anne of the island-第54章

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

find　that　Mr。　Inglis　was　every　day　of　forty；　and　short　and　thin

and　grayish。　　Mrs。　Lynde　did　not　spare　him　in　her　enumeration　of

his　shortcomings；　you　may　be　sure。



〃It　will　take　all　his　gold　to　gild　a　pill　like　him；　that's　what；〃

said　Mrs。　Rachel　solemnly。



〃He　looks　kind　and　good…hearted；〃　said　Anne　loyally；　〃and　I'm

sure　he　thinks　the　world　of　Jane。〃



〃Humph！〃　said　Mrs。　Rachel。



Phil　Gordon　was　married　the　next　week　and　Anne　went　over　to

Bolingbroke　to　be　her　bridesmaid。　　Phil　made　a　dainty　fairy　of

a　bride；　and　the　Rev。　Jo　was　so　radiant　in　his　happiness　that

nobody　thought　him　plain。



〃We're　going　for　a　lovers'　saunter　through　the　land　of　Evangeline；〃

said　Phil；　〃and　then　we'll　settle　down　on　Patterson　Street。

Mother　thinks　it　is　terrible　　she　thinks　Jo　might　at　least

take　a　church　in　a　decent　place。　　But　the　wilderness　of　the

Patterson　slums　will　blossom　like　the　rose　for　me　if　Jo　is　there。

Oh；　Anne；　I'm　so　happy　my　heart　aches　with　it。〃



Anne　was　always　glad　in　the　happiness　of　her　friends；　but　it

is　sometimes　a　little　lonely　to　be　surrounded　everywhere　by　a

happiness　that　is　not　your　own。　　And　it　was　just　the　same　when

she　went　back　to　Avonlea。　　This　time　it　was　Diana　who　was　bathed

in　the　wonderful　glory　that　comes　to　a　woman　when　her　first…born

is　laid　beside　her。　　Anne　looked　at　the　white　young　mother　with　a

certain　awe　that　had　never　entered　into　her　feelings　for　Diana

before。　　Could　this　pale　woman　with　the　rapture　in　her　eyes　be

the　little　black…curled；　rosy…cheeked　Diana　she　had　played　with

in　vanished　schooldays？　　It　gave　her　a　queer　desolate　feeling

that　she　herself　somehow　belonged　only　in　those　past　years　and

had　no　business　in　the　present　at　all。



〃Isn't　he　perfectly　beautiful？〃　said　Diana　proudly。



The　little　fat　fellow　was　absurdly　like　Fred　　just　as　round；

just　as　red。　　Anne　really　could　not　say　conscientiously　that　she

thought　him　beautiful；　but　she　vowed　sincerely　that　he　was　sweet

and　kissable　and　altogether　delightful。



〃Before　he　came　I　wanted　a　girl；　so　that　I　could　call　her　ANNE；〃

said　Diana。　　〃But　now　that　little　Fred　is　here　I　wouldn't　exchange

him　for　a　million　girls。　　He　just　COULDN'T　have　been　anything　but

his　own　precious　self。〃



〃‘Every　little　baby　is　the　sweetest　and　the　best；'　〃　quoted

Mrs。　Allan　gaily。　　〃If　little　Anne　HAD　come　you'd　have　felt

just　the　same　about　her。〃



Mrs。　Allan　was　visiting　in　Avonlea；　for　the　first　time　since

leaving　it。　　She　was　as　gay　and　sweet　and　sympathetic　as　ever。

Her　old　girl　friends　had　welcomed　her　back　rapturously。

The　reigning　minister's　wife　was　an　estimable　lady；　but　she

was　not　exactly　a　kindred　spirit。



〃I　can　hardly　wait　till　he　gets　old　enough　to　talk；〃　sighed　Diana。

〃I　just　long　to　hear　him　say　‘mother。'　　And　oh；　I'm　determined　that

his　first　memory　of　me　shall　be　a　nice　one。　　The　first　memory　I

have　of　my　mother　is　of　her　slapping　me　for　something　I　had　done。

I　am　sure　I　deserved　it；　and　mother　was　always　a　good　mother　and　I

love　her　dearly。　　But　I　do　wish　my　first　memory　of　her　was　nicer。〃



〃I　have　just　one　memory　of　my　mother　and　it　is　the　sweetest　of

all　my　memories；〃　said　Mrs。　Allan。　　〃I　was　five　years　old；　and　I

had　been　allowed　to　go　to　school　one　day　with　my　two　older　sisters。

When　school　came　out　my　sisters　went　home　in　different　groups；　each

supposing　I　was　with　the　other。　　Instead　I　had　run　off　with　a　little

girl　I　had　played　with　at　recess。　　We　went　to　her　home；　which　was

near　the　school；　and　began　making　mud　pies。　　We　were　having　a

glorious　time　when　my　older　sister　arrived；　breathless　and　angry。



〃‘You　naughty　girl〃　she　cried；　snatching　my　reluctant　hand　and

dragging　me　along　with　her。　　‘Come　home　this　minute。　　Oh；　you're

going　to　catch　it！　　Mother　is　awful　cross。　　She　is　going　to　give

you　a　good　whipping。'



〃I　had　never　been　whipped。　　Dread　and　terror　filled　my　poor

little　heart。　　I　have　never　been　so　miserable　in　my　life　as　I　was

on　that　walk　home。　　I　had　not　meant　to　be　naughty。　　Phemy　Cameron

had　asked　me　to　go　home　with　her　and　I　had　not　known　it　was　wrong

to　go。　　And　now　I　was　to　be　whipped　for　it。　　When　we　got　home　my

sister　dragged　me　into　the　kitchen　where　mother　was　sitting　by

the　fire　in　the　twilight。　　My　poor　wee　legs　were　trembling　so

that　I　could　hardly　stand。　　And　mother　　mother　just　took　me　up

in　her　arms；　without　one　word　of　rebuke　or　harshness；　kissed　me

and　held　me　close　to　her　heart。　　‘I　was　so　frightened　you　were

lost；　darling；'　she　said　tenderly。　　I　could　see　the　love　shining

in　her　eyes　as　she　looked　down　on　me。　　She　never　scolded　or

reproached　me　for　what　I　had　done　　only　told　me　I　must　never　go

away　again　without　asking　permission。　　She　died　very　soon

afterwards。　　That　is　the　only　memory　I　have　of　her。　　Isn't　it　a

beautiful　one？〃



Anne　felt　lonelier　than　ever　as　she　walked　home；　going　by　way　of

the　Birch　Path　and　Willowmere。　　She　had　not　walked　that　way　for

many　moons。　　It　was　a　darkly…purple　bloomy　night。　　The　air　was

heavy　with　blossom　fragrance　　almost　too　heavy。　　The　cloyed

senses　recoiled　from　it　as　from　an　overfull　cup。　　The　birches　of

the　path　had　grown　from　the　fairy　saplings　of　old　to　big　trees。

Everything　had　changed。　　Anne　felt　that　she　would　be　glad　when

the　summer　was　over　and　she　was　away　at　work　again。　　Perhaps　life

would　not　seem　so　empty　then。



　　　　　　〃‘I've　tried　the　world　　it　wears　no　more

　　　　　　The　coloring　of　romance　it　wore；'〃



sighed　Anne　　and　was　straightway　much　comforted　by　the　romance

in　the　idea　of　the　world　being　denuded　of　romance！









Chapter　XL



A　Book　of　Revelation





The　Irvings　came　back　to　Echo　Lodge　for　the　summer；　and　Anne　spent

a　happy　three　weeks　there　in　July。　　Miss　Lavendar　had　not　changed；

Charlotta　the　Fourth　was　a　very　grown…up　young　lady　now；　but　still

adored　Anne　sincerely。



〃When　all's　said　and　done；　Miss　Shirley；　ma'am；　I　haven't　seen

any　one　in　Boston　that's　equal　to　you；〃　she　said　frankly。



Paul　was　almost　grown　up；　too。　　He　was　sixteen；　his　chestnut

curls　had　given　place　to　close…cropped　brown　locks；　and　he　was

more　interested　in　football　than　fairies。　　But　the　bond　between

him　and　his　old　teacher　still　held。　　Kindred　spirits　alone　do　not

change　with　changing　years。



It　was　a　wet；　bleak；　cruel　evening　in　July　when　Anne　came　back　to

Green　Gables。　　One　of　the　fierce　summer　storms　which　sometimes

sweep　over　the　gulf　was　ravaging　the　sea。　　As　Anne　came　in　the

first　raindrops　dashed　against　the　panes。



〃Was　that　Paul　who　brought　you　home？〃　asked　Marilla。　　〃Why　didn't

you　make　him　stay　all　night。　　It's　going　to　be　a　wild　evening。〃



〃He'll　reach　Echo　Lodge　before　the　rain　gets　very　heavy；　I　think。

Anyway；　he　wanted　to　go　back　tonight。　　Well；　I've　had　a　splendid

visit；　but　I'm　glad　to　see　you　dear　folks　again。　　‘East；　west；

hame's　best。'　　Davy；　have　you　been　growing　again　lately？〃



〃I've　growed　a　whole　inch　since　you　left；〃　said　Davy　proudly。

〃I'm　as　tall　as　Milty　Boulter　now。　　Ain't　I　glad。　　He'll　have　to

stop　crowing　about　being　bigger。　　Say；　Anne；　did　you　know　that

Gilbert　Blythe　is　dying？〃　　Anne　stood　quite　silent　and　motionless；

looking　at　Davy。　　Her　face　had　gone　so　white　that　Marilla　thought

she　was　going　to　faint。



〃Davy；　hold　your　tongue；〃　said　Mrs。　Rachel　angrily。　　〃Anne；

don't　look　like　that　　DON'T　LOOK　LIKE　THAT！　　We　didn't　mean

to　tell　you　so　suddenly。〃



〃Is　　it　　true？〃　asked　Anne　in　a　voice　that　was　not　hers。



〃Gilbert　is　very　ill；〃　said　Mrs。　Lynde　gravely。　　〃He　took　down

with　typhoid　fever　just　after　you　left　for　Echo　Lodge。　　Did　you

never　hear　of　it？〃



〃No；〃　said　that　unknown　voice。



〃It　was　a　very　bad　case　from　the　start。　　The　doctor　said　he'd

been　terribly　run　down。　　They've　a　trained　nurse　and　everything's

been　done。　　DON'T　look　like　that；　Anne。　　While　there's　life

there's　hope。〃



〃Mr。　H