“I’ve an afternoon to spend in sweet doing nothing, Aunt Jimsie. Shall I spend it here where there is a cosy1 fire, a plateful of delicious russets, three purring and harmonious2 cats, and two impeccable china dogs with green noses? Or shall I go to the park, where there is the lure3 of gray woods and of gray water lapping on the harbor rocks?”
“If I was as young as you, I’d decide in favor of the park,” said Aunt Jamesina, tickling4 Joseph’s yellow ear with a knitting needle.
“I thought that you claimed to be as young as any of us, Aunty,” teased Anne.
“Yes, in my soul. But I’ll admit my legs aren’t as young as yours. You go and get some fresh air, Anne. You look pale lately.”
“I think I’ll go to the park,” said Anne restlessly. “I don’t feel like tame domestic joys today. I want to feel alone and free and wild. The park will be empty, for every one will be at the football match.”
“Why didn’t you go to it?”
“‘Nobody axed me, sir, she said’—at least, nobody but that horrid5 little Dan Ranger6. I wouldn’t go anywhere with him; but rather than hurt his poor little tender feelings I said I wasn’t going to the game at all. I don’t mind. I’m not in the mood for football today somehow.”
“You go and get some fresh air,” repeated Aunt Jamesina, “but take your umbrella, for I believe it’s going to rain. I’ve rheumatism7 in my leg.”
“Only old people should have rheumatism, Aunty.”
“Anybody is liable to rheumatism in her legs, Anne. It’s only old people who should have rheumatism in their souls, though. Thank goodness, I never have. When you get rheumatism in your soul you might as well go and pick out your coffin8.”
It was November—the month of crimson9 sunsets, parting birds, deep, sad hymns10 of the sea, passionate11 wind-songs in the pines. Anne roamed through the pineland alleys12 in the park and, as she said, let that great sweeping13 wind blow the fogs out of her soul. Anne was not wont14 to be troubled with soul fog. But, somehow, since her return to Redmond for this third year, life had not mirrored her spirit back to her with its old, perfect, sparkling clearness.
Outwardly, existence at Patty’s Place was the same pleasant round of work and study and recreation that it had always been. On Friday evenings the big, fire-lighted livingroom was crowded by callers and echoed to endless jest and laughter, while Aunt Jamesina smiled beamingly on them all. The “Jonas” of Phil’s letter came often, running up from St. Columbia on the early train and departing on the late. He was a general favorite at Patty’s Place, though Aunt Jamesina shook her head and opined that divinity students were not what they used to be.
“Oh, MEN—yes. But I was speaking of MINISTERS, my dear,” said Aunt Jamesina rebukingly17. “And you shouldn’t flirt18 so with Mr. Blake—you really shouldn’t.”
Nobody believed her, except Anne. The others thought she was amusing herself as usual, and told her roundly that she was behaving very badly.
“Mr. Blake isn’t of the Alec-and-Alonzo type, Phil,” said Stella severely20. “He takes things seriously. You may break his heart.”
“Do you really think I could?” asked Phil. “I’d love to think so.”
“Philippa Gordon! I never thought you were utterly21 unfeeling. The idea of you saying you’d love to break a man’s heart!”
“I didn’t say so, honey. Quote me correctly. I said I’d like to think I COULD break it. I would like to know I had the POWER to do it.”
“I don’t understand you, Phil. You are leading that man on deliberately—and you know you don’t mean anything by it.”
“I mean to make him ask me to marry him if I can,” said Phil calmly.
“I give you up,” said Stella hopelessly.
Gilbert came occasionally on Friday evenings. He seemed always in good spirits, and held his own in the jests and repartee22 that flew about. He neither sought nor avoided Anne. When circumstances brought them in contact he talked to her pleasantly and courteously23, as to any newly-made acquaintance. The old camaraderie24 was gone entirely25. Anne felt it keenly; but she told herself she was very glad and thankful that Gilbert had got so completely over his disappointment in regard to her. She had really been afraid, that April evening in the orchard26, that she had hurt him terribly and that the wound would be long in healing. Now she saw that she need not have worried. Men have died and the worms have eaten them but not for love. Gilbert evidently was in no danger of immediate27 dissolution. He was enjoying life, and he was full of ambition and zest28. For him there was to be no wasting in despair because a woman was fair and cold. Anne, as she listened to the ceaseless badinage29 that went on between him and Phil, wondered if she had only imagined that look in his eyes when she had told him she could never care for him.
There were not lacking those who would gladly have stepped into Gilbert’s vacant place. But Anne snubbed them without fear and without reproach. If the real Prince Charming was never to come she would have none of a substitute. So she sternly told herself that gray day in the windy park.
Suddenly the rain of Aunt Jamesina’s prophecy came with a swish and rush. Anne put up her umbrella and hurried down the slope. As she turned out on the harbor road a savage30 gust31 of wind tore along it. Instantly her umbrella turned wrong side out. Anne clutched at it in despair. And then—there came a voice close to her.
“Pardon me—may I offer you the shelter of my umbrella?”
Anne looked up. Tall and handsome and distinguished-looking—dark, melancholy32, inscrutable eyes—melting, musical, sympathetic voice—yes, the very hero of her dreams stood before her in the flesh. He could not have more closely resembled her ideal if he had been made to order.
“Thank you,” she said confusedly.
“We’d better hurry over to that little pavillion on the point,” suggested the unknown. “We can wait there until this shower is over. It is not likely to rain so heavily very long.”
The words were very commonplace, but oh, the tone! And the smile which accompanied them! Anne felt her heart beating strangely.
Together they scurried33 to the pavilion and sat breathlessly down under its friendly roof. Anne laughingly held up her false umbrella.
“It is when my umbrella turns inside out that I am convinced of the total depravity of inanimate things,” she said gaily34.
The raindrops sparkled on her shining hair; its loosened rings curled around her neck and forehead. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes big and starry35. Her companion looked down at her admiringly. She felt herself blushing under his gaze. Who could he be? Why, there was a bit of the Redmond white and scarlet36 pinned to his coat lapel. Yet she had thought she knew, by sight at least, all the Redmond students except the Freshmen37. And this courtly youth surely was no Freshman38.
“We are schoolmates, I see,” he said, smiling at Anne’s colors. “That ought to be sufficient introduction. My name is Royal Gardner. And you are the Miss Shirley who read the Tennyson paper at the Philomathic the other evening, aren’t you?”
“I feel as if I didn’t belong anywhere yet. I put in my Freshman and Sophomore40 years at Redmond two years ago. I’ve been in Europe ever since. Now I’ve come back to finish my Arts course.”
“This is my Junior year, too,” said Anne.
“So we are classmates as well as collegemates. I am reconciled to the loss of the years that the locust41 has eaten,” said her companion, with a world of meaning in those wonderful eyes of his.
The rain came steadily42 down for the best part of an hour. But the time seemed really very short. When the clouds parted and a burst of pale November sunshine fell athwart the harbor and the pines Anne and her companion walked home together. By the time they had reached the gate of Patty’s Place he had asked permission to call, and had received it. Anne went in with cheeks of flame and her heart beating to her fingertips. Rusty43, who climbed into her lap and tried to kiss her, found a very absent welcome. Anne, with her soul full of romantic thrills, had no attention to spare just then for a crop-eared pussy44 cat.
That evening a parcel was left at Patty’s Place for Miss Shirley. It was a box containing a dozen magnificent roses. Phil pounced45 impertinently on the card that fell from it, read the name and the poetical46 quotation47 written on the back.
“Royal Gardner!” she exclaimed. “Why, Anne, I didn’t know you were acquainted with Roy Gardner!”
“I met him in the park this afternoon in the rain,” explained Anne hurriedly. “My umbrella turned inside out and he came to my rescue with his.”
“Oh!” Phil peered curiously48 at Anne. “And is that exceedingly commonplace incident any reason why he should send us longstemmed roses by the dozen, with a very sentimental49 rhyme? Or why we should blush divinest rosy-red when we look at his card? Anne, thy face betrayeth thee.”
“Don’t talk nonsense, Phil. Do you know Mr. Gardner?”
“I’ve met his two sisters, and I know of him. So does everybody worthwhile in Kingsport. The Gardners are among the richest, bluest, of Bluenoses. Roy is adorably handsome and clever. Two years ago his mother’s health failed and he had to leave college and go abroad with her—his father is dead. He must have been greatly disappointed to have to give up his class, but they say he was perfectly50 sweet about it. Fee—fi—fo—fum, Anne. I smell romance. Almost do I envy you, but not quite. After all, Roy Gardner isn’t Jonas.”
“You goose!” said Anne loftily. But she lay long awake that night, nor did she wish for sleep. Her waking fancies were more alluring51 than any vision of dreamland. Had the real Prince come at last? Recalling those glorious dark eyes which had gazed so deeply into her own, Anne was very strongly inclined to think he had.
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1
cosy
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| adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的 | |
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harmonious
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| adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的 | |
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lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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tickling
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| 反馈，回授，自旋挠痒法 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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ranger
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| n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员 | |
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rheumatism
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| n.风湿病 | |
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coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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hymns
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌( hymn的名词复数 ) | |
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passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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alleys
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| 胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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dignified
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| a.可敬的，高贵的 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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rebukingly
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flirt
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| v.调情，挑逗，调戏；n.调情者，卖俏者 | |
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flirting
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| v.调情，打情骂俏( flirt的现在分词 ) | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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repartee
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| n.机敏的应答 | |
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courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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camaraderie
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| n.同志之爱，友情 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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zest
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| n.乐趣；滋味，风味；兴趣 | |
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badinage
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| n.开玩笑，打趣 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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gust
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| n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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scurried
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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freshmen
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| n.（中学或大学的）一年级学生( freshman的名词复数 ) | |
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freshman
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| n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女) | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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sophomore
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| n.大学二年级生；adj.第二年的 | |
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locust
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| n.蝗虫；洋槐，刺槐 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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pussy
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| n.(儿语)小猫，猫咪 | |
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pounced
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| v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击） | |
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poetical
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| adj.似诗人的；诗一般的；韵文的；富有诗意的 | |
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quotation
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| n.引文，引语，语录；报价，牌价，行情 | |
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48
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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sentimental
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| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
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50
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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51
alluring
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| adj.吸引人的，迷人的 | |
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