anne of the island-第21节

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prayer　time；　and　don't　forget　to　pay　attention　to　the　sermon。〃



Davy　deigned　no　response。　　He　marched　away　down　the　lane；

followed　by　the　meek　Dora。　　But　his　soul　seethed　within。

Davy　had　suffered；　or　thought　he　had　suffered；　many　things　at　the

hands　and　tongue　of　Mrs。　Rachel　Lynde　since　she　had　come　to　Green

Gables；　for　Mrs。　Lynde　could　not　live　with　anybody；　whether　they

were　nine　or　ninety；　without　trying　to　bring　them　up　properly。

And　it　was　only　the　preceding　afternoon　that　she　had　interfered

to　influence　Marilla　against　allowing　Davy　to　go　fishing　with　the

Timothy　Cottons。　　Davy　was　still　boiling　over　this。



As　soon　as　he　was　out　of　the　lane　Davy　stopped　and　twisted　his

countenance　into　such　an　unearthly　and　terrific　contortion　that　Dora；

although　she　knew　his　gifts　in　that　respect；　was　honestly　alarmed　lest

he　should　never　in　the　world　be　able　to　get　it　straightened　out　again。



〃Darn　her；〃　exploded　Davy。



〃Oh；　Davy；　don't　swear；〃　gasped　Dora　in　dismay。



〃‘Darn'　isn't　swearing　　not　real　swearing。　　And　I　don't　care

if　it　is；〃　retorted　Davy　recklessly。



〃Well；　if　you　MUST　say　dreadful　words　don't　say　them　on　Sunday；〃　pleaded　Dora。



Davy　was　as　yet　far　from　repentance；　but　in　his　secret　soul　he　felt　that；

perhaps；　he　had　gone　a　little　too　far。



〃I'm　going　to　invent　a　swear　word　of　my　own；〃　he　declared。



〃God　will　punish　you　if　you　do；〃　said　Dora　solemnly。



〃Then　I　think　God　is　a　mean　old　scamp；〃　retorted　Davy。　　〃Doesn't

He　know　a　fellow　must　have　some　way　of　'spressing　his　feelings？〃



〃Davy！！！〃　said　Dora。　　She　expected　that　Davy　would　be　struck　down

dead　on　the　spot。　　But　nothing　happened。



〃Anyway；　I　ain't　going　to　stand　any　more　of　Mrs。　Lynde's　bossing；〃

spluttered　Davy。　　〃Anne　and　Marilla　may　have　the　right　to　boss　me；

but　SHE　hasn't。　　I'm　going　to　do　every　single　thing　she　told　me　not　to　do。

You　watch　me。〃



In　grim；　deliberate　silence；　while　Dora　watched　him　with　the

fascination　of　horror；　Davy　stepped　off　the　green　grass　of　the

roadside；　ankle　deep　into　the　fine　dust　which　four　weeks　of

rainless　weather　had　made　on　the　road；　and　marched　along　in　it；

shuffling　his　feet　viciously　until　he　was　enveloped　in　a　hazy　cloud。



〃That's　the　beginning；〃　he　announced　triumphantly。〃　　And　I'm

going　to　stop　in　the　porch　and　talk　as　long　as　there's　anybody

there　to　talk　to。　　I'm　going　to　squirm　and　wriggle　and　whisper；

and　I'm　going　to　say　I　don't　know　the　Golden　Text。　　And　I'm　going

to　throw　away　both　of　my　collections　RIGHT　NOW。〃



And　Davy　hurled　cent　and　nickel　over　Mr。　Barry's　fence　with

fierce　delight。



〃Satan　made　you　do　that；〃　said　Dora　reproachfully。



〃He　didn't；〃　cried　Davy　indignantly。　　〃I　just　thought　it　out　for　myself。

And　I've　thought　of　something　else。　　I'm　not　going　to　Sunday　School　or

church　at　all。　　I'm　going　up　to　play　with　the　Cottons。　　They　told　me

yesterday　they　weren't　going　to　Sunday　School　today；　'cause　their　mother

was　away　and　there　was　nobody　to　make　them。　　Come　along；　Dora；　we'll　have

a　great　time。〃



〃I　don't　want　to　go；〃　protested　Dora。



〃You've　got　to；〃　said　Davy。　　〃If　you　don't　come　I'll　tell　Marilla

that　Frank　Bell　kissed　you　in　school　last　Monday。〃



〃I　couldn't　help　it。　　I　didn't　know　he　was　going　to；〃　cried　Dora；

blushing　scarlet。



〃Well；　you　didn't　slap　him　or　seem　a　bit　cross；〃　retorted　Davy。

〃I'll　tell　her　THAT；　too；　if　you　don't　come。　　We'll　take　the

short　cut　up　this　field。〃



〃I'm　afraid　of　those　cows；〃　protested　poor　Dora；　seeing　a

prospect　of　escape。



〃The　very　idea　of　your　being　scared　of　those　cows；〃　scoffed　Davy。

〃Why；　they're　both　younger　than　you。〃



〃They're　bigger；〃　said　Dora。



〃They　won't　hurt　you。　　Come　along；　now。　　This　is　great。　　When　I

grow　up　I　ain't　going　to　bother　going　to　church　at　all。　　I

believe　I　can　get　to　heaven　by　myself。〃



〃You'll　go　to　the　other　place　if　you　break　the　Sabbath　day；〃

said　unhappy　Dora；　following　him　sorely　against　her　will。



But　Davy　was　not　scared　　yet。　　Hell　was　very　far　off；　and　the

delights　of　a　fishing　expedition　with　the　Cottons　were　very　near。

He　wished　Dora　had　more　spunk。　　She　kept　looking　back　as　if　she

were　going　to　cry　every　minute；　and　that　spoiled　a　fellow's　fun。

Hang　girls；　anyway。　　Davy　did　not　say　〃darn〃　this　time；　even　in　thought。

He　was　not　sorry　　yet　　that　he　had　said　it　once；　but　it　might　be

as　well　not　to　tempt　the　Unknown　Powers　too　far　on　one　day。



The　small　Cottons　were　playing　in　their　back　yard；　and　hailed

Davy's　appearance　with　whoops　of　delight。　　Pete；　Tommy；　Adolphus；

and　Mirabel　Cotton　were　all　alone。　　Their　mother　and　older

sisters　were　away。　　Dora　was　thankful　Mirabel　was　there；　at　least。

She　had　been　afraid　she　would　be　alone　in　a　crowd　of　boys。　　Mirabel

was　almost　as　bad　as　a　boy　　she　was　so　noisy　and　sunburned　and　reckless。

But　at　least　she　wore　dresses。



〃We've　come　to　go　fishing；〃　announced　Davy。



〃Whoop；〃　yelled　the　Cottons。　　They　rushed　away　to　dig　worms　at　once；

Mirabel　leading　the　van　with　a　tin　can。　　Dora　could　have　sat　down

and　cried。　　Oh；　if　only　that　hateful　Frank　Bell　had　never　kissed　her！

Then　she　could　have　defied　Davy；　and　gone　to　her　beloved　Sunday　School。



They　dared　not；　of　course；　go　fishing　on　the　pond；　where　they

would　be　seen　by　people　going　to　church。　　They　had　to　resort　to

the　brook　in　the　woods　behind　the　Cotton　house。　　But　it　was　full

of　trout；　and　they　had　a　glorious　time　that　morning　　at　least

the　Cottons　certainly　had；　and　Davy　seemed　to　have　it。　　Not　being

entirely　bereft　of　prudence；　he　had　discarded　boots　and　stockings

and　borrowed　Tommy　Cotton's　overalls。　　Thus　accoutered；　bog　and

marsh　and　undergrowth　had　no　terrors　for　him。　　Dora　was　frankly

and　manifestly　miserable。　　She　followed　the　others　in　their

peregrinations　from　pool　to　pool；　clasping　her　Bible　and

quarterly　tightly　and　thinking　with　bitterness　of　soul　of　her

beloved　class　where　she　should　be　sitting　that　very　moment；

before　a　teacher　she　adored。　　Instead；　here　she　was　roaming　the

woods　with　those　half…wild　Cottons；　trying　to　keep　her　boots　clean

and　her　pretty　white　dress　free　from　rents　and　stains。　　Mirabel

had　offered　the　loan　of　an　apron　but　Dora　had　scornfully　refused。



The　trout　bit　as　they　always　do　on　Sundays。　　In　an　hour　the

transgressors　had　all　the　fish　they　wanted；　so　they　returned　to

the　house；　much　to　Dora's　relief。　　She　sat　primly　on　a　hencoop　in

the　yard　while　the　others　played　an　uproarious　game　of　tag；　and

then　they　all　climbed　to　the　top　of　the　pig…house　roof　and　cut

their　initials　on　the　saddleboard。　　The　flat…roofed　henhouse　and

a　pile　of　straw　beneath　gave　Davy　another　inspiration。　　They

spent　a　splendid　half　hour　climbing　on　the　roof　and　diving　off

into　the　straw　with　whoops　and　yells。



But　even　unlawful　pleasures　must　come　to　an　end。　　When　the　rumble

of　wheels　over　the　pond　bridge　told　that　people　were　going　home

from　church　Davy　knew　they　must　go。　　He　discarded　Tommy's　overalls；

resumed　his　own　rightful　attire；　and　turned　away　from　his　string

of　trout　with　a　sigh。　　No　use　to　think　of　taking　them　home。



〃Well；　hadn't　we　a　splendid　time？〃　he　demanded　defiantly；　as　they

went　down　the　hill　field。



〃I　hadn't；〃　said　Dora　flatly。　　〃And　I　don't　believe　you　had　

really　　either；〃　she　added；　with　a　flash　of　insight　that　was

not　to　be　expected　of　her。



〃I　had　so；〃　cried　Davy；　but　in　the　voice　of　one　who　doth　protest　too　much。

〃No　wonder　you　hadn't　　just　sitting　there　like　a　　like　a　mule。〃



〃I　ain't　going　to；　'sociate　with　the　Cottons；〃　said　Dora　loftily。



〃The　Cottons　are　all　right；〃　retorted　Davy。　　〃And　they　have　far　better

times　than　we　have。　　They　do　just　as　they　please　and　say　just　what　they

like　before　everybody。　　_I_'m　going　to　do　that；　too；　after　this。〃



〃There　are　lots　of　things　you　wouldn't　dare　say　before　everybody；〃

averred　Dora。



〃No；　there　isn't。〃



〃There　is；　too。　　Would　you；〃　demanded　Dora　gravely；　〃would　you

say　‘tomcat'　before　the　minister？〃



This　was　a　staggerer。　　Davy　was　not　prepared　for　such　a　concrete

example　of　the　freedom　of　speech。　　But　one　did　not　have　to　be

consistent　with　Dora。



〃Of　course　not；〃　he　admitted　sulkily。



〃‘Tomcat'　isn't　a　holy　word。　　I　wouldn't　mention　such　an　animal

before　a　minister　at　all。〃



〃But　if　you　had　to？〃　persisted　Dora。



〃I'd　call　it　a　Thomas　pussy；〃　said　Davy。



〃_I_　think　‘gentleman　cat'　would　be　more　polite；〃　reflected　Dora。



〃YOU　thinking！〃　retorted　Davy　with　withering　scorn。



Davy　was　not　feeling　comfortable；　though　he　would　have　died

before　he　admitted　it　to　Dora。　　Now　that　the　exhilaration　of

truant　delights　had　died　away；　his　conscience　was　beginning　to

give　him　salutary　twinges。　　After　all；　perhaps　it　would　have　been

better　to　have　gone　to　Sunday　School　and　church。　　Mrs。　Lynde

might　be　bossy；　but　there　was　always　a　box　of　cookies　in　her

kitchen　cupboard　and　she　was　not　stingy。　　At　this　inco