“It’s a good thing Rachel Lynde got a calling down; she’s a meddlesome2 old gossip,” was Matthew’s consolatory3 rejoinder.
“Matthew Cuthbert, I’m astonished at you. You know that Anne’s behavior was dreadful, and yet you take her part! I suppose you’ll be saying next thing that she oughtn’t to be punished at all!”
“Well now—no—not exactly,” said Matthew uneasily. “I reckon she ought to be punished a little. But don’t be too hard on her, Marilla. Recollect4 she hasn’t ever had anyone to teach her right. You’re—you’re going to give her something to eat, aren’t you?”
“When did you ever hear of me starving people into good behavior?” demanded Marilla indignantly. “She’ll have her meals regular, and I’ll carry them up to her myself. But she’ll stay up there until she’s willing to apologize to Mrs. Lynde, and that’s final, Matthew.”
Breakfast, dinner, and supper were very silent meals—for Anne still remained obdurate5. After each meal Marilla carried a well-filled tray to the east gable and brought it down later on not noticeably depleted6. Matthew eyed its last descent with a troubled eye. Had Anne eaten anything at all?
When Marilla went out that evening to bring the cows from the back pasture, Matthew, who had been hanging about the barns and watching, slipped into the house with the air of a burglar and crept upstairs. As a general thing Matthew gravitated between the kitchen and the little bedroom off the hall where he slept; once in a while he ventured uncomfortably into the parlor7 or sitting room when the minister came to tea. But he had never been upstairs in his own house since the spring he helped Marilla paper the spare bedroom, and that was four years ago.
He tiptoed along the hall and stood for several minutes outside the door of the east gable before he summoned courage to tap on it with his fingers and then open the door to peep in.
Anne was sitting on the yellow chair by the window gazing mournfully out into the garden. Very small and unhappy she looked, and Matthew’s heart smote8 him. He softly closed the door and tiptoed over to her.
“Anne,” he whispered, as if afraid of being overheard, “how are you making it, Anne?”
“Pretty well. I imagine a good deal, and that helps to pass the time. Of course, it’s rather lonesome. But then, I may as well get used to that.”
Matthew recollected12 that he must say what he had come to say without loss of time, lest Marilla return prematurely13. “Well now, Anne, don’t you think you’d better do it and have it over with?” he whispered. “It’ll have to be done sooner or later, you know, for Marilla’s a dreadful deter-mined woman—dreadful determined14, Anne. Do it right off, I say, and have it over.”
“Do you mean apologize to Mrs. Lynde?”
“Yes—apologize—that’s the very word,” said Matthew eagerly. “Just smooth it over so to speak. That’s what I was trying to get at.”
“I suppose I could do it to oblige you,” said Anne thoughtfully. “It would be true enough to say I am sorry, because I am sorry now. I wasn’t a bit sorry last night. I was mad clear through, and I stayed mad all night. I know I did because I woke up three times and I was just furious every time. But this morning it was over. I wasn’t in a temper anymore—and it left a dreadful sort of goneness, too. I felt so ashamed of myself. But I just couldn’t think of going and telling Mrs. Lynde so. It would be so humiliating. I made up my mind I’d stay shut up here forever rather than do that. But still—I’d do anything for you—if you really want me to—”
“Well now, of course I do. It’s terrible lonesome downstairs without you. Just go and smooth things over—that’s a good girl.”
“That’s right—that’s right, Anne. But don’t tell Marilla I said anything about it. She might think I was putting my oar16 in and I promised not to do that.”
“Wild horses won’t drag the secret from me,” promised Anne solemnly. “How would wild horses drag a secret from a person anyhow?”
But Matthew was gone, scared at his own success. He fled hastily to the remotest corner of the horse pasture lest Marilla should suspect what he had been up to. Marilla herself, upon her return to the house, was agreeably surprised to hear a plaintive17 voice calling, “Marilla” over the banisters.
“Well?” she said, going into the hall.
“I’m sorry I lost my temper and said rude things, and I’m willing to go and tell Mrs. Lynde so.”
“Very well.” Marilla’s crispness gave no sign of her relief. She had been wondering what under the canopy18 she should do if Anne did not give in. “I’ll take you down after milking.”
Accordingly, after milking, behold19 Marilla and Anne walking down the lane, the former erect20 and triumphant21, the latter drooping22 and dejected. But halfway23 down Anne’s dejection vanished as if by enchantment24. She lifted her head and stepped lightly along, her eyes fixed25 on the sunset sky and an air of subdued26 exhilaration about her. Marilla beheld27 the change disapprovingly28. This was no meek29 penitent30 such as it behooved31 her to take into the presence of the offended Mrs. Lynde.
“What are you thinking of, Anne?” she asked sharply.
“I’m imagining out what I must say to Mrs. Lynde,” answered Anne dreamily.
This was satisfactory—or should have been so. But Marilla could not rid herself of the notion that something in her scheme of punishment was going askew32. Anne had no business to look so rapt and radiant.
Rapt and radiant Anne continued until they were in the very presence of Mrs. Lynde, who was sitting knitting by her kitchen window. Then the radiance vanished. Mournful penitence33 appeared on every feature. Before a word was spoken Anne suddenly went down on her knees before the astonished Mrs. Rachel and held out her hands beseechingly34.
“Oh, Mrs. Lynde, I am so extremely sorry,” she said with a quiver in her voice. “I could never express all my sorrow, no, not if I used up a whole dictionary. You must just imagine it. I behaved terribly to you—and I’ve disgraced the dear friends, Matthew and Marilla, who have let me stay at Green Gables although I’m not a boy. I’m a dreadfully wicked and ungrateful girl, and I deserve to be punished and cast out by respectable people forever. It was very wicked of me to fly into a temper because you told me the truth. It was the truth; every word you said was true. My hair is red and I’m freckled35 and skinny and ugly. What I said to you was true, too, but I shouldn’t have said it. Oh, Mrs. Lynde, please, please, forgive me. If you refuse it will be a lifelong sorrow on a poor little orphan36 girl, would you, even if she had a dreadful temper? Oh, I am sure you wouldn’t. Please say you forgive me, Mrs. Lynde.”
There was no mistaking her sincerity—it breathed in every tone of her voice. Both Marilla and Mrs. Lynde recognized its unmistakable ring. But the former under-stood in dismay that Anne was actually enjoying her valley of humiliation—was reveling in the thoroughness of her abasement38. Where was the wholesome39 punishment upon which she, Marilla, had plumed40 herself? Anne had turned it into a species of positive pleasure.
Good Mrs. Lynde, not being overburdened with perception, did not see this. She only perceived that Anne had made a very thorough apology and all resentment41 vanished from her kindly42, if somewhat officious, heart.
“There, there, get up, child,” she said heartily43. “Of course I forgive you. I guess I was a little too hard on you, anyway. But I’m such an outspoken44 person. You just mustn’t mind me, that’s what. It can’t be denied your hair is terrible red; but I knew a girl once—went to school with her, in fact—whose hair was every mite45 as red as yours when she was young, but when she grew up it darkened to a real handsome auburn. I wouldn’t be a mite surprised if yours did, too—not a mite.”
“Oh, Mrs. Lynde!” Anne drew a long breath as she rose to her feet. “You have given me a hope. I shall always feel that you are a benefactor46. Oh, I could endure anything if I only thought my hair would be a handsome auburn when I grew up. It would be so much easier to be good if one’s hair was a handsome auburn, don’t you think? And now may I go out into your garden and sit on that bench under the apple-trees while you and Marilla are talking? There is so much more scope for imagination out there.”
“Laws, yes, run along, child. And you can pick a bouquet47 of them white June lilies over in the corner if you like.”
As the door closed behind Anne Mrs. Lynde got briskly up to light a lamp.
“She’s a real odd little thing. Take this chair, Marilla; it’s easier than the one you’ve got; I just keep that for the hired boy to sit on. Yes, she certainly is an odd child, but there is something kind of taking about her after all. I don’t feel so surprised at you and Matthew keeping her as I did—nor so sorry for you, either. She may turn out all right. Of course, she has a queer way of expressing herself—a little too—well, too kind of forcible, you know; but she’ll likely get over that now that she’s come to live among civilized48 folks. And then, her temper’s pretty quick, I guess; but there’s one comfort, a child that has a quick temper, just blaze up and cool down, ain’t never likely to be sly or deceitful. Preserve me from a sly child, that’s what. On the whole, Marilla, I kind of like her.”
When Marilla went home Anne came out of the fragrant49 twilight50 of the orchard51 with a sheaf of white narcissi in her hands.
“I apologized pretty well, didn’t I?” she said proudly as they went down the lane. “I thought since I had to do it I might as well do it thoroughly52.”
“You did it thoroughly, all right enough,” was Marilla’s comment. Marilla was dismayed at finding herself inclined to laugh over the recollection. She had also an uneasy feeling that she ought to scold Anne for apologizing so well; but then, that was ridiculous! She compromised with her conscience by saying severely53:
“I hope you won’t have occasion to make many more such apologies. I hope you’ll try to control your temper now, Anne.”
“That wouldn’t be so hard if people wouldn’t twit me about my looks,” said Anne with a sigh. “I don’t get cross about other things; but I’m so tired of being twitted about my hair and it just makes me boil right over. Do you suppose my hair will really be a handsome auburn when I grow up?”
“You shouldn’t think so much about your looks, Anne. I’m afraid you are a very vain little girl.”
“How can I be vain when I know I’m homely54?” protested Anne. “I love pretty things; and I hate to look in the glass and see something that isn’t pretty. It makes me feel so sorrowful—just as I feel when I look at any ugly thing. I pity it because it isn’t beautiful.”
“Handsome is as handsome does,” quoted Marilla. “I’ve had that said to me before, but I have my doubts about it,” remarked skeptical55 Anne, sniffing56 at her narcissi. “Oh, aren’t these flowers sweet! It was lovely of Mrs. Lynde to give them to me. I have no hard feelings against Mrs. Lynde now. It gives you a lovely, comfortable feeling to apologize and be forgiven, doesn’t it? Aren’t the stars bright tonight? If you could live in a star, which one would you pick? I’d like that lovely clear big one away over there above that dark hill.”
“Anne, do hold your tongue,” said Marilla, thoroughly worn out trying to follow the gyrations of Anne’s thoughts.
Anne said no more until they turned into their own lane. A little gypsy wind came down it to meet them, laden57 with the spicy58 perfume of young dew-wet ferns. Far up in the shadows a cheerful light gleamed out through the trees from the kitchen at Green Gables. Anne suddenly came close to Marilla and slipped her hand into the older woman’s hard palm.
“It’s lovely to be going home and know it’s home,” she said. “I love Green Gables already, and I never loved any place before. No place ever seemed like home. Oh, Marilla, I’m so happy. I could pray right now and not find it a bit hard.”
Something warm and pleasant welled up in Marilla’s heart at touch of that thin little hand in her own—a throb59 of the maternity60 she had missed, perhaps. Its very unaccustomedness and sweetness disturbed her. She hastened to restore her sensations to their normal calm by inculcating a moral.
“If you’ll be a good girl you’ll always be happy, Anne. And you should never find it hard to say your prayers.”
“Saying one’s prayers isn’t exactly the same thing as praying,” said Anne meditatively61. “But I’m going to imagine that I’m the wind that is blowing up there in those tree tops. When I get tired of the trees I’ll imagine I’m gently waving down here in the ferns—and then I’ll fly over to Mrs. Lynde’s garden and set the flowers dancing—and then I’ll go with one great swoop62 over the clover field—and then I’ll blow over the Lake of Shining Waters and ripple63 it all up into little sparkling waves. Oh, there’s so much scope for imagination in a wind! So I’ll not talk any more just now, Marilla.”
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1
refractory
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| adj.倔强的，难驾驭的 | |
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meddlesome
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| adj.爱管闲事的 | |
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consolatory
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| adj.慰问的，可藉慰的 | |
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recollect
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| v.回忆，想起，记起，忆起，记得 | |
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obdurate
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| adj.固执的，顽固的 | |
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depleted
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| adj. 枯竭的, 废弃的 动词deplete的过去式和过去分词 | |
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parlor
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| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
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smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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wanly
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| adv.虚弱地；苍白地，无血色地 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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12
recollected
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| adj.冷静的；镇定的；被回忆起的；沉思默想的v.记起，想起( recollect的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prematurely
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| adv.过早地，贸然地 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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repented
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| 对（自己的所为）感到懊悔或忏悔( repent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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canopy
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| n.天篷，遮篷 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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enchantment
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| n.迷惑，妖术，魅力 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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28
disapprovingly
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| adv.不以为然地，不赞成地，非难地 | |
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meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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penitent
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| adj.后悔的；n.后悔者；忏悔者 | |
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behooved
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| v.适宜( behoove的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
askew
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| adv.斜地；adj.歪斜的 | |
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penitence
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| n.忏悔，赎罪；悔过 | |
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beseechingly
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| adv. 恳求地 | |
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freckled
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| adj.雀斑；斑点；晒斑；（使）生雀斑v.雀斑，斑点( freckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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orphan
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| n.孤儿；adj.无父母的 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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abasement
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| n.滥用 | |
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wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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plumed
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| 饰有羽毛的 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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outspoken
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| adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的 | |
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mite
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| n.极小的东西；小铜币 | |
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46
benefactor
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| n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人 | |
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bouquet
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| n.花束，酒香 | |
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48
civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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50
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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51
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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52
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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53
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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54
homely
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| adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的 | |
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55
skeptical
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| adj.怀疑的，多疑的 | |
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56
sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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57
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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spicy
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| adj.加香料的；辛辣的，有风味的 | |
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59
throb
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| v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动 | |
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60
maternity
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| n.母性，母道，妇产科病房；adj.孕妇的，母性的 | |
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61
meditatively
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| adv.冥想地 | |
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62
swoop
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| n.俯冲，攫取；v.抓取，突然袭击 | |
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63
ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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