anne of the island-第38部分

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and　mum。　　When　Mrs。　Douglas　is　mum　she　is　pretty　sick；　you　bet。〃



〃You　don't　like　old　Mrs。　Douglas？〃　said　Anne　curiously。



〃I　like　cats　as　IS　cats。　　I　don't　like　cats　as　is　women；〃　was　Alec's

cryptic　reply。



Janet　came　home　in　the　twilight。



〃Mrs。　Douglas　is　dead；〃　she　said　wearily。　　〃She　died　soon　after

I　got　there。　　She　just　spoke　to　me　once　　‘I　suppose　you'll

marry　John　now？'　she　said。　　It　cut　me　to　the　heart；　Anne。

To　think　John's　own　mother　thought　I　wouldn't　marry　him

because　of　her！　　I　couldn't　say　a　word　either　　there　were

other　women　there。　　I　was　thankful　John　had　gone　out。〃



Janet　began　to　cry　drearily。　　But　Anne　brewed　her　a　hot　drink　of

ginger　tea　to　her　comforting。　　To　be　sure；　Anne　discovered　later

on　that　she　had　used　white　pepper　instead　of　ginger；　but　Janet

never　knew　the　difference。



The　evening　after　the　funeral　Janet　and　Anne　were　sitting　on　the

front　porch　steps　at　sunset。　　The　wind　had　fallen　asleep　in　the

pinelands　and　lurid　sheets　of　heat…lightning　flickered　across　the

northern　skies。　　Janet　wore　her　ugly　black　dress　and　looked　her

very　worst；　her　eyes　and　nose　red　from　crying。　　They　talked

little；　for　Janet　seemed　faintly　to　resent　Anne's　efforts　to

cheer　her　up。　　She　plainly　preferred　to　be　miserable。



Suddenly　the　gate…latch　clicked　and　John　Douglas　strode　into　the

garden。　　He　walked　towards　them　straight　over　the　geranium　bed。

Janet　stood　up。　　So　did　Anne。　　Anne　was　a　tall　girl　and　wore　a

white　dress；　but　John　Douglas　did　not　see　her。



〃Janet；〃　he　said；　〃will　you　marry　me？〃



The　words　burst　out　as　if　they　had　been　wanting　to　be　said

for　twenty　years　and　MUST　be　uttered　now；　before　anything　else。



Janet's　face　was　so　red　from　crying　that　it　couldn't　turn　any　redder；

so　it　turned　a　most　unbecoming　purple。



〃Why　didn't　you　ask　me　before？〃　she　said　slowly。



〃I　couldn't。　　She　made　me　promise　not　to　　mother　made　me

promise　not　to。　　Nineteen　years　ago　she　took　a　terrible　spell。

We　thought　she　couldn't　live　through　it。　　She　implored　me　to

promise　not　to　ask　you　to　marry　me　while　she　was　alive。　　I　didn't

want　to　promise　such　a　thing；　even　though　we　all　thought　she

couldn't　live　very　long　　the　doctor　only　gave　her　six　months。

But　she　begged　it　on　her　knees；　sick　and　suffering。　　I　had　to　promise。〃



〃What　had　your　mother　against　me？〃　cried　Janet。



〃Nothing　　nothing。　　She　just　didn't　want　another　woman

　ANY　woman　　there　while　she　was　living。　　She　said　if　I

didn't　promise　she'd　die　right　there　and　I'd　have　killed　her。

So　I　promised。　　And　she's　held　me　to　that　promise　ever　since；

though　I've　gone　on　my　knees　to　her　in　my　turn　to　beg　her

to　let　me　ff。〃



〃Why　didn't　you　tell　me　this？〃　asked　Janet　chokingly。

〃If　I'd　only　KNOWN！　　Why　didn't　you　just　tell　me？〃



〃She　made　me　promise　I　wouldn't　tell　a　soul；〃　said　John　hoarsely。

〃She　swore　me　to　it　on　the　Bible；　Janet；　I'd　never　have　done　it

if　I'd　dreamed　it　was　to　be　for　so　long。　　Janet；　you'll　never

know　what　I've　suffered　these　nineteen　years。　　I　know　I've　made

you　suffer；　too；　but　you'll　marry　me　for　all；　won't　you；　Janet？

Oh；　Janet；　won't　you？　　I've　come　as　soon　as　I　could　to　ask　you。〃



At　this　moment　the　stupefied　Anne　came　to　her　senses　and　realized

that　she　had　no　business　to　be　there。　　She　slipped　away　and　did　not

see　Janet　until　the　next　morning；　when　the　latter　told　her　the　rest

of　the　story。



〃That　cruel；　relentless；　deceitful　old　woman！〃　cried　Anne。



〃Hush　　she's　dead；〃　said　Janet　solemnly。　　〃If　she　wasn't　　but　she　IS。

So　we　mustn't　speak　evil　of　her。　　But　I'm　happy　at　last；　Anne。　　And　I

wouldn't　have　minded　waiting　so　long　a　bit　if　I'd　only　known　why。〃



〃When　are　you　to　be　married？〃



〃Next　month。　　Of　course　it　will　be　very　quiet。　　I　suppose　people

will　talk　terrible。　　They'll　say　I　made　enough　haste　to　snap　John

up　as　soon　as　his　poor　mother　was　out　of　the　way。　　John　wanted　to

let　them　know　the　truth　but　I　said；　‘No；　John；　after　all　she　was

your　mother；　and　we'll　keep　the　secret　between　us；　and　not　cast

any　shadow　on　her　memory。　　I　don't　mind　what　people　say；　now　that

I　know　the　truth　myself。　　It　don't　matter　a　mite。　　Let　it　all　be

buried　with　the　dead'　says　I　to　him。　　So　I　coaxed　him　round　to

agree　with　me。〃



〃You're　much　more　forgiving　than　I　could　ever　be；〃　Anne　said；

rather　crossly。



〃You'll　feel　differently　about　a　good　many　things　when　you　get　to

be　my　age；〃　said　Janet　tolerantly。　　〃That's　one　of　the　things　we

learn　as　we　grow　older　　how　to　forgive。　　It　comes　easier　at

forty　than　it　did　at　twenty。〃









Chapter　XXXV



The　Last　Redmond　Year　Opens





〃Here　we　are；　all　back　again；　nicely　sunburned　and　rejoicing　as　a

strong　man　to　run　a　race；〃　said　Phil；　sitting　down　on　a　suitcase

with　a　sigh　of　pleasure。　　〃Isn't　it　jolly　to　see　this　dear　old

Patty's　Place　again　　and　Aunty　　and　the　cats？　　Rusty　has　lost

another　piece　of　ear；　hasn't　he？〃



〃Rusty　would　be　the　nicest　cat　in　the　world　if　he　had　no　ears　at　all；〃

declared　Anne　loyally　from　her　trunk；　while　Rusty　writhed　about　her　lap

in　a　frenzy　of　welcome。



〃Aren't　you　glad　to　see　us　back；　Aunty？〃　demanded　Phil。



〃Yes。　　But　I　wish　you'd　tidy　things　up；〃　said　Aunt　Jamesina　plaintively；

looking　at　the　wilderness　of　trunks　and　suitcases　by　which　the　four

laughing；　chattering　girls　were　surrounded。　　〃You　can　talk　just　as　well

later　on。　　Work　first　and　then　play　used　to　be　my　motto　when　I　was　a　girl。〃



〃Oh；　we've　just　reversed　that　in　this　generation；　Aunty。

OUR　motto　is　play　your　play　and　then　dig　in。　　You　can　do　your

work　so　much　better　if　you've　had　a　good　bout　of　play　first。〃



〃If　you　are　going　to　marry　a　minister；〃　said　Aunt　Jamesina；

picking　up　Joseph　and　her　knitting　and　resigning　herself　to　the

inevitable　with　the　charming　grace　that　made　her　the　queen　of

housemothers；　〃you　will　have　to　give　up　such　expressions　as　‘dig　in。'〃



〃Why？〃　moaned　Phil。　　〃Oh；　why　must　a　minister's　wife　be　supposed

to　utter　only　prunes　and　prisms？　　I　shan't。　　Everybody　on

Patterson　Street　uses　slang　　that　is　to　say；　metaphorical

language　　and　if　I　didn't　they　would　think　me　insufferably

proud　and　stuck　up。〃



〃Have　you　broken　the　news　to　your　family？〃　asked　Priscilla；

feeding　the　Sarah…cat　bits　from　her　lunchbasket。



Phil　nodded。



〃How　did　they　take　it？〃



〃Oh；　mother　rampaged。　　But　I　stood　rockfirm　　even　I；　Philippa　Gordon；

who　never　before　could　hold　fast　to　anything。　　Father　was　calmer。

Father's　own　daddy　was　a　minister；　so　you　see　he　has　a　soft　spot

in　his　heart　for　the　cloth。　　I　had　Jo　up　to　Mount　Holly；　after　mother

grew　calm；　and　they　both　loved　him。　　But　mother　gave　him　some　frightful

hints　in　every　conversation　regarding　what　she　had　hoped　for　me。　　Oh；

my　vacation　pathway　hasn't　been　exactly　strewn　with　roses；　girls　dear。

But　　I've　won　out　and　I've　got　Jo。　　Nothing　else　matters。〃



〃To　you；〃　said　Aunt　Jamesina　darkly。



〃Nor　to　Jo；　either；〃　retorted　Phil。　　〃You　keep　on　pitying　him。

Why；　pray？　　I　think　he's　to　be　envied。　　He's　getting　brains；

beauty；　and　a　heart　of　gold　in　ME。〃



〃It's　well　we　know　how　to　take　your　speeches；〃　said　Aunt　Jamesina

patiently。　　〃I　hope　you　don't　talk　like　that　before　strangers。

What　would　they　think？〃



〃Oh；　I　don't　want　to　know　what　they　think。　　I　don't　want　to

see　myself　as　others　see　me。　　I'm　sure　it　would　be　horribly

uncomfortable　most　of　the　time。　　I　don't　believe　Burns　was

really　sincere　in　that　prayer；　either。〃



〃Oh；　I　daresay　we　all　pray　for　some　things　that　we　really　don't

want；　if　we　were　only　honest　enough　to　look　into　our　hearts；〃

owned　Aunt　Jamesina　candidly。　　〃I've　a　notion　that　such　prayers

don't　rise　very　far。　　_I_　used　to　pray　that　I　might　be　enabled　to

forgive　a　certain　person；　but　I　know　now　I　really　didn't　want　to

forgive　her。　　When　I　finally　got　that　I　DID　want　to　I　forgave　her

without　having　to　pray　about　it。〃



〃I　can't　picture　you　as　being　unforgiving　for　long；〃　said　Stella。



〃Oh；　I　used　to　be。　　But　holding　spite　doesn't　seem　worth　while

when　you　get　along　in　years。〃



〃That　reminds　me；〃　said　Anne；　and　told　the　tale　of　John　and　Janet。



〃And　now　tell　us　about　that　romantic　scene　you　hinted　so　darkly

at　in　one　of　your　letters；〃　demanded　Phil。



Anne　acted　out　Samuel's　proposal　with　great　spirit。　　The　girls

shrieked　with　laughter　and　Aunt　Jamesina　smiled。



〃It　isn't　in　good　taste　to　make　fun　of　your　beaux；〃　she　said

severely；　〃but；〃　she　added　calmly；　〃I　always　did　it　myself。〃



〃Tell　us　about　your　beaux；　Aunty；　〃en　treated　Phil。　　〃You　must

have　had　any　number　of　them。〃



〃They're　not　in　the　past　tense；〃　retorted　Aunt　Jamesina。

〃I've　got　them　yet。　　There　are　three　old　widowers　at　home

who　have　been　casting　sheep's　eyes　at　me　for　some　time。

You　children　needn't　think　you　own　all　the　romance　in　the　world。〃



〃Widowers　and　sheep's　eyes　don't　sound　very　romantic；　Aunty。〃



〃Well；　no；　but　young　folks　aren't　always　romantic　either。

Some　of　my　beaux　certainly　weren't。　　I　used　to　laugh　at　them

scandalous；　poor　boys。　　There　was　Jim　Elwood　　he　was　always　in

a　sort　of　day…dream　　never　seemed　to　sense　what　was　going　on。

He　didn't　wake　up　to　the　fact　that　I'd　said　‘no'　till　a　year

after　I'd　said　it。　　When　he　did　get　married　his　wife　fell　out　of

the　sleigh　one　night　when　they　were　driving　home　from　church　and

he　never　missed　her。　　Then　there　was　Dan　Winston。　　He　knew　too　much。

He　knew　everything　in　this　world　and　most　of　what　is　in　the　next。

He　could　give　you　an　answer　to　any　question；　even　if　you　asked　him

when　the　Judgment　Day　was　to　be。　　Milton　Edwards　was　real　nice　and

I　liked　him　but　I　didn't　marry　him。　　For　one　thing；　he　took　a　week

to　get　a　joke　through　his　head；　and　for　another　he　never　asked　me。

Horatio　Reeve　was　the　most　interesting　beau　I　ever　had。　　But　when　he

told　a　story　he　dressed　it　up　so　that　you　couldn't　see　it　for　frills。

I　never　could　decide　whet