anne of the island-第5节

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towards　him　he　sprang　to　his　feet；　bolted　up　the　back　stairs；　and

hid　in　a　clothes　closet；　out　of　which　he　would　not　come。　　His　muffled

howls　were　the　last　sounds　Anne　heard　as　she　left　Green　Gables。



It　rained　heavily　all　the　way　to　Bright　River；　to　which　station

they　had　to　go；　since　the　branch　line　train　from　Carmody　did　not

connect　with　the　boat　train。　　Charlie　and　Gilbert　were　on　the

station　platform　when　they　reached　it；　and　the　train　was　whistling。

Anne　had　just　time　to　get　her　ticket　and　trunk　check；　say　a　hurried

farewell　to　Diana；　and　hasten　on　board。　　She　wished　she　were　going　back

with　Diana　to　Avonlea；　she　knew　she　was　going　to　die　of　homesickness。

And　oh；　if　only　that　dismal　rain　would　stop　pouring　down　as　if　the

whole　world　were　weeping　over　summer　vanished　and　joys　departed！

Even　Gilbert's　presence　brought　her　no　comfort；　for　Charlie　Sloane

was　there；　too；　and　Sloanishness　could　be　tolerated　only　in　fine　weather。

It　was　absolutely　insufferable　in　rain。



But　when　the　boat　steamed　out　of　Charlottetown　harbor　things　took

a　turn　for　the　better。　　The　rain　ceased　and　the　sun　began　to

burst　out　goldenly　now　and　again　between　the　rents　in　the　clouds；

burnishing　the　gray　seas　with　copper…hued　radiance；　and　lighting

up　the　mists　that　curtained　the　Island's　red　shores　with　gleams

of　gold　foretokening　a　fine　day　after　all。　　Besides；　Charlie

Sloane　promptly　became　so　seasick　that　he　had　to　go　below；　and

Anne　and　Gilbert　were　left　alone　on　deck。



〃I　am　very　glad　that　all　the　Sloanes　get　seasick　as　soon　as　they

go　on　water；〃　thought　Anne　mercilessly。　　〃I　am　sure　I　couldn't

take　my　farewell　look　at　the　‘ould　sod'　with　Charlie　standing

there　pretending　to　look　sentimentally　at　it；　too。〃



〃Well；　we're　off；〃　remarked　Gilbert　unsentimentally。



〃Yes；　I　feel　like　Byron's　‘Childe　Harold'　　only　it　isn't　really

my　‘native　shore'　that　I'm　watching；〃　said　Anne；　winking　her　gray

eyes　vigorously。　　〃Nova　Scotia　is　that；　I　suppose。　　But　one's

native　shore　is　the　land　one　loves　the　best；　and　that's　good　old

P。E。I。　for　me。　　I　can't　believe　I　didn't　always　live　here。

Those　eleven　years　before　I　came　seem　like　a　bad　dream。

It's　seven　years　since　I　crossed　on　this　boat　　the　evening

Mrs。　Spencer　brought　me　over　from　Hopetown。　　I　can　see　myself；

in　that　dreadful　old　wincey　dress　and　faded　sailor　hat；　exploring

decks　and　cabins　with　enraptured　curiosity。　　It　was　a　fine　evening；

and　how　those　red　Island　shores　did　gleam　in　the　sunshine。　　Now　I'm

crossing　the　strait　again。　　Oh；　Gilbert；　I　do　hope　I'll　like　Redmond

and　Kingsport；　but　I'm　sure　I　won't！〃



〃Where's　all　your　philosophy　gone；　Anne？〃



〃It's　all　submerged　under　a　great；　swamping　wave　of　loneliness

and　homesickness。　　I've　longed　for　three　years　to　go　to　Redmond

　and　now　I'm　going　　and　I　wish　I　weren't！　　Never　mind！　　I

shall　be　cheerful　and　philosophical　again　after　I　have　just　one

good　cry。　　I　MUST　have　that；　‘as　a　went'　　and　I'll　have　to　wait

until　I　get　into　my　boardinghouse　bed　tonight；　wherever　it　may

be；　before　I　can　have　it。　　Then　Anne　will　be　herself　again。　　I

wonder　if　Davy　has　come　out　of　the　closet　yet。〃



It　was　nine　that　night　when　their　train　reached　Kingsport；　and

they　found　themselves　in　the　blue…white　glare　of　the　crowded　station。

Anne　felt　horribly　bewildered；　but　a　moment　later　she　was　seized　by

Priscilla　Grant；　who　had　come　to　Kingsport　on　Saturday。



〃Here　you　are；　beloved！　　And　I　suppose　you're　as　tired　as　I　was

when　I　got　here　Saturday　night。〃



〃Tired！　　Priscilla；　don't　talk　of　it。　　I'm　tired；　and　green；

and　provincial；　and　only　about　ten　years　old。　　For　pity's　sake

take　your　poor；　broken…down　chum　to　some　place　where　she　can

hear　herself　think。〃



〃I'll　take　you　right　up　to　our　boardinghouse。　　I've　a　cab　ready　outside。〃



〃It's　such　a　blessing　you're　here；　Prissy。　　If　you　weren't　I

think　I　should　just　sit　down　on　my　suitcase；　here　and　now；　and

weep　bitter　tears。　　What　a　comfort　one　familiar　face　is　in　a

howling　wilderness　of　strangers！〃



〃Is　that　Gilbert　Blythe　over　there；　Anne？　　How　he　has　grown　up

this　past　year！　　He　was　only　a　schoolboy　when　I　taught　in　Carmody。

And　of　course　that's　Charlie　Sloane。　　HE　hasn't　changed　　couldn't！

He　looked　just　like　that　when　he　was　born；　and　he'll　look　like　that

when　he's　eighty。　　This　way；　dear。　　We'll　be　home　in　twenty　minutes。〃



〃Home！〃　groaned　Anne。　　〃You　mean　we'll　be　in　some　horrible　boardinghouse；

in　a　still　more　horrible　hall　bedroom；　looking　out　on　a　dingy　back　yard。〃



〃It　isn't　a　horrible　boardinghouse；　Anne…girl。　　Here's　our　cab。

Hop　in　　the　driver　will　get　your　trunk。　　Oh；　yes；　the　boardinghouse

　it's　really　a　very　nice　place　of　its　kind；　as　you'll　admit　tomorrow

morning　when　a　good　night's　sleep　has　turned　your　blues　rosy　pink。

It's　a　big；　old…fashioned；　gray　stone　house　on　St。　John　Street；

just　a　nice　little　constitutional　from　Redmond。　　It　used　to　be　the

‘residence'　of　great　folk；　but　fashion　has　deserted　St。　John　Street

and　its　houses　only　dream　now　of　better　days。　　They're　so　big　that

people　living　in　them　have　to　take　boarders　just　to　fill　up。　　At　least；

that　is　the　reason　our　landladies　are　very　anxious　to　impress　on　us。

They're　delicious；　Anne　　our　landladies；　I　mean。〃



〃How　many　are　there？〃



〃Two。　　Miss　Hannah　Harvey　and　Miss　Ada　Harvey。　　They　were　born　twins

about　fifty　years　ago。〃



〃I　can't　get　away　from　twins；　it　seems；〃　smiled　Anne。　　〃Wherever　I

go　they　confront　me。〃



〃Oh；　they're　not　twins　now；　dear。　　After　they　reached　the　age　of

thirty　they　never　were　twins　again。　　Miss　Hannah　has　grown　old；

not　too　gracefully；　and　Miss　Ada　has　stayed　thirty；　less

gracefully　still。　　I　don't　know　whether　Miss　Hannah　can　smile　or

not；　I've　never　caught　her　at　it　so　far；　but　Miss　Ada　smiles　all

the　time　and　that's　worse。　　However；　they're　nice；　kind　souls；

and　they　take　two　boarders　every　year　because　Miss　Hannah's

economical　soul　cannot　bear　to　‘waste　room　space'　　not　because

they　need　to　or　have　to；　as　Miss　Ada　has　told　me　seven　times

since　Saturday　night。　　As　for　our　rooms；　I　admit　they　are　hall

bedrooms；　and　mine　does　look　out　on　the　back　yard。　　Your　room　is

a　front　one　and　looks　out　on　Old　St。　John's　graveyard；　which　is

just　across　the　street。〃



〃That　sounds　gruesome；〃　shivered　Anne。　　〃I　think　I'd　rather　have

the　back　yard　view。〃



〃Oh；　no；　you　wouldn't。　　Wait　and　see。　　Old　St。　John's　is　a

darling　place。　　It's　been　a　graveyard　so　long　that　it's　ceased　to

be　one　and　has　become　one　of　the　sights　of　Kingsport。　　I　was　all

through　it　yesterday　for　a　pleasure　exertion。　　There's　a　big

stone　wall　and　a　row　of　enormous　trees　all　around　it；　and　rows　of

trees　all　through　it；　and　the　queerest　old　tombstones；　with　the

queerest　and　quaintest　inscriptions。　　You'll　go　there　to　study；　Anne；

see　if　you　don't。　　Of　course；　nobody　is　ever　buried　there　now。

But　a　few　years　ago　they　put　up　a　beautiful　monument　to　the

memory　of　Nova　Scotian　soldiers　who　fell　in　the　Crimean　War。

It　is　just　opposite　the　entrance　gates　and　there's　‘scope　for

imagination'　in　it；　as　you　used　to　say。　　Here's　your　trunk　at

last　　and　the　boys　coming　to　say　good　night。　　Must　I　really

shake　hands　with　Charlie　Sloane；　Anne？　　His　hands　are　always　so

cold　and　fishy…feeling。　　We　must　ask　them　to　call　occasionally。

Miss　Hannah　gravely　told　me　we　could　have　‘young　gentlemen

callers'　two　evenings　in　the　week；　if　they　went　away　at　a

reasonable　hour；　and　Miss　Ada　asked　me；　smiling；　please　to　be

sure　they　didn't　sit　on　her　beautiful　cushions。　　I　promised　to

see　to　it；　but　goodness　knows　where　else　they　CAN　sit；　unless

they　sit　on　the　floor；　for　there　are　cushions　on　EVERYTHING。

Miss　Ada　even　has　an　elaborate　Battenburg　one　on　top　of　the　piano。〃



Anne　was　laughing　by　this　time。　　Priscilla's　gay　chatter　had　the

intended　effect　of　cheering　her　up；　homesickness　vanished　for　the

time　being；　and　did　not　even　return　in　full　force　when　she

finally　found　herself　alone　in　her　little　bedroom。　　She　went　to

her　window　and　looked　out。　　The　street　below　was　dim　and　quiet。

Across　it　the　moon　was　shining　above　the　trees　in　Old　St。　John's；

just　behind　the　great　dark　head　of　the　lion　on　the　monument。

Anne　wondered　if　it　could　have　been　only　that　morning　that

she　had　left　Green　Gables。　　She　had　the　sense　of　a　long

passage　of　time　which　one　day　of　change　and　travel　gives。



〃I　suppose　that　very　moon　is　looking　down　on　Green　Gables　now；〃

she　mused。　　〃But　I　won't　think　about　it　　that　way　homesickness

lies。　　I'm　not　even　going　to　have　my　good　cry。　　I'll　put　that　off

to　a　more　convenient　season；　and　just　now　I'll　go　calmly　and

sensibly　to　bed　and　to　sleep。〃









Chapter　IV



April's　Lady





Kingsport　is　a　quaint　old　town；　hearking　back　to　early　Colonial

days；　and　wrapped　in　its　ancient　atmosphere；　as　some　fine　old　dame

in　garments　fashioned　like　those　of　her　youth。　　Here　and　there

it　sprouts　out　into　modernity；