anne of the island-第53章

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Alec　or　Alonzo　if　I　hadn't　met　Jo。　　Oh；　Anne；　things　are　so

mixed…up　in　real　life。　　They　aren't　clear…cut　and　trimmed　off；

as　they　are　in　novels。〃



〃I　hope　that　NO　one　will　ever　again　ask　me　to　marry　him　as　long　as

I　live；〃　sobbed　poor　Anne；　devoutly　believing　that　she　meant　it。









Chapter　XXXIX



Deals　with　Weddings





Anne　felt　that　life　partook　of　the　nature　of　an　anticlimax　during

the　first　few　weeks　after　her　return　to　Green　Gables。　　She　missed

the　merry　comradeship　of　Patty's　Place。　　She　had　dreamed　some

brilliant　dreams　during　the　past　winter　and　now　they　lay　in　the

dust　around　her。　　In　her　present　mood　of　self…disgust；　she　could

not　immediately　begin　dreaming　again。　　And　she　discovered　that；

while　solitude　with　dreams　is　glorious；　solitude　without　them

has　few　charms。



She　had　not　seen　Roy　again　after　their　painful　parting　in　the

park　pavilion；　but　Dorothy　came　to　see　her　before　she　left　Kingsport。



〃I'm　awfully　sorry　you　won't　marry　Roy；〃　she　said。　　〃I　did　want　you

for　a　sister。　　But　you　are　quite　right。　　He　would　bore　you　to　death。

I　love　him；　and　he　is　a　dear　sweet　boy；　but　really　he　isn't　a　bit

interesting。　　He　looks　as　if　he　ought　to　be；　but　he　isn't。〃



〃This　won't　spoil　OUR　friendship；　will　it；　Dorothy？〃　Anne　had

asked　wistfully。



〃No；　indeed。　　You're　too　good　to　lose。　　If　I　can't　have　you　for　a

sister　I　mean　to　keep　you　as　a　chum　anyway。　　And　don't　fret　over

Roy。　　He　is　feeling　terribly　just　now　　I　have　to　listen　to　his

outpourings　every　day　　but　he'll　get　over　it。　　He　always　does。〃



〃Oh　　ALWAYS？〃　said　Anne　with　a　slight　change　of　voice。

〃So　he　has　‘got　over　it'　before？〃



〃Dear　me；　yes；〃　said　Dorothy　frankly。　　〃Twice　before。　　And　he

raved　to　me　just　the　same　both　times。　　Not　that　the　others

actually　refused　him　　they　simply　announced　their　engagements

to　some　one　else。　　Of　course；　when　he　met　you　he　vowed　to　me　that

he　had　never　really　loved　before　　that　the　previous　affairs　had

been　merely　boyish　fancies。　　But　I　don't　think　you　need　worry。〃



Anne　decided　not　to　worry。　　Her　feelings　were　a　mixture　of　relief

and　resentment。　　Roy　had　certainly　told　her　she　was　the　only　one

he　had　ever　loved。　　No　doubt　he　believed　it。　　But　it　was　a　comfort

to　feel　that　she　had　not；　in　all　likelihood；　ruined　his　life。

There　were　other　goddesses；　and　Roy；　according　to　Dorothy；　must

needs　be　worshipping　at　some　shrine。　　Nevertheless；　life　was

stripped　of　several　more　illusions；　and　Anne　began　to　think

drearily　that　it　seemed　rather　bare。



She　came　down　from　the　porch　gable　on　the　evening　of　her　return

with　a　sorrowful　face。



〃What　has　happened　to　the　old　Snow　Queen；　Marilla？〃



〃Oh；　I　knew　you'd　feel　bad　over　that；〃　said　Marilla。　　〃I　felt　bad　myself。

That　tree　was　there　ever　since　I　was　a　young　girl。　　It　blew　down　in　the

big　gale　we　had　in　March。　　It　was　rotten　at　the　core。〃



〃I'll　miss　it　so；〃　grieved　Anne。　　〃The　porch　gable　doesn't　seem

the　same　room　without　it。　　I'll　never　look　from　its　window　again

without　a　sense　of　loss。　　And　oh；　I　never　came　home　to　Green　Gables

before　that　Diana　wasn't　here　to　welcome　me。〃



〃Diana　has　something　else　to　think　of　just　now；〃　said　Mrs。　Lynde

significantly。



〃Well；　tell　me　all　the　Avonlea　news；〃　said　Anne；　sitting　down　on

the　porch　steps；　where　the　evening　sunshine　fell　over　her　hair

in　a　fine　golden　rain。



〃There　isn't　much　news　except　what　we've　wrote　you；〃　said　Mrs。　Lynde。

〃I　suppose　you　haven't　heard　that　Simon　Fletcher　broke　his　leg　last　week。

It's　a　great　thing　for　his　family。　　They're　getting　a　hundred　things　done

that　they've　always　wanted　to　do　but　couldn't　as　long　as　he　was　about；

the　old　crank。〃



〃He　came　of　an　aggravating　family；〃　remarked　Marilla。



〃Aggravating？　　Well；　rather！　　His　mother　used　to　get　up　in

prayer…meeting　and　tell　all　her　children's　shortcomings　and　ask

prayers　for　them。　　‘Course　it　made　them　mad；　and　worse　than　ever。〃



〃You　haven't　told　Anne　the　news　about　Jane；〃　suggested　Marilla。



〃Oh；　Jane；〃　sniffed　Mrs。　Lynde。　　〃Well；〃　she　conceded　grudgingly；

〃Jane　Andrews　is　home　from　the　West　　came　last　week　　and　she's

going　to　be　married　to　a　Winnipeg　millionaire。　　You　may　be　sure

Mrs。　Harmon　lost　no　time　in　telling　it　far　and　wide。〃



〃Dear　old　Jane　　I'm　so　glad；〃　said　Anne　heartily。　　〃She　deserves

the　good　things　of　life。〃



〃Oh；　I　ain't　saying　anything　against　Jane。　　She's　a　nice　enough　girl。

But　she　isn't　in　the　millionaire　class；　and　you'll　find　there's　not

much　to　recommend　that　man　but　his　money；　that's　what。　　Mrs。　Harmon

says　he's　an　Englishman　who　has　made　money　in　mines　but　_I_　believe

he'll　turn　out　to　be　a　Yankee。　　He　certainly　must　have　money；　for

he　has　just　showered　Jane　with　jewelry。　　Her　engagement　ring　is　a

diamond　cluster　so　big　that　it　looks　like　a　plaster　on　Jane's　fat　paw。〃



Mrs。　Lynde　could　not　keep　some　bitterness　out　of　her　tone。

Here　was　Jane　Andrews；　that　plain　little　plodder；　engaged

to　a　millionaire；　while　Anne；　it　seemed；　was　not　yet　bespoken

by　any　one；　rich　or　poor。　　And　Mrs。　Harmon　Andrews　did　brag

insufferably。



〃What　has　Gilbert　Blythe　been　doing　to　at　college？〃　asked　Marilla。

〃I　saw　him　when　he　came　home　last　week；　and　he　is　so　pale　and　thin

I　hardly　knew　him。〃



〃He　studied　very　hard　last　winter；〃　said　Anne。　　〃You　know　he

took　High　Honors　in　Classics　and　the　Cooper　Prize。　　It　hasn't

been　taken　for　five　years！　　So　I　think　he's　rather　run　down。

We're　all　a　little　tired。〃



〃Anyhow；　you're　a　B。A。　and　Jane　Andrews　isn't　and　never　will　be；〃

said　Mrs。　Lynde；　with　gloomy　satisfaction。



A　few　evenings　later　Anne　went　down　to　see　Jane；　but　the　latter

was　away　in　Charlottetown　　〃getting　sewing　done；〃　Mrs。　Harmon

informed　Anne　proudly。　　〃Of　course　an　Avonlea　dressmaker　wouldn't

do　for　Jane　under　the　circumstances。〃



〃I've　heard　something　very　nice　about　Jane；〃　said　Anne。



〃Yes；　Jane　has　done　pretty　well；　even　if　she　isn't　a　B。A。；〃　said

Mrs。　Harmon；　with　a　slight　toss　of　her　head。　　〃Mr。　Inglis　is　worth

millions；　and　they're　going　to　Europe　on　their　wedding　tour。

When　they　come　back　they'll　live　in　a　perfect　mansion　of　marble

in　Winnipeg。　　Jane　has　only　one　trouble　　she　can　cook　so　well

and　her　husband　won't　let　her　cook。　　He　is　so　rich　he　hires

his　cooking　done。　　They're　going　to　keep　a　cook　and　two　other

maids　and　a　coachman　and　a　man…of…all…work。　　But　what　about　YOU；

Anne？　　I　don't　hear　anything　of　your　being　married；　after　all

your　college…going。〃



〃Oh；〃　laughed　Anne；　〃I　am　going　to　be　an　old　maid。　　I　really

can't　find　any　one　to　suit　me。〃　　It　was　rather　wicked　of　her。

She　deliberately　meant　to　remind　Mrs。　Andrews　that　if　she　became

an　old　maid　it　was　not　because　she　had　not　had　at　least　one

chance　of　marriage。　　But　Mrs。　Harmon　took　swift　revenge。



〃Well；　the　over…particular　girls　generally　get　left；　I　notice。

And　what's　this　I　hear　about　Gilbert　Blythe　being　engaged　to　a

Miss　Stuart？　　Charlie　Sloane　tells　me　she　is　perfectly　beautiful。

Is　it　true？〃



〃I　don't　know　if　it　is　true　that　he　is　engaged　to　Miss　Stuart；〃

replied　Anne；　with　Spartan　composure；　〃but　it　is　certainly　true

that　she　is　very　lovely。〃



〃I　once　thought　you　and　Gilbert　would　have　made　a　match　of　it；〃

said　Mrs。　Harmon。　　〃If　you　don't　take　care；　Anne；　all　of　your

beaux　will　slip　through　your　fingers。〃



Anne　decided　not　to　continue　her　duel　with　Mrs。　Harmon。

You　could　not　fence　with　an　antagonist　who　met　rapier　thrust

with　blow　of　battle　axe。



〃Since　Jane　is　away；〃　she　said；　rising　haughtily；　〃I　don't　think

I　can　stay　longer　this　morning。　　I'll　come　down　when　she　comes　home。〃



〃Do；〃　said　Mrs。　Harmon　effusively。　　〃Jane　isn't　a　bit　proud。

She　just　means　to　associate　with　her　old　friends　the　same　as　ever。

She'll　be　real　glad　to　see　you。〃



Jane's　millionaire　arrived　the　last　of　May　and　carried　her　off　in

a　blaze　of　splendor。　　Mrs。　Lynde　was　spitefully　gratified　to

find　that　Mr。　In