anne of the island-第12章

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〃I'll　go；　if　I　can　walk　with　Priscilla　and　Charlie。　　That　will　be

a　bearable　degree　of　gooseberry。　　That　Gilbert　of　yours　is　a

darling；　Anne；　but　why　does　he　go　around　so　much　with　Goggle…eyes？〃



Anne　stiffened。　　She　had　no　great　liking　for　Charlie　Sloane；　but

he　was　of　Avonlea；　so　no　outsider　had　any　business　to　laugh　at　him。



〃Charlie　and　Gilbert　have　always　been　friends；〃　she　said　coldly。

〃Charlie　is　a　nice　boy。　　He's　not　to　blame　for　his　eyes。〃



〃Don't　tell　me　that！　　He　is！　　He　must　have　done　something

dreadful　in　a　previous　existence　to　be　punished　with　such　eyes。

Pris　and　I　are　going　to　have　such　sport　with　him　this　afternoon。

We'll　make　fun　of　him　to　his　face　and　he'll　never　know　it。〃



Doubtless；　〃the　abandoned　P's；〃　as　Anne　called　them；　did　carry

out　their　amiable　intentions。　　But　Sloane　was　blissfully

ignorant；　he　thought　he　was　quite　a　fine　fellow　to　be　walking

with　two　such　coeds；　especially　Philippa　Gordon；　the　class　beauty

and　belle。　　It　must　surely　impress　Anne。　　She　would　see　that　some

people　appreciated　him　at　his　real　value。



Gilbert　and　Anne　loitered　a　little　behind　the　others；　enjoying

the　calm；　still　beauty　of　the　autumn　afternoon　under　the　pines　of

the　park；　on　the　road　that　climbed　and　twisted　round　the　harbor　shore。



〃The　silence　here　is　like　a　prayer；　isn't　it？〃　said　Anne；

her　face　upturned　to　the　shining　sky。　　〃How　I　love　the　pines！

They　seem　to　strike　their　roots　deep　into　the　romance　of　all　the　ages。

It　is　so　comforting　to　creep　away　now　and　then　for　a　good　talk　with　them。

I　always　feel　so　happy　out　here。〃



　　　　　　〃‘And　so　in　mountain　solitudes　o'ertaken

　　　　　　　　　　As　by　some　spell　divine；

　　　　　　Their　cares　drop　from　them　like　the　needles　shaken

　　　　　　　　　　From　out　the　gusty　pine；'〃



quoted　Gilbert。



〃They　make　our　little　ambitions　seem　rather　petty；　don't　they；　Anne？〃



〃I　think；　if　ever　any　great　sorrow　came　to　me；　I　would　come　to　the

pines　for　comfort；〃　said　Anne　dreamily。



〃I　hope　no　great　sorrow　ever　will　come　to　you；　Anne；〃　said　Gilbert；

who　could　not　connect　the　idea　of　sorrow　with　the　vivid；　joyous

creature　beside　him；　unwitting　that　those　who　can　soar　to　the

highest　heights　can　also　plunge　to　the　deepest　depths；　and　that

the　natures　which　enjoy　most　keenly　are　those　which　also　suffer

most　sharply。



〃But　there　must　　sometime；〃　mused　Anne。　　〃Life　seems　like　a　cup

of　glory　held　to　my　lips　just　now。　　But　there　must　be　some

bitterness　in　it　　there　is　in　every　cup。　　I　shall　taste　mine

some　day。　　Well；　I　hope　I　shall　be　strong　and　brave　to　meet　it。

And　I　hope　it　won't　be　through　my　own　fault　that　it　will　come。

Do　you　remember　what　Dr。　Davis　said　last　Sunday　evening　　that

the　sorrows　God　sent　us　brought　comfort　and　strength　with　them；

while　the　sorrows　we　brought　on　ourselves；　through　folly　or

wickedness；　were　by　far　the　hardest　to　bear？　　But　we　mustn't　talk

of　sorrow　on　an　afternoon　like　this。　　It's　meant　for　the　sheer

joy　of　living；　isn't　it？〃



〃If　I　had　my　way　I'd　shut　everything　out　of　your　life　but

happiness　and　pleasure；　Anne；〃　said　Gilbert　in　the　tone　that

meant　〃danger　ahead。〃



〃Then　you　would　be　very　unwise；〃　rejoined　Anne　hastily。　　〃I'm　sure

no　life　can　be　properly　developed　and　rounded　out　without　some

trial　and　sorrow　　though　I　suppose　it　is　only　when　we　are　pretty

comfortable　that　we　admit　it。　　Come　　the　others　have　got　to　the

pavilion　and　are　beckoning　to　us。〃



They　all　sat　down　in　the　little　pavilion　to　watch　an　autumn

sunset　of　deep　red　fire　and　pallid　gold。　　To　their　left　lay

Kingsport；　its　roofs　and　spires　dim　in　their　shroud　of　violet　smoke。

To　their　right　lay　the　harbor；　taking　on　tints　of　rose　and　copper　as

it　stretched　out　into　the　sunset。　　Before　them　the　water　shimmered；

satin　smooth　and　silver　gray；　and　beyond；　clean　shaven　William's

Island　loomed　out　of　the　mist；　guarding　the　town　like　a　sturdy　bulldog。

Its　lighthouse　beacon　flared　through　the　mist　like　a　baleful　star；

and　was　answered　by　another　in　the　far　horizon。



〃Did　you　ever　see　such　a　strong…looking　place？〃　asked　Philippa。

〃I　don't　want　William's　Island　especially；　but　I'm　sure　I　couldn't

get　it　if　I　did。　　Look　at　that　sentry　on　the　summit　of　the　fort；

right　beside　the　flag。　　Doesn't　he　look　as　if　he　had　stepped　out

of　a　romance？〃



〃Speaking　of　romance；〃　said　Priscilla；　〃we've　been　looking　for

heather　　but；　of　course；　we　couldn't　find　any。　　It's　too　late

in　the　season；　I　suppose。〃



〃Heather！〃　exclaimed　Anne。　　〃Heather　doesn't　grow　in　America；

does　it？〃



〃There　are　just　two　patches　of　it　in　the　whole　continent；〃　said　Phil；

〃one　right　here　in　the　park；　and　one　somewhere　else　in　Nova　Scotia；

I　forget　where。　　The　famous　Highland　Regiment；　the　Black　Watch；

camped　here　one　year；　and；　when　the　men　shook　out　the　straw　of

their　beds　in　the　spring；　some　seeds　of　heather　took　root。〃



〃Oh；　how　delightful！〃　said　enchanted　Anne。



〃Let's　go　home　around　by　Spofford　Avenue；〃　suggested　Gilbert。

〃We　can　see　all　‘the　handsome　houses　where　the　wealthy　nobles

dwell。'　Spofford　Avenue　is　the　finest　residential　street　in

Kingsport。　　Nobody　can　build　on　it　unless　he's　a　millionaire。〃



〃Oh；　do；〃　said　Phil。　　〃There's　a　perfectly　killing　little　place　I

want　to　show　you；　Anne。　　IT　wasn't　built　by　a　millionaire。　　It's

the　first　place　after　you　leave　the　park；　and　must　have　grown

while　Spofford　Avenue　was　still　a　country　road。　　It　DID　grow　

it　wasn't　built！　　I　don't　care　for　the　houses　on　the　Avenue。

They're　too　brand　new　and　plateglassy。　　But　this　little　spot　is　a

dream　　and　its　name　　but　wait　till　you　see　it。〃



They　saw　it　as　they　walked　up　the　pine…fringed　hill　from　the　park。

Just　on　the　crest；　where　Spofford　Avenue　petered　out　into　a

plain　road；　was　a　little　white　frame　house　with　groups　of　pines

on　either　side　of　it；　stretching　their　arms　protectingly　over　its

low　roof。　　It　was　covered　with　red　and　gold　vines；　through　which

its　green…shuttered　windows　peeped。　　Before　it　was　a　tiny　garden；

surrounded　by　a　low　stone　wall。　　October　though　it　was；　the

garden　was　still　very　sweet　with　dear；　old…fashioned；　unworldly

flowers　and　shrubs　　sweet　may；　southern…wood；　lemon　verbena；

alyssum；　petunias；　marigolds　and　chrysanthemums。　　A　tiny　brick

wall；　in　herring…bone　pattern；　led　from　the　gate　to　the　front

porch。　　The　whole　place　might　have　been　transplanted　from　some

remote　country　village；　yet　there　was　something　about　it　that

made　its　nearest　neighbor；　the　big　lawn…encircled　palace　of　a

tobacco　king；　look　exceedingly　crude　and　showy　and　ill…bred　by

contrast。　　As　Phil　said；　it　was　the　difference　between　being　born

and　being　made。



〃It's　the　dearest　place　I　ever　saw；〃　said　Anne　delightedly。　　〃It

gives　me　one　of　my　old；　delightful　funny　aches。　　It's　dearer　and

quainter　than　even　Miss　Lavendar's　stone　house。〃



〃It's　the　name　I　want　you　to　notice　especially；〃　said　Phil。

〃Look　　in　white　letters；　around　the　archway　over　the　gate。

‘Patty's　Place。'　Isn't　that　killing？　　Especially　on　this　Avenue

of　Pinehursts　and　Elmwolds　and　Cedarcrofts？　　‘Patty's　Place；'

if　you　please！　　I　adore　it。〃



〃Have　you　any　idea　who　Patty　is？〃　asked　Priscilla。



〃Patty　Spofford　is　the　name　of　the　old　lady　who　owns　it；　I've

discovered。　　She　lives　there　with　her　niece；　and　they've　lived

there　for　hundreds　of　years；　more　or　less　　maybe　a　little　less；

Anne。　　Exaggeration　is　merely　a　flight　of　poetic　fancy。　　I　understand

that　wealthy　folk　have　tried　to　buy　the　lot　time　and　again　　it's

really　worth　a　small　fortune　now；　you　know　　but　‘Patty'　won't　sell

upon　any　consideration。　　And　there's　an　apple　orchard　behind　the　house

in　place　of　a　back　yard　　you'll　see　it　when　we　get　a　little　past　

a　real　apple　orchard　on　Spofford　Avenue！〃



〃I'm　going　to　dream　about　‘Patty's　Place'　tonight；〃　said　Anne。

〃Why；　I　feel　as　if　I　belonged　to　it。　　I　wonder　if；　by　any　chance；

we'll　ever　see　the　inside　of　it。〃



〃It　isn't　likely；〃　said　Priscilla。