anne of the island-第7部分

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I'm　an　important　personage；　and　in　Kingsport　I'm　just　nobody！

There　were　times　when　I　could　feel　my　soul　turning　a　delicate　blue。

Where　do　you　hang　out？〃



〃Thirty…eight　St。　John's　Street。〃



〃Better　and　better。　　Why；　I'm　just　around　the　corner　on　Wallace　Street。

I　don't　like　my　boardinghouse；　though。　　It's　bleak　and　lonesome；　and

my　room　looks　out　on　such　an　unholy　back　yard。　　It's　the　ugliest　place

in　the　world。　　As　for　cats　　well；　surely　ALL　the　Kingsport　cats　can't

congregate　there　at　night；　but　half　of　them　must。　　I　adore　cats　on

hearth　rugs；　snoozing　before　nice；　friendly　fires；　but　cats　in　back

yards　at　midnight　are　totally　different　animals。　　The　first　night

I　was　here　I　cried　all　night；　and　so　did　the　cats。　　You　should　have

seen　my　nose　in　the　morning。　　How　I　wished　I　had　never　left　home！〃



〃I　don't　know　how　you　managed　to　make　up　your　mind　to　come　to

Redmond　at　all；　if　you　are　really　such　an　undecided　person；〃　said

amused　Priscilla。



〃Bless　your　heart；　honey；　I　didn't。　　It　was　father　who　wanted　me

to　come　here。　　His　heart　was　set　on　it　　why；　I　don't　know。　　It

seems　perfectly　ridiculous　to　think　of　me　studying　for　a　B。A。

degree；　doesn't　it？　　Not　but　what　I　can　do　it；　all　right。

I　have　heaps　of　brains。〃



〃Oh！〃　said　Priscilla　vaguely。



〃Yes。　　But　it's　such　hard　work　to　use　them。　　And　B。A。's　are　such

learned；　dignified；　wise；　solemn　creatures　　they　must　be。　　No；

_I_　didn't　want　to　come　to　Redmond。　　I　did　it　just　to　oblige　father。

He　IS　such　a　duck。　　Besides；　I　knew　if　I　stayed　home　I'd　have　to

get　married。　　Mother　wanted　that　　wanted　it　decidedly。　　Mother

has　plenty　of　decision。　　But　I　really　hated　the　thought　of

being　married　for　a　few　years　yet。　　I　want　to　have　heaps　of　fun

before　I　settle　down。　　And；　ridiculous　as　the　idea　of　my　being　a

B。A。　is；　the　idea　of　my　being　an　old　married　woman　is　still　more

absurd；　isn't　it？　　I'm　only　eighteen。　　No；　I　concluded　I　would

rather　come　to　Redmond　than　be　married。　　Besides；　how　could　I

ever　have　made　up　my　mind　which　man　to　marry？〃



〃Were　there　so　many？〃　laughed　Anne。



〃Heaps。　　The　boys　like　me　awfully　　they　really　do。　　But　there

were　only　two　that　mattered。　　The　rest　were　all　too　young　and　too

poor。　　I　must　marry　a　rich　man；　you　know。〃



〃Why　must　you？〃



〃Honey；　you　couldn't　imagine　ME　being　a　poor　man's　wife；　could　you？

I　can't　do　a　single　useful　thing；　and　I　am　VERY　extravagant。　　Oh；　no；

my　husband　must　have　heaps　of　money。　　So　that　narrowed　them　down　to　two。

But　I　couldn't　decide　between　two　any　easier　than　between　two　hundred。

I　knew　perfectly　well　that　whichever　one　I　chose　I'd　regret　all　my　life

that　I　hadn't　married　the　other。〃



〃Didn't　you　　love　　either　of　them？〃　asked　Anne；　a　little　hesitatingly。

It　was　not　easy　for　her　to　speak　to　a　stranger　of　the　great　mystery　and

transformation　of　life。



〃Goodness；　no。　　_I_　couldn't　love　anybody。　　It　isn't　in　me。

Besides　I　wouldn't　want　to。　　Being　in　love　makes　you　a　perfect

slave；　_I_　think。　　And　it　would　give　a　man　such　power　to　hurt　you。

I'd　be　afraid。　　No；　no；　Alec　and　Alonzo　are　two　dear　boys；　and　I　like

them　both　so　much　that　I　really　don't　know　which　I　like　the　better。

That　is　the　trouble。　　Alec　is　the　best　looking；　of　course；　and　I

simply　couldn't　marry　a　man　who　wasn't　handsome。　　He　is　good…tempered

too；　and　has　lovely；　curly；　black　hair。　　He's　rather　too　perfect　

I　don't　believe　I'd　like　a　perfect　husband　　somebody　I　could　never

find　fault　with。〃



〃Then　why　not　marry　Alonzo？〃　asked　Priscilla　gravely。



〃Think　of　marrying　a　name　like　Alonzo！〃　said　Phil　dolefully。

〃I　don't　believe　I　could　endure　it。　　But　he　has　a　classic　nose；

and　it　WOULD　be　a　comfort　to　have　a　nose　in　the　family　that　could

be　depended　on。　　I　can't　depend　on　mine。　　So　far；　it　takes　after　the

Gordon　pattern；　but　I'm　so　afraid　it　will　develop　Byrne　tendencies

as　I　grow　older。　　I　examine　it　every　day　anxiously　to　make　sure　it's

still　Gordon。　　Mother　was　a　Byrne　and　has　the　Byrne　nose　in　the

Byrnest　degree。　　Wait　till　you　see　it。　　I　adore　nice　noses。

Your　nose　is　awfully　nice；　Anne　Shirley。　　Alonzo's　nose　nearly

turned　the　balance　in　his　favor。　　But　ALONZO！　　No；　I　couldn't　decide。

If　I　could　have　done　as　I　did　with　the　hats　　stood　them　both　up

together；　shut　my　eyes；　and　jabbed　with　a　hatpin　　it　would　have

been　quite　easy。〃



〃What　did　Alec　and　Alonzo　feel　like　when　you　came　away？〃　queried　Priscilla。



〃Oh；　they　still　have　hope。　　I　told　them　they'd　have　to　wait

till　I　could　make　up　my　mind。　　They're　quite　willing　to　wait。

They　both　worship　me；　you　know。　　Meanwhile；　I　intend　to　have

a　good　time。　　I　expect　I　shall　have　heaps　of　beaux　at　Redmond。

I　can't　be　happy　unless　I　have；　you　know。　　But　don't　you　think

the　freshmen　are　fearfully　homely？



I　saw　only　one　really　handsome　fellow　among　them。　　He　went　away

before　you　came。　　I　heard　his　chum　call　him　Gilbert。　　His　chum

had　eyes　that　stuck　out　THAT　FAR。　　But　you're　not　going　yet；　girls？

Don't　go　yet。〃



〃I　think　we　must；〃　said　Anne；　rather　coldly。　　〃It's　getting　late；

and　I've　some　work　to　do。〃



〃But　you'll　both　come　to　see　me；　won't　you？〃　asked　Philippa；

getting　up　and　putting　an　arm　around　each。　　〃And　let　me　come　to

see　you。　　I　want　to　be　chummy　with　you。　　I've　taken　such　a　fancy

to　you　both。　　And　I　haven't　quite　disgusted　you　with　my　frivolity；

have　I？〃



〃Not　quite；〃　laughed　Anne；　responding　to　Phil's　squeeze；　with　a

return　of　cordiality。



〃Because　I'm　not　half　so　silly　as　I　seem　on　the　surface；　you

know。　　You　just　accept　Philippa　Gordon；　as　the　Lord　made　her；

with　all　her　faults；　and　I　believe　you'll　come　to　like　her。

Isn't　this　graveyard　a　sweet　place？　　I'd　love　to　be　buried　here。

Here's　a　grave　I　didn't　see　before　　this　one　in　the　iron

railing　　oh；　girls；　look；　see　　the　stone　says　it's　the　grave

of　a　middy　who　was　killed　in　the　fight　between　the　Shannon　and

the　Chesapeake。　　Just　fancy！〃



Anne　paused　by　the　railing　and　looked　at　the　worn　stone；　her　pulses

thrilling　with　sudden　excitement。　　The　old　graveyard；　with　its

over…arching　trees　and　long　aisles　of　shadows；　faded　from　her　sight。

Instead；　she　saw　the　Kingsport　Harbor　of　nearly　a　century　agone。

Out　of　the　mist　came　slowly　a　great　frigate；　brilliant　with

〃the　meteor　flag　of　England。〃　　Behind　her　was　another；　with

a　still；　heroic　form；　wrapped　in　his　own　starry　flag；　lying　on

the　quarter　deck　　the　gallant　Lawrence。　　Time's　finger　had

turned　back　his　pages；　and　that　was　the　Shannon　sailing

triumphant　up　the　bay　with　the　Chesapeake　as　her　prize。



〃Come　back；　Anne　Shirley　　come　back；〃　laughed　Philippa；　pulling

her　arm。　　〃You're　a　hundred　years　away　from　us。　　Come　back。〃



Anne　came　back　with　a　sigh；　her　eyes　were　shining　softly。



〃I've　always　loved　that　old　story；〃　she　said；　〃and　although　the

English　won　that　victory；　I　think　it　was　because　of　the　brave；

defeated　commander　I　love　it。　　This　grave　seems　to　bring　it　so

near　and　make　it　so　real。　　This　poor　little　middy　was　only

eighteen。　　He　‘died　of　desperate　wounds　received　in　gallant

action'　　so　reads　his　epitaph。　　It　is　such　as　a　soldier　might

wish　for。〃



Before　she　turned　away；　Anne　unpinned　the　little　cluster　of

purple　pansies　she　wore　and　dropped　it　softly　on　the　grave　of　the

boy　who　had　perished　in　the　great　sea…duel。



〃Well；　what　do　you　think　of　our　new　friend？〃　asked　Priscilla；

when　Phil　had　left　them。



〃I　like　her。　　There　is　something　very　lovable　about　her；　in　spite

of　all　her　nonsense。　　I　believe；　as　she　says　herself；　that　she

isn't　half　as　silly　as　she　sounds。　　She's　a　dear；　kissable　baby

　and　I　don't　know　that　she'll　ever　really　grow　up。〃



〃I　like　her；　too；〃　said　Priscilla；　decidedly。　　〃She　talks　as　much

about　boys　as　Ruby　Gillis　does。　　But　it　always　enrages　or　sickens

me　to　hear　Ruby；　whereas　I　just　wanted　to　laugh　good…naturedly　at

Phil。　　Now；　what　is　the　why　of　that？〃



〃There　is　a　difference；〃　said　Anne　meditatively。　　〃I　think　it's

because　Ruby　is　really　so　CONSCIOUS　of　boys。　　She　plays　at　love

and　love…making。　　Besides；　you　feel；　when　she　is　boasting　of　her

beaux　that　she　is　doing　it　to　rub　it　well　into　you　that　you

haven't　half　so　many。　　Now；　when　Phil　talks　of　her　beaux　it

sounds　as　if　she　was　just　speaking　of　chums。　　She　really　looks

upon　boys　as　good　comrades；　and　she　is　pleased　when　she　has

dozens　of　them　tagging　round；　simply　because　she　likes　to　be

popular　and　to　be　thought　popular。　　Even　Alex　and　Alonzo　　I'll

never　be　able　to　think　of　those　two　names　separately　after　this

　are　to　her　just　two　playfellows　who　want　her　to　play　with　them

all　their　lives。　　I'm　glad　we　met　her；　and　I'm　glad　we　went　to

Old　St。　John's。　　I　believe　I've　put　forth　a　tiny　soul…root　into

Kingsport　soil　this　afternoon。　　I　hope　so。　　I　hate　to　feel　transplanted。〃









Chapter　V



Letters　from　Home





For　the　next　three　weeks　Anne　and　Priscilla　continued　to　feel　as

strangers　in　a　strange　land。　　Then；　suddenly；　everything　seemed

to　fall　into　focus　　Redmond；　professors；　classes；　students；

studies；　social　doings。　　Life　became　homogeneous　again；　instead

of　being　made　up　of　detached　fragments。　　The　Freshmen；　instead　of

being　a　collection　of　unrelated　individuals；　found　themselves　a

class；　with　a　class　spirit；　a　class　yell；　class　interests；　class

antipathies　and　class　ambitions。　　They　won　the　day　in　the　annual

〃Arts　Rush〃　against　the　Sophomores；　and　thereby　gained　the

respect　of　all　the　classes；　and　an　enormous；　confidence…giving

opinion　of　themselves。　　For　three　years　the　Sophomores　had　won　in

the　〃rush〃；　that　the　victory　of　this　year　perched　upon　the

Freshmen's　banner　was　attributed　to　the　strategic　generalship　of

Gilbert　Blythe；　who　marshalled　the　campaign　and　originated

certain　new　tactics；　which　demoralized　the　Sophs　and　swept　the

Freshmen　to　triumph。　　As　a　reward　of　merit　he　was　elected

president　of　the　Freshman　Class；　a　position　of　honor　and

respons