Oh,Anne,Anne,Ididn’tmeantosaythat……itjustslippedoutbeforeIthought。HemadeaSPLENDIDsplash。Buthelookedsofunnywhenhecrawledout,allwetandmuddy。Thegirlslaughedmore’never,butGraciedidn’tlaugh。Shelookedsorry。Gracie’sanicegirlbutshe’sgotasnubnose。WhenIgetbigenoughtohaveagirlIwon’thaveonewithasnubnose……I’llpickonewithaprettynoselikeyours,Anne。\"
\"Aboywhomakessuchamessofsyrupalloverhisfacewhenheiseatinghispuddingwillnevergetagirltolookathim,\"saidMarillaseverely。
\"ButI’llwashmyfacebeforeIgocourting,\"protestedDavy,tryingtoimprovemattersbyrubbingthebackofhishandoverthesmears。\"AndI’llwashbehindmyearstoo,withoutbeingtold。
Irememberedtothismorning,Marilla。Idon’tforgethalfasoftenasIdid。But……\"andDavysighed……\"there’ssomanycornersaboutafellowthatit’sawfulhardtorememberthemall。Well,ifIcan’tgotoMissLavendar’sI’llgooverandseeMrs。Harrison。
Mrs。Harrison’sanawfulnicewoman,Itellyou。Shekeepsajarofcookiesinherpantrya-purposeforlittleboys,andshealwaysgivesmethescrapingsoutofapanshe’smixedupaplumcakein。
Agoodmanyplumssticktothesides,yousee。Mr。Harrisonwasalwaysaniceman,buthe’stwiceasnicesincehegotmarriedoveragain。Iguessgettingmarriedmakesfolksnicer。Whydon’tYOU
getmarried,Marilla?Iwanttoknow。\"
Marilla’sstateofsingleblessednesshadneverbeenasorepointwithher,sosheansweredamiably,withanexchangeofsignificantlookswithAnne,thatshesupposeditwasbecausenobodywouldhaveher。
\"Butmaybeyouneveraskedanybodytohaveyou,\"protestedDavy。
\"Oh,Davy,\"saidDoraprimly,shockedintospeakingwithoutbeingspokento,\"it’stheMENthathavetodotheasking。\"
\"Idon’tknowwhytheyhavetodoitALWAYS,\"grumbledDavy。
\"Seemstomeeverything’sputonthemeninthisworld。
CanIhavesomemorepudding,Marilla?\"
\"You’vehadasmuchaswasgoodforyou,\"saidMarilla;butshegavehimamoderatesecondhelping。
\"Iwishpeoplecouldliveonpudding。Whycan’tthey,Marilla?
Iwanttoknow。\"
\"Becausethey’dsoongettiredofit。\"
\"I’dliketotrythatformyself,\"saidskepticalDavy。\"ButI
guessit’sbettertohavepuddingonlyonfishandcompanydaysthannoneatall。TheyneverhaveanyatMiltyBoulter’s。
Miltysayswhencompanycomeshismothergivesthemcheeseandcutsitherself……onelittlebitapieceandoneoverformanners。\"
\"IfMiltyBoultertalkslikethatabouthismotheratleastyouneedn’trepeatit,\"saidMarillaseverely。
\"Blessmysoul,\"……DavyhadpickedthisexpressionupfromMr。Harrisonanduseditwithgreatgusto……\"Miltymeantitasacompelment。He’sawfulproudofhismother,causefolkssayshecouldscratchalivingonarock。\"
\"I……Isupposethempeskyhensareinmypansybedagain,\"
saidMarilla,risingandgoingouthurriedly。
TheslanderedhenswerenowherenearthepansybedandMarilladidnotevenglanceatit。Instead,shesatdownonthecellarhatchandlaugheduntilshewasashamedofherself。
WhenAnneandPaulreachedthestonehousethatafternoontheyfoundMissLavendarandCharlottatheFourthinthegarden,weeding,raking,clipping,andtrimmingasiffordearlife。
MissLavendarherself,allgayandsweetinthefrillsandlacessheloved,droppedhershearsandranjoyouslytomeetherguests,whileCharlottatheFourthgrinnedcheerfully。
\"Welcome,Anne。Ithoughtyou’dcometoday。Youbelongtotheafternoonsoitbroughtyou。Thingsthatbelongtogetheraresuretocometogether。Whatalotoftroublethatwouldsavesomepeopleiftheyonlyknewit。Buttheydon’t……andsotheywastebeautifulenergymovingheavenandearthtobringthingstogetherthatDON’Tbelong。Andyou,Paul……why,you’vegrown!You’rehalfaheadtallerthanwhenyouwereherebefore。\"
\"Yes,I’vebeguntogrowlikepigweedinthenight,asMrs。Lyndesays,\"
saidPaul,infrankdelightoverthefact。\"Grandmasaysit’stheporridgetakingeffectatlast。Perhapsitis。Goodnessknows……\"
Paulsigheddeeply……\"I’veeatenenoughtomakeanyonegrow。
Idohope,nowthatI’vebegun,I’llkeepontillI’mastallasfather。
Heissixfeet,youknow,MissLavendar。\"
Yes,MissLavendardidknow;theflushonherprettycheeksdeepenedalittle;shetookPaul’shandononesideandAnne’sontheotherandwalkedtothehouseinsilence。
\"Isitagooddayfortheechoes,MissLavendar?\"queriedPaulanxiously。
ThedayofhisfirstvisithadbeentoowindyforechoesandPaulhadbeenmuchdisappointed。
\"Yes,justthebestkindofaday,\"answeredMissLavendar,rousingherselffromherreverie。\"Butfirstweareallgoingtohavesomethingtoeat。Iknowyoutwofolksdidn’twalkallthewaybackherethroughthosebeechwoodswithoutgettinghungry,andCharlottatheFourthandIcaneatanyhouroftheday……wehavesuchobligingappetites。Sowe’lljustmakearaidonthepantry。
Fortunatelyit’slovelyandfull。IhadapresentimentthatIwasgoingtohavecompanytodayandCharlottatheFourthandIprepared。\"
\"Ithinkyouareoneofthepeoplewhoalwayshavenicethingsintheirpantry,\"declaredPaul。\"Grandma’slikethattoo。Butshedoesn’tapproveofsnacksbetweenmeals。Iwonder,\"headdedmeditatively,\"ifIOUGHTtoeatthemawayfromhomewhenIknowshedoesn’tapprove。\"
\"Oh,Idon’tthinkshewoulddisapproveafteryouhavehadalongwalk。Thatmakesadifference,\"saidMissLavendar,exchangingamusedglanceswithAnneoverPaul’sbrowncurls。
\"IsupposethatsnacksAREextremelyunwholesome。ThatiswhywehavethemsooftenatEchoLodge。We……CharlottatheFourthandI……liveindefianceofeveryknownlawofdiet。Weeatallsortsofindigestiblethingswheneverwehappentothinkofit,bydayornight;andweflourishlikegreenbaytrees。Wearealwaysintendingtoreform。Whenwereadanyarticleinapaperwarningusagainstsomethingwelikewecutitoutandpinituponthekitchenwallsothatwe’llrememberit。Butwenevercansomehow……untilafterwe’vegoneandeatenthatverything。Nothinghaseverkilledusyet;butCharlottatheFourthhasbeenknowntohavebaddreamsafterwehadeatendoughnutsandmincepieandfruitcakebeforewewenttobed。\"
\"GrandmaletsmehaveaglassofmilkandasliceofbreadandbutterbeforeIgotobed;andonSundaynightssheputsjamonthebread,\"
saidPaul。\"SoI’malwaysgladwhenit’sSundaynight……formorereasonsthanone。Sundayisaverylongdayontheshoreroad。
Grandmasaysit’salltooshortforherandthatfatherneverfoundSundaystiresomewhenhewasalittleboy。Itwouldn’tseemsolongifIcouldtalktomyrockpeoplebutIneverdothatbecauseGrandmadoesn’tapproveofitonSundays。Ithinkagooddeal;butI’mafraidmythoughtsareworldly。GrandmasaysweshouldneverthinkanythingbutreligiousthoughtsonSundays。Butteacherheresaidoncethateveryreallybeautifulthoughtwasreligious,nomatterwhatitwasabout,orwhatdaywethoughtiton。ButIfeelsureGrandmathinksthatsermonsandSundaySchoollessonsaretheonlythingsyoucanthinktrulyreligiousthoughtsabout。AndwhenitcomestoadifferenceofopinionbetweenGrandmaandteacherIdon’tknowwhattodo。Inmyheart\"……
PaullaidhishandonhisbreastandraisedveryseriousblueeyestoMissLavendar’simmediatelysympatheticface……\"Iagreewithteacher。
Butthen,yousee,GrandmahasbroughtfatherupHERwayandmadeabrilliantsuccessofhim;andteacherhasneverbroughtanybodyupyet,thoughshe’shelpingwithDavyandDora。Butyoucan’ttellhowthey’llturnouttilltheyAREgrownup。SosometimesIfeelasifitmightbesafertogobyGrandma’sopinions。\"
\"Ithinkitwould,\"agreedAnnesolemnly。\"Anyway,IdaresaythatifyourGrandmaandIbothgotdowntowhatwereallydomean,underourdifferentwaysofexpressingit,we’dfindoutwebothmeantmuchthesamething。You’dbettergobyherwayofexpressingit,sinceit’sbeentheresultofexperience。We’llhavetowaituntilweseehowthetwinsdoturnoutbeforewecanbesurethatmywayisequallygood。\"
Afterlunchtheywentbacktothegarden,wherePaulmadetheacquaintanceoftheechoes,tohiswonderanddelight,whileAnneandMissLavendarsatonthestonebenchunderthepoplarandtalked。
\"Soyouaregoingawayinthefall?\"saidMissLavendarwistfully。
\"Ioughttobegladforyoursake,Anne……butI’mhorribly,selfishlysorry。Ishallmissyousomuch。Oh,sometimes,Ithinkitisofnousetomakefriends。Theyonlygooutofyourlifeafterawhileandleaveahurtthatisworsethantheemptinessbeforetheycame。\"
\"ThatsoundslikesomethingMissElizaAndrewsmightsaybutneverMissLavendar,\"saidAnne。\"NOTHINGisworsethanemptiness……andI’mnotgoingoutofyourlife。Therearesuchthingsaslettersandvacations。Dearest,I’mafraidyou’relookingalittlepaleandtired。\"
\"Oh……hoo……hoo……hoo,\"wentPaulonthedyke,wherehehadbeenmakingnoisesdiligently……notallofthemmelodiousinthemaking,butallcomingbacktransmutedintotheverygoldandsilverofsoundbythefairyalchemistsovertheriver。MissLavendarmadeanimpatientmovementwithherprettyhands。
\"I’mjusttiredofeverything……evenoftheechoes。Thereisnothinginmylifebutechoes……echoesoflosthopesanddreamsandjoys。
They’rebeautifulandmocking。OhAnne,it’shorridofmetotalklikethiswhenIhavecompany。It’sjustthatI’mgettingoldanditdoesn’tagreewithme。IknowI’llbefearfullycrankybythetimeI’msixty。ButperhapsallIneedisacourseofbluepills。\"
AtthismomentCharlottatheFourth,whohaddisappearedafterlunch,returned,andannouncedthatthenortheastcornerofMr。JohnKimball’spasturewasredwithearlystrawberries,andwouldn’tMissShirleyliketogoandpicksome。
\"Earlystrawberriesfortea!\"exclaimedMissLavendar。\"Oh,I’mnotsooldasIthought……andIdon’tneedasinglebluepill!
Girls,whenyoucomebackwithyourstrawberrieswe’llhaveteaouthereunderthesilverpoplar。I’llhaveitallreadyforyouwithhome-growncream。\"
AnneandCharlottatheFourthaccordinglybetookthemselvesbacktoMr。Kimball’spasture,agreenremoteplacewheretheairwasassoftasvelvetandfragrantasabedofvioletsandgoldenasamber。
\"Oh,isn’titsweetandfreshbackhere?\"breathedAnne。\"IjustfeelasifIweredrinkinginthesunshine。\"
\"Yes,ma’am,sodoI。That’sjustexactlyhowIfeeltoo,ma’am,\"
agreedCharlottatheFourth,whowouldhavesaidpreciselythesamethingifAnnehadremarkedthatshefeltlikeapelicanofthewilderness。AlwaysafterAnnehadvisitedEchoLodgeCharlottatheFourthmountedtoherlittleroomoverthekitchenandtriedbeforeherlookingglasstospeakandlookandmovelikeAnne。Charlottacouldneverflatterherselfthatshequitesucceeded;butpracticemakesperfect,asCharlottahadlearnedatschool,andshefondlyhopedthatintimeshemightcatchthetrickofthatdaintyupliftofchin,thatquick,starryoutflashingofeyes,thatfashionofwalkingasifyouwereaboughswayinginthewind。ItseemedsoeasywhenyouwatchedAnne。CharlottatheFourthadmiredAnnewholeheartedly。Itwasnotthatshethoughthersoveryhandsome。
DianaBarry’sbeautyofcrimsoncheekandblackcurlswasmuchmoretoCharlottatheFourth’stastethanAnne’smoonshinecharmofluminousgrayeyesandthepale,everchangingrosesofhercheeks。
\"ButI’dratherlooklikeyouthanbepretty,\"shetoldAnnesincerely。
Annelaughed,sippedthehoneyfromthetribute,andcastawaythesting。
Shewasusedtotakinghercomplimentsmixed。PublicopinionneveragreedonAnne’slooks。Peoplewhohadheardhercalledhandsomemetherandweredisappointed。Peoplewhohadheardhercalledplainsawherandwonderedwhereotherpeople’seyeswere。Anneherselfwouldneverbelievethatshehadanyclaimtobeauty。
Whenshelookedintheglassallshesawwasalittlepalefacewithsevenfrecklesonthenosethereof。Hermirrorneverrevealedtohertheelusive,ever-varyingplayoffeelingthatcameandwentoverherfeatureslikearosyilluminatingflame,orthecharmofdreamandlaughteralternatinginherbigeyes。
WhileAnnewasnotbeautifulinanystrictlydefinedsenseofthewordshepossessedacertainevasivecharmanddistinctionofappearancethatleftbeholderswithapleasurablesenseofsatisfactioninthatsoftlyroundedgirlhoodofhers,withallitsstronglyfeltpotentialities。ThosewhoknewAnnebestfelt,withoutrealizingthattheyfeltit,thathergreatestattractionwastheauraofpossibilitysurroundingher……thepoweroffuturedevelopmentthatwasinher。Sheseemedtowalkinanatmosphereofthingsabouttohappen。
Astheypicked,CharlottatheFourthconfidedtoAnneherfearsregardingMissLavendar。Thewarm-heartedlittlehandmaidenwashonestlyworriedoverheradoredmistress’condition。
\"MissLavendarisn’twell,MissShirley,ma’am。I’msuresheisn’t,thoughshenevercomplains。Shehasn’tseemedlikeherselfthislongwhile,ma’am……notsincethatdayyouandPaulwereheretogetherbefore。Ifeelsureshecaughtcoldthatnight,ma’am。
Afteryouandhimhadgoneshewentoutandwalkedinthegardenforlongafterdarkwithnothingbutalittleshawlonher。
TherewasalotofsnowonthewalksandIfeelsureshegotachill,ma’am。EversincethenI’venoticedheractingtiredandlonesomelike。Shedon’tseemtotakeaninterestinanything,ma’am。
Sheneverpretendscompany’scoming,norfixesupforit,nornothing,ma’am。It’sonlywhenyoucomesheseemstochirkupabit。Andtheworstsignofall,MissShirley,ma’am……\"CharlottatheFourthloweredhervoiceasifshewereabouttotellsomeexceedinglyweirdandawfulsymptomindeed……\"isthatshenevergetscrossnowwhenIbreaksthings。Why,MissShirley,ma’am,yesterdayI
brukhergreenandyallerbowlthat’salwaysstoodonthebookcase。
HergrandmotherbroughtitoutfromEnglandandMissLavendarwasawfulchoiceofit。Iwasdustingitjustascareful,MissShirley,ma’am,anditslippedout,sofashion,aforeIcouldgrabholtofit,andbrukintoaboutfortymillyunpieces。ItellyouIwassorryandscared。IthoughtMissLavendarwouldscoldmeawful,ma’am;
andI’druthershehadthantakeitthewayshedid。Shejustcomeinandhardlylookedatitandsaid,`It’snomatter,Charlotta。
Takeupthepiecesandthrowthemaway。’Justlikethat,MissShirley,ma’am……`takeupthepiecesandthrowthemaway,’asifitwasn’thergrandmother’sbowlfromEngland。Oh,sheisn’twellandIfeelawfulbadaboutit。She’sgotnobodytolookafterherbutme。\"
CharlottatheFourth’seyesbrimmedupwithtears。Annepattedthelittlebrownpawholdingthecrackedpinkcupsympathetically。
\"IthinkMissLavendarneedsachange,Charlotta。Shestaysherealonetoomuch。Can’tweinducehertogoawayforalittletrip?\"
Charlottashookherhead,withitsrampantbows,disconsolately。
\"Idon’tthinkso,MissShirley,ma’am。MissLavendarhatesvisiting。
She’sonlygotthreerelationssheevervisitsandshesaysshejustgoestoseethemasafamilyduty。Lasttimewhenshecomehomeshesaidshewasn’tgoingtovisitforfamilydutynomore。
`I’vecomehomeinlovewithloneliness,Charlotta,’shesaystome,`andIneverwanttostrayfrommyownvineandfigtreeagain。
Myrelationstrysohardtomakeanoldladyofmeandithasabadeffectonme。’Justlikethat,MissShirley,ma’am。
’Ithasaverybadeffectonme。’SoIdon’tthinkitwoulddoanygoodtocoaxhertogovisiting。\"
\"Wemustseewhatcanbedone,\"saidAnnedecidedly,assheputthelastpossibleberryinherpinkcup。\"JustassoonasIhavemyvacationI’llcomethroughandspendawholeweekwithyou。
We’llhaveapicniceverydayandpretendallsortsofinterestingthings,andseeifwecan’tcheerMissLavendarup。\"
\"Thatwillbetheverything,MissShirley,ma’am,\"exclaimedCharlottatheFourthinrapture。ShewasgladforMissLavendar’ssakeandforherowntoo。WithawholeweekinwhichtostudyAnneconstantlyshewouldsurelybeabletolearnhowtomoveandbehavelikeher。
WhenthegirlsgotbacktoEchoLodgetheyfoundthatMissLavendarandPaulhadcarriedthelittlesquaretableoutofthekitchentothegardenandhadeverythingreadyfortea。Nothingevertastedsodeliciousasthosestrawberriesandcream,eatenunderagreatblueskyallcurdledoverwithfluffylittlewhiteclouds,andinthelongshadowsofthewoodwithitslispingsanditsmurmurings。
AfterteaAnnehelpedCharlottawashthedishesinthekitchen,whileMissLavendarsatonthestonebenchwithPaulandheardallabouthisrockpeople。Shewasagoodlistener,thissweetMissLavendar,butjustatthelastitstruckPaulthatshehadsuddenlylostinterestintheTwinSailors。
\"MissLavendar,whydoyoulookatmelikethat?\"heaskedgravely。
\"HowdoIlook,Paul?\"
\"JustasifyouwerelookingthroughmeatsomebodyIputyouinmindof,\"
saidPaul,whohadsuchoccasionalflashesofuncannyinsightthatitwasn’tquitesafetohavesecretswhenhewasabout。
\"YoudoputmeinmindofsomebodyIknewlongago,\"saidMissLavendardreamily。
\"Whenyouwereyoung?\"
\"Yes,whenIwasyoung。DoIseemveryoldtoyou,Paul?\"
\"Doyouknow,Ican’tmakeupmymindaboutthat,\"saidPaulconfidentially。\"Yourhairlooksold……Ineverknewayoungpersonwithwhitehair。Butyoureyesareasyoungasmybeautifulteacher’swhenyoulaugh。Itellyouwhat,MissLavendar\"……
Paul’svoiceandfacewereassolemnasajudge’s……\"Ithinkyouwouldmakeasplendidmother。Youhavejusttherightlookinyoureyes……thelookmylittlemotheralwayshad。Ithinkit’sapityyouhaven’tanyboysofyourown。\"
\"Ihavealittledreamboy,Paul。\"
\"Oh,haveyoureally?Howoldishe?\"
\"AboutyourageIthink。HeoughttobeolderbecauseIdreamedhimlongbeforeyouwereborn。ButI’llneverlethimgetanyolderthanelevenortwelve;becauseifIdidsomedayhemightgrowupaltogetherandthenI’dlosehim。\"
\"Iknow,\"noddedPaul。\"That’sthebeautyofdream-people……theystayanyageyouwantthem。YouandmybeautifulteacherandmemyselfaretheonlyfolksintheworldthatIknowofthathavedream-people。Isn’titfunnyandniceweshouldallknoweachother?ButIguessthatkindofpeoplealwaysfindeachotherout。
Grandmaneverhasdream-peopleandMaryJoethinksI’mwrongintheupperstorybecauseIhavethem。ButIthinkit’ssplendidtohavethem。
YOUknow,MissLavendar。Tellmeallaboutyourlittledream-boy。\"
\"Hehasblueeyesandcurlyhair。Hestealsinandwakensmewithakisseverymorning。Thenalldayheplayshereinthegarden……
andIplaywithhim。Suchgamesaswehave。Werunracesandtalkwiththeechoes;andItellhimstories。Andwhentwilightcomes……\"
\"Iknow,\"interruptedPauleagerly。\"Hecomesandsitsbesideyou……
SO……becauseofcourseattwelvehe’dbetoobigtoclimbintoyourlap……andlayshisheadonyourshoulder……SO……andyouputyourarmsabouthimandholdhimtight,tight,andrestyourcheekonhishead……
yes,that’stheveryway。Oh,youDOknow,MissLavendar。\"
Annefoundthetwoofthemtherewhenshecameoutofthestonehouse,andsomethinginMissLavendar’sfacemadeherhatetodisturbthem。
\"I’mafraidwemustgo,Paul,ifwewanttogethomebeforedark。
MissLavendar,I’mgoingtoinvitemyselftoEchoLodgeforawholeweekprettysoon。\"
\"IfyoucomeforaweekI’llkeepyoufortwo,\"threatenedMissLavendar。
XXVIII
ThePrinceComesBacktotheEnchantedPalaceThelastdayofschoolcameandwent。Atriumphant\"semi-annualexamination\"washeldandAnne’spupilsacquittedthemselvessplendidly。Attheclosetheygaveheranaddressandawritingdesk。Allthegirlsandladiespresentcried,andsomeoftheboyshaditcastuptothemlateronthattheycriedtoo,althoughtheyalwaysdeniedit。
Mrs。HarmonAndrews,Mrs。PeterSloane,andMrs。WilliamBellwalkedhometogetherandtalkedthingsover。
\"IdothinkitissuchapityAnneisleavingwhenthechildrenseemsomuchattachedtoher,\"sighedMrs。PeterSloane,whohadahabitofsighingovereverythingandevenfinishedoffherjokesthatway。
\"Tobesure,\"sheaddedhastily,\"weallknowwe’llhaveagoodteachernextyeartoo。\"
\"Janewilldoherduty,I’venodoubt,\"saidMrs。Andrewsratherstiffly。
\"Idon’tsupposeshe’lltellthechildrenquitesomanyfairytalesorspendsomuchtimeroamingaboutthewoodswiththem。ButshehashernameontheInspector’sRollofHonorandtheNewbridgepeopleareinaterriblestateoverherleaving。\"
\"I’mrealgladAnneisgoingtocollege,\"saidMrs。Bell。
\"Shehasalwayswanteditanditwillbeasplendidthingforher。\"
\"Well,Idon’tknow。\"Mrs。Andrewswasdeterminednottoagreefullywithanybodythatday。\"Idon’tseethatAnneneedsanymoreeducation。
She’llprobablybemarryingGilbertBlythe,ifhisinfatuationforherlaststillhegetsthroughcollege,andwhatgoodwillLatinandGreekdoherthen?Iftheytaughtyouatcollegehowtomanageamantheremightbesomesenseinhergoing。\"
Mrs。HarmonAndrews,soAvonleagossipwhispered,hadneverlearnedhowtomanageher\"man,\"andasaresulttheAndrewshouseholdwasnotexactlyamodelofdomestichappiness。
\"IseethattheCharlottetowncalltoMr。AllanisupbeforethePresbytery,\"saidMrs。Bell。\"Thatmeanswe’llbelosinghimsoon,Isuppose。\"
\"They’renotgoingbeforeSeptember,\"saidMrs。Sloane。\"Itwillbeagreatlosstothecommunity……thoughIalwaysdidthinkthatMrs。Allandressedrathertoogayforaminister’swife。
Butwearenoneofusperfect。DidyounoticehowneatandsnugMr。Harrisonlookedtoday?Ineversawsuchachangedman。HegoestochurcheverySundayandhassubscribedtothesalary。\"
\"Hasn’tthatPaulIrvinggrowntobeabigboy?\"saidMrs。Andrews。
\"Hewassuchamiteforhisagewhenhecamehere。IdeclareI
hardlyknewhimtoday。He’sgettingtolookalotlikehisfather。\"
\"He’sasmartboy,\"saidMrs。Bell。
\"He’ssmartenough,but\"……Mrs。Andrewsloweredhervoice……\"I
believehetellsqueerstories。Graciecamehomefromschoolonedaylastweekwiththegreatestrigmarolehehadtoldheraboutpeoplewholiveddownattheshore……storiestherecouldn’tbeawordoftruthin,youknow。ItoldGracienottobelievethem,andshesaidPauldidn’tintendherto。Butifhedidn’twhatdidhetellthemtoherfor?\"
\"AnnesaysPaulisagenius,\"saidMrs。Sloane。
\"Hemaybe。YouneverknowwhattoexpectofthemAmericans,\"
saidMrs。Andrews。Mrs。Andrews’onlyacquaintancewiththeword\"genius\"wasderivedfromthecolloquialfashionofcallinganyeccentricindividual\"aqueergenius。\"Sheprobablythought,withMaryJoe,thatitmeantapersonwithsomethingwronginhisupperstory。
BackintheschoolroomAnnewassittingaloneatherdesk,asshehadsatonthefirstdayofschooltwoyearsbefore,herfaceleaningonherhand,herdewyeyeslookingwistfullyoutofthewindowtotheLakeofShiningWaters。Herheartwassowrungoverthepartingwithherpupilsthatforamomentcollegehadlostallitscharm。ShestillfelttheclaspofAnnettaBell’sarmsaboutherneckandheardthechildishwail,\"I’llNEVERloveanyteacherasmuchasyou,MissShirley,never,never。\"
Fortwoyearsshehadworkedearnestlyandfaithfully,makingmanymistakesandlearningfromthem。Shehadhadherreward。Shehadtaughtherscholarssomething,butshefeltthattheyhadtaughthermuchmore……lessonsoftenderness,self-control,innocentwisdom,loreofchildishhearts。Perhapsshehadnotsucceededin\"inspiring\"anywonderfulambitionsinherpupils,butshehadtaughtthem,morebyherownsweetpersonalitythanbyallhercarefulprecepts,thatitwasgoodandnecessaryintheyearsthatwerebeforethemtolivetheirlivesfinelyandgraciously,holdingfasttotruthandcourtesyandkindness,keepingalooffromallthatsavoredoffalsehoodandmeannessandvulgarity。Theywere,perhaps,allunconsciousofhavinglearnedsuchlessons;buttheywouldrememberandpracticethemlongaftertheyhadforgottenthecapitalofAfghanistanandthedatesoftheWarsoftheRoses。
\"Anotherchapterinmylifeisclosed,\"saidAnnealoud,asshelockedherdesk。Shereallyfeltverysadoverit;buttheromanceintheideaofthat\"closedchapter\"didcomfortheralittle。
AnnespentafortnightatEchoLodgeearlyinhervacationandeverybodyconcernedhadagoodtime。
ShetookMissLavendaronashoppingexpeditiontotownandpersuadedhertobuyaneworgandydress;thencametheexcitementofcuttingandmakingittogether,whilethehappyCharlottatheFourthbastedandsweptupclippings。MissLavendarhadcomplainedthatshecouldnotfeelmuchinterestinanything,butthesparklecamebacktohereyesoverherprettydress。
\"Whatafoolish,frivolouspersonImustbe,\"shesighed。
\"I’mwholesomelyashamedtothinkthatanewdress……
evenitisaforget-me-notorgandy……shouldexhilaratemeso,whenagoodconscienceandanextracontributiontoForeignMissionscouldn’tdoit。\"
MidwayinhervisitAnnewenthometoGreenGablesforadaytomendthetwins’stockingsandsettleupDavy’saccumulatedstoreofquestions。
IntheeveningshewentdowntotheshoreroadtoseePaulIrving。
Asshepassedbythelow,squarewindowoftheIrvingsittingroomshecaughtaglimpseofPaulonsomebody’slap;butthenextmomenthecameflyingthroughthehall。
\"Oh,MissShirley,\"hecriedexcitedly,\"youcan’tthinkwhathashappened!Somethingsosplendid。Fatherishere……
justthinkofthat!Fatherishere!Comerightin。Father,thisismybeautifulteacher。YOUknow,father。\"
StephenIrvingcameforwardtomeetAnnewithasmile。Hewasatall,handsomemanofmiddleage,withiron-grayhair,deep-set,darkblueeyes,andastrong,sadface,splendidlymodeledaboutchinandbrow。Justthefaceforaheroofromance,Annethoughtwithathrillofintensesatisfaction。Itwassodisappointingtomeetsomeonewhooughttobeaheroandfindhimbaldorstooped,orotherwiselackinginmanlybeauty。AnnewouldhavethoughtitdreadfuliftheobjectofMissLavendar’sromancehadnotlookedthepart。
\"Sothisismylittleson’s`beautifulteacher,’ofwhomIhaveheardsomuch,\"saidMr。Irvingwithaheartyhandshake。\"Paul’slettershavebeensofullofyou,MissShirley,thatIfeelasifI
wereprettywellacquaintedwithyoualready。IwanttothankyouforwhatyouhavedoneforPaul。Ithinkthatyourinfluencehasbeenjustwhatheneeded。Motherisoneofthebestanddearestofwomen;butherrobust,matter-of-factScotchcommonsensecouldnotalwaysunderstandatemperamentlikemyladdie’s。Whatwaslackinginheryouhavesupplied。Betweenyou,IthinkPaul’straininginthesetwopastyearshasbeenasnearlyidealasamotherlessboy’scouldbe。\"
Everybodylikestobeappreciated。UnderMr。Irving’spraiseAnne’sface\"burstflowerlikeintorosybloom,\"andthebusy,wearymanoftheworld,lookingather,thoughthehadneverseenafairer,sweeterslipofgirlhoodthanthislittle\"downeast\"
schoolteacherwithherredhairandwonderfuleyes。
Paulsatbetweenthemblissfullyhappy。
\"Ineverdreamedfatherwascoming,\"hesaidradiantly。\"EvenGrandmadidn’tknowit。Itwasagreatsurprise。Asageneralthing……\"
Paulshookhisbrowncurlsgravely……\"Idon’tliketobesurprised。
Youloseallthefunofexpectingthingswhenyou’resurprised。
Butinacaselikethisitisallright。FathercamelastnightafterIhadgonetobed。AndafterGrandmaandMaryJoehadstoppedbeingsurprisedheandGrandmacameupstairstolookatme,notmeaningtowakemeuptillmorning。ButIwokerightupandsawfather。
ItellyouIjustsprangathim。\"
\"Withahuglikeabear’s,\"saidMr。Irving,puttinghisarmsaroundPaul’sshouldersmilingly。\"Ihardlyknewmyboy,hehadgrownsobigandbrownandsturdy。\"
\"Idon’tknowwhichwasthemostpleasedtoseefather,GrandmaorI,\"
continuedPaul。\"Grandma’sbeeninkitchenalldaymakingthethingsfatherlikestoeat。Shewouldn’ttrustthemtoMaryJoe,shesays。
That’sHERwayofshowinggladness。_I_likebestjusttositandtalktofather。ButI’mgoingtoleaveyouforalittlewhilenowifyou’llexcuseme。ImustgetthecowsforMaryJoe。Thatisoneofmydailyduties。\"
WhenPaulhadscamperedawaytodohis\"dailyduty\"Mr。IrvingtalkedtoAnneofvariousmatters。ButAnnefeltthathewasthinkingofsomethingelseunderneathallthetime。Presentlyitcametothesurface。
\"InPaul’slastletterhespokeofgoingwithyoutovisitanold……
friendofmine……MissLewisatthestonehouseinGrafton。
Doyouknowherwell?\"
\"Yes,indeed,sheisaverydearfriendofmine,\"wasAnne’sdemurereply,whichgavenohintofthesuddenthrillthattingledoverherfromheadtofootatMr。Irving’squestion。Anne\"feltinstinctively\"thatromancewaspeepingatheraroundacorner。
Mr。Irvingroseandwenttothewindow,lookingoutonagreat,golden,billowingseawhereawildwindwasharping。Forafewmomentstherewassilenceinthelittledark-walledroom。ThenheturnedandlookeddownintoAnne’ssympatheticfacewithasmile,half-whimsical,half-tender。
\"Iwonderhowmuchyouknow,\"hesaid。
\"Iknowallaboutit,\"repliedAnnepromptly。\"Yousee,\"sheexplainedhastily,\"MissLavendarandIareveryintimate。Shewouldn’ttellthingsofsuchasacrednaturetoeverybody。Wearekindredspirits。\"
\"Yes,Ibelieveyouare。Well,Iamgoingtoaskafavorofyou。
IwouldliketogoandseeMissLavendarifshewillletme。WillyouaskherifImaycome?\"
Wouldshenot?Oh,indeedshewould!Yes,thiswasromance,thevery,therealthing,withallthecharmofrhymeandstoryanddream。
Itwasalittlebelated,perhaps,likearosebloominginOctoberwhichshouldhavebloomedinJune;butnonethelessarose,allsweetnessandfragrance,withthegleamofgoldinitsheart。
NeverdidAnne’sfeetbearheronamorewillingerrandthanonthatwalkthroughthebeechwoodstoGraftonthenextmorning。
ShefoundMissLavendarinthegarden。Annewasfearfullyexcited。
Herhandsgrewcoldandhervoicetrembled。
\"MissLavendar,Ihavesomethingtotellyou……somethingveryimportant。
Canyouguesswhatitis?\"
AnneneversupposedthatMissLavendarcouldGUESS;butMissLavendar’sfacegrewverypaleandMissLavendarsaidinaquiet,stillvoice,fromwhichallthecolorandsparklethatMissLavendar’svoiceusuallysuggestedhadfaded。
\"StephenIrvingishome?\"
\"Howdidyouknow?Whotoldyou?\"criedAnnedisappointedly,vexedthathergreatrevelationhadbeenanticipated。
\"Nobody。Iknewthatmustbeit,justfromthewayyouspoke。\"
\"Hewantstocomeandseeyou,\"saidAnne。\"MayIsendhimwordthathemay?\"
\"Yes,ofcourse,\"flutteredMissLavendar。\"Thereisnoreasonwhyheshouldn’t。Heisonlycomingasanyoldfriendmight。\"
AnnehadherownopinionaboutthatasshehastenedintothehousetowriteanoteatMissLavendar’sdesk。
\"Oh,it’sdelightfultobelivinginastorybook,\"shethoughtgaily。
\"Itwillcomeoutallrightofcourse……itmust……andPaulwillhaveamotherafterhisownheartandeverybodywillbehappy。
ButMr。IrvingwilltakeMissLavendaraway……anddearknowswhatwillhappentothelittlestonehouse……andsotherearetwosidestoit,asthereseemstobetoeverythinginthisworld。\"
TheimportantnotewaswrittenandAnneherselfcarriedittotheGraftonpostoffice,whereshewaylaidthemailcarrierandaskedhimtoleaveitattheAvonleaoffice。
\"It’ssoveryimportant,\"Anneassuredhimanxiously。ThemailcarrierwasarathergrumpyoldpersonagewhodidnotatalllookthepartofamessengerofCupid;andAnnewasnonetoocertainthathismemorywastobetrusted。Buthesaidhewoulddohisbesttorememberandshehadtobecontentedwiththat。
CharlottatheFourthfeltthatsomemysterypervadedthestonehousethatafternoon……amysteryfromwhichshewasexcluded。
MissLavendarroamedaboutthegardeninadistractedfashion。
Anne,too,seemedpossessedbyademonofunrest,andwalkedtoandfroandwentupanddown。CharlottatheFourthenduredittillatienceceasedtobeavirtue;thensheconfrontedAnneontheoccasionofthatromanticyoungperson’sthirdaimlessperegrinationthroughthekitchen。
\"Please,MissShirley,ma’am,\"saidCharlottatheFourth,withanindignanttossofherverybluebows,\"it’splaintobeseenyouandMissLavendarhavegotasecretandIthink,beggingyourpardonifI’mtooforward,MissShirley,ma’am,thatit’srealmeannottotellmewhenwe’veallbeensuchchums。\"
\"Oh,Charlottadear,I’dhavetoldyouallaboutitifitweremysecret……butit’sMissLavendar’s,yousee。However,I’lltellyouthismuch……andifnothingcomesofityoumustneverbreatheawordaboutittoalivingsoul。Yousee,PrinceCharmingiscomingtonight。Hecamelongago,butinafoolishmomentwentawayandwanderedafarandforgotthesecretofthemagicpathwaytotheenchantedcastle,wheretheprincesswasweepingherfaithfulheartoutforhim。Butatlastheremembereditagainandtheprincessiswaitingstill……becausenobodybutherowndearprincecouldcarryheroff。\"
\"Oh,MissShirley,ma’am,whatisthatinprose?\"gaspedthemystifiedCharlotta。
Annelaughed。
\"Inprose,anoldfriendofMissLavendar’siscomingtoseehertonight。\"
\"Doyoumeananoldbeauofhers?\"demandedtheliteralCharlotta。
\"ThatisprobablywhatIdomean……inprose,\"answeredAnnegravely。
\"ItisPaul’sfather……StephenIrving。Andgoodnessknowswhatwillcomeofit,butletushopeforthebest,Charlotta。\"
\"Ihopethathe’llmarryMissLavendar,\"wasCharlotta’sunequivocalresponse。
\"Somewomen’sintendedfromthestarttobeoldmaids,andI’mafraidI’moneofthem,MissShirley,ma’am,becauseI’veawfullittlepatiencewiththemen。
ButMissLavendarneverwas。AndI’vebeenawfulworried,thinkingwhatonearthshe’ddowhenIgotsobigI’dHAVEtogotoBoston。Thereain’tanymoregirlsinourfamilyanddearknowswhatshe’ddoifshegotsomestrangerthatmightlaughatherpretendingsandleavethingslyingroundoutoftheirplaceandnotbewillingtobecalledCharlottatheFifth。
Shemightgetsomeonewhowouldn’tbeasunluckyasmeinbreakingdishesbutshe’dnevergetanyonewho’dloveherbetter。\"
Andthefaithfullittlehandmaidendashedtotheovendoorwithasniff。
TheywentthroughtheformofhavingteaasusualthatnightatEchoLodge;butnobodyreallyateanything。AfterteaMissLavendarwenttoherroomandputonhernewforget-me-notorgandy,whileAnnedidherhairforher。Bothweredreadfullyexcited;
butMissLavendarpretendedtobeverycalmandindifferent。
\"Imustreallymendthatrentinthecurtaintomorrow,\"shesaidanxiously,inspectingitasifitweretheonlythingofanyimportancejustthen。\"Thosecurtainshavenotwornaswellastheyshould,consideringthepriceIpaid。Dearme,CharlottahasforgottentodustthestairrailingAGAIN。IreallyMUST
speaktoheraboutit。\"
AnnewassittingontheporchstepswhenStephenIrvingcamedownthelaneandacrossthegarden。
\"Thisistheoneplacewheretimestandsstill,\"hesaid,lookingaroundhimwithdelightedeyes。\"ThereisnothingchangedaboutthishouseorgardensinceIwasheretwenty-fiveyearsago。
Itmakesmefeelyoungagain。\"
\"Youknowtimealwaysdoesstandstillinanenchantedpalace,\"saidAnneseriously。\"Itisonlywhentheprincecomesthatthingsbegintohappen。\"
Mr。Irvingsmiledalittlesadlyintoherupliftedface,allastarwithitsyouthandpromise。
\"Sometimestheprincecomestoolate,\"hesaid。HedidnotaskAnnetotranslateherremarkintoprose。Likeallkindredspiritshe\"understood。\"
\"Oh,no,notifheistherealprincecomingtothetrueprincess,\"
saidAnne,shakingherredheaddecidedly,assheopenedtheparlordoor。
WhenhehadgoneinsheshutittightlybehindhimandturnedtoconfrontCharlottatheFourth,whowasinthehall,all\"nodsandbecksandwreathedsmiles。\"
\"Oh,MissShirley,ma’am,\"shebreathed,\"Ipeekedfromthekitchenwindow……andhe’sawfulhandsome……andjusttherightageforMissLavendar。Andoh,MissShirley,ma’am,doyouthinkitwouldbemuchharmtolistenatthedoor?\"
\"Itwouldbedreadful,Charlotta,\"saidAnnefirmly,\"sojustyoucomeawaywithmeoutofthereachoftemptation。\"
\"Ican’tdoanything,andit’sawfultohangroundjustwaiting,\"sighedCharlotta。\"Whatifhedon’tproposeafterall,MissShirley,ma’am?
Youcanneverbesureofthemmen。Myoldersister,CharlottatheFirst,thoughtshewasengagedtooneonce。ButitturnedoutHEhadadifferentopinionandshesaysshe’llnevertrustoneofthemagain。
AndIheardofanothercasewhereamanthoughthewantedonegirlawfulbadwhenitwasreallyhersisterhewantedallthetime。
Whenamandon’tknowhisownmind,MissShirley,ma’am,how’sapoorwomangoingtobesureofit?\"
\"We’llgotothekitchenandcleanthesilverspoons,\"saidAnne。
\"That’sataskwhichwon’trequiremuchthinkingfortunately……
forICOULDN’Tthinktonight。Anditwillpassthetime。\"
Itpassedanhour。Then,justasAnnelaiddownthelastshiningspoon,theyheardthefrontdoorshut。Bothsoughtcomfortfearfullyineachother’seyes。
\"Oh,MissShirley,ma’am,\"gaspedCharlotta,\"ifhe’sgoingawaythisearlythere’snothingintoitandneverwillbe。\"Theyflewtothewindow。
Mr。Irvinghadnointentionofgoingaway。HeandMissLavendarwerestrollingslowlydownthemiddlepathtothestonebench。
\"Oh,MissShirley,ma’am,he’sgothisarmaroundherwaist,\"
whisperedCharlottatheFourthdelightedly。\"Hemusthaveproposedtoherorshe’dneverallowit。\"
AnnecaughtCharlottatheFourthbyherownplumpwaistanddancedheraroundthekitchenuntiltheywerebothoutofbreath。
\"Oh,Charlotta,\"shecriedgaily,\"I’mneitheraprophetessnorthedaughterofaprophetessbutI’mgoingtomakeaprediction。
There’llbeaweddinginthisoldstonehousebeforethemapleleavesarered。Doyouwantthattranslatedintoprose,Charlotta?\"
\"No,Icanunderstandthat,\"saidCharlotta。\"Aweddingain’tpoetry。Why,MissShirley,ma’am,you’recrying!Whatfor?\"
\"Oh,becauseit’sallsobeautiful……andstorybookish……andromantic……andsad,\"saidAnne,winkingthetearsoutofhereyes。\"It’sallperfectlylovely……butthere’salittlesadnessmixedupinittoo,somehow。\"
\"Oh,ofcoursethere’sareskinmarryinganybody,\"concededCharlottatheFourth,\"but,whenall’ssaidanddone,MissShirley,ma’am,there’smanyaworsethingthanahusband。\"
XXIX
PoetryandProseForthenextmonthAnnelivedinwhat,forAvonlea,mightbecalledawhirlofexcitement。ThepreparationofherownmodestoutfitforRedmondwasofsecondaryimportance。MissLavendarwasgettingreadytobemarriedandthestonehousewasthesceneofendlessconsultationsandplanningsanddiscussions,withCharlottatheFourthhoveringontheoutskirtsofthingsinagitateddelightandwonder。
Thenthedressmakercame,andtherewastheraptureandwretchednessofchoosingfashionsandbeingfitted。AnneandDianaspenthalftheirtimeatEchoLodgeandtherewerenightswhenAnnecouldnotsleepforwonderingwhethershehaddonerightinadvisingMissLavendartoselectbrownratherthannavyblueforhertravelingdress,andtohavehergraysilkmadeprincess。
EverybodyconcernedinMissLavendar’sstorywasveryhappy。
PaulIrvingrushedtoGreenGablestotalkthenewsoverwithAnneassoonashisfatherhadtoldhim。
\"IknewIcouldtrustfathertopickmeoutanicelittlesecondmother,\"
hesaidproudly。\"It’safinethingtohaveafatheryoucandependon,teacher。IjustloveMissLavendar。Grandmaispleased,too。Shesaysshe’srealgladfatherdidn’tpickoutanAmericanforhissecondwife,because,althoughitturnedoutallrightthefirsttime,suchathingwouldn’tbelikelytohappentwice。Mrs。LyndesaysshethoroughlyapprovesofthematchandthinksitslikelyMissLavendarwillgiveupherqueernotionsandbelikeotherpeople,nowthatshe’sgoingtobemarried。ButIhopeshewon’tgiveherqueernotionsup,teacher,becauseIlikethem。AndIdon’twanthertobelikeotherpeople。
Therearetoomanyotherpeoplearoundasitis。YOUknow,teacher。\"
CharlottatheFourthwasanotherradiantperson。
\"Oh,MissShirley,ma’am,ithasallturnedoutsobeautiful。
WhenMr。IrvingandMissLavendarcomebackfromtheirtowerI’mtogouptoBostonandlivewiththem……andmeonlyfifteen,andtheothergirlsneverwenttilltheyweresixteen。Ain’tMr。Irvingsplendid?Hejustworshipsthegroundshetreadsonanditmakesmefeelsoqueersometimestoseethelookinhiseyeswhenhe’swatchingher。Itbeggarsdescription,MissShirley,ma’am。
I’mawfulthankfulthey’resofondofeachother。It’sthebestway,whenall’ssaidanddone,thoughsomefolkscangetalongwithoutit。
I’vegotanauntwhohasbeenmarriedthreetimesandsaysshemarriedthefirsttimeforloveandthelasttwotimesforstrictlybusiness,andwashappywithallthreeexceptatthetimesofthefunerals。
ButIthinkshetookaresk,MissShirley,ma’am。\"
\"Oh,it’sallsoromantic,\"breathedAnnetoMarillathatnight。
\"IfIhadn’ttakenthewrongpaththatdaywewenttoMr。Kimball’sI’dneverhaveknownMissLavendar;andifIhadn’tmetherI’dneverhavetakenPaulthere……andhe’dneverhavewrittentohisfatheraboutvisitingMissLavendarjustasMr。IrvingwasstartingforSanFrancisco。Mr。IrvingsayswheneverhegotthatletterhemadeuphismindtosendhispartnertoSanFranciscoandcomehereinstead。
Hehadn’theardanythingofMissLavendarforfifteenyears。Somebodyhadtoldhimthenthatshewastobemarriedandhethoughtshewasandneveraskedanybodyanythingabouther。Andnoweverythinghascomeright。
AndIhadahandinbringingitabout。Perhaps,asMrs。Lyndesays,everythingisforeordainedanditwasboundtohappenanyway。Butevenso,it’snicetothinkonewasaninstrumentusedbypredestination。Yesindeed,it’sveryromantic。\"
\"Ican’tseethatit’ssoterriblyromanticatall,\"saidMarillarathercrisply。MarillathoughtAnnewastooworkedupaboutitandhadplentytodowithgettingreadyforcollegewithout\"traipsing\"
toEchoLodgetwodaysoutofthreehelpingMissLavendar。\"Inthefirstplacetwoyoungfoolsquarrelandturnsulky;thenSteveIrvinggoestotheStatesandafteraspellgetsmarriedupthereandisperfectlyhappyfromallaccounts。Thenhiswifediesandafteradecentintervalhethinkshe’llcomehomeandseeifhisfirstfancy’llhavehim。Meanwhile,she’sbeenlivingsingle,probablybecausenobodyniceenoughcamealongtowanther,andtheymeetandagreetobemarriedafterall。Now,whereistheromanceinallthat?\"
\"Oh,thereisn’tany,whenyouputitthatway,\"gaspedAnne,ratherasifsomebodyhadthrowncoldwateroverher。\"Isupposethat’showitlooksinprose。Butit’sverydifferentifyoulookatitthroughpoetry……and_I_thinkit’snicer……\"Annerecoveredherselfandhereyesshoneandhercheeksflushed……\"tolookatitthroughpoetry。\"
Marillaglancedattheradiantyoungfaceandrefrainedfromfurthersarcasticcomments。Perhapssomerealizationcametoherthatafterallitwasbettertohave,likeAnne,\"thevisionandthefacultydivine\"……thatgiftwhichtheworldcannotbestowortakeaway,oflookingatlifethroughsometransfiguring……orrevealing?……medium,wherebyeverythingseemedapparelledincelestiallight,wearingagloryandafreshnessnotvisibletothosewho,likeherselfandCharlottatheFourth,lookedatthingsonlythroughprose。
\"When’stheweddingtobe?\"sheaskedafterapause。
\"ThelastWednesdayinAugust。Theyaretobemarriedinthegardenunderthehoneysuckletrellis……theveryspotwhereMr。Irvingproposedtohertwenty-fiveyearsago。Marilla,thatISromantic,eveninprose。There’stobenobodythereexceptMrs。IrvingandPaulandGilbertandDianaandI,andMissLavendar’scousins。Andtheywillleaveonthesixo’clocktrainforatriptothePacificcoast。WhentheycomebackinthefallPaulandCharlottatheFourtharetogouptoBostontolivewiththem。
ButEchoLodgeistobeleftjustasitis……onlyofcoursethey’llsellthehensandcow,andboardupthewindows……andeverysummerthey’recomingdowntoliveinit。I’msoglad。ItwouldhavehurtmedreadfullynextwinteratRedmondtothinkofthatdearstonehouseallstrippedanddeserted,withemptyrooms……orfarworsestill,withotherpeoplelivinginit。ButIcanthinkofitnow,justasI’vealwaysseenit,waitinghappilyforthesummertobringlifeandlaughterbacktoitagain。\"
Therewasmoreromanceintheworldthanthatwhichhadfallentotheshareofthemiddle-agedloversofthestonehouse。
AnnestumbledsuddenlyonitoneeveningwhenshewentovertoOrchardSlopebythewoodcutandcameoutintotheBarrygarden。
DianaBarryandFredWrightwerestandingtogetherunderthebigwillow。
Dianawasleaningagainstthegraytrunk,herlashescastdownonverycrimsoncheeks。OnehandwasheldbyFred,whostoodwithhisfacebenttowardher,stammeringsomethinginlowearnesttones。
Therewerenootherpeopleintheworldexcepttheirtwoselvesatthatmagicmoment;soneitherofthemsawAnne,who,afteronedazedglanceofcomprehension,turnedandspednoiselesslybackthroughthesprucewood,neverstoppingtillshegainedherowngableroom,whereshesatbreathlesslydownbyherwindowandtriedtocollectherscatteredwits。
\"DianaandFredareinlovewitheachother,\"shegasped。
\"Oh,itdoesseemso……so……soHOPELESSLYgrownup。\"
Anne,oflate,hadnotbeenwithouthersuspicionsthatDianawasprovingfalsetothemelancholyByronicheroofherearlydreams。
Butas\"thingsseenaremightierthanthingsheard,\"orsuspected,therealizationthatitwasactuallysocametoherwithalmosttheshockofperfectsurprise。Thiswassucceededbyaqueer,littlelonelyfeeling……asif,somehow,Dianahadgoneforwardintoanewworld,shuttingagatebehindher,leavingAnneontheoutside。
\"Thingsarechangingsofastitalmostfrightensme,\"Annethought,alittlesadly。\"AndI’mafraidthatthiscan’thelpmakingsomedifferencebetweenDianaandme。I’msureIcan’ttellherallmysecretsafterthis……shemighttellFred。AndwhatCANsheseeinFred?He’sveryniceandjolly……buthe’sjustFredWright。\"
Itisalwaysaverypuzzlingquestion……whatcansomebodyseeinsomebodyelse?Buthowfortunateafterallthatitisso,forifeverybodysawalike……well,inthatcase,astheoldIndiansaid,\"Everybodywouldwantmysquaw。\"ItwasplainthatDianaDIDseesomethinginFredWright,howeverAnne’seyesmightbeholden。
DianacametoGreenGablesthenextevening,apensive,shyyounglady,andtoldAnnethewholestoryintheduskyseclusionoftheeastgable。Bothgirlscriedandkissedandlaughed。
\"I’msohappy,\"saidDiana,\"butitdoesseemridiculoustothinkofmebeingengaged。\"
\"Whatisitreallyliketobeengaged?\"askedAnnecuriously。
\"Well,thatalldependsonwhoyou’reengagedto,\"answeredDiana,withthatmaddeningairofsuperiorwisdomalwaysassumedbythosewhoareengagedoverthosewhoarenot。\"It’sperfectlylovelytobeengagedtoFred……butIthinkitwouldbesimplyhorridtobeengagedtoanyoneelse。\"
\"There’snotmuchcomfortfortherestofusinthat,seeingthatthereisonlyoneFred,\"laughedAnne。
\"Oh,Anne,youdon’tunderstand,\"saidDianainvexation。\"Ididn’tmeanTHAT……it’ssohardtoexplain。Nevermind,you’llunderstandsometime,whenyourownturncomes。\"
\"Blessyou,dearestofDianas,Iunderstandnow。Whatisanimaginationforifnottoenableyoutopeepatlifethroughotherpeople’seyes?\"
\"Youmustbemybridesmaid,youknow,Anne。Promisemethat……
whereveryoumaybewhenI’mmarried。\"
\"I’llcomefromtheendsoftheearthifnecessary,\"promisedAnnesolemnly。
\"Ofcourse,itwon’tbeforeversolongyet,\"saidDiana,blushing。
\"Threeyearsattheveryleast……forI’monlyeighteenandmothersaysnodaughterofhersshallbemarriedbeforeshe’stwenty-one。
Besides,Fred’sfatherisgoingtobuytheAbrahamFletcherfarmforhimandhesayshe’sgottohaveittwothirdspaidforbeforehe’llgiveittohiminhisownname。Butthreeyearsisn’tanytoomuchtimetogetreadyforhousekeeping,forIhaven’taspeckoffancyworkmadeyet。ButI’mgoingtobegincrochetingdoiliestomorrow。
MyraGillishadthirty-sevendoilieswhenshewasmarriedandI’mdeterminedIshallhaveasmanyasshehad。\"
\"Isupposeitwouldbeperfectlyimpossibletokeephousewithonlythirty-sixdoilies,\"concededAnne,withasolemnfacebutdancingeyes。
Dianalookedhurt。
\"Ididn’tthinkyou’dmakefunofme,Anne,\"shesaidreproachfully。
\"Dearest,Iwasn’tmakingfunofyou,\"criedAnnerepentantly。
\"Iwasonlyteasingyouabit。Ithinkyou’llmakethesweetestlittlehousekeeperintheworld。AndIthinkit’sperfectlylovelyofyoutobeplanningalreadyforyourhomeo’dreams。\"
Annehadnosoonerutteredthephrase,\"homeo’dreams,\"thanitcaptivatedherfancyandsheimmediatelybegantheerectionofoneofherown。Itwas,ofcourse,tenantedbyanidealmaster,dark,proud,andmelancholy;butoddlyenough,GilbertBlythepersistedinhangingabouttoo,helpingherarrangepictures,layoutgardens,andaccomplishsundryothertaskswhichaproudandmelancholyheroevidentlyconsideredbeneathhisdignity。AnnetriedtobanishGilbert’simagefromhercastleinSpainbut,somehow,hewentonbeingthere,soAnne,beinginahurry,gaveuptheattemptandpursuedheraerialarchitecturewithsuchsuccessthather\"homeo’dreams\"wasbuiltandfurnishedbeforeDianaspokeagain。
\"Isuppose,Anne,youmustthinkit’sfunnyIshouldlikeFredsowellwhenhe’ssodifferentfromthekindofmanI’vealwayssaidI
wouldmarry……thetall,slenderkind?ButsomehowIwouldn’twantFredtobetallandslender……because,don’tyousee,hewouldn’tbeFredthen。Ofcourse,\"addedDianaratherdolefully,\"wewillbeadreadfullypudgycouple。Butafterallthat’sbetterthanoneofusbeingshortandfatandtheothertallandlean,likeMorganSloaneandhiswife。Mrs。Lyndesaysitalwaysmakesherthinkofthelongandshortofitwhensheseesthemtogether。\"
\"Well,\"saidAnnetoherselfthatnight,asshebrushedherhairbeforehergiltframedmirror,\"IamgladDianaissohappyandsatisfied。Butwhenmyturncomes……ifiteverdoes……Idohopethere’llbesomethingalittlemorethrillingaboutit。ButthenDianathoughtsotoo,once。I’veheardhersaytimeandagainshe’dnevergetengagedanypokycommonplaceway……he’dHAVEtodosomethingsplendidtowinher。Butshehaschanged。PerhapsI’llchangetoo。ButIwon’t……andI’mdeterminedIwon’t。Oh,Ithinktheseengagementsaredreadfullyunsettlingthingswhentheyhappentoyourintimatefriends。\"
XXX
AWeddingattheStoneHouseThelastweekinAugustcame。MissLavendarwastobemarriedinit。
TwoweekslaterAnneandGilbertwouldleaveforRedmondCollege。
Inaweek’stimeMrs。RachelLyndewouldmovetoGreenGablesandsetupherlaresandpenatesintheerstwhilespareroom,whichwasalreadypreparedforhercoming。ShehadsoldallhersuperfluoushouseholdplenishingsbyauctionandwasatpresentrevelinginthecongenialoccupationofhelpingtheAllanspackup。Mr。AllanwastopreachhisfarewellsermonthenextSunday。Theoldorderwaschangingrapidlytogiveplacetothenew,asAnnefeltwithalittlesadnessthreadingallherexcitementandhappiness。
\"Changesain’ttotallypleasantbutthey’reexcellentthings,\"
saidMr。Harrisonphilosophically。\"Twoyearsisaboutlongenoughforthingstostayexactlythesame。Iftheystayedputanylongertheymightgrowmossy。\"
Mr。Harrisonwassmokingonhisveranda。Hiswifehadself-sacrificinglytoldthathemightsmokeinthehouseifhetookcaretositbyanopenwindow。Mr。Harrisonrewardedthisconcessionbygoingoutdoorsaltogethertosmokeinfineweather,andsomutualgoodwillreigned。
AnnehadcomeovertoaskMrs。Harrisonforsomeofheryellowdahlias。
SheandDianaweregoingthroughtoEchoLodgethateveningtohelpMissLavendarandCharlottatheFourthwiththeirfinalpreparationsforthemorrow’sbridal。MissLavendarherselfneverhaddahlias;
shedidnotlikethemandtheywouldnothavesuitedthefineretirementofherold-fashionedgarden。ButflowersofanykindwereratherscarceinAvonleaandtheneighboringdistrictsthatsummer,thankstoUncleAbe’sstorm;andAnneandDianathoughtthatacertainoldcream-coloredstonejug,usuallykeptsacredtodoughnuts,brimmedoverwithyellowdahlias,wouldbejustthethingtosetinadimangleofthestonehousestairs,againstthedarkbackgroundofredhallpaper。
\"Is’poseyou’llbestartingoffforcollegeinafortnight’stime?\"
continuedMr。Harrison。\"Well,we’regoingtomissyouanawfullot,Emilyandme。Tobesure,Mrs。Lynde’llbeoverthereinyourplace。
Thereain’tnobodybutasubstitutecanbefoundforthem。\"
TheironyofMr。Harrison’stoneisquiteuntransferabletopaper。
Inspiteofhiswife’sintimacywithMrs。Lynde,thebestthatcouldbesaidoftherelationshipbetweenherandMr。Harrisonevenunderthenewregime,wasthattheypreservedanarmedneutrality。
\"Yes,I’mgoing,\"saidAnne。\"I’mverygladwithmyhead……andverysorrywithmyheart。\"
\"Is’poseyou’llbescoopingupallthehonorsthatarelyingroundlooseatRedmond。\"
\"Imaytryforoneortwoofthem,\"confessedAnne,\"butI
don’tcaresomuchforthingslikethatasIdidtwoyearsago。
WhatIwanttogetoutofmycollegecourseissomeknowledgeofthebestwayoflivinglifeanddoingthemostandbestwithit。
Iwanttolearntounderstandandhelpotherpeopleandmyself。\"
Mr。Harrisonnodded。
\"That’stheideaexactly。That’swhatcollegeoughttobefor,insteadofforturningoutalotofB。A。’s,sochockfullofbook-learningandvanitythatthereain’troomforanythingelse。
You’reallright。Collegewon’tbeabletodoyoumuchharm,Ireckon。\"
DianaandAnnedroveovertoEchoLodgeaftertea,takingwiththemallthefloweryspoilthatseveralpredatoryexpeditionsintheirownandtheirneighbors’gardenshadyielded。Theyfoundthestonehouseagogwithexcitement。CharlottatheFourthwasflyingaroundwithsuchvimandbrisknessthatherbluebowsseemedreallytopossessthepowerofbeingeverywhereatonce。LikethehelmetofNavarre,Charlotta’sbluebowswavedeverinthethickestofthefray。
\"Praisebetogoodnessyou’vecome,\"shesaiddevoutly,\"forthere’sheapsofthingstodo……andthefrostingonthatcakeWON’Tharden……andthere’sallthesilvertoberubbedupyet……
andthehorsehairtrunktobepacked……andtheroostersforthechickensaladarerunningouttherebeyantthehenhouseyet,crowing,MissShirley,ma’am。AndMissLavendarain’ttobetrustedtodoathing。IwasthankfulwhenMr。Irvingcameafewminutesagoandtookheroffforawalkinthewoods。
Courting’sallrightinitsplace,MissShirley,ma’am,butifyoutrytomixitupwithcookingandscouringeverything’sspoiled。
That’sMYopinion,MissShirley,ma’am。\"
AnneandDianaworkedsoheartilythatbyteno’clockevenCharlottatheFourthwassatisfied。Shebraidedherhairininnumerableplaitsandtookherwearylittlebonesofftobed。
\"ButI’msureIshan’tsleepablessedwink,MissShirley,ma’am,forfearthatsomething’llgowrongatthelastminute……thecreamwon’twhip……orMr。Irving’llhaveastrokeandnotbeabletocome。\"
\"Heisn’tinthehabitofhavingstrokes,ishe?\"askedDiana,thedimpledcornersofhermouthtwitching。ToDiana,CharlottatheFourthwas,ifnotexactlyathingofbeauty,certainlyajoyforever。
\"They’renotthingsthatgobyhabit,\"saidCharlottatheFourthwithdignity。\"TheyjustHAPPEN……andthereyouare。ANYBODY
canhaveastroke。Youdon’thavetolearnhow。Mr。Irvinglooksalotlikeanuncleofminethathadoneoncejustashewassittingdowntodinneroneday。Butmaybeeverything’llgoallright。Inthisworldyou’vejustgottohopeforthebestandpreparefortheworstandtakewhateverGodsends。\"
\"TheonlythingI’mworriedaboutisthatitwon’tbefinetomorrow,\"
saidDiana。\"UncleAbepredictedrainforthemiddleoftheweek,andeversincethebigstormIcan’thelpbelievingthere’sagooddealinwhatUncleAbesays。\"
Anne,whoknewbetterthanDianajusthowmuchUncleAbehadtodowiththestorm,wasnotmuchdisturbedbythis。Shesleptthesleepofthejustandweary,andwasrousedatanunearthlyhourbyCharlottatheFourth。
\"Oh,MissShirley,ma’am,it’sawfultocallyousoearly,\"camewailingthroughthekeyhole,\"butthere’ssomuchtodoyet……andoh,MissShirley,ma’am,I’mskeeredit’sgoingtorainandIwishyou’dgetupandtellmeyouthinkitain’t。\"Anneflewtothewindow,hopingagainsthopethatCharlottatheFourthwassayingthismerelybywayofrousinghereffectually。Butalas,themorningdidlookunpropitious。BelowthewindowMissLavendar’sgarden,whichshouldhavebeenagloryofpalevirginsunshine,laydimandwindless;andtheskyoverthefirswasdarkwithmoodyclouds。
\"Isn’tittoomean!\"saidDiana。
\"Wemusthopeforthebest,\"saidAnnedeterminedly。\"Ifitonlydoesn’tactuallyrain,acool,pearlygraydaylikethiswouldreallybenicerthanhotsunshine。\"
\"Butitwillrain,\"mournedCharlotta,creepingintotheroom,afigureoffun,withhermanybraidswoundaboutherhead,theends,tiedupwithwhitethread,stickingoutinalldirections。\"It’llholdofftillthelastminuteandthenpourcatsanddogs。Andallthefolkswillgetsopping……andtrackmudalloverthehouse……
andtheywon’tbeabletobemarriedunderthehoneysuckle……andit’sawfulunluckyfornosuntoshineonabride,saywhatyouwill,MissShirley,ma’am。_I_knewthingsweregoingtoowelltolast。\"
CharlottatheFourthseemedcertainlytohaveborrowedaleafoutofMissElizaAndrews’book。
Itdidnotrain,thoughitkeptonlookingasifitmeantto。
Bynoontheroomsweredecorated,thetablebeautifullylaid;
andupstairswaswaitingabride,\"adornedforherhusband。\"
\"Youdolooksweet,\"saidAnnerapturously。
\"Lovely,\"echoedDiana。
\"Everything’sready,MissShirley,ma’am,andnothingdreadfulhashappenedYET,\"wasCharlotta’scheerfulstatementasshebetookherselftoherlittlebackroomtodress。Outcameallthebraids;
theresultantrampantcrinklinesswasplaitedintotwotailsandtied,notwithtwobowsalone,butwithfour,ofbrand-newribbon,brightlyblue。ThetwoupperbowsrathergavetheimpressionofovergrownwingssproutingfromCharlotta’sneck,somewhatafterthefashionofRaphael’scherubs。ButCharlottatheFourththoughtthemverybeautiful,andaftershehadrustledintoawhitedress,sostifflystarchedthatitcouldstandalone,shesurveyedherselfinherglasswithgreatsatisfaction……asatisfactionwhichlasteduntilshewentoutinthehallandcaughtaglimpsethroughthespareroomdoorofatallgirlinsomesoftlyclinginggown,pinningwhite,star-likeflowersonthesmoothripplesofherruddyhair。
\"Oh,I’llNEVERbeabletolooklikeMissShirley,\"thoughtpoorCharlottadespairingly。\"Youjusthavetobebornso,Iguess……
don’tseem’sifanyamountofpracticecouldgiveyouthatAIR。\"
Byoneo’clocktheguestshadcome,includingMr。andMrs。Allan,forMr。AllanwastoperformtheceremonyintheabsenceoftheGraftonministeronhisvacation。Therewasnoformalityaboutthemarriage。MissLavendarcamedownthestairstomeetherbridegroomatthefoot,andashetookherhandsheliftedherbigbrowneyestohiswithalookthatmadeCharlottatheFourth,whointerceptedit,feelqueererthanever。Theywentouttothehoneysucklearbor,whereMr。Allanwasawaitingthem。Theguestsgroupedthemselvesastheypleased。AnneandDianastoodbytheoldstonebench,withCharlottatheFourthbetweenthem,desperatelyclutchingtheirhandsinhercold,tremulouslittlepaws。
Mr。Allanopenedhisbluebookandtheceremonyproceeded。JustasMissLavendarandStephenIrvingwerepronouncedmanandwifeaverybeautifulandsymbolicthinghappened。Thesunsuddenlyburstthroughthegrayandpouredafloodofradianceonthehappybride。Instantlythegardenwasalivewithdancingshadowsandflickeringlights。
\"Whatalovelyomen,\"thoughtAnne,assherantokissthebride。
Thenthethreegirlslefttherestoftheguestslaughingaroundthebridalpairwhiletheyflewintothehousetoseethatallwasinreadinessforthefeast。
\"Thanksbetogoodness,it’sover,MissShirley,ma’am,\"breathedCharlottatheFourth,\"andthey’remarriedsafeandsound,nomatterwhathappensnow。Thebagsofriceareinthepantry,ma’am,andtheoldshoesarebehindthedoor,andthecreamforwhippingisonthesullarsteps。\"
AthalfpasttwoMr。andMrs。Irvingleft,andeverybodywenttoBrightRivertoseethemoffontheafternoontrain。AsMissLavendar……Ibegherpardon,Mrs。Irving……steppedfromthedoorofheroldhomeGilbertandthegirlsthrewthericeandCharlottatheFourthhurledanoldshoewithsuchexcellentaimthatshestruckMr。Allansquarelyonthehead。ButitwasreservedforPaultogivetheprettiestsend-off。Hepoppedoutoftheporchringingfuriouslyahugeoldbrassdinnerbellwhichhadadornedthediningroommantel。Paul’sonlymotivewastomakeajoyfulnoise;butastheclangordiedaway,frompointandcurveandhillacrosstherivercamethechimeof\"fairyweddingbells,\"
ringingclearly,sweetly,faintlyandmorefaint,asifMissLavendar’sbelovedechoeswerebiddinghergreetingandfarewell。
Andso,amidthisbenedictionofsweetsounds,MissLavendardroveawayfromtheoldlifeofdreamsandmake-believestoafullerlifeofrealitiesinthebusyworldbeyond。
TwohourslaterAnneandCharlottatheFourthcamedownthelaneagain。
GilberthadgonetoWestGraftononanerrandandDianahadtokeepanengagementathome。AnneandCharlottahadcomebacktoputthingsinorderandlockupthelittlestonehouse。Thegardenwasapooloflategoldensunshine,withbutterflieshoveringandbeesbooming;
butthelittlehousehadalreadythatindefinableairofdesolationwhichalwaysfollowsafestivity。
\"Ohdearme,don’titlooklonesome?\"sniffedCharlottatheFourth,whohadbeencryingallthewayhomefromthestation。\"Aweddingain’tmuchcheerfullerthanafuneralafterall,whenit’sallover,MissShirley,ma’am。\"
Abusyeveningfollowed。Thedecorationshadtoberemoved,thedisheswashed,theuneatendelicaciespackedintoabasketforthedelectationofCharlottatheFourth’syoungbrothersathome。
Annewouldnotrestuntileverythingwasinapple-pieorder;afterCharlottahadgonehomewithherplunderAnnewentoverthestillrooms,feelinglikeonewhotrodalonesomebanquethalldeserted,andclosedtheblinds。ThenshelockedthedoorandsatdownunderthesilverpoplartowaitforGilbert,feelingverytiredbutstillunweariedlythinking\"long,longthoughts。\"
\"Whatareyouthinkingof,Anne?\"askedGilbert,comingdownthewalk。Hehadlefthishorseandbuggyoutattheroad。
\"OfMissLavendarandMr。Irving,\"answeredAnnedreamily。\"Isn’titbeautifultothinkhoweverythinghasturnedout……howtheyhavecometogetheragainafteralltheyearsofseparationandmisunderstanding?\"
\"Yes,it’sbeautiful,\"saidGilbert,lookingsteadilydownintoAnne’supliftedface,\"butwouldn’tithavebeenmorebeautifulstill,Anne,iftherehadbeenNOseparationormisunderstanding……
iftheyhadcomehandinhandallthewaythroughlife,withnomemoriesbehindthembutthosewhichbelongedtoeachother?\"
ForamomentAnne’sheartflutteredqueerlyandforthefirsttimehereyesfalteredunderGilbert’sgazeandarosyflushstainedthepalenessofherface。Itwasasifaveilthathadhungbeforeherinnerconsciousnesshadbeenlifted,givingtoherviewarevelationofunsuspectedfeelingsandrealities。Perhaps,afterall,romancedidnotcomeintoone’slifewithpompandblare,likeagayknightridingdown;perhapsitcrepttoone’ssidelikeanoldfriendthroughquietways;perhapsitrevealeditselfinseemingprose,untilsomesuddenshaftofilluminationflungathwartitspagesbetrayedtherhythmandthemusic,perhaps……
perhaps……loveunfoldednaturallyoutofabeautifulfriendship,asagolden-heartedroseslippingfromitsgreensheath。
Thentheveildroppedagain;buttheAnnewhowalkedupthedarklanewasnotquitethesameAnnewhohaddrivengailydownittheeveningbefore。Thepageofgirlhoodhadbeenturned,asbyanunseenfinger,andthepageofwomanhoodwasbeforeherwithallitscharmandmystery,itspainandgladness。
Gilbertwiselysaidnothingmore;butinhissilencehereadthehistoryofthenextfouryearsinthelightofAnne’srememberedblush。Fouryearsofearnest,happywork……andthentheguerdonofausefulknowledgegainedandasweetheartwon。
Behindtheminthegardenthelittlestonehousebroodedamongtheshadows。Itwaslonelybutnotforsaken。Ithadnotyetdonewithdreamsandlaughterandthejoyoflife;thereweretobefuturesummersforthelittlestonehouse;meanwhile,itcouldwait。Andovertheriverinpurpledurancetheechoesbidedtheirtime。
End