　which　the　Gardners　viewed　the

〃infatuation〃　of　son　and　brother。　　Roy　must　have　brought　pressure

to　bear　in　the　matter　of　this　call。　　Anne　knew　she　would　be

weighed　in　the　balance。　　From　the　fact　that　they　had　consented　to

call　she　understood　that；　willingly　or　unwillingly；　they　regarded

her　as　a　possible　member　of　their　clan。



〃I　shall　just　be　myself。　　I　shall　not　TRY　to　make　a　good　impression；〃

thought　Anne　loftily。　　But　she　was　wondering　what　dress　she　would

better　wear　Saturday　afternoon；　and　if　the　new　style　of　high

hair…dressing　would　suit　her　better　than　the　old；　and　the　walking

party　was　rather　spoiled　for　her。　　By　night　she　had　decided　that　she

would　wear　her　brown　chiffon　on　Saturday；　but　would　do　her　hair　low。



Friday　afternoon　none　of　the　girls　had　classes　at　Redmond。

Stella　took　the　opportunity　to　write　a　paper　for　the　Philomathic

Society；　and　was　sitting　at　the　table　in　the　corner　of　the

living…room　with　an　untidy　litter　of　notes　and　manuscript　on　the

floor　around　her。　　Stella　always　vowed　she　never　could　write

anything　unless　she　threw　each　sheet　down　as　she　completed　it。

Anne；　in　her　flannel　blouse　and　serge　skirt；　with　her　hair　rather

blown　from　her　windy　walk　home；　was　sitting　squarely　in　the

middle　of　the　floor；　teasing　the　Sarah…cat　with　a　wishbone。

Joseph　and　Rusty　were　both　curled　up　in　her　lap。　　A　warm　plummy

odor　filled　the　whole　house；　for　Priscilla　was　cooking　in　the

kitchen。　　Presently　she　came　in；　enshrouded　in　a　huge　work…apron；

with　a　smudge　of　flour　on　her　nose；　to　show　Aunt　Jamesina　the

chocolate　cake　she　had　just　iced。



At　this　auspicious　moment　the　knocker　sounded。　　Nobody　paid　any

attention　to　it　save　Phil；　who　sprang　up　and　opened　it；　expecting

a　boy　with　the　hat　she　had　bought　that　morning。　　On　the　doorstep

stood　M