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my mind yit awhile。 Wall； I must be gitting。 Gotter milk the cows。〃
Anne's illusions concerning proposals had suffered so much of
late years that there were few of them left。 So she could laugh
wholeheartedly over this one； not feeling any secret sting。 She
mimicked poor Sam to Janet that night； and both of them laughed
immoderately over his plunge into sentiment。
One afternoon； when Anne's sojourn in Valley Road was drawing to a
close； Alec Ward came driving down to 〃Wayside〃 in hot haste for Janet。
〃They want you at the Douglas place quick；〃 he said。 〃I really
believe old Mrs。 Douglas is going to die at last； after pretending
to do it for twenty years。〃
Janet ran to get her hat。 Anne asked if Mrs。 Douglas was worse than usual。
〃She's not half as bad；〃 said Alec solemnly； 〃and that's what
makes me think it's serious。 Other times she'd be screaming and
throwing herself all over the place。 This time she's lying still
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。