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！
〃What will your father and mother say？〃
〃Father won't say much。 He thinks everything I do right。
But mother WILL talk。 Oh； her tongue will be as Byrney as
her nose。 But in the end it will be all right。〃
〃You'll have to give up a good many things you've always had；
when you marry Mr。 Blake； Phil。〃
〃But I'll have HIM。 I won't miss the other things。 We're to be
married a year from next June。 Jo graduates from St。 Columbia
this spring； you know。 Then he's going to take a little mission
church down on Patterson Street in the slums。 Fancy me in the
slums！ But I'd go there or to Greenland's icy mountains with him。〃
〃And this is the girl who would NEVER marry a man who wasn't rich；〃
commented Anne to a young pine tree。
〃Oh； don't cast up the follies of my youth to me。 I shall be
poor as gaily as I've been rich。 You'll see。 I'm going to learn
how to cook and make over dresses。 I've learned how to market
since I've lived at Patty's Place； and once I taught a Sunday
School class for a whole summer。 Aunt Jamesina says I'll ruin
Jo's career if I marry him。 But I won't。 I know I haven't much
sense or sobriety； but I've got what is ever so much better
the knack of making people like me。 There is a man in
Bolingbroke who lisps and always testifies in prayer…meeting。
He says； 'If you can't thine like an electric thtar thine like
a candlethtick。' I'll be Jo's little candlestick。〃
〃Phil； you're incorrigible。 Well； I love you so much that
I can't make nice； light； congratulatory little speeches。
But I'm heart…glad of your happiness。〃
〃I know。 Those big gray eyes of yours are brimming over with
real friendship； Anne。 Some day I'll look the same way at you。
You're going to marry Roy； aren't you； Anne？〃
〃My dear Philippa； did you ever hear of the famous Betty Baxter；
who ‘refused a man before he'd axed her'？ I am not going to
emulate that celebrated lady by either refusing or accepting any
one before he ‘axes' me。〃
〃All Redmond knows that Roy is crazy about you；〃 said Phil candidly。〃
And you DO love him； don't you； Anne？〃
〃I I suppose so；〃 said Anne reluctantly。 She felt that she ought
to be blushing while making such a confession； but she was not；
on the other hand； she always blushed hotly when any one said
anything about Gilbert Blythe or Christine Stuart in her hearing。
Gilbert Blythe and Christine Stuart were nothing to her
absolutely nothing。 But Anne had given up trying to analyze
the reason of her blushes。 As for Roy； of course she was in
love with him madly so。 How could she help it？ Was he not
her ideal？ Who could resist those glorious dark eyes； and that
pleading voice？ Were not half the Redmond girls wildly envious？
And what a charming sonnet he had sent her； with a box of violets；
on her birthday！ Anne knew every word of it by heart。 It was very
good stuff of its kind； too。 Not exactly up to the level of Keats or
Shakespeare even Anne was not so deeply in love as to think that。
But it was very tolerable magazine verse。 And it was addressed to HER
not to Laura or Beatrice or the Maid of Athens； but to her； Anne Shirley。
To be told in rhythmical cadences that her eyes were stars of the morning
that her cheek had the flush it stole from the sunrise that her
lips were redder than the roses of Paradise； was thrillingly romantic。
Gilbert would never have dreamed of writing a sonnet to her eyebrows。
But then； Gilbert could see a joke。 She had once told Roy a funny story
and he had not seen the point of it。 She recalled the chummy laugh
she and Gilbert had had together over it； and wondered uneasily if life
with a man who had no sense of humor might not be somewhat uninteresting
in the long run。 But who could expect a melancholy； inscrutable hero to
see the humorous side of things？ It would be flatly unreasonable。
Chapter XXVIII
A June Evening
〃I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was
always June；〃 said Anne； as she came through the spice and bloom
of the twilit orchard to the front door steps； where Marilla and
Mrs。 Rachel were sitting； talking over Mrs。 Samson Coates' funeral；
which they had attended that day。 Dora sat between them； diligently
studying her lessons； but Davy was sitting tailor…fashion on the grass；
looking as gloomy and depressed as his single dimple would let him。
〃You'd get tired of it；〃 said Marilla； with a sigh。
〃I daresay； but just now I feel that it would take me a long
time to get tired of it； if it were all as charming as today。
Everything loves June。 Davy…boy； why this melancholy November
face in blossom…time？〃
〃I'm just sick and tired of living；〃 said the youthful pessimist。
〃At ten years？ Dear me； how sad！〃
〃I'm not making fun；〃 said Davy with dignity。 〃I'm dis dis
discouraged〃 bringing out the big word with a valiant effort。
〃Why and wherefore？〃 asked Anne； sitting down beside him。
〃'Cause the new teacher that come when Mr。 Holmes got sick give
me ten sums to do for Monday。 It'll take me all day tomorrow to
do them。 It isn't fair to have to work Saturdays。 Milty Boulter
said he wouldn't do them； but Marilla says I've got to。 I don't
like Miss Carson a bit。〃
〃Don't talk like that about your teacher； Davy Keith；〃 said
Mrs。 Rachel severely。 〃Miss Carson is a very fine girl。
There is no nonsense about her。〃
〃That doesn't sound very attractive；〃 laughed Anne。 〃I like
people to have a little nonsense about them。 But I'm inclined
to have a better opinion of Miss Carson than you have。 I saw her
in prayer…meeting last night； and she has a pair of eyes that
can't always look sensible。 Now； Davy…boy； take heart of grace。
‘Tomorrow will bring another day' and I'll help you with the sums
as far as in me lies。 Don't waste this lovely hour ‘twixt light
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