anne of the island-第7节

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turned　and　gone　back。　　Either　she's　dreadfully　shy　or　she　has　got

something　on　her　conscience。　　Let's　go　and　meet　her。　　It's　easier

to　get　acquainted　in　a　graveyard　than　at　Redmond；　I　believe。〃



They　walked　down　the　long　grassy　arcade　towards　the　stranger；　who

was　sitting　on　a　gray　slab　under　an　enormous　willow。　　She　was

certainly　very　pretty；　with　a　vivid；　irregular；　bewitching　type

of　prettiness。　　There　was　a　gloss　as　of　brown　nuts　on　her

satin…smooth　hair　and　a　soft；　ripe　glow　on　her　round　cheeks。

Her　eyes　were　big　and　brown　and　velvety；　under　oddly…pointed

black　brows；　and　her　crooked　mouth　was　rose…red。　　She　wore　a

smart　brown　suit；　with　two　very　modish　little　shoes　peeping

from　beneath　it；　and　her　hat　of　dull　pink　straw；　wreathed　with

golden…brown　poppies；　had　the　indefinable；　unmistakable　air

which　pertains　to　the　〃creation〃　of　an　artist　in　millinery。

Priscilla　had　a　sudden　stinging　consciousness　that　her　own　hat

had　been　trimmed　by　her　village　store　milliner；　and　Anne　wondered

uncomfortably　if　the　blouse　she　had　made　herself；　and　which　Mrs。

Lynde　had　fitted；　looked　VERY　countrified　and　home…made　besides

the　stranger's　smart　attire。　　For　a　moment　both　girls　felt　like

turning　back。



But　they　had　already　stopped　and　turned　towards　the　gray　slab。

It　was　too　late　to　retreat；　for　the　brown…eyed　girl　had　evidently

concluded　that　they　were　coming　to　speak　to　her。　　Instantly　she

sprang　up　and　came　forward　with　outstretched　hand　and　a　gay；

friendly　smile　in　which　there　seemed　not　a　shadow　of　either

shyness　or　burdened　conscience。



〃Oh；　I　want　to　know　who　you　two　girls　are；〃　she　exclaimed　eagerly。

〃I've　been　DYING　to　know。　　I　saw　you　at　Redmond　this　morning。

Say；　wasn't　it　AWFUL　there？　　For　the　time　I　wished　I　had　stayed

home　and　got　married。〃



Anne　and　Priscilla　both　broke　into　unconstrained　laughter　at　this

unexpected　conclusion。　　The　brown…eyed　girl　laughed；　too。



〃I　really　did。　　I　COULD　have；　you　know。　　Come；　let's　all　sit　down

on　this　gravestone　and　get　acquainted。　　It　won't　be　hard。　　I　know

we're　going　to　adore　each　other　　I　knew　it　as　soon　as　I　saw　you

at　Redmond　this　morning。　　I　wanted　so　much　to　go　right　over　and

hug　you　both。〃



〃Why　didn't　you？〃　asked　Priscilla。



〃Because　I　simply　couldn't　make　up　my　mind　to　do　it。　　I　never　can

make　up　my　mind　about　anything　myself　　I'm　always　afflicted

with　indecision。　　Just　as　soon　as　I　decide　to　do　something　I　feel

in　my　bones　that　another　course　would　be　the　correct　one。　　It's　a

dreadful　misfortune；　but　I　was　born　that　way；　and　there　is　no　use

in　blaming　me　for　it；　as　some　people　do。　　So　I　couldn't　make　up

my　mind　to　go　and　speak　to　you；　much　as　I　wanted　to。〃



〃We　thought　you　were　too　shy；〃　said　Anne。



〃No；　no；　dear。　　Shyness　isn't　among　the　many　failings　　or

virtues　　of　Philippa　Gordon　　Phil　for　short。　　Do　call　me　Phil

right　off。　　Now；　what　are　your　handles？〃



〃She's　Priscilla　Grant；〃　said　Anne；　pointing。



〃And　SHE'S　Anne　Shirley；〃　said　Priscilla；　pointing　in　turn。



〃And　we're　from　the　Island；〃　said　both　together。



〃I　hail　from　Bolingbroke；　Nova　Scotia；〃　said　Philippa。



〃Bolingbroke！〃　exclaimed　Anne。　　〃Why；　that　is　where　I　was　born。〃



〃Do　you　really　mean　it？　　Why；　that　makes　you　a　Bluenose　after　all。〃



〃No；　it　doesn't；〃　retorted　Anne。　　〃Wasn't　it　Dan　O'Connell　who

said　that　if　a　man　was　born　in　a　stable　it　didn't　make　him　a　horse？

I'm　Island　to　the　core。〃



〃Well；　I'm　glad　you　were　born　in　Bolingbroke　anyway。　　It　makes　us

kind　of　neighbors；　doesn't　it？　　And　I　like　that；　because　when　I　tell

you　secrets　it　won't　be　as　if　I　were　telling　them　to　a　stranger。

I　have　to　tell　them。　　I　can't　keep　secrets　　it's　no　use　to　try。

That's　my　worst　failing　　that；　and　indecision；　as　aforesaid。

Would　you　believe　it？　　　it　took　me　half　an　hour　to　decide　which

hat　to　wear　when　I　was　coming　here　　HERE；　to　a　graveyard！

At　first　I　inclined　to　my　brown　one　with　the　feather；

but　as　soon　as　I　put　it　on　I　thought　this　pink　one　with　the

floppy　brim　would　be　more　becoming。　　When　I　got　IT　pinned　in

place　I　liked　the　brown　one　better。　　At　last　I　put　them　close

together　on　the　bed；　shut　my　eyes；　and　jabbed　with　a　hat　pin。

The　pin　speared　the　pink　one；　so　I　put　it　on。　　It　is　becoming；

isn't　it？　　Tell　me；　what　do　you　think　of　my　looks？〃



At　this　naive　demand；　made　in　a　perfectly　serious　tone；　Priscilla

laughed　again。　　But　Anne　said；　impulsively　squeezing　Philippa's

hand；



〃We　thought　this　morning　that　you　were　the　prettiest　girl　we　saw

at　Redmond。〃



Philippa's　crooked　mouth　flashed　into　a　bewitching；　crooked　smile

over　very　white　little　teeth。



〃I　thought　that　myself；〃　was　her　next　astounding　statement；

〃but　I　wanted　some　one　else's　opinion　to　bolster　mine　up。

I　can't　decide　even　on　my　own　appearance。　　Just　as　soon　as　I've

decided　that　I'm　pretty　I　begin　to　feel　miserably　that　I'm　not。

Besides；　have　a　horrible　old　great…aunt　who　is　always　saying　to　me；

with　a　mournful　sigh；　‘You　were　such　a　pretty　baby。　　It's　strange　how

children　change　when　they　grow　up。'　I　adore　aunts；　but　I　detest　great…

aunts。　　Please　tell　me　quite　often　that　I　am　pretty；　if　you　don't　mind。

I　feel　so　much　more　comfortable　when　I　can　believe　I'm　pretty。　　And

I'll　be　just　as　obliging　to　you　if　you　want　me　to　　I　CAN　be；　with

a　clear　conscience。〃



〃Thanks；〃　laughed　Anne；　〃but　Priscilla　and　I　are　so　firmly　convinced

of　our　own　good　looks　that　we　don't　need　any　assurance　about　them；

so　you　needn't　trouble。〃



〃Oh；　you're　laughing　at　me。　　I　know　you　think　I'm　abominably　vain；

but　I'm　not。　　There　really　isn't　one　spark　of　vanity　in　me。

And　I'm　never　a　bit　grudging　about　paying　compliments　to　other

girls　when　they　deserve　them。　　I'm　so　glad　I　know　you　folks。

I　came　up　on　Saturday　and　I've　nearly　died　of　homesickness

ever　since。　　It's　a　horrible　feeling；　isn't　it？　　In　Bolingbroke

I'm　an　important　personage；　and　in　Kingsport　I'm　just　nobody！

There　were　times　when　I　could　feel　my　soul　turning　a　delicate　blue。

Where　do　you　hang　out？〃



〃Thirty…eight　St。　John's　Street。〃



〃Better　and　better。　　Why；　I'm　just　around　the　corner　on　Wallace　Street。

I　don't　like　my　boardinghouse；　though。　　It's　bleak　and　lonesome；　and

my　room　looks　out　on　such　an　unholy　back　yard。　　It's　the　ugliest　place

in　the　world。　　As　for　cats　　well；　surely　ALL　the　Kingsport　cats　can't

congregate　there　at　night；　but　half　of　them　must。　　I　adore　cats　on

hearth　rugs；　snoozing　before　nice；　friendly　fires；　but　cats　in　back

yards　at　midnight　are　totally　different　animals。　　The　first　night

I　was　here　I　cried　all　night；　and　so　did　the　cats。　　You　should　have

seen　my　nose　in　the　morning。　　How　I　wished　I　had　never　left　home！〃



〃I　don't　know　how　you　managed　to　make　up　your　mind　to　come　to

Redmond　at　all；　if　you　are　really　such　an　undecided　person；〃　said

amused　Priscilla。



〃Bless　your　heart；　honey；　I　didn't。　　It　was　father　who　wanted　me

to　come　here。　　His　heart　was　set　on　it　　why；　I　don't　know。　　It

seems　perfectly　ridiculous　to　think　of　me　studying　for　a　B。A。

degree；　doesn't　it？　　Not　but　what　I　can　do　it；　all　right。

I　have　heaps　of　brains。〃



〃Oh！〃　said　Priscilla　vaguely。



〃Yes。　　But　it's　such　hard　work　to　use　them。　　And　B。A。's　are　such

learned；　dignified；　wise；　solemn　creatures　　they　must　be。　　No；

_I_　didn't　want　to　come　to　Redmond。　　I　did　it　just　to　oblige　father。

He　IS　such　a　duck。　　Besides；　I　knew　if　I　stayed　home　I'd　have　to

get　married。　　Mother　wanted　that　　wanted　it　decidedly。　　Mother

has　plenty　of　decision。　　But　I　really　hated　the　thought　of

being　married　for　a　few　years　yet。　　I　want　to　have　heaps　of　fun

before　I　settle　down。　　And；　ridiculous　as　the　idea　of　my　being　a

B。A。　is；　the　idea　of　my　being　an　old　married　woman　is　still　more

absurd；　isn't　it？　　I'm　only　eighteen。　　No；　I　concluded　I　would

rather　come　to　Redmond　than　be　married。　　Besides；　how　could　I

ever　have　made　up　my　mind　which　man　to　marry？〃



〃Were　there　so　many？〃　laughed　Anne。



〃Heaps。　　The　boys　like　me　awfully　　they　really　do。　　But　there

were　only　two　that　mattered。　　The　rest　were　all　too　young　and　too

poor。　　I　must　marry　a　rich　man；　you　know。〃



〃Why　must　you？〃



〃Honey；　you　couldn't　imagine　ME　being　a　poor　man's　wife；　could　you？

I　can't　do　a　single　useful　thing；　and　I　am　VERY　extravagant。　　Oh；　no；

my　husband　must　have　heaps　of　money。　　So　that　narrowed　them　down　to　two。

But　I　couldn't　decide　between　two　any　easier　than　between　two　hundred。

I　knew　perfectly　well　that　whichever　one　I　chose　I'd　regret　all　my　life

that　I　hadn't　married　the　other。〃



〃Didn't　you　　love　　either　of　them？〃　asked　Anne；　a　little　hesitatingly。

It　was　not　easy　for　her　to　speak　to　a　stranger　of　the　great　mystery　and

transformation　of　life。



〃Goodness；　no。　　_I_　couldn't　love　anybody。　　It　isn't　in　me。

Besides　I　wouldn't　want　to。　　Being　in　love　makes　you　a　perfect

slave；　_I_　think。　　And　it　would　give　a　man　such　power　to　hurt　you。

I'd　be　afraid。　　N