登陆注册
4281100000044

第44章

"Let us hope not, dear," she said cheerfully. "How are your rock people coming on? Does the oldest Twin still continue to behave himself?""He HAS to," said Paul emphatically. "He knows I won't associate with him if he doesn't. He is really full of wickedness, I think.""And has Nora found out about the Golden Lady yet?""No; but I think she suspects. I'm almost sure she watched me the last time I went to the cave. _I_ don't mind if she finds out. . .

it is only for HER sake I don't want her to. . .so that her feelings won't be hurt. But if she is DETERMINED to have her feelings hurt it can't be helped.""If I were to go to the shore some night with you do you think Icould see your rock people too?"

Paul shook his head gravely.

"No, I don't think you could see MY rock people. I'm the only person who can see them. But you could see rock people of your own. You're one of the kind that can. We're both that kind.

YOU know, teacher," he added, squeezing her hand chummily.

"Isn't it splendid to be that kind, teacher?""Splendid," Anne agreed, gray shining eyes looking down into blue shining ones. Anne and Paul both knew"How fair the realm Imagination opens to the view,"and both knew the way to that happy land. There the rose of joy bloomed immortal by dale and stream; clouds never darkened the sunny sky; sweet bells never jangled out of tune; and kindred spirits abounded. The knowledge of that land's geography. . .

"east o' the sun, west o' the moon". . .is priceless lore, not to be bought in any market place. It must be the gift of the good fairies at birth and the years can never deface it or take it away.

It is better to possess it, living in a garret, than to be the inhabitant of palaces without it.

The Avonlea graveyard was as yet the grass-grown solitude it had always been. To be sure, the Improvers had an eye on it, and Priscilla Grant had read a paper on cemeteries before the last meeting of the Society. At some future time the Improvers meant to have the lichened, wayward old board fence replaced by a neat wire railing, the grass mown and the leaning monuments straightened up.

Anne put on Matthew's grave the flowers she had brought for it, and then went over to the little poplar shaded corner where Hester Gray slept.

Ever since the day of the spring picnic Anne had put flowers on Hester's grave when she visited Matthew's. The evening before she had made a pilgrimage back to the little deserted garden in the woods and brought therefrom some of Hester's own white roses.

"I thought you would like them better than any others, dear,"she said softly.

Anne was still sitting there when a shadow fell over the grass and she looked up to see Mrs. Allan. They walked home together.

Mrs. Allan's face was not the face of the girlbride whom the minister had brought to Avonlea five years before. It had lost some of its bloom and youthful curves, and there were fine, patient lines about eyes and mouth. A tiny grave in that very cemetery accounted for some of them; and some new ones had come during the recent illness, now happily over, of her little son. But Mrs. Allan's dimples were as sweet and sudden as ever, her eyes as clear and bright and true; and what her face lacked of girlish beauty was now more than atoned for in added tenderness and strength.

"I suppose you are looking forward to your vacation, Anne?" she said, as they left the graveyard.

Anne nodded.

"Yes.. . .I could roll the word as a sweet morsel under my tongue.

I think the summer is going to be lovely. For one thing, Mrs. Morgan is coming to the Island in July and Priscilla is going to bring her up.

I feel one of my old `thrills' at the mere thought.""I hope you'll have a good time, Anne. You've worked very hard this past year and you have succeeded.""Oh, I don't know. I've come so far short in so many things. Ihaven't done what I meant to do when I began to teach last fall.

I haven't lived up to my ideals."

"None of us ever do," said Mrs. Allan with a sigh. "But then, Anne, you know what Lowell says, `Not failure but low aim is crime.'

同类推荐
  • 读素问钞

    读素问钞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 胎藏金刚教法名号

    胎藏金刚教法名号

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 六因条辨

    六因条辨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 皇明名僧辑略

    皇明名僧辑略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 质疑录

    质疑录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 腹黑萌宝,顾少快追妻

    腹黑萌宝,顾少快追妻

    被人陷害,她毁了脸,她失去了爱情,还怀了一个父亲不知道是谁的孩子,人生狼狈至极。五年后,她顶着一张完好的脸,重新归来,可孩子却被抢走了,一个尊贵的男人强势的出现在她的生活里,他不仅成为了她孩子的父亲,还想成为她的男人。呵,妄想,她一次次逃离,却又被他一次次抓了回来。他像捧着至宝似的捧着她的脸,“苏以沫,放弃吧,就算你逃到天涯海角我也会把你抓回来的。”“呵,顾先生,不娶何撩啊。”“好,我娶你,现在可以撩了么?”“……”
  • 思维模式决定成败:影响一生的20种思维

    思维模式决定成败:影响一生的20种思维

    本书将人类的思维模式分为两大类:有利于成功的思维模式和倾向于失败的思维模式,透过对“成功模式”和“失败模式”的系统性对比,论述了成功与失败的深层次原因,如同绿灯行(油门)、红灯停(刹车)的交通指令(操控系统),指导着我们启动“生产成功的流水线”以创造成功,提醒着我们关闭“生产失败的流水线”以规避失败。
  • 葡萄高效栽培技术

    葡萄高效栽培技术

    《葡萄优质高效栽培》,介绍了葡萄栽培概况、优良品种、生长结果特性、对环境条件的要求与选址建园、的营养特点与施肥、架式与整形修剪、新梢及花果管理、设施促成栽培、主要病害防治等一系列内容。本书内容全面,条理清晰,适合广大农民读者阅读。
  • 水浒枭雄

    水浒枭雄

    成吉思汗说:“我的帝国横跨欧亚。”张扬说:“有人的地方,就有朕的朝廷。”成吉思汗说:“千年后亚洲百分之八的男人是我的后代。”张扬说:“千年后世界百分之八的人都跟我姓。”
  • 行走在民国(壹)

    行走在民国(壹)

    历史不应该是冰冷的,而应宛若一副展开的画卷,犹如《清明上河图》。本书充分展现出了小人物的生活与生存,带着我们深入到民国,去体会历史人物的一笑一颦、一饮一啄。历史每一次转折总会对生活造成冲击,即便是小小酒桌上,都能折射时代变迁。社会名流优雅闲适的同时,草根底层怎样在苦苦挣扎,百乐门一掷千金如何摆谱,黄包车夫为了抢生意彼此打架,帮会收取保护费有哪些潜规则……还原最真实的民国社会风貌。
  • 契约鬼妃

    契约鬼妃

    如果有一天我被尘世遗忘谁能透过我的灵魂找到我…当她醒来,周围一切变得虚无缥缈,感觉不到自己的存在,就算触碰自己都只会穿身而过。原来她变成了一抹幽魂,不知自己的过去,更不知自己的未来。没有身份的幽魂无法投胎转世,无法获得真正的解脱。从此她代替别人活着,为的只是寻找真正的自己。当她一次又一次用别人的身体睁开眼睛,她用自己的思想过着别人的生活,看尽世间悲欢离合,听遍天下承诺誓言。却没有人在她用另一个身份出现是认出她。她是被尘世抛弃的人,她是不记得过往却苦苦寻觅的幽魂。…只知阎王掌管凡尘众生的生死,其实他座下有三大聚魂灵尊,他们才是真正决定世人应该生或死的生死判官。其中一聚魂灵尊——东陵邪觉得自己很悲催,因为他所负责的地盘正值乱世硝烟。万事皆有法则,虽为生死判官也只能按法则行事,无奈乱世硝烟中人命皆如草芥,总有些人还没到该死的时辰,便因为种种原因嗝屁了。阎王传命于他,不该死的人就绝不能引入地府也不允许游魂在外。东陵邪听到这样的命令,皱起眉头,这不是强人所难吗?左思右想,苦思冥想之后,东陵邪创造一道地府之令——逐梦令。何谓逐梦令?东陵邪邪魅一笑,让那些不当死之人活下去就是逐梦令。谁来执行逐梦令?是东陵大大您亲自去吗?东陵邪再次邪魅一笑,开玩笑,本灵尊怎么会干此下等活儿,自然是让她去。她?她是谁?东陵邪觉得今日自己笑得有点多了,遂冷了脸色。她是谁?连她自己都不知道她是谁,她会跟着本灵尊正是因为她想知道她是谁。既然她没有身份,便可以用任何身份活下去,所以若谁在不该死的时候死去,她便得遵从逐梦令代替那人活下去,活到那人该死的时候。无论是否到该死的时辰,但凡死去的总不是什么好命人,那她岂不是永远在苦命中徘徊,这她也肯?她若想知道自己究竟是谁,就必须遵从逐梦令,或许在执行逐梦令时有人认出她来,她还有翻身的机会,不然她就永远魂魄难安,永世不得超生。…她想活着,却不知自己为何死去。那些人明明能活着,为何偏偏选择极端之路。古琴一响,逐梦一令。她能否寻找回真正的自我?…特别说明:1、此文略带玄幻色彩,不过只属于轻玄幻范畴。没有打怪练级换地图,却有宅斗宫斗人心斗,顺便还加了点触动心灵的爱情。2、此文人物背景皆为架空,偶尔出场的神话人物也只是杜纂而出,请勿寻瑕伺隙吹毛求疵。3、此文作者只接受一对一的结局。
  • MALBONE

    MALBONE

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 恃骄而宠

    恃骄而宠

    她听老爷子说,这个时空存在许多平行空间,她们只是在这个空间而已。一瞬的变化,将会改变另一个时空你的运行轨迹。“如果当年不是我被拐到申家,是不是就不会是现在这样?”“就算没有如果,我也要给你创造如果。”一息一瞬,改变后,却早已不是当年那个她了。
  • 博大精深的文化(奇妙的大千世界)

    博大精深的文化(奇妙的大千世界)

    世界如此广博与深邃,无论今天的科学多么的发达,终会有许多未解的谜团让我们无能为力,就是在我们身边,一些司空见惯的事情,如果去探究,也隐藏着许许多多令人惊叹的奥秘。《奇妙的大千世界:博大精深的文化》试图从多角度、多方面,结合现代科学的一些新的发现、新的成果进一步揭开背后层层的面纱。
  • 迷迭之翼

    迷迭之翼

    她——蓝瑰儿,在璀璨声名“赫赫”:恶赌鬼、丑鬼、八卦女……她用一系列苦心经营得来的名号掩盖自己的神秘身份,披着兔皮做着“大奸大恶”之事,弄得璀璨学园人心惶惶。冰山王子慕雪寒为了璀璨的宁静,誓要将这个花见花不开的大恶人赶出璀璨。作为“四大恶人”之一她并非浪得虚名,一场令两位当事人抽搐的恶赌开始了二人的PK之旅……