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！
you hear what I have to say。 Phil； Roy asked me to marry him…and
I refused。〃
〃You you REFUSED him？〃 said Phil blankly。
〃Yes。〃
〃Anne Shirley； are you in your senses？〃
〃I think so；〃 said Anne wearily。 〃Oh； Phil； don't scold me。
You don't understand。〃
〃I certainly don't understand。 You've encouraged Roy Gardner in
every way for two years and now you tell me you've refused him。
Then you've just been flirting scandalously with him。 Anne； I
couldn't have believed it of YOU。〃
〃I WASN'T flirting with him I honestly thought I cared up to the
last minute and then well； I just knew I NEVER could marry him。〃
〃I suppose；〃 said Phil cruelly； 〃that you intended to marry him
for his money； and then your better self rose up and prevented you。〃
〃I DIDN'T。 I never thought about his money。 Oh； I can't explain
it to you any more than I could to him。〃
〃Well； I certainly think you have treated Roy shamefully；〃 said Phil
in exasperation。 〃He's handsome and clever and rich and good。
What more do you want？〃
〃I want some one who BELONGS in my life。 He doesn't。 I was
swept off my feet at first by his good looks and knack of paying
romantic compliments； and later on I thought I MUST be in love
because he was my dark…eyed ideal。〃
〃I am bad enough for not knowing my own mind； but you are worse；〃
said Phil。
〃_I_ DO know my own mind；〃 protested Anne。 〃The trouble is； my mind
changes and then I have to get acquainted with it all over again。〃
〃Well； I suppose there is no use in saying anything to you。〃
〃There is no need； Phil。 I'm in the dust。 This has spoiled
everything backwards。 I can never think of Redmond days without
recalling the humiliation of this evening。 Roy despises me
and you despise me and I despise myself。〃
〃You poor darling；〃 said Phil； melting。 〃Just come here and let
me comfort you。 I've no right to scold you。 I'd have married
Alec or Alonzo if I hadn't met Jo。 Oh； Anne； things are so
mixed…up in real life。 They aren't clear…cut and trimmed off；
as they are in novels。〃
〃I hope that NO one will ever again ask me to marry him as long as
I live；〃 sobbed poor Anne； devoutly believing that she meant it。
Chapter XXXIX
Deals with Weddings
Anne felt that life partook of the nature of an anticlimax during
the first few weeks after her return to Green Gables。 She missed
the merry comradeship of Patty's Place。 She had dreamed some
brilliant dreams during the past winter and now they lay in the
dust around her。 In her present mood of self…disgust； she could
not immediately begin dreaming again。 And she discovered that；
while solitude with dreams is glorious； solitude without them
has few charms。
She had not seen Roy again after their painful parting in the
park pavilion； but Dorothy came to see her before she left Kingsport。
〃I'm awfully sorry you won't marry Roy；〃 she said。 〃I did want you
for a sister。 But you are quite right。 He would bore you to death。
I love him； and he is a dear sweet boy； but really he isn't a bit
interesting。 He looks as if he ought to be； but he isn't。〃
〃This won't spoil OUR friendship； will it； Dorothy？〃 Anne had
asked wistfully。
〃No； indeed。 You're too good to lose。 If I can't have you for a
sister I mean to keep you as a chum anyway。 And don't fret over
Roy。 He is feeling terribly just now I have to listen to his
outpourings every day but he'll get over it。 He always does。〃
〃Oh ALWAYS？〃 said Anne with a slight change of voice。
〃So he has ‘got over it' before？〃
〃Dear me； yes；〃 said Dorothy frankly。 〃Twice before。 And he
raved to me just the same both times。 Not that the others
actually refused him they simply announced their engagements
to some one else。 Of course； when he met you he vowed to me that
he had never really loved before that the previous affairs had
been merely boyish fancies。 But I don't think you need worry。〃
Anne decided not to worry。 Her feelings were a mixture of relief
and resentment。 Roy had certainly told her she was the only one
he had ever loved。 No doubt he believed it。 But it was a comfort
to feel that she had not； in all likelihood； ruined his life。
There were other goddesses； and Roy； according to Dorothy； must
needs be worshipping at some shrine。 Nevertheless； life was
stripped of several more illusions； and Anne began to think
drearily that it seemed rather bare。
She came down from the porch gable on the evening of her return
with a sorrowful face。
〃What has happened to the old Snow Queen； Marilla？〃
〃Oh； I knew you'd feel bad over that；〃 said Marilla。 〃I felt bad myself。
That tree was there ever since I was a young girl。 It blew down in the
big gale we had in March。 It was rotten at the core。〃
〃I'll miss it so；〃 grieved Anne。 〃The porch gable doesn't seem
the same room without it。 I'll never look from its window again
without a sense of loss。 And oh； I never came home to Green Gables
before that Diana wasn't here to welcome me。〃
〃Diana has something else to think of just now；〃 said Mrs。 Lynde
significantly。
〃Well； tell me all the Avonlea news；〃 said Anne； sitting down on
the porch steps； where the evening sunshine fell over her hair
in a fine golden rain。
〃There isn't much news except what we've wrote you；〃 said Mrs。 Lynde。
〃I suppose you haven't heard that Simon Fletcher broke his leg last week。
It's a great thing for his family。 They're getting a hundred things done
that they've always wanted to do but couldn't as long as he was about；
the old crank。〃
〃He came of an aggravating family；〃 remarked Marilla。
〃Aggravating？ Well； rather！ His mother used to get up in
prayer…meeting and tell all her children's shortcomings and ask
prayers for them。 ‘Course it made them mad； and worse than ever。〃
〃You haven't told Anne the news about Jane；〃 suggested Marilla。
〃Oh； Jane；〃 sniffed Mrs。 Lynde。 〃Well；〃 she conceded grudgingly；
〃Jane Andrews is home from the West came last week and she's
going to be married to a Winnipeg millionaire。 You may be sure
Mrs。 Harmon lost no time in telling it far and wide。〃
〃Dear old Jane I'm so glad；〃 said Anne heartily。 〃She deserves
the good things of life。〃
〃Oh； I ain't saying anything against Jane。 She's a nice enough girl。
But she isn't in the millionaire class； and you'll find there's not
much to recommend that man but his money； that's what。 Mrs。 Harmon
says he's an Englishman who has made money in mines but _I_ believe
he'll turn out to be a Yankee。 He certainly must have money； for
he has just showered Jane with jewelry。 Her engagement ring is a
diamond cluster so big that it looks like a plaster on Jane's fat paw。〃
Mrs。 Lynde could not keep some bitterness out of her tone。
Here was Jane Andrews； that plain little plodder； engaged
to a millionaire； while Anne； it seemed； was not yet bespoken
by any one； rich or poor。 And Mrs。 Harmon Andrews did brag
insufferably。
〃What has Gilbert Blythe been doing to at college？〃 asked Marilla。
〃I saw him when he came home last week； and he is so pale and thin
I hardly knew him。〃
〃He studied very hard last winter；〃 said Anne。 〃You know he
took High Honors in Classics and the Cooper Prize。 It hasn't
been taken for five years！ So I think he's rather run down。
We're all a little tired。〃
〃Anyhow； you're a B。A。 and Jane Andrews isn't and never will be；〃
said Mrs。 Lynde； with gloomy satisfaction。
A few evenings later Anne went down to see Jane； but the latter
was away in Charlottetown 〃getting sewing done；〃 Mrs。 Harmon
informed Anne proudly。 〃Of course an Avonlea dressmaker wouldn't
do for Jane under the circumstances。〃
〃I've heard something very nice about Jane；〃 said Anne。
〃Yes； Jane has done pretty well； even if she isn't a B。A。；〃 said
Mrs。 Harmon； with a slight toss of her head。 〃Mr。 Inglis is worth
millions； and they're going to Europe on their wedding tour。
When they come back they'll live in a perfect mansion of marble
in Winnipeg。 Jane has only one trouble she can cook so well
and her husband won't let her cook。 He is so rich he hires
his cooking done。 They're going to keep a cook and two other
maids and a coachman and a man…of…all…work。 But what about YOU；
Anne？ I don't hear anything of your being married； after all
your college…going。〃
〃Oh；〃 laughed Anne； 〃I am going to be an old maid。 I really
can't find any one to suit me。〃 It was rather wicked of her。
She deliberately meant to remind Mrs。 Andrews that if she became
an old maid it was not because she had not had at least one
chance of marriage。 But Mrs。 Harmon took swift revenge。
〃Well； the over…particular girls generally get left； I notice。
And what's this I hear about Gilbert Blythe being engaged to a
Miss Stuart？ Charlie Sloane tells me she is perfe