anne of the island- 第18部分

rather　resentfully。　　〃If　I　had　let　him　live　he'd　have　gone

on　persecuting　AVERIL　and　PERCEVAL。〃



〃Yes　　unless　you　had　reformed　him。〃



〃That　wouldn't　have　been　romantic；　and；　besides；　it　would　have

made　the　story　too　long。〃



〃Well；　anyway；　it's　a　perfectly　elegant　story；　Anne；　and　will

make　you　famous；　of　that　I'm　sure。　　Have　you　got　a　title　for　it？〃



〃Oh；　I　decided　on　the　title　long　ago。　　I　call　it　AVERIL'S

ATONEMENT。　　Doesn't　that　sound　nice　and　alliterative？　　Now；

Diana；　tell　me　candidly；　do　you　see　any　faults　in　my　story？〃



〃Well；〃　hesitated　Diana；　〃that　part　where　AVERIL　makes　the　cake

doesn't　seem　to　me　quite　romantic　enough　to　match　the　rest。　　It's

just　what　anybody　might　do。　　Heroines　shouldn't　do　cooking；　_I_　think。〃



〃Why；　that　is　where　the　humor　comes　in；　and　it's　one　of　the　best

parts　of　the　whole　story；〃　said　Anne。　　And　it　may　be　stated　that

in　this　she　was　quite　right。



Diana　prudently　refrained　from　any　further　criticism；　but

Mr。　Harrison　was　much　harder　to　please。　　First　he　told　her

there　was　entirely　too　much　description　in　the　story。



〃Cut　out　all　those　flowery　passages；〃　he　said　unfeelingly。



Anne　had　an　uncomfortable　conviction　that　Mr。　Harrison　was　right；

and　she　forced　herself　to　expunge　most　of　her　beloved　descriptions；

though　it　took　three　re…writings　before　the　story　could　be　pruned

down　to　please　the　fastidious　Mr。　Harrison。



〃I've　left　out　ALL　the　descriptions　but　the　sunset；〃　she　said　at　last。

〃I　simply　COULDN'T　let　it　go。　　It　was　the　best　of　them　all。〃



〃It　hasn't　anything　to　do　with　the　story；〃　said　Mr。　Harrison；

〃and　you　shouldn't　have　laid　the　scene　among　rich　city　people。

What　do　you　know　of　them？　　Why　didn't　you　lay　it　right　here　in

Avonlea　　changing　the　name；　of　course；　or　else　Mrs。　Rachel

Lynde　would　probably　think　she　was　the　heroine。〃



〃Oh；　that　would　never　have　done；〃　protested　Anne。　　〃Avonlea　is

the　dearest　place　in　the　world；　but　it　isn't　quite　romantic

enough　for　the　scene　of　a　story。〃



〃I　daresay　there's　been　many　a　romance　in　Avonlea　　and　many　a

tragedy；　too；〃　said　Mr。　Harrison　drily。　　〃But　your　folks　ain't

like　real　folks　anywhere。　　They　talk　too　much　and　use　too

high…flown　language。　　There's　one　place　where　that　DALRYMPLE　chap

talks　even　on　for　two　pages；　and　never　lets　the　girl　get　a　word　in

edgewise。　　If　he'd　done　that　in　real　life　she'd　have　pitched　him。〃



〃I　don't　believe　it；〃　said　Anne　flatly。　　In　her　secret　soul　she

thought　that　the　beautiful；　poetical　things　said　to　AVERIL　would

win　any　girl's　heart　completely。　　Besides；　it　was　gruesome　to　hear

of　AVERIL；　the　stately；　queen…like　AVERIL；　〃pitching〃　any　one。

AVERIL　〃declined　her　suitors。〃



〃Anyhow；〃　resumed　the　merciless　Mr。　Harrison；　〃I　don't　see　why

MAURICE　LENNOX　didn't　get　her。　　He　was　twice　the　man　the　other　is。

He　did　bad　things；　but　he　did　them。　　Perceval　hadn't　time　for

anything　but　mooning。〃



〃Mooning。〃　　That　was　even　worse　than　〃pitching！〃



〃MAURICE　LENNOX　was　the　villain；〃　said　Anne　indignantly。

〃I　don't　see　why　every　one　likes　him　better　than　PERCEVAL。〃



〃Perceval　is　too　good。　　He's　aggravating。　　Next　time　you　write

about　a　hero　put　a　little　spice　of　human　nature　in　him。〃



〃AVERIL　couldn't　have　married　MAURICE。　　He　was　bad。〃



〃She'd　have　reformed　him。　　You　can　reform　a　man；　you　can't　reform

a　jelly…fish；　of　course。　　Your　story　isn't　bad　　it's　kind　of

interesting；　I'll　admit。　　But　you're　too　young　to　write　a　story

that　would　be　worth　while。　　Wait　ten　years。〃



Anne　made　up　her　mind　that　the　next　time　she　wrote　a　story　she

wouldn't　ask　anybody　to　criticize　it。　　It　was　too　discouraging。

She　would　not　read　the　story　to　Gilbert；　although　she　told　him

about　it。



〃If　it　is　a　success　you'll　see　it　when　it　is　published；　Gilbert；

but　if　it　is　a　failure　nobody　shall　ever　see　it。〃



Marilla　knew　nothing　about　the　venture。　　In　imagination　Anne　saw

herself　reading　a　story　out　of　a　magazine　to　Marilla；　entrapping

her　into　praise　of　it　　for　in　imagination　all　things　are

possible　　and　then　triumphantly　announcing　herself　the　author。



One　day　Anne　took　to　the　Post　Office　a　long；　bulky　envelope；

addressed；　with　the　delightful　confidence　of　youth　and

inexperience；　to　the　very　biggest　of　the　〃big〃　magazines。

Diana　was　as　excited　over　it　as　Anne　herself。



〃How　long　do　you　suppose　it　will　be　before　you　hear　from　it？〃

she　asked。



〃It　shouldn't　be　longer　than　a　fortnight。　　Oh；　how　happy　and

proud　I　shall　be　if　it　is　accepted！〃



〃Of　course　it　will　be　accepted；　and　they　will　likely　ask　you　to

send　them　more。　　You　may　be　as　famous　as　Mrs。　Morgan　some　day；

Anne；　and　then　how　proud　I'll　be　of　knowing　you；〃　said　Diana；　who

possessed；　at　least；　the　striking　merit　of　an　unselfish

admiration　of　the　gifts　and　graces　of　her　friends。



A　week　of　delightful　dreaming　followed；　and　then　came　a　bitter　awakening。

One　evening　Diana　found　Anne　in　the　porch　gable；　with　suspicious…looking

eyes。　　On　the　table　lay　a　long　envelope　and　a　crumpled　manuscript。



〃Anne；　your　story　hasn't　come　back？〃　cried　Diana　incredulously。



〃Yes；　it　has；〃　said　Anne　shortly。



〃Well；　that　editor　must　be　crazy。　　What　reason　did　he　give？〃



〃No　reason　at　all。　　There　is　just　a　printed　slip　saying　that　it

wasn't　found　acceptable。〃



〃I　never　thought　much　of　that　magazine；　anyway；〃　said　Diana　hotly。

〃The　stories　in　it　are　not　half　as　interesting　as　those　in　the

Canadian　Woman；　although　it　costs　so　much　more。　　I　suppose

the　editor　is　prejudiced　against　any　one　who　isn't　a　Yankee。

Don't　be　discouraged；　Anne。　　Remember　how　Mrs。　Morgan's　stories

came　back。　　Send　yours　to　the　Canadian　Woman。〃



〃I　believe　I　will；〃　said　Anne；　plucking　up　heart。　　〃And　if　it　is

published　I'll　send　that　American　editor　a　marked　copy。　　But　I'll

cut　the　sunset　out。　　I　believe　Mr。　Harrison　was　right。〃



Out　came　the　sunset；　but　in　spite　of　this　heroic　mutilation　the

editor　of　the　Canadian　Woman　sent　Averil's　Atonement　back　so

promptly　that　the　indignant　Diana　declared　that　it　couldn't　have

been　read　at　all；　and　vowed　she　was　going　to　stop　her　subscription

immediately。　　Anne　took　this　second　rejection　with　the　calmness　of

despair。　　She　locked　the　story　away　in　the　garret　trunk　where　the

old　Story　Club　tales　reposed；　but　first　she　yielded　to　Diana's

entreaties　and　gave　her　a　copy。



〃This　is　the　end　of　my　literary　ambitions；〃　she　said　bitterly。



She　never　mentioned　the　matter　to　Mr。　Harrison；　but　one　evening

he　asked　her　bluntly　if　her　story　had　been　accepted。



〃No；　the　editor　wouldn't　take　it；〃　she　answered　briefly。



Mr。　Harrison　looked　sidewise　at　the　flushed；　delicate　profile。



〃Well；　I　suppose　you'll　keep　on　writing　them；〃　he　said　encouragingly。



〃No；　I　shall　never　try　to　write　a　story　again；〃　declared　Anne；　with

the　hopeless　finality　of　nineteen　when　a　door　is　shut　in　its　face。



〃I　wouldn't　give　up　altogether；〃　said　Mr。　Harrison　reflectively。　　〃I'd

write　a　story　once　in　a　while；　but　I　wouldn't　pester　editors　with　it。

I'd　write　of　people　and　places　like　I　knew；　and　I'd　make　my　characters

talk　everyday　English；　and　I'd　let　the　sun　rise　and　set　in　the　usual

quiet　way　without　much　fuss　over　the　fact。　　If　I　had　to　have　villains

at　all；　I'd　give　them　a　chance；　Anne　　I'd　give　them　a　chance。

There　are　some　terrible　bad　men　in　the　world；　I　suppose；　but　you'd

have　to　go　a　long　piece　to　find　them　　though　Mrs。　Lynde　believes　we're

all　bad。　　But　most　of　us　have　got　a　little　decency　somewhere　in　us。

Keep　on　writing；　Anne。〃



〃No。　　It　was　very　foolish　of　me　to　attempt　it。　　When　I'm　through

Redmond　I'll　stick　to　teaching。　　I　can　teach。　　I　can't　write　stories。〃



〃It'll　be　time　for　you　to　be　getting　a　husband　when　you're

through　Redmond；〃　said　Mr。　Harrison。　　〃I　don't　believe　in

putting　marrying　off　too　long　　like　I　did。〃



Anne　got　up　and　marched　home。　　There　were　times　when　Mr。　Harrison

was　really　intolerable。　　〃Pitching；〃　〃mooning；〃　and　〃getting　a

husband。〃　　Ow！！









Chapter　XIII



The　Way　of　Transgressors





Davy　and　Dora　were　ready　for　Sunday　School。　　They　were　going　alone；

which　did　not　often　happen；　for　Mrs。　Lynde　always　attended　Sunday　School。

But　Mrs。　Lynde　had　twisted　her　ankle　and　was　lame；　so　she　was　staying

home　this　morning。　　The　twins　were　also　to　represent　the　family　at　church；

for　Anne　had　gone　away　the　evening　before　to　spend　Sunday　with　friends

in　Carmody；　and　Marilla　had　one　of　her　headaches。



Davy　came　downstairs　slowly。　　Dora　was　waiting　in　the　hall　for　him；　having

been　made　ready　by　Mrs。　Lynde。　　Davy　had　attended　to　his　own　preparations。

He　had　a　cent　in　his　pocket　for　the　Sunday　School　collection；　and　a　five…cent

piece　for　the　church　collection；　he　carried　his　Bible　in　one　hand　and　his

Sunday　School　quarterly　in　the　other；　he　knew　his　lesson　and　his　Golden　Text

and　his　catechism　question　perfectly。　　Had　he　not　studied　them　　perforce

　in　Mrs。　Lynde's　kitchen；　all　last　Sunday　afternoon？　　Davy；　therefore；

should　have　been　in　a　placid　frame　of　mind。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　despite

text　and　catechism；　he　was　inwardly　as　a　ravening　wolf。



Mrs。　Lynde　limped　out　of　her　kitchen　as　he　joined　Dora。



〃Are　you　clean？〃　she　demanded　severely。



〃Yes　　all　of　me　that　shows；〃　Davy　answered　with　a　defiant　scowl。



Mrs。　Rachel　sighed。　　She　had　her　suspicions　about　Davy's　neck

and　ears。　　But　she　knew　that　if　she　attempted　to　make　a　personal

examination　Davy　would　likely　take　to　his　heels　and　she　could　not

pursue　him　today。



〃Well；　be　sure　you　behave　yourselves；〃　she　warned　them。　　〃Don't　walk

in　the　dust。　　Don't　stop　in　the　porch　to　talk　to　the　other　children。

Don't　squirm　or　wriggle　in　your　places。　　Don't　forget　the　Golden　Text。

Don't　lose　your　collection　or　forget　to　put　it　in。　　Don't　whisper　at

prayer　time；　and　don't　forget　to　pay　attention　to　the　sermon。〃



Davy　deigned　no　response。　　He　marched　away　down　the