anne of the island-第24章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





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　inconvenient

moment　Davy　remembered　that　when　he　had　torn　his　new　school　pants

the　week　before；　Mrs。　Lynde　had　mended　them　beautifully　and

never　said　a　word　to　Marilla　about　them。



But　Davy's　cup　of　iniquity　was　not　yet　full。　　He　was　to　discover

that　one　sin　demands　another　to　cover　it。　　They　had　dinner　with

Mrs。　Lynde　that　day；　and　the　first　thing　she　asked　Davy　was；



〃Were　all　your　class　in　Sunday　School　today？〃



〃Yes'm；〃　said　Davy　with　a　gulp。　　〃All　were　there　　'cept　one。〃



〃Did　you　say　your　Golden　Text　and　catechism？〃



〃Yes'm。〃



〃Did　you　put　your　collection　in？〃



〃Yes'm。〃



〃Was　Mrs。　Malcolm　MacPherson　in　church？〃



〃I　don't　know。〃　　This；　at　least；　was　the　truth；　thought　wretched　Davy。



〃Was　the　Ladies'　Aid　announced　for　next　week？〃



〃Yes'm〃　　quakingly。



〃Was　prayer…meeting？〃



〃I　　I　don't　know。〃



〃YOU　should　know。　　You　should　listen　more　attentively　to　the　announcements。

What　was　Mr。　Harvey's　text？〃



Davy　took　a　frantic　gulp　of　water　and　swallowed　it　and　the　last

protest　of　conscience　together。　　He　glibly　recited　an　old　Golden

Text　learned　several　weeks　ago。　　Fortunately　Mrs。　Lynde　now

stopped　questioning　him；　but　Davy　did　not　enjoy　his　dinner。



He　could　only　eat　one　helping　of　pudding。



〃What's　the　matter　with　you？〃　demanded　justly　astonished　Mrs。　Lynde。

〃Are　you　sick？〃



〃No；〃　muttered　Davy。



〃You　look　pale。　　You'd　better　keep　out　of　the　sun　this　afternoon；〃

admonished　Mrs。　Lynde。



〃Do　you　know　how　many　lies　you　told　Mrs。　Lynde？〃　asked　Dora

reproachfully；　as　soon　as　they　were　alone　after　dinner。



Davy；　goaded　to　desperation；　turned　fiercely。



〃I　don't　know　and　I　don't　care；〃　he　said。　　〃You　just　shut　up；

Dora　Keith。〃



Then　poor　Davy　betook　himself　to　a　secluded　retreat　behind　the

woodpile　to　think　over　the　way　of　transgressors。



Green　Gables　was　wrapped　in　darkness　and　silence　when　Anne

reached　home。　　She　lost　no　time　going　to　bed；　for　she　was　very

tired　and　sleepy。　　There　had　been　several　Avonlea　jollifications

the　preceding　week；　involving　rather　late　hours。　　Anne's　head　was

hardly　on　her　pillow　before　she　was　half　asleep；　but　just　then

her　door　was　softly　opened　and　a　pleading　voice　said；　〃Anne。〃



Anne　sat　up　drowsily。



〃Davy；　is　that　you？　　What　is　the　matter？〃



A　white…clad　figure　flung　itself　across　the　floor　and　on　to　the　bed。



〃Anne；〃　sobbed　Davy；　getting　his　arms　about　her　neck。　　〃I'm　awful

glad　you're　home。　　I　couldn't　go　to　sleep　till　I'd　told　somebody。〃



〃Told　somebody　what？〃



〃How　mis'rubul　I　am。〃



〃Why　are　you　miserable；　dear？〃



〃'Cause　I　was　so　bad　today；　Anne。　　Oh；　I　was　awful　bad　

badder'n　I've　ever　been　yet。〃



〃What　did　you　do？〃



〃Oh；　I'm　afraid　to　tell　you。　　You'll　never　like　me　again；　Anne。

I　couldn't　say　my　prayers　tonight。　　I　couldn't　tell　God　what

I'd　done。　　I　was　'shamed　to　have　Him　know。〃



〃But　He　knew　anyway；　Davy。〃



〃That's　what　Dora　said。　　But　I　thought　p'raps