Anne’s House of Dreams

第4章

LESLIECOMESOVER

LesliecameovertothehouseofdreamsonefrostyOctobernight，whenmoonlitmistswerehangingovertheharborandcurlinglikesilverribbonsalongtheseawardglens。ShelookedasifsherepentedcomingwhenGilbertansweredherknock；butAnneflewpasthim，pouncedonher，anddrewherin。

"I’msogladyoupickedtonightforacall，"shesaidgaily。"Imadeupalotofextragoodfudgethisafternoonandwewantsomeonetohelpuseatit——beforethefire——whilewetellstories。PerhapsCaptainJimwilldropin，too。Thisishisnight。"

"No。CaptainJimisoverhome，"saidLeslie。"He——hemademecomehere，"sheadded，halfdefiantly。

"I’llsayathank-youtohimforthatwhenIseehim，"

saidAnne，pullingeasychairsbeforethefire。

"Oh，Idon’tmeanthatIdidn’twanttocome，"

protestedLeslie，flushingalittle。"I——I’vebeenthinkingofcoming——butitisn’talwayseasyformetogetaway。"

"OfcourseitmustbehardforyoutoleaveMr。

Moore，"saidAnne，inamatter-of-facttone。ShehaddecidedthatitwouldbebesttomentionDickMooreoccasionallyasanacceptedfact，andnotgiveunduemorbidnesstothesubjectbyavoidingit。Shewasright，forLeslie’sairofconstraintsuddenlyvanished。EvidentlyshehadbeenwonderinghowmuchAnneknewoftheconditionsofherlifeandwasrelievedthatnoexplanationswereneeded。Sheallowedhercapandjackettobetaken，andsatdownwithagirlishsnuggleinthebigarmchairbyMagog。Shewasdressedprettilyandcarefully，withthecustomarytouchofcolorinthescarletgeraniumatherwhitethroat。Herbeautifulhairgleamedlikemoltengoldinthewarmfirelight。Hersea-blueeyeswerefullofsoftlaughterandallurement。Forthemoment，undertheinfluenceofthelittlehouseofdreams，shewasagirlagain——agirlforgetfulofthepastanditsbitterness。Theatmosphereofthemanylovesthathadsanctifiedthelittlehousewasallabouther；thecompanionshipoftwohealthy，happy，youngfolksofherowngenerationencircledher；shefeltandyieldedtothemagicofhersurroundings——MissCorneliaandCaptainJimwouldscarcelyhaverecognizedher；Annefoundithardtobelievethatthiswasthecold，unresponsivewomanshehadmetontheshore——thisanimatedgirlwhotalkedandlistenedwiththeeagernessofastarvedsoul。AndhowhungrilyLeslie’seyeslookedatthebookcasesbetweenthewindows！

"Ourlibraryisn’tveryextensive，"saidAnne，"buteverybookinitisaFRIEND。We’vepickedourbooksupthroughtheyears，hereandthere，neverbuyingoneuntilwehadfirstreaditandknewthatitbelongedtotheraceofJoseph。"

Leslielaughed——beautifullaughterthatseemedakintoallthemirththathadechoedthroughthelittlehouseinthevanishedyears。

"Ihaveafewbooksoffather’s——notmany，"shesaid。

"I’vereadthemuntilIknowthemalmostbyheart。I

don’tgetmanybooks。There’sacirculatinglibraryattheGlenstore——butIdon’tthinkthecommitteewhopickthebooksforMr。ParkerknowwhatbooksareofJoseph’srace——orperhapstheydon’tcare。ItwassoseldomIgotoneIreallylikedthatIgaveupgettingany。"

"Ihopeyou’lllookonourbookshelvesasyourown，"

saidAnne。

"Youareentirelyandwholeheartedlywelcometotheloanofanybookonthem。"

"Youaresettingafeastoffatthingsbeforeme，"

saidLeslie，joyously。Then，astheclockstruckten，sherose，halfunwillingly。

"Imustgo。Ididn’trealiseitwassolate。CaptainJimisalwayssayingitdoesn’ttakelongtostayanhour。ButI’vestayedtwo——andoh，butI’veenjoyedthem，"sheaddedfrankly。

"Comeoften，"saidAnneandGilbert。Theyhadrisenandstoodtogetherinthefirelight’sglow。Leslielookedatthem——youthful，hopeful，happy，typifyingallshehadmissedandmustforevermiss。Thelightwentoutofherfaceandeyes；thegirlvanished；itwasthesorrowful，cheatedwomanwhoansweredtheinvitationalmostcoldlyandgotherselfawaywithapitifulhaste。

Annewatchedheruntilshewaslostintheshadowsofthechillandmistynight。Thensheturnedslowlybacktotheglowofherownradianthearthstone。

"Isn’tshelovely，Gilbert？Herhairfascinatesme。

MissCorneliasaysitreachestoherfeet。RubyGillishadbeautifulhair——butLeslie’sisALIVE——everythreadofitislivinggold。"

"Sheisverybeautiful，"agreedGilbert，soheartilythatAnnealmostwishedhewereaLITTLElessenthusiastic。

"Gilbert，wouldyoulikemyhairbetterifitwerelikeLeslie’s？"sheaskedwistfully。

"Iwouldn’thaveyourhairanycolorbutjustwhatitisfortheworld，"saidGilbert，withoneortwoconvincingaccompaniments。

Youwouldn’tbeANNEifyouhadgoldenhair——orhairofanycolorbut"——

"Red，"saidAnne，withgloomysatisfaction。

"Yes，red——togivewarmthtothatmilk-whiteskinandthoseshininggray-greeneyesofyours。Goldenhairwouldn’tsuityouatallQueenAnne——MYQueenAnne——queenofmyheartandlifeandhome。"

"ThenyoumayadmireLeslie’sallyoulike，"saidAnnemagnanimously。

CHAPTER13

AGHOSTLYEVENING

Oneevening，aweeklater，Annedecidedtorunoverthefieldstothehouseupthebrookforaninformalcall。

Itwasaneveningofgrayfogthathadcreptinfromthegulf，swathedtheharbor，filledtheglensandvalleys，andclungheavilytotheautumnalmeadows。

Throughittheseasobbedandshuddered。AnnesawFourWindsinanewaspect，andfounditweirdandmysteriousandfascinating；butitalsogaveheralittlefeelingofloneliness。Gilbertwasawayandwouldbeawayuntilthemorrow，attendingamedicalpow-wowinCharlottetown。Annelongedforanhouroffellowshipwithsomegirlfriend。CaptainJimandMissCorneliawere"goodfellows"each，intheirownway；

butyouthyearnedtoyouth。

"IfonlyDianaorPhilorPrisorStellacoulddropinforachat，"shesaidtoherself，"howdelightfulitwouldbe！ThisissuchaGHOSTLYnight。I’msurealltheshipsthateversailedoutofFourWindstotheirdoomcouldbeseentonightsailinguptheharborwiththeirdrownedcrewsontheirdecks，ifthatshroudingfogcouldsuddenlybedrawnaside。Ifeelasifitconcealedinnumerablemysteries——asifIweresurroundedbythewraithsofoldgenerationsofFourWindspeoplepeeringatmethroughthatgrayveil。Ifeverthedeardeadladiesofthislittlehousecamebacktorevisitittheywouldcomeonjustsuchanightasthis。IfIsithereanylongerI’llseeoneofthemthereoppositemeinGilbert’schair。Thisplaceisn’texactlycannytonight。EvenGogandMagoghaveanairofprickinguptheirearstohearthefootstepsofunseenguests。I’llrunovertoseeLesliebeforeI

frightenmyselfwithmyownfancies，asIdidlongagointhematteroftheHauntedWood。I’llleavemyhouseofdreamstowelcomebackitsoldinhabitants。Myfirewillgivethemmygood-willandgreeting——theywillbegonebeforeIcomeback，andmyhousewillbemineoncemore。TonightIamsureitiskeepingatrystwiththepast。"

Laughingalittleoverherfancy，yetwithsomethingofacreepysensationintheregionofherspine，AnnekissedherhandtoGogandMagogandslippedoutintothefog，withsomeofthenewmagazinesunderherarmforLeslie。

"Leslie’swildforbooksandmagazines，"MissCorneliahadtoldher，"andshehardlyeverseesone。Shecan’taffordtobuythemorsubscribeforthem。She’sreallypitifullypoor，Anne。Idon’tseehowshemakesouttoliveatallonthelittlerentthefarmbringsin。

Sheneverevenhintsacomplaintonthescoreofpoverty，butIknowwhatitmustbe。She’sbeenhandicappedbyitallherlife。Shedidn’tminditwhenshewasfreeandambitious，butitmustgallnow，believeME。I’mgladsheseemedsobrightandmerrytheeveningshespentwithyou。CaptainJimtoldmehehadfairlytoputhercapandcoatonandpushheroutofthedoor。Don’tbetoolonggoingtoseehereither。Ifyouareshe’llthinkit’sbecauseyoudon’tlikethesightofDick，andshe’llcrawlintohershellagain。Dick’sagreat，big，harmlessbaby，butthatsillygrinandchuckleofhisdogetonsomepeople’snerves。Thankgoodness，I’venonervesmyself。IlikeDickMoorebetternowthanIeverdidwhenhewasinhisrightsenses——thoughtheLordknowsthatisn’tsayingmuch。IwasdownthereonedayinhousecleaningtimehelpingLeslieabit，andIwasfryingdoughnuts。

Dickwashangingroundtogetone，asusual，andallatoncehepickedupascaldinghotoneI’djustfishedoutanddroppeditonthebackofmyneckwhenIwasbendingover。Thenhelaughedandlaughed。BelieveME，Anne，ittookallthegraceofGodinmyhearttokeepmefromjustwhiskingupthatstew-panofboilingfatandpouringitoverhishead。"

AnnelaughedoverMissCornelia’swrathasshespedthroughthedarkness。Butlaughteraccordedillwiththatnight。Shewassoberenoughwhenshereachedthehouseamongthewillows。Everythingwasverysilent。

Thefrontpartofthehouseseemeddarkanddeserted，soAnneslippedroundtothesidedoor，whichopenedfromtheverandaintoalittlesittingroom。Thereshehaltednoiselessly。

Thedoorwasopen。Beyond，inthedimlylightedroom，satLeslieMoore，withherarmsflungoutonthetableandherheadbentuponthem。Shewasweepinghorribly——withlow，fierce，chokingsobs，asifsomeagonyinhersoulweretryingtotearitselfout。Anoldblackdogwassittingbyher，hisnoserestingonhislap，hisbigdoggisheyesfullofmute，imploringsympathyanddevotion。Annedrewbackindismay。Shefeltthatshecouldnotintermeddlewiththisbitterness。Herheartachedwithasympathyshemightnotutter。Togoinnowwouldbetoshutthedoorforeveronanypossiblehelporfriendship。SomeinstinctwarnedAnnethattheproud，bittergirlwouldneverforgivetheonewhothussurprisedherinherabandonmentofdespair。

Anneslippednoiselesslyfromtheverandaandfoundherwayacrosstheyard。Beyond，sheheardvoicesinthegloomandsawthedimglowofalight。Atthegateshemettwomen——CaptainJimwithalantern，andanotherwhosheknewmustbeDickMoore——abigman，badlygonetofat，withabroad，round，redface，andvacanteyes。

EveninthedulllightAnnegottheimpressionthattherewassomethingunusualabouthiseyes。

"Isthisyou，MistressBlythe？"saidCaptainJim。

"Now，now，youhadn’toughterberoamingaboutaloneonanightlikethis。Youcouldgetlostinthisfogeasierthannot。JestyouwaittillIseeDicksafeinsidethedoorandI’llcomebackandlightyouoverthefields。Iain’tgoingtohaveDr。BlythecominghomeandfindingthatyouwalkedcleanoverCapeLeforceinthefog。Awomandidthatonce，fortyyearsago。

"Soyou’vebeenovertoseeLeslie，"hesaid，whenherejoinedher。

"Ididn’tgoin，"saidAnne，andtoldwhatshehadseen。CaptainJimsighed。

"Poor，poor，littlegirl！Shedon’tcryoften，MistressBlythe——she’stoobraveforthat。Shemustfeelterriblewhenshedoescry。Anightlikethisishardonpoorwomenwhohavesorrows。There’ssomethingaboutitthatkinderbringsupallwe’vesuffered——orfeared。"

"It’sfullofghosts，"saidAnne，withashiver。

"ThatwaswhyIcameover——Iwantedtoclaspahumanhandandhearahumanvoice。

ThereseemtobesomanyINHUMANpresencesabouttonight。Evenmyowndearhousewasfullofthem。

Theyfairlyelbowedmeout。SoIfledoverhereforcompanionshipofmykind。"

"Youwererightnottogoin，though，MistressBlythe。

Lesliewouldn’thavelikedit。Shewouldn’thavelikedmegoinginwithDick，asI’dhavedoneifIhadn’tmetyou。IhadDickdownwithmeallday。IkeephimwithmeasmuchasIcantohelpLeslieabit。"

"Isn’ttheresomethingoddabouthiseyes？"askedAnne。

"Younoticedthat？Yes，oneisblueandt’otherishazel——hisfatherhadthesame。It’saMoorepeculiarity。ThatwaswhattoldmehewasDickMoorewhenIsawhimfirstdowninCuby。Ifithadn’ta-binforhiseyesImightn’ta-knownhim，withhisbeardandfat。Youknow，Ireckon，thatitwasmefoundhimandbroughthimhome。MissCorneliaalwayssaysI

shouldn’thavedoneit，butIcan’tagreewithher。ItwastheRIGHTthingtodo——andso’twastheonlything。

Thereain’tnoquestioninmymindaboutTHAT。ButmyoldheartachesforLeslie。She’sonlytwenty-eightandshe’seatenmorebreadwithsorrowthanmostwomendoineightyyears。"

Theywalkedoninsilenceforalittlewhile。

PresentlyAnnesaid，"Doyouknow，CaptainJim，Ineverlikewalkingwithalantern。Ihavealwaysthestrangestfeelingthatjustoutsidethecircleoflight，justoveritsedgeinthedarkness，Iamsurroundedbyaringoffurtive，sinisterthings，watchingmefromtheshadowswithhostileeyes。I’vehadthatfeelingfromchildhood。Whatisthereason？

IneverfeellikethatwhenI’mreallyinthedarkness——whenitiscloseallaroundme——I’mnottheleastfrightened。"

"I’vesomethingofthatfeelingmyself，"admittedCaptainJim。"Ireckonwhenthedarknessisclosetousitisafriend。Butwhenwesorterpushitawayfromus——divorceourselvesfromit，sotospeak，withlanternlight——itbecomesanenemy。Butthefogislifting。

There’sasmartwestwindrising，ifyounotice。Thestarswillbeoutwhenyougethome。"

Theywereout；andwhenAnnere-enteredherhouseofdreamstheredemberswerestillglowingonthehearth，andallthehauntingpresencesweregone。

CHAPTER14

NOVEMBERDAYS

ThesplendorofcolorwhichhadglowedforweeksalongtheshoresofFourWindsHarborhadfadedoutintothesoftgray-blueoflateautumnalhills。Therecamemanydayswhenfieldsandshoresweredimwithmistyrain，orshiveringbeforethebreathofamelancholysea-wind——nights，too，ofstormandtempest，whenAnnesometimeswakenedtopraythatnoshipmightbebeatingupthegrimnorthshore，forifitweresonoteventhegreat，faithfullightwhirlingthroughthedarknessunafraid，couldavailtoguideitintosafehaven。

"InNovemberIsometimesfeelasifspringcouldnevercomeagain，"shesighed，grievingoverthehopelessunsightlinessofherfrostedandbedraggledflower-plots。Thegaylittlegardenoftheschoolmaster’sbridewasratheraforlornplacenow，andtheLombardiesandbircheswereunderbarepoles，asCaptainJimsaid。Butthefir-woodbehindthelittlehousewasforevergreenandstaunch；andeveninNovemberandDecembertherecamegraciousdaysofsunshineandpurplehazes，whentheharbordancedandsparkledasblithelyasinmidsummer，andthegulfwassosoftlyblueandtenderthatthestormandthewildwindseemedonlythingsofalong-pastdream。

AnneandGilbertspentmanyanautumneveningatthelighthouse。Itwasalwaysacheeryplace。Evenwhentheeastwindsanginminorandtheseawasdeadandgray，hintsofsunshineseemedtobelurkingallaboutit。PerhapsthiswasbecausetheFirstMatealwaysparadeditinpanoplyofgold。Hewassolargeandeffulgentthatonehardlymissedthesun，andhisresoundingpurrsformedapleasantaccompanimenttothelaughterandconversationwhichwentonaroundCaptainJim’sfireplace。CaptainJimandGilberthadmanylongdiscussionsandhighconverseonmattersbeyondthekenofcatorking。

"Iliketoponderonallkindsofproblems，thoughI

can’tsolve’em，"saidCaptainJim。"Myfatherheldthatweshouldnevertalkofthingswecouldn’tunderstand，butifwedidn’t，doctor，thesubjectsforconversationwouldbemightyfew。Ireckonthegodslaughmanyatimetohearus，butwhatmatterssolongaswerememberthatwe’reonlymenanddon’ttaketofancyingthatwe’regodsourselves，really，knowinggoodandevil。Ireckonourpow-wowswon’tdousoranyonemuchharm，solet’shaveanotherwhackatthewhence，whyandwhitherthisevening，doctor。"

Whilethey"whacked，"Annelistenedordreamed。

SometimesLesliewenttothelighthousewiththem，andsheandAnnewanderedalongtheshoreintheeerietwilight，orsatontherocksbelowthelighthouseuntilthedarknessdrovethembacktothecheerofthedriftwoodfire。ThenCaptainJimwouldbrewthemteaandtellthem"talesoflandandseaAndwhatsoevermightbetideThegreatforgottenworldoutside。"

Leslieseemedalwaystoenjoythoselighthousecarousalsverymuch，andbloomedoutforthetimebeingintoreadywitandbeautifullaughter，orglowing-eyedsilence。TherewasacertaintangandsavorintheconversationwhenLesliewaspresentwhichtheymissedwhenshewasabsent。Evenwhenshedidnottalksheseemedtoinspireotherstobrilliancy。CaptainJimtoldhisstoriesbetter，Gilbertwasquickerinargumentandrepartee，AnnefeltlittlegushesandtricklesoffancyandimaginationbubblingtoherlipsundertheinfluenceofLeslie’spersonality。

"Thatgirlwasborntobealeaderinsocialandintellectualcircles，farawayfromFourWinds，"shesaidtoGilbertastheywalkedhomeonenight。"She’sjustwastedhere——wasted。"

"Weren’tyoulisteningtoCaptainJimandyourstrulytheothernightwhenwediscussedthatsubjectgenerally？WecametothecomfortingconclusionthattheCreatorprobablyknewhowtorunHisuniversequiteaswellaswedo，andthat，afterall，therearenosuchthingsas`wasted’lives，savingandexceptwhenanindividualwilfullysquandersandwasteshisownlife——whichLeslieMoorecertainlyhasn’tdone。AndsomepeoplemightthinkthataRedmondB。A。，whomeditorswerebeginningtohonor，was`wasted’asthewifeofastrugglingcountrydoctorintheruralcommunityofFourWinds。"

"Gilbert！"

"IfyouhadmarriedRoyGardner，now，"continuedGilbertmercilessly，"YOUcouldhavebeen`aleaderinsocialandintellectualcirclesfarawayfromFourWinds。’"

"GilbertBLYTHE！"

"YouKNOWyouwereinlovewithhimatonetime，Anne。"

"Gilbert，that’smean——`pisenmean，justlikeallthemen，’asMissCorneliasays。INEVERwasinlovewithhim。IonlyimaginedIwas。YOUknowthat。YouKNOW

I’dratherbeyourwifeinourhouseofdreamsandfulfillmentthanaqueeninapalace。"

Gilbert’sanswerwasnotinwords；butIamafraidthatbothofthemforgotpoorLesliespeedingherlonelywayacrossthefieldstoahousethatwasneitherapalacenorthefulfillmentofadream。

Themoonwasrisingoverthesad，darkseabehindthemandtransfiguringit。Herlighthadnotyetreachedtheharbor，thefurthersideofwhichwasshadowyandsuggestive，withdimcovesandrichgloomsandjewellinglights。

"Howthehomelightsshineouttonightthroughthedark！"saidAnne。"Thatstringofthemovertheharborlookslikeanecklace。AndwhatacoruscationthereisupattheGlen！Oh，look，Gilbert；thereisours。I’msogladweleftitburning。Ihatetocomehometoadarkhouse。OURhomelight，Gilbert！Isn’titlovelytosee？"

"Justoneofearth’smanymillionsofhomes，Anne——girl——butours——OURS——ourbeaconin`anaughtyworld。’Whenafellowhasahomeandadear，little，red-hairedwifeinitwhatmoreneedheaskoflife？"

"Well，hemightaskONEthingmore，"whisperedAnnehappily。"Oh，Gilbert，itseemsasifIjustCOULDN’T

waitforthespring。"

CHAPTER15

CHRISTMASATFOURWINDS

AtfirstAnneandGilberttalkedofgoinghometoAvonleaforChristmas；buteventuallytheydecidedtostayinFourWinds。"IwanttospendthefirstChristmasofourlifetogetherinourownhome，"

decreedAnne。

SoitfelloutthatMarillaandMrs。RachelLyndeandthetwinscametoFourWindsforChristmas。Marillahadthefaceofawomanwhohadcircumnavigatedtheglobe。Shehadneverbeensixtymilesawayfromhomebefore；andshehadnevereatenaChristmasdinneranywheresaveatGreenGables。

Mrs。Rachelhadmadeandbroughtwithheranenormousplumpudding。NothingcouldhaveconvincedMrs。RachelthatacollegegraduateoftheyoungergenerationcouldmakeaChristmasplumpuddingproperly；butshebestowedapprovalonAnne’shouse。

"Anne’sagoodhousekeeper，"shesaidtoMarillainthespareroomthenightoftheirarrival。"I’velookedintoherbreadboxandherscrappail。Ialwaysjudgeahousekeeperbythose，that’swhat。There’snothinginthepailthatshouldn’thavebeenthrownaway，andnostalepiecesinthebreadbox。Ofcourse，shewastrainedupwithyou——but，then，shewenttocollegeafterwards。Inoticeshe’sgotmytobaccostripequiltonthebedhere，andthatbigroundbraidedmatofyoursbeforeherliving-roomfire。Itmakesmefeelrightathome。"

Anne’sfirstChristmasinherownhousewasasdelightfulasshecouldhavewished。Thedaywasfineandbright；thefirstskimofsnowhadfallenonChristmasEveandmadetheworldbeautiful；theharborwasstillopenandglittering。

CaptainJimandMissCorneliacametodinner。LeslieandDickhadbeeninvited，butLesliemadeexcuse；theyalwayswenttoherUncleIsaacWest’sforChristmas，shesaid。

"She’dratherhaveitso，"MissCorneliatoldAnne。

"Shecan’tbeartakingDickwheretherearestrangers。

ChristmasisalwaysahardtimeforLeslie。Sheandherfatherusedtomakealotofit。"

MissCorneliaandMrs。Racheldidnottakeaveryviolentfancytoeachother。"Twosunsholdnottheircoursesinonesphere。"Buttheydidnotclashatall，forMrs。RachelwasinthekitchenhelpingAnneandMarillawiththedinner，anditfelltoGilberttoentertainCaptainJimandMissCornelia，——orrathertobeentertainedbythem，foradialoguebetweenthosetwooldfriendsandantagonistswasassuredlyneverdull。

"It’smanyayearsincetherewasaChristmasdinnerhere，MistressBlythe，"saidCaptainJim。"MissRussellalwayswenttoherfriendsintownforChristmas。ButIwasheretothefirstChristmasdinnerthatwasevereateninthishouse——andtheschoolmaster’sbridecookedit。Thatwassixtyyearsagotoday，MistressBlythe——andadayverylikethis——justenoughsnowtomakethehillswhite，andtheharborasblueasJune。Iwasonlyalad，andI’dneverbeeninvitedouttodinnerbefore，andIwastooshytoeatenough。I’vegotalloverTHAT。"

"Mostmendo，"saidMissCornelia，sewingfuriously。

MissCorneliawasnotgoingtositwithidlehands，evenonChristmas。

Babiescomewithoutanyconsiderationforholidays，andtherewasoneexpectedinapoverty-strickenhouseholdatGlenSt。Mary。MissCorneliahadsentthathouseholdasubstantialdinnerforitslittleswarm，andsomeanttoeatherownwithacomfortableconscience。

"Well，youknow，thewaytoaman’sheartisthroughhisstomach，Cornelia，"explainedCaptainJim。

"Ibelieveyou——whenheHASaheart，"retortedMissCornelia。"Isupposethat’swhysomanywomenkillthemselvescooking——justaspoorAmeliaBaxterdid。

ShediedlastChristmasmorning，andshesaiditwasthefirstChristmassinceshewasmarriedthatshedidn’thavetocookabig，twenty-platedinner。Itmusthavebeenarealpleasantchangeforher。Well，she’sbeendeadayear，soyou’llsoonhearofHoraceBaxtertakingnotice。"

"Iheardhewastakingnoticealready，"saidCaptainJim，winkingatGilbert。"Wasn’theuptoyourplaceoneSundaylately，withhisfuneralblackson，andaboiledcollar？"

"No，hewasn’t。Andheneedn’tcomeneither。Icouldhavehadhimlongagowhenhewasfresh。Idon’twantanysecond-handgoods，believeME。AsforHoraceBaxter，hewasinfinancialdifficultiesayearagolastsummer，andheprayedtotheLordforhelp；andwhenhiswifediedandhegotherlifeinsurancehesaidhebelieveditwastheanswertohisprayer。

Wasn’tthatlikeaman？"

"Haveyoureallyproofthathesaidthat，Cornelia？"

"IhavetheMethodistminister’swordforit——ifyoucallTHATproof。RobertBaxtertoldmethesamethingtoo，butIadmitTHATisn’tevidence。RobertBaxterisn’toftenknowntotellthetruth。"

"Come，come，Cornelia，Ithinkhegenerallytellsthetruth，buthechangeshisopinionsooftenitsometimessoundsasifhedidn’t。"

"Itsoundslikeitmightyoften，believeME。Buttrustonemantoexcuseanother。IhavenouseforRobertBaxter。HeturnedMethodistjustbecausethePresbyterianchoirhappenedtobesinging`Beholdthebridegroomcometh’foracollectionpiecewhenhimandMargaretwalkeduptheaisletheSundayaftertheyweremarried。Servedhimrightforbeinglate！Healwaysinsistedthechoirdiditonpurposetoinsulthim，asifhewasofthatmuchimportance。Butthatfamilyalwaysthoughttheyweremuchbiggerpotatoesthantheyreallywere。HisbrotherEliphaletimaginedthedevilwasalwaysathiselbow——but_I_neverbelievedthedevilwastedthatmuchtimeonhim。"

"I——don’t——know，"saidCaptainJimthoughtfully。

"EliphaletBaxterlivedtoomuchalone——hadn’tevenacatordogtokeephimhuman。Whenamanisalonehe’smightyapttobewiththedevil——ifheain’twithGod。

Hehastochoosewhichcompanyhe’llkeep，Ireckon。

IfthedevilalwayswasatLifeBaxter’selbowitmusthavebeenbecauseLifelikedtohavehimthere。"

"Man-like，"saidMissCornelia，andsubsidedintosilenceoveracomplicatedarrangementoftucksuntilCaptainJimdeliberatelystirredherupagainbyremarkinginacasualway:

"IwasuptotheMethodistchurchlastSundaymorning。"

"You’dbetterhavebeenhomereadingyourBible，"wasMissCornelia’sretort。

"Come，now，Cornelia，_I_can’tseeanyharmingoingtotheMethodistchurchwhenthere’snopreachinginyourown。I’vebeenaPresbyterianforseventy-sixyears，anditisn’tlikelymytheologywillhoistanchoratthislateday。"

"It’ssettingabadexample，"saidMissCorneliagrimly。

"Besides，"continuedwickedCaptainJim，"Iwantedtohearsomegoodsinging。TheMethodistshaveagoodchoir；andyoucan’tdeny，Cornelia，thatthesinginginourchurchisawfulsincethesplitinthechoir。"

"Whatifthesingingisn’tgood？They’redoingtheirbest，andGodseesnodifferencebetweenthevoiceofacrowandthevoiceofanightingale。"

"Come，come，Cornelia，"saidCaptainJimmildly，"I’veabetteropinionoftheAlmighty’searformusicthanTHAT。"

"Whatcausedthetroubleinourchoir？"askedGilbert，whowassufferingfromsuppressedlaughter。

"Itdatesbacktothenewchurch，threeyearsago，"

answeredCaptainJim。"Wehadafearfultimeoverthebuildingofthatchurch——felloutoverthequestionofanewsite。Thetwositeswasn’tmore’ntwohundredyardsapart，butyou’dhavethoughttheywasathousandbythebitternessofthatfight。Wewassplitupintothreefactions——onewantedtheeastsiteandonethesouth，andoneheldtotheold。Itwasfoughtoutinbedandatboard，andinchurchandatmarket。Alltheoldscandalsofthreegenerationsweredraggedoutoftheirgravesandaired。Threematcheswasbrokenupbyit。Andthemeetingswehadtotrytosettlethequestion！Cornelia，willyoueverforgettheonewhenoldLutherBurnsgotupandmadeaspeech？HEstatedhisopinionsforcibly。"

"Callaspadeaspade，Captain。Youmeanhegotred-madandrakedthemall，foreandaft。Theydeservedittoo——apackofincapables。Butwhatwouldyouexpectofacommitteeofmen？Thatbuildingcommitteeheldtwenty-sevenmeetings，andattheendofthetwenty-seventhweren’tnonearerhavingachurchthanwhentheybegun——notsonear，forafact，forinonefitofhurryingthingsalongthey’dgonetoworkandtoretheoldchurchdown，sotherewewere，withoutachurch，andnoplacebutthehalltoworshipin。"

"TheMethodistsofferedustheirchurch，Cornelia。"

"TheGlenSt。Marychurchwouldn’thavebeenbuilttothisday，"wentonMissCornelia，ignoringCaptainJim，"ifwewomenhadn’tjuststartedinandtookcharge。WesaidWEmeanttohaveachurch，ifthemenmeanttoquarreltilldoomsday，andweweretiredofbeingalaughing-stockfortheMethodists。WeheldONE

meetingandelectedacommitteeandcanvassedforsubscriptions。Wegotthem，too。Whenanyofthementriedtosassuswetoldthemthey’dtriedfortwoyearstobuildachurchanditwasourturnnow。Weshutthemupclose，believeME，andinsixmonthswehadourchurch。Ofcourse，whenthemensawweweredeterminedtheystoppedfightingandwenttowork，man-like，assoonastheysawtheyhadto，orquitbossing。Oh，womencan’tpreachorbeelders；buttheycanbuildchurchesandscareupthemoneyforthem。"

"TheMethodistsallowwomentopreach，"saidCaptainJim。

MissCorneliaglaredathim。

"IneversaidtheMethodistshadn’tcommonsense，Captain。WhatIsayis，Idoubtiftheyhavemuchreligion。"

"Isupposeyouareinfavorofvotesforwomen，MissCornelia，"saidGilbert。

"I’mnothankeringafterthevote，believeME，"saidMissCorneliascornfully。"_I_knowwhatitistocleanupafterthemen。Butsomeofthesedays，whenthemenrealizethey’vegottheworldintoamesstheycan’tgetitoutof，they’llbegladtogiveusthevote，andshouldertheirtroublesoveronus。That’sTHEIRscheme。Oh，it’swellthatwomenarepatient，believeME！"

"WhataboutJob？"suggestedCaptainJim。

"Job！Itwassuchararethingtofindapatientmanthatwhenonewasreallydiscoveredtheyweredeterminedheshouldn’tbeforgotten，"retortedMissCorneliatriumphantly。"Anyhow，thevirtuedoesn’tgowiththename。ThereneverwassuchanimpatientmanbornasoldJobTayloroverharbor。"

"Well，youknow，hehadagooddealtotryhim，Cornelia。Evenyoucan’tdefendhiswife。IalwaysrememberwhatoldWilliamMacAllistersaidofheratherfuneral，`There’snaedootshewasaChreestianwumman，butshehadthede’il’sowntemper。’"

"IsupposesheWAStrying，"admittedMissCorneliareluctantly，"butthatdidn’tjustifywhatJobsaidwhenshedied。Herodehomefromthegraveyardthedayofthefuneralwithmyfather。Heneversaidawordtilltheygotnearhome。Thenheheavedabigsighandsaid，`Youmaynotbelieveit，Stephen，butthisisthehappiestdayofmylife！’Wasn’tthatlikeaman？"

"Is’posepooroldMrs。Jobdidmakelifekinderuneasyforhim，"reflectedCaptainJim。

"Well，there’ssuchathingasdecency，isn’tthere？

Evenifamanisrejoicinginhisheartoverhiswifebeingdead，heneedn’tproclaimittothefourwindsofheaven。Andhappydayornot，JobTaylorwasn’tlonginmarryingagain，youmightnotice。Hissecondwifecouldmanagehim。ShemadehimwalkSpanish，believeme！ThefirstthingshedidwastomakehimhustleroundandputupatombstonetothefirstMrs。

Job——andshehadaplaceleftonitforherownname。

Shesaidthere’dbenobodytomakeJobputupamonumenttoHER。"

"SpeakingofTaylors，howisMrs。LewisTaylorupattheGlen，doctor？"askedCaptainJim。

"She’sgettingbetterslowly——butshehastoworktoohard，"repliedGilbert。

"Herhusbandworkshardtoo——raisingprizepigs，"saidMissCornelia。"He’snotedforhisbeautifulpigs。

He’saheapprouderofhispigsthanofhischildren。

Butthen，tobesure，hispigsarethebestpigspossible，whilehischildrendon’tamounttomuch。Hepickedapoormotherforthem，andstarvedherwhileshewasbearingandrearingthem。Hispigsgotthecreamandhischildrengottheskimmilk。

"Therearetimes，Cornelia，whenIhavetoagreewithyou，thoughithurtsme，"saidCaptainJim。"That’sjustexactlythetruthaboutLewisTaylor。WhenIseethosepoor，miserablechildrenofhis，robbedofallchildrenoughttohave，itp’isensmyownbiteandsupfordaysafterwards。"

GilbertwentouttothekitcheninresponsetoAnne’sbeckoning。Anneshutthedoorandgavehimaconnubiallecture。

"Gilbert，youandCaptainJimmuststopbaitingMissCornelia。Oh，I’vebeenlisteningtoyou——andIjustwon’tallowit。"

`Anne，MissCorneliaisenjoyingherselfhugely。Youknowsheis。’

"Well，nevermind。Youtwoneedn’teggheronlikethat。Dinnerisreadynow，and，Gilbert，DON’TletMrs。Rachelcarvethegeese。Iknowshemeanstooffertodoitbecauseshedoesn’tthinkyoucandoitproperly。Showheryoucan。"

"Ioughttobeableto。I’vebeenstudyingA-B-C-D

diagramsofcarvingforthepastmonth，"saidGilbert。

"Onlydon’ttalktomewhileI’mdoingit，Anne，forifyoudrivethelettersoutofmyheadI’llbeinaworsepredicamentthanyouwereinoldgeometrydayswhentheteacherchangedthem。"

Gilbertcarvedthegeesebeautifully。EvenMrs。Rachelhadtoadmitthat。Andeverybodyateofthemandenjoyedthem。Anne’sfirstChristmasdinnerwasagreatsuccessandshebeamedwithhousewifelypride。

Merrywasthefeastandlong；andwhenitwasovertheygatheredaroundthecheeroftheredhearthflameandCaptainJimtoldthemstoriesuntiltheredsunswunglowoverFourWindsHarbor，andthelongblueshadowsoftheLombardiesfellacrossthesnowinthelane。

"Imustbegettingbacktothelight，"hesaidfinally。"I’lljesthavetimetowalkhomebeforesundown。ThankyouforabeautifulChristmas，MistressBlythe。BringMasterDavydowntothelightsomenightbeforehegoeshome。

"Iwanttoseethosestonegods，"saidDavywitharelish。

CHAPTER16

NEWYEAR’SEVEATTHELIGHT

TheGreenGablesfolkwenthomeafterChristmas，Marillaundersolemncovenanttoreturnforamonthinthespring。MoresnowcamebeforeNewYear’s，andtheharborfrozeover，butthegulfstillwasfree，beyondthewhite，imprisonedfields。Thelastdayoftheoldyearwasoneofthosebright，cold，dazzlingwinterdays，whichbombarduswiththeirbrilliancy，andcommandouradmirationbutneverourlove。Theskywassharpandblue；thesnowdiamondssparkledinsistently；

thestarktreeswerebareandshameless，withakindofbrazenbeauty；thehillsshotassaultinglancesofcrystal。Eventheshadowsweresharpandstiffandclear-cut，asnopropershadowsshouldbe。Everythingthatwashandsomeseemedtentimeshandsomerandlessattractiveintheglaringsplendor；andeverythingthatwasuglyseemedtentimesuglier，andeverythingwaseitherhandsomeorugly。Therewasnosoftblending，orkindobscurity，orelusivemistinessinthatsearchingglitter。Theonlythingsthatheldtheirownindividualitywerethefirs——forthefiristhetreeofmysteryandshadow，andyieldsnevertotheencroachmentsofcruderadiance。

Butfinallythedaybegantorealisethatshewasgrowingold。Thenacertainpensivenessfelloverherbeautywhichdimmedyetintensifiedit；sharpangles，glitteringpoints，meltedawayintocurvesandenticinggleams。Thewhiteharborputonsoftgraysandpinks；thefar-awayhillsturnedamethyst。

"Theoldyearisgoingawaybeautifully，"saidAnne。

SheandLeslieandGilbertwereontheirwaytotheFourWindsPoint，havingplottedwithCaptainJimtowatchtheNewYearinatthelight。ThesunhadsetandinthesouthwesternskyhungVenus，gloriousandgolden，havingdrawnasneartoherearth-sisterasispossibleforher。ForthefirsttimeAnneandGilbertsawtheshadowcastbythatbrilliantstarofevening，thatfaint，mysteriousshadow，neverseensavewhenthereiswhitesnowtorevealit，andthenonlywithavertedvision，vanishingwhenyougazeatitdirectly。

"It’slikethespiritofashadow，isn’tit？"

whisperedAnne。"Youcanseeitsoplainlyhauntingyoursidewhenyoulookahead；butwhenyouturnandlookatit——it’sgone。"

"IhaveheardthatyoucanseetheshadowofVenusonlyonceinalifetime，andthatwithinayearofseeingityourlife’smostwonderfulgiftwillcometoyou，"

saidLeslie。Butshespokeratherhardly；perhapsshethoughtthateventheshadowofVenuscouldbringhernogiftoflife。Annesmiledinthesofttwilight；shefeltquitesurewhatthemysticshadowpromisedher。

TheyfoundMarshallElliottatthelighthouse。AtfirstAnnefeltinclinedtoresenttheintrusionofthislong-haired，long-beardedeccentricintothefamiliarlittlecircle。ButMarshallElliottsoonprovedhislegitimateclaimtomembershipinthehouseholdofJoseph。Hewasawitty，intelligent，well-readman，rivallingCaptainJimhimselfintheknackoftellingagoodstory。Theywereallgladwhenheagreedtowatchtheoldyearoutwiththem。

CaptainJim’ssmallnephewJoehadcomedowntospendNewYear’swithhisgreat-uncle，andhadfallenasleeponthesofawiththeFirstMatecurledupinahugegoldenballathisfeet。

"Ain’theadearlittleman？"saidCaptainJimgloatingly。"Idolovetowatchalittlechildasleep，MistressBlythe。It’sthemostbeautifulsightintheworld，Ireckon。Joedoeslovetogetdownhereforanight，becauseIhavehimsleepwithme。Athomehehastosleepwiththeothertwoboys，andhedoesn’tlikeit。"Whycan’tIsleepwithfather，UncleJim？"

sayshe。`EverybodyintheBiblesleptwiththeirfathers。’Asforthequestionsheasks，theministerhimselfcouldn’tanswerthem。Theyfairswampme。

`UncleJim，ifIwasn’tMEwho’dIbe？’and，`UncleJim，whatwouldhappenifGoddied？’Hefiredthemtwooffatmetonight，aforehewenttosleep。Asforhisimagination，itsailsawayfromeverything。Hemakesupthemostremarkableyarns——andthenhismothershutshimupintheclosetfortellingstories。Andhesitsdownandmakesupanotherone，andhasitreadytorelatetoherwhensheletshimout。Hehadoneformewhenhecomedowntonight。`UncleJim，’sayshe，solemnasatombstone，`Ihada’ventureintheGlentoday。’`Yes，whatwasit？’saysI，expectingsomethingquitestartling，butnowisepreparedforwhatIreallygot。`Imetawolfinthestreet，’sayshe，`a’normouswolfwithabig，redmoufandAWFUL

longteeth，UncleJim。’`Ididn’tknowtherewasanywolvesupattheGlen，’saysI。`Oh，hecomedtherefromfar，faraway，’saysJoe，`andIfoughthewasgoingtoeatmeup，UncleJim。’`Wereyouscared？’

saysI。`No，’causeIhadabiggun，’saysJoe，`andI

shotthewolfdead，UncleJim，——soliddead——andthenhewentuptoheavenandbitGod，’sayshe。Well，I

wasfairstaggered，MistressBlythe。"

Thehoursbloomedintomirtharoundthedriftwoodfire。

CaptainJimtoldtales，andMarshallElliottsangoldScotchballadsinafinetenorvoice；finallyCaptainJimtookdownhisoldbrownfiddlefromthewallandbegantoplay。Hehadatolerableknackoffiddling，whichallappreciatedsavetheFirstMate，whosprangfromthesofaasifhehadbeenshot，emittedashriekofprotest，andfledwildlyupthestairs。

"Can’tcultivateanearformusicinthatcatnohow，"

saidCaptainJim。"Hewon’tstaylongenoughtolearntolikeit。WhenwegottheorganupattheGlenchurcholdElderRichardsbouncedupfromhisseattheminutetheorganistbegantoplayandscuttleddowntheaisleandoutofthechurchattherateofno-man’s-business。ItremindedmesostrongoftheFirstMatetearinglooseassoonasIbegintofiddlethatIcomenearertolaughingoutloudinchurchthanIeverdidbeforeorsince。"

TherewassomethingsoinfectiousintherollickingtuneswhichCaptainJimplayedthatverysoonMarshallElliott’sfeetbegantotwitch。Hehadbeenanoteddancerinhisyouth。PresentlyhestartedupandheldouthishandstoLeslie。Instantlysheresponded。

Roundandroundthefirelitroomtheycircledwitharhythmicgracethatwaswonderful。Lesliedancedlikeoneinspired；thewild，sweetabandonofthemusicseemedtohaveenteredintoandpossessedher。Annewatchedherinfascinatedadmiration。Shehadneverseenherlikethis。Alltheinnaterichnessandcolorandcharmofhernatureseemedtohavebrokenlooseandoverflowedincrimsoncheekandglowingeyeandgraceofmotion。EventheaspectofMarshallElliott，withhislongbeardandhair，couldnotspoilthepicture。

Onthecontrary，itseemedtoenhanceit。MarshallElliottlookedlikeaVikingofelderdays，dancingwithoneoftheblue-eyed，golden-haireddaughtersoftheNorthland。

"ThepurtiestdancingIeversaw，andI’veseensomeinmytime，"declaredCaptainJim，whenatlastthebowfellfromhistiredhand。Lesliedroppedintoherchair，laughing，breathless。

"Ilovedancing，"shesaidaparttoAnne。"Ihaven’tdancedsinceIwassixteen——butIloveit。ThemusicseemstorunthroughmyveinslikequicksilverandI

forgeteverything——everything——exceptthedelightofkeepingtimetoit。Thereisn’tanyfloorbeneathme，orwallsaboutme，orroofoverme——I’mfloatingamidthestars。"

CaptainJimhunghisfiddleupinitsplace，besidealargeframeenclosingseveralbanknotes。

"Isthereanybodyelseofyouracquaintancewhocanaffordtohanghiswallswithbanknotesforpictures？"

heasked。"There’stwentyten-dollarnotesthere，notworththeglassoverthem。They’reoldBankofP。E。

Islandnotes。Hadthembymewhenthebankfailed，andIhad’emframedandhungup，partlyasaremindernottoputyourtrustinbanks，andpartlytogivemearealluxurious，millionairyfeeling。Hullo，Matey，don’tbescared。Youcancomebacknow。Themusicandrevelryisoverfortonight。Theoldyearhasjustanotherhourtostaywithus。I’veseenseventy-sixNewYearscomeinoverthatgulfyonder，MistressBlythe。"

"You’llseeahundred，"saidMarshallElliott。

CaptainJimshookhishead。

"No；andIdon’twantto——atleast，IthinkIdon’t。

Deathgrowsfriendlieraswegrowolder。Notthatoneofusreallywantstodiethough，Marshall。Tennysonspoketruthwhenhesaidthat。There’soldMrs。

WallaceupattheGlen。She’shadheapsoftroubleallherlife，poorsoul，andshe’slostalmosteveryoneshecaredabout。She’salwayssayingthatshe’llbegladwhenhertimecomes，andshedoesn’twanttosojournanylongerinthisvaleoftears。Butwhenshetakesasickspellthere’safuss！Doctorsfromtown，andatrainednurse，andenoughmedicinetokilladog。Lifemaybeavaleoftears，allright，buttherearesomefolkswhoenjoyweeping，Ireckon。"

Theyspenttheoldyear’slasthourquietlyaroundthefire。AfewminutesbeforetwelveCaptainJimroseandopenedthedoor。

"WemustlettheNewYearin，"hesaid。

Outsidewasafinebluenight。Asparklingribbonofmoonlightgarlandedthegulf。Insidethebartheharborshonelikeapavementofpearl。Theystoodbeforethedoorandwaited——CaptainJimwithhisripe，fullexperience，MarshallElliottinhisvigorousbutemptymiddlelife，GilbertandAnnewiththeirpreciousmemoriesandexquisitehopes，Lesliewithherrecordofstarvedyearsandherhopelessfuture。Theclockonthelittleshelfabovethefireplacestrucktwelve。

"Welcome，NewYear，"saidCaptainJim，bowinglowasthelaststrokediedaway。"Iwishyouallthebestyearofyourlives，mates。IreckonthatwhatevertheNewYearbringsuswillbethebesttheGreatCaptainhasforus——andsomehoworotherwe’llallmakeportinagoodharbor。"

CHAPTER17

AFOURWINDSWINTER

WintersetinvigorouslyafterNewYear’s。Big，whitedriftsheapedthemselvesaboutthelittlehouse，andpalmsoffrostcovereditswindows。Theharboricegrewharderandthicker，untiltheFourWindspeoplebegantheirusualwintertravellingoverit。Thesafewayswere"bushed"byabenevolentGovernment，andnightanddaythegaytinkleofthesleigh-bellssoundedonit。OnmoonlitnightsAnneheardtheminherhouseofdreamslikefairychimes。Thegulffrozeover，andtheFourWindslightflashednomore。DuringthemonthswhennavigationwasclosedCaptainJim’sofficewasasinecure。

"TheFirstMateandIwillhavenothingtodotillspringexceptkeepwarmandamuseourselves。ThelastlighthousekeeperusedalwaystomoveuptotheGleninwinter；butI’dratherstayatthePoint。TheFirstMatemightgetpoisonedorchewedupbydogsattheGlen。It’samitelonely，tobesure，withneitherthelightnorthewaterforcompany，butifourfriendscometoseeusoftenwe’llweatheritthrough。"

CaptainJimhadaniceboat，andmanyawild，gloriousspinGilbertandAnneandLesliehadovertheglibharboricewithhim。AnneandLeslietooklongsnowshoetrampstogether，too，overthefields，oracrosstheharborafterstorms，orthroughthewoodsbeyondtheGlen。Theywereverygoodcomradesintheirramblesandtheirfiresidecommunings。Eachhadsomethingtogivetheother——eachfeltlifethericherforfriendlyexchangeofthoughtandfriendlysilence；

eachlookedacrossthewhitefieldsbetweentheirhomeswithapleasantconsciousnessofafriendbeyond。But，inspiteofallthis，AnnefeltthattherewasalwaysabarrierbetweenLeslieandherself——aconstraintthatneverwhollyvanished。

"Idon’tknowwhyIcan’tgetclosertoher，"AnnesaidoneeveningtoCaptainJim。"Ilikehersomuch——Iadmirehersomuch——IWANTtotakeherrightintomyheartandcreeprightintohers。ButIcannevercrossthebarrier。"

"You’vebeentoohappyallyourlife，MistressBlythe，"saidCaptainJimthoughtfully。"Ireckonthat’swhyyouandLesliecan’tgetrealclosetogetherinyoursouls。Thebarrierbetweenyouisherexperienceofsorrowandtrouble。Sheain’tresponsibleforitandyouain’t；butit’sthereandneitherofyoucancrossit。"

"Mychildhoodwasn’tveryhappybeforeIcametoGreenGables，"saidAnne，gazingsoberlyoutofthewindowatthestill，sad，deadbeautyoftheleaflesstree-shadowsonthemoonlitsnow。

"Mebbenot——butitwasjusttheusualunhappinessofachildwhohasn’tanyonetolookafteritproperly。

Therehasn’tbeenanyTRAGEDYinyourlife，MistressBlythe。AndpoorLeslie’shasbeenalmostALL

tragedy。Shefeels，Ireckon，thoughmebbeshehardlyknowsshefeelsit，thatthere’savastdealinherlifeyoucan’tenternorunderstand——andsoshehastokeepyoubackfromit——holdyouoff，sotospeak，fromhurtingher。Youknowifwe’vegotanythingaboutusthathurtsweshrinkfromanyone’stouchonornearit。

Itholdsgoodwithoursoulsaswellasourbodies，I

reckon。Leslie’ssoulmustbenearraw——it’snowondershehidesitaway。"

"Ifthatwerereallyall，Iwouldn’tmind，CaptainJim。

Iwouldunderstand。Buttherearetimes——notalways，butnowandagain——whenIalmosthavetobelievethatLesliedoesn’t——doesn’tlikeme。SometimesIsurprisealookinhereyesthatseemstoshowresentmentanddislike——itgoessoquickly——butI’veseenit，I’msureofthat。Andithurtsme，CaptainJim。I’mnotusedtobeingdisliked——andI’vetriedsohardtowinLeslie’sfriendship。"

"Youhavewonit，MistressBlythe。Don’tyougocherishinganyfoolishnotionthatLesliedon’tlikeyou。Ifshedidn’tshewouldn’thaveanythingtodowithyou，muchlesschummingwithyouasshedoes。I

knowLeslieMooretoowellnottobesureofthat。"

"ThefirsttimeIeversawher，drivinghergeesedownthehillonthedayIcametoFourWinds，shelookedatmewiththesameexpression，"persistedAnne。"Ifeltit，eveninthemidstofmyadmirationofherbeauty。

Shelookedatmeresentfully——shedid，indeed，CaptainJim。"

"Theresentmentmusthavebeenaboutsomethingelse，MistressBlythe，andyoujestcomeinforashareofitbecauseyouhappenedpast。LeslieDOEStakesullenspellsnowandagain，poorgirl。Ican’tblameher，whenIknowwhatshehastoputupwith。Idon’tknowwhyit’spermitted。ThedoctorandIhavetalkedalotabuttheoriginofevil，butwehaven’tquitefoundoutallaboutityet。There’savastofonunderstandablethingsinlife，ain’tthere，MistressBlythe？

Sometimesthingsseemtoworkoutrealproper-like，sameaswithyouandthedoctor。Andthenagaintheyallseemtogocatawampus。There’sLeslie，socleverandbeautifulyou’dthinkshewasmeantforaqueen，andinsteadshe’scoopedupoverthere，robbedofalmosteverythingawoman’dvalue，withnoprospectexceptwaitingonDickMooreallherlife。Though，mindyou，MistressBlythe，Idaresayshe’dchooseherlifenow，suchasitis，ratherthanthelifeshelivedwithDickbeforehewentaway。THAT’Ssomethingaclumsyoldsailor’stonguemustn’tmeddlewith。Butyou’vehelpedLesliealot——she’sadifferentcreaturesinceyoucometoFourWinds。Usoldfriendsseethedifferenceinher，asyoucan’t。MissCorneliaandmewastalkingitovertheotherday，andit’soneofthemightyfewp’intsthatweseeeyetoeyeon。Sojestyouthrowoverboardanyideaofhernotlikingyou。"

Annecouldhardlydiscarditcompletely，fortherewereundoubtedlytimeswhenshefelt，withaninstinctthatwasnottobecombatedbyreason，thatLeslieharboredaqueer，indefinableresentmenttowardsher。Attimes，thissecretconsciousnessmarredthedelightoftheircomradeship；atothersitwasalmostforgotten；butAnnealwaysfeltthehiddenthornwasthere，andmightprickheratanymoment。ShefeltacruelstingfromitonthedaywhenshetoldLeslieofwhatshehopedthespringwouldbringtothelittlehouseofdreams。

Leslielookedatherwithhard，bitter，unfriendlyeyes。

"SoyouaretohaveTHAT，too，"shesaidinachokedvoice。Andwithoutanotherwordshehadturnedandgoneacrossthefieldshomeward。Annewasdeeplyhurt；

forthemomentshefeltasifshecouldneverlikeLeslieagain。ButwhenLesliecameoverafeweveningslatershewassopleasant，sofriendly，sofrank，andwitty，andwinsome，thatAnnewascharmedintoforgivenessandforgetfulness。Only，shenevermentionedherdarlinghopetoLeslieagain；nordidLeslieeverrefertoit。Butoneevening，whenlatewinterwaslisteningforthewordofspring，shecameovertothelittlehouseforatwilightchat；andwhenshewentawaysheleftasmall，whiteboxonthetable。

Annefounditaftershewasgoneandopeneditwonderingly。Initwasatinywhitedressofexquisiteworkmanship——delicateembroidery，wonderfultucking，sheerloveliness。Everystitchinitwashandwork；andthelittlefrillsoflaceatneckandsleeveswereofrealValenciennes。Lyingonitwasacard——"withLeslie’slove。"

"Whathoursofworkshemusthaveputonit，"saidAnne。"Andthematerialmusthavecostmorethanshecouldreallyafford。Itisverysweetofher。"

ButLesliewasbrusqueandcurtwhenAnnethankedher，andagainthelatterfeltthrownbackuponherself。

Leslie’sgiftwasnotaloneinthelittlehouse。MissCorneliahad，forthetimebeing，givenupsewingforunwanted，unwelcomeeighthbabies，andfallentosewingforaverymuchwantedfirstone，whosewelcomewouldleavenothingtobedesired。PhilippaBlakeandDianaWrighteachsentamarvellousgarment；andMrs。RachelLyndesentseveral，inwhichgoodmaterialandhoneststitchestooktheplaceofembroideryandfrills。Anneherselfmademany，desecratedbynotouchofmachinery，spendingoverthemthehappiesthoursofthehappywinter。

CaptainJimwasthemostfrequentguestofthelittlehouse，andnonewasmorewelcome。EverydayAnnelovedthesimple-souled，true-heartedoldsailormoreandmore。Hewasasrefreshingasaseabreeze，asinterestingassomeancientchronicle。Shewasnevertiredoflisteningtohisstories，andhisquaintremarksandcommentswereacontinualdelighttoher。

CaptainJimwasoneofthoserareandinterestingpeoplewho"neverspeakbuttheysaysomething。"Themilkofhumankindnessandthewisdomoftheserpentweremingledinhiscompositionindelightfulproportions。

NothingeverseemedtoputCaptainJimoutordepresshiminanyway。

"I’vekindofcontractedahabitofenj’yingthings，"

heremarkedonce，whenAnnehadcommentedonhisinvariablecheerfulness。"It’sgotsochronicthatI

believeIevenenj’ythedisagreeablethings。It’sgreatfunthinkingtheycan’tlast。`Oldrheumatiz，’

saysI，whenitgripsmehard，`you’veGOTtostopachingsometime。Theworseyouarethesooneryou’llstop，mebbe。I’mboundtogetthebetterofyouinthelongrun，whetherinthebodyoroutofthebody。’"

Onenight，bythefiresideatthelightAnnesawCaptainJim’s"life-book。"Heneedednocoaxingtoshowitandproudlygaveittohertoread。

"IwritittoleavetolittleJoe，"hesaid。"Idon’tliketheideaofeverythingI’vedoneandseenbeingcleanforgotafterI’veshippedformylastv’yage。

Joe，he’llrememberit，andtelltheyarnstohischildren。"

Itwasanoldleather-boundbookfilledwiththerecordofhisvoyagesandadventures。Annethoughtwhatatreasuretroveitwouldbetoawriter。Everysentencewasanugget。Initselfthebookhadnoliterarymerit；CaptainJim’scharmofstorytellingfailedhimwhenhecametopenandink；hecouldonlyjotroughlydowntheoutlineofhisfamoustales，andbothspellingandgrammarweresadlyaskew。ButAnnefeltthatifanyonepossessedofthegiftcouldtakethatsimplerecordofabrave，adventurouslife，readingbetweenthebaldlinesthetalesofdangersstaunchlyfacedanddutymanfullydone，awonderfulstorymightbemadefromit。RichcomedyandthrillingtragedywerebothlyinghiddeninCaptainJim’s"life-book，"waitingforthetouchofthemasterhandtowakenthelaughterandgriefandhorrorofthousands。

AnnesaidsomethingofthistoGilbertastheywalkedhome。

"Whydon’tyoutryyourhandatityourself，Anne？"

Anneshookherhead。

"No。IonlywishIcould。Butit’snotinthepowerofmygift。Youknowwhatmyforteis，Gilbert——thefanciful，thefairylike，thepretty。TowriteCaptainJim’slife-bookasitshouldbewrittenoneshouldbeamasterofvigorousyetsubtlestyle，akeenpsychologist，abornhumoristandaborntragedian。A

rarecombinationofgiftsisneeded。Paulmightdoitifhewereolder。Anyhow，I’mgoingtoaskhimtocomedownnextsummerandmeetCaptainJim。"

"Cometothisshore，"wroteAnnetoPaul。"IamafraidyoucannotfindhereNoraortheGoldenLadyortheTwinSailors；butyouwillfindoneoldsailorwhocantellyouwonderfulstories。"

Paul，howeverwroteback，sayingregretfullythathecouldnotcomethatyear。Hewasgoingabroadfortwoyear’sstudy。

"WhenIreturnI’llcometoFourWinds，dearTeacher，"

hewrote。

"Butmeanwhile，CaptainJimisgrowingold，"saidAnne，sorrowfully，"andthereisnobodytowritehislife-book。"