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！
Sarah…cats's purring to drive away the thought of those snakes。
I have enough faith for everything but the snakes。 I can't think
why Providence ever made them。 Sometimes I don't think He did。
I'm inclined to believe the Old Harry had a hand in making THEM。〃
Anne had left a thin； typewritten communication till the last；
thinking it unimportant。 When she had read it she sat very
still； with tears in her eyes。
〃What is the matter； Anne？〃 asked Marilla。
〃Miss Josephine Barry is dead；〃 said Anne； in a low tone。
〃So she has gone at last；〃 said Marilla。 〃Well； she has been
sick for over a year； and the Barrys have been expecting to hear
of her death any time。 It is well she is at rest for she has
suffered dreadfully； Anne。 She was always kind to you。〃
〃She has been kind to the last； Marilla。 This letter is from her lawyer。
She has left me a thousand dollars in her will。〃
〃Gracious； ain't that an awful lot of money；〃 exclaimed Davy。
〃She's the woman you and Diana lit on when you jumped into
the spare room bed； ain't she？ Diana told me that story。
Is that why she left you so much？〃
〃Hush； Davy；〃 said Anne gently。 She slipped away to the porch
gable with a full heart； leaving Marilla and Mrs。 Lynde to talk
over the news to their hearts' content。
〃Do you s'pose Anne will ever get married now？〃 speculated Davy
anxiously。 〃When Dorcas Sloane got married last summer she said
if she'd had enough money to live on she'd never have been
bothered with a man； but even a widower with eight children was
better'n living with a sister…in…law。〃
〃Davy Keith； do hold your tongue；〃 said Mrs。 Rachel severely。
〃The way you talk is scandalous for a small boy； that's what。〃
Chapter XIX
An Interlude
〃To think that this is my twentieth birthday； and that I've left
my teens behind me forever；〃 said Anne； who was curled up on the
hearth…rug with Rusty in her lap； to Aunt Jamesina who was reading
in her pet chair。 They were alone in the living room。 Stella and
Priscilla had gone to a committee meeting and Phil was upstairs
adorning herself for a party。
〃I suppose you feel kind of； sorry〃 said Aunt Jamesina。 〃The teens are
such a nice part of life。 I'm glad I've never gone out of them myself。〃
Anne laughed。
〃You never will； Aunty。 You'll be eighteen when you should be a
hundred。 Yes； I'm sorry； and a little dissatisfied as well。
Miss Stacy told me long ago that by the time I was twenty my
character would be formed； for good or evil。 I don't feel that
it's what it should be。 It's full of flaws。〃
〃So's everybody's；〃 said Aunt Jamesina cheerfully。 〃Mine's cracked
in a hundred places。 Your Miss Stacy likely meant that when you are
twenty your character would have got its permanent bent in one direction
or 'tother； and would go on developing in that line。 Don't worry over it；
Anne。 Do your duty by God and your neighbor and yourself； and have a good
time。 That's my philosophy and it's always worked pretty well。 Where's
Phil off to tonight？〃
〃She's going to a dance； and she's got the sweetest dress for it
creamy yellow silk and cobwebby lace。 It just suits those
brown tints of hers。〃
〃There's magic in the words ‘silk' and ‘lace；' isn't there？〃 said
Aunt Jamesina。 〃The very sound of them makes me feel like
skipping off to a dance。 And YELLOW silk。 It makes one think of
a dress of sunshine。 I always wanted a yellow silk dress； but
first my mother and then my husband wouldn't hear of it。 The
very first thing I'm going to do when I get to heaven is to get a
yellow silk dress。〃
Amid Anne's peal of laughter Phil came downstairs； trailing clouds
of glory； and surveyed herself in the long oval mirror on the wall。
〃A flattering looking glass is a promoter of amiability；〃 she
said。 〃The one in my room does certainly make me green。 Do I
look pretty nice； Anne？〃
〃Do you really know how pretty you are； Phil？〃 asked Anne；
in honest admiration。
〃Of course I do。 What are looking glasses and men for？ That wasn't
what I meant。 Are all my ends tucked in？ Is my skirt straight？
And would this rose look better lower down？ I'm afraid it's too high
it will make me look lop…sided。 But I hate things tickling my ears。〃
〃Everything is just right； and that southwest dimple of yours is lovely。〃
〃Anne； there's one thing in particular I like about you you're
so ungrudging。 There isn't a particle of envy in you。〃
〃Why should she be envious？〃 demanded Aunt Jamesina。 〃She's not quite
as goodlooking as you； maybe； but she's got a far handsomer nose。〃
〃I know it；〃 conceded Phil。
〃My nose always has been a great comfort to me；〃 confessed Anne。
〃And I love the way your hair grows on your forehead； Anne。 And
that one wee curl； always looking as if it were going to drop；
but never dropping； is delicious。 But as for noses； mine is a
dreadful worry to me。 I know by the time I'm forty it will be
Byrney。 What do you think I'll look like when I'm forty； Anne？〃
〃Like an old； matronly； married woman；〃 teased Anne。
〃I won't；〃 said Phil； sitting down comfortably to wait for her escort。
〃Joseph； you calico beastie； don't you dare jump on my lap。 I won't go
to a dance all over cat hairs。 No； Anne； I WON'T look matronly。 But no
doubt I'll be married。〃
〃To Alec or Alonzo？〃 asked Anne。
〃To one of them； I suppose；〃 sighed Phil； 〃if I can ever decide which。〃
〃It shouldn't be hard to decide；〃 scolded Aunt Jamesina。
〃I was born a see…saw Aunty； and nothing can ever prevent me from teetering。〃
〃You ought to be more levelheaded； Philippa。〃
〃It's best to be levelheaded； of course；〃 agreed Philippa； 〃but you miss
lots of fun。 As for Alec and Alonzo； if you knew them you'd understand
why it's difficult to choose between them。 They're equally nice。〃
〃Then take somebody who is nicer〃 suggested Aunt Jamesina。
〃There's that Senior who is so devoted to you Will Leslie。
He has such nice； large； mild eyes。〃
〃They're a little bit too large and too mild like a cow's；〃
said Phil cruelly。
〃What do you say about George Parker？〃
〃There's nothing to say about him except that he always looks as
if he had just been starched and ironed。〃
〃Marr Holworthy then。 You can't find a fault with him。〃
〃No； he would do if he wasn't poor。 I must marry a rich man；
Aunt Jamesina。 That and good looks is an indispensable
qualification。 I'd marry Gilbert Blythe if he were rich。〃
〃Oh； would you？〃 said Anne； rather viciously。
〃We don't like that idea a little bit； although we don't want
Gilbert ourselves； oh； no；〃 mocked Phil。 〃But don't let's talk
of disagreeable subjects。 I'll have to marry sometime； I suppose；
but I shall put off the evil day as long as I can。〃
〃You mustn't marry anybody you don't love； Phil； when all's said
and done；〃 said Aunt Jamesina。
〃‘Oh； hearts that loved in the good old way
Have been out o' the fashion this many a day。'〃
trilled Phil mockingly。 〃There's the carriage。 I fly Bi…bi；
you two old…fashioned darlings。〃
When Phil had gone Aunt Jamesina looked solemnly at Anne。
〃That girl is pretty and sweet and goodhearted； but do you think
she is quite right in her mind； by spells； Anne？〃
〃Oh； I don't think there's anything the matter with Phil's mind；〃
said Anne； hiding a smile。 〃It's just her way of talking。〃
Aunt Jamesina shook her head。
〃Well； I hope so； Anne。 I do hope so； because I love her。 But _I_
can't understand her she beats me。 She isn't like any of the
girls I ever knew； or any of the girls I was myself。〃
〃How many girls were you； Aunt Jimsie？〃
〃About half a dozen； my dear。〃
Chapter XX
Gilbert Speaks
〃This has been a dull； prosy day；〃 yawned Phil； stretching
herself idly on the sofa； having previously dispossessed two
exceedingly indignant cats。
Anne looked up from Pickwick Papers。 Now that spring
examinations were over she was treating herself to Dickens。
〃It has been a prosy day for us；〃 she said thoughtfully； 〃but to
some people it has been a wonderful day。 Some one has been
rapturously happy in it。 Perhaps a great deed has been done
somewhere today or a great poem written or a great man born。
And some heart has been broken； Phil。〃
〃Why did you spoil your pretty thought by tagging that last
sentence on； honey？〃 grumbled Phil。 〃I don't like to think of
broken hearts or anything unpleasant。〃
〃Do you think you'll be able to shirk unpleasant things all your
life； Phil？〃
〃Dear me； no。 Am I not up against them now？ You don't call Alec and
Alonzo pleasant things； do you； when they simply plague my life out？〃
〃You never take anything seriously； Phil。〃
〃Why should I？ There are enough folks who do。 The world needs
people like m