anne of the island-第14部分

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He　likes　Nettie　Blewett　pretty　well；　too；　and　mother　would　rather　he

married　her　than　any　one。　　She's　such　a　good　manager　and　saver。

I　think；　when　Billy　is　once　sure　you　won't　have　him；　he'll　take　Nettie。

Please　don't　mention　this　to　any　one；　will　you；　Anne？〃



〃Certainly　not；〃　said　Anne；　who　had　no　desire　whatever　to　publish

abroad　the　fact　that　Billy　Andrews　wanted　to　marry　her；　preferring　her；

when　all　was　said　and　done；　to　Nettie　Blewett。　　Nettie　Blewett！



〃And　now　I　suppose　we'd　better　go　to　sleep；〃　suggested　Jane。



To　sleep　went　Jane　easily　and　speedily；　but；　though　very　unlike

MacBeth　in　most　respects；　she　had　certainly　contrived　to　murder

sleep　for　Anne。　　That　proposed…to　damsel　lay　on　a　wakeful　pillow

until　the　wee　sma's；　but　her　meditations　were　far　from　being　romantic。

It　was　not；　however；　until　the　next　morning　that　she　had　an　opportunity

to　indulge　in　a　good　laugh　over　the　whole　affair。　　When　Jane　had　gone　home

　still　with　a　hint　of　frost　in　voice　and　manner　because　Anne　had　declined

so　ungratefully　and　decidedly　the　honor　of　an　alliance　with　the　House　of

Andrews　　Anne　retreated　to　the　porch　room；　shut　the　door；　and　had　her

laugh　out　at　last。



〃If　I　could　only　share　the　joke　with　some　one！〃　she　thought。

〃But　I　can't。　　Diana　is　the　only　one　I'd　want　to　tell；　and；　even

if　I　hadn't　sworn　secrecy　to　Jane；　I　can't　tell　Diana　things　now。

She　tells　everything　to　Fred　　I　know　she　does。　　Well；　I've　had

my　first　proposal。　　I　supposed　it　would　come　some　day　　but　I

certainly　never　thought　it　would　be　by　proxy。　　It's　awfully　funny

　and　yet　there's　a　sting　in　it；　too；　somehow。〃



Anne　knew　quite　well　wherein　the　sting　consisted；　though　she

did　not　put　it　into　words。　　She　had　had　her　secret　dreams　of

the　first　time　some　one　should　ask　her　the　great　question。

And　it　had；　in　those　dreams；　always　been　very　romantic　and　beautiful：

and　the　〃some　one〃　was　to　be　very　handsome　and　dark…eyed　and

distinguished…looking　and　eloquent；　whether　he　were　Prince　Charming

to　be　enraptured　with　〃yes；〃　or　one　to　whom　a　regretful；　beautifully

worded；　but　hopeless　refusal　must　be　given。　　If　the　latter；　the

refusal　was　to　be　expressed　so　delicately　that　it　would　be　next　best

thing　to　acceptance；　and　he　would　go　away；　after　kissing　her　hand；

assuring　her　of　his　unalterable；　life…long　devotion。　　And　it　would

always　be　a　beautiful　memory；　to　be　proud　of　and　a　little　sad　about；　also。



And　now；　this　thrilling　experience　had　turned　out　to　be　merely　grotesque。

Billy　Andrews　had　got　his　sister　to　propose　for　him　because　his　father　had

given　him　the　upper　farm；　and　if　Anne　wouldn't　〃have　him〃　Nettie　Blewett　would。

There　was　romance　for　you；　with　a　vengeance！　　Anne　laughed　　and　then　sighed。

The　bloom　had　been　brushed　from　one　little　maiden　dream。　　Would　the　painful

process　go　on　until　everything　became　prosaic　and　hum…drum？









Chapter　IX





An　Unwelcome　Lover　and　a　Welcome　Friend





The　second　term　at　Redmond　sped　as　quickly　as　had　the　first　

〃actually　whizzed　away；〃　Philippa　said。　　Anne　enjoyed　it

thoroughly　in　all　its　phases　　the　stimulating　class　rivalry；

the　making　and　deepening　of　new　and　helpful　friendships；　the　gay

little　social　stunts；　the　doings　of　the　various　societies　of

which　she　was　a　member；　the　widening　of　horizons　and　interests。

She　studied　hard；　for　she　had　made　up　her　mind　to　win　the　Thorburn

Scholarship　in　English。　　This　being　won；　meant　that　she　could

come　back　to　Redmond　the　next　year　without　trenching　on　Marilla's

small　savings　　something　Anne　was　determined　she　would　not　do。



Gilbert；　too；　was　in　full　chase　after　a　scholarship；　but　found

plenty　of　time　for　frequent　calls　at　Thirty…eight；　St。　John's。

He　was　Anne's　escort　at　nearly　all　the　college　affairs；　and　she

knew　that　their　names　were　coupled　in　Redmond　gossip。　　Anne　raged

over　this　but　was　helpless；　she　could　not　cast　an　old　friend　like

Gilbert　aside；　especially　when　he　had　grown　suddenly　wise　and

wary；　as　behooved　him　in　the　dangerous　proximity　of　more　than　one

Redmond　youth　who　would　gladly　have　taken　his　place　by　the　side

of　the　slender；　red…haired　coed；　whose　gray　eyes　were　as　alluring

as　stars　of　evening。　　Anne　was　never　attended　by　the　crowd　of

willing　victims　who　hovered　around　Philippa's　conquering　march

through　her　Freshman　year；　but　there　was　a　lanky；　brainy　Freshie；

a　jolly；　little；　round　Sophomore；　and　a　tall；　learned　Junior　who

all　liked　to　call　at　Thirty…eight；　St。　John's；　and　talk　over

'ologies　and　'isms；　as　well　as　lighter　subjects；　with　Anne；　in

the　becushioned　parlor　of　that　domicile。　　Gilbert　did　not　love

any　of　them；　and　he　was　exceedingly　careful　to　give　none　of　them

the　advantage　over　him　by　any　untimely　display　of　his　real

feelings　Anne…ward。　　To　her　he　had　become　again　the　boy…comrade

of　Avonlea　days；　and　as　such　could　hold　his　own　against　any

smitten　swain　who　had　so　far　entered　the　lists　against　him。

As　a　companion；　Anne　honestly　acknowledged　nobody　could　be　so

satisfactory　as　Gilbert；　she　was　very　glad；　so　she　told　herself；

that　he　had　evidently　dropped　all　nonsensical　ideas　　though　she

spent　considerable　time　secretly　wondering　why。



Only　one　disagreeable　incident　marred　that　winter。　　Charlie　Sloane；

sitting　bolt　upright　on　Miss　Ada's　most　dearly　beloved　cushion；

asked　Anne　one　night　if　she　would　promise　〃to　become　Mrs。　Charlie

Sloane　some　day。〃　　Coming　after　Billy　Andrews'　proxy　effort；

this　was　not　quite　the　shock　to　Anne's　romantic　sensibilities

that　it　would　otherwise　have　been；　but　it　was　certainly　another

heart…rending　disillusion。　　She　was　angry；　too；　for　she　felt　that

she　had　never　given　Charlie　the　slightest　encouragement　to　suppose

such　a　thing　possible。　　But　what　could　you　expect　of　a　Sloane；

as　Mrs。　Rachel　Lynde　would　ask　scornfully？　　Charlie's　whole　attitude；

tone；　air；　words；　fairly　reeked　with　Sloanishness。　　〃He　was　conferring

a　great　honor　　no　doubt　whatever　about　that。　　And　when　Anne；　utterly

insensible　to　the　honor；　refused　him；　as　delicately　and　considerately

as　she　could　　for　even　a　Sloane　had　feelings　which　ought　not　to　be

unduly　lacerated　　Sloanishness　still　further　betrayed　itself。

Charlie　certainly　did　not　take　his　dismissal　as　Anne's　imaginary

rejected　suitors　did。　　Instead；　he　became　angry；　and　showed　it；

he　said　two　or　three　quite　nasty　things；　Anne's　temper　flashed　up

mutinously　and　she　retorted　with　a　cutting　little　speech　whose

keenness　pierced　even　Charlie's　protective　Sloanishness　and

reached　the　quick；　he　caught　up　his　hat　and　flung　himself　out　of

the　house　with　a　very　red　face；　Anne　rushed　upstairs；　falling　twice

over　Miss　Ada's　cushions　on　the　way；　and　threw　herself　on　her　bed；

in　tears　of　humiliation　and　rage。　　Had　she　actually　stooped　to

quarrel　with　a　Sloane？　　Was　it　possible　anything　Charlie　Sloane

could　say　had　power　to　make　her　angry？　　Oh；　this　was　degradation；

indeed　　worse　even　than　being　the　rival　of　Nettie　Blewett！



〃I　wish　I　need　never　see　the　horrible　creature　again；〃　she　sobbed

vindictively　into　her　pillows。



She　could　not　avoid　seeing　him　again；　but　the　outraged　Charlie

took　care　that　it　should　not　be　at　very　close　quarters。　　Miss

Ada's　cushions　were　henceforth　safe　from　his　depredations；

and　when　he　met　Anne　on　the　street；　or　in　Redmond's　halls；

his　bow　was　icy　in　the　extreme。　　Relations　between　these　two

old　schoolmates　continued　to　be　thus　strained　for　nearly　a　year！

Then　Charlie　transferred　his　blighted　affections　to　a　round；

rosy；　snub…nosed；　blue…eyed；　little　Sophomore　who　appreciated

them　as　they　deserved；　whereupon　he　forgave　Anne　and　condescended

to　be　civil　to　her　again；　in　a　patronizing　manner　intended　to

show　her　just　what　she　had　lost。



One　day　Anne　scurried　excitedly　into　Priscilla's　room。



〃Read　that；〃　she　cried；　tossing　Priscilla　a　letter。　　〃It's　from

Stella　　and　she's　coming　to　Redmond　next　year　　and　what　do

you　think　of　her　idea？　　I　think　it's　a　perfectly　splendid　one；

if　we　can　only　carry　it　out。　　Do　you　suppose　we　can；　Pris？〃



〃I'll　be　better　able　to　tell　you　when　I　find　out　what　it　is；〃

said　Priscilla；　casting　aside　a　Greek　lexicon　and　taking　up

Stella's　letter。　　Stella　Maynard　had　been　one　of　their　chums　at

Queen's　Academy　and　had　been　teaching　school　ever　since。



〃But　I'm　going　to　give　it　up；　Anne　dear；〃　she　wrote；　〃and　go　to

college　next　year。　　As　I　took　the　third　year　at　Queen's　I　can

enter　the　Sophomore　year。　　I'm　tired　of　teaching　in　a　back

country　school。　　Some　day　I'm　going　to　write　a　treatise　on

‘The　Trials　of　a　Country　Schoolmarm。'　It　will　be　a　harrowing　bit

of　realism。　　It　seems　to　be　the　prevailing　impression　that　we　live

in　clover；　and　have　nothing　to　do　but　draw　our　quarter's　salary。

My　treatise　shall　tell　the　truth　about　us。　　Why；　if　a　week　should

pass　without　some　one　telling　me　that　I　am　doing　easy　work　for

big　pay　I　would　conclude　that　I　might　as　well　order　my　ascension

robe　‘immediately　and　to　onct。'　　‘Well；