Thevanquishedcommitteeretired,thinkingthingsnotlawfultobeuttered。
\"WehavedoneallwecandoandmustsimplytrusttheresttoProvidence,\"
saidJane,withanunconsciousimitationofMrs。Lynde’stoneandmanner。
\"IwonderifMr。Allancoulddoanything,\"reflectedDiana。
Anneshookherhead。
\"No,it’snousetoworryMr。Allan,especiallynowwhenthebaby’ssosick。Judsonwouldslipawayfromhimassmoothlyasfromus,althoughheHAStakentogoingtochurchquiteregularlyjustnow。
ThatissimplybecauseLouisaSpencer’sfatherisanelderandveryparticularaboutsuchthings。\"
\"JudsonParkeristheonlymaninAvonleawhowoulddreamofrentinghisfences,\"saidJaneindignantly。\"EvenLeviBoulterorLorenzoWhitewouldneverstooptothat,tightfistedastheyare。
Theywouldhavetoomuchrespectforpublicopinion。\"
PublicopinionwascertainlydownonJudsonParkerwhenthefactsbecameknown,butthatdidnothelpmattersmuch。Judsonchuckledtohimselfanddefiedit,andtheImproversweretryingtoreconcilethemselvestotheprospectofseeingtheprettiestpartoftheNewbridgeroaddefacedbyadvertisements,whenAnnerosequietlyatthepresident’scallforreportsofcommitteesontheoccasionofthenextmeetingoftheSociety,andannouncedthatMr。JudsonParkerhadinstructedhertoinformtheSocietythathewasNOTgoingtorenthisfencestothePatentMedicineCompany。
JaneandDianastaredasiftheyfoundithardtobelievetheirears。
Parliamentaryetiquette,whichwasgenerallyverystrictlyenforcedintheA。V。I。S。,forbadethemgivinginstantventtotheircuriosity,butaftertheSocietyadjournedAnnewasbesiegedforexplanations。
Annehadnoexplanationtogive。JudsonParkerhadovertakenherontheroadtheprecedingeveningandtoldherthathehaddecidedtohumortheA。V。I。S。initspeculiarprejudiceagainstpatentmedicineadvertisements。ThatwasallAnnewouldsay,thenoreverafterwards,anditwasthesimpletruth;butwhenJaneAndrews,onherwayhome,confidedtoOliverSloaneherfirmbeliefthattherewasmorebehindJudsonParker’smysteriouschangeofheartthanAnneShirleyhadrevealed,shespokethetruthalso。
AnnehadbeendowntooldMrs。Irving’sontheshoreroadtheprecedingeveningandhadcomehomebyashortcutwhichledherfirstoverthelow-lyingshorefields,andthenthroughthebeechwoodbelowRobertDickson’s,byalittlefootpaththatranouttothemainroadjustabovetheLakeofShiningWaters……knowntounimaginativepeopleasBarry’spond。
Twomenweresittingintheirbuggies,reinedofftothesideoftheroad,justattheentranceofthepath。OnewasJudsonParker;
theotherwasJerryCorcoran,aNewbridgemanagainstwhom,asMrs。Lyndewouldhavetoldyouineloquentitalics,nothingshadyhadeverbeenPROVED。Hewasanagentforagriculturalimplementsandaprominentpersonageinmatterspolitical。Hehadafinger……
somepeoplesaidALLhisfingers……ineverypoliticalpiethatwascooked;andasCanadawasontheeveofageneralelectionJerryCorcoranhadbeenabusymanformanyweeks,canvassingthecountyintheinterestsofhisparty’scandidate。JustasAnneemergedfromundertheoverhangingbeechboughssheheardCorcoransay,\"Ifyou’llvoteforAmesbury,Parker……well,I’veanoteforthatpairofharrowsyou’vegotinthespring。Isupposeyouwouldn’tobjecttohavingitback,eh?\"
\"We……ll,sinceyouputitinthatway,\"drawledJudsonwithagrin,\"IreckonImightaswelldoit。Amanmustlookoutforhisowninterestsinthesehardtimes。\"
BothsawAnneatthismomentandconversationabruptlyceased。
Annebowedfrostilyandwalkedon,withherchinslightlymoretiltedthanusual。SoonJudsonParkerovertookher。
\"Havealift,Anne?\"heinquiredgenially。
\"Thankyou,no,\"saidAnnepolitely,butwithafine,needle-likedisdaininhervoicethatpiercedevenJudsonParker’snonetoosensitiveconsciousness。Hisfacereddenedandhetwitchedhisreinsangrily;butthenextsecondprudentialconsiderationscheckedhim。HelookeduneasilyatAnne,asshewalkedsteadilyon,glancingneithertotherightnortotheleft。HadsheheardCorcoran’sunmistakableofferandhisowntooplainacceptanceofit?
ConfoundCorcoran!Ifhecouldn’tputhismeaningintolessdangerousphraseshe’dgetintotroublesomeoftheselong-come-shorts。Andconfoundredheadedschool-ma’amswithahabitofpoppingoutofbeechwoodswheretheyhadnobusinesstobe。
IfAnnehadheard,JudsonParker,measuringhercorninhisownhalfbushel,asthecountrysayingwent,andcheatinghimselfthereby,assuchpeoplegenerallydo,believedthatshewouldtellitfarandwide。Now,JudsonParker,ashasbeenseen,wasnotoverlyregardfulofpublicopinion;buttobeknownashavingacceptedabribewouldbeanastything;andifiteverreachedIsaacSpencer’searsfarewellforevertoallhopeofwinningLouisaJanewithhercomfortableprospectsastheheiressofawell-to-dofarmer。JudsonParkerknewthatMr。Spencerlookedsomewhataskanceathimasitwas;hecouldnotaffordtotakeanyrisks。
\"Ahem……Anne,I’vebeenwantingtoseeyouaboutthatlittlematterwewerediscussingtheotherday。I’vedecidednottoletmyfencestothatcompanyafterall。Asocietywithanaimlikeyoursoughttobeencouraged。\"
Annethawedoutthemeresttrifle。
\"Thankyou,\"shesaid。
\"And……and……youneedn’tmentionthatlittleconversationofminewithJerry。\"
\"Ihavenointentionofmentioningitinanycase,\"saidAnneicily,forshewouldhaveseeneveryfenceinAvonleapaintedwithadvertisementsbeforeshewouldhavestoopedtobargainwithamanwhowouldsellhisvote。
\"Justso……justso,\"agreedJudson,imaginingthattheyunderstoodeachotherbeautifully。\"Ididn’tsupposeyouwould。
Ofcourse,IwasonlystringingJerry……hethinkshe’ssoall-firedcuteandsmart。I’venointentionofvotingforAmesbury。
I’mgoingtovoteforGrantasI’vealwaysdone……you’llseethatwhentheelectioncomesoff。IjustledJerryontoseeifhewouldcommithimself。Andit’sallrightaboutthefence……youcantelltheImproversthat。\"
\"Ittakesallsortsofpeopletomakeaworld,asI’veoftenheard,butIthinktherearesomewhocouldbespared,\"Annetoldherreflectionintheeastgablemirrorthatnight。\"Iwouldn’thavementionedthedisgracefulthingtoasoulanyhow,somyconscienceisclearonTHATscore。Ireallydon’tknowwhoorwhatistobethankedforthis。_I_didnothingtobringitabout,andit’shardtobelievethatProvidenceeverworksbymeansofthekindofpoliticsmenlikeJudsonParkerandJerryCorcoranhave。\"
XV
TheBeginningofVacationAnnelockedtheschoolhousedooronastill,yellowevening,whenthewindswerepurringinthesprucesaroundtheplayground,andtheshadowswerelongandlazybytheedgeofthewoods。Shedroppedthekeyintoherpocketwithasighofsatisfaction。Theschoolyearwasended,shehadbeenreengagedforthenext,withmanyexpressionsofsatisfaction……onlyMr。HarmonAndrewstoldhersheoughttousethestrapoftener……andtwodelightfulmonthsofawell-earnedvacationbeckonedherinvitingly。Annefeltatpeacewiththeworldandherselfasshewalkeddownthehillwithherbasketofflowersinherhand。SincetheearliestmayflowersAnnehadnevermissedherweeklypilgrimagetoMatthew’sgrave。EveryoneelseinAvonlea,exceptMarilla,hadalreadyforgottenquiet,shy,unimportantMatthewCuthbert;buthismemorywasstillgreeninAnne’sheartandalwayswouldbe。Shecouldneverforgetthekindoldmanwhohadbeenthefirsttogivehertheloveandsympathyherstarvedchildhoodhadcraved。
Atthefootofthehillaboywassittingonthefenceintheshadowofthespruces……aboywithbig,dreamyeyesandabeautiful,sensitiveface。HeswungdownandjoinedAnne,smiling;
butthereweretracesoftearsonhischeeks。
\"IthoughtI’dwaitforyou,teacher,becauseIknewyouweregoingtothegraveyard,\"hesaid,slippinghishandintohers。\"I’mgoingthere,too……I’mtakingthisbouquetofgeraniumstoputonGrandpaIrving’sgraveforgrandma。Andlook,teacher,I’mgoingtoputthisbunchofwhiterosesbesideGrandpa’sgraveinmemoryofmylittlemother……becauseIcan’tgotohergravetoputitthere。
Butdon’tyouthinkshe’llknowallaboutit,justthesame?\"
\"Yes,Iamsureshewill,Paul。\"
\"Yousee,teacher,it’sjustthreeyearstodaysincemylittlemotherdied。It’ssuchalong,longtimebutithurtsjustasmuchasever……andImissherjustasmuchasever。SometimesitseemstomethatIjustcan’tbearit,ithurtsso。\"
Paul’svoicequiveredandhisliptrembled。Helookeddownathisroses,hopingthathisteacherwouldnotnoticethetearsinhiseyes。
\"Andyet,\"saidAnne,verysoftly,\"youwouldn’twantittostophurting……youwouldn’twanttoforgetyourlittlemotherevenifyoucould。\"
\"No,indeed,Iwouldn’t……that’sjustthewayIfeel。You’resogoodatunderstanding,teacher。Nobodyelseunderstandssowell……notevengrandma,althoughshe’ssogoodtome。Fatherunderstoodprettywell,butstillIcouldn’ttalkmuchtohimaboutmother,becauseitmadehimfeelsobad。WhenheputhishandoverhisfaceIalwaysknewitwastimetostop。Poorfather,hemustbedreadfullylonesomewithoutme;butyouseehehasnobodybutahousekeepernowandhethinkshousekeepersarenogoodtobringuplittleboys,especiallywhenhehastobeawayfromhomesomuchonbusiness。
Grandmothersarebetter,nexttomothers。Someday,whenI’mbroughtup,I’llgobacktofatherandwe’renevergoingtobepartedagain。\"
PaulhadtalkedsomuchtoAnneabouthismotherandfatherthatshefeltasifshehadknownthem。Shethoughthismothermusthavebeenverylikewhathewashimself,intemperamentanddisposition;andshehadanideathatStephenIrvingwasaratherreservedmanwithadeepandtendernaturewhichhekepthiddenscrupulouslyfromtheworld。
\"Father’snotveryeasytogetacquaintedwith,\"Paulhadsaidonce。
\"Inevergotreallyacquaintedwithhimuntilaftermylittlemotherdied。
Buthe’ssplendidwhenyoudogettoknowhim。Ilovehimthebestinalltheworld,andGrandmaIrvingnext,andthenyou,teacher。I’dloveyounexttofatherifitwasn’tmyDUTYtoloveGrandmaIrvingbest,becauseshe’sdoingsomuchforme。YOUknow,teacher。IwishshewouldleavethelampinmyroomtillIgotosleep,though。ShetakesitrightoutassoonasshetucksmeupbecauseshesaysImustn’tbeacoward。
I’mNOTscared,butI’dRATHERhavethelight。MylittlemotherusedalwaystositbesidemeandholdmyhandtillIwenttosleep。
Iexpectshespoiledme。Mothersdosometimes,youknow。\"
No,Annedidnotknowthis,althoughshemightimagineit。
ShethoughtsadlyofHER\"littlemother,\"themotherwhohadthoughtherso\"perfectlybeautiful\"andwhohaddiedsolongagoandwasburiedbesideherboyishhusbandinthatunvisitedgravefaraway。AnnecouldnotrememberhermotherandforthisreasonshealmostenviedPaul。
\"Mybirthdayisnextweek,\"saidPaul,astheywalkedupthelongredhill,baskingintheJunesunshine,\"andfatherwrotemethatheissendingmesomethingthathethinksI’lllikebetterthananythingelsehecouldsend。Ibelieveithascomealready,forGrandmaiskeepingthebookcasedrawerlockedandthatissomethingnew。
AndwhenIaskedherwhy,shejustlookedmysteriousandsaidlittleboysmustn’tbetoocurious。It’sveryexcitingtohaveabirthday,isn’tit?I’llbeeleven。You’dneverthinkittolookatme,wouldyou?GrandmasaysI’mverysmallformyageandthatit’sallbecauseIdon’teatenoughporridge。Idomyverybest,butGrandmagivessuchgenerousplatefuls……there’snothingmeanaboutGrandma,Icantellyou。EversinceyouandIhadthattalkaboutprayinggoinghomefromSundaySchoolthatday,teacher……
whenyousaidweoughttoprayaboutallourdifficulties……I’veprayedeverynightthatGodwouldgivemeenoughgracetoenablemetoeateverybitofmyporridgeinthemornings。ButI’veneverbeenabletodoityet,andwhetherit’sbecauseIhavetoolittlegraceortoomuchporridgeIreallycan’tdecide。Grandmasaysfatherwasbroughtuponporridge,anditcertainlydidworkwellinhiscase,foryououghttoseetheshouldershehas。
Butsometimes,\"concludedPaulwithasighandameditativeair\"Ireallythinkporridgewillbethedeathofme。\"
Annepermittedherselfasmile,sincePaulwasnotlookingather。
AllAvonleaknewthatoldMrs。Irvingwasbringinghergrandsonupinaccordancewiththegood,old-fashionedmethodsofdietandmorals。
\"Letushopenot,dear,\"shesaidcheerfully。\"Howareyourrockpeoplecomingon?DoestheoldestTwinstillcontinuetobehavehimself?\"
\"HeHASto,\"saidPaulemphatically。\"HeknowsIwon’tassociatewithhimifhedoesn’t。Heisreallyfullofwickedness,Ithink。\"
\"AndhasNorafoundoutabouttheGoldenLadyyet?\"
\"No;butIthinkshesuspects。I’malmostsureshewatchedmethelasttimeIwenttothecave。_I_don’tmindifshefindsout……
itisonlyforHERsakeIdon’twantherto……sothatherfeelingswon’tbehurt。ButifsheisDETERMINEDtohaveherfeelingshurtitcan’tbehelped。\"
\"IfIweretogototheshoresomenightwithyoudoyouthinkI
couldseeyourrockpeopletoo?\"
Paulshookhisheadgravely。
\"No,Idon’tthinkyoucouldseeMYrockpeople。I’mtheonlypersonwhocanseethem。Butyoucouldseerockpeopleofyourown。You’reoneofthekindthatcan。We’reboththatkind。
YOUknow,teacher,\"headded,squeezingherhandchummily。
\"Isn’titsplendidtobethatkind,teacher?\"
\"Splendid,\"Anneagreed,grayshiningeyeslookingdownintoblueshiningones。AnneandPaulbothknew\"HowfairtherealmImaginationopenstotheview,\"
andbothknewthewaytothathappyland。Theretheroseofjoybloomedimmortalbydaleandstream;cloudsneverdarkenedthesunnysky;sweetbellsneverjangledoutoftune;andkindredspiritsabounded。Theknowledgeofthatland’sgeography……
\"easto’thesun,westo’themoon\"……ispricelesslore,nottobeboughtinanymarketplace。Itmustbethegiftofthegoodfairiesatbirthandtheyearscanneverdefaceitortakeitaway。
Itisbettertopossessit,livinginagarret,thantobetheinhabitantofpalaceswithoutit。
TheAvonleagraveyardwasasyetthegrass-grownsolitudeithadalwaysbeen。Tobesure,theImprovershadaneyeonit,andPriscillaGranthadreadapaperoncemeteriesbeforethelastmeetingoftheSociety。AtsomefuturetimetheImproversmeanttohavethelichened,waywardoldboardfencereplacedbyaneatwirerailing,thegrassmownandtheleaningmonumentsstraightenedup。
AnneputonMatthew’sgravetheflowersshehadbroughtforit,andthenwentovertothelittlepoplarshadedcornerwhereHesterGrayslept。
EversincethedayofthespringpicnicAnnehadputflowersonHester’sgravewhenshevisitedMatthew’s。TheeveningbeforeshehadmadeapilgrimagebacktothelittledesertedgardeninthewoodsandbroughttherefromsomeofHester’sownwhiteroses。
\"Ithoughtyouwouldlikethembetterthananyothers,dear,\"
shesaidsoftly。
AnnewasstillsittingtherewhenashadowfelloverthegrassandshelookeduptoseeMrs。Allan。Theywalkedhometogether。
Mrs。Allan’sfacewasnotthefaceofthegirlbridewhomtheministerhadbroughttoAvonleafiveyearsbefore。Ithadlostsomeofitsbloomandyouthfulcurves,andtherewerefine,patientlinesabouteyesandmouth。Atinygraveinthatverycemeteryaccountedforsomeofthem;andsomenewoneshadcomeduringtherecentillness,nowhappilyover,ofherlittleson。ButMrs。Allan’sdimpleswereassweetandsuddenasever,hereyesasclearandbrightandtrue;andwhatherfacelackedofgirlishbeautywasnowmorethanatonedforinaddedtendernessandstrength。
\"Isupposeyouarelookingforwardtoyourvacation,Anne?\"shesaid,astheyleftthegraveyard。
Annenodded。
\"Yes……Icouldrollthewordasasweetmorselundermytongue。
Ithinkthesummerisgoingtobelovely。Foronething,Mrs。MorganiscomingtotheIslandinJulyandPriscillaisgoingtobringherup。
Ifeeloneofmyold`thrills’atthemerethought。\"
\"Ihopeyou’llhaveagoodtime,Anne。You’veworkedveryhardthispastyearandyouhavesucceeded。\"
\"Oh,Idon’tknow。I’vecomesofarshortinsomanythings。I
haven’tdonewhatImeanttodowhenIbegantoteachlastfall。
Ihaven’tliveduptomyideals。\"
\"Noneofuseverdo,\"saidMrs。Allanwithasigh。\"Butthen,Anne,youknowwhatLowellsays,`Notfailurebutlowaimiscrime。’
Wemusthaveidealsandtrytoliveuptothem,evenifweneverquitesucceed。Lifewouldbeasorrybusinesswithoutthem。
Withthemit’sgrandandgreat。Holdfasttoyourideals,Anne。\"
\"Ishalltry。ButIhavetoletgomostofmytheories,\"saidAnne,laughingalittle。\"IhadthemostbeautifulsetoftheoriesyoueverknewwhenIstartedoutasaschoolma’am,buteveryoneofthemhasfailedmeatsomepinchoranother。\"
\"Eventhetheoryoncorporalpunishment,\"teasedMrs。Allan。
ButAnneflushed。
\"IshallneverforgivemyselfforwhippingAnthony。\"
\"Nonsense,dear,hedeservedit。Anditagreedwithhim。Youhavehadnotroublewithhimsinceandhehascometothinkthere’snobodylikeyou。Yourkindnesswonhisloveaftertheideathata’girlwasnogood’wasrootedoutofhisstubbornmind。\"
\"Hemayhavedeservedit,butthatisnotthepoint。IfIhadcalmlyanddeliberatelydecidedtowhiphimbecauseIthoughtitajustpunishmentforhimIwouldnotfeeloveritasIdo。Butthetruthis,Mrs。Allan,thatIjustflewintoatemperandwhippedhimbecauseofthat。Iwasn’tthinkingwhetheritwasjustorunjust……evenifhehadn’tdeserveditI’dhavedoneitjustthesame。Thatiswhathumiliatesme。\"
\"Well,weallmakemistakes,dear,sojustputitbehindyou。Weshouldregretourmistakesandlearnfromthem,butnevercarrythemforwardintothefuturewithus。TheregoesGilbertBlytheonhiswheel……homeforhisvacationtoo,Isuppose。Howareyouandhegettingonwithyourstudies?\"
\"Prettywell。WeplantofinishtheVirgiltonight……thereareonlytwentylinestodo。ThenwearenotgoingtostudyanymoreuntilSeptember。\"
\"Doyouthinkyouwillevergettocollege?\"
\"Oh,Idon’tknow。\"Annelookeddreamilyafartotheopal-tintedhorizon。\"Marilla’seyeswillneverbemuchbetterthantheyarenow,althoughwearesothankfultothinkthattheywillnotgetworse。
Andthentherearethetwins……somehowIdon’tbelievetheirunclewilleverreallysendforthem。Perhapscollegemaybearoundthebendintheroad,butIhaven’tgottothebendyetandIdon’tthinkmuchaboutitlestImightgrowdiscontented。\"
\"Well,Ishouldliketoseeyougotocollege,Anne;butifyouneverdo,don’tbediscontentedaboutit。Wemakeourownliveswhereverweare,afterall……collegecanonlyhelpustodoitmoreeasily。Theyarebroadornarrowaccordingtowhatweputintothem,notwhatwegetout。Lifeisrichandfullhere……
everywhere……ifwecanonlylearnhowtoopenourwholeheartstoitsrichnessandfulness。\"
\"IthinkIunderstandwhatyoumean,\"saidAnnethoughtfully,\"andIknowIhavesomuchtofeelthankfulfor……oh,somuch……
mywork,andPaulIrving,andthedeartwins,andallmyfriends。
Doyouknow,Mrs。Allan,I’msothankfulforfriendship。Itbeautifieslifesomuch。\"
\"Truefriendshipisaveryhelpfululthingindeed,\"saidMrs。Allan,\"andweshouldhaveaveryhighidealofit,andneversullyitbyanyfailureintruthandsincerity。Ifearthenameoffriendshipisoftendegradedtoakindofintimacythathasnothingofrealfriendshipinit。\"
\"Yes……likeGertiePye’sandJuliaBell’s。Theyareveryintimateandgoeverywheretogether;butGertieisalwayssayingnastythingsofJuliabehindherbackandeverybodythinkssheisjealousofherbecausesheisalwayssopleasedwhenanybodycriticizesJulia。
Ithinkitisdesecrationtocallthatfriendship。Ifwehavefriendsweshouldlookonlyforthebestinthemandgivethemthebestthatisinus,don’tyouthink?Thenfriendshipwouldbethemostbeautifulthingintheworld。\"
\"FriendshipISverybeautiful,\"smiledMrs。Allan,\"butsomeday……\"
Thenshepausedabruptly。Inthedelicate,white-browedfacebesideher,withitscandideyesandmobilefeatures,therewasstillfarmoreofthechildthanofthewoman。Anne’sheartsofarharboredonlydreamsoffriendshipandambition,andMrs。Allandidnotwishtobrushthebloomfromhersweetunconsciousness。
Soshelefthersentenceforthefutureyearstofinish。
XVI
TheSubstanceofThingsHopedFor\"Anne,\"saidDavyappealingly,scramblingupontheshiny,leather-coveredsofaintheGreenGableskitchen,whereAnnesat,readingaletter,\"Anne,I’mAWFULhungry。You’venoidea。\"
\"I’llgetyouapieceofbreadandbutterinaminute,\"saidAnneabsently。Herletterevidentlycontainedsomeexcitingnews,forhercheekswereaspinkastherosesonthebigbushoutside,andhereyeswereasstarryasonlyAnne’seyescouldbe。
\"ButIain’tbreadandbutterhungry,\"saidDavyinadisgustedtone。
\"I’mplumcakehungry。\"
\"Oh,\"laughedAnne,layingdownherletterandputtingherarmaboutDavytogivehimasqueeze,\"that’sakindofhungerthatcanbeenduredverycomfortably,Davy-boy。Youknowit’soneofMarilla’srulesthatyoucan’thaveanythingbutbreadandbutterbetweenmeals。\"
\"Well,gimmeapiecethen……please。\"
Davyhadbeenatlasttaughttosay\"please,\"buthegenerallytackeditonasanafterthought。HelookedwithapprovalatthegeneroussliceAnnepresentlybroughttohim。\"Youalwaysputsuchanicelotofbutteronit,Anne。Marillaspreadsitprettythin。
Itslipsdownaloteasierwhenthere’splentyofbutter。\"
Theslice\"slippeddown\"withtolerableease,judgingfromitsrapiddisappearance。Davyslidheadfirstoffthesofa,turnedadoublesomersaultontherug,andthensatupandannounceddecidedly,\"Anne,I’vemadeupmymindaboutheaven。Idon’twanttogothere。\"
\"Whynot?\"askedAnnegravely。
\"CauseheavenisinSimonFletcher’sgarret,andIdon’tlikeSimonFletcher。\"
\"Heavenin……SimonFletcher’sgarret!\"gaspedAnne,tooamazedeventolaugh。\"DavyKeith,whateverputsuchanextraordinaryideaintoyourhead?\"
\"MiltyBoultersaysthat’swhereitis。ItwaslastSundayinSundaySchool。ThelessonwasaboutElijahandElisha,andIupandaskedMissRogersonwhereheavenwas。MissRogersonlookedawfuloffended。Shewascrossanyhow,becausewhenshe’daskeduswhatElijahleftElishawhenhewenttoheavenMiltyBoultersaid,`Hisoldclo’es,’andusfellowsalllaughedbeforewethought。I
wishyoucouldthinkfirstanddothingsafterwards,’causethenyouwouldn’tdothem。ButMiltydidn’tmeantobedisrespeckful。
Hejustcouldn’tthinkofthenameofthething。MissRogersonsaidheavenwaswhereGodwasandIwasn’ttoaskquestionslikethat。
Miltynudgedmeandsaidinawhisper,`Heaven’sinUncleSimon’sgarretandI’llesplainaboutitontheroadhome。’Sowhenwewascominghomeheesplained。Milty’sagreathandatesplainingthings。Evenifhedon’tknowanythingaboutathinghe’llmakeupalotofstuffandsoyougetitesplainedallthesame。HismotherisMrs。Simon’ssisterandhewentwithhertothefuneralwhenhiscousin,JaneEllen,died。Theministersaidshe’dgonetoheaven,thoughMiltysaysshewaslyingrightbeforetheminthecoffin。Buthes’posedtheycarriedthecoffintothegarretafterwards。Well,whenMiltyandhismotherwentupstairsafteritwasallovertogetherbonnetheaskedherwhereheavenwasthatJaneEllenhadgoneto,andshepointedrighttotheceilingandsaid,`Upthere。’Miltyknewtherewasn’tanythingbutthegarretovertheceiling,sothat’showHEfoundout。Andhe’sbeenawfulscaredtogotohisUncleSimon’seversince。\"
AnnetookDavyonherkneeanddidherbesttostraightenoutthistheologicaltanglealso。ShewasmuchbetterfittedforthetaskthanMarilla,forsherememberedherownchildhoodandhadaninstinctiveunderstandingofthecuriousideasthatseven-year-oldssometimesgetaboutmattersthatare,ofcourse,veryplainandsimpletogrownuppeople。ShehadjustsucceededinconvincingDavythatheavenwasNOTinSimonFletcher’sgarretwhenMarillacameinfromthegarden,wheresheandDorahadbeenpickingpeas。
Dorawasanindustriouslittlesoulandneverhappierthanwhen\"helping\"invarioussmalltaskssuitedtoherchubbyfingers。Shefedchickens,pickedupchips,wipeddishes,andranerrandsgalore。
Shewasneat,faithfulandobservant;sheneverhadtobetoldhowtodoathingtwiceandneverforgotanyofherlittleduties。
Davy,ontheotherhand,wasratherheedlessandforgetful;buthehadthebornknackofwinninglove,andevenyetAnneandMarillalikedhimthebetter。
WhileDoraproudlyshelledthepeasandDavymadeboatsofthepods,withmastsofmatchesandsailsofpaper,AnnetoldMarillaaboutthewonderfulcontentsofherletter。
\"Oh,Marilla,whatdoyouthink?I’vehadaletterfromPriscillaandshesaysthatMrs。MorganisontheIsland,andthatifitisfineThursdaytheyaregoingtodriveuptoAvonleaandwillreachhereabouttwelve。TheywillspendtheafternoonwithusandgotothehotelatWhiteSandsintheevening,becausesomeofMrs。Morgan’sAmericanfriendsarestayingthere。Oh,Marilla,isn’titwonderful?
IcanhardlybelieveI’mnotdreaming。\"
\"IdaresayMrs。Morganisalotlikeotherpeople,\"saidMarilladrily,althoughshedidfeelatrifleexcitedherself。Mrs。Morganwasafamouswomanandavisitfromherwasnocommonplaceoccurrence。
\"They’llbeheretodinner,then?\"
\"Yes;andoh,Marilla,mayIcookeverybitofthedinnermyself?
IwanttofeelthatIcandosomethingfortheauthorof`TheRosebudGarden,’ifitisonlytocookadinnerforher。
Youwon’tmind,willyou?\"
\"Goodness,I’mnotsofondofstewingoverahotfireinJulythatitwouldvexmeverymuchtohavesomeoneelsedoit。You’requitewelcometothejob。\"
\"Oh,thankyou,\"saidAnne,asifMarillahadjustconferredatremendousfavor,\"I’llmakeoutthemenuthisverynight。\"
\"You’dbetternottrytoputontoomuchstyle,\"warnedMarilla,alittlealarmedbythehigh-flownsoundof\"menu。\"You’lllikelycometogriefifyoudo。\"
\"Oh,I’mnotgoingtoputonany`style,’ifyoumeantryingtodoorhavethingswedon’tusuallyhaveonfestaloccasions,\"assuredAnne。
\"Thatwouldbeaffectation,and,althoughIknowIhaven’tasmuchsenseandsteadinessasagirlofseventeenandaschoolteacheroughttohave,I’mnotsosillyASthat。ButIwanttohaveeverythingasniceanddaintyaspossible。Davy-boy,don’tleavethosepeapodsonthebackstairs……someonemightsliponthem。
I’llhavealightsouptobeginwith……youknowIcanmakelovelycream-of-onionsoup……andthenacoupleofroastfowls。
I’llhavethetwowhiteroosters。Ihaverealaffectionforthoseroostersandthey’vebeenpetseversincethegrayhenhatchedoutjustthetwoofthem……littleballsofyellowdown。
ButIknowtheywouldhavetobesacrificedsometime,andsurelytherecouldn’tbeaworthieroccasionthanthis。Butoh,Marilla,_I_cannotkillthem……notevenforMrs。Morgan’ssake。I’llhavetoaskJohnHenryCartertocomeoveranddoitforme。\"
\"I’lldoit,\"volunteeredDavy,\"ifMarilla’llholdthembythelegs\"
causeIguessit’dtakebothmyhandstomanagetheaxe。It’sawfuljollyfuntoseethemhoppingaboutaftertheirheadsarecutoff。\"
\"ThenI’llhavepeasandbeansandcreamedpotatoesandalettucesalad,forvegetables,\"resumedAnne,\"andfordessert,lemonpiewithwhippedcream,andcoffeeandcheeseandladyfingers。
I’llmakethepiesandladyfingerstomorrowanddoupmywhitemuslindress。AndImusttellDianatonight,forshe’llwanttodouphers。
Mrs。Morgan’sheroinesarenearlyalwaysdressedinwhitemuslin,andDianaandIhavealwaysresolvedthatthatwaswhatwewouldwearifweevermether。Itwillbesuchadelicatecompliment,don’tyouthink?Davy,dear,youmustn’tpokepeapodsintothecracksofthefloor。ImustaskMr。andMrs。AllanandMissStacytodinner,too,forthey’reallveryanxioustomeetMrs。Morgan。It’ssofortunateshe’scomingwhileMissStacyishere。
Davydear,don’tsailthepeapodsinthewaterbucket……goouttothetrough。Oh,IdohopeitwillbefineThursday,andIthinkitwill,forUncleAbesaidlastnightwhenhecalledatMr。Harrison’s,thatitwasgoingtorainmostofthisweek。\"
\"That’sagoodsign,\"agreedMarilla。
AnneranacrosstoOrchardSlopethateveningtotellthenewstoDiana,whowasalsoverymuchexcitedoverit,andtheydiscussedthematterinthehammockswungunderthebigwillowintheBarrygarden。
\"Oh,Anne,mayn’tIhelpyoucookthedinner?\"imploredDiana。
\"YouknowIcanmakesplendidlettucesalad。\"
\"Indeedyou,may\"saidAnneunselfishly。\"AndIshallwantyoutohelpmedecoratetoo。ImeantohavetheparlorsimplyaBOWERofblossoms……andthediningtableistobeadornedwithwildroses。
Oh,Idohopeeverythingwillgosmoothly。Mrs。Morgan’sheroinesNEVERgetintoscrapesoraretakenatadisadvantage,andtheyarealwayssoselfpossessedandsuchgoodhousekeepers。TheyseemtobeBORNgoodhousekeepers。YourememberthatGertrudein`EdgewoodDays’kepthouseforherfatherwhenshewasonlyeightyearsold。WhenIwaseightyearsoldIhardlyknewhowtodoathingexceptbringupchildren。Mrs。Morganmustbeanauthorityongirlswhenshehaswrittensomuchaboutthem,andIdowanthertohaveagoodopinionofus。I’veimagineditalloutadozendifferentways……whatshe’lllooklike,andwhatshe’llsay,andwhatI’llsay。AndI’msoanxiousaboutmynose。Therearesevenfrecklesonit,asyoucansee。TheycameattheA。V。IS。picnic,whenIwentaroundinthesunwithoutmyhat。Isupposeit’sungratefulofmetoworryoverthem,whenIshouldbethankfulthey’renotspreadallovermyfaceastheyoncewere;butIdowishtheyhadn’tcome……allMrs。Morgan’sheroineshavesuchperfectcomplexions。Ican’trecallafreckledoneamongthem。\"
\"Yoursarenotverynoticeable,\"comfortedDiana。\"Tryalittlelemonjuiceonthemtonight。\"
ThenextdayAnnemadeherpiesandladyfingers,diduphermuslindress,andsweptanddustedeveryroominthehouse……aquiteunnecessaryproceeding,forGreenGableswas,asusual,intheapplepieorderdeartoMarilla’sheart。ButAnnefeltthatafleckofdustwouldbeadesecrationinahousethatwastobehonoredbyavisitfromCharlotteE。Morgan。Sheevencleanedoutthe\"catch-all\"closetunderthestairs,althoughtherewasnottheremotestpossibilityofMrs。Morgan’sseeingitsinterior。
\"ButIwanttoFEELthatitisinperfectorder,evenifsheisn’ttoseeit,\"AnnetoldMarilla。\"Youknow,inherbook`GoldenKeys,’
shemakeshertwoheroinesAliceandLouisatakefortheirmottothatverseofLongfellow’s,\"`IntheelderdaysofartBuilderswroughtwithgreatestcareEachminuteandunseenpart,Forthegodsseeeverywhere,’
andsotheyalwayskepttheircellarstairsscrubbedandneverforgottosweepunderthebeds。IshouldhaveaguiltyconscienceifIthoughtthisclosetwasindisorderwhenMrs。Morganwasinthehouse。Eversinceweread`GoldenKeys,’lastApril,DianaandIhavetakenthatverseforourmottotoo。\"
ThatnightJohnHenryCarterandDavybetweenthemcontrivedtoexecutethetwowhiteroosters,andAnnedressedthem,theusuallydistastefultaskglorifiedinhereyesbythedestinationoftheplumpbirds。
\"Idon’tlikepickingfowls,\"shetoldMarilla,\"butisn’titfortunatewedon’thavetoputoursoulsintowhatourhandsmaybedoing?
I’vebeenpickingchickenswithmyhandsbutinimaginationI’vebeenroamingtheMilkyWay。\"
\"Ithoughtyou’dscatteredmorefeathersoverthefloorthanusual,\"
remarkedMarilla。
ThenAnneputDavytobedandmadehimpromisethathewouldbehaveperfectlythenextday。
\"IfI’masgoodasgoodcanbealldaytomorrowwillyouletmebejustasbadasIlikeallthenextday?\"askedDavy。
\"Icouldn’tdothat,\"saidAnnediscreetly,\"butI’lltakeyouandDoraforarowintheflatrighttothebottomofthepond,andwe’llgoashoreonthesandhillsandhaveapicnic。\"
\"It’sabargain,\"saidDavy。\"I’llbegood,youbet。ImeanttogoovertoMr。Harrison’sandfirepeasfrommynewpopgunatGingerbutanotherday’lldoaswell。IespectitwillbejustlikeSunday,butapicnicattheshore’llmakeupforTHAT。\"
XVII
AChapterofAccidentsAnnewokethreetimesinthenightandmadepilgrimagestoherwindowtomakesurethatUncleAbe’spredictionwasnotcomingtrue。
Finallythemorningdawnedpearlyandlustrousinaskyfullofsilversheenandradiance,andthewonderfuldayhadarrived。
Dianaappearedsoonafterbreakfast,withabasketofflowersoveronearmandHERmuslindressovertheother……foritwouldnotdotodonituntilallthedinnerpreparationswerecompleted。
Meanwhilesheworeherafternoonpinkprintandalawnapronfearfullyandwonderfullyruffledandfrilled;andveryneatandprettyandrosyshewas。
\"Youlooksimplysweet,\"saidAnneadmiringly。
Dianasighed。
\"ButI’vehadtoletouteveryoneofmydressesAGAIN。IweighfourpoundsmorethanIdidinJuly。Anne,WHEREwillthisend?
Mrs。Morgan’sheroinesarealltallandslender。\"
\"Well,let’sforgetourtroublesandthinkofourmercies,\"saidAnnegaily。\"Mrs。Allansaysthatwheneverwethinkofanythingthatisatrialtousweshouldalsothinkofsomethingnicethatwecansetoveragainstit。Ifyouareslightlytooplumpyou’vegotthedearestdimples;andifIhaveafrecklednosetheSHAPEofitisallright。Doyouthinkthelemonjuicedidanygood?\"
\"Yes,Ireallythinkitdid,\"saidDianacritically;and,muchelated,Anneledthewaytothegarden,whichwasfullofairyshadowsandwaveringgoldenlights。
\"We’lldecoratetheparlorfirst。Wehaveplentyoftime,forPriscillasaidthey’dbehereabouttwelveorhalfpastatthelatest,sowe’llhavedinneratone。\"
TheremayhavebeentwohappierandmoreexcitedgirlssomewhereinCanadaortheUnitedStatesatthatmoment,butIdoubtit。
Everysnipofthescissors,asroseandpeonyandbluebellfell,seemedtochirp,\"Mrs。Morganiscomingtoday。\"AnnewonderedhowMr。HarrisonCOULDgoonplacidlymowinghayinthefieldacrossthelane,justasifnothingweregoingtohappen。
TheparloratGreenGableswasarathersevereandgloomyapartment,withrigidhorsehairfurniture,stifflacecurtains,andwhiteantimacassarsthatwerealwayslaidataperfectlycorrectangle,exceptatsuchtimesastheyclungtounfortunatepeople’sbuttons。
EvenAnnehadneverbeenabletoinfusemuchgraceintoit,forMarillawouldnotpermitanyalterations。Butitiswonderfulwhatflowerscanaccomplishifyougivethemafairchance;
whenAnneandDianafinishedwiththeroomyouwouldnothaverecognizedit。
Agreatbluebowlfulofsnowballsoverflowedonthepolishedtable。
Theshiningblackmantelpiecewasheapedwithrosesandferns。
Everyshelfofthewhat-notheldasheafofbluebells;thedarkcornersoneithersideofthegratewerelightedupwithjarsfullofglowingcrimsonpeonies,andthegrateitselfwasaflamewithyellowpoppies。Allthissplendorandcolor,mingledwiththesunshinefallingthroughthehoneysucklevinesatthewindowsinaleafyriotofdancingshadowsoverwallsandfloor,madeoftheusuallydismallittleroomtheveritable\"bower\"ofAnne’simagination,andevenextortedatributeofadmirationfromMarilla,whocameintocriticizeandremainedtopraise。
\"Now,wemustsetthetable,\"saidAnne,inthetoneofapriestessabouttoperformsomesacredriteinhonorofadivinity。\"We’llhaveabigvasefulofwildrosesinthecenterandonesingleroseinfrontofeverybody’splate——andaspecialbouquetofrosebudsonlybyMrs。Morgan’s——anallusionto`TheRosebudGarden’youknow。\"
Thetablewassetinthesittingroom,withMarilla’sfinestlinenandthebestchina,glass,andsilver。Youmaybeperfectlycertainthateveryarticleplacedonitwaspolishedorscouredtothehighestpossibleperfectionofglossandglitter。
Thenthegirlstrippedouttothekitchen,whichwasfilledwithappetizingodorsemanatingfromtheoven,wherethechickenswerealreadysizzlingsplendidly。AnnepreparedthepotatoesandDianagotthepeasandbeansready。Then,whileDianashutherselfintothepantrytocompoundthelettucesalad,Anne,whosecheekswerealreadybeginningtoglowcrimson,asmuchwithexcitementasfromtheheatofthefire,preparedthebreadsauceforthechickens,mincedheronionsforthesoup,andfinallywhippedthecreamforherlemonpies。
AndwhataboutDavyallthistime?Washeredeeminghispromisetobegood?Hewas,indeed。Tobesure,heinsistedonremaininginthekitchen,forhiscuriositywantedtoseeallthatwenton。Butashesatquietlyinacorner,busilyengagedinuntyingtheknotsinapieceofherringnethehadbroughthomefromhislasttriptotheshore,nobodyobjectedtothis。
Athalfpasteleventhelettucesaladwasmade,thegoldencirclesofthepieswereheapedwithwhippedcream,andeverythingwassizzlingandbubblingthatoughttosizzleandbubble。
\"We’dbettergoanddressnow,\"saidAnne,\"fortheymaybeherebytwelve。
Wemusthavedinneratsharpone,forthesoupmustbeservedassoonasit’sdone。\"
Seriousindeedwerethetoiletritespresentlyperformedintheeastgable。Annepeeredanxiouslyathernoseandrejoicedtoseethatitsfreckleswerenotatallprominent,thankseithertothelemonjuiceortotheunusualflushonhercheeks。Whentheywerereadytheylookedquiteassweetandtrimandgirlishaseverdidanyof\"Mrs。Morgan’sheroines。\"
\"IdohopeI’llbeabletosaysomethingonceinawhile,andnotsitlikeamute,\"saidDianaanxiously。\"AllMrs。Morgan’sheroinesconversesobeautifully。ButI’mafraidI’llbetongue-tiedandstupid。AndI’llbesuretosay`Iseen。’
Ihaven’toftensaiditsinceMissStacytaughthere;butinmomentsofexcitementit’ssuretopopout。Anne,ifIweretosay`Iseen’beforeMrs。MorganI’ddieofmortification。
Anditwouldbealmostasbadtohavenothingtosay。\"
\"I’mnervousaboutagoodmanythings,\"saidAnne,\"butI
don’tthinkthereismuchfearthatIwon’tbeabletotalk\"
And,todoherjustice,therewasn’t。
Anneshroudedhermuslingloriesinabigapronandwentdowntoconcocthersoup。Marillahaddressedherselfandthetwins,andlookedmoreexcitedthanshehadeverbeenknowntolookbefore。
AthalfpasttwelvetheAllansandMissStacycame。EverythingwasgoingwellbutAnnewasbeginningtofeelnervous。ItwassurelytimeforPriscillaandMrs。Morgantoarrive。ShemadefrequenttripstothegateandlookedasanxiouslydownthelaneaseverhernamesakeintheBluebeardstorypeeredfromthetowercasement。
\"Supposetheydon’tcomeatall?\"shesaidpiteously。
\"Don’tsupposeit。Itwouldbetoomean,\"saidDiana,who,however,wasbeginningtohaveuncomfortablemisgivingsonthesubject。
\"Anne,\"saidMarilla,comingoutfromtheparlor,\"MissStacywantstoseeMissBarry’swillowwareplatter。\"
Annehastenedtothesittingroomclosettogettheplatter。Shehad,inaccordancewithherpromisetoMrs。Lynde,writtentoMissBarryofCharlottetown,askingfortheloanofit。MissBarrywasanoldfriendofAnne’s,andshepromplysenttheplatterout,withaletterexhortingAnnetobeverycarefulofit,forshehadpaidtwentydollarsforit。TheplatterhadserveditspurposeattheAidbazaarandhadthenbeenreturnedtotheGreenGablescloset,forAnnewouldnottrustanybodybutherselftotakeitbacktotown。
Shecarriedtheplattercarefullytothefrontdoorwhereherguestswereenjoyingthecoolbreezethatblewupfromthebrook。
Itwasexaminedandadmired;then,justasAnnehadtakenitbackintoherownhands,aterrificcrashandclattersoundedfromthekitchenpantry。Marilla,Diana,andAnnefledout,thelatterpausingonlylongenoughtosetthepreciousplatterhastilydownonthesecondstepofthestairs。
Whentheyreachedthepantryatrulyharrowingspectaclemettheireyes……aguiltylookingsmallboyscramblingdownfromthetable,withhiscleanprintblouseliberallyplasteredwithyellowfilling,andonthetabletheshatteredremnantsofwhathadbeentwobrave,becreamedlemonpies。
Davyhadfinishedravellingouthisherringnetandhadwoundthetwineintoaball。Thenhehadgoneintothepantrytoputitupontheshelfabovethetable,wherehealreadykeptascoreorsoofsimilarballs,which,sofarascouldbediscovered,servednousefulpurposesavetoyieldthejoyofpossession。Davyhadtoclimbonthetableandreachovertotheshelfatadangerousangle……somethinghehadbeenforbiddenbyMarillatodo,ashehadcometogriefoncebeforeintheexperiment。Theresultinthisinstancewasdisastrous。Davyslippedandcamesprawlingsquarelydownonthelemonpies。Hiscleanblousewasruinedforthattimeandthepiesforalltime。Itis,however,anillwindthatblowsnobodygood,andthepigwaseventuallythegainerbyDavy’smischance。
\"DavyKeith,\"saidMarilla,shakinghimbytheshoulder,\"didn’tI
forbidyoutoclimbuponthattableagain?Didn’tI?\"
\"Iforgot,\"whimperedDavy。\"You’vetoldmenottodosuchanawfullotofthingsthatIcan’trememberthemall。\"
\"Well,youmarchupstairsandstaytheretillafterdinner。
Perhapsyou’llgetthemsortedoutinyourmemorybythattime。
No,Anne,neveryoumindintercedingforhim。I’mnotpunishinghimbecausehespoiledyourpies……thatwasanaccident。
I’mpunishinghimforhisdisobedience。Go,Davy,Isay。\"
\"Ain’tItohaveanydinner?\"wailedDavy。
\"Youcancomedownafterdinnerisoverandhaveyoursinthekitchen。\"
\"Oh,allright,\"saidDavy,somewhatcomforted。\"IknowAnne’llsavesomenicebonesforme,won’tyou,Anne?’CauseyouknowI
didn’tmeantofallonthepies。Say,Anne,sincetheyAREspoiledcan’tItakesomeofthepiecesupstairswithme?\"
\"No,nolemonpieforyou,MasterDavy,\"saidMarilla,pushinghimtowardthehall。\"
Whatshallwedofordessert?\"askedAnne,lookingregretfullyatthewreckandruin。
\"Getoutacrockofstrawberrypreserves,\"saidMarillaconsolingly。
\"There’splentyofwhippedcreamleftinthebowlforit。\"
Oneo’clockcame……butnoPriscillaorMrs。Morgan。Annewasinanagony。Everythingwasdonetoaturnandthesoupwasjustwhatsoupshouldbe,butcouldn’tbedependedontoremainsoforanylengthoftime。
\"Idon’tbelievethey’recomingafterall,\"saidMarillacrossly。
AnneandDianasoughtcomfortineachother’seyes。
AthalfpastoneMarillaagainemergedfromtheparlor。
\"Girls,weMUSThavedinner。Everybodyishungryandit’snousewaitinganylonger。PriscillaandMrs。Morganarenotcoming,that’splain,andnothingisbeingimprovedbywaiting。\"
AnneandDianasetaboutliftingthedinner,withallthezestgoneoutoftheperformance。
\"Idon’tbelieveI’llbeabletoeatamouthful,\"saidDianadolefully。
\"NorI。ButIhopeeverythingwillbeniceforMissStacy’sandMr。andMrs。Allan’ssakes,\"saidAnnelistlessly。
WhenDianadishedthepeasshetastedthemandaverypeculiarexpressioncrossedherface。
\"Anne,didYOUputsugarinthesepeas?\"
\"Yes,\"saidAnne,mashingthepotatoeswiththeairofoneexpectedtodoherduty。\"Iputaspoonfulofsugarin。Wealwaysdo。
Don’tyoulikeit?\"
\"But_I_putaspoonfulintoo,whenIsetthemonthestove,\"saidDiana。
Annedroppedhermasherandtastedthepeasalso。Thenshemadeagrimace。
\"Howawful!Ineverdreamedyouhadputsugarin,becauseIknewyourmotherneverdoes。Ihappenedtothinkofit,forawonder……
I’malwaysforgettingit……soIpoppedaspoonfulin。\"
\"It’sacaseoftoomanycooks,Iguess,\"saidMarilla,whohadlistenedtothisdialoguewitharatherguiltyexpression。
\"Ididn’tthinkyou’drememberaboutthesugar,Anne,forI’mperfectlycertainyouneverdidbefore……so_I_putinaspoonful。\"
Theguestsintheparlorheardpealafterpealoflaughterfromthekitchen,buttheyneverknewwhatthefunwasabout。Therewerenogreenpeasonthedinnertablethatday,however。
\"Well,\"saidAnne,soberingdownagainwithasighofrecollection,\"wehavethesaladanyhowandIdon’tthinkanythinghashappenedtothebeans。Let’scarrythethingsinandgetitover。\"
Itcannotbesaidthatthatdinnerwasanotablesuccesssocially。
TheAllansandMissStacyexertedthemselvestosavethesituationandMarilla’scustomaryplaciditywasnotnoticeablyruffled。
ButAnneandDiana,betweentheirdisappointmentandthereactionfromtheirexcitementoftheforenoon,couldneithertalknoreat。
Annetriedheroicallytobearherpartintheconversationforthesakeofherguests;butallthesparklehadbeenquenchedinherforthetimebeing,and,inspiteofherlovefortheAllansandMissStacy,shecouldn’thelpthinkinghowniceitwouldbewheneverybodyhadgonehomeandshecouldburyherwearinessanddisappointmentinthepillowsoftheeastgable。
Thereisanoldproverbthatreallyseemsattimestobeinspired……\"itneverrainsbutitpours。\"Themeasureofthatday’stribulationswasnotyetfull。JustasMr。Allanhadfinishedreturningthankstherearoseastrange,ominoussoundonthestairs,asofsomehard,heavyobjectboundingfromsteptostep,finishingupwithagrandsmashatthebottom。Everybodyranoutintothehall。Annegaveashriekofdismay。
AtthebottomofthestairslayabigpinkconchshellamidthefragmentsofwhathadbeenMissBarry’splatter;andatthetopofthestairskneltaterrifiedDavy,gazingdownwithwide-openeyesatthehavoc。
\"Davy,\"saidMarillaominously,\"didyouthrowthatconchdownONPURPOSE?\"
\"No,Ineverdid,\"whimperedDavy。\"Iwasjustkneelinghere,quietasquiet,towatchyoufolksthroughthebannisters,andmyfootstruckthatoldthingandpusheditoff……andI’mawfulhungry……andIdowishyou’dlickafellowandhavedonewithit,insteadofalwayssendinghimupstairstomissallthefun。\"
\"Don’tblameDavy,\"saidAnne,gatheringupthefragmentswithtremblingfingers。\"Itwasmyfault。Isetthatplatterthereandforgotallaboutit。Iamproperlypunishedformycarelessness;
butoh,whatwillMissBarrysay?\"
\"Well,youknowsheonlyboughtit,soitisn’tthesameasifitwasanheirloom,\"saidDiana,tryingtoconsole。
Theguestswentawaysoonafter,feelingthatitwasthemosttactfulthingtodo,andAnneandDianawashedthedishes,talkinglessthantheyhadeverbeenknowntodobefore。ThenDianawenthomewithaheadacheandAnnewentwithanothertotheeastgable,whereshestayeduntilMarillacamehomefromthepostofficeatsunset,withaletterfromPriscilla,writtenthedaybefore。Mrs。Morganhadsprainedheranklesoseverelythatshecouldnotleaveherroom。
\"Andoh,Annedear,\"wrotePriscilla,\"I’msosorry,butI’mafraidwewon’tgetuptoGreenGablesatallnow,forbythetimeAunty’sankleiswellshewillhavetogobacktoToronto。Shehastobetherebyacertaindate。\"
\"Well,\"sighedAnne,layingtheletterdownontheredsandstonestepofthebackporch,whereshewassitting,whilethetwilightraineddownoutofadappledsky,\"IalwaysthoughtitwastoogoodtobetruethatMrs。Morganshouldreallycome。Butthere……thatspeechsoundsaspessimisticasMissElizaAndrewsandI’mashamedofmakingit。Afterall,itwasNOTtoogoodtobetrue……thingsjustasgoodandfarbetterarecomingtrueformeallthetime。
AndIsupposetheeventsoftodayhaveafunnysidetoo。
PerhapswhenDianaandIareoldandgrayweshallbeabletolaughoverthem。ButIfeelthatIcan’texpecttodoitbeforethen,forithastrulybeenabitterdisappointment。\"
\"You’llprobablyhaveagoodmanymoreandworsedisappointmentsthanthatbeforeyougetthroughlife,\"saidMarilla,whohonestlythoughtshewasmakingacomfortingspeech。\"Itseemstome,Anne,thatyouarenevergoingtooutgrowyourfashionofsettingyourheartsoonthingsandthencrashingdownintodespairbecauseyoudon’tgetthem。\"
\"IknowI’mtoomuchinclinedthat,way\"agreedAnneruefully。
\"WhenIthinksomethingniceisgoingtohappenIseemtoflyrightuponthewingsofanticipation;andthenthefirstthingIrealizeIdropdowntoearthwithathud。Butreally,Marilla,theflyingpartISgloriousaslongasitlasts……it’slikesoaringthroughasunset。Ithinkitalmostpaysforthethud。\"
\"Well,maybeitdoes,\"admittedMarilla。\"I’dratherwalkcalmlyalonganddowithoutbothflyingandthud。Buteverybodyhasherownwayofliving……Iusedtothinktherewasonlyonerightway……butsinceI’vehadyouandthetwinstobringupIdon’tfeelsosureofit。WhatareyougoingtodoaboutMissBarry’splatter?\"
\"Payherbackthetwentydollarsshepaidforit,Isuppose。
I’msothankfulitwasn’tacherishedheirloombecausethennomoneycouldreplaceit。\"
\"Maybeyoucouldfindonelikeitsomewhereandbuyitforher。\"
\"I’mafraidnot。Plattersasoldasthatareveryscarce。Mrs。
Lyndecouldn’tfindoneanywhereforthesupper。IonlywishI
could,forofcourseMissBarrywouldjustassoonhaveoneplatterasanother,ifbothwereequallyoldandgenuine。Marilla,lookatthatbigstaroverMr。Harrison’smaplegrove,withallthatholyhushofsilveryskyaboutit。Itgivesmeafeelingthatislikeaprayer。Afterall,whenonecanseestarsandskieslikethat,littledisappointmentsandaccidentscan’tmattersomuch,canthey?\"
\"Where’sDavy?\"saidMarilla,withanindifferentglanceatthestar。
\"Inbed。I’vepromisedtotakehimandDoratotheshoreforapicnictomorrow。Ofcourse,theoriginalagreementwasthathemustbegood。ButheTRIEDtobegood……andIhadn’tthehearttodisappointhim。\"
\"You’lldrownyourselforthetwins,rowingaboutthepondinthatflat,\"
grumbledMarilla。\"I’velivedhereforsixtyyearsandI’veneverbeenonthepondyet。\"
\"Well,it’snevertoolatetomend,\"saidAnneroguishly。
\"Supposeyoucomewithustomorrow。We’llshutGreenGablesupandspendthewholedayattheshore,daffingtheworldaside。\"
\"No,thankyou,\"saidMarilla,withindignantemphasis。\"I’dbeanicesight,wouldn’tI,rowingdownthepondinaflat?IthinkI
hearRachelpronouncingonit。There’sMr。Harrisondrivingawaysomewhere。DoyousupposethereisanytruthinthegossipthatMr。HarrisonisgoingtoseeIsabellaAndrews?\"
\"No,I’msurethereisn’t。HejustcalledthereoneeveningonbusinesswithMr。HarmonAndrewsandMrs。Lyndesawhimandsaidsheknewhewascourtingbecausehehadawhitecollaron。
Idon’tbelieveMr。Harrisonwillevermarry。Heseemstohaveaprejudiceagainstmarriage。\"
\"Well,youcannevertellaboutthoseoldbachelors。AndifhehadawhitecollaronI’dagreewithRachelthatitlookssuspicious,forI’msureheneverwasseenwithonebefore。\"
\"IthinkheonlyputitonbecausehewantedtoconcludeabusinessdealwithHarmonAndrews,\"saidAnne。\"I’veheardhimsaythat’stheonlytimeamanneedstobeparticularabouthisappearance,becauseifhelooksprosperousthepartyofthesecondpartwon’tbesolikelytotrytocheathim。IreallyfeelsorryforMr。
Harrison;Idon’tbelievehefeelssatisfiedwithhislife。Itmustbeverylonelytohavenoonetocareaboutexceptaparrot,don’tyouthink?ButInoticeMr。Harrisondoesn’tliketobepitied。Nobodydoes,Iimagine。\"
\"There’sGilbertcomingupthelane,\"saidMarilla。\"Ifhewantsyoutogoforarowonthepondmindyouputonyourcoatandrubbers。There’saheavydewtonight。\"
XVIII
AnAdventureontheToryRoad\"Anne,\"saidDavy,sittingupinbedandproppinghischinonhishands,\"Anne,whereissleep?Peoplegotosleepeverynight,andofcourseIknowit’stheplacewhereIdothethingsIdream,butIwanttoknowWHEREitisandhowIgetthereandbackwithoutknowinganythingaboutit……andinmynightytoo。Whereisit?\"
Annewaskneelingatthewestgablewindowwatchingthesunsetskythatwaslikeagreatflowerwithpetalsofcrocusandaheartoffieryyellow。
SheturnedherheadatDavy’squestionandanswereddreamily,\"`Overthemountainsofthemoon,Downthevalleyoftheshadow。’\"
PaulIrvingwouldhaveknownthemeaningofthis,ormadeameaningoutofitforhimself,ifhedidn’t;butpracticalDavy,who,asAnneoftendespairinglyremarked,hadn’taparticleofimagination,wasonlypuzzledanddisgusted。
\"Anne,Ibelieveyou’rejusttalkingnonsense。\"
\"Ofcourse,Iwas,dearboy。Don’tyouknowthatitisonlyveryfoolishfolkwhotalksenseallthetime?\"
\"Well,IthinkyoumightgiveasensibleanswerwhenIaskasensiblequestion,\"saidDavyinaninjuredtone。
\"Oh,youaretoolittletounderstand,\"saidAnne。Butshefeltratherashamedofsayingit;forhadshenot,inkeenremembranceofmanysimilarsnubsadministeredinherownearlyyears,solemnlyvowedthatshewouldnevertellanychilditwastoolittletounderstand?
Yethereshewasdoingit……sowidesometimesisthegulfbetweentheoryandpractice。
\"Well,I’mdoingmybesttogrow,\"saidDavy,\"butit’sathingyoucan’thurrymuch。IfMarillawasn’tsostingywithherjamIbelieveI’dgrowalotfaster。\"
\"Marillaisnotstingy,Davy,\"saidAnneseverely。\"Itisveryungratefulofyoutosaysuchathing。\"
\"There’sanotherwordthatmeansthesamethingandsoundsalotbetter,butIdon’tjustrememberit,\"saidDavy,frowningintently。
\"IheardMarillasayshewasit,herself,theotherday。\"
\"IfyoumeanECONOMICAL,it’saVERYdifferentthingfrombeingstingy。
Itisanexcellenttraitinapersonifsheiseconomical。
IfMarillahadbeenstingyshewouldn’thavetakenyouandDorawhenyourmotherdied。WouldyouhavelikedtolivewithMrs。Wiggins?\"
\"YoujustbetIwouldn’t!\"Davywasemphaticonthatpoint。\"NorI
don’twanttogoouttoUncleRichardneither。I’dfarratherlivehere,evenifMarillaisthatlong-tailedwordwhenitcomestojam,’causeYOU’REhere,Anne。Say,Anne,won’tyoutellmeastory’foreIgotosleep?Idon’twantafairystory。They’reallrightforgirls,Is’pose,butIwantsomethingexciting……lotsofkillingandshootinginit,andahouseonfire,andin’trustingthingslikethat。\"
FortunatelyforAnne,Marillacalledoutatthismomentfromherroom。
\"Anne,Diana’ssignalingatagreatrate。You’dbetterseewhatshewants。\"
AnnerantotheeastgableandsawflashesoflightcomingthroughthetwilightfromDiana’swindowingroupsoffive,whichmeant,accordingtotheiroldchildishcode,\"ComeoveratonceforIhavesomethingimportanttoreveal。\"AnnethrewherwhiteshawloverherheadandhastenedthroughtheHauntedWoodandacrossMr。Bell’spasturecornertoOrchardSlope。