Allwasverystillandremote,asiftheworldandthecaresoftheworldwerefaraway。
\"Ifeelasifwewerewalkingthroughanenchantedforest,\"saidAnneinahushedtone。\"Doyousupposewe’lleverfindourwaybacktotherealworldagain,Diana?Weshallpresentlycometoapalacewithaspellboundprincessinit,Ithink。\"
Aroundthenextturntheycameinsight,notindeedofapalace,butofalittlehousealmostassurprisingasapalacewouldhavebeeninthisprovinceofconventionalwoodenfarmhouses,allasmuchalikeingeneralcharacteristicsasiftheyhadgrownfromthesameseed。AnnestoppedshortinraptureandDianaexclaimed,\"Oh,Iknowwherewearenow。ThatisthelittlestonehousewhereMissLavendarLewislives……EchoLodge,shecallsit,Ithink。
I’veoftenheardofitbutI’veneverseenitbefore。Isn’titaromanticspot?\"
\"It’sthesweetest,prettiestplaceIeversaworimagined,\"saidAnnedelightedly。\"Itlookslikeabitoutofastorybookoradream。\"
Thehousewasalow-eavedstructurebuiltofundressedblocksofredIslandsandstone,withalittlepeakedroofoutofwhichpeeredtwodormerwindows,withquaintwoodenhoodsoverthem,andtwogreatchimneys。Thewholehousewascoveredwithaluxuriantgrowthofivy,findingeasyfootholdontheroughstoneworkandturnedbyautumnfroststomostbeautifulbronzeandwine-redtints。
Beforethehousewasanoblonggardenintowhichthelanegatewherethegirlswerestandingopened。Thehouseboundeditononeside;onthethreeothersitwasenclosedbyanoldstonedyke,soovergrownwithmossandgrassandfernsthatitlookedlikeahigh,greenbank。Ontherightandleftthetall,darksprucesspreadtheirpalm-likebranchesoverit;butbelowitwasalittlemeadow,greenwithcloveraftermath,slopingdowntotheblueloopoftheGraftonRiver。Nootherhouseorclearingwasinsight……nothingbuthillsandvalleyscoveredwithfeatheryyoungfirs。
\"IwonderwhatsortofapersonMissLewisis,\"speculatedDianaastheyopenedthegateintothegarden。\"Theysaysheisverypeculiar。\"
\"She’llbeinterestingthen,\"saidAnnedecidedly。\"Peculiarpeoplearealwaysthatatleast,whateverelsetheyareorarenot。
Didn’tItellyouwewouldcometoanenchantedpalace?
Iknewtheelveshadn’twovenmagicoverthatlanefornothing。\"
\"ButMissLavendarLewisishardlyaspellboundprincess,\"laughedDiana。\"She’sanoldmaid……she’sforty-fiveandquitegray,I’veheard。\"
\"Oh,that’sonlypartofthespell,\"assertedAnneconfidently。
\"Atheartshe’syoungandbeautifulstill……andifweonlyknewhowtounloosethespellshewouldstepforthradiantandfairagain。
Butwedon’tknowhow……it’salwaysandonlytheprincewhoknowsthat……andMissLavendar’sprincehasn’tcomeyet。Perhapssomefatalmischancehasbefallenhim……thoughTHAT’Sagainstthelawofallfairytales。\"
\"I’mafraidhecamelongagoandwentawayagain,\"saidDiana。
\"TheysaysheusedtobeengagedtoStephanIrving……Paul’sfather……whentheywereyoung。Buttheyquarreledandparted。\"
\"Hush,\"warnedAnne。\"Thedoorisopen。\"
Thegirlspausedintheporchunderthetendrilsofivyandknockedattheopendoor。Therewasapatterofstepsinsideandaratheroddlittlepersonagepresentedherself……agirlofaboutfourteen,withafreckledface,asnubnose,amouthsowidethatitdidreallyseemasifitstretched\"fromeartoear,\"andtwolongbraidsoffairhairtiedwithtwoenormousbowsofblueribbon。
\"IsMissLewisathome?\"askedDiana。
\"Yes,ma’am。Comein,ma’am。I’lltellMissLavendaryou’rehere,ma’am。She’supstairs,ma’am。\"
Withthisthesmallhandmaidenwhiskedoutofsightandthegirls,leftalone,lookedaboutthemwithdelightedeyes。Theinteriorofthiswonderfullittlehousewasquiteasinterestingasitsexterior。
Theroomhadalowceilingandtwosquare,small-panedwindows,curtainedwithmuslinfrills。Allthefurnishingswereold-fashioned,butsowellanddaintilykeptthattheeffectwasdelicious。
Butitmustbecandidlyadmittedthatthemostattractivefeature,totwohealthygirlswhohadjusttrampedfourmilesthroughautumnair,wasatable,setoutwithpalebluechinaandladenwithdelicacies,whilelittlegolden-huedfernsscatteredovertheclothgaveitwhatAnnewouldhavetermed\"afestalair。\"
\"MissLavendarmustbeexpectingcompanytotea,\"shewhispered。
\"Therearesixplacesset。Butwhatafunnylittlegirlshehas。
Shelookedlikeamessengerfrompixyland。Isupposeshecouldhavetoldustheroad,butIwascurioustoseeMissLavendar。
S……s……sh,she’scoming。\"
AndwiththatMissLavendarLewiswasstandinginthedoorway。
Thegirlsweresosurprisedthattheyforgotgoodmannersandsimplystared。Theyhadunconsciouslybeenexpectingtoseetheusualtypeofelderlyspinsterasknowntotheirexperience……aratherangularpersonage,withprimgrayhairandspectacles。
NothingmoreunlikeMissLavendarcouldpossiblybeimagined。
Shewasalittleladywithsnow-whitehairbeautifullywavyandthick,andcarefullyarrangedinbecomingpuffsandcoils。Beneathitwasanalmostgirlishface,pinkcheekedandsweetlipped,withbigsoftbrowneyesanddimples……actuallydimples。Sheworeaverydaintygownofcreammuslinwithpale-huedrosesonit……agownwhichwouldhaveseemedridiculouslyjuvenileonmostwomenofherage,butwhichsuitedMissLavendarsoperfectlythatyouneverthoughtaboutitatall。
\"CharlottatheFourthsaysthatyouwishedtoseeme,\"shesaid,inavoicethatmatchedherappearance。
\"WewantedtoasktherightroadtoWestGrafton,\"saidDiana。
\"WeareinvitedtoteaatMr。Kimball’s,butwetookthewrongpathcomingthroughthewoodsandcameouttothebaselineinsteadoftheWestGraftonroad。Dowetaketherightorleftturningatyourgate?\"
\"Theleft,\"saidMissLavendar,withahesitatingglanceatherteatable。
Thensheexclaimed,asifinasuddenlittleburstofresolution,\"Butoh,won’tyoustayandhaveteawithme?Please,do。
Mr。Kimball’swillhaveteaoverbeforeyougetthere。
AndCharlottatheFourthandIwillbesogladtohaveyou。\"
DianalookedmuteinquiryatAnne。
\"We’dliketostay,\"saidAnnepromptly,forshehadmadeuphermindthatshewantedtoknowmoreofthissurprisingMissLavendar,\"ifitwon’tinconvenienceyou。Butyouareexpectingotherguests,aren’tyou?\"
MissLavendarlookedatherteatableagain,andblushed。
\"Iknowyou’llthinkmedreadfullyfoolish,\"shesaid。\"IAM
foolish……andI’mashamedofitwhenI’mfoundout,butneverunlessIAMfoundout。I’mnotexpectinganybody……IwasjustpretendingIwas。Yousee,Iwassolonely。Ilovecompany……
thatis,therightkindofcompany……butsofewpeopleevercomeherebecauseitissofaroutoftheway。CharlottatheFourthwaslonelytoo。SoIjustpretendedIwasgoingtohaveateaparty。Icookedforit……anddecoratedthetableforit……
andsetitwithmymother’sweddingchina……andIdressedupforit。\"DianasecretlythoughtMissLavendarquiteaspeculiarasreporthadpicturedher。Theideaofawomanofforty-fiveplayingathavingateaparty,justasifshewerealittlegirl!
ButAnneoftheshiningeyesexclaimedjoyfuly,\"Oh,doYOUimaginethingstoo?\"
That\"too\"revealedakindredspirittoMissLavendar。
\"Yes,Ido,\"sheconfessed,boldly。\"Ofcourseit’ssillyinanybodyasoldasIam。Butwhatistheuseofbeinganindependentoldmaidifyoucan’tbesillywhenyouwantto,andwhenitdoesn’thurtanybody?
Apersonmusthavesomecompensations。Idon’tbelieveIcouldliveattimesifIdidn’tpretendthings。I’mnotoftencaughtatitthough,andCharlottatheFourthnevertells。ButI’mgladtobecaughttoday,foryouhavereallycomeandIhaveteaallreadyforyou。Willyougouptothespareroomandtakeoffyourhats?It’sthewhitedoorattheheadofthestairs。ImustrunouttothekitchenandseethatCharlottatheFourthisn’tlettingtheteaboil。CharlottatheFourthisaverygoodgirlbutsheWILLlettheteaboil。\"
MissLavendartrippedofftothekitchenonhospitablethoughtsintentandthegirlsfoundtheirwayuptothespareroom,anapartmentaswhiteasitsdoor,lightedbytheivy-hungdormerwindowandlooking,asAnnesaid,liketheplacewherehappydreamsgrew。
\"Thisisquiteanadventure,isn’tit?\"saidDiana。\"Andisn’tMissLavendarsweet,ifsheISalittleodd?Shedoesn’tlookabitlikeanoldmaid。\"
\"Shelooksjustasmusicsounds,Ithink,\"answeredAnne。
WhentheywentdownMissLavendarwascarryingintheteapot,andbehindher,lookingvastlypleased,wasCharlottatheFourth,withaplateofhotbiscuits。
\"Now,youmusttellmeyournames,\"saidMissLavendar。\"I’msogladyouareyounggirls。Iloveyounggirls。It’ssoeasytopretendI’magirlmyselfwhenI’mwiththem。Idohate\"……withalittlegrimace……\"tobelieveI’mold。Now,whoareyou……
justforconvenience’sake?DianaBarry?AndAnneShirley?MayI
pretendthatI’veknownyouforahundredyearsandcallyouAnneandDianarightaway?\"
\"You,may\"thegirlssaidbothtogether。
\"Thenjustlet’ssitcomfilydownandeateverything,\"saidMissLavendarhappily。\"Charlotta,yousitatthefootandhelpwiththechicken。
ItissofortunatethatImadethespongecakeanddoughnuts。
Ofcourse,itwasfoolishtodoitforimaginaryguests……
IknowCharlottatheFourththoughtso,didn’tyou,Charlotta?
Butyouseehowwellithasturnedout。Ofcoursetheywouldn’thavebeenwasted,forCharlottatheFourthandIcouldhaveeatenthemthroughtime。Butspongecakeisnotathingthatimproveswithtime。\"
Thatwasamerryandmemorablemeal;andwhenitwasovertheyallwentouttothegarden,lyingintheglamorofsunset。
\"Idothinkyouhavetheloveliestplacehere,\"saidDiana,lookingroundheradmiringly。
\"WhydoyoucallitEchoLodge?\"askedAnne。
\"Charlotta,\"saidMissLavendar,\"gointothehouseandbringoutthelittletinhornthatishangingovertheclockshelf。\"
CharlottatheFourthskippedoffandreturnedwiththehorn。
\"Blowit,Charlotta,\"commandedMissLavendar。
Charlottaaccordinglyblew,aratherraucous,stridentblast。
Therewasmoment’sstillness……andthenfromthewoodsovertherivercameamultitudeoffairyechoes,sweet,elusive,silvery,asifallthe\"hornsofelfland\"wereblowingagainstthesunset。
AnneandDianaexclaimedindelight。
\"Nowlaugh,Charlotta……laughloudly。\"
Charlotta,whowouldprobablyhaveobeyedifMissLavendarhadtoldhertostandonherhead,climbeduponthestonebenchandlaughedloudandheartily。Backcametheechoes,asifahostofpixypeopleweremimickingherlaughterinthepurplewoodlandsandalongthefir-fringedpoints。
\"Peoplealwaysadmiremyechoesverymuch,\"saidMissLavendar,asiftheechoeswereherpersonalproperty。\"Ilovethemmyself。
Theyareverygoodcompany……withalittlepretending。OncalmeveningsCharlottatheFourthandIoftensitouthereandamuseourselveswiththem。Charlotta,takebackthehornandhangitcarefullyinitsplace。\"
\"WhydoyoucallherCharlottatheFourth?\"askedDiana,whowasburstingwithcuriosityonthispoint。
\"JusttokeepherfromgettingmixedupwithotherCharlottasinmythoughts,\"saidMissLavendarseriously。\"Theyalllooksomuchalikethere’snotellingthemapart。Hernameisn’treallyCharlottaatall。Itis……letmesee……whatisit?ITHINK
it’sLeonora……yes,itISLeonora。Yousee,itisthisway。
WhenmotherdiedtenyearsagoIcouldn’tstayherealone……
andIcouldn’taffordtopaythewagesofagrown-upgirl。
SoIgotlittleCharlottaBowmantocomeandstaywithmeforboardandclothes。HernamereallywasCharlotta……shewasCharlottatheFirst。Shewasjustthirteen。ShestayedwithmetillshewassixteenandthenshewentawaytoBoston,becauseshecoulddobetterthere。Hersistercametostaywithmethen。
HernamewasJulietta……Mrs。BowmanhadaweaknessforfancynamesIthink……butshelookedsolikeCharlottathatI
keptcallingherthatallthetime……andshedidn’tmind。
SoIjustgaveuptryingtorememberherrightname。
ShewasCharlottatheSecond,andwhenshewentawayEvelinacameandshewasCharlottatheThird。NowIhaveCharlottatheFourth;butwhensheissixteen……she’sfourteennow……
shewillwanttogotoBostontoo,andwhatIshalldothenI
reallydonotknow。CharlottatheFourthisthelastoftheBowmangirls,andthebest。TheotherCharlottasalwaysletmeseethattheythoughtitsillyofmetopretendthingsbutCharlottatheFourthneverdoes,nomatterwhatshemayreallythink。
Idon’tcarewhatpeoplethinkaboutmeiftheydon’tletmeseeit。\"
\"Well,\"saidDianalookingregretfullyatthesettingsun。
\"IsupposewemustgoifwewanttogettoMr。Kimball’sbeforedark。
We’vehadalovelytime,MissLewis。\"
\"Won’tyoucomeagaintoseeme?\"pleadedMissLavendar。
TallAnneputherarmaboutthelittlelady。
\"Indeedweshall,\"shepromised。\"Nowthatwehavediscoveredyouwe’llwearoutourwelcomecomingtoseeyou。Yes,wemustgo……
’wemusttearourselvesaway,’asPaulIrvingsayseverytimehecomestoGreenGables。\"
\"PaulIrving?\"TherewasasubtlechangeinMissLavendar’svoice。
\"Whoishe?Ididn’tthinktherewasanybodyofthatnameinAvonlea。\"
Annefeltvexedatherownheedlessness。ShehadforgottenaboutMissLavendar’soldromancewhenPaul’snameslippedout。
\"Heisalittlepupilofmine,\"sheexplainedslowly。\"HecamefromBostonlastyeartolivewithhisgrandmother,Mrs。Irvingoftheshoreroad。\"
\"IsheStephenIrving’sson?\"MissLavendarasked,bendingoverhernamesakebordersothatherfacewashidden。
\"Yes。\"
\"I’mgoingtogiveyougirlsabunchoflavendarapiece,\"saidMissLavendarbrightly,asifshehadnotheardtheanswertoherquestion。
\"It’sverysweet,don’tyouthink?Motheralwayslovedit。
Sheplantedtheseborderslongago。FathernamedmeLavendarbecausehewassofondofit。TheveryfirsttimehesawmotherwaswhenhevisitedherhomeinEastGraftonwithherbrother。Hefellinlovewithheratfirstsight;andtheyputhiminthespareroombedtosleepandthesheetswerescentedwithlavendarandhelayawakeallnightandthoughtofher。Healwayslovedthescentoflavendarafterthat……andthatwaswhyhegavemethename。
Don’tforgettocomebacksoon,girlsdear。We’llbelookingforyou,CharlottatheFourthandI。\"
Sheopenedthegateunderthefirsforthemtopassthrough。Shelookedsuddenlyoldandtired;theglowandradiancehadfadedfromherface;
herpartingsmilewasassweetwithineradicableyouthasever,butwhenthegirlslookedbackfromthefirstcurveinthelanetheysawhersittingontheoldstonebenchunderthesilverpoplarinthemiddleofthegardenwithherheadleaningwearilyonherhand。
\"Shedoeslooklonely,\"saidDianasoftly。\"Wemustcomeoftentoseeher。\"
\"Ithinkherparentsgavehertheonlyrightandfittingnamethatcouldpossiblybegivenher,\"saidAnne。\"IftheyhadbeensoblindastonameherElizabethorNellieorMurielshemusthavebeencalledLavendarjustthesame,Ithink。It’ssosuggestiveofsweetnessandold-fashionedgracesand`silkattire。’Now,mynamejustsmacksofbreadandbutter,patchworkandchores。\"
\"Oh,Idon’tthinkso,\"saidDiana。\"Anneseemstomerealstatelyandlikeaqueen。ButI’dlikeKerrenhappuchifithappenedtobeyourname。Ithinkpeoplemaketheirnamesniceoruglyjustbywhattheyarethemselves。Ican’tbearJosieorGertiefornamesnowbutbeforeIknewthePyegirlsIthoughtthemrealpretty。\"
\"That’salovelyidea,Diana,\"saidAnneenthusiastically。
\"Livingsothatyoubeautifyyourname,evenifitwasn’tbeautifultobeginwith……makingitstandinpeople’sthoughtsforsomethingsolovelyandpleasantthattheyneverthinkofitbyitself。Thankyou,Diana。\"
XXII
OddsandEnds\"SoyouhadteaatthestonehousewithLavendarLewis?\"saidMarillaatthebreakfasttablenextmorning。\"Whatisshelikenow?
It’soverfifteenyearssinceIsawherlast……itwasoneSundayinGraftonchurch。Isupposeshehaschangedagreatdeal。
DavyKeith,whenyouwantsomethingyoucan’treach,asktohaveitpassedanddon’tspreadyourselfoverthetableinthatfashion。
DidyoueverseePaulIrvingdoingthatwhenhewasheretomeals?\"
\"ButPaul’sarmsarelonger’nmine,\"brumbledDavy。\"They’vehadelevenyearstogrowandmine’veonlyhadseven。’Sides,IDIDask,butyouandAnnewassobusytalkingyoudidn’tpayany’tention。
’Sides,Paul’sneverbeenheretoanymealescepttea,andit’seasiertobep’liteatteathanatbreakfast。Youain’thalfashungry。
It’sanawfullongwhilebetweensupperandbreakfast。Now,Anne,thatspoonfulain’tanybiggerthanitwaslastyearandI’Meversomuchbigger。\"
\"Ofcourse,Idon’tknowwhatMissLavendarusedtolooklikebutI
don’tfancysomehowthatshehaschangedagreatdeal,\"saidAnne,aftershehadhelpedDavytomaplesyrup,givinghimtwospoonfulstopacifyhim。\"Herhairissnow-whitebutherfaceisfreshandalmostgirlish,andshehasthesweetestbrowneyes……suchaprettyshadeofwood-brownwithlittlegoldenglintsinthem……
andhervoicemakesyouthinkofwhitesatinandtinklingwaterandfairybellsallmixeduptogether。\"
\"Shewasreckonedagreatbeautywhenshewasagirl,\"saidMarilla。
\"IneverknewherverywellbutIlikedherasfarasIdidknowher。
Somefolksthoughtherpeculiareventhen。DAVY,ifeverIcatchyouatsuchatrickagainyou’llbemadetowaitforyourmealstilleveryoneelseisdone,liketheFrench。\"
MostconversationsbetweenAnneandMarillainthepresenceofthetwins,werepunctuatedbytheserebukesDavy-ward。Inthisinstance,Davy,sadtorelate,notbeingabletoscoopupthelastdropsofhissyrupwithhisspoon,hadsolvedthedifficultybyliftinghisplateinbothhandsandapplyinghissmallpinktonguetoit。
Annelookedathimwithsuchhorrifiedeyesthatthelittlesinnerturnedredandsaid,halfshamefacedly,halfdefiantly,\"Thereain’tanywastedthatway。\"
\"Peoplewhoaredifferentfromotherpeoplearealwayscalledpeculiar,\"saidAnne。\"AndMissLavendariscertainlydifferent,thoughit’shardtosayjustwherethedifferencecomesin。
Perhapsitisbecausesheisoneofthosepeoplewhonevergrowold。\"
\"Onemightaswellgrowoldwhenallyourgenerationdo,\"saidMarilla,ratherrecklessofherpronouns。\"Ifyoudon’t,youdon’tfitinanywhere。FarasIcanlearnLavendarLewishasjustdroppedoutofeverything。She’slivedinthatoutofthewayplaceuntileverybodyhasforgottenher。ThatstonehouseisoneoftheoldestontheIsland。OldMr。LewisbuiltiteightyyearsagowhenhecameoutfromEngland。Davy,stopjogglingDora’selbow。
Oh,Isawyou!Youneedn’ttrytolookinnocent。Whatdoesmakeyoubehavesothismorning?\"
\"MaybeIgotoutofthewrongsideofthebed,\"suggestedDavy。
\"MiltyBoultersaysifyoudothatthingsareboundtogowrongwithyouallday。Hisgrandmothertoldhim。Butwhichistherightside?Andwhatareyoutodowhenyourbed’sagainstthewall?Iwanttoknow。\"
\"I’vealwayswonderedwhatwentwrongbetweenStephenIrvingandLavendarLewis,\"continuedMarilla,ignoringDavy。\"Theywerecertainlyengagedtwenty-fiveyearsagoandthenallatonceitwasbrokenoff。Idon’tknowwhatthetroublewasbutitmusthavebeensomethingterrible,forhewentawaytotheStatesandnevercomehomesince。\"
\"Perhapsitwasnothingverydreadfulafterall。Ithinkthelittlethingsinlifeoftenmakemoretroublethanthebigthings,\"
saidAnne,withoneofthoseflashesofinsightwhichexperiencecouldnothavebettered。\"Marilla,pleasedon’tsayanythingaboutmybeingatMissLavendar’stoMrs。Lynde。She’dbesuretoaskahundredquestionsandsomehowIwouldn’tlikeit……norMissLavendareitherifsheknew,Ifeelsure。\"
\"IdaresayRachelwouldbecurious,\"admittedMarilla,\"thoughshehasn’tasmuchtimeassheusedtohaveforlookingafterotherpeople’saffairs。She’stiedhomenowonaccountofThomas;andshe’sfeelingprettydownhearted,forIthinkshe’sbeginningtolosehopeofhisevergettingbetter。Rachelwillbeleftprettylonelyifanythinghappenstohim,withallherchildrensettledoutwest,exceptElizaintown;andshedoesn’tlikeherhusband。\"
Marilla’spronounsslanderedEliza,whowasveryfondofherhusband。
\"Rachelsaysifhe’donlybraceupandexerthiswillpowerhe’dgetbetter。Butwhatistheuseofaskingajellyfishtositupstraight?\"continuedMarilla。\"ThomasLyndeneverhadanywillpowertoexert。HismotherruledhimtillhemarriedandthenRachelcarriediton。It’sawonderhedaredtogetsickwithoutaskingherpermission。Butthere,Ishouldn’ttalkso。Rachelhasbeenagoodwifetohim。He’dneverhaveamountedtoanythingwithouther,that’scertain。Hewasborntoberuled;andit’swellhefellintothehandsofaclever,capablemanagerlikeRachel。
Hedidn’tmindherway。Itsavedhimthebotherofevermakinguphisownmindaboutanything。Davy,dostopsquirminglikeaneel。\"
\"I’venothingelsetodo,\"protestedDavy。\"Ican’teatanymore,andit’snofunwatchingyouandAnneeat。\"
\"Well,youandDoragooutandgivethehenstheirwheat,\"saidMarilla。\"Anddon’tyoutrytopullanymorefeathersoutofthewhiterooster’staileither。\"
\"IwantedsomefeathersforanInjunheaddress,\"saidDavysulkily。
\"MiltyBoulterhasadandyone,madeoutofthefeathershismothergivehimwhenshekilledtheiroldwhitegobbler。Youmightletmehavesome。Thatrooster’sgoteversomanymore’nhewants。\"
\"Youmayhavetheoldfeatherdusterinthegarret,\"saidAnne,\"andI’lldyethemgreenandredandyellowforyou。\"
\"Youdospoilthatboydreadfully,\"saidMarilla,whenDavy,witharadiantface,hadfollowedprimDoraout。Marilla’seducationhadmadegreatstridesinthepastsixyears;butshehadnotyetbeenabletoridherselfoftheideathatitwasverybadforachildtohavetoomanyofitswishesindulged。
\"AlltheboysofhisclasshaveIndianheaddresses,andDavywantsonetoo,\"saidAnne。\"_I_knowhowitfeels……I’llneverforgethowIusedtolongforpuffedsleeveswhenalltheothergirlshadthem。
AndDavyisn’tbeingspoiled。Heisimprovingeveryday。Thinkwhatadifferencethereisinhimsincehecamehereayearago。\"
\"Hecertainlydoesn’tgetintoasmuchmischiefsincehebegantogotoschool,\"acknowledgedMarilla。\"Isupposeheworksoffthetendencywiththeotherboys。Butit’sawondertomewehaven’theardfromRichardKeithbeforethis。NeverawordsincelastMay。\"
\"I’llbeafraidtohearfromhim,\"sighedAnne,beginningtoclearawaythedishes。\"IfalettershouldcomeI’ddreadopeningit,forfearitwouldtellustosendthetwinstohim。\"
Amonthlateraletterdidcome。ButitwasnotfromRichardKeith。
AfriendofhiswrotetosaythatRichardKeithhaddiedofconsumptionafortnightpreviously。ThewriteroftheletterwastheexecutorofhiswillandbythatwillthesumoftwothousanddollarswaslefttoMissMarillaCuthbertintrustforDavidandDoraKeithuntiltheycameofageormarried。Inthemeantimetheinterestwastobeusedfortheirmaintenance。
\"Itseemsdreadfultobegladofanythinginconnectionwithadeath,\"
saidAnnesoberly。\"I’msorryforpoorMr。Keith;butIAMgladthatwecankeepthetwins。\"
\"It’saverygoodthingaboutthemoney,\"saidMarillapractically。
\"IwantedtokeepthembutIreallydidn’tseehowIcouldaffordtodoit,especiallywhentheygrewolder。Therentofthefarmdoesn’tdoanymorethankeepthehouseandIwasboundthatnotacentofyourmoneyshouldbespentonthem。Youdofartoomuchforthemasitis。Doradidn’tneedthatnewhatyouboughtheranymorethanacatneedstwotails。Butnowthewayismadeclearandtheyareprovidedfor。\"
DavyandDoraweredelightedwhentheyheardthattheyweretoliveatGreenGables,\"forgood。\"Thedeathofanunclewhomtheyhadneverseencouldnotweighamomentinthebalanceagainstthat。
ButDorahadonemisgiving。
\"WasUncleRichardburied?\"shewhisperedtoAnne。
\"Yes,dear,ofcourse。\"
\"He……he……isn’tlikeMirabelCotton’suncle,ishe?\"inastillmoreagitatedwhisper。\"Hewon’twalkabouthousesafterbeingburied,willhe,Anne?\"
XXIII
MissLavendar’sRomance\"IthinkI’lltakeawalkthroughtoEchoLodgethisevening,\"saidAnne,oneFridayafternooninDecember。
\"Itlookslikesnow,\"saidMarilladubiously。
\"I’llbetherebeforethesnowcomesandImeantostayallnight。
Dianacan’tgobecauseshehascompany,andI’msureMissLavendarwillbelookingformetonight。It’sawholefortnightsinceIwasthere。\"
AnnehadpaidmanyavisittoEchoLodgesincethatOctoberday。
SometimessheandDianadrovearoundbytheroad;sometimestheywalkedthroughthewoods。WhenDianacouldnotgoAnnewentalone。
BetweenherandMissLavendarhadsprunguponeofthosefervent,helpfulfriendshipspossibleonlybetweenawomanwhohaskeptthefreshnessofyouthinherheartandsoul,andagirlwhoseimaginationandintuitionsuppliedtheplaceofexperience。
Annehadatlastdiscoveredareal\"kindredspirit,\"whileintothelittlelady’slonely,sequesteredlifeofdreamsAnneandDianacamewiththewholesomejoyandexhilarationoftheouterexistence,whichMissLavendar,\"theworldforgetting,bytheworldforgot,\"
hadlongceasedtoshare;theybroughtanatmosphereofyouthandrealitytothelittlestonehouse。CharlottatheFourthalwaysgreetedthemwithherverywidestsmile……andCharlotta’ssmilesWEREfearfullywide……lovingthemforthesakeofheradoredmistressaswellasfortheirown。Neverhadtherebeensuch\"highjinks\"heldinthelittlestonehouseaswereheldtherethatbeautiful,late-lingeringautumn,whenNovemberseemedOctoberoveragain,andevenDecemberapedthesunshineandhazesofsummer。
ButonthisparticulardayitseemedasifDecemberhadrememberedthatitwastimeforwinterandhadturnedsuddenlydullandbrooding,withawindlesshushpredictiveofcomingsnow。
Nevertheless,Annekeenlyenjoyedherwalkthroughthegreatgraymazeofthebeechlands;thoughalonesheneverfounditlonely;herimaginationpeopledherpathwithmerrycompanions,andwiththeseshecarriedonagay,pretendedconversationthatwaswittierandmorefascinatingthanconversationsareapttobeinreallife,wherepeoplesometimesfailmostlamentablytotalkuptotherequirements。Ina\"makebelieve\"assemblyofchoicespiritseverybodysaysjustthethingyouwanthertosayandsogivesyouthechancetosayjustwhatYOUwanttosay。Attendedbythisinvisiblecompany,Annetraversedthewoodsandarrivedatthefirlanejustasbroad,featheryflakesbegantoflutterdownsoftly。
AtthefirstbendshecameuponMissLavendar,standingunderabig,broad-branchingfir。Sheworeagownofwarm,richred,andherheadandshoulderswerewrappedinasilverygraysilkshawl。
\"Youlooklikethequeenofthefirwoodfairies,\"calledAnnemerrily。
\"Ithoughtyouwouldcometonight,Anne,\"saidMissLavendar,runningforward。\"AndI’mdoublyglad,forCharlottatheFourthisaway。Hermotherissickandshehadtogohomeforthenight。
Ishouldhavebeenverylonelyifyouhadn’tcome……eventhedreamsandtheechoeswouldn’thavebeenenoughcompany。Oh,Anne,howprettyyouare,\"sheaddedsuddenly,lookingupatthetall,slimgirlwiththesoftrose-flushofwalkingonherface。\"Howprettyandhowyoung!It’ssodelightfultobeseventeen,isn’tit?
Idoenvyyou,\"concludedMissLavendarcandidly。
\"Butyouareonlyseventeenatheart,\"smiledAnne。
\"No,I’mold……orrathermiddle-aged,whichisfarworse,\"
sighedMissLavendar。\"SometimesIcanpretendI’mnot,butatothertimesIrealizeit。AndIcan’treconcilemyselftoitasmostwomenseemto。I’mjustasrebelliousasIwaswhenI
discoveredmyfirstgrayhair。Now,Anne,don’tlookasifyouweretryingtounderstand。SeventeenCAN’Tunderstand。I’mgoingtopretendrightawaythatIamseventeentoo,andIcandoit,nowthatyou’rehere。Youalwaysbringyouthinyourhandlikeagift。
We’regoingtohaveajollyevening。Teafirst……whatdoyouwantfortea?We’llhavewhateveryoulike。Dothinkofsomethingniceandindigestible。\"
Thereweresoundsofriotandmirthinthelittlestonehousethatnight。Whatwithcookingandfeastingandmakingcandyandlaughingand\"pretending,\"itisquitetruethatMissLavendarandAnnecomportedthemselvesinafashionentirelyunsuitedtothedignityofaspinsterofforty-fiveandasedateschoolma’am。
Then,whentheyweretired,theysatdownontherugbeforethegrateintheparlor,lightedonlybythesoftfireshineandperfumeddeliciouslybyMissLavendar’sopenrose-jaronthemantel。
Thewindhadrisenandwassighingandwailingaroundtheeavesandthesnowwasthuddingsoftlyagainstthewindows,asifahundredstormspritesweretappingforentrance。
\"I’msogladyou’rehere,Anne,\"saidMissLavendar,nibblingathercandy。\"Ifyouweren’tIshouldbeblue……veryblue……
almostnavyblue。Dreamsandmake-believesareallverywellinthedaytimeandthesunshine,butwhendarkandstormcometheyfailtosatisfy。Onewantsrealthingsthen。Butyoudon’tknowthis……seventeenneverknowsit。AtseventeendreamsDOsatisfybecauseyouthinktherealitiesarewaitingforyoufurtheron。
WhenIwasseventeen,Anne,Ididn’tthinkforty-fivewouldfindmeawhite-hairedlittleoldmaidwithnothingbutdreamstofillmylife。\"
\"Butyouaren’tanoldmaid,\"saidAnne,smilingintoMissLavendar’swistfulwoodbrowneyes。\"OldmaidsareBORN……theydon’tBECOME。\"
\"Somearebornoldmaids,someachieveoldmaidenhood,andsomehaveoldmaidenhoodthrustuponthem,\"parodiedMissLavendarwhimsically。
\"Youareoneofthosewhohaveachieveditthen,\"laughedAnne,\"andyou’vedoneitsobeautifullythatifeveryoldmaidwerelikeyoutheywouldcomeintothefashion,Ithink。\"
\"Ialwaysliketodothingsaswellaspossible,\"saidMissLavendarmeditatively,\"andsinceanoldmaidIhadtobeIwasdeterminedtobeaveryniceone。PeoplesayI’modd;butit’sjustbecauseIfollowmyownwayofbeinganoldmaidandrefusetocopythetraditionalpattern。Anne,didanyoneevertellyouanythingaboutStephenIrvingandme?\"
\"Yes,\"saidAnnecandidly,\"I’veheardthatyouandhewereengagedonce。\"
\"Sowewere……twenty-fiveyearsago……alifetimeago。Andweweretohavebeenmarriedthenextspring。Ihadmyweddingdressmade,althoughnobodybutmotherandStepheneverknewTHAT。
We’dbeenengagedinawayalmostallourlives,youmightsay。
WhenStephenwasalittleboyhismotherwouldbringhimherewhenshecametoseemymother;andthesecondtimeheevercame……
hewasnineandIwassix……hetoldmeoutinthegardenthathehadprettywellmadeuphismindtomarrymewhenhegrewup。
IrememberthatIsaid`Thankyou’;andwhenhewasgoneItoldmotherverygravelythattherewasagreatweightoffmymind,becauseIwasn’tfrightenedanymoreabouthavingtobeanoldmaid。Howpoormotherlaughed!\"
\"Andwhatwentwrong?\"askedAnnebreathlessly。
\"Wehadjustastupid,silly,commonplacequarrel。Socommonplacethat,ifyou’llbelieveme,Idon’tevenrememberjusthowitbegan。
Ihardlyknowwhowasthemoretoblameforit。Stephendidreallybeginit,butIsupposeIprovokedhimbysomefoolishnessofmine。
Hehadarivalortwo,yousee。Iwasvainandcoquettishandlikedtoteasehimalittle。Hewasaveryhigh-strung,sensitivefellow。
Well,wepartedinatemperonbothsides。ButIthoughtitwouldallcomeright;anditwouldhaveifStephenhadn’tcomebacktoosoon。
Anne,mydear,I’msorrytosay\"……MissLavendardroppedhervoiceasifshewereabouttoconfessapredilectionformurderingpeople,\"thatIamadreadfullysulkyperson。Oh,youneedn’tsmile,……
it’sonlytootrue。IDOsulk;andStephencamebackbeforeIhadfinishedsulking。Iwouldn’tlistentohimandIwouldn’tforgivehim;
andsohewentawayforgood。Hewastooproudtocomeagain。AndthenIsulkedbecausehedidn’tcome。Imighthavesentforhimperhaps,butIcouldn’thumblemyselftodothat。Iwasjustasproudashewas……prideandsulkinessmakeaverybadcombination,Anne。ButIcouldnevercareforanybodyelseandIdidn’twantto。
IknewIwouldratherbeanoldmaidforathousandyearsthanmarryanybodywhowasn’tStephenIrving。Well,itallseemslikeadreamnow,ofcourse。Howsympatheticyoulook,Anne……assympatheticasonlyseventeencanlook。Butdon’toverdoit。I’mreallyaveryhappy,contentedlittlepersoninspiteofmybrokenheart。Myheartdidbreak,ifeveraheartdid,whenIrealizedthatStephenIrvingwasnotcomingback。
But,Anne,abrokenheartinreallifeisn’thalfasdreadfulasitisinbooks。It’sagooddeallikeabadtooth……thoughyouwon’tthinkTHATaveryromanticsimile。Ittakesspellsofachingandgivesyouasleeplessnightnowandthen,butbetweentimesitletsyouenjoylifeanddreamsandechoesandpeanutcandyasiftherewerenothingthematterwithit。Andnowyou’relookingdisappointed。
Youdon’tthinkI’mhalfasinterestingapersonasyoudidfiveminutesagowhenyoubelievedIwasalwaysthepreyofatragicmemorybravelyhiddenbeneathexternalsmiles。That’stheworst……orthebest……
ofreallife,Anne。ItWON’Tletyoubemiserable。Itkeepsontryingtomakeyoucomfortable……andsucceeding……evenwhenyou’redeterminedtobeunhappyandromantic。Isn’tthiscandyscrumptious?I’veeatenfarmorethanisgoodformealreadybutI’mgoingtokeeprecklesslyon。\"
AfteralittlesilenceMissLavendarsaidabruptly,\"ItgavemeashocktohearaboutStephen’ssonthatfirstdayyouwerehere,Anne。I’veneverbeenabletomentionhimtoyousince,butI’vewantedtoknowallabouthim。Whatsortofaboyishe?\"
\"Heisthedearest,sweetestchildIeverknew,MissLavendar……
andhepretendsthingstoo,justasyouandIdo。\"
\"I’dliketoseehim,\"saidMissLavendarsoftly,asiftalkingtoherself。
\"Iwonderifhelooksanythinglikethelittledream-boywholivesherewithme……MYlittledream-boy。\"
\"IfyouwouldliketoseePaulI’llbringhimthroughwithmesometime,\"
saidAnne。
\"Iwouldlikeit……butnottoosoon。Iwanttogetusedtothethought。
Theremightbemorepainthanpleasureinit……ifhelookedtoomuchlikeStephen……orifhedidn’tlookenoughlikehim。Inamonth’stimeyoumaybringhim。\"
Accordingly,amonthlaterAnneandPaulwalkedthroughthewoodstothestonehouse,andmetMissLavendarinthelane。Shehadnotbeenexpectingthemjustthenandsheturnedverypale。
\"SothisisStephen’sboy,\"shesaidinalowtone,takingPaul’shandandlookingathimashestood,beautifulandboyish,inhissmartlittlefurcoatandcap。\"He……heisverylikehisfather。\"
\"EverybodysaysI’machipofftheoldblock,\"remarkedPaul,quiteathisease。
Anne,whohadbeenwatchingthelittlescene,drewarelievedbreath。
ShesawthatMissLavendarandPaulhad\"taken\"toeachother,andthattherewouldbenoconstraintorstiffness。MissLavendarwasaverysensibleperson,inspiteofherdreamsandromance,andafterthatfirstlittlebetrayalshetuckedherfeelingsoutofsightandentertainedPaulasbrightlyandnaturallyasifhewereanybody’ssonwhohadcometoseeher。
TheyallhadajollyafternoontogetherandsuchafeastoffatthingsbywayofsupperaswouldhavemadeoldMrs。Irvingholdupherhandsinhorror,believingthatPaul’sdigestionwouldberuinedforever。
\"Comeagain,laddie,\"saidMissLavendar,shakinghandswithhimatparting。
\"Youmaykissmeifyoulike,\"saidPaulgravely。
MissLavendarstoopedandkissedhim。
\"HowdidyouknowIwantedto?\"shewhispered。
\"Becauseyoulookedatmejustasmylittlemotherusedtodowhenshewantedtokissme。Asarule,Idon’tliketobekissed。
Boysdon’t。Youknow,MissLewis。ButIthinkIratherliketohaveyoukissme。AndofcourseI’llcometoseeyouagain。
IthinkI’dliketohaveyouforaparticularfriendofmine,ifyoudon’tobject。\"
\"I……Idon’tthinkIshallobject,\"saidMissLavendar。
Sheturnedandwentinveryquickly;butamomentlatershewaswavingagayandsmilinggood-byetothemfromthewindow。
\"IlikeMissLavendar,\"announcedPaul,astheywalkedthroughthebeechwoods。\"Ilikethewayshelookedatme,andIlikeherstonehouse,andIlikeCharlottatheFourth。IwishGrandmaIrvinghadaCharlottatheFourthinsteadofaMaryJoe。IfeelsureCharlottatheFourthwouldn’tthinkIwaswronginmyupperstorywhenItoldherwhatIthinkaboutthings。Wasn’tthatasplendidteawehad,teacher?Grandmasaysaboyshouldn’tbethinkingaboutwhathegetstoeat,buthecan’thelpitsometimeswhenheisrealhungry。YOUknow,teacher。Idon’tthinkMissLavendarwouldmakeaboyeatporridgeforbreakfastifhedidn’tlikeit。She’dgetthingsforhimhedidlike。Butofcourse\"……
Paulwasnothingifnotfair-minded……\"thatmightn’tbeverygoodforhim。It’sveryniceforachangethough,teacher。YOUknow。\"
XXIV
AProphetinHisOwnCountryOneMaydayAvonleafolksweremildlyexcitedoversome\"AvonleaNotes,\"
signed\"Observer,\"whichappearedintheCharlottetown`DailyEnterprise。’
GossipascribedtheauthorshipthereoftoCharlieSloane,partlybecausethesaidCharliehadindulgedinsimilarliteraryflightsintimespast,andpartlybecauseoneofthenotesseemedtoembodyasneeratGilbertBlythe。AvonleajuvenilesocietypersistedinregardingGilbertBlytheandCharlieSloaneasrivalsinthegoodgracesofacertaindamselwithgrayeyesandanimagination。
Gossip,asusual,waswrong。GilbertBlythe,aidedandabettedbyAnne,hadwrittenthenotes,puttingintheoneabouthimselfasablind。Onlytwoofthenoteshaveanybearingonthishistory:
\"Rumorhasitthattherewillbeaweddinginourvillageerethedaisiesareinbloom。Anewandhighlyrespectedcitizenwillleadtothehymenealaltaroneofourmostpopularladies。
\"UncleAbe,ourwell-knownweatherprophet,predictsaviolentstormofthunderandlightningfortheeveningofthetwenty-thirdofMay,beginningatseveno’clocksharp。TheareaofthestormwillextendoverthegreaterpartoftheProvince。Peopletravelingthateveningwilldowelltotakeumbrellasandmackintosheswiththem。\"
\"UncleAbereallyhaspredictedastormforsometimethisspring,\"
saidGilbert,\"butdoyousupposeMr。HarrisonreallydoesgotoseeIsabellaAndrews?\"
\"No,\"saidAnne,laughing,\"I’msureheonlygoestoplaycheckerswithMr。HarrisonAndrews,butMrs。LyndesayssheknowsIsabellaAndrewsmustbegoingtogetmarried,she’sinsuchgoodspiritsthisspring。\"
PooroldUncleAbefeltratherindignantoverthenotes。Hesuspectedthat\"Observer\"wasmakingfunofhim。Heangrilydeniedhavingassignedanyparticulardateforhisstormbutnobodybelievedhim。
LifeinAvonleacontinuedonthesmoothandeventenorofitsway。
The\"planting\"wasputin;theImproverscelebratedanArborDay。
EachImproversetout,orcausedtobesetout,fiveornamentaltrees。
Asthesocietynownumberedfortymembers,thismeantatotaloftwohundredyoungtrees。Earlyoatsgreenedovertheredfields;
appleorchardsflunggreatblossomingarmsaboutthefarmhousesandtheSnowQueenadorneditselfasabrideforherhusband。
Annelikedtosleepwithherwindowopenandletthecherryfragranceblowoverherfaceallnight。Shethoughtitverypoetical。Marillathoughtshewasriskingherlife。
\"Thanksgivingshouldbecelebratedinthespring,\"saidAnneoneeveningtoMarilla,astheysatonthefrontdoorstepsandlistenedtothesilver-sweetchorusofthefrogs。\"IthinkitwouldbeeversomuchbetterthanhavingitinNovemberwheneverythingisdeadorasleep。Thenyouhavetoremembertobethankful;butinMayonesimplycan’thelpbeingthankful……
thattheyarealive,iffornothingelse。IfeelexactlyasEvemusthavefeltinthegardenofEdenbeforethetroublebegan。
ISthatgrassinthehollowgreenorgolden?Itseemstome,Marilla,thatapearlofadaylikethis,whentheblossomsareoutandthewindsdon’tknowwheretoblowfromnextforsheercrazydelightmustbeprettynearasgoodasheaven。\"
Marillalookedscandalizedandglancedapprehensivelyaroundtomakesurethetwinswerenotwithinearshot。Theycamearoundthecornerofthehousejustthen。
\"Ain’titanawfulnice-smellingevening?\"askedDavy,sniffingdelightedlyasheswungahoeinhisgrimyhands。Hehadbeenworkinginhisgarden。ThatspringMarilla,bywayofturningDavy’spassionforrevelinginmudandclayintousefulchannels,hadgivenhimandDoraasmallplotofgroundforagarden。
Bothhadeagerlygonetoworkinacharacteristicfashion。
Doraplanted,weeded,andwateredcarefully,systematically,anddispassionately。Asaresult,herplotwasalreadygreenwithprim,orderlylittlerowsofvegetablesandannuals。
Davy,however,workedwithmorezealthandiscretion;hedugandhoedandrakedandwateredandtransplantedsoenergeticallythathisseedshadnochancefortheirlives。
\"Howisyourgardencomingon,Davy-boy?\"askedAnne。
\"Kindofslow,\"saidDavywithasigh。\"Idon’tknowwhythethingsdon’tgrowbetter。MiltyBoultersaysImusthaveplantedtheminthedarkofthemoonandthat’sthewholetrouble。
Hesaysyoumustneversowseedsorkillporkorcutyourhairordoany’portantthinginthewrongtimeofthemoon。Isthattrue,Anne?Iwanttoknow。\"
\"Maybeifyoudidn’tpullyourplantsupbytherootseveryotherdaytoseehowthey’regettingon`attheotherend,’they’ddobetter,\"
saidMarillasarcastically。
\"Ionlypulledsixofthemup,\"protestedDavy。\"Iwantedtoseeiftherewasgrubsattheroots。MiltyBoultersaidifitwasn’tthemoon’sfaultitmustbegrubs。ButIonlyfoundonegrub。
Hewasagreatbigjuicycurlygrub。Iputhimonastoneandgotanotherstoneandsmashedhimflat。HemadeajollySQUISHItellyou。
Iwassorrytherewasn’tmoreofthem。Dora’sgardenwasplantedsametime’smineandherthingsaregrowingallright。ItCAN’Tbethemoon,\"
Davyconcludedinareflectivetone。
\"Marilla,lookatthatappletree,\"saidAnne。\"Why,thethingishuman。
Itisreachingoutlongarmstopickitsownpinkskirtsdaintilyupandprovokeustoadmiration。\"
\"ThoseYellowDuchesstreesalwaysbearwell,\"saidMarillacomplacently。
\"Thattree’llbeloadedthisyear。I’mrealglad……they’regreatforpies。\"
ButneitherMarillanorAnnenoranybodyelsewasfatedtomakepiesoutofYellowDuchessapplesthatyear。
Thetwenty-thirdofMaycame……anunseasonablywarmday,asnonerealizedmorekeenlythanAnneandherlittlebeehiveofpupils,swelteringoverfractionsandsyntaxintheAvonleaschoolroom。
Ahotbreezeblewalltheforenoon;butafternoonhouritdiedawayintoaheavystillness。AthalfpastthreeAnneheardalowrumbleofthunder。Shepromptlydismissedschoolatonce,sothatthechildrenmightgethomebeforethestormcame。
AstheywentouttotheplaygroundAnneperceivedacertainshadowandgloomovertheworldinspiteofthefactthatthesunwasstillshiningbrightly。AnnettaBellcaughtherhandnervously。
\"Oh,teacher,lookatthatawfulcloud!\"
Annelookedandgaveanexclamationofdismay。Inthenorthwestamassofcloud,suchasshehadneverinallherlifebeheldbefore,wasrapidlyrollingup。Itwasdeadblack,savewhereitscurledandfringededgesshowedaghastly,lividwhite。Therewassomethingaboutitindescribablymenacingasitgloomedupintheclearbluesky;nowandagainaboltoflightningshotacrossit,followedbyasavagegrowl。Ithungsolowthatitalmostseemedtobetouchingthetopsofthewoodedhills。
Mr。HarmonAndrewscameclatteringupthehillinhistruckwagon,urginghisteamofgraystotheirutmostspeed。Hepulledthemtoahaltoppositetheschool。
\"GuessUncleAbe’shititforonceinhislife,Anne,\"heshouted。
\"Hisstorm’scomingaleetleaheadoftime。Didyeeverseethelikeofthatcloud?Here,allyouyoungones,thataregoingmyway,pilein,andthosethatain’tscootforthepostofficeifye’vemore’naquarterofamiletogo,andstaytheretilltheshower’sover。\"
AnnecaughtDavyandDorabythehandsandflewdownthehill,alongtheBirchPath,andpastVioletValeandWillowmere,asfastasthetwins’fatlegscouldgo。TheyreachedGreenGablesnotamomenttoosoonandwerejoinedatthedoorbyMarilla,whohadbeenhustlingherducksandchickensundershelter。Astheydashedintothekitchenthelightseemedtovanish,asifblownoutbysomemightybreath;theawfulcloudrolledoverthesunandadarknessasoflatetwilightfellacrosstheworld。Atthesamemoment,withacrashofthunderandablindingglareoflightning,thehailswoopeddownandblottedthelandscapeoutinonewhitefury。
Throughalltheclamorofthestormcamethethudoftornbranchesstrikingthehouseandthesharpcrackofbreakingglass。Inthreeminuteseverypaneinthewestandnorthwindowswasbrokenandthehailpouredinthroughtheaperturescoveringthefloorwithstones,thesmallestofwhichwasasbigasahen’segg。Forthreequartersofanhourthestormragedunabatedandnoonewhounderwentiteverforgotit。Marilla,foronceinherlifeshakenoutofhercomposurebysheerterror,kneltbyherrockingchairinacornerofthekitchen,gaspingandsobbingbetweenthedeafeningthunderpeals。Anne,whiteaspaper,haddraggedthesofaawayfromthewindowandsatonitwithatwinoneitherside。Davyatthefirstcrashhadhowled,\"Anne,Anne,isittheJudgmentDay?Anne,Anne,Inevermeanttobenaughty,\"andthenhadburiedhisfaceinAnne’slapandkeptitthere,hislittlebodyquivering。Dora,somewhatpalebutquitecomposed,satwithherhandclaspedinAnne’s,quietandmotionless。ItisdoubtfulifanearthquakewouldhavedisturbedDora。
Then,almostassuddenlyasitbegan,thestormceased。Thehailstopped,thethunderrolledandmutteredawaytotheeastward,andthesunburstoutmerryandradiantoveraworldsochangedthatitseemedanabsurdthingtothinkthatascantthreequartersofanhourcouldhaveeffectedsuchatransformation。
Marillarosefromherknees,weakandtrembling,anddroppedonherrocker。
Herfacewashaggardandshelookedtenyearsolder。
\"Haveweallcomeoutofthatalive?\"sheaskedsolemnly。
\"Youbetwehave,\"pipedDavycheerfully,quitehisownmanagain。
\"Iwasn’tabitscaredeither……onlyjustatthefirst。Itcomeonafellowsosudden。ImadeupmymindquickasawinkthatIwouldn’tfightTeddySloaneMondayasI’dpromised;butnowmaybeIwill。
Say,Dora,wasyouscared?\"
\"Yes,Iwasalittlescared,\"saidDoraprimly,\"butIheldtighttoAnne’shandandsaidmyprayersoverandoveragain。\"
\"Well,I’dhavesaidmyprayerstooifI’dhavethoughtofit,\"
saidDavy;\"but,\"headdedtriumphantly,\"youseeIcamethroughjustassafeasyouforallIdidn’tsaythem。\"
AnnegotMarillaaglassfulofherpotentcurrantwine……HOW
potentitwasAnne,inherearlierdays,hadhadalltoogoodreasontoknow……andthentheywenttothedoortolookoutonthestrangescene。
Farandwidewasawhitecarpet,kneedeep,ofhailstones;driftsofthemwereheapedupundertheeavesandonthesteps。When,threeorfourdayslater,thosehailstonesmelted,thehavoctheyhadwroughtwasplainlyseen,foreverygreengrowingthinginthefieldorgardenwascutoff。Notonlywaseveryblossomstrippedfromtheappletreesbutgreatboughsandbrancheswerewrenchedaway。AndoutofthetwohundredtreessetoutbytheImproversbyfarthegreaternumberweresnappedoffortorntoshreds。
\"Canitpossiblybethesameworlditwasanhourago?\"askedAnne,dazedly。\"ItMUSThavetakenlongerthanthattoplaysuchhavoc。\"
\"ThelikeofthishasneverbeenknowninPrinceEdwardIsland,\"
saidMarilla,\"never。IrememberwhenIwasagirltherewasabadstorm,butitwasnothingtothis。We’llhearofterribledestruction,youmaybesure。\"
\"Idohopenoneofthechildrenwerecaughtoutinit,\"murmuredAnneanxiously。Asitwasdiscoveredlater,noneofthechildrenhadbeen,sinceallthosewhohadanydistancetogohadtakenMr。