anne of the island-第42章

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and　dark　worrying　over　arithmetic。〃



〃Well；　I　won't；〃　said　Davy；　brightening　up。　　〃If　you　help　me

with　the　sums　I'll　have　'em　done　in　time　to　go　fishing　with　Milty。

I　wish　old　Aunt　Atossa's　funeral　was　tomorrow　instead　of　today。

I　wanted　to　go　to　it　'cause　Milty　said　his　mother　said　Aunt　Atossa

would　be　sure　to　rise　up　in　her　coffin　and　say　sarcastic　things　to

the　folks　that　come　to　see　her　buried。　　But　Marilla　said　she　didn't。〃



〃Poor　Atossa　laid　in　her　coffin　peaceful　enough；〃　said　Mrs。　Lynde

solemnly。　　〃I　never　saw　her　look　so　pleasant　before；　that's　what。

Well；　there　weren't　many　tears　shed　over　her；　poor　old　soul。

The　Elisha　Wrights　are　thankful　to　be　rid　of　her；　and　I　can't

say　I　blame　them　a　mite。〃



〃It　seems　to　me　a　most　dreadful　thing　to　go　out　of　the　world　and　not

leave　one　person　behind　you　who　is　sorry　you　are　gone；〃　said　Anne；　shuddering。



〃Nobody　except　her　parents　ever　loved　poor　Atossa；　that's　certain；　not　even

her　husband；〃　averred　Mrs。　Lynde。　　〃She　was　his　fourth　wife。　　He'd　sort　of　got

into　the　habit　of　marrying。　　He　only　lived　a　few　years　after　he　married　her。

The　doctor　said　he　died　of　dyspepsia；　but　I　shall　always　maintain　that　he　died

of　Atossa's　tongue；　that's　what。　　Poor　soul；　she　always　knew　everything　about

her　neighbors；　but　she　never　was　very　well　acquainted　with　herself。　　Well；

she's　gone　anyhow；　and　I　suppose　the　next　excitement　will　be　Diana's　wedding。〃



〃It　seems　funny　and　horrible　to　think　of　Diana's　being　married；〃

sighed　Anne；　hugging　her　knees　and　looking　through　the　gap　in　the

Haunted　Wood　to　the　light　that　was　shining　in　Diana's　room。



〃I　don't　see　what's　horrible　about　it；　when　she's　doing　so　well；〃

said　Mrs。　Lynde　emphatically。　　〃Fred　Wright　has　a　fine　farm　and

he　is　a　model　young　man。〃



〃He　certainly　isn't　the　wild；　dashing；　wicked；　young　man　Diana

once　wanted　to　marry；〃　smiled　Anne。　　〃Fred　is　extremely　good。〃



〃That's　just　what　he　ought　to　be。　　Would　you　want　Diana　to　marry

a　wicked　man？　　Or　marry　one　yourself？〃



〃Oh；　no。　　I　wouldn't　want　to　marry　anybody　who　was　wicked；

but　I　think　I'd　like　it　if　he　COULD　be　wicked　and　WOULDN'T。

Now；　Fred　is　HOPELESSLY　good。〃



〃You'll　have　more　sense　some　day；　I　hope；〃　said　Marilla。



Marilla　spoke　rather　bitterly。　　She　was　grievously　disappointed。

She　knew　Anne　had　refused　Gilbert　Blythe。　　Avonlea　gossip　buzzed

over　the　fact；　which　had　leaked　out；　nobody　knew　how。　　Perhaps

Charlie　Sloane　had　guessed　and　told　his　guesses　for　truth。

Perhaps　Diana　had　betrayed　it　to　Fred　and　Fred　had　been　indiscreet。

At　all　events　it　was　known；　Mrs。　Blythe　no　longer　asked　Anne；

in　public　or　private；　if　she　had　heard　lately　from　Gilbert；　but

passed　her　by　with　a　frosty　bow。　　Anne；　who　had　always　liked　Gilbert's

merry；　young…hearted　mother；　was　grieved　in　secret　over　this。

Marilla　said　nothing；　but　Mrs。　Lynde　gave　Anne　many　exasperated

digs　about　it；　until　fresh　gossip　reached　that　worthy　lady；

through　the　medium　of　Moody　Spurgeon　MacPherson's　mother；

that　Anne　had　another　〃beau〃　at　college；　who　was　rich　and

handsome　and　good　all　in　one。　　After　that　Mrs。　Rachel　held

her　tongue；　though　she　still　wished　in　her　inmost　heart　that

Anne　had　accepted　Gilbert。　　Riches　were　all　very　well；

but　even　Mrs。　Rachel；　practical　soul　though　she　was；　did　not

consider　them　the　one　essential。　　If　Anne　〃liked〃　the　Handsome

Unknown　better　than　Gilbert　there　was　nothing　more　to　be　said；

but　Mrs。　Rachel　was　dreadfully　afraid　that　Anne　was　going　to

make　the　mistake　of　marrying　for　money。　　Marilla　knew　Anne　too

well　to　fear　this；　but　she　felt　that　something　in　the　universal

scheme　of　things　had　gone　sadly　awry。



〃What　is　to　be；　will　be；〃　said　Mrs。　Rachel　gloomily；　〃and　what　isn't

to　be　happens　sometimes。　　I　can't　help　believing　it's　going　to　happen

in　Anne's　case；　if　Providence　doesn't　interfere；　that's　what。〃

Mrs。　Rachel　sighed。　　She　was　afraid　Providence　wouldn't　interfere；

and　she　didn't　dare　to。



Anne　had　wandered　down　to　the　Dryad's　Bubble　and　was　curled　up

among　the　ferns　at　the　root　of　the　big　white　birch　where　she　and

Gilbert　had　so　often　sat　in　summers　gone　by。　　He　had　gone　into

the　newspaper　office　again　when　college　closed；　and　Avonlea

seemed　very　dull　without　him。　　He　never　wrote　to　her；　and　Anne

missed　the　letters　that　never　came。　　To　be　sure；　Roy　wrote　twice

a　week；　his　letters　were　exquisite　compositions　which　would　have

read　beautifully　in　a　memoir　or　biography。　　Anne　felt　herself

more　deeply　in　love　with　him　than　ever　when　she　read　them；　but

her　heart　never　gave　the　queer；　quick；　painful　bound　at　sight　of

his　letters　which　it　had　given　one　day　when　Mrs。　Hiram　Sloane

had　handed　her　out　an　envelope　addressed　in　Gilbert's　black；

upright　handwriting。　　Anne　had　hurried　home　to　the　east　gable　and

opened　it　eagerly　　to　find　a　typewritten　copy　of　some　college

society　report　　〃only　that　and　nothing　more。〃　　Anne　flung　the

harmless　screed　across　her　room　and　sat　down　to　write　an

especially　nice　epistle　to　Roy。



Diana　was　to　be　married　in　five　more　days。　　The　gray　house　at

Orchard　Slope　was　in　a　turmoil　of　baking　and　brewing　and　boiling

and　stewing；　for　there　was　to　be　a　big；　old…timey　wedding。　　Anne；

of　course；　was　to　be　bridesmaid；　as　had　been　arranged　when　they

were　twelve　years　old；　and　Gilbert　was　coming　from　Kingsport　to

be　best　man。　　Anne　was　enjoying　the　excitement　of　the　various

preparations；　but　under　it　all　she　carried　a　little　heartache。

She　was；　in　a　sense；　losing　her　dear　old　chum；　Diana's　new　home

would　be　two　miles　from　Green　Gables；　and　the　old　constant

companionship　could　never　be　theirs　again。　　Anne　looked　up　at

Diana's　light　and　thought　how　it　had　beaconed　to　her　for　many　years；

but　soon　it　would　shine　through　the　summer　twilights　no　more。

Two　big；　painful　tears　welled　up　in　her　gray　eyes。



〃Oh；〃　she　thought；　〃how　horrible　it　is　that　people　have　to　grow

up　　and　marry　　and　CHANGE！〃









Chapter　XXIX



Diana's　Wedding





〃After　all；　the　only　real　roses　are　the　pink　ones；〃　said　Anne；　as

she　tied　white　ribbon　around　Diana's　bouquet　in　the　westwardlooking

gable　at　Orchard　Slope。　　〃They　are　the　flowers　of　love　and　faith。〃



Diana　was　standing　nervously　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　arrayed

in　her　bridal　white；　her　black　curls　frosted　over　with　the　film

of　her　wedding　veil。　　Anne　had　draped　that　veil；　in　accordance

with　the　sentimental　compact　of　years　before。



〃It's　all　pretty　much　as　I　used　to　imagine　it　long　ago；　when　I

wept　over　your　inevitable　marriage　and　our　consequent　parting；〃

she　laughed。　　〃You　are　the　bride　of　my　dreams；　Diana；　with

the　‘lovely　misty　veil'；　and　I　am　YOUR　bridesmaid。　　But；　alas！

I　haven't　the　puffed　sleeves　　though　these　short　lace　ones　are

even　prettier。　　Neither　is　my　heart　wholly　breaking　nor　do　I

exactly　hate　Fred。〃



〃We　are　not　really　parting；　Anne；〃　protested　Diana。　　〃I'm　not

going　far　away。　　We'll　love　each　other　just　as　much　as　ever。

We've　always　kept　that　‘oath'　of　friendship　we　swore　long　ago；

haven't　we？〃



〃Yes。　　We've　kept　it　faithfully。　　We've　had　a　beautiful

friendship；　Diana。　　We've　never　marred　it　by　one　quarrel　or

coolness　or　unkind　word；　and　I　hope　it　will　always　be　so。

But　things　can't　be　quite　the　same　after　this。　　You'll　have

other　interests。　　I'll　just　be　on　the　outside。　　But　‘such　is

life'　as　Mrs。　Rachel　says。　　Mrs。　Rachel　has　given　you　one　of

her　beloved　knitted　quilts　of　the　‘tobacco　stripe'　pattern；

and　she　says　when　I　am　married　she'll　give　me　one；　too。〃



〃The　mean　thing　about　your　getting　married　is　that　I　won't　be

able　to　be　your　bridesmaid；〃　lamented　Diana。



〃I'm　to　be　Phil's　bridesmaid　next　June；　when　she　marries

Mr。　Blake；　and　then　I　must　stop；　for　you　know　the　proverb

‘three　times　a　bridesmaid；　never　a　bride；'　〃　said　Anne；

peeping　through　the　window　over　the　pink　and　snow　of　the

blossoming　orchard　beneath。　　〃Here　comes　the　minister；　Diana。〃



〃Oh；　Anne；〃　gasped　Diana；