anne of the island- 第44部分

fortnight　ago；〃　said　Anne；　trying　hard　to　speak　as　if　she　were

accustomed　to　having　sketches　accepted　every　mail；　but　not

quite　succeeding。



〃Anne　Shirley！　　How　glorious！　　What　was　it？　　When　is　it　to　be

published？　　Did　they　pay　you　for　it？〃



〃Yes；　they've　sent　a　check　for　ten　dollars；　and　the　editor　writes

that　he　would　like　to　see　more　of　my　work。　　Dear　man；　he　shall。

It　was　an　old　sketch　I　found　in　my　box。　　I　re…wrote　it　and　sent

it　in　　but　I　never　really　thought　it　could　be　accepted　because

it　had　no　plot；〃　said　Anne；　recalling　the　bitter　experience　of

Averil's　Atonement。



〃What　are　you　going　to　do　with　that　ten　dollars；　Anne？　　Let's　all

go　up　town　and　get　drunk；〃　suggested　Phil。



〃I　AM　going　to　squander　it　in　a　wild　soulless　revel　of　some　sort；〃

declared　Anne　gaily。　　〃At　all　events　it　isn't　tainted　money　

like　the　check　I　got　for　that　horrible　Reliable　Baking　Powder　story。

I　spent　IT　usefully　for　clothes　and　hated　them　every　time　I　put　them　on。〃



〃Think　of　having　a　real　live　author　at　Patty's　Place；〃　said　Priscilla。



〃It's　a　great　responsibility；〃　said　Aunt　Jamesina　solemnly。



〃Indeed　it　is；〃　agreed　Pris　with　equal　solemnity。　　〃Authors　are

kittle　cattle。　　You　never　know　when　or　how　they　will　break　out。

Anne　may　make　copy　of　us。〃



〃I　meant　that　the　ability　to　write　for　the　Press　was　a　great

responsibility；〃　said　Aunt　Jamesina　severely。　　〃and　I　hope　Anne

realizes；　it。　　My　daughter　used　to　write　stories　before　she　went

to　the　foreign　field；　but　now　she　has　turned　her　attention　to

higher　things。　　She　used　to　say　her　motto　was　‘Never　write　a　line

you　would　be　ashamed　to　read　at　your　own　funeral。'　　You'd　better

take　that　for　yours；　Anne；　if　you　are　going　to　embark　in　literature。

Though；　to　be　sure；〃　added　Aunt　Jamesina　perplexedly；　〃Elizabeth

always　used　to　laugh　when　she　said　it。　　She　always　laughed　so　much

that　I　don't　know　how　she　ever　came　to　decide　on　being　a　missionary。

I'm　thankful　she　did　　I　prayed　that　she　might　　but　　I　wish

she　hadn't。〃



Then　Aunt　Jamesina　wondered　why　those　giddy　girls　all　laughed。



Anne's　eyes　shone　all　that　day；　literary　ambitions　sprouted　and

budded　in　her　brain；　their　exhilaration　accompanied　her　to　Jennie

Cooper's　walking　party；　and　not　even　the　sight　of　Gilbert　and

Christine；　walking　just　ahead　of　her　and　Roy；　could　quite　subdue

the　sparkle　of　her　starry　hopes。　　Nevertheless；　she　was　not　so

rapt　from　things　of　earth　as　to　be　unable　to　notice　that

Christine's　walk　was　decidedly　ungraceful。



〃But　I　suppose　Gilbert　looks　only　at　her　face。　　So　like　a　man；〃

thought　Anne　scornfully。



〃Shall　you　be　home　Saturday　afternoon？〃　asked　Roy。



〃Yes。〃



〃My　mother　and　sisters　are　coming　to　call　on　you；〃　said　Roy　quietly。



Something　went　over　Anne　which　might　be　described　as　a　thrill；　but

it　was　hardly　a　pleasant　one。　　She　had　never　met　any　of　Roy's　family；

she　realized　the　significance　of　his　statement；　and　it　had；　somehow；

an　irrevocableness　about　it　that　chilled　her。



〃I　shall　be　glad　to　see　them；〃　she　said　flatly；　and　then　wondered

if　she　really　would　be　glad。　　She　ought　to　be；　of　course。　　But

would　it　not　be　something　of　an　ordeal？　　Gossip　had　filtered　to

Anne　regarding　the　light　in　which　the　Gardners　viewed　the

〃infatuation〃　of　son　and　brother。　　Roy　must　have　brought　pressure

to　bear　in　the　matter　of　this　call。　　Anne　knew　she　would　be

weighed　in　the　balance。　　From　the　fact　that　they　had　consented　to

call　she　understood　that；　willingly　or　unwillingly；　they　regarded

her　as　a　possible　member　of　their　clan。



〃I　shall　just　be　myself。　　I　shall　not　TRY　to　make　a　good　impression；〃

thought　Anne　loftily。　　But　she　was　wondering　what　dress　she　would

better　wear　Saturday　afternoon；　and　if　the　new　style　of　high

hair…dressing　would　suit　her　better　than　the　old；　and　the　walking

party　was　rather　spoiled　for　her。　　By　night　she　had　decided　that　she

would　wear　her　brown　chiffon　on　Saturday；　but　would　do　her　hair　low。



Friday　afternoon　none　of　the　girls　had　classes　at　Redmond。

Stella　took　the　opportunity　to　write　a　paper　for　the　Philomathic

Society；　and　was　sitting　at　the　table　in　the　corner　of　the

living…room　with　an　untidy　litter　of　notes　and　manuscript　on　the

floor　around　her。　　Stella　always　vowed　she　never　could　write

anything　unless　she　threw　each　sheet　down　as　she　completed　it。

Anne；　in　her　flannel　blouse　and　serge　skirt；　with　her　hair　rather

blown　from　her　windy　walk　home；　was　sitting　squarely　in　the

middle　of　the　floor；　teasing　the　Sarah…cat　with　a　wishbone。

Joseph　and　Rusty　were　both　curled　up　in　her　lap。　　A　warm　plummy

odor　filled　the　whole　house；　for　Priscilla　was　cooking　in　the

kitchen。　　Presently　she　came　in；　enshrouded　in　a　huge　work…apron；

with　a　smudge　of　flour　on　her　nose；　to　show　Aunt　Jamesina　the

chocolate　cake　she　had　just　iced。



At　this　auspicious　moment　the　knocker　sounded。　　Nobody　paid　any

attention　to　it　save　Phil；　who　sprang　up　and　opened　it；　expecting

a　boy　with　the　hat　she　had　bought　that　morning。　　On　the　doorstep

stood　Mrs。　Gardner　and　her　daughters。



Anne　scrambled　to　her　feet　somehow；　emptying　two　indignant　cats

out　of　her　lap　as　she　did　so；　and　mechanically　shifting　her

wishbone　from　her　right　hand　to　her　left。　　Priscilla；　who　would

have　had　to　cross　the　room　to　reach　the　kitchen　door；　lost　her

head；　wildly　plunged　the　chocolate　cake　under　a　cushion　on　the

inglenook　sofa；　and　dashed　upstairs。　　Stella　began　feverishly

gathering　up　her　manuscript。　　Only　Aunt　Jamesina　and　Phil

remained　normal。　　Thanks　to　them；　everybody　was　soon　sitting　at

ease；　even　Anne。　　Priscilla　came　down；　apronless　and　smudgeless；

Stella　reduced　her　corner　to　decency；　and　Phil　saved　the

situation　by　a　stream　of　ready　small　talk。



Mrs。　Gardner　was　tall　and　thin　and　handsome；　exquisitely

gowned；　cordial　with　a　cordiality　that　seemed　a　trifle　forced。

Aline　Gardner　was　a　younger　edition　of　her　mother；　lacking　the

cordiality。　　She　endeavored　to　be　nice；　but　succeeded　only　in

being　haughty　and　patronizing。　　Dorothy　Gardner　was　slim　and

jolly　and　rather　tomboyish。　　Anne　knew　she　was　Roy's　favorite

sister　and　warmed　to　her。　　She　would　have　looked　very　much　like

Roy　if　she　had　had　dreamy　dark　eyes　instead　of　roguish　hazel

ones。　　Thanks　to　her　and　Phil；　the　call　really　went　off　very

well；　except　for　a　slight　sense　of　strain　in　the　atmosphere

and　two　rather　untoward　incidents。　　Rusty　and　Joseph；　left　to

themselves；　began　a　game　of　chase；　and　sprang　madly　into

Mrs。　Gardner's　silken　lap　and　out　of　it　in　their　wild　career。

Mrs。　Gardner　lifted　her　lorgnette　and　gazed　after　their　flying

forms　as　if　she　had　never　seen　cats　before；　and　Anne；　choking

back　slightly　nervous　laughter；　apologized　as　best　she　could。



〃You　are　fond　of　cats？〃　said　Mrs。　Gardner；　with　a　slight

intonation　of　tolerant　wonder。



Anne；　despite　her　affection　for　Rusty；　was　not　especially　fond　of

cats；　but　Mrs。　Gardner's　tone　annoyed　her。　　Inconsequently　she

remembered　that　Mrs。　John　Blythe　was　so　fond　of　cats　that　she

kept　as　many　as　her　husband　would　allow。



〃They　ARE　adorable　animals；　aren't　they？〃　she　said　wickedly。



〃I　have　never　liked　cats；〃　said　Mrs。　Gardner　remotely。



〃I　love　them；〃　said　Dorothy。　　〃They　are　so　nice　and　selfish。

Dogs　are　TOO　good　and　unselfish。　　They　make　me　feel　uncomfortable。

But　cats　are　gloriously　human。〃



〃You　have　two　delightful　old　china　dogs　there。　　May　I　look　at

them　closely？〃　said　Aline；　crossing　the　room　towards　the　fireplace

and　thereby　becoming　the　unconscious　cause　of　the　other　accident。

Picking　up　Magog；　she　sat　down　on　the　cushion　under　which　was

secreted　Priscilla's　chocolate　cake。　　Priscilla　and　Anne　exchanged

agonized　glances　but　could　do　nothing。　　The　stately　Aline　continued　to

sit　on　the　cushion　and　discuss　china　dogs　until　the　time　of　departure。



Dorothy　lingered　behind　a　moment　to　squeeze　Anne's　hand　and

whisper　impulsively。



〃I　KNOW　you　and　I　are　going　to　be　chums。　　Oh；　Roy　has　told　me　all

about　you。　　I'm　the　only　one　of　the　family　he　tells　things　to；

poor　boy　　nobody　COULD　confide　in　mamma　and　Aline；　you　know。

What　glorious　times　you　girls　must　have　here！　　Won't　you　let　me

come　often　and　have　a　share　in　them？〃



〃Come　as　often　as　you　like；〃　Anne　responded　heartily；　thankful

that　one　of　Roy's　sisters　was　likable。　　She　would　never　like

Aline；　so　much　was　certain；　and　Aline　would　never　like　her；

though　Mrs。　Gardner　might　be　won。　　Altogether；　Anne　sighed　with

relief　when　the　ordeal　was　over。



　　　　　　　　　　　　〃‘Of　all　sad　words　of　tongue　or　pen

　　　　　　　　　　　　The　saddest　are　it　might　have　been；'〃



quoted　Priscilla　tragically；　lifting　the　cushion。　　〃This　cake　is

now　what　you　might　call　a　flat　failure。　　And　the　cushion　is

likewise　ruined。　　Never　tell　me　that　Friday　isn't　unlucky。〃



〃People　who　send　word　they　are　coming　on　Saturday　shouldn't　come

on　Friday；〃　said　Aunt　Jamesina。



〃I　fancy　it　was　Roy's　mistake；〃　said　Phil。