the golden road-第22部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


re　letters；　he　gazed　no　longer　in　rapt　adoration；　he　brought　no　more　votive　offerings　of　gum　and　pencils　to　her　shrine。　　At　first　we　thought　he　had　been　cured　by　the　unmerciful　chaffing　he　had　to　undergo　from　his　mates；　but　eventually　his　sister　told　Cecily　the　true　reason。　　Cyrus　had　at　last　been　driven　to　believe　that　Cecily's　aversion　to　him　was　real；　and　not　merely　the　defence　of　maiden　coyness。　　If　she　hated　him　so　intensely　that　she　would　rather　write　that　note　on　the　blackboard　than　sit　with　him；　what　use　was　it　to　sigh　like　a　furnace　longer　for　her？　　Mr。　Perkins　had　blighted　love's　young　dream　for　Cyrus　with　a　killing　frost。　　Thenceforth　sweet　Cecily　kept　the　noiseless　tenor　of　her　way　unvexed　by　the　attentions　of　enamoured　swains。



CHAPTER　XVI

AUNT　UNA'S　STORY


Felicity；　and　Cecily；　Dan；　Felix；　Sara　Ray　and　I　were　sitting　one　evening　on　the　mossy　stones　in　Uncle　Roger's　hill　pasture；　where　we　had　sat　the　morning　the　Story　Girl　told　us　the　tale　of　the　Wedding　Veil　of　the　Proud　Princess。　　But　it　was　evening　now　and　the　valley　beneath　us　was　brimmed　up　with　the　glow　of　the　afterlight。　　Behind　us；　two　tall；　shapely　spruce　trees　rose　up　against　the　sunset；　and　through　the　dark　oriel　of　their　sundered　branches　an　evening　star　looked　down。　　We　sat　on　a　little　strip　of　emerald　grassland　and　before　us　was　a　sloping　meadow　all　white　with　daisies。

We　were　waiting　for　Peter　and　the　Story　Girl。　　Peter　had　gone　to　Markdale　after　dinner　to　spend　the　afternoon　with　his　reunited　parents　because　it　was　his　birthday。　　He　had　left　us　grimly　determined　to　confess　to　his　father　the　dark　secret　of　his　Presbyterianism；　and　we　were　anxious　to　know　what　the　result　had　been。　　The　Story　Girl　had　gone　that　morning　with　Miss　Reade　to　visit　the　latter's　home　near　Charlottetown；　and　we　expected　soon　to　see　her　coming　gaily　along　over　the　fields　from　the　Armstrong　place。

Presently　Peter　came　jauntily　stepping　along　the　field　path　up　the　hill。

〃Hasn't　Peter　got　tall？〃　said　Cecily。

〃Peter　is　growing　to　be　a　very　fine　looking　boy；〃　decreed　Felicity。

〃I　notice　he's　got　ever　so　much　handsomer　since　his　father　came　home；〃　said　Dan；　with　a　killing　sarcasm　that　was　wholly　lost　on　Felicity；　who　gravely　responded　that　she　supposed　it　was　because　Peter　felt　so　much　freer　from　care　and　responsibility。

〃What　luck；　Peter？〃　yelled　Dan；　as　soon　as　Peter　was　within　earshot。

〃Everything's　all　right；〃　he　shouted　jubilantly。　　〃I　told　father　right　off；　licketty…split；　as　soon　as　I　got　home；〃　he　added　when　he　reached　us。　　〃I　was　anxious　to　have　it　over　with。　　I　says；　solemn…like；　'Dad；　there's　something　I've　got　to　tell　you；　and　I　don't　know　how　you'll　take　it；　but　it　can't　be　helped；'　I　says。　　Dad　looked　pretty　sober；　and　he　says；　says　he；　'What　have　you　been　up　to；　Peter？　　Don't　be　afraid　to　tell　me。　　I've　been　forgiven　to　seventy　times　seven；　so　surely　I　can　forgive　a　little；　too？'　'Well；'　I　says；　desperate…like；　'the　truth　is；　father；　I'm　a　Presbyterian。　　I　made　up　my　mind　last　summer；　the　time　of　the　Judgment　Day；　that　I'd　be　a　Presbyterian；　and　I've　got　to　stick　to　it。　　I'm　sorry　I　can't　be　a　Methodist；　like　you　and　mother　and　Aunt　Jane；　but　I　can't　and　that's　all　there　is　to　it；'　I　says。　　Then　I　waited；　scared…like。　　But　father；　he　just　looked　relieved　and　he　says；　says　he；　'Goodness；　boy；　you　can　be　a　Presbyterian　or　anything　else　you　like；　so　long　as　it's　Protestant。　　I'm　not　caring；'　he　says。　　'The　main　thing　is　that　you　must　be　good　and　do　what's　right。'　I　tell　you；〃　concluded　Peter　emphatically；　〃father　is　a　Christian　all　right。〃

〃Well；　I　suppose　your　mind　will　be　at　rest　now；〃　said　Felicity。　　〃What's　that　you　have　in　your　buttonhole？〃

〃That's　a　four…leaved　clover；〃　answered　Peter　exultantly。　　〃That　means　good　luck　for　the　summer。　　I　found　it　in　Markdale。　　There　ain't　much　clover　in　Carlisle　this　year　of　any　kind　of　leaf。　　The　crop　is　going　to　be　a　failure。　　Your　Uncle　Roger　says　it's　because　there　ain't　enough　old　maids　in　Carlisle。　　There's　lots　of　them　in　Markdale；　and　that's　the　reason；　he　says；　why　they　always　have　such　good　clover　crops　there。〃

〃What　on　earth　have　old　maids　to　do　with　it？〃　cried　Cecily。

〃I　don't　believe　they've　a　single　thing　to　do　with　it；　but　Mr。　Roger　says　they　have；　and　he　says　a　man　called　Darwin　proved　it。　　This　is　the　rigmarole　he　got　off　to　me　the　other　day。　　The　clover　crop　depends　on　there　being　plenty　of　bumble…bees；　because　they　are　the　only　insects　with　tongues　long　enough　totofer　fertilizeI　think　he　called　it　the　blossoms。　　But　mice　eat　bumble…bees　and　cats　eat　mice　and　old　maids　keep　cats。　　So　your　Uncle　Roger　says　the　more　old　maids　the　more　cats；　and　the　more　cats　the　fewer　field…mice；　and　the　fewer　field…mice　the　more　bumble…bees；　and　the　more　bumble…bees　the　better　clover　crops。〃

〃So　don't　worry　if　you　do　get　to　be　old　maids；　girls；〃　said　Dan。　　〃Remember；　you'll　be　helping　the　clover　crops。〃

〃I　never　heard　such　stuff　as　you　boys　talk；〃　said　Felicity；　〃and　Uncle　Roger　is　no　better。〃

〃There　comes　the　Story　Girl；〃　cried　Cecily　eagerly。　　〃Now　we'll　hear　all　about　Beautiful　Alice's　home。〃

The　Story　Girl　was　bombarded　with　eager　questions　as　soon　as　she　arrived。　　Miss　Reade's　home　was　a　dream　of　a　place；　it　appeared。　　The　house　was　just　covered　with　ivy　and　there　was　a　most　delightful　old　garden〃and；〃　added　the　Story　Girl；　with　the　joy　of　a　connoisseur　who　has　found　a　rare　gem；　〃the　sweetest　little　story　connected　with　it。　　And　I　saw　the　hero　of　the　story　too。〃

〃Where　was　the　heroine？〃　queried　Cecily。

〃She　is　dead。〃

〃Oh；　of　course　she'd　have　to　die；〃　exclaimed　Dan　in　disgust。　　〃I'd　like　a　story　where　somebody　lived　once　in　awhile。〃

〃I've　told　you　heaps　of　stories　where　people　lived；〃　retorted　the　Story　Girl。　　〃If　this　heroine　hadn't　died　there　wouldn't　have　been　any　story。　　She　was　Miss　Reade's　aunt　and　her　name　was　Una；　and　I　believe　she　must　have　been　just　like　Miss　Reade　herself。　　Miss　Reade　told　me　all　about　her。　　When　we　went　into　the　garden　I　saw　in　one　corner　of　it　an　old　stone　bench　arched　over　by　a　couple　of　pear　trees　and　all　grown　about　with　grass　and　violets。　　And　an　old　man　was　sitting　on　ita　bent　old　man　with　long；　snow…white　hair　and　beautiful　sad　blue　eyes。　　He　seemed　very　lonely　and　sorrowful　and　I　wondered　that　Miss　Reade　didn't　speak　to　him。　　But　she　never　let　on　she　saw　him　and　took　me　away　to　another　part　of　the　garden。　　After　awhile　he　got　up　and　went　away　and　then　Miss　Reade　said；　'Come　over　to　Aunt　Una's　seat　and　I　will　tell　you　about　her　and　her　loverthat　man　who　has　just　gone　out。'

〃'Oh；　isn't　he　too　old　for　a　lover？'　I　said。

〃Beautiful　Alice　laughed　and　said　it　was　forty　years　since　he　had　been　her　Aunt　Una's　lover。　　He　had　been　a　tall；　handsome　young　man　then；　and　her　Aunt　Una　was　a　beautiful　girl　of　nineteen。

〃We　went　over　and　sat　down　and　Miss　Reade　told　me　all　about　her。　　She　said　that　when　she　was　a　child　she　had　heard　much　of　her　Aunt　Unathat　she　seemed　to　have　been　one　of　those　people　who　are　not　soon　forgotten；　whose　personality　seems　to　linger　about　the　scenes　of　their　lives　long　after　they　have　passed　away。〃

〃What　is　a　personality？　　Is　it　another　word　for　ghost？〃　asked　Peter。

〃No；〃　said　the　Story　Girl　shortly。　　〃I　can't　stop　in　a　story　to　explain　words。〃

〃I　don't　believe　you　know　what　it　is　yourself；〃　said　Felicity。

The　Story　Girl　picked　up　her　hat；　which　she　had　thrown　down　on　the　grass；　and　placed　it　defiantly　on　her　brown　curls。

〃I'm　going　in；〃　she　announced。　　〃I　have　to　help　Aunt　Olivia　ice　a　cake　tonight；　and　you　all　seem　more　interested　in　dictionaries　than　stories。〃

〃That's　not　fair；〃　I　exclaimed。　　〃Dan　and　Felix　and　Sara　Ray　and　Cecily　and　I　have　never　said　a　word。　　It's　mean　to　punish　us　for　what　Peter　and　Felicity　did。　　We　want　to　hear　the　rest　of　the　story。　　Never　mind　what　a　personality　is　but　go　onand；　Peter；　you　young　ass；　keep　still。〃

〃I　only　wanted　to　know；〃　muttered　Peter　sulkily。

〃I　DO　know　what　personality　is；　but　it's　hard　to　explain；〃　said　the　Story　Girl；　relenting。　　〃It's　what　makes　you　different　from　Dan；　Peter；　and　me　different　from　Felicity　or　Cecily。　　Miss　Reade's　Aunt　Una　had　a　personality　that　was　very　uncommon。　　And　she　was　beautiful；　too；　with　white　skin　and　night…black　eyes　and　haira　'moonlight　beauty；'　Miss　Reade　called　it。　　She　used　to　keep　a　kind　of　a　diary；　and　Miss　Reade's　mother　used　to　read　parts　of　it　to　her。　　She　wrote　verses　in　it　and　they　were　lovely；　and　she　wrote　descriptions　of　the　old　garden　which　she　loved　very　much。　　Miss　Reade　said　that　everything　in　the　garden；　plot　or　shrub　or　tree；　recalled　to　her　mind　some　phrase　or　verse　of　her　Aunt　Una's；　so　that　the　whole　place　seemed　full　of　her；　and　her　memory　haunted　the　walks　like　a　faint；　sweet　perfume。

〃Una　had；　as　I've　told　you；　a　lover；　and　they　were　to　have　been　married　on　her　twentieth　birthday。　　Her　wedding　dress　was　to　have　been　a　gown　of　white　brocade　with　purple　violets　in　it。　　But　a　little　while　before　it　she　took　ill　with　fever　and　died；　and　she　was　buried　on　her　birthday　instead　of　being　married。　　It　was　just　in　the　time　of　opening　roses。　　Her　lover　has　been　faithful　to　her　ever　since；　he　has　never　married；　and　every　June；　on　her　birthday；　he　makes　a　pilgrimage　to　the　old　garden　and　sits　for　a　long　time　in　silence　on　the　bench　where　he　used　to　woo　her　on　crimson　eves　and　moonlight　nights　of　long　ago。　　Miss　Reade　says　she　always　loves　to　see　him　sitting　there　because　it　gives　her　such　a　deep　and　lasting　sense　of　the　beauty　and　strength　of　love　which　can　thus　outlive　time　and　death。　　And　sometimes；　she　says；　it　gives　her　a　little　eerie　feeling；　too；　as　if　her　Aunt　Una　were　really　sitting　there　beside　him；　keeping　tryst；　although　she　has　been　in　her　grave　for　forty　years。〃

〃It　would　be　real　romantic　to　die　young　and　have　your　lover　make　a　pilgrimage　to　your　garden　every　year；〃　reflected　Sara　Ray。

〃It　would　be　more　comfortable　to　go　on　living　and　get　married　to　him；〃　said　Felicity。　　〃Mother　says　all　those　sentimental　ideas　are　bosh　and　I　expect　they　are。　　It's　a　wonder　Beautiful　Alice　hasn't　a　beau　herself。　　She　is　so　pretty　and　lady…like。〃

〃The　Carlisle　fellows　all　say　she　is　too　stuck　up；〃　said　Dan。

〃There's　nobody　in　Carlisle　half　good　enough　for　her；〃　cried　the　Story　Girl；　〃exceptex…