anne of the island-第37章

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half　so　interesting　when　we　have　learned　that　language　is　given

us　to　enable　us　to　conceal　our　thoughts。〃



〃But　it　isn't　　it　is　given　us　to　exchange　our　thoughts；〃　said

Mrs。　Irving　seriously。　　She　had　never　heard　of　Tallyrand　and　did

not　understand　epigrams。



Anne　spent　a　fortnight　of　halcyon　days　at　Echo　Lodge　in　the

golden　prime　of　August。　　While　there　she　incidentally　contrived

to　hurry　Ludovic　Speed　in　his　leisurely　courting　of　Theodora　Dix；

as　related　duly　in　another　chronicle　of　her　history。＇1＇　　Arnold

Sherman；　an　elderly　friend　of　the　Irvings；　was　there　at　the　same

time；　and　added　not　a　little　to　the　general　pleasantness　of　life。



（＇1＇　Chronicles　of　Avonlea。）



〃What　a　nice　play…time　this　has　been；〃　said　Anne。　　〃I　feel　like　a

giant　refreshed。　　And　it's　only　a　fortnight　more　till　I　go　back

to　Kingsport；　and　Redmond　and　Patty's　Place。　　Patty's　Place

is　the　dearest　spot；　Miss　Lavendar。　　I　feel　as　if　I　had　two　homes

　one　at　Green　Gables　and　one　at　Patty's　Place。　　But　where　has　the

summer　gone？　　It　doesn't　seem　a　day　since　I　came　home　that　spring

evening　with　the　Mayflowers。　　When　I　was　little　I　couldn't　see　from

one　end　of　the　summer　to　the　other。　　It　stretched　before　me　like

an　unending　season。　　Now；　‘'tis　a　handbreadth；　'tis　a　tale。'〃



〃Anne；　are　you　and　Gilbert　Blythe　as　good　friends　as　you　used　to　be？〃

asked　Miss　Lavendar　quietly。



〃I　am　just　as　much　Gilbert's　friend　as　ever　I　was；　Miss　Lavendar。〃



Miss　Lavendar　shook　her　head。



〃I　see　something's　gone　wrong；　Anne。　　I'm　going　to　be　impertinent

and　ask　what。　　Have　you　quarrelled？〃



〃No；　it's　only　that　Gilbert　wants　more　than　friendship　and　I　can't

give　him　more。〃



〃Are　you　sure　of　that；　Anne？〃



〃Perfectly　sure。〃



〃I'm　very；　very　sorry。〃



〃I　wonder　why　everybody　seems　to　think　I　ought　to　marry　Gilbert　Blythe；〃

said　Anne　petulantly。



〃Because　you　were　made　and　meant　for　each　other；　Anne　　that　is　why。

You　needn't　toss　that　young　head　of　yours。　　It's　a　fact。〃









Chapter　XXIV



Enter　Jonas





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃PROSPECT　POINT；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃August　20th。



〃Dear　Anne　　spelled　　with　　an　　E；〃　wrote　Phil；　〃I　must

prop　my　eyelids　open　long　enough　to　write　you。　　I've　neglected

you　shamefully　this　summer；　honey；　but　all　my　other　correspondents

have　been　neglected；　too。　　I　have　a　huge　pile　of　letters　to　answer；

so　I　must　gird　up　the　loins　of　my　mind　and　hoe　in。　　Excuse　my

mixed　metaphors。　　I'm　fearfully　sleepy。　　Last　night　Cousin　Emily

and　I　were　calling　at　a　neighbor's。　　There　were　several　other

callers　there；　and　as　soon　as　those　unfortunate　creatures　left；

our　hostess　and　her　three　daughters　picked　them　all　to　pieces。

I　knew　they　would　begin　on　Cousin　Emily　and　me　as　soon　as　the　door

shut　behind　us。　　When　we　came　home　Mrs。　Lilly　informed　us　that　the

aforesaid　neighbor's　hired　boy　was　supposed　to　be　down　with　scarlet

fever。　　You　can　always　trust　Mrs。　Lilly　to　tell　you　cheerful　things

like　that。　　I　have　a　horror　of　scarlet　fever。　　I　couldn't　sleep　when

I　went　to　bed　for　thinking　of　it。　　I　tossed　and　tumbled　about；

dreaming　fearful　dreams　when　I　did　snooze　for　a　minute；　and　at

three　I　wakened　up　with　a　high　fever；　a　sore　throat；　and　a

raging　headache。　　I　knew　I　had　scarlet　fever；　I　got　up　in　a

panic　and　hunted　up　Cousin　Emily's　'doctor　book'　to　read　up

the　symptoms。　　Anne；　I　had　them　all。　　So　I　went　back　to　bed；

and　knowing　the　worst；　slept　like　a　top　the　rest　of　the　night。

Though　why　a　top　should　sleep　sounder　than　anything　else　I

never　could　understand。　　But　this　morning　I　was　quite　well；

so　it　couldn't　have　been　the　fever。　　I　suppose　if　I　did　catch

it　last　night　it　couldn't　have　developed　so　soon。　　I　can　remember

that　in　daytime；　but　at　three　o'clock　at　night　I　never　can　be　logical。



〃I　suppose　you　wonder　what　I'm　doing　at　Prospect　Point。　　Well；　I

always　like　to　spend　a　month　of　summer　at　the　shore；　and　father

insists　that　I　come　to　his　second…cousin　Emily's　‘select

boardinghouse'　at　Prospect　Point。　　So　a　fortnight　ago　I　came　as

usual。　　And　as　usual　old　‘Uncle　Mark　Miller'　brought　me　from　the

station　with　his　ancient　buggy　and　what　he　calls　his　‘generous

purpose'　horse。　　He　is　a　nice　old　man　and　gave　me　a　handful　of

pink　peppermints。　　Peppermints　always　seem　to　me　such　a　religious

sort　of　candy　　I　suppose　because　when　I　was　a　little　girl

Grandmother　Gordon　always　gave　them　to　me　in　church。　　Once　I

asked；　referring　to　the　smell　of　peppermints；　‘Is　that　the　odor

of　sanctity？'　I　didn't　like　to　eat　Uncle　Mark's　peppermints

because　he　just　fished　them　loose　out　of　his　pocket；　and　had　to

pick　some　rusty　nails　and　other　things　from　among　them　before　he

gave　them　to　me。　　But　I　wouldn't　hurt　his　dear　old　feelings　for

anything；　so　I　carefully　sowed　them　along　the　road　at　intervals。

When　the　last　one　was　gone；　Uncle　Mark　said；　a　little　rebukingly；

‘Ye　shouldn't　a'et　all　them　candies　to　onct；　Miss　Phil。　　You'll

likely　have　the　stummick…ache。'



〃Cousin　Emily　has　only　five　boarders　besides　myself　　four　old

ladies　and　one　young　man。　　My　right…hand　neighbor　is　Mrs。　Lilly。

She　is　one　of　those　people　who　seem　to　take　a　gruesome　pleasure

in　detailing　all　their　many　aches　and　pains　and　sicknesses。

You　cannot　mention　any　ailment　but　she　says；　shaking　her　head；　‘Ah；

I　know　too　well　what　that　is'　　and　then　you　get　all　the　details。

Jonas　declares　he　once　spoke　of　locomotor　ataxia　in　hearing　and

she　said　she　knew　too　well　what　that　was。　　She　suffered　from　it

for　ten　years　and　was　finally　cured　by　a　traveling　doctor。



〃Who　is　Jonas？　　Just　wait；　Anne　Shirley。　　You'll　hear　all　about

Jonas　in　the　proper　time　and　place。　　He　is　not　to　be　mixed　up

with　estimable　old　ladies。



〃My　left…hand　neighbor　at　the　table　is　Mrs。　Phinney。　　She　always

speaks　with　a　wailing；　dolorous　voice　　you　are　nervously　expecting

her　to　burst　into　tears　every　moment。　　She　gives　you　the　impression

that　life　to　her　is　indeed　a　vale　of　tears；　and　that　a　smile；　never

to　speak　of　a　laugh；　is　a　frivolity　truly　reprehensible。　　She　has　a

worse　opinion　of　me　than　Aunt　Jamesina；　and　she　doesn't　love　me　hard

to　atone　for　it；　as　Aunty　J。　does；　either。



〃Miss　Maria　Grimsby　sits　cati…corner　from　me。　　The　first　day　I

came　I　remarked　to　Miss　Maria　that　it　looked　a　little　like　rain

　and　Miss　Maria　laughed。　　I　said　the　road　from　the　station　was

very　pretty　　and　Miss　Maria　laughed。　　I　said　there　seemed　to　be

a　few　mosquitoes　left　yet　　and　Miss　Maria　laughed。　　I　said　that

Prospect　Point　was　as　beautiful　as　ever　　and　Miss　Maria　laughed。

If　I　were　to　say　to　Miss　Maria；　‘My　father　has　hanged　himself；

my　mother　has　taken　poison；　my　brother　is　in　the　penitentiary；

and　I　am　in　the　last　stages　of　consumption；'　Miss　Maria　would　laugh。

She　can't　help　it　　she　was　born　so；　but　is　very　sad　and　awful。



〃The　fifth　old　lady　is　Mrs。　Grant。　　She　is　a　sweet　old　thing；

but　she　never　says　anything　but　good　of　anybody　and　so　she　is　a

very　uninteresting　conversationalist。



〃And　now　for　Jonas；　Anne。



〃That　first　day　I　came　I　saw　a　young　man　sitting　opposite　me　at

the　table；　smiling　at　me　as　if　he　had　known　me　from　my　cradle。

I　knew；　for　Uncle　Mark　had　told　me；　that　his　name　was　Jonas　Blake；

that　he　was　a　Theological　Student　from　St。　Columbia；　and　that　he　had

taken　charge　of　the　Point　Prospect　Mission　Church　for　the　summer。



〃He　is　a　very　ugly　young　man　　really；　the　ugliest　young　man

I've　ever　seen。　　He　has　a　big；　loose…jointed　figure　with　absurdly

long　legs。　　His　hair　is　tow…color　and　lank；　his　eyes　are　green；

and　his　mouth　is　big；　and　his　ears　　but　I　never　think　about　his

ears　if　I　can　help　it。



〃He　has　a　lovely　voice　　if　you　shut　your　eyes　he　is　adorable　

and　he　certainly　has　a　beautiful　soul　and　disposition。



〃We　were　good　chums　right　way。　　Of　course　he　is　a　graduate　of

Redmond；　and　that　is　a　link　between　us。　　We　fished　and　boated

together；　and　we　walke