anne of the island-第28节

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〃The　new　minister　was　here　to　tea　last　night。　　He　took　three

pieces　of　pie。



If　I　did　that　Mrs。　Lynde　would　call　me　piggy。　　And　he　et　fast　and

took　big　bites　and　Marilla　is　always　telling　me　not　to　do　that。

Why　can　ministers　do　what　boys　can't？　　I　want　to　know。



〃I　haven't　any　more　news。　　Here　are　six　kisses。　　xxxxxx。　　Dora

sends　one。　　Heres　hers。　　x。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Your　loving　friend

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　DAVID　KEITH〃





〃P。S。　　Anne；　who　was　the　devils　father？　　I　want　to　know。〃









Chapter　XVIII



Miss　Josepine　Remembers　the　Anne…girl





When　Christmas　holidays　came　the　girls　of　Patty's　Place　scattered　to

their　respective　homes；　but　Aunt　Jamesina　elected　to　stay　where　she　was。



〃I　couldn't　go　to　any　of　the　places　I've　been　invited　and　take

those　three　cats；〃　she　said。　　〃And　I'm　not　going　to　leave　the

poor　creatures　here　alone　for　nearly　three　weeks。　　If　we　had　any

decent　neighbors　who　would　feed　them　I　might；　but　there's　nothing

except　millionaires　on　this　street。　　So　I'll　stay　here　and　keep

Patty's　Place　warm　for　you。〃



Anne　went　home　with　the　usual　joyous　anticipations　　which　were

not　wholly　fulfilled。　　She　found　Avonlea　in　the　grip　of　such　an

early；　cold；　and　stormy　winter　as　even　the　〃oldest　inhabitant〃

could　not　recall。　　Green　Gables　was　literally　hemmed　in　by　huge

drifts。　　Almost　every　day　of　that　ill…starred　vacation　it　stormed

fiercely；　and　even　on　fine　days　it　drifted　unceasingly。　　No

sooner　were　the　roads　broken　than　they　filled　in　again。　　It　was

almost　impossible　to　stir　out。　　The　A。V。I。S。　tried；　on　three

evenings；　to　have　a　party　in　honor　of　the　college　students；　and

on　each　evening　the　storm　was　so　wild　that　nobody　could　go；　so

they　gave　up　the　attempt　in　despair。　　Anne；　despite　her　love　of

and　loyalty　to　Green　Gables；　could　not　help　thinking　longingly　of

Patty's　Place；　its　cosy　open　fire；　Aunt　Jamesina's　mirthful　eyes；

the　three　cats；　the　merry　chatter　of　the　girls；　the　pleasantness

of　Friday　evenings　when　college　friends　dropped　in　to　talk　of

grave　and　gay。



Anne　was　lonely；　Diana；　during　the　whole　of　the　holidays；　was

imprisoned　at　home　with　a　bad　attack　of　bronchitis。　　She　could

not　come　to　Green　Gables　and　it　was　rarely　Anne　could　get　to

Orchard　Slope；　for　the　old　way　through　the　Haunted　Wood　was

impassable　with　drifts；　and　the　long　way　over　the　frozen　Lake　of

Shining　Waters　was　almost　as　bad。　　Ruby　Gillis　was　sleeping　in

the　white…heaped　graveyard；　Jane　Andrews　was　teaching　a　school　on

western　prairies。　　Gilbert；　to　be　sure；　was　still　faithful；　and

waded　up　to　Green　Gables　every　possible　evening。　　But　Gilbert's

visits　were　not　what　they　once　were。　　Anne　almost　dreaded　them。

It　was　very　disconcerting　to　look　up　in　the　midst　of　a　sudden

silence　and　find　Gilbert's　hazel　eyes　fixed　upon　her　with　a　quite

unmistakable　expression　in　their　grave　depths；　and　it　was　still

more　disconcerting　to　find　herself　blushing　hotly　and

uncomfortably　under　his　gaze；　just　as　if　　just　as　if　　well；

it　was　very　embarrassing。　　Anne　wished　herself　back　at　Patty's

Place；　where　there　was　always　somebody　else　about　to　take　the

edge　off　a　delicate　situation。　　At　Green　Gables　Marilla　went

promptly　to　Mrs。　Lynde's　domain　when　Gilbert　came　and　insisted

on　taking　the　twins　with　her。　　The　significance　of　this　was

unmistakable　and　Anne　was　in　a　helpless　fury　over　it。



Davy；　however；　was　perfectly　happy。　　He　reveled　in　getting　out　in

the　morning　and　shoveling　out　the　paths　to　the　well　and　henhouse。

He　gloried　in　the　Christmas…tide　delicacies　which　Marilla　and

Mrs。　Lynde　vied　with　each　other　in　preparing　for　Anne；　and　he

was　reading　an　enthralling　tale；　in　a　school　library　book；　of　a

wonderful　hero　who　seemed　blessed　with　a　miraculous　faculty　for

getting　into　scrapes　from　which　he　was　usually　delivered　by　an

earthquake　or　a　volcanic　explosion；　which　blew　him　high　and　dry

out　of　his　troubles；　landed　him　in　a　fortune；　and　closed　the

story　with　proper　ECLAT。



〃I　tell　you　it's　a　bully　story；　Anne；〃　he　said　ecstatically。

〃I'd　ever　so　much　rather　read　it　than　the　Bible。〃



〃Would　you？〃　smiled　Anne。



Davy　peered　curiously　at　her。



〃You　don't　seem　a　bit　shocked；　Anne。　　Mrs。　Lynde　was　awful

shocked　when　I　said　it　to　her。〃



〃No；　I'm　not　shocked；　Davy。　　I　think　it's　quite　natural　that　a

nine…year…old　boy　would　sooner　read　an　adventure　story　than　the

Bible。　　But　when　you　are　older　I　hope　and　think　that　you　will

realize　what　a　wonderful　book　the　Bible　is。〃



〃Oh；　I　think　some　parts　of　it　are　fine；〃　conceded　Davy。　　〃That

story　about　Joseph　now　　it's　bully。　　But　if　I'd　been　Joseph　_I_

wouldn't　have　forgive　the　brothers。　　No；　siree；　Anne。　　I'd　have

cut　all　their　heads　off。　　Mrs。　Lynde　was　awful　mad　when　I　said　that

and　shut　the　Bible　up　and　said　she'd　never　read　me　any　more　of　it　if

I　talked　like　that。　　So　I　don't　talk　now　when　she　reads　it　Sunday

afternoons；　I　just　think　things　and　say　them　to　Milty　Boulter　next

day　in　school。　　I　told　Milty　the　story　about　Elisha　and　the　bears

and　it　scared　him　so　he's　never　made　fun　of　Mr。　Harrison's　bald

head　once。　　Are　there　any　bears　on　P。E。　Island；　Anne？　　I　want　to　know。〃



〃Not　nowadays；〃　said　Anne；　absently；　as　the　wind　blew　a　scud　of

snow　against　the　window。　　〃Oh；　dear；　will　it　ever　stop　storming。〃



〃God　knows；〃　said　Davy　airily；　preparing　to　resume　his　reading。



Anne　WAS　shocked　this　time。



〃Davy！〃　she　exclaimed　reproachfully。



〃Mrs。　Lynde　says　that；〃　protested　Davy。　　〃One　night　last　week

Marilla　said　‘Will　Ludovic　Speed　and　Theodora　Dix　EVER　get

married〃　and　Mrs。　Lynde　said；　‘God　knows'　　just　like　that。〃



〃Well；　it　wasn't　right　for　her　to　say　it；〃　said　Anne；　promptly

deciding　upon　which　horn　of　this　dilemma　to　empale　herself。

〃It　isn't　right　for　anybody　to　take　that　name　in　vain　or

speak　it　lightly；　Davy。　　Don't　ever　do　it　again。〃



〃Not　if　I　say　it　slow　and　solemn；　like　the　minister？〃　queried

Davy　gravely。



〃No；　not　even　then。〃



〃Well；　I　won't。　　Ludovic　Speed　and　Theodora　Dix　live　in　Middle

Grafton　and　Mrs。　Rachel　says　he　has　been　courting　her　for　a

hundred　years。　　Won't　they　soon　be　too　old　to　get　married；　Anne？

I　hope　Gilbert　won't　court　YOU　that　long。　　When　are　you　going　to

be　married；　Anne？　　Mrs。　Lynde　says　it's　a　sure　thing。〃



〃Mrs。　Lynde　is　a　〃　began　Anne　hotly；　then　stopped。　　〃Awful　old

gossip；〃　completed　Davy　calmly。　　〃That's　what　every　one　calls　her。

But　is　it　a　sure　thing；　Anne？　　I　want　to　know。〃



〃You're　a　very　silly　little　boy；　Davy；〃　said　Anne；　stalking

haughtily　out　of　the　room。　　The　kitchen　was　deserted　and　she　sat

down　by　the　window　in　the　fast　falling　wintry　twilight。　　The　sun

had　set　and　the　wind　had　died　down。　　A　pale　chilly　moon　looked

out　behind　a　bank　of　purple　clouds　in　the　west。　　The　sky　faded

out；　but　the　strip　of　yellow　along　the　western　horizon　grew

brighter　and　fiercer；　as　if　all　the　stray　gleams　of　light　were

concentrating　in　one　spot；　the　distant　hills；　rimmed　with

priest…like　firs；　stood　out　in　dark　distinctness　against　it。

Anne　looked　across　the　still；　white　fields；　cold　and　lifeless

in　the　harsh　light　of　that　grim　sunset；　and　sighed。　　She　was

very　lonely；　and　she　was　sad　at　heart；　for　she　was　wondering

if　she　would　be　able　to　return　to　Redmond　next　year。　　It　did　not

seem　likely。　　The　only　scholarship　possible　in　the　Sophomore　year

was　a　very　small　affair。　　She　would　not　take　Marilla's　money；

and　there　seemed　little　prospect　of　being　able　to　earn　enough

in　the　summer　vacation。



〃I　suppose　I'll　just　have　to　drop　out　next　year；〃　she　thought

drearily；　〃and　teach　a　district　school　again　until　I　earn　enough

to　finish　my　course。　　And　by　that　time　all　my　old　class　will　have

graduated　and　Patty's　Place　will　be　out　of　the　question。　　But　there！

I'm　not　going　to　be　a　coward。　　I'm　thankful　I　can　earn　my　way　through

if　necessary。〃



〃Here's　Mr。　Harrison　wading　up　the　lane；〃　announced　Davy；　running　out。

〃I　hope　he's　brought　the　mail。　　It's　three　days　since　we　got　it。

I　want　to　see　what　them　pesky　Grits　are　doing。　　I'm　a　Conservative；　Anne。

And　I　tell　you；　you　have　to　keep　your　eye　on　them　Grits。〃



Mr。　Harrison　had　brought　the　mail；　and　merry　letters　from　Stella

and　Priscilla　and　Phil　soon　dissipated　Anne's　blues。　　Aunt　Jamesina；

too；　had　written；　saying　that　she　was　keeping　the　hearth…fire　alight；

and　that　the　cats　were　all　well；　and　the　house　plants　doing　fine。



〃The　weather　has　been　real　cold；〃　she　wrote；　〃so　I　let　the　cats　sleep

in　the　house　　Rusty　and　Joseph　on　the　sofa　in　the　living…room；　and

the　Sarah…cat　on　the　foot　of　my　bed。　　It's　real　company　to　hear　her

purring　when　I　wake　up　in　the　night　and　think　of　my　poor　daughter　in

the　foreign　field。　　If　it　was　anywhere　but　in　India　I　wouldn't　worry；

but　they　say　the　snakes　out　there　are　terrible。　　It　takes　all　the

Sarah…cats's　purring　to　drive　away　the　thought　of　those　snakes。

I　have　eno