anne of the island-第51章

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the　heart　to　love　it；　and　the　hand　to　gather　it　to　ourselves　

so　much　in　men　and　women；　so　much　in　art　and　literature；　so　much

everywhere　in　which　to　delight；　and　for　which　to　be　thankful。'

I　think　Redmond　has　taught　me　that　in　some　measure；　Anne。〃



〃Judging　from　what　you　all；　say〃　remarked　Aunt　Jamesina；

〃the　sum　and　substance　is　that　you　can　learn　　if　you've　got

natural　gumption　enough　　in　four　years　at　college　what　it

would　take　about　twenty　years　of　living　to　teach　you。　　Well；

that　justifies　higher　education　in　my　opinion。　　It's　a　matter

I　was　always　dubious　about　before。〃



〃But　what　about　people　who　haven't　natural　gumption；　Aunt　Jimsie？〃



〃People　who　haven't　natural　gumption　never　learn；〃　retorted

Aunt　Jamesina；　〃neither　in　college　nor　life。　　If　they　live　to

be　a　hundred　they　really　don't　know　anything　more　than　when　they

were　born。　　It's　their　misfortune　not　their　fault；　poor　souls。

But　those　of　us　who　have　some　gumption　should　duly　thank　the

Lord　for　it。〃



〃Will　you　please　define　what　gumption　is；　Aunt　Jimsie？〃　asked　Phil。



〃No；　I　won't；　young　woman。　　Any　one　who　has　gumption　knows　what

it　is；　and　any　one　who　hasn't　can　never　know　what　it　is。　　So　there

is　no　need　of　defining　it。〃



The　busy　days　flew　by　and　examinations　were　over。　　Anne　took

High　Honors　in　English。　　Priscilla　took　Honors　in　Classics；　and

Phil　in　Mathematics。　　Stella　obtained　a　good　all…round　showing。

Then　came　Convocation。



〃This　is　what　I　would　once　have　called　an　epoch　in　my　life；〃

said　Anne；　as　she　took　Roy's　violets　out　of　their　box　and　gazed

at　them　thoughtfully。　　She　meant　to　carry　them；　of　course；　but

her　eyes　wandered　to　another　box　on　her　table。　　It　was　filled

with　lilies…of…the…valley；　as　fresh　and　fragrant　as　those　which

bloomed　in　the　Green　Gables　yard　when　June　came　to　Avonlea。

Gilbert　Blythe's　card　lay　beside　it。



Anne　wondered　why　Gilbert　should　have　sent　her　flowers　for　Convocation。

She　had　seen　very　little　of　him　during　the　past　winter。　　He　had　come　to

Patty's　Place　only　one　Friday　evening　since　the　Christmas　holidays；

and　they　rarely　met　elsewhere。　　She　knew　he　was　studying　very　hard；

aiming　at　High　Honors　and　the　Cooper　Prize；　and　he　took　little　part

in　the　social　doings　of　Redmond。　　Anne's　own　winter　had　been　quite

gay　socially。　　She　had　seen　a　good　deal　of　the　Gardners；　she　and

Dorothy　were　very　intimate；　college　circles　expected　the　announcement

of　her　engagement　to　Roy　any　day。　　Anne　expected　it　herself。　　Yet

just　before　she　left　Patty's　Place　for　Convocation　she　flung　Roy's

violets　aside　and　put　Gilbert's　lilies…of…the…valley　in　their　place。

She　could　not　have　told　why　she　did　it。　　Somehow；　old　Avonlea　days

and　dreams　and　friendships　seemed　very　close　to　her　in　this　attainment

of　her　long…cherished　ambitions。　　She　and　Gilbert　had　once　picturedout

merrily　the　day　on　which　they　should　be　capped　and　gowned　graduates　in

Arts。　　The　wonderful　day　had　come　and　Roy's　violets　had　no　place　in　it。

Only　her　old　friend's　flowers　seemed　to　belong　to　this　fruition　of

old…blossoming　hopes　which　he　had　once　shared。



For　years　this　day　had　beckoned　and　allured　to　her；　but　when　it

came　the　one　single；　keen；　abiding　memory　it　left　with　her　was

not　that　of　the　breathless　moment　when　the　stately　president　of

Redmond　gave　her　cap　and　diploma　and　hailed　her　B。A。；　it　was　not

of　the　flash　in　Gilbert's　eyes　when　he　saw　her　lilies；　nor　the

puzzled　pained　glance　Roy　gave　her　as　he　passed　her　on　the　platform。

It　was　not　of　Aline　Gardner's　condescending　congratulations；　or

Dorothy's　ardent；　impulsive　good　wishes。　　It　was　of　one　strange；

unaccountable　pang　that　spoiled　this　long…expected　day　for　her

and　left　in　it　a　certain　faint　but　enduring　flavor　of　bitterness。



The　Arts　graduates　gave　a　graduation　dance　that　night。　　When　Anne

dressed　for　it　she　tossed　aside　the　pearl　beads　she　usually　wore

and　took　from　her　trunk　the　small　box　that　had　come　to　Green　Gables

on　Christmas　day。　　In　it　was　a　thread…like　gold　chain　with　a　tiny

pink　enamel　heart　as　a　pendant。　　On　the　accompanying　card　was　written；

〃With　all　good　wishes　from　your　old　chum；　Gilbert。〃　　Anne；　laughing

over　the　memory　the　enamel　heart　conjured　up　the　fatal　day　when

Gilbert　had　called　her　〃Carrots〃　and　vainly　tried　to　make　his　peace

with　a　pink　candy　heart；　had　written　him　a　nice　little　note　of　thanks。

But　she　had　never　worn　the　trinket。　　Tonight　she　fastened　it　about　her

white　throat　with　a　dreamy　smile。



She　and　Phil　walked　to　Redmond　together。　　Anne　walked　in　silence；

Phil　chattered　of　many　things。　　Suddenly　she　said；



〃I　heard　today　that　Gilbert　Blythe's　engagement　to　Christine

Stuart　was　to　be　announced　as　soon　as　Convocation　was　over。

Did　you　hear　anything　of　it？〃



〃No；〃　said　Anne。



〃I　think　it's　true；〃　said　Phil　lightly。



Anne　did　not　speak。　　In　the　darkness　she　felt　her　face　burning。

She　slipped　her　hand　inside　her　collar　and　caught　at　the　gold

chain。　　One　energetic　twist　and　it　gave　way。　　Anne　thrust　the

broken　trinket　into　her　pocket。　　Her　hands　were　trembling　and

her　eyes　were　smarting。



But　she　was　the　gayest　of　all　the　gay　revellers　that　night；　and

told　Gilbert　unregretfully　that　her　card　was　full　when　he　came　to

ask　her　for　a　dance。　　Afterwards；　when　she　sat　with　the　girls

before　the　dying　embers　at　Patty's　Place；　removing　the　spring

chilliness　from　their　satin　skins；　none　chatted　more　blithely

than　she　of　the　day's　events。



〃Moody　Spurgeon　MacPherson　called　here　tonight　after　you　left；〃

said　Aunt　Jamesina；　who　had　sat　up　to　keep　the　fire　on。　　〃He　didn't

know　about　the　graduation　dance。　　That　boy　ought　to　sleep　with　a

rubber　band　around　his　head　to　train　his　ears　not　to　stick　out。

I　had　a　beau　once　who　did　that　and　it　improved　him　immensely。

It　was　I　who　suggested　it　to　him　and　he　took　my　advice；　but　he

never　forgave　me　for　it。〃



〃Moody　Spurgeon　is　a　very　serious　young　man；〃　yawned　Priscilla。

〃He　is　concerned　with　graver　matters　than　his　ears。　　He　is　going

to　be　a　minister；　you　know。〃



〃Well；　I　suppose　the　Lord　doesn't　regard　the　ears　of　a　man；〃

said　Aunt　Jamesina　gravely；　dropping　all　further　criticism　of

Moody　Spurgeon。　　Aunt　Jamesina　had　a　proper　respect　for　the

cloth　even　in　the　case　of　an　unfledged　parson。









Chapter　XXXVIII



False　Dawn





〃Just　imagine　　this　night　week　I'll　be　in　Avonlea　　delightful　thought！〃

said　Anne；　bending　over　the　box　in　which　she　was　packing　Mrs。　Rachel　Lynde's

quilts。　〃But　just　imagine　　this　night　week　I'll　be　gone　forever　from

Patty's　Place　　horrible　thought！〃



〃I　wonder　if　the　ghost　of　all　our　laughter　will　echo　through　the　maiden

dreams　of　Miss　Patty　and　Miss　Maria；〃　speculated　Phil。



Miss　Patty　and　Miss　Maria　were　coming　home；　after　having　trotted　over

most　of　the　habitable　globe。



〃We'll　be　back　the　second　week　in　May〃　wrote　Miss　Patty。　　〃I　expect

Patty's　Place　will　seem　rather　small　after　the　Hall　of　the　Kings　at

Karnak；　but　I　never　did　like　big　places　to　live　in。　　And　I'll　be　glad

enough　to　be　home　again。　　When　you　start　traveling　late　in　life　you're

apt　to　do　too　much　of　it　because　you　know　you　haven't　much　time　left；

and　it's　a　thing　that　grows　on　you。　　I'm　afraid　Maria　will　never　be

contented　again。〃



〃I　shall　leave　here　my　fancies　and　dreams　to　bless　the　next　comer；〃

said　Anne；　looking　around　the　blue　room　wistfully　　her　pretty　blue

room　where　she　had　spent　three　such　happy　years。　　She　had　knelt　at

its　window　to　pray　and　had　bent　from　it　to　watch　the　sunset　behind

the　pines。　　She　had　heard　the　autumn　raindrops　beating　against　it

and　had　welcomed　the　spring　robins　at　its　sill。　　She　wondered　if

old　dreams　could　haunt　rooms　　if；　when　one　left　forever　the　room

where　she　had　joyed　and　suffered　and　laughed　and　wept；　something

of　her；　intangible　and　invisible；　yet　nonetheless　real；　did　not

remain　behind　like　a　voiceful　memory。



〃I　think；〃　said　Phil；　〃that　a　room　where　one　dreams　and　grieve