anne of the island-第56章

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〃Well；　I'll　be　up　tomorrow。　　Hope　you'll　have　a　nice　time　tonight。〃



Anne　looked　after　him　as　he　strode　away；　and　sighed。　　Gilbert　was

friendly　　very　friendly　　far　too　friendly。　　He　had　come　quite

often　to　Green　Gables　after　his　recovery；　and　something　of　their

old　comradeship　had　returned。　　But　Anne　no　longer　found　it　satisfying。

The　rose　of　love　made　the　blossom　of　friendship　pale　and　scentless

by　contrast。　　And　Anne　had　again　begun　to　doubt　if　Gilbert　now　felt

anything　for　her　but　friendship。　　In　the　common　light　of　common

day　her　radiant　certainty　of　that　rapt　morning　had　faded。　　She　was

haunted　by　a　miserable　fear　that　her　mistake　could　never　be　rectified。

It　was　quite　likely　that　it　was　Christine　whom　Gilbert　loved　after　all。

Perhaps　he　was　even　engaged　to　her。　　Anne　tried　to　put　all　unsettling

hopes　out　of　her　heart；　and　reconcile　herself　to　a　future　where　work

and　ambition　must　take　the　place　of　love。　　She　could　do　good；　if　not

noble；　work　as　a　teacher；　and　the　success　her　little　sketches　were

beginning　to　meet　with　in　certain　editorial　sanctums　augured　well

for　her　budding　literary　dreams。　　But　　but　　Anne　picked　up　her

green　dress　and　sighed　again。



When　Gilbert　came　the　next　afternoon　he　found　Anne　waiting　for　him；

fresh　as　the　dawn　and　fair　as　a　star；　after　all　the　gaiety　of　the

preceding　night。　　She　wore　a　green　dress　　not　the　one　she　had

worn　to　the　wedding；　but　an　old　one　which　Gilbert　had　told　her

at　a　Redmond　reception　he　liked　especially。　　It　was　just　the　shade

of　green　that　brought　out　the　rich　tints　of　her　hair；　and　the　starry

gray　of　her　eyes　and　the　iris…like　delicacy　of　her　skin。　　Gilbert；

glancing　at　her　sideways　as　they　walked　along　a　shadowy　woodpath；

thought　she　had　never　looked　so　lovely。　　Anne；　glancing　sideways

at　Gilbert；　now　and　then；　thought　how　much　older　he　looked　since

his　illness。　　It　was　as　if　he　had　put　boyhood　behind　him　forever。



The　day　was　beautiful　and　the　way　was　beautiful。　　Anne　was　almost

sorry　when　they　reached　Hester　Gray's　garden；　and　sat　down　on　the

old　bench。　　But　it　was　beautiful　there；　too　　as　beautiful　as　it

had　been　on　the　faraway　day　of　the　Golden　Picnic；　when　Diana　and

Jane　and　Priscilla　and　she　had　found　it。　　Then　it　had　been　lovely

with　narcissus　and　violets；　now　golden　rod　had　kindled　its　fairy

torches　in　the　corners　and　asters　dotted　it　bluely。　　The　call　of

the　brook　came　up　through　the　woods　from　the　valley　of　birches

with　all　its　old　allurement；　the　mellow　air　was　full　of　the　purr

of　the　sea；　beyond　were　fields　rimmed　by　fences　bleached　silvery

gray　in　the　suns　of　many　summers；　and　long　hills　scarfed　with　the

shadows　of　autumnal　clouds；　with　the　blowing　of　the　west　wind　old

dreams　returned。



〃I　think；〃　said　Anne　softly；　〃that　‘the　land　where　dreams　come　true'

is　in　the　blue　haze　yonder；　over　that　little　valley。〃



〃Have　you　any　unfulfilled　dreams；　Anne？〃　asked　Gilbert。



Something　in　his　tone　　something　she　had　not　heard　since　that

miserable　evening　in　the　orchard　at　Patty's　Place　　made　Anne's

heart　beat　wildly。　　But　she　made　answer　lightly。



〃Of　course。　　Everybody　has。　　It　wouldn't　do　for　us　to　have　all

our　dreams　fulfilled。　　We　would　be　as　good　as　dead　if　we　had

nothing　left　to　dream　about。　　What　a　delicious　aroma　that

low…descending　sun　is　extracting　from　the　asters　and　ferns。

I　wish　we　could　see　perfumes　as　well　as　smell　them。　　I'm　sure

they　would　be　very　beautiful。〃



Gilbert　was　not　to　be　thus　sidetracked。



〃I　have　a　dream；〃　he　said　slowly。　　〃I　persist　in　dreaming　it；

although　it　has　often　seemed　to　me　that　it　could　never　come　true。

I　dream　of　a　home　with　a　hearth…fire　in　it；　a　cat　and　dog；　the

footsteps　of　friends　　and　YOU！〃



Anne　wanted　to　speak　but　she　could　find　no　words。　　Happiness　was

breaking　over　her　like　a　wave。　　It　almost　frightened　her。



〃I　asked　you　a　question　over　two　years　ago；　Anne。　　If　I　ask　it

again　today　will　you　give　me　a　different　answer？〃



Still　Anne　could　not　speak。　　But　she　lifted　her　eyes；　shining

with　all　the　love…rapture　of　countless　generations；　and　looked

into　his　for　a　moment。　　He　wanted　no　other　answer。



They　lingered　in　the　old　garden　until　twilight；　sweet　as　dusk　in

Eden　must　have　been；　crept　over　it。　　There　was　so　much　to　talk

over　and　recall　　things　said　and　done　and　heard　and　thought　and

felt　and　misunderstood。



〃I　thought　you　loved　Christine　Stuart；〃　Anne　told　him；　as

reproachfully　as　if　she　had　not　given　him　every　reason　to

suppose　that　she　loved　Roy　Gardner。



Gilbert　laughed　boyishly。



〃Christine　was　engaged　to　somebody　in　her　home　town。　　I　knew　it

and　she　knew　I　knew　it。　　When　her　brother　graduated　he　told　me

his　sister　was　coming　to　Kingsport　the　next　winter　to　take　music；

and　asked　me　if　I　would　look　after　her　a　bit；　as　she　knew　no　one

and　would　be　very　lonely。　　So　I　did。　　And　then　I　liked　Christine

for　her　own　sake。　　She　is　one　of　the　nicest　girls　I've　ever

known。　　I　knew　college　gossip　credited　us　with　being　in　love　with

each　other。　　I　didn't　care。　　Nothing　mattered　much　to　me　for　a

time　there；　after　you　told　me　you　could　never　love　me；　Anne。

There　was　nobody　else　　there　never　could　be　anybody　else　for　me

but　you。　　I've　loved　you　ever　since　that　day　you　broke　your　slate

over　my　head　in　school。〃



〃I　don't　see　how　you　could　keep　on　loving　me　when　I　was　such　a

little　fool；〃　said　Anne。



〃Well；　I　tried　to　stop；〃　said　Gilbert　frankly；　〃not　because　I

thought　you　what　you　call　yourself；　but　because　I　felt　sure　there

was　no　chance　for　me　after　Gardner　came　on　the　scene。　　But　I

couldn't　　and　I　can't　tell　you；　either；　what　it's　meant　to　me

these　two　years　to　believe　you　were　going　to　marry　him；　and　be

told　every　week　by　some　busybody　that　your　engagement　was　on　the

point　of　being　announced。　　I　believed　it　until　one　blessed　day

when　I　was　sitting　up　after　the　fever。　　I　got　a　letter　from　Phil

Gordon　　Phil　Blake；　rather　　in　which　she　told　me　there　was

really　nothing　between　you　and　Roy；　and　advised　me　to　‘try　again。'

Well；　the　doctor　was　amazed　at　my　rapid　recovery　after　that。〃



Anne　laughed　　then　shivered。



〃I　can　never　forget　the　night　I　thought　you　were　dying；　Gilbert。

Oh；　I　knew　　I　KNEW　then　　and　I　thought　it　was　too　late。〃



〃But　it　wasn't；　sweetheart。　　Oh；　Anne；　this　makes　up　for

everything；　doesn't　it？　　Let's　resolve　to　keep　this　day　sacred　to

perfect　beauty　all　our　lives　for　the　gift　it　has　given　us。〃



〃It's　the　birthday　of　our　happiness；〃　said　Anne　softly。

〃I've　always　loved　this　old　garden　of　Hester　Gray's；

and　now　it　will　be　dearer　than　ever。〃



〃But　I'll　have　to　ask　you　to　wait　a　long　time；　Anne；〃

said　Gilbert　sadly。　　〃It　will　be　three　years　before

I'll　finish　my　medical　course。　　And　even　then　there

will　be　no　diamond　sunbursts　and　marble　halls。〃



Anne　laughed。



〃I　don't　want　sunbursts　and　marble　halls。　　I　just　want　YOU。

You　see　I'm　quite　as　shameless　as　Phil　about　it。　　Sunbursts　and

marble　halls　may　be　all　very　well；　but　there　is　more　‘scope　for

imagination'　without　them。　　And　as　for　the　waiting；　that　doesn't

matter。　　We'll　just　be　happy；　waiting　and　working　for　each　other

　and　dreaming。　　Oh；　dreams　will　be　very　sweet　now。〃



Gilbert　drew　her　close　to　him　and　kissed　her。　　Then　they　walked

home　together　in　the　dusk；　crowned　king　and　queen　in　the　bridal

realm　of　love；　along　winding　paths　fringed　with　the　sweetest

flowers　that　ever　bloomed；　and　over　haunted　meadows　where　winds

of　hope　and　memory　blew。









　　　　　　End