Stories in Reformed Spelling
For Those Struggling with Reading
And For the Curious
Alan Mole, Editor
English spelling is the worst in the world. By refusing to fix words like know, Island and though,
it breaks the fundamental rule that letters should represent sounds. We pay a heavy price: sixty
million functional illiterates in the US alone, about twice as many as for languages with selfconsistent spelling.
Computers now let us transform books to reformed spelling, self-consistent and easy for a learner to read.
Here are good books and stories (Treasure Island, Anne of Green Gables, etc.) in reformed spelling.
They can satisfy your curiousity about reading in the new systems. Or perhaps they can help the
struggling learner to see that reading is as easy as counting - when the system follows the rules!
1
Stories in Reformed Spelling
For Those Struggling with Reading
And For the Curious
Alan Mole, Editor
The American Literacy Council, Publisher
1441 Mariposa Ave.
Boulder, Colorado
2003
2
3
Introduction
The books bound in this volume are written in reformed spelling (RS), which corrects most of the mistakes
of normal English spelling (traditional orthography or TO). These mistakes are offenses against the very
basis of alphabetical writing, that the letters correspond to the sounds in a word. Examples of rule breaking
in TO are island, though, comb , psychology, and know. TO breaks more rules than any other language
known to man, and so it is the laughingstock of the world -- though foreigners are too polite to tell us so.
Most countries have self-consistent spellings so learning to read and write are not much more difficult than
learning to count. A child learns the letters and their sounds in two weeks, and thereafter can read every
word in the language, and spell it too. "If she writes it wrong then you have pronounced it wrong," is the
rule.
But in English-speaking countries we spend two full years in learning, one third of our time for the first six
grades. No one learns perfectly -- writers of English all make some spelling mistakes -- and large numbers
barely learn at all, or fail. In the US alone there are 60 million functional illiterates (defined as reading so
poorly they can't fill out a job application form.) A large part of this is our inconsistent spelling. MRI tests
show the brain patterns of dyslexia are equally common everywhere, but reading problems are half as
common in Italy (with self-consistent spelling) as in English speaking countries.*
The degeneracy of TO and its ravages have been known for centuries and often there have been movements
to correct it. Around 1900 the push was especially strong, with support from Teddy Roosevelt, Mark
Twain, Andrew Carnegie etc. But it died out due to inertia, recalcitrant ignorance, and the reluctance of
publishers to produce books in RS. Few people had seen RS so there was little demand for books in it. It
cost months of work to set the type for a book and if only a few copies sold the publisher lost money.
Knowing there was little demand, publishers wouldn't produce such books. So nobody could try them out,
so there was little demand... And so it continued, a closed vicious circle.
Now there is hope again. Computers can download the e-text of a novel, from Project Gutenberg for
example, and change it to RS in half a minute. Thus people can read a book in any spelling they want.
Today around 10,000 books, mostly out-of-copyright classics, are available online, but with the advent of
e-books (book size electronic readers) many new bestsellers are appearing in electronic format. Soon
everything should be available in this form.
A different program will let one write a letter in TO and transform it in a moment with a single mouse
click, or write in RS and change it to TO. So now RS may have another chance.
This book contains stories and novels in the SoundSpel reform system. Some people will read them for
curiosity. Others may use them to help a child having trouble learning to read. SoundSpel can be used for
learning, and then the Double-line system -- a line of TO above the same one in RS -- can be used to
transition the reader to TO.
So far as the editor knows, this book is a unique resource, the only large mass of material in RS that a
dyslexic child can use for practice.
* Dyslexia: Cultural Diversity and Biological Unity, E. Paulesu, J F Demonet, F Fazio, E. McCrory, V Chanoine, N
Brunswick, S F Cappa, G Cossu, M Habib, C D Frith, U Frith, Science 291, 2165 (2001).
4
How to Use This Book
This book may be used to attempt to teach reading -- in easy to read SoundSpel -- to struggling learners.
Or it may be used by the curious to see what it's like to read in this system, or other systems of reformed
spelling.
The curious will probably want to read The Open Window, one of the best two-page stories ever written,
and To Build a Fire, Jack London's chilling masterpiece of travel in Alaska. And both Anne of Green
Gables and Treasure Island are remarkably good old novels.
Those curious about the Double Line tutorial aid will find an example in a chapter from The Wonderful Wizard of
Oz.
Those who are teaching struggling readers may start with my own Dick and Jane type beginners' story, Bill
and Fred. (I couldn't find one like this in the public domain, sorry. ) Then read the bottom lines of The
Wizard of Oz, and then the stories in succession. The Open Window and Anne of Green Gables are "girls'
stories", and To Build a Fire and Treasure Island are "boys'", but all are so good as to appeal to everyone.
Many of these stories seem to have too many hard words for beginners, but in a phonetic spelling system
there really are no hard words -- those are an artifact of our inconsistent TO.
You may ask yourself whether you could teach anyone to read in SoundSpel. Perhaps you're not an expert
and perhaps it is very hard. Well, there is no need to be an expert in this case. Learning to read in any
language except English takes only a couple of weeks.
But how easy is it to read in SoundSpel?
Well, SoundSpel is different from TO, so TO readers are beginners the first time they try SoundSpel. More
than half the words are different. Yet TO readers can pick up a SoundSpel text and read it the first time,
even if the system hasn't been explained to them. There is a moment of shock, and a frown, and then they
begin to read. Haltingly at first, then with more confidence, and almost normally after page or two. This is
as it should be, as it is in foreign languages, as it has been since the invention of the alphabet. One learns to
recognize the letters and their sounds, and then he reads. Since most dyslexics already know the letters,
you really need only explain the system of long vowels (AE) and short (A), and then point them at the Bill
and Fred story.
Of course some people have so many problems they can't ever learn to read, even in SoundSpel, or even in
Italian. But we hope that half of them can, because Italian has half the percentage of functional illiterates
as English does. So it is worthwhile to give it a try.
The American Literacy Council (ALC) is printing a few copies of this book and giving them to libraries in
the hope they will raise interest and do some good for dyslexics. If the book helps you, or if you have
comments please contact me at :
Alan Mole
1441 Mariposa Ave
Boulder, CO 80302
ramole@aol.com
(303) 440-7385
Or, see the Appeal on the last page.
5
You can download the BTRSPL program, and learn more about these systems and spelling reform
in general at:
www.diac.com/~entente/btrspl.html .
Or, especially for kids:
www.diac.com/~entente/spkids.htm .
The ALC advocates the SoundSpel reform thrugh numerous projects. The web site of ALC is:
www.americanliteracy.com
The Simplified Spelling Society advocates reform and discusses all reforms, but has not decided
on a particular reform to support. The web site of the Simplified Spelling Society is:
www.spellingsociety.org
There are many places on the net to download free ebooks. One good library is the Carrie
Electronic Library at the University of Kansas,
http://history.cc.ukans.edu/carrie
I hope you find this book useful and enjoyable.
Alan Mole
August 2003
6
Contents
Background
Introduction
English Spelling: Its History, Complexity and Its Road to Reform
1
SoundSpel for an International Language
3
Or
The Case Against English Spelling
Some of the Main Efforts to Reform English Spelling Since the 1870s
7
Some Proposed Reforms and Routes
11
Is There Any Hope for Spelling Reform?
13
Double Line
15
Excerpt from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
16
Rules for SoundSpel
29
Works in SoundSpel
Bill and Fred
31
The Velveteen Rabbit
33
The Open Window
41
To Build a Fire
45
Anne of Green Gables
55
Treasure Island
225
An Appeal to Join Us
339
7
ENGLISH SPELLING
ITS HISTORY, COMPLEXITY, and ITS ROAD TO REFORM
by Edward Rondthaler
It started so well. The earliest English words were written largely as they sound and included a number of
runic letters. But after the Norman conquest in 1066 French became the official language of England. The
peasants continue to speak English, however, and did away with most of the cumbersome rules of grammar
that saddled the language prior to the conquest. It was not until 1399 that an English speaking king
returned to the throne.
English, in acquiring words from other languages, frequently retains much or all of the word's foreign
spelling. Other languages, in principle at least, tend to modify the spelling to conform with the rules of the
language into which the word is being absorbed. An example is the word "football" which, in Bulgarian, is
spelled "futbol".
William Caxton brought Printing to England in 1485. It is said that he expected the well educated
Chauncery scribes to become typesetters but they, sensing that typesetting was a demeaning occupation
compared with their elite position as scribes, were unwilling to do so. Caxton was compelled, therefore, to
import typesetters from Belgium and Holland who knew little English. To justify or "square up" a line they
would often add letters at random, and in certain shops these random spellings became fixtures. Printed
books, however, represented such an enormous technical advance over laboriously hand lettered books that
irregularities and spelling were quickly overlooked.
This was about the time of "The Great Vowel Shift" when pronunciation changed dramatically and a twosyllable word like ma-ke became one-syllable make without any change in spelling.
By 1525 English spelling was so out of sync with pronunciation that John Hart, an important scholar,
attempted to reform it -- unsuccessfully.
Accuracy of spelling was widely regarded as unimportant. William Shakespeare, writing around 1600,
spelled his own name in twelve different ways.
In preparing his great dictionary of 1755 -- the first substantial dictionary of our language -- Samuel
Johnson is said to have considered regularizing English spelling, but his wealthy backers discouraged the
idea, not wanting writing to be too easily acquired by the peasants. So Johnson visited various print shops
and settled on the spelling in most frequent use. In some cases where more than one spelling was popular - such as their/there, here/hear, etc. -- he arbitrarily attached different meanings to the different spellings, an
unnecessary refinement totally at odds with our speech which readily determines, by context, the different
meanings of similarly pronounced words. To test the power of context one need only speak the sentence
"Bank at the bank on the bank. " To test the weakness of spelling differations one need only read "Come
hear to here the music. ".
1
Benjamin Franklin in the late 1700's, Noah Webster in the early 1800's, a group of 200 scholars in the
1870's, and Theodore Roosevelt and the early 1900's all tried to make changes, but with little success. So
today the 42 sounds of English are spelled in over 400 different and often entirely unpredictable ways.
Learning these ways requires rote memory rather than logic. To quote John Steinbeck: "Learning to read is
perhaps the greatest single effort the human undertakes, and he must do it as a child. " Our failure to write
words as they sound is a serious weakness of the English language. It handicaps millions and prevents
them from procuring responsible jobs and living fully productive lives.
In 1910 to British scholars, Walter Lippmann and William Archer, determining not to be thwarted, tackled
the problem of regularizing English spelling. They knew that the major culprits were the many ways in
which our 16 vowel sounds are spelled. It was they who developed the idea of having the five short
vowels, stressed or unstressed, written with the five single letters a e I o u, the long vowels written ae ee ie
oe and ue, the six remaining vowels and diphthongs written aa au ou oo oi uu, and the consonants written
consistently in their most common, familiar way.
This principle is the solid foundation on which SoundSpel is built -- now polished with slight refinement,
and strengthened with computer technology to shoulder the burden of implementation.
2
SoundSpel
A Step to Make English the International Language
Or:
The Case Against English Spelling
by Alan Mole
Except for its spelling English makes a superb international language. Other languages have fifty irregular
conjugations of scores of verbs, plus gender and declensions to memorize. With few exceptions English
does away with this claptrap, and linguists marvel that it loses no precision in the process. But by willfully
hanging on to insane spellings it nearly compensates for these virtues, so foreigners hate to learn it and
most of them don't.
The alphabet was invented 3,600 years ago, and a stroke of genius it was. One letter represented one
sound, and one sound was always written with the same letter. Used properly this principle makes it easy
to learn to read and write. In countries that respect the principle children learn in two weeks, and thereafter
can spell correctly any word you can correctly pronounce.
But in English its takes two years. "Some" once rhymed with "home" and "dome"; now it rhymes with
"sum" but we won't change it to acknowledge the fact, so children must memorize it. About 60% of our
words require memorization, tens of thousands. For example, of the first twelve numbers, seven are
misspelled:
1 should be "wun" not "one" (which rhymes with lone, only, cone, and zone.)
2 should be "too" not "two" ("tw" is still heard in "twelve" but we don't say "tw-oh".)
3 is spelled by the rules. (There must be some mistake!)
4 is "for" not "four" ("ou" is heard in "flour", which sounds just like "flower", but 4 is not said "fower".)
5 and 6 are spelled right.
7 should be "sevven". "Seven", with one consonant between the e's should be said "seeven", according to
the rules, like its German cousin "sieben".
8 is "ate" not, "eight". Pronounced by the rules "eight" must sound to something like rage followed by a
coughing fit -- "Eeii -- GHT! As an indication of how "8" is pronounced "Rumplestilskin" would be as
good.
9 is right, as is 10.
11 should be "elevven". "Eleven" strictly should be said "eleeven".
12 should be "twelv". The extra e on the end indicates it's either "tweelv" or "twelvee".
3
Or consider the nonsense sentence "Though the rough cough and the hiccough plough me through, I ought
to cross the lough." It features eight different pronunciations of "ough", none very like the dying-pig sound
it originally denoted.
Were I to make a complete indictment this chapter would be half as big as a dictionary, but suffice it to say
that vast numbers of words break the rules and must be memorized. Our children waste two years in
gaining partial mastery of this monstrosity and we all feel guilty forever because we never learned it
perfectly. About 20 percent of us never learn at all and remain illiterate (functionally illiterate, meaning too
weak in reading to fill out a job application.)
There have been many proposals for reform, with the movement especially strong around 1900. A pair of
linguists worked out a logical, self consistent system, the New Spelling of 1910. The British modified this
into the Initial Teaching Alphabet, which used extra letters and was used in their schools with some success
until a new government was elected and dropped it. ITA without the extra letters was adopted as
SoundSpel by the American Literacy Council, and will be discussed here. Incidentally, there are many
other schemes, all better than our Traditional Orthography (TO). This is natural. To devise anything worse
would require Einstein and two quarts of bourbon.
Most people over age ten have learned TO so well that they will always prefer it, and no one proposes they
should have to change. It is my own hope that foreigners who go to the trouble to learn our language
should be allowed to learn it in easy, self-consistent SoundSpel, and if they write using it, that we should go
to the small trouble of reading it. The advantage will be that English will be much easier to learn,
becoming the perfect international language, and almost everyone will learn it. Thus we will will be at
home throughout Europe, without having to learn Serbo-Croatian, Basque, Bulgarian, Magyar, Swedish,
Spanish and Etceterish. It takes two years to learn each of those languages, and only a minute to convince
yourself you can read SoundSpel.
Another group that might profit is the 20% of our population that is functionally illiterate. Although some
people have learning disabilities so severe they will never read, there is a large fraction of the 20% who
could, if our words were written rationally. Although they and the foreigners would usually write on a
computer and transform to TO, we should deign to read their SoundSpel as well. Why bother? Well, out of
simple human decency. Or, if that doesn't move you, through Machiavellian self-interest. Some 70% of
our prison population is functionally illiterate. A man who can't read and can't get a job may grab a stone
and mug you out of desperation. But if he can read he may get work instead. And reading SoundSpel is
better than being hit on the head with a rock. Here -- let me demonstrate!
4
SoundSpel
I will introduce the changes gradually. TO writes the long A nineteen different ways ( Yes, 19: (ae) as in
maelstrom, (a-e) made, ea steak, ai rain, ay play, eigh sleigh, aigh straight, au-e gauge, a making, ao gaol
(Noah Webster reformed that to jail), ei veil, ey they, ai-e raise, a-ue plague, et ballet, ei-e seine, ee
matinee, er dossier, and uet boquet.
SoundSpel writes it one way: "ae". This is the wae it riets all long vowels.
Where a letter is sielent it is dropt. "Island" is ritten "ieland". If g is pronounst j it is so riten (jem for gem),
if c is pronounst s we riet it so (sircus not circus), and when the f sound is herd an f is uesed to signifi it
(fantasy and foen not phantasy and phone.)
O is long at the end of werds (go) and so is I (Hi, hi-fi, ti), and a fue familyar spelings ar retaend (he, she,
to, do, of). Th e in "ed" is riten if it is sed: blasted, beluved, but dropt it is not sed (talkd). If the d is
pronounced t it is so written, following TO slept. There ar a fue more chaenges like th for the and U for
you, but this is th gist of it.
Th rezult is a fonetic speling that taeks sum geting uezd to but can be red eezily after a fue minits practis.
But for a nue stoodent it taeks litl tiem to lern, and it duz not misleed a foriner th wae werds liek "done" do.
("Duz 'done' riem with 'bone'?", he asks. "Whi not?!!")
U ar now reeding Soundspel. Th toetal practis tiem so far is under a minit, and probably it is stil dificult,
but in fiev minits it wil seem mor nacheral. Now, isn't this beter than being hit oever th hed with a rok?
Douters shuud fiend a rok and continue th experriment... (I allwaes thaut douters wer sor heds, and now I
shal be shur!)
Concloozhun
If fiev bilyon peepl in th ejucaeted werld saev too yeers eech in lerning English, that's ten bilyon werk yeers
saevd, about eeqal to th tiem reqierd to invent and bild our sivilizaeshun. If we evenchualy let our children
lern this wae, eech wil saev too yeers of scool, tiem to devoet to far mor productiv subjects liek compueter
proegraming, bio-kemistry, and Chinese. Th sacrifieses ar tieny, th rewords vast. I inviet yur interest and
moral suport. (See the Appeal at the back of this book.)
5
Common Objections and Answers
1. Our entire culture will be lost -- people will no longer be able to read Chaucer and Shakespeare.
[ Nonsense. Those authors did not write in TO and their original spellings are often incomprehensible
today. So we read their works respelt in TO and lose none of the culture for that. Nor will we lose any if
they are written in SoundSpel. And if a SoundSpel reader must read something in TO he'll let his computer
translate it, or puzzle it out with care and a dictionary just as we would if we had to read Chaucer in the
original. Besides, no one will creep into your library and respell all your books while you sleep -- nobody
will be forced to use RS and few people will.]
2. To see even one word spelled differently from standard American TO will be so distracting that the
reader will miss the entire point of whatever he is reading. [He will not. When we read a book from
England and see "honor" spelled as "honour" we barely notice it, and go on without skipping a beat. There
are hundreds of words spelled differently in America because Noah Webster, father of our dictionaries,
reformed them. Strange spellings do not bother us much. Have you, gentle reader, ever even noticed this
"problem"?]
3. Our weird spellings show the derivation of words and this will be lost with reform. [ Only rarely is the
derivation clear from the spelling, and even more rarely will this be lost through reform. In truth,
etymological scholars learn derivations mainly through study, and others seldom bother about such issues.
Whereas sixty million Americans are illiterate, not rarely but every day of their lives.]
4. Phonetic spelling is impossible because accents differ. [ To an extent this is true, for some English do say
" 'otel" where we say "hotel", and there is a possible argument for having versions called "American",
"British", "Scottish" etc. But in fact people tend to pronounce letters consistently, making all H's silent for
example, so they will have little trouble with the American version of SoundSpel (shown in the example
above.) It is infinitely closer to the way they speak than is TO. Even in Oz (Ozzi for Australia) nobody
pronounces the S in island or says thoe-uu-gahh for though. ]
5. It will be harder to learn Spanish because some of our strange spellings parallel the words in romance
languages. [ !Caramba! But if learning English becomes so easy that everyone does it, you may not have to
learn Spanish at all.]
6. Our beloved system of Traditional Orthography is the crown of our culture, like Shakespeare's Sonnets
or Elvis's Blue Suede Shoes. Reforming it is an evil effort to dumb down the language, as Ebonics would
dumb down the grammar. The Europeans will no longer respect us... [ Our stupid TO is the laughingstock
of the world, though the Europeans are too polite to tell us so. Dumb down this system? Impossible! More
like a train wreck than a "system", it couldn't get any dumber. And it has nothing to do with culture -- the
Norwegians have reformed their spelling several times in the last century, yet Ibsen survives. Nor did they
adopt Norbonics -- spelling has nothing to do with grammar.
To foreigners who play by the rules, our errors and indiscipline are obvious and appalling. Foreigners
respect the alphabetic system as a wondrous and valuable tool, and are indignant that we abuse it so. A
German would sooner pound nails with his micrometer than break the alphabetic rules by writing "though"
for "tho" or "psychology" for "siecology". The world does not respect us for TO, but they would respect us
for fixing it.]
6
Some of the Main Efforts to Reform English Spelling
Since the 1870s
by Cornell Kimball
There have been some attempts to reform English spelling since at least the 1400s. One effort at planned
spelling reform did take -- Noah Webster advocated certain simpler forms for use in American English, and
some (but not all) of his recommendations became accepted as the standard spellings in American English
around the mid-19th century.
Early reform efforts were usually by individuals. Starting around the middle of the 19th century, some
reformers began working in tandem or in small coalitions in Britain and the U.S., and in the 1870s
organized efforts began for promoting English spelling reform.
The (British) National Union of Elementary Teachers supported reform, and in 1876 proposed that a Royal
Commission consider spelling reform.
An organization called the American Philological Association also favored reforming spellings. They held
an "International Convention for the Amendment of English Orthography" in Philadelphia in 1876 (as part
of events for the 100th anniversary of the United States) with delegates from the (British) National Union
of Elementary Teachers, the London Philological Association, and others also attending. At this
convention, the Spelling Reform Association was founded. One of the founders was Melvil Dewey (who
was also the creator of the Dewey Decimal library classification system).
The American Philological Association's plan was for the eventual respelling of English phonetically. For
the short term, they favored the use of a few simpler spellings, and had a list of certain types of initial
changes they proposed. They also began promoting these 11 new spellings: ar catalog definit gard giv hav
infinit liv tho thru wisht* (*see note at end)
State legislatures in Connecticut, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Pennsylvania discussed resolutions about spelling
reform in the second half of the 1870s. No measures were adopted from these.
Starting in the late 1870s, the Chicago Tribune began using some simplified spellings as part of their
publishing style, and the Home Journal of New York also used some simpler spellings in print.
The British Spelling Reform Association was founded in 1879, and supporters included Charles Darwin
and Lord Tennyson.
In 1883, the American Philological Association, in conjunction with the Philological Society of England,
came out with a list of 3500 reformed spellings. The American Philological Association and the Spelling
Reform Association tried to get the U.S. Congress to adopt bills to investigate spelling reform matters in
1880 and 1888. In 1889, a bill was introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives which would call for
use of the American Philological Association's spellings; two bills on this were again introduced in 1890,
and then in 1893. None of these were passed.
7
In 1898, the (American) National Education Association began supporting a list of 12 spellings. They were:
tho altho thru thruout thoro thorofare program catalog decalog demagog pedagog prolog* (*see note at end)
These spelling were used in the National Education Association Journal for the next six decades.
The Simplified Spelling Board was founded in the U.S. in 1906, and had a list of 300-plus spellings. One
of the founding members was Andrew Carnegie, who donated more than $250,000 over the next several
years. Among others who voiced support for the Simplified Spelling Board were Sir James A.H. Murray,
editor of the "Oxford English Dictionary," and Mark Twain. The Simplified Spelling Society was founded
in the U.K. in 1908, as a sister organization, also with Sir James A.H. Murray and others as supporters.
(More on the Simplified Spelling Society many paragraphs further down.)
A number of American newspapers and journals used at least some of the Simplified Spelling Board's
spellings for a few years. In many of the cases, it was the 12 spellings recommended by the (U.S.) National
Education Association that the publications used; the Philadelphia North American was among those. A
few colleges, among them Clark College and Emerson College, used those 12 in internal writings and such
for a few years. Publishing house Funk & Wagnalls were sympathetic to spelling reform, and for a few
decades used some simplified spellings in a magazine they published called the Literary Digest.
U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt also promoted simpler spellings. Initially, he ordered the U.S.
Government Printing Office to use the Simplified Spelling Board's 300 or so proposed spellings. This order
was issued in late August 1906 (while the U.S. Congress was in recess). There was resistance from the
Government Printing Office and others who were to carry it out. The U.S. Congress later revoked
Roosevelt's order; as they controlled funds for the Printing Office, Congress voted, 142 to 24, that "no
money appropriated in this act shall be used in connection with the printing of documents authorized by
law ... unless same shall conform to the orthography recognized and used by generally accepted
dictionaries of the English language."
It ended up that simplified spellings were used only in written items coming from Roosevelt's own office,
and at that, only 12 were used.
The U.S. National Education Association continued sponsoring their list until 1921. In the years after
1906, the Simplified Spelling Board added more simpler spellings to the list they were promoting, and
continued promoting efforts during the 1910s. Andrew Carnegie had been funding the Simplified Spelling
Board, and his initial pledge was to fund them for 10 years; he encouraged them to begin their own
fundraising efforts. (I can find no record of the Board conducting such efforts.) Carnegie did end up
funding them for 14 years in all, but did not provide any money in his will for the Spelling Board.
The Simplified Spelling Board became fairly inactive after 1920. A group called the Simplified Spelling
Leag was organized in 1920, but did not attract much support. The earlier-founded Spelling Reform
Association was reactivated. The organization brought out a phonemic alphabet in 1930, and issued several
other publications, including a few issues of a magazine. Also in 1930 the (American) Simplified Spelling
Board and the (British) Simplified Spelling Society worked with a professor in Sweden, R.E. Zachrisson,
to refine a simplified system of Professor Zachrisson's called "Anglic."
The remaining Simplified Spelling Board and the Spelling Reform Association were merged in 1946,
becoming the Simpler Spelling Association. Together with the Simplified Spelling Society, they created a
reformed spelling system called "World English Spelling" in the mid-1950s. A few decades later the group
produced a system called "American (Simplified) Spelling."
8
Today this organization is the American Literacy Council, and is concerned with tutoring programs for
reading and spelling as well as with spelling reform. The American Literacy Council has a Web site at
http://www.americanliteracy.com.
As mentioned earlier, U.S. publishers Funk & Wagnalls were sympathetic to reform. During the early and
mid-20th century, they listed the Simplified Spelling Board's proposed spellings alongside the
conventional spellings in their dictionaries. In the "Funk & Wagnalls Standard Unabridged" published in
1945, entries read such as:
debt n. (det) a state of owing money det or other ....
rough adj. (ruf) having the texture ruf of coarse or ....
Thus, "det" was listed in boldface flush with the margin directly below "debt"; "ruf" was equally aligned
with "rough," etc.
The Chicago Tribune had used some simpler spellings, as earlier noted (this was from about 1879 to
1899). The paper's editor and owner, Joseph Medill, was a member of the Spelling Reform Association.
The Tribune used a few simpler spellings as part of their publishing style during the 1920s and early
1930s.
In 1934, editor and publisher Col. Robert R. McCormick (who was a grandson of Joseph Medill) instituted
the use of 80 simpler spellings in the paper. These spellings included "catalog," "cotilion," "genuinly,"
"hocky," and "yern." The paper used all 80 of those for the next five years. In 1939, the number of such
spellings was reduced to 40, but "tho," "thru," "thoro," and their derivatives were added. Later in the
1940s, "frate" and "frater," then some "ph" to "f" changes, were made part of the paper's official spellings.
A few more were added in the early 1950s. After the death of publisher McCormick in 1955, the Chicago
Tribune began removing words from this list. A few simplified forms remained into the 1960s. The paper
used "tho" and "thru" until 1975 when they basically stopped using reformed spellings. They continued to
use "-og" for "-ogue" spellings for a while after that, but then went back to the "-ogue" forms.
A bill was introduced into the British Parliament in the 1940s which would have made phonetic spellings
"official," the ones to be used in government and other public uses; it was sponsored by a Member of
Parliament named Mont Follick. The bill was debated on March 11, 1949, and defeated.
The bill was reintroduced in 1953. It passed a committee stage, but in the end did not pass Parliament.
From this came an agreement to research the use of simplified spelling in teaching. The ultimate result
was a plan by another Member of Parliament named James Pitman (who also belonged to the Simplified
Spelling Society) to use a system called the "Initial Teaching Alphabet." Children were taught to read and
write first using a totally phonetic system, then later shifted to conventional spelling. This method was
used in many British schools in the 1960s, and was used in a few schools in the U.S. at the time. The
Initial Teaching Alphabet had one letter for each sound, mostly using the Roman alphabet plus additional
characters derived from Roman letters.
Writer George Bernard Shaw also expressed support for changing English spelling. In his will, Shaw
provided for a contest to design a new, phonetic (in this case based on the speech of England's late King
9
George V) alphabet for English. The contest was held during 1958. The alphabet chosen, which is referred
to as the "Shavian" alphabet, has 48 characters, which are different looking from Roman letters; the
designer's name was Kingsley Read. One of Shaw's plays, "Androcles and the Lion," was published using
the Shavian alphabet (along with the same text in conventional English spelling on each facing page).
The Simplified Spelling Society, based in the U.K., has been operating since 1908, and publishes and
distributes material addressing the problems of English spelling. One of the group's main efforts in the
1980s and 1990s has been appealing to government education officials, noting the difficulties English
spelling causes students learning it, and promoting use of some simplified spellings as a solution.
The Simplified Spelling Society has promoted a few plans for phonetically respelling English. In 1923, the
Society made an appeal to the British Board of Education to consider phonetic spelling, which was turned
down. In 1933, the Society, along with the support of 900 university officials, 250 Members of Parliament,
and others, made this appeal again, but again it was rejected. After this, the Society created a system
called "Nue Speling," which, for instance, spells all long "a" as "ae," all long "e" as "ee," etc. As noted
earlier, in the mid 1950s the Simplified Spelling Society produced "World English Spelling" in
conjunction with the (U.S.-based) Simpler Spelling Association.
The Simplified Spelling Society today is a forum for discussing the problems of spelling and different
solutions. The organization isn't officially promoting just one particular scheme now, but there is a plan at
the forefront of the work called "Cut Spelling," which calls for removing certain letters from words, or
substituting letters in a few cases; applying it to part of a sentence above as an example, gives "childrn
wer taut to read and rite first using a totly fonetic systm." The Society's Web site is at
http://www.spellingsociety.org.
In 1969, a Simplified Spelling Society member named Harry Lindgren came out with a reform called SR1
which only changes the spellings of a small category of words: It respells all short "e" with just "e" (thus
"head" is changed to "hed," etc.). SR1 was used in some published items and for a few uses by a
government agency in Australia in the early 1970s. An organization called the Spelling Action Society was
founded in Australia which promoted SR1.
Other organizations in the second half of the 20th century which have supported English spelling reform
include Better Education thru Simplified Spelling, founded in the U.S. in 1978. This group adopted a plan
to get reform started by encouraging people to use "tho," "thru," and "hav." The organization has been less
active since the mid-1990s, but may be contacted at: 300 Riverfront Drive Suite 2608; Detroit, MI 48226,
U.S.A.; Fax: (011)-1-313-393-5850.
The Internasional Union For The Kanadian Langwaje promoted spelling reform during the 1980s (when it
was known as the Simplified Speling Sosiety Ov Canada) and at least part way into the 1990s. This group's
address in the early 1990s: 94 Glenholm Avenue; Toronto, ONT M6H 3B1, Canada.
Earlier, there was the Fonetic Alfabet Association, with roots going back to the 1940s, which supported the
Shaw alphabet proposal.
Cornell Kimball ,
May 1999
This paper has been edited for use here; several pages of examples, footnotes and references have been cut.
The complete paper is available at www.diac.com/~entente/kimball
10
Some Proposed Reforms and Routes
Any reform must improve the correspondence of letters and sound. Unclear is how big a change could, or
should, be made.
Some proposals are very radical. Benjamin Franklin and George Bernard Shaw wanted a brand new
alphabet. They felt that today's Roman alphabet was ill-suited for English. Other proposals use our present
letters and pairs of them, but make sure that each spelling is pronounced as written, and each spoken sound
is spelled in one way.
Many modern schemes, however, are compromises. One of them insures that all spellings are consistently
pronounced, though speech sounds may still have different spellings. Another regularizes consonants, but
leaves most vowels as they are. There is a proposal to cut out most misleading letters, while substituting
very few. Least radical of the schemes would sort out a single preposterous anomaly such as "gh", or
regularize the spelling of the short e sound: "Many wealthy friends said" would be "Meny welthy frends sed."
Choosing a scheme
Choosing the best scheme has posed a dilemma: the most radical improve the spelling most, while the least
radical provide the least benefit. A slight improvement could be made by agreeing to use all shorter
spellings found and present dictionaries: thru, altho, etc. Another less radical proposal targets present
difficulties such as "i before e.". Without GH we might have tuf, thoro, caut etc. Without double
consonants we could have abreviate, comitee, paralel, etc.. Rather than inventing new patterns, the
existing "vowel-consonant-e" pattern could be enforced: fite, wate, soke, chete, etc.. One scheme writes
hed, sed, frend etc. with simple e. There is "Cut spelling", which omits unstressed short vowels: "Ther ar
gret numbrs of giftd ho ar admird but not cald jeniuses. " This may be easily read by present readers, but
does not get rid of many inconsistencies that trouble learners. It has also been criticized by foreign students
who find that its vowel omissions obscure syllable breaks and do not lead to a sufficiently regularized
spelling.
The more radical schemes have heretofore demanded diligent effort to master the details of a new spelling.
But now that computers can automatically convert one's old spelling to new, there is no reason to reject a
spelling that is easily read and fulfills the best aims of reform.
An excellent candidate for this was proposed in 1910 but, being put forward long before the advent of
computers, has never progressed beyond speculation.
The crux of this proposal is that a silent E following any vowel indicates that that vowel is pronounced like
its letter name.
Thus
male meal mild mole mule
becomes mael meel mield moel muel.
This mae be th most feezabl of radical chaenjes. In America is calld SoundSpel. To keep th appeerans of th
paej frum chaenjing too much and to fasilitaet reeding it keeps th present speling of a duzen short wurds
that ar qikly lernd -- to, of, was, is, as, do, all, etc.
11
The American Literacy Council has chosen SoundSpel as the most promising of all the reform schemes,
and is working on many projects to bring it into use.
Possible routes
Various routes to reform are conceivable and all need be pursued, as they may well interact. Government
involvement is likely with all of them.
One route might be spontaneous simplification by individuals as new media, such as e-mail, encourage
more relaxed spelling habits. But supervision would be required to guide this trend toward a common,
coherent system. Another route might see education authorities in different countries promoting simpler
spellings in schools much as teachers today are less exacting about spelling errors. But international
coordination would be necessary to prevent written English from fragmenting across the world. A third
possibility might be a Style Council for World English set up by publishers and the press -- led perhaps by
dictionaries partly motivated by sales opportunities -- with the aim of simplifying the preparation of text.
The fourth possibility might arise from the exasperation of non-English speaking countries with the
spelling of what has indeed become their world language: They might commission an international
organization, such as the United Nations or the International Standards Organization, to design a simplified
English spelling system to meet their particular needs.
Three stage reform
Some reformers would like to introduce reforms step-by-step, so as not to shock the public too much all
once. ALC has found that for most people, the "shock" lasts all a few seconds, and then they read
SoundSpel with little trouble. Therefore, ALC feels that staged reform is unnecessary, and SoundSpel can
be introduced in a single step. Here, however is how a step approach might look:
SR1: Have you ever considered the meny benefits of a simplified phonetic spelling that sounds just
like it's written? A spelling that children, adults and foreign students can lern quickly, without
laborious memorizing. Most nations have such a spelling. We could have it too .
Intermediate: Hav you ever considered the meny benefits ov a simplified fonetic speling that sounds just like
it's riten? A spelling that children, adults and forin students can learn quickly, without laborius memorizing.
Most nations hav such a speling. We could hav it too.
Complete: Hav U ever considerd th meny benefits ov a simplified fonetic speling that sounds just liek
it's riten? A spelling that children, adults and forin stoodents can lurn qikly, without laboreeus
memoriezing. Most naeshuns hav such a speling. We cuud hav it too.
12
Is There Any Hope for Spelling Reform?
by Alan Mole
For a century we have tried writing letters to newspapers and education ministers, and for a hundred years
this has failed. Even when Teddy Roosevelt, President of the USA, decreed its use, it failed. Even when
the Ministry of Education in the U.K. introduced ITA in the schools, it failed. All efforts to convince the
authorities to impose it from above, and all efforts by authorities to do so, have failed.
But perhaps we can advance from another direction. Perhaps we can go to the people and convince them
first. And then the authorities will follow, willingly or not.
A book called Lern English in SoundSpel is part of that effort. Foreigners who have rational spelling
systems hate English spelling. They know the game is more fun if it follows the rules. So we have
produced a book that lets them learn English in a spelling system with fair rules, and perhaps many of them
will choose to use it. Not the ones in schools -- teachers will not allow it. But intelligent men and women
who understand the issues, are grown up and able to think for themselves, and who do not speak English
yet because the authorities of their school days forced them to learn Russian instead. They see the value of
a single international language that lets everyone talk to everyone else, they see that English has
possibilities in that direction, and they want to learn English -- except for the horrible spelling.
There must be tens of millions of such people throughout Eastern Europe, and if they adopt this method
they will begin to use SoundSpel, and will not always translate to TO. So English speaking tourists in
Wernemunde will come across helpful direction signs in SoundSpel (This wae to th W.C.), and find longer
notes from gasthous keepers ("Brekfast servd until 8"), and will find it easier to read notices in
"International English Spelling" than to translate them from German (or Hungarian!), and they will be
grateful that someone has gone to the trouble to write "Th kasl is cloesd becuz peepl steel things in th niet.
But if U want to see it, go to the blue door acros th street and we wil open lok."
Such notes will appear in movies about Europe, and be seen by millions of Americans who never visit, and
will come be seen as cool by teenagers who wish that they too could tour these places.
The next step is to work with the 20% of people in English-speaking countries who are functionally
illiterate. This means they may read a few words but cannot find a street on a map or write a job
application. Many cannot get jobs, take to crime, and end up in prison. About 70% of our huge prison
population is illiterate.
But in countries such as Italy with good spelling systems, only about 10% have this problem. Perhaps if we
took our illiterates, who had failed all efforts to learn in TO, and taught them in SoundSpel, then some of
them could learn. It is not realistic to think that absolutely everyone can learn to read, regardless of how
good the spelling is. But if we can do as well as Italy and cut illiteracy in half, that's 30 million people
rescued from the darkness, and that's worth doing!
If this part of the plan works we will have 10% of our people writing in SoundSpel and the rest of the
people feeling strong approval, grateful that crime and other social problems have been halved.
13
We will then point out that it takes two full school years of effort to learn to read and write in English, even
for those of normal intelligence. This is spread over the first six years of schooling, but it adds up to two
full student-years. Whereas in other places it takes two weeks.
Then a few people will ask that their children be taught in SoundSpel, and then more and more people...
and we will win!
Well, that's the plan anyway. And perhaps by reading this book and using it to teach a struggling reader to
read in SoundSpel, you are taking the first step to change the world.
______________________________
Lern English in SoundSpel is available, free at: www.diac.com/~entente/LernE8.doc
14
Double Line
We teach beginning readers by using special texts that have only simple words, words whose spelling is
consistent: rabbit, see, run... not island, thorough or Wednesday.
Unfortunately these texts are often boring. Run Spot Run! does not compare to The Wizard of Oz. Children
would love to read more advanced material, but they can't because it contains too many hard words.
Double Line can help with that. This system places a line of regular text over a line of phonetic text, thus:
Aunt Em, badly frightened, threw open the trap door in the floor
Ant Em, badly frietend , throo oepen th trap dor in th flor
and climbed down the ladder into the small, dark hole.
and cliemd doun th lader into th small, dark hoel.
The phonetic system is easy to learn for there are no special symbols, just consistent rules (mainly, a lone
vowel is short; one followed by an e is long-- An aep aet six green graeps. The rest of the rules are on
page 30, but this is the heart of it. All the rules are the most common English forms, but consistently
applied. And easily learned -- or rather, known already!)
The result is that soon the beginner can easily read any word on the second line. Short words or long, easy
words or hard, he or she can read them all. So he reads along in the bold text of the first line (regular
spelling) until he sees a word he can't make out, and then glances at the word below it, sounds it out, and
continues. This way a first grader can read any text. And soon he can recognize the hard words without
glancing down. You can make a game of it, having the children cover the second line with a ruler, and
looking under the ruler is rarely as possible.
It's that easy. But frustration is reduced almost zero, enjoyment is greatly increased, and pride of mastery
skyrockets.
"I read The Cyclone from The Wizard of Oz today, and I had no trouble all, and it was really exciting and I
can't wait to read Chapter Two!"
This chapter contains some examples of interesting material, suitable for children of different ages and
interests. We hope you'll try and tell us how it goes. We want to improve it, and we want your reactions.
The Introduction of this book tells how you can download free e-texts from Project Gutenberg, and use a
free, easy computer program to transform them to Double Line. Or write and transform your own material.
Plus lots of other details. But please don't bother with that now -- just
try Double Line!
Producing Your Own Text in Double Line
The double line program itself is free. Write to Ramole@aol.com.
15
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ
TH WUNDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ
The Cyclone
Th Siecloen
Dorothy lived in the midst of the great
Dorothy livd in th midst of th graet
Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a
Kansas prairies, with Unkl Henry, hoo was a
farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife.
farmer, and Ant Em, hoo was th farmer's wief.
Their house was small, for the lumber to build
Thair hous was small, for th lumber to bild
it had to be carried by wagon many miles.
it had to be carryd bi wagon meny miels.
There
Thair
were four walls, a floor and a roof, which made
wer foer walls, a flor and a roof, which maed
one room; and this room contained a rusty looking
wun room; and this room contaend a rusty luuking
cookstove, a cupboard for the dishes, a table,
cookstove, a cubord
for th dishes, a taebl,
16
three or four chairs, and the beds.
three or foer chairs, and th beds.
Uncle Henry
Unkl Henry
and Aunt Em had a big bed in one corner, and
and Ant Em had a big bed in wun corner, and
Dorothy a little bed in another corner.
Dorothy a litl
bed in anuther corner.
There
Thair
was no garret at all, and no cellar--except a
was no garret at all, and no selar --exsept a
small hole dug in the ground, called a cyclone
small hoel dug in th ground, calld a siecloen
cellar, where the family could go in case one of
selar, wherr th family cuud go in caes wun of
those great whirlwinds arose, mighty enough to
thoes graet wherlwinds aroez, miety enuf
to
crush any building in its path.
crush eny bilding in its path.
It was reached
It was reecht
by a trap door in the middle of the floor, from
bi a trap dor in th midl
of th flor , frum
which a ladder led down into the small, dark hole.
which a lader led doun into th small, dark hoel.
When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked
When Dorothy stuud in th dorwae and luukt
17
around, she could see nothing but the great gray
around, she cuud see nuthing but th graet grae
prairie on every side.
prairy on evry sied.
Not a tree nor a house
Not a tree nor a hous
broke the broad sweep of flat country that
broek th braud sweep of flat cuntry that
reached to the edge of the sky in all directions.
reecht to th ej
of th skie in all direcshuns.
The sun had baked the plowed land into a gray
Th sun had baekt th plowd land into a grae
mass, with little cracks running through it.
mas, with litl
craks runing thru
it.
Even the grass was not green, for the sun had
Eeven th gras was not green, for th sun had
burned the tops of the long blades until they
bernd th tops of th long blaeds until thae
were the same gray color to be seen everywhere.
wer th saem grae culor to be seen evrywhair .
Once the house had been painted, but the sun
Wuns th hous had bin paented, but th sun
blistered the paint and the rains washed it away,
blisterd th paent and th raens wosht it awae,
18
and now the house was as dull and gray as everything else.
and now th hous was as dul and grae as evrything els .
When Aunt Em came there to live she was a
When Ant Em caem thair to liv she was a
young, pretty wife. The sun and wind
had
yung, prity wief. Th sun and wind had
changed her, too.
chaenjd her, too.
They had taken the sparkle
Thae had taeken th sparkl
from her eyes and left them a sober gray; they
frum her ies and left them a soeber grae; thae
had taken the red from her cheeks and lips, and
had taeken th red frum her cheeks and lips, and
they were gray also .
thae wer grae allso.
She was thin and gaunt,
She was thin and gaunt,
and never smiled now.
and never smield now.
When Dorothy, who was an
When Dorothy, hoo was an
orphan, first came to her, Aunt Em had been so
orfan, ferst caem to her, Ant Em had bin so
startled by the child's laughter that she would
startld bi th child's lafter
that she wuud
scream and press her hand upon her heart whenever
screem and pres her hand upon her hart whenever
19
Dorothy's merry voice reached her ears; and she
Dorothy's merry vois reecht her eers; and she
still looked at the little girl with wonder that
stil luukt at th litl
gerl with wunder that
she could find anything to laugh at.
she cuud fiend enything to laf
at.
Uncle Henry never laughed.
Unkl Henry never laft
.
He worked hard
He werkt hard
from morning till night and did not know what joy
frum morning til niet and did not noe whut joi
was.
was.
He was gray also , from his long beard to
He was grae allso, frum his long beerd to
his rough boots, and he looked stern and solemn,
his ruf
boots, and he luukt stern and solem ,
and rarely spoke.
and rairly spoek.
It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh, and
It was Toto that maed Dorothy laf , and
saved her from growing as gray as her other
saevd her frum groeing as grae as her uther
surroundings.
seroundings.
20
Toto was not gray; he was a little
Toto was not grae; he was a litl
black dog , with long silky hair and small black
blak daug, with long silky hair and small blak
eyes that twinkled merrily on either side of his
ies that twinkled merrily on eether sied of his
funny, wee nose.
funy , wee noez.
Toto played all day long, and
Toto plaed all dae long, and
Dorothy played with him, and loved him dearly.
Dorothy plaed with him, and luvd him deerly.
Today, however, they were not playing.
Todae, however, thae wer not plaeing.
Uncle Henry sat upon the doorstep and looked
Unkl Henry sat upon th dorstep and luukt
anxiously at the sky , which was even grayer
ankshusly at th skie, which was eeven graeer
than usual .
than uezhual.
Dorothy stood in the door with
Dorothy stuud in th dor with
Toto in her arms, and looked at the sky too.
Toto in her arms, and luukt at th skie too.
Aunt Em was washing the dishes.
Ant Em was woshing th dishes.
21
From the far north they heard a low wail of
Frum th far north thae herd a lo wael of
the wind,
and Uncle Henry and Dorothy could see
th wind, and Unkl Henry and Dorothy cuud see
where the long grass bowed in waves before the
wherr th long gras bowd in waevs befor th
coming storm.
cuming storm.
There now came a sharp whistling
Thair now caem a sharp whisling
in the air from the south, and as they turned
in th air frum th south, and as thae ternd
their eyes that way they saw ripples in the grass
thair ies that wae thae saw ripls
in th gras
coming from that direction also .
cuming frum that direcshun allso.
Suddenly Uncle Henry stood up.
Sudenly Unkl Henry stuud up.
"There's a cyclone coming, Em," he called
"Thair's a siecloen cuming, Em," he calld
to his wife.
to his wief.
"I'll go look after the stock."
"I'l go luuk after th stok ."
Then he ran toward the sheds where the cows and
Then he ran tord
th sheds wherr th cows and
22
horses were kept.
horses wer kept.
Aunt Em dropped her work and came to the
Ant Em dropt
her werk and caem to th
door.
dor.
One glance told her of the danger close
Wun glans toeld her of th daenjer cloes
at hand.
at hand.
"Quick, Dorothy!" she screamed.
"Qik , Dorothy!" she screemd .
"Run for
"Run for
the cellar!"
th selar !"
Toto jumped out of Dorothy's arms and hid
Toto jumpt out of Dorothy's arms and hid
under the bed, and the girl started to get him.
under th bed, and th gerl started to get him.
Aunt Em, badly frightened, threw open the trap
Ant Em, badly frietend , throo oepen th trap
door in the floor and climbed down the ladder
dor in th flor and cliemd doun th lader
into the small, dark hole.
into th small, dark hoel.
Dorothy caught Toto
Dorothy caut
Toto
23
at last and started to follow her aunt.
at last and started to folo
her ant .
When she
When she
was halfway across the room there came a great
was hafwae across th room thair caem a graet
shriek from the wind,
and the house shook so
shreek frum th wind, and th hous shuuk so
hard that she lost her footing and sat down
hard that she lost her fuuting and sat doun
suddenly upon the floor.
sudenly upon th flor .
Then a strange thing happened.
Then a straenj thing hapend .
The house whirled around two or three times
Th hous wherld around too or three tiems
and rose slowly through the air.
and roez sloely thru
th air.
Dorothy felt
Dorothy felt
as if she were going up in a balloon.
as if she wer going up in a baloon .
The north and south winds met where the
Th north and south winds met wherr th
house stood, and made it the exact center of the
hous stuud, and maed it th exact senter of th
24
cyclone .
siecloen.
In the middle of a cyclone the air
In th midl
of a siecloen th air
is generally still, but the great pressure of the
is jeneraly stil , but th graet presher of th
wind
wind
on every side of the house
on evry sied of th hous
raised it up
raezd it up
higher and higher, until it was at the very top
hieer and hieer , until it was at th verry top
of the cyclone ; and there it remained and was
of th siecloen; and thair it remaend and was
carried miles and miles away as easily as you
carryd miels and miels awae as eezily as U
could carry a feather.
cuud carry a fether .
It was very dark, and the wind
howled
It was verry dark, and th wind hould
horribly around her, but Dorothy found she was
horribly around her, but Dorothy found she was
riding quite easily.
rieding qiet eezily.
After the first few whirls
After th ferst fue wherls
around, and one other time when the house
around, and wun uther tiem when th hous
tipped badly, she felt as if she were being
25
tipt
badly, she felt as if she wer
being
rocked gently, like a baby in a cradle.
rokt
jently, liek a baeby in a craedl.
Toto did not like it.
Toto did not liek it.
He ran about the room,
He ran about th room,
now here, now there, barking loudly; but
now heer, now thair, barking loudly; but
Dorothy sat quite still on the floor and waited
Dorothy sat qiet stil on th flor and waeted
to see what would happen.
to see whut wuud hapen .
Once Toto got too near the open trap door,
Wuns Toto got too neer th oepen trap dor ,
and fell in; and at first the little girl thought
and fel in; and at ferst th litl
gerl thaut
she had lost him.
she had lost him.
But soon she saw one of his
But soon she saw wun of his
ears sticking up through the hole, for the strong
eers stiking up thru
th hoel, for th strong
pressure of the air was keeping him up so that
presher of th air was keeping him up so that
he could not fall. She crept to the hole, caught
he cuud not fall. She crept to th hoel, caut
26
Toto by the ear, and dragged him into the room
Toto bi th eer, and dragd
him into th room
again, afterward closing the trap door so that
agen, afterward cloezing th trap dor so that
no more accidents could happen.
no mor acsidents cuud hapen .
Hour after hour passed away, and slowly
Our after our past
awae, and sloely
Dorothy got over her fright; but she felt quite
Dorothy got oever her friet ; but she felt qiet
lonely, and the wind
loenly, and th wind
shrieked so loudly all
shreekt so loudly all
about her that she nearly became deaf.
about her that she neerly becaem def .
At first
At ferst
she had wondered if she would be dashed to pieces
she had wunderd if she wuud be dasht to peeses
when the house
when th hous
fell again; but as the hours
fel agen ; but as th ours
27
passed and nothing terrible happened, she stopped
past
and nuthing terribl hapend , she stopt
worrying and resolved to wait calmly and see
werying and rezolvd to waet caamly and see
what the future would bring. At last she crawled
whut th fuecher wuud bring. At last she cralld
over the swaying floor to her bed, and lay down
oever th swaeing flor to her bed, and lae doun
upon it; and Toto followed and lay down beside her.
upon it; and Toto foloed
and lae doun besied her.
In spite of the swaying of the house and
In spiet of th swaeing of th hous and
the wailing of the wind, Dorothy soon closed
th waeling of th wind, Dorothy soon cloezd
her eyes and fell fast asleep.
her ies and fel fast asleep.
28
Rules for Sound Spell
Here are the rules in detail. If you have read the sections above and read the SoundSpel passages with little
trouble, there is no need to study the rules again. Just plunge in and try some stories!
ALC's 'Soundspel' alphabet is shown below. Children, adults, and foreign pupils who learn this one-page
system will be able to write-- "as it sounds" -- anything they can say in English. The inherent phonetic
principle is the well-established one normally followed by languages that use an alphabet.
It is for English, an equivalent of the phonetic spelling used daily by all who write in Spanish, German,
Hungarian, Swedish, Finnish, Italian, Turkish, Portuguese, Hebrew, Serbo-Croatian, Swahili, Dutch,
Korean, Hindu and scores of other languages. Today we have the expertise, the system, and the great social
and economic need for an orthography that frees us from the ordeal of memorizing thousands of spelling
irregularities.
Consonants and single sound consonant pairs
b as heard in beg, habit, rib
c/k as in cat, cup, became, kit, back
ch as in chin, teacher, much
d as in dog, ladder, bad
f as in fan, effort, chief
g as in get, wagon, big
h as in hop, hip, head
j as in jam, judge, edge
l as in leg, alley, table
m as in me, common, him
n as in no, manner, tan
ng as in song, ringing
nk as in ink, think
p as in pet, pepper, cap
q as in queen, quake, liquid
r as in red, arise, arrow
s as in sit, lesson, sets
sh as in she, issue, motion
t as in top, butter, hit
th as in thin, this
v as in van, river, give
w as in will, awoke, weather
wh as in wheat, why, worthwhile
x as in extra, exam
y as in yet, victory
z as in zebra, zones
zh as in vision, pleasure
Short vowels... the most frequently heard vowel sound
a as heard in act, at, am, bag, can, tap, carry .... weak-a as in organ.
e as in ebb, end, set, bed, mend, merry...weak-e as in novel.
i as in it, in if, tip, pin, gives, banish .. weak-i as in pencil.
29
o as in ox, odd, hot, sobs, boxes, sorry ... weak-o as in lemon.
u as in up, us, but, fun, mud, gum, love.
Long vowels ... Silent-e gives a preceding vowel its long name-sound.
Ae as in A, ate, aim, same, cape, day, they ways. (Ae, aet, aem, saem...)
Ee as in E, eel, eat, feet, field, team, scene, ski, key. (eel, feet, feeld, teem...)
IE as in I, ice, tie, eye, guide, fight, ride, buy. (ies, tie, ie, gied...)
OE as in O, old, toe, only, home, boat, sew, know (oeld, toe, oenly, hoem, boet,...)
UE as in U, unit, hue, cute, used, utilize, few. (uenit, hue, cuet...)
Vowel Pairs... each pair of letters represents a unit of sound.
aa as in father, calm, ma
air as in hair, fair, care, swear, where, their
all as in all, tall, fall
ar as in are, card, far, dollar
au/aw as in auto, fraud, cause/ saw , sawing, lawyer
er as in her, early, mercy, baker
oi as in oil, join, toy
oo as in ooze, eventual, moon, zoo
or as in for, original, doctor, order
ou/ow as in out, mouth, sound/ how, cows, power
uu as in should, bush, put, foot, book, good
ur as in jury, rural, allure, tour, azure
No change, by and large, in names that begin with a Capital letter. No change in was,as,of,he,she, me, we,
be, do, to, thru , off, -ful, and their compounds.
No change in plural-s (man's, his) and in the 3rd person present singular (he runs), even tho the s is
pronounced z. Where confusion might arise (I have three hens, hence I am rich = I have three hens, hens I
am rich.) ss is used to show the true s sound -- "… three hens, henss I am rich.)
r r continues, as now, to indicate that the preceding vowel is short -- carry, merry, sorry.
Unstressed "1/2-ee" sound continues to be spelled with e or i or y as heard in unstressed syllables of between, detect,
reform, champion, editorial, fifty.
Short vowels (a,e,i,o) in unstressed syllables are often given a neutral pronunciation close to the sound of `uh' (about,
system, easily, atom). Phoneticians and linguists call this diluted sound `schwa'. There are no changes in spelling of
short (schwa) vowels in unstrest syllables - organ, novel, pensil, lemon -- unless the vowel clearly misleads, or does
not help in pronouncing the word distinctly.
NOTE: When you hear a word with a schwa, you cannot tell what vowel is used to spell it. For example, the same
sound is heard in nectar, theater (British theatre), actor,nature, whatever! Although Soundspel does not solve this
problem, do not despair! Most people who like reformed spelling are not perfectionists about things that make no
difference, so if you write acter instead of actor they won't be upset. Besides, most people do not know how
everything is spelled in reformed, so they won't even recognize it as wrong. So give it your best guess and go on. If in
doubt use the most common form, er.
A long-O or long-I sound at the end of a word may be written as a single letter -- banjo, go, so, alibi, hi, mi fli (but -e
is retained before a suffix: banjoes, alibieing, flies etc.)
In vowel strings the syllable ends after the first fonetic vowel-pair -- flooid, freeing, hieer, power, continueing,
evalueate; creativ, react, re-enter.
We accept the flattery of a capital I for 'me'. Why not extent the courtesy -- a capital U for 'you'?
30
Works in SoundSpel
Bill and Fred
Bill is a bad cat. He jumps on Fred th daug. He hieds in th sink.
Fred cums to eet his food. Fred duz not see Bill. Bill jumps!
Poor Fred! Bill th cat runs awae and hieds agen.
Fred is verry big. He cuud eet Bill. But Fred is nies. He duz not
biet Bill. Fred is guud. Or maebe he thinks Bill wuud taest bad.
Now Bill is asleep. Fred lieks Bill. Fred licks Bill. Fred's tung
is huej and verry wet. Bill's fur is wet and rubd th rong wae. Bill
is wied awaek. "Hiss" ses Bill. "Lik, Lik, Lik" ses Fred. Run
Bill run!
Jane owns Bill and Fred. Jane is going to taek a bath. Th tub is
haf fuul of wauter. Bill runs into th bathroom. Jump Bill jump!
Into th tub. Aargh! Splash Bill splash! Bill cannot get out of th
tub.
Now Fred runs in th bathroom. Fred sees Bill. Fred jumps into
th tub to. Fred liks Bill. Bill sinks. Bill hisses. "Hiss bubl bubl"
ses Bill. Wuuf Wuuf ses Fred.
31
Jane heers a noiz. Jane cums in. Bill jumps out. Bill jumps on
Jane. Bill is wet. Jane is wet. Fred is wet. Jane screems.
Screem Jane screem.
Jane is not hapy. Bill is not hapy. But Fred is hapy. Fred smiels.
Fred barks. Fred wags his tael. Yes Fred is hapy.
Jane dries herself. Jane dries Bill. Jane is dri. Bill is dri. But
Jane duz not hav to driev Fred. Fred shaeks himself dri.
Now Fred is dri. And Fred is hapy. But Jane is wet, and Bill is
wet, and thae ar not hapy. Thae ar mad at Fred for shaeking
wauter all oever them.
But Fred is a hapy daug.
Th end.
32
##############################################################################
This document has been converted from Standard Spelling (Traditional Orthography, TO) to
SOUNDSPL by the BTRSPL computer program, subject to its peculiarities and possible errors.
##############################################################################
Th Velveteen Rabit
or
How Tois Becum Reeal
bi Margery
Williams
To Francesco Bianco
frum
Th Velveteen Rabit
THAIR was wunss a velveteen rabit, and in th begining he was reealy splendid. He was fat and
bunchy, as a rabit shuud be; his coet was spoted broun and whiet, he had reeal thred whiskers, and
his eers wer liend with pink sateen. On Christmas morning, when he sat wejd in th top of th Boy's
stoking, with a sprig of holy between his paws, th efect was charming.
Thair wer uther things in th stoking, nuts and orenjes and a toi enjin, and chocolet aamonds and a
clokwerk mous, but th Rabit was qiet th best of all. For at leest too ours th Boi luvd him, and then
Ants and Unkls caem to diner, and thair was a graet rusling of tishoo paeper and unwrapping of
parsels, and in th exsietment of luuking at all th nue prezents th Velveteen Rabit was forgoten.
For a long tiem he livd in th toi cubord or on th nersery flor, and no wun thaut verry much about
him. He was nacheraly shi, and being oenly maed of velveteen, sum of th mor expensiv tois qiet
snubd him. Th mecanical tois wer verry supeerior, and luukt doun upon evry wun els; thae wer
fuul of modern iedeeas, and pretended thae wer reeal. Th model boet, hoo had livd thru too
seezons and lost moest of his paent, caut th toen frum them and never mist an oportuenity of
refering to his riging in tecnical terms. Th Rabit cuud not claem to be a model of enything, for he
didn't noe that reeal rabits existed; he thaut thae wer all stuft with sawdust liek himself, and he
understuud that sawdust was qiet out-of-daet and shuud never be menshund in modern sercls.
Eeven Timothy, th jointed wuuden lieon, hoo was maed bi th disaebld soeljers, and shuud hav had
brauder vues, puut on airs and pretended he was conected with Guvernment. Between them all th
pur litl Rabit was maed to feel himself verry insignificant and comonplaes, and th oenly person
hoo was kiend to him at all was th Skin Hors.
33
Th Skin Hors had livd longger in th nersery than eny of th uthers. He was so oeld that his broun
coet was balld in paches and shoed th seems underneeth, and moest of th hairs in his tael had bin
puuld out to string beed neklases. He was wiez, for he had seen a long sucseshun of mecanical tois
ariev to boest and swager, and bi-and-bi braek thair mainsprings and pas awae, and he nue that
thae wer oenly tois, and wuud never tern into enything els. For nersery majic is verry straenj and
wunderful, and oenly thoes playthings that ar oeld and wiez and expeeryenst liek th Skin Hors
understand all about it.
"Whut is REEAL?" askt th Rabit wun dae, when thae wer lieing sied bi sied neer th nersery
fender, befor Nana caem to tiedy th room. "Duz it meen having things that buz insied U and a stikout handl?"
"Reeal isn't how U ar maed," sed th Skin Hors. "It's a thing that hapens to U. When a chield luvs U
for a long, long tiem, not just to plae with, but REEALY luvs U, then U becum Reeal."
"Duz it hert?" askt th Rabit.
"Sumtiems," sed th Skin Hors, for he was allwaes troothful. "When U ar Reeal U don't miend
being hert."
"Duz it hapen all at wuns, liek being woond up," he askt, "or bit bi bit?"
"It duzn't hapen all at wuns," sed th Skin Hors. "U becum. It taeks a long tiem. That's whi it duzn't
hapen offen to peepl hoo braek eezily, or hav sharp ejes, or hoo hav to be cairfuly kept. Jeneraly,
bi th tiem U ar Reeal, moest of yur hair has bin luvd off, and yur ies drop out and U get loos in yur
joints and verry shaby. But thees things don't mater at all, becauz wuns U ar Reeal U can't be ugly,
exsept to peepl hoo don't understand."
"I supoez U ar reeal?" sed th Rabit. And then he wisht he had not sed it, for he thaut th Skin Hors
miet be sensitiv. But th Skin Hors oenly smield.
"Th Boy's Unkl maed me Reeal," he sed. "That was a graet meny yeers ago; but wuns U ar Reeal
U can't becum unreel agen. It lasts for allwaes."
Th Rabit sied. He thaut it wuud be a long tiem befor this majic calld Reeal hapend to him.
He longd to becum Reeal, to noe whut it felt liek; and yet th iedeea of groeing shaby and loozing
his ies and whiskers was rather sad. He wisht that he cuud becum it without thees uncumfortabl
things hapening to him.
Thair was a person calld Nana hoo roold th nersery. Sumtiems she tuuk no noetis of th playthings
lieing about, and sumtiems, for no reezon whutever, she went swooping about liek a graet wind
and husld them awae in cubords. She calld this "tiedying up," and th playthings all haeted it,
34
espeshaly th tin wuns. Th Rabit didn't miend it so much, for wherrever he was throen he caem
doun sofft.
Wun eevning, when th Boi was going to bed, he cuudn't fiend th chiena daug that allwaes slept
with him.
Nana was in a hery, and it was too much trubl to hunt for chiena daugs at bedtiem, so she simply
luukt about her, and seeing that th toi cubord stuud oepen, she maed a swoop.
"Heer," she sed, "taek yur oeld Buny! He'l do to sleep with U!" And she dragd th Rabit out bi wun
eer, and puut him into th Boy's arms.
That niet, and for meny niets after, th Velveteen Rabit slept in th Boy's bed. At ferst he found it
uncumfortabl, for th Boi hugd him verry tiet, and sumtiems he roeld oever on him, and sumtiems
he puusht him so far under th pilo that th Rabit cuud scairsly breeth. And he mist, too, thoes long
moonliet ours in th nersery, when all th hous was sielent, and his tauks with th Skin Hors. But
verry soon he groo to liek it, for th Boi uezd to tauk to him, and maed nies tunels for him under th
bedcloeths that he sed wer liek th burro th reeal rabits livd in. And thae had splendid gaems
together, in whispers, when Nana had gon awae to her super and left th niet-liet berning on th
mantelpees. And when th Boi dropt off to sleep, th Rabit wuud snugl doun cloes under his litl
worm chin and dreem, with th Boy's hands claspt cloes round him all niet long.
And so tiem went on, and th litl Rabit was verry hapy -- so hapy that he never noetist how his
buetyful velveteen fer was geting shabbier and shabbier, and his tael becuming unsewn, and all th
pink rubd off his noez wherr th Boi had kist him.
Spring caem, and thae had long daes in th garden, for wherrever th Boi went th Rabit went too. He
had rieds in th wheelbarro, and picniks on th gras, and luvly fairy huts bilt for him under th
razberry caens behiend th flower border. And wuns, when th Boi was calld awae sudenly to go to
tee, th Rabit was left out on th laun until long after dusk, and Nana had to cum and luuk for him
with th candl becauz th Boi cuudn't go to sleep unles he was thair. He was wet thru with th due
and qiet erthy frum dieving into th burroes th Boi had maed for him in th flower bed, and Nana
grumbld as she rubd him off with a corner of her aepron.
"U must hav yur oeld Buny!" she sed. "Fansy all that fus for a toi!"
"Giv me mi Buny!" he sed. "U mustn't sae that. He isn't a toi. He's REEAL!"
When th litl Rabit herd that he was hapy, for he nue whut th Skin Hors had sed was troo at last. Th
nersery majic had hapend to him, and he was a toi no longger. He was Reeal. Th Boi himself had
sed it.
That niet he was allmoest too hapy to sleep, and so much luv sterd in his litl sawdust hart that it
allmoest berst. And into his boot-buton ies, that had long ago lost thair polish, thair caem a luuk of
35
wizdom and buety, so that eeven Nana noetist it next morning when she pikt him up, and sed, "I
declair if that oeld Buny hasn't got qiet a noeing expreshun!"
That was a wunderful Sumer!
Neer th hous wherr thae livd thair was a wuud, and in th long June eevning th Boi liekt to go thair
after tee to plae. He tuuk th Velveteen Rabit with him, and befor he waanderd off to pik flowers,
or plae at brigands amung th trees, he allwaes maed th Rabit a litl nest sumwherr amung th braken,
wherr he wuud be qiet coezy, for he was a kiend-hearted litl boi and he liekt Buny to be
cumfortabl. Wun eevning, whiel th Rabit was lieing thair aloen, woching th ants that ran to and fro
between his velvet paws in th gras, he saw too straenj beings creep out of th tall braken neer him.
Thae wer rabits liek himself, but qiet fery and brand-nue. Thae must hav bin verry wel maed, for
thair seems didn't sho at all, and thae chaenjd shaep in a qeer wae when thae moovd; wun minit
thae wer long and thin and th next minit fat and bunchy, insted of allwaes staeing th saem liek he
did. Thair feet paded sofftly on th ground, and thae crept qiet cloes to him, twiching thair noezes,
whiel th Rabit staird hard to see which sied th clokwerk stuk out, for he nue that peepl hoo jump
jeneraly hav sumthing to wiend them up. But he cuudn't see it. Thae wer evidently a nue kiend of
rabit alltogether.
Thae staird at him, and th litl Rabit staird bak. And all th tiem thair noezes twicht.
"Whi don't U get up and plae with us?" wun of them askt.
"I don't feel liek it," sed th Rabit, for he didn't wont to explaen that he had no clokwerk.
"Ho!" sed th fery rabit. "It's as eezy as enything," And he gaev a big hop siedwaes and stuud on his
hiend legs.
"I don't beleev U can!" he sed.
"I can!" sed th litl Rabit. "I can jump hieer than enything" He ment when th Boi throo him, but of
cors he didn't wont to sae so.
"Can U hop on yur hiend legs?" askt th fery rabit?
That was a dredful qeschun, for th Velveteen rabit had no hiend legs at all! Th bak of him was
maed all in wun pees, liek a pincuushun. He sat stil in th braken, and hoept that th uther rabit
wuudn't noetis.
"I don't wont to!" he sed agen.
But th wield rabits hav verry sharp ies. And this wun strecht out his nek and luukt.
36
"He hasn't got eny hiend legs" he calld out. "Fansy a rabit without eny hiend legs" And he began
to laf.
"I hav!" cried th litl Rabit. "I hav got hiend legs! I am siting on them"
"Then strech them out and sho me, liek this!" sed th wield rabit. And he began to wherl around
and dans, til th litl Rabit got qiet dizy.
"I don't liek dansing," he sed. "I'd rather sit stil!"
But all th whiel he was longing to dans, for a funy nue tickly feeling ran thru him, and he felt he
wuud giv enything in th werld to be aebl to jump about liek thees rabits did.
Th straenj rabit stopt dansing, and caem qiet cloes. He caem so cloez this tiem that his long
whiskers brusht th Velveteen Rabbit's eer, and then he rinkld his noez sudenly and flatend his eers
and jumpt bakwards.
"He duzn't smel riet!" he exclaemd. "He isn't a rabit at all! He isn't reeal!"
"I am Reeal!" sed th litl Rabit. "I am Reeal! Th Boi sed so!" And he neerly began to cri.
Just then thair was a sound of fuutsteps, and th Boi ran past neer them, and with a stamp of feet
and a flash of whiet taels th too straenj rabits disapeerd.
"Cum bak and plae with me!" calld th litl Rabit. "O, do cum bak! I noe I am Reeal!"
But thair was no anser, oenly th litl ants ran to and fro, and th braken swaed jently wherr th too
straenjers had past. Th Velveteen Rabit was all aloen.
"O, deer!" he thaut. "Whi did thae run awae liek that? Whi cuudn't thae stop and tauk to me?"
For a long tiem he lae verry stil, woching th braken, and hoeping that thae wuud cum bak. But
thae never reternd, and prezently th sun sank loeer and th litl whiet mauths fluterd out, and th Boi
caem and carryd him hoem.
Weeks past, and th litl Rabit groo verry oeld and shaby, but th Boi luvd him just as much. He luvd
him so hard that he luvd all his whiskers off, and th pink liening to his eers ternd grae, and his
broun spots faeded. He eeven began to looz his shaep, and he scairsly luukt liek a rabit eny mor,
exsept to th Boi. To him he was allwaes buetyful, and that was all that th litl Rabit caird about.
He didn't miend how he luukt to uther peepl, becauz th nersery majic had maed him Reeal, and
when U ar Reeal shabynes duzn't mater.
And then, wun dae, th Boi was il.
37
His faes groo verry flusht, and he taukt in his sleep, and his litl body was so hot that it bernd th
Rabit when he held him looz.
Straenj peepl caem and went in th nersery, and a liet bernd all niet and thru it all th litl Velveteen
Rabit lae thair, hiden frum siet under th bedcloeths, and he never sterd, for he was afraed that if
thae found him sum wun miet taek him awae, and he nue that th Boi needed him.
It was a long weery tiem, for th Boi was too il to plae, and th litl Rabit found it rather dul with
nuthing to do all dae long. But he snugld doun paeshently, and luukt forward to th tiem when th
Boi shuud be wel agen, and thae wuud go out in th garden amungst th flowers and th buterflies
and plae splendid gaems in th razberry thiket liek thae uezd to. All sorts of delietful things he
pland, and whiel th Boi lae haf asleep he crept up cloes to th pilo and whisperd them in his eer.
And prezently th feever ternd, and th Boi got beter. He was aebl to sit up in bed and luuk at
pikcher-buuks, whiel th litl Rabit cuddled cloes at his sied.
And wun dae, thae let him get up and dres.
It was a briet, suny morning, and th windoes stuud wied oepen. Thae had carryd th Boi out on th
balcony, rapt in a shall, and th litl Rabit lae tanggld up amung th bedcloeths, thinking.
Th Boi was going to th seesied to-morro. Evrything was araenjd, and now it oenly remaend to
carry out th doctor's orders. Thae taukt about it all, whiel th litl Rabit lae under th bedcloeths, with
just his hed peeping out, and lisend. Th room was to be disinfected, and all th buuks and tois that
th Boi had plaed with in bed must be bernt.
"Hoo-raa!" thaut th litl Rabit. "To-morro we shal go to th seesied!" For th boi had offen taukt of th
seesied, and he wonted verry much to see th big waevs cuming in, and th tieny crabs, and th sand
casls.
Just then Nana caut siet of him.
"How about his oeld Buny?" she askt.
"That?" sed th doctor. "Whi, it's a mas of scarlet feever jerms! -- Bern it at wuns. Whut? Nonsens!
Get him a nue wun. He mustn't hav that eny mor!"
And so th litl Rabit was puut into a sak with th oeld pikcher-buuks and a lot of rubish, and carryd
out to th end of th garden behiend th foul-hous. That was a fien plaes to maek a bonfier, oenly th
gardner was too bizy just then to atend to it. He had th potaetoes to dig and th green pees to gather,
but next morning he promist to cum erly and bern th hoel lot.
38
That niet th Boi slept in a diferent bedroom, and he had a nue buny to sleep with him. It was a
splendid buny, all whiet plush with reeal glas ies, but th Boi was too exsieted to cair verry much
about it. For to-morro he was going to th seesied, and that in itself was such a wunderful thing that
he cuud think of nuthing els.
And whiel th Boi was asleep, dreeming of th seesied, th litl Rabit lae amung th oeld pikcher-buuks
in th corner behiend th foul-hous, and he felt verry loenly.
Th sak had bin left untied, and so bi wriggling a bit he was aebl to get his hed thru th oepening and
luuk out. He was shivering a litl, for he had allwaes bin uezd to sleeping in a proper bed, and bi
this tiem his coet had worn so thin
and thredbair frum huging that it was no longger eny protecshun to him. Neer bi he cuud see th
thiket of razberry caens, groeing tall and cloez liek a tropical junggl, in hoos shado he had plaed
with th Boi on biegon mornings. He thaut of thoes long sunlit ours in th garden -- how hapy thae
wer -- and a graet sadnes caem oever him. He seemd to see them all pas befor him, eech mor
buetyful than th uther, th fairy huts in th flower-bed, th qieet eevnings in th wuud when he lae in th
braken and th litl ants ran oever his paws; th wunderful dae when he ferst nue that he was Reeal.
He thaut of th Skin Hors, so wiez and jentl, and all that he had toeld him. Of whut ues was it to be
luvd and looz one's buety and becum Reeal if it all ended liek this? And a teer, a reeal teer,
trickled doun his litl shaby velvet noez and fel to th ground.
And then a straenj thing hapend. For wherr th teer had fallen a flower groo out of th ground, a
misteerius flower, not at all liek eny that groo in th garden. It had slender green leevs th colour of
emeralds, and in th senter of th leevs a blosom liek a goelden cup. It was so buetyful that th litl
Rabit forgot to cri, and just lae thair woching it. And prezently th blosom oepend, and out of it
thair stept a fairy.
She was qiet th luvlyest fairy in th hoel werld. Her dres was of perl and due-drops, and thair wer
flowers round her nek and in her hair, and her faes was liek th moest perfect flower of all. And she
caem cloes to th litl Rabit and gatherd him up in her arms and kist him on his velveteen noez that
was all damp frum crieing.
"Litl Rabit," she sed, "don't U noe hoo I am?"
Th Rabit luukt up at her, and it seemd to him that he had seen her faes befor, but he cuudn't think
wherr.
"I am th nersery majic Fairy," she sed. "I taek cair of all th playthings that th children hav luvd.
When thae ar oeld and worn out, and th children don't need them eny mor, then I cum and taek
them awae with me and tern them into Reeal."
"Wasn't I Reeal befor?" askt th litl Rabit.
39
"U wer Reeal to th Boi," th Fairy sed, "becauz he luvd U. Now U shal be Reeal to evry wun."
And she held th litl Rabit cloez in her arms and floo with him into th wuud.
It was liet now, for th moon had rizen. All th forest was buetyful, and th fronds of th braken shoen
liek frosted silver. In th oepen glade between th tree-trunks th wield rabits danst with thair shadoes
on th velvet gras, but when thae saw th Fairy thae all stopt dansing and stuud round in a ring to
stair at her.
"I'v braut U a nue playfellow," th Fairy sed. "U must be verry kiend to him and teech him all he
needs to noe in Rabit-land, for he is going to liv with U for ever and ever!"
And she kist th litl Rabit agen and puut him doun on th gras.
"Run and plae, litl Rabit!" she sed.
But th litl Rabit sat qiet stil for a moement and never moovd. For when he saw all th wield rabits
dansing around him he sudenly rememberd about his hiend legs, and he didn't wont them to see
that he was maed all in wun pees. He did not noe that when th Fairy kist him that last tiem she had
chaenjd him altogether. And he miet hav sat thair a long tiem, too shi to moov, if just then
sumthing hadn't tikld his noez, and befor he thaut whut he was doing he lifted his hiend toe to
scrach it.
And he found that he akchualy had hiend legs! Insted of dinjy velveteen he had broun fer, sofft
and shieny, his eers twicht bi themselvs, and his whiskers wer so long that thae brusht th gras. He
gaev wun leep and th joi of uezing thoes hiend legs was so graet that he went springing about th
terf with them, jumping siedwaes and wherling round as th uther did, and he groo so exsieted that
when at last he did stop to luuk for th Fairy she had gon.
He was a Reeal Rabit at last, at hoem with th uther rabits.
Autum past and Winter, and in th Spring, when th daes groo worm and suny, th Boi went out to
plae in th wuud behiend th hous. And whiel he was plaeing, too rabits crept out frum th braken and
peeped at him. Wun of them was broun all oever, but th uther had straenj markings under his fer,
as tho long ago he had bin spoted, and th spots stil shoed thru. And about his litl sofft noez and his
round bak ies thair was sumthing familyar, so that th Boi thaut to himself:
"Whi, he luuks just liek mi oeld Buny that was lost when I had scarlet feever!"
But he never nue that it reealy was his oen Buny, cum bak to luuk at th chield hoo had ferst helpt
him to be Reeal.
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Th Oepen Windo
bi
SAKI
(H. H. Munro, 1870-1916)
"Mi ant wil be doun prezently, Mr. Nuttel," sed a verry self-pozest yung laedy of fifteen; "in th
meentiem U must tri and puut up with me."
Framton Nuttel endevored to sae th corect sumthing which shuud duely flatter th nees of th
moement without unduely discounting th ant that was to cum.
Prievetly he douted mor than ever whether thees formal vizits on a sucseshun of toetal straenjers
wuud do verry much tords helping th nerv cuer which he was supoezd to be undergoing.
"I noe how it wil be," his sister had sed when he was prepairing to miegraet to this rural retreet; "U
wil berry yurself doun thair and not speek to a living soel, and yur nervs wil be wers than ever
frum moping. I shal just giv U leters of introducshun to all th peepl I noe thair. Sum of them, as far
as I can remember, wer qiet nies."
Framton wunderd whether Mrs. Sappleton, th laedy to hoom he was prezenting wun of th leters of
introducshun caem into th nies divizhun.
"Do U noe meny of th peepl round heer?" askt th nees, when she jujd that thae had had sufishent
sielent comuenyon.
"Hardly a soel," sed Framton. "Mi sister was staeing heer, at th rectory, U noe, sum foer yeers ago,
and she gaev me leters of introducshun to sum of th peepl heer." He maed th last staetment in a
toen of distinkt regret.
"Then U noe practicaly nuthing about mi ant?" persood th self-pozest yung laedy.
"Oenly her naem and adres," admited th caller. He was wundering whether Mrs. Sappleton was in
th marryd or widoed staet. An undefinable sumthing about th room seemd to sugjest mascuelin
habitaeshun.
"Her graet trajedy hapend just three yeers ago," sed th chield; "that wuud be sinss yur sister's
tiem."
41
"Her trajedy?" askt Framton; sumhow in this restful cuntry spot trajedys seemd out of plaes.
"U mae wunder whi we keep that windo wied oepen on an October afternoon," sed th nees,
indicaeting a larj French windo that oepend on to a laun.
"It is qiet worm for th tiem of th yeer," sed Framton; "but has that windo got enything to do with
th trajedy?"
"Out thru that windo, three yeers ago to a dae, her huzband and her too yung bruthers went off for
thair day's shooting. Thae never caem bak.
In crossing th mur to thair faevorit snipe-shooting ground thae wer all three engulft in a trecherus
pees of bog. It had bin that dredful wet sumer, U noe, and plaeses that wer saef in uther yeers gaev
wae sudenly without worning. Thair bodys wer never recuverd. That was th dredful part of it."
Heer th child's vois lost its self-pozest noet and becaem falteringly hueman.
"Pur ant allwaes thinks that thae wil cum bak sumdae, thae and th litl broun spanyul that was lost
with them, and wauk in at that windo just as thae uezd to do. That is whi th windo is kept oepen
evry eevning til it is qiet dusk.
"Pur deer ant, she has offen toeld me how thae went out, her huzband with his whiet wauterproof
coet oever his arm, and Ronnie, her yunggest bruther, singing 'bertie, whi do U bound?' as he
allwaes did to tees her, becauz she sed it got on her nervs. Do U noe, sumtiems on stil, qieet
eevnings liek this, I allmoest get a creepy feeling that thae wil all wauk in thru that windo--"
She broek off with a litl shuder. It was a releef to Framton when th ant bustled into th room with a
wherl of apolojys for being laet in maeking her apeerans.
"I hoep Vera has bin amuezing U?" she sed.
"She has bin verry interesting," sed Framton.
"I hoep U don't miend th oepen windo," sed Mrs. Sappleton briskly; "mi huzband and bruthers wil
be hoem directly frum shooting, and thae allwaes cum in this wae. Thae'v bin out for snipe in th
marshes todae, so thae'l maek a fien mes oever mi pur carpets. So liek U menfoek, isn't it?"
She ratld on cheerfuly about th shooting and th scarcityof berds, and th prospects for duk in th
winter. To Framton it was all puerly horribl.
He maed a desperet but oenly parshaly sucsesful efort to tern th tauk on to a les gastly topic, he
was conshus that his hoestes was giving him oenly a fragment of her atenshun, and her ies wer
constantly straying past him to th oepen windo and th laun beyond. It was sertenly an unforchunet
coeinsidens that he shuud hav paed his vizit on this trajic aniversary.
42
"Th doctors agree in ordering me compleet rest, an absens of mental exsietment, and avoidans of
enything in th naecher of vieolent fizical exersiez," anounst Framton, hoo laebord under th
tolerably wiedspred deloozhun that toetal straenjers and chans acquaintances ar hunggry for th
leest deetael of one's aelments and infermitys, thair cauz and cuer. "On th mater of dieet thae ar
not so much in agreement," he continued.
"No?" sed Mrs. Sappleton, in a vois which oenly replaest a yaun at th last moement. Then she
sudenly brietend into alert atenshun--but not to whut Framton was saeing.
"Heer thae ar at last!" she cried. "Just in tiem for tee, and don't thae look as if thae wer mudy up to
th ies!"
Framton shiverd slietly and ternd tords th nees with a luuk intended to convae simpathetic
comprehenshun. Th chield was stairing out thru th oepen windo with a daezd horror in her ies. In a
chil shok of naemles feer
Framton swung round in his seet and luukt in th saem direcshun.
In th deepening twieliet three figuers wer wauking across th laun tords th windo, thae all carryd
guns under thair arms, and wun of them was adishunaly berdend with a whiet coet hung oever his
shoelders. A tierd broun spanyul kept cloes at thair heels. Noiselessly thae neerd th hous, and then
a hors yung vois chanted out of th dusk: "I sed, Bertie, whi do U bound?"
Framton grabd wieldly at his stik and hat; th hall dor, th gravel driev, and th frunt gaet wer dimly
noeted staejes in his hedlong retreet. A sieclist cuming along th roed had to run into th hej to avoid
iminent colizhun.
"Heer we ar, mi deer," sed th bairer of th whiet makintosh, cuming in thru th windo, "fairly mudy,
but moest of it's dri. Hoo was that hoo boelted out as we caem up?"
"A moest extraordinairy man, a Mr. Nuttel," sed Mrs. Sappleton; "cuud oenly tauk about his
ilneses, and dasht off without a werd of guudbi or apolojy when U arievd. Wun wuud think he had
seen a goest."
"I expect it was th spanyul," sed th nees caamly; "he toeld me he had a horror of daugs. He was
wuns hunted into a semeterry sumwherr on th banks of th Ganges bi a pak of pariah daugs, and
had to spend th niet in a nuely dug graev with th creechers snarling and grining and foeming just
abuv him. Enuf to maek enywun looz thair nerv."
Roemanss at short noetis was her speciality.
Th End.
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TO BILD A FIER
bi
Jack London
"He was qik and alert in th things of lief, but oenly in th things, and not in th significances."
______________________________
DAE HAD BROEKEN coeld and grae, exseedingly coeld and grae, when th man ternd asied
frum th maen Yukon trael and cliemd th hi erth-bank, wherr a dim and litl-traveld trael led
eestward thru th fat sproos timberland. It was a steep bank, and he pauzd for breth at th top,
excuezing th act to himself bi luuking at his woch. It was nien o'clok. Thair was no sun nor hiend
of sun, tho thair was not a cloud in th skie. It was a cleer dae, and yet thair seemd an intanjibl pall
oever th faes of things, a sutl gloom that maed th dae dark, and that was due to th absens of sun.
This fact did not wery th man. He was uezd to th lak of sun. It had bin daes sinss he had seen th
sun, and he nue that a fue mor daes must pas befor that cheerful orb, due south, wuud just peep
abuv th skie lien and dip imeedyetly frum vue.
Th man flung a luuk bak along th wae he had cum. Th Yukon lae a miel wied and hiden under
three feet of ies. On top of this ies wer as meny feet of sno. It was all puer whiet, roeling in jentl
undulations wherr th ies jams of th freez-up had formd. North and south, as far as his ie cuud see,
it was unbroeken whiet, saev for a dark hairlien that curvd and twisted frum around th sprooscuverd ieland to th south, and that curvd and twisted awae into th north, wherr it disapeerd behiend
anuther sproos-cuverd ieland. This dark hairlien was th trael---th maen trael--that led south fiev
hundred miels to th Chilcoot Pas, Dyea, and sallt wauter; and that led north seventy miels to
Dawson, and stil on to th north a thouzand miels to Nulato, and fienaly to St. Michael, on Bairing
See, a thouzand miels and haf a thouzand mor.
But all this---th misteerius, far-reeching hairlien trael, th absens of sun frum th skie, th tremendus
coeld, and th straenjnes and weirdness of it all--maed no impreshun on th man. It was not becauz
he was long uezd to it. He was a nuecumer in th land, a "chechaquo", and this was his ferst winter.
Th trubl with him was that he was without imajinaeshun. He was qik and alert in th things of lief,
but oenly in th things, and not in th significances. Fifty degrees belo zero ment aety od degrees of
frost. Such fact imprest him as being coeld and uncumfortabl, and that was all. It did not leed him
to meditaet upon his fraelty in jeneral, aebl oenly to liv within serten narro limits of heet and
coeld; and frum thair on it did not leed him to th conjekcheral feeld of imortality and man's plaes
in th uenivers. Fifty degrees belo zero stuud for a biet of frost that hert and that must be garded
agenst bi th ues of mitens, eer flaps, worm mocasins, and thik soks. Fifty degrees belo zero was to
45
him just presiesly fifty degrees belo zero. That thair shuud be enything mor to it than that was a
thaut that never enterd his hed.
As he ternd to go, he spat specuelaetivly. Thair was a sharp, exploesiv crakl that startld him. He
spat agen. And agen, in th air, befor it cuud fall to th sno, th spitl crakld. He nue that at fifty belo
spitl crakld on th sno, but this spitl had crakld in th air. Undoutedly it was coelder than fifty belo-how much coelder he did not noe. But th temperacher did not mater. He was bound for th oeld
claem on th left fork of Henderson Creek, wherr th bois wer allredy. Thae had cum oever across th
divied frum th Indian Creek cuntry, whiel he had cum th roundabout wae to taek a luuk at th
posibility of geting out logs in th spring frum th ielands in th Yukon. He wuud be in to camp bi six
o'clok; a bit after dark, it ws troo, but th bois wuud be thair, a fier wuud be going, and a hot super
wuud be redy. As for lunch, he prest his hand agenst th proetrooding bundl under his jaket. It was
allso under his shert, rapt up in a hankerchif and lieing agenst th naeked skin. It was th oenly wae
to keep th biskits frum freezing. He smield agreeably to himself as he thaut of thoes biskits, eech
cut oepen and sopped in baecon grees, and eech encloezing a jenerus slies of fried baecon.
He plunjd in amung th big sproos trees. Th trael was faent. A fuut of sno had fallen sinss th last
sled had past oever, and he was glad he was without a sled, traveling liet. In fact, he carryd
nuthing but th lunch rapt in th hankerchif. He was serpriezd, however, at th coeld. It sertenly was
coeld, he conclooded, as he rubd his num noez and cheekboens with his mittened hand. He was a
worm-whiskerd man, but th hair on his faes did not protect th hi cheekboens and th eeger noez that
thrust itself agresivly into th frosty air.
At th man's heels troted a daug, a big naetiv husky, th proper wuulf daug, grae-coeted and without
eny vizibl or temperamental diferens frum its bruther, th wield wuulf. Th animal was deprest bi th
tremendus coeld. It nue that it was no tiem for traveling. Its instinkt toeld it a trooer tael than was
toeld to th man bi th man's jujment. In reality, it was not meerly coelder than fifty belo zero; it was
coelder than sixty belo, than seventy belo. It was seventy-fiev belo zero. Sinss th freezing point is
therty-too abuv zero, it ment that wun hundred and seven degrees of frost obtaend. Th daug did
not noe enything about thermometers. Posibly in its braen thair was no sharp conshusnes of a
condishun of verry coeld such as was in th man's braen. But th broot had its instinkt. It
expeeryenst a vaeg but menising aprehenshun that subdued it and maed it slink along at th man's
heels, and that maed it qeschun eegerly evry unwonted moovment of th man as if expecting him to
go into camp or to seek shelter sumwherr and bild a fier. Th daug had lernd fier and it wonted fier,
or els to burro under th sno and cudl its wormth awae frum th air
Th froezen moischer of its (i.e. th dog's) breething had setld on its fer in a fien pouder of frost,
and espeshaly wer its jouls, muzl, and ielashes whietend bi its crystalled breth. Th man's red beerd
and mustash wer liekwiez frosted, but mor solidly, th depozit taeking th form of ies and increesing
with evry worm, moist breth he exhaeld. Allso, th man was chooing tobaco and th muzl of ies held
his lips so rijidly that he was unaebl to cleer his chin when he expeld th joos. Th rezult was that a
cristal beerd of th culor and solidity of amber was increesing its length on his chin. If he fel doun it
wuud shater itself, liek glas, into brittle fragments. But he did not miend th apendej. It was th
penalty all tobaco chewers paed in that cuntry, and he had bin out befor in too coeld snaps. thae
46
had not bin so coeld as this, he nue, but bi th spirit thermometer at Sixty Miel he nue thae had
rejisterd at fifty belo and at fifty-fiev.
He held on thru th level strech of wuuds for several miels, crosst a wied flat of nigger heds, and
dropt doun a bank to th froezen bed of a small streem. This was Henderson Creek, and he nue he
was ten miels frum th forks. He luukt at his woch. It was ten o'clok. He was maeking foer miels an
our, and he calcuelaeted that he wuud ariev at th forks at haf-past twelv. He desieded to selebraet
that event bi eeting his lunch thair.
Th daug dropt in agen at his heels, with a tael drooping discurejment, as th man sung along th
creek bed. Th fero of th oeld sled trael was plaenly vizibl, but a duzen inches of sno cuverd th
marks of th last runers. In a munth no man had cum up or doun that sielent creek. Th man held
stedily on. He was not much given to thinking, and just then particuelarly he had nuthing to think
about saev that he wuud eet lunch at th forks and that at six o'clok he wuud be in camp with th
bois. Thair was noebody to tauk to; and, had thair bin, speech wuud hav bin imposibl becauz of th
ies muzl on his mouth. so he continued monotonously to choo tobaco and to increes th length of
his amber beerd.
Wuns in a whiel th thaut reeiteraeted itself that it was verry coeld and that he had never
expeeryenst such coeld. As he waukt along he rubd his cheekboens and noez with th bak of his
mittened hand. He did this automaticaly, now and agen chaenjing hands. But, rub as he wuud, th
instant he stopt his cheekboens went num, and th foloeing instant th end of his noez went num. He
was shur to frost his cheeks; he nue that, and expeeryenst a pang of regret that he had not deviezd
a noez strap of th sort Bud wor in coeld snaps. Such a strap past across th cheeks, as wel, and
saevd them. But it didn't mater much, after all. Whut wer frosted cheeks? a bit paenful, that was
all; thae wer never seerius.
Empty as th man's miend was of thauts, he was keenly obzervant, and he noetist th chaenjes in th
creek, th curvs and bends and timber jams, and allwaes he sharply noeted wherr he plaest his feet.
Wuns, cuming around a bend, he shied abruptly, liek a startld hors, curvd awae frum th plaes
wherr he had bin wauking, and retreeted several paeses bak along th trael. Th creek he nue was
froezen cleer to th botom---no creek cuud contaen wauter in that arctic winter--but he nue allso
that thair wer springs that bubld out frum th hillsides and ran along under th sno and on top th ies
of th creek. He nue that th coeldest snaps never froez thees springs, and he nue liekwiez thair
daenjer. Thae wer traps. Thae hid pools of wauter under th sno that miet be three inches deep, or
three feet. Sumtiems a skin of ies haf an inch thik cuverd them, and in tern was cuverd bi th sno.
Sumtiems thair wer allternaet laeers of wauter and ies skin, so that when wun broek thru he kept
on braeking thru for a whiel, sumtiems weting himself to th waest.
That was whi he had shied in such panic. He had felt th giv under his feet and herd th crakl of a
sno-hiden ies skin. And to get his feet wet in such a temperacher ment trubl and daenjer. At th
verry leest it ment delae, for he wuud be forst to stop and bild a fier, and under its protecshun to
bair his feet whiel he dried his soks and mocasins. He stuud and studyd th creek bed and its banks,
and desieded that th flo of wauter caem frum th riet. He reflected awhiel, rubing his noez and
47
cheeks, then skerted to th left, steping jinjerly and testing th fuuting for eech step. Wuns cleer of th
daenjer, he tuuk a fresh choo of tobaco and swung along at his foer-miel gaet. Th daenjer of falling
thru th ies has becum a factor.
In th cors of th next too ours he caem upon several similar traps. Uezhualy th sno abuv th hiden
pools had a sunken, candyd apeerans that advertiezd th daenjer. Wuns agen, however, he had a
cloes call; and wuns, suspecting daenjer, he compeld th daug to go on in frunt. Th daug did not
wont to go. It hung bak until th man shuvd it forward, and then it went qikly across th whiet,
unbroeken serfis. Sudenly it broek thru, flounderd to wun sied, and got awae to fermer fuuting. It
had wet its forfeet and legs, and allmoest imeedyetly th wauter that clung to it ternd to ies. It maed
qik eforts to lik th ies off its legs, then dropt doun in th sno and began to biet out th ies that had
formd between th toes. This was a mater of instinkt. To permit th ies to remaen wuud meen sor
feet. It did not noe this. It meerly oebaed th misteerius prompting that aroez frum th deep crypts of
its being. But th man nue, having acheevd a jujment on th subject, and he remoovd th miten frum
his riet hand and helpt teer out th ies particls. He did not expoez his finggers mor than a minit, and
was astonisht at th swift numnes that smoet them. It sertenly was coeld. He puuld on th miten
haestily, and beet th hand savejly across his chest.
At twelv o'clok th dae was at its brietest. Yet th sun was too far south on its winter jerny to cleer
th horiezon. Th bulj of th erth interveend between it and Henderson Creek, wherr th man waukt
under a cleer skie at noon and cast no shado. At haf-past twelv, to th mienuet, he arievd at th forks
of th creek. He was pleezd at th speed he had maed. If he kept it up, he wuud sertenly be with th
bois bi six. He unbuttoned his jaket and shert and droo forth his lunch. Th acshun consoomd no
mor than a qorter of a minit, yet in that breef moement th numnes laed hoeld of his expoezd
finggers. He did not puut th miten on, but, insted, struk th finggers a duzen sharp smashes agenst
his leg. Then he sat doun on a sno- cuverd log to eet. Th sting that foloed upon th strieking of his
finggers agenst his leg seest so qikly that he was startld. He had had no chans to taek a bit of
biskit. He struk th finggers repeetedly and reternd them to th miten, baring th uther hand for th
perpos of eeting. He tried to taek a mouthful, but th ies muzl prevented. He had forgoten to bild a
fier and thaw out. He chukld at his foolishnes, and as he chukld he noeted that th stinging which
had ferst cum to his toes when he sat doun was allredy pasing awae. He wunderd whether th toes
wer worm or num. He moovd them insied th mocasins and desieded that thae wer num.
He puuld th miten on herydly and stuud up. He was a bit frietend. He stampt up and doun until th
stinging reternd to his feet. It sertenly was coeld, was his thaut. That man frum Sulpher Creek had
spoeken th trooth when teling how coeld it sumtiems got in th cuntry. And he had laft at him at th
tiem! That shoed wun must not be too shur of things. Thair was no mistaek about it, it *was*
coeld. He stroed up and doun, stamping his feet and threshing his arms, until re-ashurd bi th
reterning wormth. Then he got out maches and proseeded to maek a fier. >Frum th undergroeth,
wherr hi wauter of th preevius spring had lojd a supli of seezond twigs, he got his fierwuud.
Werking cairfuly frum a small begining, he soon had a roring fier, oever which he thawd th ies
frum his faes and in th protecshun of which he aet his biskits. For th moement th coeld of spaes
was outwitted. Th daug tuuk satisfacshun in th fier, streching out cloes enuf for wormth and far
enuf awae to escaep being sinjd.
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When th man had finisht, he fild his piep and tuuk his cumfortabl tiem oever a smoek. Then he
puuld on his mitens, setld th eer flaps of his cap fermly about his eers, and tuuk th creek trael up th
left fork. Th daug was disapointed and yernd bak tord th fier. Th man did not noe coeld. Posibly
all th jeneraeshuns of his ansestry had bin ignorant of coeld, of reeal coeld, of coeld wun hundred
and seven degrees belo freezing point. But th daug nue; all its ansestry nue, and it had inherrited th
nolej. And it nue that it was not guud to wauk abraud in such feerful coeld. It was th tiem to lie
snug in a hoel in th sno and waet for a curten of cloud to be drawn across th faes of outer spaes
whens this coeld caem. On th uther hand, thair was no keen intimasy between th daug and th man.
Th wun was th toil slaev of th uther, and th oenly careses it had ever reseevd wer th careses of th
whip lash and of harsh and menising throet sounds that thretend th whip lash. So th daug maed no
efort to comuenicaet its aprehenshun to th man. It was not consernd in th welfair of th man; it was
for its oen saek that it yernd bak tord th fier. But th man whisld, and spoek to it with th sound of
whip lashes, and th daug swung in at th man's heels and foloed after.
Th man tuuk a choo of tobaco and proseeded to start a nue amber beerd. Allso, his moist breth
qikly pouderd with whiet his mustash, iebrows, and lashes. Thair did not seem to be so meny
springs on th left fork of th Henderson, and for haf an our th man saw no siens of eny. And then it
hapend. At a plaes wherr thair wer no siens, wherr th sofft, unbroeken sno seemd to advertiez
solidity beneeth, th man broek thru. It was not deep. He wet himself hafwae to th nees befor he
flounderd out to th ferm crust.
He was anggry, and curst his luk aloud. He had hoept to get into camp with th bois at six o'clok,
and this wuud delae him an our, for he wuud hav to bild a fier and dri out his footgear. This was
imperrativ at that lo temperacher--for he nue that much; and he ternd asied to th bank, which he
cliemd. On top, tanggld in th underbrush about th trunks of several small sproos trees, was a hi
wauter depozit of dri fierwuud--stiks and twigs, prinsipaly, but allso larjer porshuns of seezond
branches and fien, dri, last year's grases. He throo doun several larj peeses on top of th sno. This
servd for a foundaeshun and prevented th yung flaem frum drouning itself in th sno it utherwiez
wuud melt. Th flaem he got bi tuching a mach to a small shred of berch bark that he tuuk frum his
poket. This bernd eeven mor redily than paeper. Plaesing it on th foundaeshun, he fed th yung
flaem with wisps of dri gras and with th tienyest dri twigs.
He werkt sloely and cairfuly, keenly awair of his daenjer. Grajualy, as th flaem groo strongger, he
increest th siez of th twigs with which he fed it. He sqoted in th sno, puuling th twigs out frum
thair entangglment in th brush and feeding directly to th flaem. He nue thair must be no faeluer.
When it is seventy-fiev belo zero, a man must not fael in his ferst atempt to bild a fier---that is, if
his feet ar wet. If his feet ar dri, and he faels, he can run along th trael for haf a miel and restor his
sercuelaeshun. But th sercuelaeshun of wet and freezing feet cannot be restord bi runing when it is
seventy- fiev belo. No mater how fast he runs, th wet feet wil freez th harder.
All this th man nue. Th oeld-tiemer on Sulfer Creek had toeld him about it th preevius fall, and
now he was apreeshiaeting th advies. Allredy all sensaeshun had gon out of his feet. To bild th fier
he had bin forst to remoov his mitens, and th finggers had qikly gon num. His paes of foer miels
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an our had kept his hart pumping blud to th serfis of his body and to all th extremitys. But th
instant he stopt, th acshun of th pump eezd doun. Th coeld of spaes smoet th unprotected tip of th
planet, and he, being on that unprotected tip, reseevd th fuul fors of th blo. th blud of his body
recoild befor it. Th blud was aliev, liek th daug, and liek th daug it wonted to hied awae and cuver
itself up frum th feerful coeld. So long as he waukt foer miels an our, he pumpt that blud, willynilly, to th serfis; but now it ebd awae and sank doun into th reseses of his body. Th extremitys
wer th ferst to feel its absens. His wet feet froez th faster, and his expoezd finggers numbed th
faster, tho thae had not yet begun to freez. Noez and cheeks wer allredy freezing, whiel th skin of
all his body child as it lost its blud.
But he was saef. Toes and noez and cheeks wuud be oenly tucht bi th frost, for th fier was
begining to bern with strength. He was feeding it with twigs th siez of his fingger. In anuther minit
he wuud be aebl to feed it with branches th siez of his rist, and then he cuud remoov his wet
footgear, and, whiel it dried, he cuud keep his naeked feet worm bi th fier, rubing them at ferst, of
cors, with sno. Th fier was a sucses. He was saef. He rememberd th advies of th oeld-tiemer on
Sulfer Creek, and smield. Th oeld-tiemer had bin verry seerius in laeing doun th law that no man
must travel aloen in th Klondike after fifty belo. Wel, heer he was; he had had th acsident; he was
aloen; and he had saevd himself. Thoes oeld- tiemers wer rather wuumanish, sum of them, he
thaut. All a man had to do was to keep his hed, and he was all riet. Eny man hoo was a man cuud
travel aloen. But it was serpriezing, th rapidity with which his cheeks and noez wer freezing. And
he had not thaut his finggers cuud go liefles in so short a tiem. Liefles thae wer, for he cuud
scairsly maek them moov together to grip a twig, and thae seemd remoet frum his body and frum
him. When he tucht a twig, he had to luuk and see whether or not he had hoeld of it. Th wiers wer
prity wel doun between him and his fingger ends.
All of which counted for litl. Thair was th fier, snaping and crakling and promising lief with evry
dansing flaem. He started to unti his mocasins. Thae wer coeted with ies; th thik German soks wer
liek sheaths of ieern hafwae to th nees; and th mocasin strings wer liek rods of steel all twisted and
noted as bi sum conflagraeshun. For a moement he tugd with his num finggers, then, reealiezing th
foly of it, he droo his sheeth nief.
But befor he cuud cut th strings, it hapend. It was his oen fallt or, rather, his mistaek. He shuud
not hav bilt th fier under th sproos tree. He shuud hav bilt it in th oepen. But it had bin eezyer to
puul th twigs frum th brush and drop them directly on th fier. Now th tree under which he had dun
this carryd a waet of sno on its bows. No wind had bloen for weeks, and eech bow was fuuly
freighted. Eech tiem he had puuld on a twig he had comuenicaeted a sliet ajitaeshun to th tree--an
imperseptibl ajitaeshun, so far as he was consernd, but an ajitaeshun sufishent to bring about th
dizaster. Hi up in th tree wun bow capsiezd its loed of sno. This fel on th bows beneeth, capsiezing
them. This proses continued, spreding out and involving th hoel tree. It groo liek an avalanch, and
it desended without worning upon th man and th fier, and th fier was bloted out! Wherr it had
bernd was a mantl of fresh and disorderd sno.
Th man was shokt. It was as tho he had just herd his oen sentens of deth. For a moement he sat
and staird at th spot wherr th fier had bin. Then he groo verry caam. Perhaps th oeld- tiemer on
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Sulfer Creek was riet. If he had oenly had a trael maet he wuud hav bin in no daenjer now. Th trael
maet cuud hav bilt th fier. Wel, it was up to him to bild a fier oever agen, and this second tiem
thair must be no faeluer. Eeven if he sucseeded, he wuud moest liekly looz sum toes. His feet must
be badly froezen bi now, and thair wuud be sum tiem befor th second fier was redy.
Such wer his thauts, but he did not sit and think them. He was bizy all th tiem thae wer pasing
thru his miend. He maed a nue foundaeshun for a fier, this tiem in th oepen, wherr no trecherus
tree cuud blot it out. Next he gatherd dri grases and tieny twigs frum th hi wauter flotsam. He cuud
not bring his finggers together to puul them out, but he was aebl to gather them bi th handful. In
this wae he got meny roten twigs and bits of green moss that wer undezierabl, but it was th best he
cuud do. He werkt methodicaly, eeven colecting an armful of th larjer branches to be uezd laeter
when th fier gatherd strength. And all th whiel th daug sat and wocht him, a serten yerning
wistfulness in its ies, for it luukt upon him as th fier provieder, and th fier was slo in cuming.
When all was redy, th man reecht in his poket for a second pees of berch bark. He nue th bark was
thair, and, tho he cuud not feel it with his finggers, he cuud heer its crisp rusling as he fumbld for
it. Tri as he wuud, he cuud not cluch hoeld of it. And all th tiem, in his conshusnes, was th nolej
that eech instant his feet wer freezing. This thaut tended to puut him in a panic, but he faut agenst
it and kept caam. He puuld on his mitens with his teeth, and thrasht his arms bak and forth, beeting
his hands with all his miet agenst his sieds. He did this siting doun, and he stuud up to do it; and
all th whiel th daug sat in th sno, its wuulf brush of a tael curld around wormly oever its forfeet, its
sharp wuulf eers prikt forward intently as it wocht th man. And th man, as he beet and thresht with
his arms and hands, felt a graet serj of envy as he regarded th creecher that was worm and secuer
in its nacheral cuvering.
After a tiem he was awair of th ferst faraway signals of sensaeshun in his beeten finggers. Th
faent tinggling groo strongger til it evolvd into a stinging aek that was excrooshiaeting, but which
th man haeld with satisfacshun. He stript th miten frum his riet hand and fetched forth th berch
bark. Th expoezd finggers wer qikly going num agen. Next he braut out his bunch of sulfer
maches. But th tremendus coeld had allredy driven th lief out of his finggers. In his efort to
separaet wun mach frum th uthers, th hoel bunch fel in th sno. He tried to pik it out of th sno, but
faeld. Th ded finggers cuud neether tuch nor cluch. He was verry cairful. He droev th thaut of his
freezing feet, and noez, and cheeks, out of his miend, devoeting his hoel soel to th maches. He
wocht, uezing th sens of vizhun in plaes of that of tuch, and when he saw his finggers on eech sied
th bunch, he cloezd them--that is, he wild to cloez them, for th wiers wer doun, and th finggers did
not oebae. He puuld th miten on th riet hand, and beet it feersly agenst his nee. Then, with boeth
mittened hands, he scoopt th bunch of maches, along with much sno, into his lap. Yet he was no
beter off.
After sum manipuelaeshun he manejd to get th bunch between th heels of his mittened hands. In
this fashun he carryd it to his mouth. Th ies crakld and snapt when bi a vieolent efort he oepend
his mouth. He droo th loeer jaw in, curld th uper lip out of th wae, and scraept th bunch with his
uper teeth in order to separaet a mach. He sucseeded in geting wun, which he dropt on his lap. He
was no beter off. He cuud not pik it up. Then he deviezd a wae. He pikt it up in his teeth and
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scracht it on his leg. Twenty tiems he scracht befor he sucseeded in lieting it. As if flaemd he held
it with his teeth to th berch bark. But th berning brimstoen went up his nostrils and into his lungs,
cauzing him to cauf spasmodically. Th mach fel into th sno and went out.
Th oeld-tiemer on Sulfer Creek was riet, he thaut in th moement of controeld despair that ensood:
after fifty belo, a man shuud travel with a partner. He beet his hands, but faeld in exsieting eny
sensaeshun. Sudenly he bared boeth hands, remooving th mitens with his teeth. He caut th hoel
bunch between th heels of his hands. His arm musls not being froezen enaebld him to pres th hand
heels tietly agenst th maches. Then he scracht th bunch along his leg. It flaird into flaem, seventy
sulfer maches at wuns! Thair was no wind to blo them out. He kept his hed to wun sied to escaep
th strangling fuems, and held th blaezing bundl to th berch bark. As he so held it, he becaem awair
of sensaeshun in his hand. His flesh ws berning. He cuud smel it. Deep doun belo th serfis he cuud
feel it. Th sensaeshun developt into paen that groo acuet. And stil he endurd it, hoelding th flaem
of th maches clumzily to th bark that wuud not liet redily becauz his oen berning hands wer in th
wae, absorbing moest of th flaem.
At last, when he cuud endur no mor, he jerkt his hands apart. Th blaezing maches fel sizling into
th sno, but th berch bark was aliet. He began laeing dri grases and th tienyest twigs on th flaem. He
cuud not pik and chooz, for he had to lift th fueel between th heels of his hands. Small peeses of
roten wuud and green moss clung to th twigs, and he bit them off as wel as he cuud with his teeth.
He cherrisht th flaem cairfuly and aukwardly. It ment lief , and it must not perrish. Th withdrawal
of blud frum th serfis of his body now maed him begin to shiver, and he groo mor aukward. A larj
pees of green moss fel sqairly on th litl fier. He tried to poek it with his finggers, but his shivering
fraem maed him poek too far, and he disrupted th nueclius of th litl fier, th berning grases and
tieny twigs separaeting and scatering. He tried to poek them together agen, but in spiet of th
tenseness of th efort, his shivering got awae with him, and th twigs wer hoeplesly scaterd. Eech
twig gusht a puf of smoek and went out. Th fier provieder had faeld. As he luukt apathetically
about him, his ies chanst on th daug, siting across th rooins of th fier frum him, in th sno, maeking
restles, hunching moovments, slietly lifting wun forfuut and then th uther, shifting its waet bak
and forth on them with wistful eegernes.
Th siet of th daug puut a wield iedeea into his hed. He rememberd th tael of th man, caut in a
blizard, hoo kild a steer and cralld insied th carcas, and so was saevd. He wuud kil th daug and
berry his hands in th worm body until th numnes went out of them. Then he cuud bild anuther fier.
He spoek to th daug, calling it to him; but in his vois was a straenj noet of feer that frietend th
animal, hoo had never noen th man to speek in such a wae befor. sumthing was th mater, and its
suspishus naecher senst daenjer-it nue not whut daenjer, but sumwherr, sumhow, in its braen aroez
an aprehenshun of th man. It flatend its eers doun at th sound of th man's vois, and its restles,
hunching moovments and liftings and shiftings of its forfeet becaem mor pronounst; but it wuud
not cum to th man. He got on his hands and nees and cralld tord th daug. This unuezhual poscher
agen exsieted suspishun, and th animal sidled mincingly awae.
Th man sat up in th sno for a moement and strugld for caamnes. Then he puuld on his mitens, bi
meens of his teeth, and got upon his feet. He glanst doun at ferst in order to ashur himself that he
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was reealy standing up, for th absens of sensaeshun in his feet left him unrelaeted to th erth. His erect
pozishun in itself started to driev th webs of suspishun frum th dog's miend; and when he spoek
peremptorily, with th sound of whip lashes in his vois, th daug renderd its customairy aleejans and caem to
him. As it caem within reeching distans, th man lost his controel. His arms flasht out to th daug, and he
expeeryenst jenuein serpriez when he discuverd that his hands cuud not cluch, that thair was neether bend
nor feeling in th finggers. He had forgoten for th moement that thae wer froezen and that thae wer freezing
mor and mor. All this hapend qikly, and befor th animal cuud get awae, he ensercld its body with his arms.
He sat doun in th sno, and in this fashun held th daug, whiel it snarld and whiend and strugld.
But it was all he cuud do, hoeld its body ensercld in his arms and sit thair. He reealiezd that he cuud not kil
th daug. Thair was no wae to do it. With his helples hands he cuud neether draw nor hoeld his sheeth nief
nor throtl th animal. He releest it, and it plunjd wieldly awae, with tael between its legs, and stil snarling. It
hallted forty feet awae servaed him cueriusly, with eers sharply prikt forward.
Th man luukt doun at his hands in order to loecaet them, and found them hanging on th ends of his arms. It
struk him as cuerius that wun shuud hav to uez his ies in order to fiend out wherr his hands wer. He began
threshing his arms bak and forth, beeting th mittened hands agenst his sieds. He did this for fiev minits,
vieolently, and his hart pumpt enuf blud up to th serfis to puut a stop to his shivering. But no sensaeshun
was arouzd in his hands. He had an impreshun that thae hung liek waets on th ends of his arms, but when
he tried to run th impreshun doun, he cuud not fiend it.
A serten feer of deth, dul and opresiv, caem to him. This feer qikly becaem poinyant as he reealiezd that it
was no longger a meer mater of freezing his finggers and toes, or of loozing his hands and feet, but that it
was a mater of lief and deth with th chanses agenst him. This throo him into a panic, and he ternd and ran
up th creek bed along th oeld, dim trael. Th daug joind in behiend and kept up with him. He ran bliendly,
without intenshun, in feer such as he had never noen in his lief.
Sloely, as he plowd and flounderd thru th sno, he began to see things agen--th banks of th creek, th oeld
timber jams, th leafless aspens, and th skie. th runing maed him feel beter. He did not shiver. Maebe, if he
ran on, his feet wuud thaw out; and, enywae, if he ran far enuf, he wuud reech camp and th bois. Without
dout he wuud looz sum finggers and toes and sum of his faes; but th bois wuud taek cair of him, and saev th
rest of him when he got thair. And at th saem tiem thair was anuther thaut in his miend that sed he wuud
never get to th camp and th bois; that it was too meny miels awae, that th freezing had too graet a start on
him, and that he wuud soon be stif and ded. This thaut he kept in th bakground and refuezd to consider.
Sumtiems it puusht itself forward and demanded to be herd, but he thrust it bak and stroev to think of uther
things.
It struk him as cuerius that he cuud run at all on feet so froezen that he cuud not feel them when thae struk
th erth and tuuk th waet of his body. He seemd to himself to skim along abuv th serfis, and to hav no
conecshun with th erth. Sumwherr he had wuns seen a wingd Mercuery, and he wunderd if Mercuery felt as
he felt when skiming oever th erth.
His theeory of runing until he reecht camp and th bois had wun flaw in it; he lakt th endurans. Several
tiems he stumbld, and fienaly he toterd, crumpld up, and fel. When he tried to riez, he faeld. He must sit
and rest, he desieded, and next tiem he wuud meerly wauk and keep on going. As he sat and regaend his
breth, he noeted that he was feeling qiet worm and cumfortabl. He was not shivering, and it eeven seemd
that a worm glo had cum to his chest and trunk. And yet, when he tucht his noez or cheeks, thair was no
sensaeshun. Runing wuud not thaw them out. Nor wuud it thaw out his hands and feet. Then th thaut caem
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to him that th froezen porshuns of his body must be extending. He tried to keep this thaut doun, to forget it,
to think of sumthing els; he was awair of th paniky feeling that it cauzd, and he was afraed of th panic. But
th thaut aserted itself, and persisted, until it produest a vizhun of his body toetaly froezen. This was too
much, and he maed anuther wield run along th trael. Wuns he sloed doun to a wauk, but th thaut of th
freezing extending itself maed him run agen.
And all th tiem th daug ran with him, at his heels. When he fel doun a second tiem, it curld its tael oever its
forfeet and sat in frunt of him, faesing him, cueriusly eeger and intent. Th wormth and secuerity of th
animal anggerd him, and he curst it til it flatend doun its eers appeasingly. This tiem th shivering caem mor
qikly upon th man. He was loozing his batl with th frost. It was creeping into his body frum all sieds. Th
thaut of it droev him on, but he ran no mor than a hundred feet, when he stagerd and picht hedlong. It was
his last panic. When he had recuverd his breth and controel, he sat up and entertaend in his miend th
consepshun of meeting deth with dignity. However, th consepshun did not cum to him in such terms. His
iedeea of it was that he had bin maeking a fool of himself, runing around liek a chiken with its hed cut off-such was th simily that ocurd to him. Wel, he was bound to freez enywae, and he miet as wel taek it
deesently. With this nue-found pees of miend caem th ferst glimmerings of drouzynes. A guud iedeea, he
thaut, to sleep off to deth. It was liek taeking an anesthetic. Freezing was not so bad a peepl thaut. Thair
wer lots wers waes to die.
He pikcherd th bois fiending his body next dae. Sudenly he found himself with them, cuming along th trael
and luuking for himself. And, stil with them, he caem around a tern in th trael and found himself lieing in th
sno. He did not belong with himself eny mor, for eeven then he was out of himself, standing with th bois
and luuking at himself in th sno. It sertenly was coeld, was his thaut. When he got bak to th Staets he cuud
tel th foeks whut reeal coeld was. He drifted on frum this to a vizhun of th oeld-tiemer on Sulfer Creek. He
cuud see him qiet cleerly, worm and cumfortabl, and smoeking a piep.
Then th man drouzd off into whut seemd to him th moest cumfortabl and satisfieing sleep he had ever
noen. Th daug sat faesing and waeting. Th breef dae droo to a cloez in a long, slo twieliet. Thair wer no
siens of a fier to be maed, and, besieds, never in th dog's expeeryens had it noen a man to sit liek that in th
sno and maek no fier. As th twieliet droo on, its eeger yerning for th fier masterd it, and with a graet lifting
and shifting of forfeet, it whiend sofftly, then flatend out its eers doun in antisipaeshun of being chidden bi
th man. But th man remaend sielent. Laeter th daug whiend loudly. And stil laeter it crept cloes to th man
and caut th sent of deth. This maed th animal brisl and bak awae. A litl longger it delaed, houling under th
stars that leept and danst and shoen brietly in th coeld skie. Then it ternd and troted up th trael in th
direcshun of th camp it nue, wherr wer th uther food providers and fier providers.
TH END .
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Anne of Green Gaebels
Lucy Maud Montgomery
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Table of Contents
CHAPTER I
Mrs. Rachel Lynde Is Serprezd
CHAPTER II
Matthew Cuthbert Is Serpriezd
CHAPTER III
Marilla Cuthbert Is Serpriezd
CHAPTER IV
Morning at Green Gaebls
CHAPTER V
Anne's History
CHAPTER VI
Marilla Maeks Up Her Miend
CHAPTER VII
Anne Ses Her Prairs
CHAPTER VIII Anne's Bringing-Up Is Begun
CHAPTER IX
Mrs. Rachel Lynde Is Properly Horrified
CHAPTER X
Anne's Apolojy
CHAPTER XI
Anne's Impreshuns of Sunday Scool
CHAPTER XII
A Solem Vow and Promis
CHAPTER XIII
Th Deliets of Antisipaeshun
CHAPTER XIV
Anne's Confeshun
CHAPTER XV
A Tempest in th Scool Teepot
CHAPTER XVI
Diana Is Invieted to Tee with Trajic Rezults
CHAPTER XVII
A Nue Interest in Lief
CHAPTER XVIII Anne to th Rescue
CHAPTER XIX
A Consert a Catastrofy and a Confeshun
CHAPTER XX
A Guud Imajinaeshun Gon Rong
CHAPTER XXI
A Nue Deparcher in Flaevorings
CHAPTER XXII
Anne is Invieted Out to Tee
CHAPTER XXIII Anne Cums to Greef in an Afair of Onor
CHAPTER XXIV
Mis Stacy and Her Puepils Get Up a Consert
CHAPTER XXV
Matthew Insists on Puft Sleevs
CHAPTER XXVI Th Story Club Is Formd
CHAPTER XXVII Vanity and Vexaeshun of Spirit
CHAPTER XXVIII An Unforchunaet Lily Maed
CHAPTER XXIX
An Epok in Anne's Lief
CHAPTER XXX
The Qeens Clas Is Organiezd
CHAPTER XXXI
Wherr the Bruuk and River Meet
CHAPTER XXXII The Pas List Is Out
CHAPTER XXXIII The Hoetel Consert
CHAPTER XXXIV A Queen's Gerl
CHAPTER XXXV The Winter at Queen's
CHAPTER XXXVI Th Glory and th Dreem
CHAPTER XXXVII Th Reeper Hoos Naem Is Deth
CHAPTER XXXVIII Th Bend in th roed
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58
Anne of Green Gaebls
CHAPTER I
Mrs. Rachel Lynde is Serpriezd
Mrs. Rachel Lynde livd just wherr th Avonlea maen roed dipt doun into a litl holo, frinjd with alders and
ladies' eardrops and traverst bi a bruuk that had its sors awae bak in th wuuds of th oeld Cuthbert plaes; it
was repueted to be an intriket, hedlong bruuk in its erlyer cors thru thoes wuuds, with dark seecrets of pool
and cascaed; but bi th tiem it reecht Lynde's Holo it was a qieet, wel-conducted litl streem, for not eeven a
bruuk cuud run past Mrs. Rachel Lynde's dor without due regard for deesensy and decorum; it probably
was conshus that Mrs. Rachel was siting at her windo, keeping a sharp ie on evrything that past, frum
bruuks and children up, and that if she noetist enything od or out of plaes she wuud never rest until she had
ferreted out th whys and wherrfors thairof.
Thair ar plenty of peepl in Avonlea and out of it, hoo can atend cloesly to thair neighbor's biznes bi dint of
neglecting thair oen; but Mrs. Rachel Lynde was wun of thoes caepabl creechers hoo can manej thair oen
conserns and thoes of uther foeks into th bargen. She was a noetabl houswief; her werk was allwaes dun
and wel dun; she "ran" th Soeing Sercl, helpt run th Sunday-scool, and was th stronggest prop of th Cherch
Aed Sosieety and Forin Mishuns Auxiluery. Yet with all this Mrs. Rachel found abundant tiem to sit for
ours at her kichen windo, niting "coton worp" qilts--she had nited sixteen of them, as Avonlea
housekeepers wer wont to tel in aud voises--and keeping a sharp ie on th maen roed that crosst th holo and
woond up th steep red hil beyond. Sinss Avonlea ocuepied a litl tri-angguelar peninsula juting out into th
Gulf of St. Lawrence with wauter on too sieds of it, enybody hoo went out of it or into it had to pas oever
that hil roed and so run th unseen gauntlet of Mrs. Rachel's all-seeing ie.
She was siting thair wun afternoon in erly June. Th sun was cuming in at th windo worm and briet; th
orchard on th sloep belo th hous was in a briedal flush of pinky- whiet bloom, humd oever bi a miriad of
bees. Thomas Lynde-- a meek litl man hoom Avonlea peepl calld "Rachel Lynde's huzband"--was soeing
his laet ternip seed on th hil feeld beyond th barn; and Matthew Cuthbert aut to hav bin soeing his on th big
red bruuk feeld awae oever bi Green Gaebls. Mrs. Rachel nue that he aut becauz she had herd him tel
Peeter Morrison th eevning befor in William J. Blair's stor oever at Carmody that he ment to soe his ternip
seed th next afternoon. Peeter had askt him, of cors, for Matthew Cuthbert had never bin noen to volunteer
informaeshun about enything in his hoel lief.
And yet heer was Matthew Cuthbert, at haf-past three on th afternoon of a bizy dae, plasidly drieving oever
th holo and up th hil; moroever, he wor a whiet colar and his best soot of cloeths, which was plaen proof
that he was going out of Avonlea; and he had th bugy and th sorrel mair, which betokened that he was
going a considerabl distans. Now, wherr was Matthew Cuthbert going and whi was he going thair?
Had it bin eny uther man in Avonlea, Mrs. Rachel, deftly puuting this and that together, miet hav given a
prity guud ges as to boeth qeschuns. But Matthew so rairly went frum hoem that it must be sumthing
presing and unuezhual which was taeking him; he was th shyest man aliev and haeted to hav to go amung
straenjers or to eny plaes wherr he miet hav to tauk. Matthew, drest up with a whiet colar and drieving in a
bugy, was sumthing that didn't hapen offen. Mrs. Rachel, ponder as she miet, cuud maek nuthing of it and
her afternoon's enjoiment was spoild.
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"I'l just step oever to Green Gaebls after tee and fiend out frum Marilla wherr he's gon and whi," th werthy
wuuman fienaly conclooded. "He duzn't jeneraly go to toun this tiem of yeer and he NEVER vizits; if he'd
run out of ternip seed he wuudn't dres up and taek th bugy to go for mor; he wasn't drieving fast enuf to be
going for a doctor. Yet sumthing must hav hapend sinss last niet to start him off. I'm cleen puzld, that's
whut, and I woen't noe a minute's pees of miend or conshens until I noe whut has taeken Matthew Cuthbert
out of Avonlea todae."
Acordingly after tee Mrs. Rachel set out; she had not far to go; th big, rambling, orchard-embowered hous
wherr th Cuthberts livd was a scant qorter of a miel up th roed frum Lynde's Holo. To be shur, th long laen
maed it a guud deel ferther. Matthew Cuthbert's faather, as shi and sielent as his sun after him, had got as
far awae as he posibly cuud frum his felo men without akchualy retreeting into th wuuds when he founded
his hoemsted. Green Gaebls was bilt at th furthest ej of his cleerd land and thair it was to this dae, bairly
vizibl frum th maen roed along which all th uther Avonlea houses wer so sociably sichuaeted. Mrs. Rachel
Lynde did not call living in such a plaes LIVING at all.
"It's just STAEING, that's whut," she sed as she stept along th deep-rutted, grasy laen borderd with wield
roez buushes. "It's no wunder Matthew and Marilla ar boeth a litl od, living awae bak heer bi themselvs.
Trees arn't much cumpany, tho deer noes if thae wer thair'd be enuf of them. I'd ruther luuk at peepl. To be
shur, thae seem contented enuf; but then, I supoez, thae'r uezd to it. A body can get uezd to enything,
eeven to being hangd, as th Irishman sed."
With this Mrs. Rachel stept out of th laen into th bak-yard of Green Gaebls. Verry green and neet and
presies was that yard, set about on wun sied with graet paetriarkal wiloes and th uther with prim
Lombardies. Not a strae stik nor stoen was to be seen, for Mrs. Rachel wuud hav seen it if thair had bin.
Prievetly she was of th opinyon that Marilla Cuthbert swept that yard oever as offen as she swept her hous.
Wun cuud hav eeten a meel off th ground without overbrimming th proverbial pek of dert.
Mrs. Rachel rapt smartly at th kichen dor and stept in when bidden to do so. Th kichen at Green Gaebls
was a cheerful apartment--or wuud hav bin cheerful if it had not bin so paenfuly cleen as to giv it sumthing
of th apeerans of an unuezd parlor. Its windoes luukt eest and west; thru th west wun, luuking out on th bak
yard, caem a flud of melo June sunliet; but th eest wun, whens U got a glimps of th bloom whiet cherrytrees in th left orchard and noding, slender berches doun in th holo bi th bruuk, was greened oever bi a
tanggl of viens. Heer sat Marilla Cuthbert, when she sat at all, allwaes slietly distrustful of sunshien, which
seemd to her too dansing and irresponsibl a thing for a werld which was ment to be taeken seeriusly; and
heer she sat now, niting, and th taebl behiend her was laed for super.
Mrs. Rachel, befor she had fairly cloezd th dor, had taeken a mental noet of evrything that was on that
taebl. Thair wer three plates laed, so that Marilla must be expecting sum wun hoem with Matthew to tee;
but th dishes wer evrydae dishes and thair was oenly crab-apl prezervs and wun kiend of caek, so that th
expected cumpany cuud not be eny particuelar cumpany. Yet whut of Matthew's whiet colar and th sorrel
mair? Mrs. Rachel was geting fairly dizy with this unuezhual mistery about qieet, unmysterious Green
Gaebls.
"Guud eevning, Rachel," Marilla sed briskly. "This is a reeal fien eevning, isn't it" Woen't U sit doun?
How ar all yur foeks?"
60
Sumthing that for lak of eny uther naem miet be calld frendship existed and allwaes had existed between
Marilla Cuthbert and Mrs. Rachel, in spiet of--or perhaps becauz of--thair disimilarrity.
Marilla was a tall, thin wuuman, with anggls and without curvs; her dark hair shoed sum grae streeks and
was allwaes twisted up in a hard litl not behiend with too wier hairpins stuk agresivly thru it. She luukt liek
a wuuman of narro expeeryens and rijid conshens, which she was; but thair was a saeving sumthing about
her mouth which, if it had bin ever so slietly developt, miet hav bin considerd indicativ of a sens of huemor.
"We'r all prity wel," sed Mrs. Rachel. "I was kiend of afraed U wern't, tho, when I saw Matthew starting
off todae. I thaut maebe he was going to th doctor's."
Marilla's lips twicht understandingly. She had expected Mrs. Rachel up; she had noen that th siet of
Matthew jaunting off so unacountably wuud be too much for her neighbor's cueriosity.
"O, no, I'm qiet wel alltho I had a bad hedaek yesterdae," she sed. "Matthew went to Briet River. We'r
geting a litl boi frum an orfan asielum in Noeva Scotia and he's cuming on th traen toniet."
If Marilla had sed that Matthew had gon to Briet River to meet a kangaroo frum Australia Mrs. Rachel
cuud not hav bin mor astonisht. She was akchualy striken dum for fiev seconds. It was unsupposable that
Marilla was maeking fun of her, but Mrs. Rachel was allmoest forst to supoez it.
"Ar U in ernest, Marilla?" she demanded when vois reternd to her.
"Yes, of cors," sed Marilla, as if geting bois frum orfan asylums in Noeva Scotia wer part of th uezhual
spring werk on eny wel-reguelaeted Avonlea farm insted of being an unherd of inovaeshun.
Mrs. Rachel felt that she had reseevd a seveer mental joelt. She thaut in exclamaeshun points. A boi!
Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert of all peepl adopting a boi! Frum an orfan asielum! Wel, th werld was
sertenly terning upsied doun! She wuud be serpriezd at nuthing after this! Nuthing!
"Whut on erth puut such a noeshun into yur hed?" she demanded disaproovingly.
This had bin dun without heer advies being askt, and must perfors be disaproovd.
"Wel, we'v bin thinking about it for sum tiem--all winter in fact," reternd Marilla. "Mrs. Alexander
Spencer was up heer wun dae befor Christmas and she sed she was going to get a litl gerl frum th asielum
oever in Hopeton in th spring. Her cuzin lievs thair and Mrs. Spencer has vizited heer and noes all about it.
So Matthew and I hav taukt it oever off and on ever sinss. We thaut we'd get a boi. Matthew is geting up
in yeers, U noe--he's sixty-- and he isn't so spri as he wuns was. His hart trubls him a guud deel. And U
noe how desperet hard it's got to be to get hierd help. Thair's never enybody to be had but thoes stoopid,
haf-groen litl French bois; and as soon as U do get wun broek into yur waes and taut sumthing he's up and
off to th lobster canerys or th Staets. At ferst Matthew sugjested geting a Hoem boi. But I sed `no' flat to
that. `Thae mae be all riet--I'm not saeing thae'r not--but no London street Arabs for me,' I sed. `Giv me a
naetiv born at leest. Thair'l be a risk, no mater hoo we get. But I'l feel eezyer in mi miend and sleep
sounder at niets if we get a born Canadian.' So in th end we desieded to ask Mrs. Spencer to pik us out wun
when she went oever to get her litl gerl. We herd last week she was going, so we sent her werd bi Richard
Spencer's foeks at Carmody to bring us a smart, liekly boi of about ten or eleven. We desieded that wuud
be th best aej--oeld enuf to be of sum ues in doing chors riet off and yung enuf to be traend up proper. We
61
meen to giv him a guud hoem and scooling. We had a telegram frum Mrs. Alexander Spencer todae--th
mael-man braut it frum th staeshun-- saeing thae wer cuming on th fiev-therty traen toniet. So Matthew
went to Briet River to meet him. Mrs. Spencer wil drop him off thair. Of cors she goes on to Whiet Sands
staeshun herself"
Mrs. Rachel prided herself on allwaes speeking her miend; she proseeded to speek it now, having ajusted
her mental atitued to this amaezing pees of nues.
"Wel, Marilla, I'l just tel U plaen that I think U'r doing a miety foolish thing--a risky thing, that's whut. U
don't noe whut U'r geting. U'r bringing a straenj chield into yur hous and hoem and U don't noe a singgl
thing about him nor whut his dispozishun is liek nor whut sort of pairents he had nor how he's liekly to tern
out. Whi, it was oenly last week I red in th paeper how a man and his wief up west of th Ieland tuuk a boi
out of an orfan asielum and he set fier to th hous at niet--set it ON PERPOS, Marilla--and neerly bernt them
to a crisp in thair beds. And I noe anuther caes wherr an adopted boi uezd to suk th egs--thae cuudn't braek
him of it. If U had askt mi advies in th mater--which U didn't do, Marilla--I'd hav sed for mercy's saek not
to think of such a thing, that's whut."
This Job's cumforting seemd neether to ofend nor to alarm Marilla. She nited stedily on.
"I don't deni thair's sumthing in whut U sae, Rachel. I'v had sum qaams mieself. But Matthew was terribl
set on it. I cuud see that, so I gaev in. It's so seldom Matthew sets his miend on enything that when he duz
I allwaes feel it's mi duety to giv in. And as for th risk, thair's risks in prity neer evrything a body duz in
this werld. Thair's risks in people's having children of thair oen if it cums to that--thae don't allwaes tern out
wel. And then Noeva Scotia is riet cloes to th Ieland. It isn't as if we wer geting him frum England or th
Staets. He can't be much diferent frum ourselvs."
"Wel, I hoep it wil tern out all riet," sed Mrs. Rachel in a toen that plaenly indicaeted her paenful douts.
"Oenly don't sae I didn't worn U if he berns Green Gaebls doun or puuts strychnine in th wel--I herd of a
caes oever in Nue Brunswick wherr an orfan asielum chield did that and th hoel family died in feerful
agonys. Oenly, it was a gerl in that instans."
"Wel, we'r not geting a gerl," sed Marilla, as if poizoning wels wer a puerly feminin acomplishment and not
to be dreded in th caes of a boi. "I'd never dreem of taeking a gerl to bring up. I wunder at Mrs. Alexander
Spencer for doing it. But thair, SHE wuudn't shrink frum adopting a hoel orfan asielum if she tuuk it into
her hed."
Mrs. Rachel wuud hav liekt to stae until Matthew caem hoem with his imported orfan. But reflecting that it
wuud be a guud too ours at leest befor his arieval she conclooded to go up th roed to Robert Bell's and tel th
nues. It wuud sertenly maek a sensaeshun second to nun, and Mrs. Rachel deerly luvd to maek a
sensaeshun. So she tuuk herself awae, sumwhut to Marilla's releef, for th later felt her douts and feers
revieving under th inflooens of Mrs. Rachel's pesimizm.
"Wel, of all things that ever wer or wil be!" ejacuelaeted Mrs. Rachel when she was saefly out in th laen. "It
duz reealy seem as if I must be dreeming. Wel, I'm sorry for that pur yung wun and no mistaek. Matthew
and Marilla don't noe enything about children and thae'l expect him to be wiezer and stedyer that his oen
grandfaather, if so be's he ever had a grandfaather, which is doutful. It seems uncany to think of a chield at
Green Gaebls sumhow; thair's never bin wun thair, for Matthew and Marilla wer groen up when th nue
62
hous was bilt--if thae ever WER children, which is hard to beleev when wun luuks at them. I wuudn't be in
that orphan's shoos for enything. Mi, but I pity him, that's whut."
So sed Mrs. Rachel to th wield roez buushes out of th fulness of her hart; but if she cuud hav seen th chield
hoo was waeting paeshently at th Briet River staeshun at that verry moement her pity wuud hav bin stil
deeper and mor profound.
CHAPTER II
Matthew Cuthbert is Serpriezd
Matthew Cuthbert and th sorrel mair jogd cumfortably oever th aet miels to Briet River. It was a prity
roed, runing along between snug farmsteads, with now and agen a bit of balsamy fer wuud to driev thru or
a holo wherr wield plums hung out thair filmy bloom. Th air was sweet with th breth of meny apl orchards
and th medoes sloped awae in th distans to horiezon mists of perl and perpl; whiel
"Th litl berds sang as if it wer
Th wun dae of sumer in all th yeer."
Matthew enjoid th driev after his oen fashun, exsept during th moements when he met wimen and had to
nod to them-- for in Prins Edward ieland U ar supoezd to nod to all and sundry U meet on th roed whether
U noe them or not.
Matthew dreded all wimen exsept Marilla and Mrs. Rachel; he had an uncumfortabl feeling that th
misteerius creechers wer seecretly lafing at him. He mae hav bin qiet riet in thinking so, for he was an odluuking personej, with an ungaenly figuer and long ieern-grae hair that tucht his stooping shoelders, and a
fuul, sofft broun beerd which he had worn ever sinss he was twenty. In fact, he had luukt at twenty verry
much as he luukt at sixty, laking a litl of th grayness.
When he reecht Briet River thair was no sien of eny traen; he thaut he was too erly, so he tied his hors in th
yard of th small Briet River hoetel and went oever to th staeshun hous. Th long platform was allmoest
dezerted; th oenly living creecher in siet being a gerl hoo was siting on a piel of shinggls at th extreem end.
Matthew, bairly noeting that it WAS a gerl, sidled past her as qikly as posibl without luuking at her. Had
he luukt he cuud hardly hav faeld to noetis th tens rijidity and expectaeshun of her atitued and expreshun.
She was siting thair waeting for sumthing or sumbody and, sinss siting and waeting was th oenly thing to
do just then, she sat and waeted with all her miet and maen.
Matthew encounterd th staeshunmaster loking up th tiket offis preparratory to going hoem for super, and
askt him if th fiev-therty traen wuud soon be along.
"Th fiev-therty traen has bin in and gon haf an our ago," anserd that brisk ofishal. "But thair was a pasenjer
dropt off for U--a litl gerl. She's siting out thair on th shinggls. I askt her to go into th ladies' waeting
room, but she informd me graevly that she preferd to stae outsied. `Thair was mor scoep for imajinaeshun,'
she sed. She's a caes, I shuud sae."
63
"I'm not expecting a gerl," sed Matthew blankly. "It's a boi I'v cum for. He shuud be heer. Mrs. Alexander
Spencer was to bring him oever frum Noeva Scotia for me."
Th staeshunmaster whisld.
"Ges thair's sum mistaek," he sed. "Mrs. Spencer caem off th traen with that gerl and gaev her into mi
charj. Sed U and yur sister wer adopting her frum an orfan asielum and that U wuud be along for her
prezently. That's all I noe about it--and I havn't got eny mor orfans conseeld heerabouts."
"I don't understand," sed Matthew helplesly, wishing that Marilla was at hand to coep with th sichuaeshun.
"Wel, U'd beter qeschun th gerl," sed th staeshun- master cairlesly. "I dair sae she'l be aebl to explaen-she's got a tung of her oen, that's serten. Maebe thae wer out of bois of th brand U wonted."
He waukt jauntily awae, being hunggry, and th unforchunet Matthew was left to do that which was harder
for him than bearding a lieon in its den--wauk up to a gerl--a straenj gerl--an orfan gerl--and demand of her
whi she wasn't a boi. Matthew groend in spirit as he ternd about and shufld jently doun th platform tords
her.
She had bin woching him ever sinss he had past her and she had her ies on him now. Matthew was not
luuking at her and wuud not hav seen whut she was reealy liek if he had bin, but an ordinairy obzerver
wuud hav seen this: A chield of about eleven, garbd in a verry short, verry tiet, verry ugly dres of yeloeishgrae wincey. She wor a faeded broun saelor hat and beneeth th hat, extending doun her bak, wer too braeds
of verry thik, desiededly red hair. Her faes was small, whiet and thin, allso much frekld; her mouth was larj
and so wer her ies, which luukt green in sum liets and moods and grae in uthers.
So far, th ordinairy obzerver; an extraordinairy obzerver miet hav seen that th chin was verry pointed and
pronounst; that th big ies wer fuul of spirit and vivasity; that th mouth was sweet-lipped and expresiv; that
th forhed was braud and fuul; in short, our diserning extraordinairy obzerver miet hav conclooded that no
comonplaes soel inhabited th body of this strae wuuman- chield of hoom shi Matthew Cuthbert was so
ludicrously afraed.
Matthew, however, was spaird th ordeel of speeking ferst, for as soon as she conclooded that he was
cuming to her she stuud up, grasping with wun thin broun hand th handl of a shaby, oeld-fashund carpetbag; th uther she held out to him.
"I supoez U ar Mr. Matthew Cuthbert of Green Gaebls?" she sed in a pecuelyarly cleer, sweet vois. "I'm
verry glad to see U. I was begining to be afraed U wern't cuming for me and I was imajining all th things
that miet hav hapend to prevent U. I had maed up mi miend that if U didn't cum for me to-niet I'd go doun
th trak to that big wield cherry-tree at th bend, and cliem up into it to stae all niet. I wuudn't be a bit afraed,
and it wuud be luvly to sleep in a wield cherry-tree all whiet with bloom in th moonshien, don't U think? U
cuud imajin U wer dweling in marbl halls, cuudn't U? And I was qiet shur U wuud cum for me in th
morning, if U didn't to-niet."
Matthew had taeken th scrauny litl hand aukwardly in his; then and thair he desieded whut to do. He cuud
not tel this chield with th gloeing ies that thair had bin a mistaek; he wuud taek her hoem and let Marilla do
that. She cuudn't be left at Briet River enyhow, no mater whut mistaek had bin maed, so all qeschuns and
explanaeshuns miet as wel be deferd until he was saefly bak at Green Gaebls.
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"I'm sorry I was laet," he sed shiely. "Cum along. Th hors is oever in th yard. Giv me yur bag."
"O, I can carry it," th chield responded cheerfuly. "It isn't hevy. I'v got all mi werldly guuds in it, but it
isn't hevy. And if it isn't carryd in just a serten wae th handl puuls out--so I'd beter keep it becauz I noe th
exact nak of it. It's an extreemly oeld carpet-bag. O, I'm verry glad U'v cum, eeven if it wuud hav bin nies
to sleep in a wield cherry-tree. We'v got to driev a long pees, havn't we? Mrs. Spencer sed it was aet
miels. I'm glad becauz I luv drieving. O, it seems so wunderful that I'm going to liv with U and belong to
U. I'v never belongd to enybody--not reealy. But th asielum was th werst. I'v oenly bin in it foer munths,
but that was enuf. I don't supoez U ever wer an orfan in an asielum, so U can't posibly understand whut it
is liek. It's wers than enything U cuud imajin. Mrs. Spencer sed it was wiked of me to tauk liek that, but I
didn't meen to be wiked. It's so eezy to be wiked without noeing it, isn't it? Thae wer guud, U noe--th
asielum peepl. But thair is so litl scoep for th imajinaeshun in an asielum--oenly just in th uther orfans. It
was prity interesting to imajin things about them--to imajin that perhaps th gerl hoo sat next to U was reealy
th dauter of a belted erl, hoo had bin stoelen awae frum her pairents in her infansy bi a crooel ners hoo died
befor she cuud confes. I uezd to lie awaek at niets and imajin things liek that, becauz I didn't hav tiem in th
dae. I ges that's whi I'm so thin--I AM dredful thin, ain't I? Thair isn't a pik on mi boens. I do luv to
imajin I'm nies and plump, with dimples in mi elboes."
With this Matthew's companyon stopt tauking, partly becauz she was out of breth and partly becauz thae
had reecht th bugy. Not anuther werd did she sae until thae had left th vilej and wer drieving doun a steep
litl hil, th roed part of which had bin cut so deeply into th sofft soil, that th banks, frinjd with blooming
wield cherry-trees and slim whiet berches, wer several feet abuv thair heds.
Th chield puut out her hand and broek off a branch of wield plum that brusht agenst th sied of th bugy.
"Isn't that buetyful? Whut did that tree, leening out frum th bank, all whiet and laesy, maek U think of?"
she askt.
"Wel now, I dunno," sed Matthew.
"Whi, a bried, of cors--a bried all in whiet with a luvly misty vael. I'v never seen wun, but I can imajin
whut she wuud luuk liek. I don't ever expect to be a bried mieself. I'm so hoemly noebody wil ever wont
to marry me-- unles it miet be a forin mishunairy. I supoez a forin mishunairy mightn't be verry particuelar.
But I do hoep that sum dae I shal hav a whiet dres. That is mi hieest iedeel of erthly blis. I just luv prity
cloeths. And I'v never had a prity dres in mi lief that I can remember--but of cors it's all th mor to luuk
forward to, isn't it? And then I can imajin that I'm drest gorjusly. This morning when I left th asielum I felt
so ashaemd becauz I had to wair this horrid oeld wincey dres. All th orfans had to wair them, U noe. A
merchant in Hopeton last winter doenaeted three hundred yards of wincey to th asielum. Sum peepl sed it
was becauz he cuudn't sel it, but I'd rather beleev that it was out of th kiendnes of his hart, wuudn't U?
When we got on th traen I felt as if evrybody must be luuking at me and pitying me. But I just went to
werk and imajind that I had on th moest buetyful pael bloo silk dres--becauz when U AR imajining U miet
as wel imajin sumthing werth whiel--and a big hat all flowers and noding plumes, and a goeld woch, and
kid gluvs and boots. I felt cheerd up riet awae and I enjoid mi trip to th Ieland with all mi miet. I wasn't a
bit sik cuming oever in th boet. Neether was Mrs. Spencer alltho she jeneraly is. She sed she hadn't tiem to
get sik, woching to see that I didn't fall oeverbord. She sed she never saw th beet of me for prouling about.
But if it kept her frum being seesik it's a mersy I did proul, isn't it? And I wonted to see evrything that was
to be seen on that boet, becauz I didn't noe whether I'd ever hav anuther oportuenity. O, thair ar a lot mor
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cherry-trees all in bloom! This Ieland is th bloomiest plaes. I just luv it allredy, and I'm so glad I'm going
to liv heer. I'v allwaes herd that Prins Edward Ieland was th prityest plaes in th werld, and I uezd to imajin
I was living heer, but I never reealy expected I wuud. It's delietful when yur imajinaeshuns cum troo, isn't
it? But thoes red roeds ar so funy. When we got into th traen at Charlottetown and th red roeds began to
flash past I askt Mrs. Spencer whut maed them red and she sed she didn't noe and for pity's saek not to ask
her eny mor qeschuns. She sed I must hav askt her a thouzand allredy. I supoez I had, too, but how U
going to fiend out about things if U don't ask qeschuns? And whut DUZ maek th roeds red?"
"Wel now, I dunno," sed Matthew.
"Wel, that is wun of th things to fiend out sumtiem. Isn't it splendid to think of all th things thair ar to fiend
out about? It just maeks me feel glad to be aliev-- it's such an interesting werld. It wuudn't be haf so
interesting if we noe all about evrything, wuud it? Thair'd be no scoep for imajinaeshun then, wuud thair?
But am I tauking too much? Peepl ar allwaes teling me I do. Wuud U rather I didn't tauk? If U sae so I'l
stop. I can STOP when I maek up mi miend to it, alltho it's dificult."
Matthew, much to his oen serpriez, was enjoiing himself. Liek moest qieet foeks he liekt taukativ peepl
when thae wer wiling to do th tauking themselvs and did not expect him to keep up his end of it. But he
had never expected to enjoi th sosieety of a litl gerl. Wimen wer bad enuf in all conshens, but litl gerls wer
wers. He detested th wae thae had of sidling past him timidly, with siedwiez glanses, as if thae expected
him to gobl them up at a mouthful if thae vencherd to sae a werd. That was th Avonlea tiep of wel-bred litl
gerl. But this frekld wich was verry diferent, and alltho he found it rather dificult for his sloeer intelijens to
keep up with her brisk mental proseses he thaut that he "kiend of liekt her chater." So he sed as shiely as
uezhual:
"O, U can tauk as much as U liek. I don't miend."
"O, I'm so glad. I noe U and I ar going to get along together fien. It's such a releef to tauk when wun wonts
to and not be toeld that children shuud be seen and not herd. I'v had that sed to me a milyon tiems if I hav
wuns. And peepl laf at me becauz I uez big werds. But if U hav big iedeeas U hav to uez big werds to
expres them, havn't U?"
"Wel now, that seems reezonabl," sed Matthew.
"Mrs. Spencer sed that mi tung must be hung in th midl. But it isn't--it's fermly fasend at wun end. Mrs.
Spencer sed yur plaes was naemd Green Gaebls. I askt her all about it. And she sed thair wer trees all
around it. I was gladder than ever. I just luv trees. And thair wern't eny at all about th asielum, oenly a fue
pur weeny-teeny things out in frunt with litl whietwosht caejy things about them. Thae just luukt liek
orfans themselvs, thoes trees did. It uezd to maek me wont to cri to luuk at them. I uezd to sae to them, `O,
U PUR litl things! If U wer out in a graet big wuuds with uther trees all around U and litl mosses and
Junebells groeing oever yur roots and a bruuk not far awae and berds singing in U branches, U cuud gro,
cuudn't U? But U can't wherr U ar. I noe just exactly how U feel, litl trees.' I felt sorry to leev them
behiend this morning. U do get so atacht to things liek that, don't U? Is thair a bruuk enywhair neer Green
Gaebls? I forgot to ask Mrs. Spencer that."
"Wel now, yes, thair's wun riet belo th hous."
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"Fansy. It's allwaes bin wun of mi dreems to liv neer a bruuk. I never expected I wuud, tho. Dreems don't
offen cum troo, do thae? Wuudn't it be nies if thae did? But just now I feel prity neerly perfectly hapy. I
can't feel exactly perfectly hapy becauz--wel, whut culor wuud U call this?"
She twicht wun of her long glossy braeds oever her thin shoelder and held it up befor Matthew's ies.
Matthew was not uezd to desieding on th tints of ladies' tresses, but in this caes thair cuudn't be much dout.
"It's red, ain't it?" he sed.
Th gerl let th braed drop bak with a si that seemd to cum frum her verry toes and to exhael forth all th
sorroes of th aejes.
"Yes, it's red," she sed rezienedly. "Now U see whi I can't be perfectly hapy. Noebody cuud hoo has red
hair. I don't miend th uther things so much--th frekls and th green ies and mi skinniness. I can imajin them
awae. I can imajin that I hav a buetyful roez-leef complexshun and luvly starry vieolet ies. But I
CANNOT imajin that red hair awae. I do mi best. I think to mieself, `Now mi hair is a glorius blak, blak
as th raven's wing.' But all th tiem I NOE it is just plaen red and it braeks mi hart. It wil be mi lieflong
sorro. I red of a gerl wuns in a novel hoo had a lieflong sorro but it wasn't red hair. Her hair was puer goeld
ripling bak frum her alabaster brow. Whut is an alabaster brow? I never cuud fiend out. Can U tel me?"
"Wel now, I'm afraed I can't," sed Matthew, hoo was geting a litl dizy. He felt as he had wuns felt in his
rash yooth when anuther boi had entiest him on th merry-go- round at a picnik.
"Wel, whutever it was it must hav bin sumthing nies becauz she was divienly buetyful. Hav U ever imajind
whut it must feel liek to be divienly buetyful?"
"Wel now, no, I havn't," confest Matthew ingenuously.
"I hav, offen. Which wuud U rather be if U had th chois--divienly buetyful or dazlingly clever or
angelically guud?"
"Wel now, I--I don't noe exactly."
"Neether do I. I can never desied. But it duzn't maek much reeal diferens for it isn't liekly I'l ever be
eether. It's serten I'l never be angelically guud. Mrs. Spencer ses--o, Mr. Cuthbert! O, Mr. Cuthbert!! O,
Mr. Cuthbert!!!"
That was not whut Mrs. Spencer had sed; neether had th chield tumbld out of th bugy nor had Matthew dun
enything astonishing. Thae had simply rounded a curv in th roed and found themselvs in th "Avenue."
Th "Avenue," so calld bi th Newbridge peepl, was a strech of roed foer or fiev hundred yards long,
compleetly archt oever with huej, wied-spreding apl-trees, planted yeers ago bi an ecsentric oeld farmer.
Oeverhed was wun long canopy of snoey fraegrant bloom. Belo th bows th air was fuul of a perpl twieliet
and far ahed a glimps of paented sunset skie shoen liek a graet roez windo at th end of a catheedral iel.
Its buety seemd to striek th chield dum. She leend bak in th bugy, her thin hands claspt befor her, her faes
lifted rapturously to th whiet splendor abuv. Eeven when thae had past out and wer drieving doun th long
sloep to Newbridge she never moovd or spoek. Stil with rapt faes she gaezd afar into th sunset west, with
67
ies that saw vizhuns trooping splendidly across that gloeing bakground. Thru Newbridge, a busling litl vilej
wherr daugs barked at them and small bois hooted and cuerius faeses peerd frum th windoes, thae droev,
stil in sielens. When three mor miels had dropt awae behiend them th chield had not spoeken. She cuud
keep sielens, it was evident, as enerjeticaly as she cuud tauk.
"I ges U'r feeling prity tierd and hunggry," Matthew vencherd to sae at last, acounting for her long
vizitaeshun of dumbness with th oenly reezon he cuud think of. "But we havn't verry far to go now--oenly
anuther miel."
She caem out of her revery with a deep si and luukt at him with th dreemy gaez of a soel that had bin
wundering afar, star-led.
"O, Mr. Cuthbert," she whisperd, "that plaes we caem thru--that whiet plaes--whut was it?"
"Wel now, U must meen th Avenue," sed Matthew after a fue moments' profound reflecshun. "It is a kiend
of prity plaes."
"Prity? O, PRITY duzn't seem th riet werd to ues. Nor buetyful, eether. Thae don't go far enuf. O, it was
wunderful--wunderful. It's th ferst thing I ever saw that cuudn't be improovd upon bi imajinaeshun. It just
satisfies me heer"--she puut wun hand on her brest--"it maed a qeer funy aek and yet it was a plezant aek.
Did U ever hav an aek liek that, Mr. Cuthbert?"
"Wel now, I just can't recolect that I ever had."
"I hav it lots of tiem--whenever I see enything royally buetyful. But thae shuudn't call that luvly plaes th
Avenue. Thair is no meening in a naem liek that. Thae shuud call it--let me see--th Whiet Wae of Deliet.
Isn't that a nies imajinativ naem? When I don't liek th naem of a plaes or a person I allwaes imajin a nue
wun and allwaes think of them so. Thair was a gerl at th asielum hoos naem was Hepzibah Jenkins, but I
allwaes imajind her as Rosalia Devere. Uther peepl mae call that plaes th Avenue, but I shal allwaes call it
th Whiet Wae of Deliet. Hav we reealy oenly anuther miel to go befor we get hoem? I'm glad and I'm
sorry. I'm sorry becauz this driev has bin so plezant and I'm allwaes sorry when plezant things end.
Sumthing stil pleasanter mae cum after, but U can never be shur. And it's so offen th caes that it isn't
pleasanter. That has bin mi expeeryens enyhow. But I'm glad to think of geting hoem. U see, I'v never
had a reeal hoem sinss I can remember. It givs me that plezant aek agen just to think of cuming to a reealy
trooly hoem. O, isn't that prity!"
Thae had driven oever th crest of a hil. Belo them was a pond, luuking allmoest liek a river so long and
wiending was it. A brij spand it midwae and frum thair to its loeer end, wherr an amber-hued belt of sandhils shut it in frum th dark bloo gulf beyond, th wauter was a glory of meny shifting hues--th moest
spirichual shaedings of croecus and roez and etheerial green, with uther eloosiv tintings for which no naem
has ever bin found. Abuv th brij th pond ran up into fringing groevs of fer and maepl and lae all darkly
transloosent in thair wavering shadoes. Heer and thair a wield plum leend out frum th bank liek a whietclad gerl tip-toeing to her oen reflecshun. Frum th marsh at th hed of th pond caem th cleer, mornfulysweet corus of th frogs. Thair was a litl grae hous peering around a whiet apl orchard on a sloep beyond
and, alltho it was not yet qiet dark, a liet was shiening frum wun of its windoes.
"That's Barry's pond," sed Matthew.
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"O, I don't liek that naem, eether. I shal call it--let me see--th Laek of Shiening Wauters. Yes, that is th riet
naem for it. I noe becauz of th thril. When I hit on a naem that soots exactly it givs me a thril. Do things
ever giv U a thril?"
Matthew ruminated.
"Wel now, yes. It allwaes kiend of givs me a thril to see them ugly whiet grubs that spaed up in th
cuecumber beds. I haet th luuk of them."
"O, I don't think that can be exactly th saem kiend of a thril. Do U think it can? Thair duzn't seem to be
much conecshun between grubs and laeks of shiening wauters, duz thair? But whi do uther peepl call it
Barry's pond?"
"I rekon becauz Mr. Barry lievs up thair in that hous. Orchard Slope's th naem of his plaes. If it wasn't for
that big buush behiend it U cuud see Green Gaebls frum heer. But we hav to go oever th brij and round bi
th roed, so it's neer haf a miel ferther."
"Has Mr. Barry eny litl gerls? Wel, not so verry litl eether--about mi siez."
"He's got wun about eleven. Her naem is Diana."
"O!" with a long indrawing of breth. "Whut a perfectly luvly naem!"
"Wel now, I dunno. Thair's sumthing dredful heethenish about it, seems to me. I'd ruther Jane or Mary or
sum sensibl naem liek that. But when Diana was born thair was a scoolmaster bording thair and thae gaev
him th naeming of her and he calld her Diana."
"I wish thair had bin a scoolmaster liek that around when I was born, then. O, heer we ar at th brij. I'm
going to shut mi ies tiet. I'm allwaes afraed going oever brijes. I can't help imajining that perhaps just as
we get to th midl, thae'l crumpl up liek a jak-nief and nip us. So I shut mi ies. But I allwaes hav to oepen
them for all when I think we'r geting neer th midl. Becauz, U see, if th brij DID crumpl up I'd wont to SEE
it crumpl. Whut a joly rumbl it maeks! I allwaes liek th rumbl part of it. Isn't it splendid thair ar so meny
things to liek in this werld? Thair we'r oever. Now I'l luuk bak. Guud niet, deer Laek of Shiening
Wauters. I allwaes sae guud niet to th things I luv, just as I wuud to peepl I think thae liek it. That wauter
luuks as if it was smieling at me."
When thae had driven up th ferther hil and around a corner Matthew sed:
"We'r prity neer hoem now. That's Green Gaebls oever--"
"O, don't tel me," she interupted brethlesly, caching at his parshaly raezd arm and shuting her ies that she
miet not see his jescher. "Let me ges. I'm shur I'l ges riet."
She oepend her ies and luukt about her. Thae wer on th crest of a hil. Th sun had set sum tiem sinss, but th
landscaep was stil cleer in th melo afterlight. To th west a dark cherch spier roez up agenst a marrigoeld
skie. Belo was a litl valy and beyond a long, jently-riezing sloep with snug farmsteads scaterd along it.
Frum wun to anuther th child's ies darted, eeger and wistful. At last thae linggerd on wun awae to th left,
69
far bak frum th roed, dimly whiet with blossoming trees in th twieliet of th serounding wuuds. Oever it, in
th staenles southwest skie, a graet cristal-whiet star was shiening liek a lamp of giedans and promis.
"That's it, isn't it?" she sed, pointing.
Matthew slapt th raens on th sorrel's bak delightedly.
"Wel now, U'v gest it! But I rekon Mrs. Spencer descriebd it so's U cuud tel."
"No, she didn't--reealy she didn't. All she sed miet just as wel hav bin about moest of thoes uther plaeses. I
hadn't eny reeal iedeea whut it luukt liek. But just as soon as I saw it I felt it was hoem. O, it seems as if I
must be in a dreem. Do U noe, mi arm must be blak and bloo frum th elbo up, for I'v pincht mieself so
meny tiems todae. Evry litl whiel a horribl sikening feeling wuud cum oever me and I'd be so afraed it was
all a dreem. Then I'd pinch mieself to see if it was reeal--until sudenly I rememberd that eeven supoezing it
was oenly a dreem I'd beter go on dreeming as long as I cuud; so I stopt pinching. But it IS reeal and we'r
neerly hoem."
With a si of rapcher she relapst into sielens. Matthew sterd uneezily. He felt glad that it wuud be Marilla
and not he hoo wuud hav to tel this waif of th werld that th hoem she longd for was not to be hers after all.
Thae droev oever Lynde's Holo, wherr it was allredy qiet dark, but not so dark that Mrs. Rachel cuud not
see them frum her windo vantej, and up th hil and into th long laen of Green Gaebls. Bi th tiem thae arievd
at th hous Matthew was shrinking frum th aproeching revelaeshun with an enerjy he did not understand. It
was not of Marilla or himself he was thinking of th trubl this mistaek was probably going to maek for them,
but of th child's disapointment. When he thaut of that rapt liet being qencht in her ies he had an
uncumfortabl feeling that he was going to asist at merdering sumthing--much th saem feeling that caem
oever him when he had to kil a lam or caf or eny uther inosent litl creecher.
Th yard was qiet dark as thae ternd into it and th poplar leevs wer rusling silkily all round it.
"Lisen to th trees tauking in thair sleep," she whisperd, as he lifted her to th ground. "Whut nies dreems
thae must hav!"
Then, hoelding tietly to th carpet-bag which contaend "all her werldly guuds," she foloed him into th hous.
CHAPTER III
Marilla Cuthbert is Serpriezd
Marilla caem briskly forward as Matthew oepend th dor. But when her ies fel of th od litl figuer in th stif,
ugly dres, with th long braeds of red hair and th eeger, loominus ies, she stopt short in amaezment.
"Matthew Cuthbert, hoo's that?" she ejacuelaeted. "Wherr is th boi?"
"Thair wasn't eny boi," sed Matthew wretchedly. "Thair was oenly HER."
He noded at th chield, remembering that he had never eeven askt her naem.
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"No boi! But thair MUST hav bin a boi," insisted Marilla. "We sent werd to Mrs. Spencer to bring a boi."
"Wel, she didn't. She braut HER. I askt th staeshun- master. And I had to bring her hoem. She cuudn't be
left thair, no mater wherr th mistaek had cum in."
"Wel, this is a prity pees of biznes!" ejacuelaeted Marilla.
During this diealog th chield had remaend sielent, her ies roeving frum wun to th uther, all th animaeshun
faeding out of her faes. Sudenly she seemd to grasp th fuul meening of whut had bin sed. Droping her
preshus carpet-bag she sprang forward a step and claspt her hands.
"U don't wont me!" she cried. "U don't wont me becauz I'm not a boi! I miet hav expected it. Noebody
ever did wont me. I miet hav noen it was all too buetyful to last. I miet hav noen noebody reealy did wont
me. O, whut shal I do? I'm going to berst into teers!"
Berst into teers she did. Siting doun on a chair bi th taebl, flinging her arms out upon it, and berrying her
faes in them, she proseeded to cri stormily. Marilla and Matthew luukt at eech uther deprecatingly across
th stoev. Neether of them nue whut to sae or do. Fienaly Marilla stept lamely into th breech.
"Wel, wel, thair's no need to cri so about it."
"Yes, thair IS need!" Th chield raezd her hed qikly, reveeling a teer-staend faes and trembling lips. "U
wuud cri, too, if U wer an orfan and had cum to a plaes U thaut was going to be hoem and found that thae
didn't wont U becauz U wern't a boi. O, this is th moest TRAGICAL thing that ever hapend to me!"
Sumthing liek a reluctant smiel, rather rusty frum long disues, meloed Marilla's grim expreshun.
"Wel, don't cri eny mor. We'r not going to tern U out- of-dors to-niet. U'l hav to stae heer until we
investigaet this afair. Whut's yur naem?"
Th chield hezitaeted for a moement.
"Wil U pleez call me Cordelia?" she sed eegerly.
"CALL U Cordelia? Is that yur naem?"
"No-o-o, it's not exactly mi naem, but I wuud luv to be calld Cordelia. It's such a perfectly elegant naem."
"I don't noe whut on erth U meen. If Cordelia isn't yur naem, whut is?"
"Anne Shirley," reluctantly fallterd forth th oener of that naem, "but, o, pleez do call me Cordelia. It can't
mater much to U whut U call me if I'm oenly going to be heer a litl whiel, can it? And Anne is such an
unroemantic naem."
"Unroemantic fidlstiks!" sed th unsimpathetic Marilla. "Anne is a reeal guud plaen sensibl naem. U'v no
need to be ashaemd of it."
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"O, I'm not ashaemd of it," explaend Anne, "oenly I liek Cordelia beter. I'v allwaes imajind that mi naem
was Cordelia--at leest, I allwaes hav of laet yeers. When I was yung I uezd to imajin it was Geraldine, but I
liek Cordelia beter now. But if U call me Anne pleez call me Anne speld with an E."
"Whut diferens duz it maek how it's speld?" askt Marilla with anuther rusty smiel as she pikt up th teepot.
"O, it maeks SUCH a diferens. It LUUKS so much nieser. When U heer a naem pronounst can't U allwaes
see it in yur miend, just as if it was printed out? I can; and A-n-n luuks dredful, but A-n-n-e luuks so much
mor distinggwisht. If U'l oenly call me Anne speld with an E I shal tri to reconsiel mieself to not being
calld Cordelia."
"Verry wel, then, Anne speld with an E, can U tel us how this mistaek caem to be maed? We sent werd to
Mrs. Spencer to bring us a boi. Wer thair no bois at th asielum?"
"O, yes, thair was an abundans of them. But Mrs. Spencer sed DISTINKTLY that U wonted a gerl about
eleven yeers oeld. And th maetron sed she thaut I wuud do. U don't noe how delieted I was. I cuudn't
sleep all last niet for joi. O," she aded reproachfully, terning to Matthew, "whi didn't U tel me at th
staeshun that U didn't wont me and leev me thair? If I hadn't seen th Whiet Wae of Deliet and th Laek of
Shiening Wauters it wuudn't be so hard."
"Whut on erth duz she meen?" demanded Marilla, stairing at Matthew.
"She--she's just refering to sum conversaeshun we had on th roed," sed Matthew haestily. "I'm going out to
puut th mair in, Marilla. Hav tee redy when I cum bak."
"Did Mrs. Spencer bring enybody oever besieds U?" continued Marilla when Matthew had gon out.
"She braut Lily Jones for herself. Lily is oenly fiev yeers oeld and she is verry buetyful and had nut-broun
hair. If I was verry buetyful and had nut-broun hair wuud U keep me?"
"No. We wont a boi to help Matthew on th farm. A gerl wuud be of no ues to us. Taek off yur hat. I'l lae
it and yur bag on th hall taebl."
Anne tuuk off her hat meekly. Matthew caem bak prezently and thae sat doun to super. But Anne cuud not
eet. In vaen she nibbled at th bred and buter and pekt at th crab-apl prezerv out of th litl scalopt glas dish bi
her plaet. She did not reealy maek eny hedwae at all.
"U'r not eeting enything," sed Marilla sharply, ieing her as if it wer a seerius shortcuming. Anne sied.
"I can't. I'm in th depths of despair. Can U eet when U ar in th depths of despair?"
"I'v never bin in th depths of despair, so I can't sae," responded Marilla.
"Wern't U? Wel, did U ever tri to IMAJIN U wer in th depths of despair?"
"No, I didn't."
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"Then I don't think U can understand whut it's liek. It's verry uncumfortabl feeling indeed. When U tri to
eet a lump cums riet up in yur throet and U can't swolo enything, not eeven if it was a chocolet carramel. I
had wun chocolet carramel wuns too yeers ago and it was simply delishus. I'v offen dreemd sinss then that
I had a lot of chocolet caramels, but I allwaes waek up just when I'm going to eet them. I do hoep U woen't
be ofended becauz I can't eet. Evrything is extreemly nies, but stil I cannot eet."
"I ges she's tierd," sed Matthew, hoo hadn't spoeken sinss his retern frum th barn. "Best puut her to bed,
Marilla."
Marilla had bin wundering wherr Anne shuud be puut to bed. She had prepaird a couch in th kichen
chaember for th dezierd and expected boi. But, alltho it was neet and cleen, it did not seem qiet th thing to
puut a gerl thair sumhow. But th spair room was out of th qeschun for such a strae waif, so thair remaend
oenly th eest gaebl room. Marilla lieted a candl and toeld Anne to folo her, which Anne spiritlessly did,
taeking her hat and carpet-bag frum th hall taebl as she past. Th hall was fearsomely cleen; th litl gaebl
chaember in which she prezently found herself seemd stil cleener.
Marilla set th candl on a three-legd, three-cornerd taebl and ternd doun th bedcloeths.
"I supoez U hav a nightgown?" she qeschund.
Anne noded.
"Yes, I hav too. Th maetron of th asielum maed them for me. Thae'r feerfuly skimpy. Thair is never enuf
to go around in an asielum, so things ar allwaes skimpy--at leest in a pur asielum liek ours. I haet skimpy
niet-dreses. But wun can dreem just as wel in them as in luvly traeling wuns, with frils around th nek, that's
wun consolaeshun."
"Wel, undres as qik as U can and go to bed. I'l cum bak in a fue minits for th candl. I daren't trust U to
puut it out yurself. U'd liekly set th plaes on fier."
When Marilla had gon Anne luukt around her wistfuly. Th whietwosht walls wer so paenfuly bair and
stairing that she thaut thae must aek oever thair oen bareness. Th flor was bair, too, exsept for a round
braeded mat in th midl such as Anne had never seen befor. In wun corner was th bed, a hi, oeld-fashund
wun, with foer dark, lo- ternd poests. In th uther corner was th aforsed three- corner taebl adornd with a fat,
red velvet pin-cuushun hard enuf to tern th point of th moest advencherus pin. Abuv it hung a litl six-bi-aet
miror. Midwae between taebl and bed was th windo, with an iesy whiet muzlin fril oever it, and opozit it
was th wosh-stand. Th hoel apartment was of a rijidity not to be descriebd in werds, but which sent a
shiver to th verry marro of Anne's boens. With a sob she haestily discarded her garments, puut on th
skimpy nightgown and sprang into bed wherr she burroed faes dounward into th pilo and puuld th cloeths
oever her hed. When Marilla caem up for th liet vairius skimpy articls of raement scaterd moest untidily
oever th flor and a serten tempeschuos apeerans of th bed wer th oenly indicaeshuns of eny prezens saev
her oen.
She deliberetly pikt up Anne's cloeths, plaest them neetly on a prim yelo chair, and then, taeking up th
candl, went oever to th bed.
"Guud niet," she sed, a litl aukwardly, but not unkiendly.
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Anne's whiet faes and big ies apeerd oever th bedcloeths with a startling sudennes.
"How can U call it a GUUD niet when U noe it must be th verry werst niet I'v ever had?" she sed
reproachfully.
Then she dievd doun into invizibility agen.
Marilla went sloely doun to th kichen and proseeded to wosh th super dishes. Matthew was smoeking--a
shur sien of perturbation of miend. He seldom smoekt, for Marilla set her faes agenst it as a filthy habit;
but at serten tiems and seezons he felt driven to it and them Marilla winkt at th practis, reealiezing that a
meer man must hav sum vent for his emoeshuns.
"Wel, this is a prity ketl of fish," she sed wrathfully. "This is whut cums of sending werd insted of going
ourselvs. Richard Spencer's foeks hav twisted that mesej sumhow. Wun of us wil hav to driev oever and
see Mrs. Spencer tomorro, that's serten. This gerl wil hav to be sent bak to th asielum."
"Yes, I supoez so," sed Matthew reluctantly.
"U SUPOEZ so! Don't U noe it?"
"Wel now, she's a reeal nies litl thing, Marilla. It's kiend of a pity to send her bak when she's so set on
staeing heer."
"Matthew Cuthbert, U don't meen to sae U think we aut to keep her!"
Marilla's astonishment cuud not hav bin graeter if Matthew had exprest a predilecshun for standing on his
hed.
"Wel, now, no, I supoez not--not exactly," stamerd Matthew, uncumfortably driven into a corner for his
presies meening. "I supoez--we cuud hardly be expected to keep her."
"I shuud sae not. Whut guud wuud she be to us?"
"We miet be sum guud to her," sed Matthew sudenly and unexpectedly.
"Matthew Cuthbert, I beleev that chield has bewicht U! I can see as plaen as plaen that U wont to keep
her."
"Wel now, she's a reeal interesting litl thing," persisted Matthew. "U shuud hav herd her tauk cuming frum
th staeshun."
"O, she can tauk fast enuf. I saw that at wuns. It's nuthing in her faevor, eether. I don't liek children hoo
hav so much to sae. I don't wont an orfan gerl and if I did she isn't th stiel I'd pik out. Thair's sumthing I
don't understand about her. No, she's got to be despacht straet-wae bak to wherr she caem frum."
"I cuud hier a French boi to help me," sed Matthew, "and she'd be cumpany for U."
"I'm not sufering for cumpany," sed Marilla shortly. "And I'm not going to keep her."
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"Wel now, it's just as U sae, of cors, Marilla," sed Matthew riezing and puuting his piep awae. "I'm going
to bed."
To bed went Matthew. And to bed, when she had puut her dishes awae, went Marilla, frouning moest
rezolootly. And up-stairs, in th eest gaebl, a loenly, hart-hunggry, frendles chield cried herself to sleep.
CHAPTER IV
Morning at Green Gaebls
It was braud daeliet when Anne awoek and sat up in bed, stairing confuezedly at th windo thru which a
flud of cheery sunshien was poring and outsied of which sumthing whiet and fethery waevd across
glimpses of bloo skie.
For a moement she cuud not remember wherr she was. Ferst caem a delietful thril, as sumthing verry
plezant; then a horribl remembrans. This was Green Gaebls and thae didn't wont her becauz she wasn't a
boi!
But it was morning and, yes, it was a cherry-tree in fuul bloom outsied of her windo. With a bound she was
out of bed and across th flor. She puusht up th sash--it went up stifly and creakily, as if it hadn't bin oepend
for a long tiem, which was th caes; and it stuk so tiet that nuthing was needed to hoeld it up.
Anne dropt on her nees and gaezd out into th June morning, her ies glisening with deliet. O, wasn't it
buetyful? Wasn't it a luvly plaes? Supoez she wasn't reealy going to stae heer! She wuud imajin she was.
Thair was scoep for imajinaeshun heer.
A huej cherry-tree groo outsied, so cloes that its bows tapt agenst th hous, and it was so thik-set with
blosoms that hardly a leef was to be seen. On boeth sieds of th hous was a big orchard, wun of apl-trees
and wun of cherry-trees, allso showerd oever with blosoms; and thair gras was all sprinkld with
dandelieons. In th garden belo wer lielac-trees perpl with flowers, and thair dizily sweet fraegrans drifted
up to th windo on th morning wind.
Belo th garden a green feeld lush with cloever sloped doun to th holo wherr th bruuk ran and wherr scors of
whiet berches groo, upspringing airily out of an undergroeth sugjestiv of delietful posibilitys in ferns and
mosses and woodsy things jeneraly. Beyond it was a hil, green and fethery with sproos and fer; thair was a
gap in it wherr th grae gaebl end of th litl hous she had seen frum th uther sied of th Laek of Shiening
Wauters was vizibl.
Off to th left wer th big barns and beyond them, awae doun oever green, lo-sloeping feelds, was a sparkling
bloo glimps of see.
Anne's buety-luving ies linggerd on it all, taeking evrything greedily in. She had luukt on so meny unluvly
plaeses in her lief, pur chield; but this was as luvly as enything she had ever dreemd.
75
She nelt thair, lost to evrything but th luvlynes around her, until she was startld bi a hand on her shoelder.
Marilla had cum in unherd bi th small dreemer.
"It's tiem U wer drest," she sed curtly.
Marilla reealy did not noe how to tauk to th chield, and her uncumfortabl ignorans maed her crisp and curt
when she did not meen to be.
Anne stuud up and droo a long breth.
"O, isn't it wunderful?" she sed, waeving her hand comprehensivly at th guud werld outsied.
"It's a big tree," sed Marilla, "and it blooms graet, but th froot don't amount to much never--small and
wermy."
"O, I don't meen just th tree; of cors it's luvly--yes, it's RAEDIANTLY luvly--it blooms as if it ment it--but
I ment evrything, th garden and th orchard and th bruuk and th wuuds, th hoel big deer werld. Don't U feel
as if U just luvd th werld on a morning liek this? And I can heer th bruuk lafing all th wae up heer. Hav U
ever noetist whut cheerful things bruuks ar? Thae'r allwaes lafing. Eeven in winter-tiem I'v herd them
under th ies. I'm so glad thair's a bruuk neer Green Gaebls. Perhaps U think it duzn't maek eny diferens to
me when U'r not going to keep me, but it duz. I shal allwaes liek to remember that thair is a bruuk at Green
Gaebls eeven if I never see it agen. If thair wasn't a bruuk I'd be HAUNTED bi th uncumfortabl feeling
that thair aut to be wun. I'm not in th depths of despair this morning. I never can be in th morning. Isn't it
a splendid thing that thair ar mornings? But I feel verry sad. I'v just bin imajining that it was reealy me U
wonted after all and that I was to stae heer for ever and ever. It was a graet cumfort whiel it lasted. But th
werst of imajining things is that th tiem cums when U hav to stop and that herts."
"U'd beter get drest and cum doun-stairs and never miend yur imajinings," sed Marilla as soon as she cuud
get a werd in ejwiez. "Brekfast is waeting. Wosh yur faes and coem yur hair. Leev th windo up and tern
yur bedcloeths bak oever th fuut of th bed. Be as smart as U can."
Anne cuud evidently be smart so sum perpos for she was doun-stairs in ten minutes' tiem, with her cloeths
neetly on, her hair brusht and braeded, her faes wosht, and a cumfortabl conshusnes pervaeding her soel
that she had fuulfild all Marilla's reqierments. As a mater of fact, however, she had forgoten to tern bak th
bedcloeths.
"I'm prity hunggry this morning," she anounst as she slipt into th chair Marilla plaest for her. "Th werld
duzn't seem such a houling wildernes as it did last niet. I'm so glad it's a sunshieny morning. But I liek
raeny mornings reeal wel, too. All sorts of mornings ar interesting, don't U think? U don't noe whut's
going to hapen thru th dae, and thair's so much scoep for imajinaeshun. But I'm glad it's not raeny todae
becauz it's eezyer to be cheerful and bair up under aflicshun on a sunshieny dae. I feel that I hav a guud
deel to bair up under. It's all verry wel to reed about sorroes and imajin yurself living thru them heroeicaly,
but it's not so nies when U reealy cum to hav them, is it?"
"For pity's saek hoeld yur tung," sed Marilla. "U tauk entierly too much for a litl gerl."
76
Thairupon Anne held her tung so oebeedyently and theroely that her continued sielens maed Marilla rather
nervus, as if in th prezens of sumthing not exactly nacheral. Matthew allso held his tung,--but this was
nacheral,--so that th meel was a verry sielent wun.
As it progrest Anne becaem mor and mor abstracted, eeting mecanicaly, with her big ies fixt unswervingly
and unseeingly on th skie outsied th windo. This maed Marilla mor nervus than ever; she had an
uncumfortabl feeling that whiel this od child's body miet be thair at th taebl her spirit was far awae in sum
remoet airy cloudland, born alofft on th wings of imajinaeshun. Hoo wuud wont such a chield about th
plaes?
Yet Matthew wisht to keep her, of all unacountabl things! Marilla felt that he wonted it just as much this
morning as he had th niet befor, and that he wuud go on wonting it. That was Matthew's wae--taek a whim
into his hed and cling to it with th moest amaezing sielent persistensy--a persistensy ten tiems mor poetent
and efekchual in its verry sielens than if he had taukt it out.
When th meel was ended Anne caem out of her revery and offerd to wosh th dishes.
"Can U wosh dishes riet?" askt Marilla distrustfuly.
"Prity wel. I'm beter at luuking after children, tho. I'v had so much expeeryens at that. It's such a pity U
havn't eny heer for me to luuk after."
"I don't feel as if I wonted eny mor children to luuk after than I'v got at prezent. U'R problem enuf in all
conshens. Whut's to be dun with U I don't noe. Matthew is a moest ridicuelus man."
"I think he's luvly," sed Anne reproachfully. "He is so verry simpathetic. He didn't miend how much I
taukt--he seemd to liek it. I felt that he was a kindred spirit as soon as ever I saw him."
"U'r boeth qeer enuf, if that's whut U meen bi kindred spirits," sed Marilla with a snif. "Yes, U mae wosh
th dishes. Taek plenty of hot wauter, and be shur U dri them wel. I'v got enuf to atend to this morning for
I'l hav to driev oever to Whiet Sands in th afternoon and see Mrs. Spencer. U'l cum with me and we'l setl
whut's to be dun with U. After U'v finisht th dishes go up-stairs and maek yur bed."
Anne wosht th dishes deftly enuf, as Marilla hoo kept a sharp ie on th proses, disernd. Laeter on she maed
her bed les sucsesfuly, for she had never lernd th art of resling with a fether tik. But is was dun sumhow
and smoothd doun; and then Marilla, to get rid of her, toeld her she miet go out-of-dors and amuez herself
until diner tiem.
Anne floo to th dor, faes aliet, ies gloeing. On th verry threshhoeld she stopt short, wheeld about, caem bak
and sat doun bi th taebl, liet and glo as efekchualy bloted out as if sum wun had clapt an extinggwisher on
her.
"Whut's th mater now?" demanded Marilla.
"I don't dair go out," sed Anne, in th toen of a marter relinqishing all erthly jois. "If I can't stae heer thair is
no ues in mi luving Green Gaebls. And if I go out thair and get aqaented with all thoes trees and flowers
and th orchard and th bruuk I'l not be aebl to help luving it. It's hard enuf now, so I woen't maek it eny
harder. I wont to go out so much--evrything seems to be calling to me, `Anne, Anne, cum out to us. Anne,
77
Anne, we wont a playmate'--but it's beter not. Thair is no ues in luving things if U hav to be torn frum
them, is thair? And it's so hard to keep frum luving things, isn't it? That was whi I was so glad when I
thaut I was going to liv heer. I thaut I'd hav so meny things to luv and nuthing to hinder me. But that breef
dreem is oever. I am reziend to mi faet now, so I don't think I'l go out for feer I'l get unresigned agen.
Whut is th naem of that jeraenium on th windo-sil, pleez?"
"That's th apl-sented jeraenium."
"O, I don't meen that sort of a naem. I meen just a naem U gaev it yurself. Didn't U giv it a naem? Mae I
giv it wun then? Mae I call it--let me see--Bony wuud do--mae I call it Bony whiel I'm heer? O, do let
me!"
"Guudnes, I don't cair. But wherr on erth is th sens of naeming a jeraenium?"
"O, I liek things to hav handls eeven if thae ar oenly geraniums. It maeks them seem mor liek peepl. How
do U noe but that it herts a geranium's feelings just to be calld a jeraenium and nuthing els? U wuudn't liek
to be calld nuthing but a wuuman all th tiem. Yes, I shal call it Bony. I naemd that cherry-tree outsied mi
bedroom windo this morning. I calld it Sno Qeen becauz it was so whiet. Of cors, it woen't allwaes be in
blosom, but wun can imajin that it is, can't wun?"
"I never in all mi lief sae or herd enything to eeqal her," muterd Marilla, beeting a retreet doun to th selar
after potaetoes. "She is kiend of interesting as Matthew ses. I can feel allredy that I'm wundering whut on
erth she'l sae next. She'l be casting a spel oever me, too. She's cast it oever Matthew. That luuk he gaev
me when he went out sed evrything he sed or hinted last niet oever agen. I wish he was liek uther men and
wuud tauk things out. A body cuud anser bak then and argue him into reezon. But whut's to be dun with a
man hoo just LUUKS?"
Anne had relapst into revery, with her chin in her hands and her ies on th skie, when Marilla reternd frum
her selar pilgrimej. Thair Marilla left her until th erly diner was on th taebl.
"I supoez I can hav th mair and bugy this afternoon, Matthew?" sed Marilla.
Matthew noded and luukt wistfuly at Anne. Marilla intersepted th luuk and sed grimly:
"I'm going to driev oever to Whiet Sands and setl this thing. I'l taek Anne with me and Mrs. Spencer wil
probably maek araenjments to send her bak to Noeva Scotia at wuns. I'l set yur tee out for U and I'l be
hoem in tiem to milk th cows."
Stil Matthew sed nuthing and Marilla had a sens of having waested werds and breth. Thair is nuthing mor
agravaeting than a man hoo woen't tauk bak--unles it is a wuuman hoo woen't.
Matthew hicht th sorrel into th bugy in due tiem and Marilla and Anne set off. Matthew oepend th yard
gaet for them and as thae droev sloely thru, he sed, to noebody in particuelar as it seemd:
"Litl Jerry Buote frum th Creek was heer this morning, and I toeld him I gest I'd hier him for th sumer."
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Marilla maed no repli, but she hit th unluky sorrel such a vishus clip with th whip that th fat mair, unuezd to
such treetment, whizd indignantly doun th laen at an alarming paes. Marilla luukt bak wuns as th bugy
bounst along and saw that agravaeting Matthew leening oever th gaet, luuking wistfuly after them.
CHAPTER V
Anne's History
"Do U noe," sed Anne confidenshaly, "I'v maed up mi miend to enjoi this driev. It's bin mi expeeryens
that U can neerly allwaes enjoi things if U maek up yur miend fermly that U wil. Of cors, U must maek it
up FERMLY. I am not going to think about going bak to th asielum whiel we'r having our driev. I'm just
going to think about th driev. O, luuk, thair's wun litl erly wield roez out! Isn't it luvly? Don't U think it
must be glad to be a roez? Wuudn't it be nies if roezes cuud tauk? I'm shur thae cuud tel us such luvly
things. And isn't pink th moest bewiching culor in th werld? I luv it, but I can't wair it. Redheded peepl
can't wair pink, not eeven in imajinaeshun. Did U ever noe of enybody hoos hair was red when she was
yung, but got to be anuther culor when she groo up?"
"No, I don't noe as I ever did," sed Marilla mersylesly, "and I shuudn't think it liekly to hapen in yur caes
eether."
Anne sied.
"Wel, that is anuther hoep gon. `Mi lief is a perfect graev-yard of berryd hoeps.' That's a sentens I red in a
buuk wuns, and I sae it oever to cumfort mieself whenever I'm disapointed in enything."
"I don't see wherr th cumforting cums in mieself," sed Marilla.
"Whi, becauz it sounds so nies and roemantic, just as if I wer a herroein in a buuk, U noe. I am so fond of
roemantic things, and a graev-yard fuul of berryd hoeps is about as roemantic a thing as wun can imajin
isn't it? I'm rather glad I hav wun. Ar we going across th Laek of Shiening Wauters todae?"
"We'r not going oever Barry's pond, if that's whut U meen bi yur Laek of Shiening Wauters. We'r going bi
th shor roed."
"Shor roed sounds nies," sed Anne dreemily. "Is it as nies as it sounds? Just when U sed `shor road' I saw
it in a pikcher in mi miend, as qik as that! And Whiet Sands is a prity naem, too; but I don't liek it as wel as
Avonlea. Avonlea is a luvly naem. It just sounds liek muezic. How far is it to Whiet Sands?"
"It's fiev miels; and as U'r evidently bent on tauking U miet as wel tauk to sum perpos bi teling me whut U
noe about yurself."
"O, whut I NOE about mieself isn't reealy werth teling," sed Anne eegerly. "If U'l oenly let me tel U whut I
IMAJIN about mieself U'l think it ever so much mor interesting."
"No, I don't wont eny of yur imajinings. Just U stik to balld facts. Begin at th begining. Wherr wer U born
and how oeld ar U?"
79
"I was eleven last March," sed Anne, reziening herself to balld facts with a litl si. "And I was born in
Bolingbroke, Noeva Scotia. Mi father's naem was Walter Shirley, and he was a teecher in th Bolingbroke
Hi Scool. Mi mother's naem was Bertha Shirley. Arn't Walter and Bertha luvly naems? I'm so glad mi
pairents had nies naems. It wuud be a reeal disgraes to hav a faather naemd--wel, sae Jedediah, wuudn't
it?"
"I ges it duzn't mater whut a person's naem is as long as he behaevs himself," sed Marilla, feeling herself
calld upon to inculcaet a guud and uesful moral.
"Wel, I don't noe." Anne luukt thautful. "I red in a buuk wuns that a roez bi eny uther naem wuud smel as
sweet, but I'v never bin aebl to beleev it. I don't beleev a roez WUUD be as nies if it was calld a thistle or a
skunk cabej. I supoez mi faather cuud hav bin a guud man eeven if he had bin calld Jedediah; but I'm shur
it wuud hav bin a cross. Wel, mi muther was a teecher in th Hi scool, too, but when she marryd faather she
gaev up teeching, of cors. A huzband was enuf responsibility. Mrs. Thomas sed that thae wer a pair of
baebys and as pur as cherch mies. Thae went to liv in a weeny-teeny litl yelo hous in Bolingbroke. I'v
never seen that hous, but I'v imajind it thouzands of tiems. I think it must hav had hunysukl oever th parlor
windo and lielacs in th frunt yard and lilys of th valy just insied th gaet. Yes, and muzlin curtens in all th
windoes. Muzlin curtens giv a hous such an air. I was born in that hous. Mrs. Thomas sed I was th
homeliest baeby she ever saw, I was so scrauny and tieny and nuthing but ies, but that muther thaut I was
perfectly buetyful. I shuud think a muther wuud be a beter juj than a pur wuuman hoo caem in to scrub,
wuudn't U? I'm glad she was satisfied with me enyhow, I wuud feel so sad if I thaut I was a disapointment
to her--becauz she didn't liv verry long after that, U see. She died of feever when I was just three munths
oeld. I do wish she'd livd long enuf for me to remember calling her muther. I think it wuud be so sweet to
sae `muther,' don't U? And faather died foer daes afterwards frum feever too. That left me an orfan and
foeks wer at thair wits' end, so Mrs. Thomas sed, whut to do with me. U see, noebody wonted me eeven
then. It seems to be mi faet. Faather and muther had boeth cum frum plaeses far awae and it was wel noen
thae hadn't eny relativs living. Fienaly Mrs. Thomas sed she'd taek me, tho she was pur and had a drunken
huzband. She braut me up bi hand. Do U noe if thair is enything in being braut up bi hand that aut to maek
peepl hoo ar braut up that wae beter than uther peepl? Becauz whenever I was nauty Mrs. Thomas wuud
ask me how I cuud be such a bad gerl when she had braut me up bi hand-- reproechful-liek.
"Mr. and Mrs. Thomas moovd awae frum Bolingbroke to Marysville, and I livd with them until I was aet
yeers oeld. I helpt luuk after th Thomas children--thair wer foer of them yungger than me--and I can tel U
thae tuuk a lot of luuking after. Then Mr. Thomas was kild falling under a traen and his muther offerd to
taek Mrs. Thomas and th children, but she didn't wont me. Mrs. Thomas was at HER wits' end, so she sed,
whut to do with me. Then Mrs. Hammond frum up th river caem doun and sed she'd taek me, seeing I was
handy with children, and I went up th river to liv with her in a litl cleering amung th stumps. It was a verry
loensum plaes. I'm shur I cuud never hav livd thair if I hadn't had an imajinaeshun. Mr. Hammond werkt a
litl sawmil up thair, and Mrs. Hammond had aet children. She had twins three tiems. I liek baebys in
moderaeshun, but twins three tiems in sucseshun is TOO MUCH. I toeld Mrs. Hammond so fermly, when
th last pair caem. I uezd to get so dredfuly tierd carrying them about.
"I livd up river with Mrs. Hammond oever too yeers, and then Mr. Hammond died and Mrs. Hammond
broek up houskeeping. She divieded her children amung her relativs and went to th Staets. I had to go to
th asielum at Hopeton, becauz noebody wuud taek me. Thae didn't wont me at th asielum, eether; thae sed
thae wer oever- crouded as it was. But thae had to taek me and I was thair foer munths until Mrs. Spencer
caem."
80
Anne finisht up with anuther si, of releef this tiem. Evidently she did not liek tauking about her
expeeryenses in a werld that had not wonted her.
"Did U ever go to scool?" demanded Marilla, terning th sorrel mair doun th shor roed.
"Not a graet deel. I went a litl th last yeer I staed with Mrs. Thomas. When I went up river we wer so far
frum a scool that I cuudn't wauk it in winter and thair was a vaecaeshun in sumer, so I cuud oenly go in th
spring and fall. But of cors I went whiel I was at th asielum. I can reed prity wel and I noe ever so meny
peeses of poeetry off bi hart--`Th Batl of Hohenlinden' and `Edinburgh after Flodden,' and `Bingen of th
Rhine,' and lost of th `Laedy of th Lake' and moest of `Th Seasons' bi James Thompson. Don't U just luv
poeetry that givs U a crinkly feeling up and doun yur bak? Thair is a pees in th Fifth Reeder--`Th Dounfall
of Poland'--that is just fuul of thrils. Of cors, I wasn't in th Fifth Reeder--I was oenly in th Foerth--but th
big gerls uezd to lend me theirs to reed."
"Wer thoes wimen--Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. Hammond--guud to U?" askt Marilla, luuking at Anne out of th
corner of her ie.
"O-o-o-h," fallterd Anne. Her sensitiv litl faes sudenly flusht scarlet and embarrasment sat on her brow.
"O, thae MENT to be--I noe thae ment to be just as guud and kiend as posibl. And when peepl meen to be
guud to U, U don't miend verry much when thae'r not qiet--allwaes. Thae had a guud deel to wery them, U
noe. It's verry trieing to hav a drunken huzband, U see; and it must be verry trieing to hav twins three tiems
in sucseshun, don't U think? But I feel shur thae ment to be guud to me."
Marilla askt no mor qeschuns. Anne gaev herself up to a sielent rapcher oever th shor roed and Marilla
gieded th sorrel abstractedly whiel she ponderd deeply. Pity was sudenly stering in her hart for th chield.
Whut a starvd, unloved lief she had had--a lief of drujery and poverty and neglect; for Marilla was shrood
enuf to reed between th liens of Anne's history and divien th trooth. No wunder she had bin so delieted at
th prospect of a reeal hoem. It was a pity she had to be sent bak. Whut if she, Marilla, shuud indulj
Matthew's unacountabl whim and let her stae? He was set on it; and th chield seemd a nies, teechabl litl
thing.
"She's got too much to sae," thaut Marilla, "but she miet be traend out of that. And thair's nuthing rood or
slangy in whut she duz sae. She's laedyliek. It's liekly her peepl wer nies foeks."
Th shor roed was "woodsy and wield and loensum." On th riet hand, scrub firs, thair spirits qiet unbroeken
bi long yeers of tusl with th gulf winds, groo thikly. On th left wer th steep red sandstoen clifs, so neer th
trak in plaeses that a mair of les stedynes than th sorrel miet hav tried th nervs of th peepl behiend her.
Doun at th baes of th clifs wer heeps of serf-worn roks or litl sandy coevs inlaed with pebls as with oeshan
jooels; beyond lae th see, shimering and bloo, and oever it sord th gulls, thair pinions flashing silvery in th
sunliet.
"Isn't th see wunderful?" sed Anne, rouzing frum a long, wied-ied sielens. "Wuns, when I livd in
Marysville, Mr. Thomas hierd an expres wagon and tuuk us all to spend th dae at th shor ten miels awae. I
enjoid evry moement of that dae, eeven if I had to luuk after th children all th tiem. I livd it oever in hapy
dreems for yeers. But this shor is nieser than th Marysville shor. Arn't thoes gulls splendid? Wuud U liek
to be a gul? I think I wuud--that is, if I cuudn't be a hueman gerl. Don't U think it wuud be nies to waek up
81
at sunriez and swoop doun oever th wauter and awae out oever that luvly bloo all dae; and then at niet to fli
bak to one's nest? O, I can just imajin mieself doing it. Whut big hous is that just ahed, pleez?"
"That's th Whiet Sands Hoetel. Mr. Kirke runs it, but th seezon hasn't begun yet. Thair ar heeps of
Americans cum thair for th sumer. Thae think this shor is just about riet."
"I was afraed it miet be Mrs. Spencer's plaes," sed Anne mornfuly. "I don't wont to get thair. Sumhow, it
wil seem liek th end of evrything."
CHAPTER VI
Marilla Maeks Up Her Miend
Get thair thae did, however, in due seezon. Mrs. Spencer livd in a big yelo hous at Whiet Sands Coev, and
she caem to th dor with serpriez and welcum minggld on her benevolent faes.
"Deer, deer," she exclaemd, "U'r th last foeks I was luuking for todae, but I'm reeal glad to see U. U'l puut
yur hors in? And how ar U, Anne?"
"I'm as wel as can be expected, thank U," sed Anne smilelessly. A bliet seemd to hav desended on her.
"I supoez we'l stae a litl whiel to rest th mair," sed Marilla, "but I promist Matthew I'd be hoem erly. Th
fact is, Mrs. Spencer, thair's bin a qeer mistaek sumwherr, and I'v cum oever to see wherr it is. We send
werd, Matthew and I, for U to bring us a boi frum th asielum. We toeld yur bruther Robert to tel U we
wonted a boi ten or eleven yeers oeld."
"Marilla Cuthbert, U don't sae so!" sed Mrs. Spencer in distres. "Whi, Robert sent werd doun bi his dauter
Nancy and she sed U wonted a gerl--didn't she Flora Jane?" apeeling to her dauter hoo had cum out to th
steps.
"She sertenly did, Mis Cuthbert," coroboraeted Flora Jane ernestly.
I'm dredful sorry," sed Mrs. Spencer. "It's too bad; but it sertenly wasn't mi fallt, U see, Mis Cuthbert. I did
th best I cuud and I thaut I was foloeing yur instrucshuns. Nancy is a terribl fliety thing. I'v offen had to
scoeld her wel for her heedlessness."
"It was our oen fallt," sed Marilla rezienedly. "We shuud hav cum to U ourselvs and not left an important
mesej to be past along bi werd of mouth in that fashun. Enyhow, th mistaek has bin maed and th oenly
thing to do is to set it riet. Can we send th chield bak to th asielum? I supoez thae'l taek her bak, woen't
thae?"
"I supoez so," sed Mrs. Spencer thautfuly, "but I don't think it wil be nesesairy to send her bak. Mrs. Peeter
Blewett was up heer yesterdae, and she was saeing to me how much she wisht she'd sent bi me for a litl gerl
to help her. Mrs. Peeter has a larj family, U noe, and she fiends it hard to get help. Anne wil be th verry
gerl for U. I call it pozitivly providenshal."
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Marilla did not luuk as if she thaut Providens had much to do with th mater. Heer was an unexpectedly
guud chans to get this unwelcum orfan off her hands, and she did not eeven feel graetful for it.
She nue Mrs. Peeter Blewett oenly bi siet as a small, shrooish-faest wuuman without an ouns of
suuperfloous flesh on her boens. But she had herd of her. "A terribl werker and driever," Mrs. Peeter was
sed to be; and discharjd servant gerls toeld feersum taels of her temper and stinjynes, and her family of pert,
qorrelsum children. Marilla felt a qaam of conshens at th thaut of handing Anne oever to her tender
mercies.
"Wel, I'l go in and we'l tauk th mater oever," she sed.
"And if thair isn't Mrs. Peeter cuming up th laen this blesed minit!" exclaemd Mrs. Spencer, busling her
gests thru th hall into th parlor, wherr a dedly chil struk on them as if th air had bin straend so long thru
dark green, cloesly drawn bliends that it had lost evry particl of wormth it had ever pozest. "That is reeal
luky, for we can setl th mater riet awae. Taek th armchair, Mis Cuthbert. Anne, U sit heer on th otoman
and don't wigl. Let me taek yur hats. Flora Jane, go out and puut th ketl on. Guud afternoon, Mrs.
Blewett. We wer just saeing how forchunet it was U hapend along. Let me introdues U too laedys. Mrs.
Blewett, Mis Cuthbert. Pleez excuez me for just a moement. I forgot to tel Flora Jane to taek th buns out of
th uven."
Mrs. Spencer whiskt awae, after puuling up th bliends. Anne siting muetly on th otoman, with her hands
claspt tietly in her lap, staird at Mrs Blewett as wun fasinaeted. Was she to be given into th keeping of this
sharp-faest, sharp-ied wuuman? She felt a lump cuming up in her throet and her ies smarted paenfuly. She
was begining to be afraed she cuudn't keep th teers bak when Mrs. Spencer reternd, flusht and beeming,
qiet caepabl of taeking eny and evry dificulty, fizical, mental or spirichual, into consideraeshun and setling
it out of hand.
"It seems thair's bin a mistaek about this litl gerl, Mrs. Blewett," she sed. "I was under th impreshun that
Mr. and Mis Cuthbert wonted a litl gerl to adopt. I was sertenly toeld so. But it seems it was a boi thae
wonted. So if U'r stil of th saem miend U wer yesterdae, I think she'l be just th thing for U."
Mrs. Blewett darted her ies oever Anne frum hed to fuut.
"How oeld ar U and whut's yur naem?" she demanded.
"Anne Shirley," fallterd th shrinking chield, not dairing to maek eny stipulations regarding th speling
thairof, "and I'm eleven yeers oeld."
"Humph! U don't luuk as if thair was much to U. But U'r wiery. I don't noe but th wiery wuns ar th best
after all. Wel, if I taek U U'l hav to be a guud gerl, U noe--guud and smart and respectful. I'l expect U to
ern yur keep, and no mistaek about that. Yes, I supoez I miet as wel taek her off yur hands, Mis Cuthbert.
Th baby's auful fracshus, and I'm cleen worn out atending to him. If U liek I can taek her riet hoem now."
Marilla luukt at Anne and soffend at siet of th child's pael faes with its luuk of muet mizery--th mizery of a
helples litl creecher hoo fiends itself wuns mor caut in th trap frum which it had escaept. Marilla felt an
uncumfortabl convicshun that, if she denied th apeel of that luuk, it wuud haunt her to her dieing dae. Moroever, she did not fansy Mrs. Blewett. To hand a sensitiv, "highstrung" chield oever to such a wuuman!
No, she cuud not taek th responsibility of doing that!
83
"Wel, I don't noe," she sed sloely. "I didn't sae that Matthew and I had absolootly desieded that we wuudn't
keep her. In fact I mae sae that Matthew is dispoezd to keep her. I just caem oever to fiend out how th
mistaek had ocurd. I think I'd beter taek her hoem agen and tauk it oever with Matthew. I feel that I
oughtn't to desied on enything without consulting him. If we maek up our miend not to keep her we'l bring
or send her oever to U tomorro niet. If we don't U mae noe that she is going to stae with us. Wil that soot
U, Mrs. Blewett?"
"I supoez it'l hav to," sed Mrs. Blewett ungraeshusly.
During Marilla's speech a sunriez had bin dauning on Anne's faes. Ferst th luuk of despair faeded out; then
caem a faent flush of hoep; heer ies groo deep and briet as morning stars. Th chield was qiet transfigured;
and, a moement laeter, when Mrs. Spencer and Mrs. Blewett went out in qest of a resipy th later had cum to
borro she sprang up and floo across th room to Marilla.
"O, Mis Cuthbert, did U reealy sae that perhaps U wuud let me stae at Green Gaebls?" she sed, in a brethles
whisper, as if speeking aloud miet shater th glorius posibility. "Did U reealy sae it? Or did I oenly imajin
that U did?"
"I think U'd beter lern to controel that imajinaeshun of yurs, Anne, if U can't distinggwish between whut is
reeal and whut isn't," sed Marilla crossly. "Yes, U did heer me sae just that and no mor. It isn't desieded
yet and perhaps we wil conclood to let Mrs. Blewett taek U after all. She sertenly needs U much mor than I
do."
"I'd rather go bak to th asielum than go to liv with her," sed Anne pashunetly. "She luuks exactly liek a-liek a gimlet."
Marilla smutherd a smiel under th convicshun that Anne must be reproved for such a speech.
"A litl gerl liek U shuud be ashaemd of tauking so about a laedy and a straenjer," she sed seveerly. "Go
bak and sit doun qieetly and hoeld yur tung and behaev as a guud gerl shuud."
"I'l tri to do and be enything U wont me, if U'l oenly keep me," sed Anne, reterning meekly to her otoman.
When thae arievd bak at Green Gaebls that eevning Matthew met them in th laen. Marilla frum afar had
noeted him prouling along it and gest his moetiv. She was prepaird for th releef she red in his faes when he
saw that she had at leest braut bak Anne bak with her. But she sed nuthing, to him, relativ to th afair, until
thae wer boeth out in th yard behiend th barn milking th cows. Then she breefly toeld him Anne's history
and th rezult of th intervue with Mrs. Spencer.
"I wuudn't giv a daug I liekt to that Blewett wuuman," sed Matthew with unuezhual vim."
"I don't fansy her stiel mieself," admited Marilla, "but it's that or keeping her ourselvs, Matthew. And sinss
U seem to wont her, I supoez I'm wiling--or hav to be. I'v bin thinking oever th iedeea until I'v got kiend of
uezd to it. It seems a sort of duety. I'v never braut up a chield, espeshaly a gerl, and I dair sae I'l maek a
terribl mes of it. But I'l do mi best. So far as I'm consernd, Matthew, she mae stae."
Matthew's shi faes was a glo of deliet.
84
"Wel now, I rekond U'd cum to see it in that liet, Marilla," he sed. "She's such an interesting litl thing."
"It'd be mor to th point if U cuud sae she was a uesful litl thing," retorted Marilla, "but I'l maek it mi biznes
to see she's traend to be that. And miend, Matthew, U'r not to go interfeering with mi methods. Perhaps an
oeld maed duzn't noe much about bringing up a chield, but I ges she noes mor than an oeld bachelor. So U
just leev me to manej her. When I fael it'l be tiem enuf to puut yur or in."
"Thair, thair, Marilla, U can hav yur oen wae," sed Matthew re-ashuringly. "Oenly be as guud and kiend to
her as U can without spoiling her. I kiend of think she's wun of th sort U can do enything with if U oenly
get her to luv U."
Marilla snift, to expres her contempt for Matthew's opinyons conserning enything feminin, and waukt off to
th dairy with th paels.
"I woen't tel her toniet that she can stae," she reflected, as she straend th milk into th creamers. "She'd be
so exsieted that she wuudn't sleep a wink. Marilla Cuthbert, U'r fairly in for it. Did U ever supoez U'd see
th dae when U'd be adopting an orfan gerl? It's serpriezing enuf; but not so serpriezing as that Matthew
shuud be at th botom of it, him that allwaes seemd to hav such a mortal dred of litl gerls. Enyhow, we'v
desieded on th experriment and guudnes oenly noes whut wil cum of it."
CHAPTER VII
Anne Ses Her Prairs
When Marilla tuuk Anne up to bed that niet she sed stifly:
"Now, Anne, I noetist last niet that U throo yur cloeths all about th flor when U tuuk them off. That is a
verry untiedy habit, and I can't alow it at all. As soon as U taek off eny articl of cloething foeld it neetly
and plaes it on th chair. I havn't eny ues at all for litl gerls hoo arn't neet."
"I was so harroed up in mi miend last niet that I didn't think about mi cloeths at all," sed Anne. "I'l foeld
them niesly toniet. Thae allwaes maed us do that at th asielum. Haf th tiem, tho, I'd forget, I'd be in such a
hery to get into bed nies and qieet and imajin things."
"U'l hav to remember a litl beter if U stae heer," admonisht Marilla. "Thair, that luuks sumthing liek. Sae
yur prairs now and get into bed."
"I never sae eny prairs," anounst Anne.
Marilla luukt horrified astonishment.
"Whi, Anne, whut do U meen? Wer U never taut to sae yur prairs? God allwaes wonts litl gerls to sae
thair prairs. Don't U noe hoo God is, Anne?"
85
"`God is a spirit, infinit, eternal and unchaenjabl, in His being, wizdom, power, hoelynes, justis, guudnes,
and trooth,'" responded Anne promptly and glibly.
Marilla luukt rather releevd.
"So U do noe sumthing then, thank guudnes! U'r not qiet a heethen. Wherr did U lern that?"
"O, at th asielum Sunday-scool. Thae maed us lern th hoel catekizm. I liekt it prity wel. Thair's sumthing
splendid about sum of th werds. `Infinit, eternal and unchaenjabl.' Isn't that grand? It has such a roel to it-just liek a big organ plaeing. U cuudn't qiet call it poeetry, I supoez, but it sounds a lot liek it, duzn't it?"
"We'r not tauking about poeetry, Anne--we ar tauking about saeing yur prairs. Don't U noe it's a terribl
wiked thing not to sae yur prairs evry niet? I'm afraed U ar a verry bad litl gerl."
"U'd fiend it eezyer to be bad than guud if U had red hair," sed Anne reproachfully. "Peepl hoo havn't red
hair don't noe whut trubl is. Mrs. Thomas toeld me that God maed mi hair red ON PERPOS, and I'v never
caird about Him sinss. And enyhow I'd allwaes be too tierd at niet to bother saeing prairs. Peepl hoo hav
to luuk after twins can't be expected to sae thair prairs. Now, do U onestly think thae can?"
Marilla desieded that Anne's relijus traening must be begun at wuns. Plaenly thair was no tiem to be lost.
"U must sae yur prairs whiel U ar under mi roof, Anne."
"Whi, of cors, if U wont me to," asented Anne cheerfuly. "I'd do enything to obliej U. But U'l hav to tel me
whut to sae for this wuns. After I get into bed I'l imajin out a reeal nies prair to sae allwaes. I beleev that it
wil be qiet interesting, now that I cum to think of it."
"U must neel doun," sed Marilla in embarrasment.
Anne nelt at Marilla's nee and luukt up graevly.
"Whi must peepl neel doun to prae?" If I reealy wonted to prae I'l tel U whut I'd do. I'd go out into a graet
big feeld all aloen or into th deep, deep, wuuds, and I'd luuk up into th skie--up--up--up--into that luvly
bloo skie that luuks as if thair was no end to its blueness. And then I'd just FEEL a prair. Wel, I'm redy.
Whut am I to sae?"
Marilla felt mor embarrast than ever. She had intended to teech Anne th chieldish clasic, "Now I lae me
doun to sleep." But she had, as I hav toeld U, th glimmerings of a sens of huemor--which is simply anuther
naem for a sens of fitnes of things; and it sudenly ocurd to her that that simpl litl prair, saecred to whietroebd chieldhuud lisping at mutherly nees, was entierly unsooted to this frekld wich of a gerl hoo nue and
caird nuthing bout God's luv, sinss she had never had it translaeted to her thru th meedium of hueman luv.
"U'r oeld enuf to prae for yurself, Anne," she sed fienaly. "Just thank God for yur blesings and ask Him
humbly for th things U wont."
"Wel, I'l do mi best," promist Anne, berrying her faes in Marilla's lap. "Graeshus hevenly Faather--that's th
wae th ministers sae it in cherch, so I supoez it's all riet in prievet prair, isn't it?" she interjected, lifting her
hed for a moement.
86
"Graeshus hevenly Faather, I thank Thee for th Whiet
Wae of Deliet and th Laek of Shiening
Wauters and Bony
and th Sno Qeen. I'm reealy extreemly graetful for
them. And that's all th
blesings I can think of just
now to thank Thee for. As for th things I wont,
thae'r so nuemerus that it
wuud taek a graet deel of
tiem to naem them all so I wil oenly menshun th too
moest important.
Pleez let me stae at Green Gaebls;
and pleez let me be guud-luuking when I gro up.
I remaen,
"Yurs respectfuly,
Anne Shirley.
"Thair, did I do all riet?" she askt eegerly, geting up. "I cuud hav maed it much mor flowery if I'd had a litl
mor tiem to think it oever."
Pur Marilla was oenly prezervd frum compleet colaps bi remembering that it was not irreverens, but simply
spirichual ignorans on th part of Anne that was responsibl for this extraordinairy petishun. She tukt th
chield up in bed, mentaly vowing that she shuud be taut a prair th verry next dae, and was leeving th room
with th liet when Anne calld her bak.
"I'v just thaut of it now. I shuud hav sed, `Amen' in plaes of `yurs respectfuly,' shuudn't I?--th wae th
ministers do. I'd forgoten it, but I felt a prair shuud be finisht off in sum wae, so I puut in th uther. Do U
supoez it wil maek eny diferens?"
"I--I don't supoez it wil," sed Marilla. "Go to sleep now liek a guud chield. Guud niet."
"I can oenly sae guud niet toniet with a cleer conshens," sed Anne, cuddling luxuriously doun amung her
piloes.
Marilla retreeted to th kichen, set th candl fermly on th taebl, and glaird at Matthew.
"Matthew Cuthbert, it's about tiem sumbody adopted that chield and taut her sumthing. She's next dor to a
perfect heethen. Wil U beleev that she never sed a prair in her lief til toniet? I'l send her to th mans
tomorro and borro th Peep of th Dae seerys, that's whut I'l do. And she shal go to Sunday-scool just as soon
as I can get sum sootabl cloeths maed for her. I forsee that I shal hav mi hands fuul. Wel, wel, we can't get
thru this werld without our shair of trubl. I'v had a prity eezy lief of it so far, but mi tiem has cum at last
and I supoez I'l just hav to maek th best of it."
CHAPTER VIII
Anne's Bringing-up Is Begun
For reezons best noen to herself, Marilla did not tel Anne that she was to stae at Green Gaebls until th next
afternoon. During th fornoon she kept th chield bizy with vairius tasks and wocht oever her with a keen ie
whiel she did them. Bi noon she had conclooded that Anne was smart and oebeedyent, wiling to werk and
qik to lern; her moest seerius shortcuming seemd to be a tendensy to fall into daydreams in th midl of a task
and forget all about it until such tiem as she was sharply recalld to erth bi a reprimand or a catastrofy.
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When Anne had finisht woshing th diner dishes she sudenly confrunted Marilla with th air and expreshun
of wun desperetly determind to lern th werst. Her thin litl body trembld frum hed to fuut; her faes flusht
and her ies dielaeted until thae wer allmoest blak; she claspt her hands tietly and sed in an imploring vois:
"O, pleez, Mis Cuthbert, woen't U tel me if U ar going to send me awae or not?" I'v tried to be paeshent all
th morning, but I reealy feel that I cannot bair not noeing eny longger. It's a dredful feeling. Pleez tel me."
"U havn't scallded th dishcloth in cleen hot wauter as I toeld U to do," sed Marilla imoovably. "Just go and
do it befor U ask eny mor qeschuns, Anne."
Anne went and atended to th dishcloth. Then she reternd to Marilla and fasend imploring ies of th latter's
faes. "Wel," sed Marilla, unaebl to fiend eny excues for defering her explanaeshun longger, "I supoez I miet
as wel tel U. Matthew and I hav desieded to keep U--that is, if U wil tri to be a guud litl gerl and sho yurself
graetful. Whi, chield, whutever is th mater?"
"I'm crieing," sed Anne in a toen of bewilderment. "I can't think whi. I'm glad as glad can be. O, GLAD
duzn't seem th riet werd at all. I was glad about th Whiet Wae and th cherry blosoms--but this! O, it's
sumthing mor than glad. I'm so hapy. I'l tri to be so guud. It wil be uphil werk, I expect, for Mrs. Thomas
offen toeld me I was desperetly wiked. However, I'l do mi verry best. But can U tel me whi I'm crieing?"
"I supoez it's becauz U'r all exsieted and werkt up," sed Marilla disaproovingly. "Sit doun on that chair and
tri to caam yurself. I'm afraed U boeth cri and laf far too eezily. Yes, U can stae heer and we wil tri to do
riet bi U. U must go to scool; but it's oenly a fortniet til vaecaeshun so it isn't werth whiel for U to start
befor it oepens agen in September."
"Whut am I to call U?" askt Anne. "Shal I allwaes sae Mis Cuthbert? Can I call U Ant Marilla?"
"No; U'l call me just plaen Marilla. I'm not uezd to being calld Mis Cuthbert and it wuud maek me nervus."
"It sounds aufuly disrespectful to just sae Marilla," proetested Anne.
"I ges thair'l be nuthing disrespectful in it if U'r cairful to speek respectfuly. Evrybody, yung and oeld, in
Avonlea calls me Marilla exsept th minister. He ses Mis Cuthbert--when he thinks of it."
"I'd luv to call U Ant Marilla," sed Anne wistfuly. "I'v never had an ant or eny relaeshun at all--not eeven a
grandmuther. It wuud maek me feel as if I reealy belongd to U. Can't I call U Ant Marilla?"
"No. I'm not yur ant and I don't beleev in calling peepl naems that don't belong to them."
"But we cuud imajin U wer mi ant."
"I cuudn't," sed Marilla grimly.
"Do U never imajin things diferent frum whut thae reealy ar?" askt Anne wied-ied.
"No."
"O!" Anne droo a long breth. "O, Mis--Marilla, how much U mis!"
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"I don't beleev in imajining things diferent frum whut thae reealy ar," retorted Marilla. "When th Lord
puuts us in serten sercumstanses He duzn't meen for us to imajin them awae. And that remiends me. Go
into th siting room, Anne--be shur yur feet ar cleen and don't let eny flies in--and bring me out th ilustraeted
card that's on th mantelpees. Th Lord's Prair is on it and U'l devoet yur spair tiem this afternoon to lerning
it off bi hart. Thair's to be no mor of such praeing as I herd last niet."
"I supoez I was verry aukward," sed Anne apolojeticaly, "but then, U see, I'd never had eny practis. U
cuudn't reealy expect a person to prae verry wel th ferst tiem she tried, cuud U? I thaut out a splendid prair
after I went to bed, just as I promist U I wuud. It was neerly as long as a minister's and so poeetical. But
wuud U beleev it? I cuudn't remember wun werd when I woek up this morning. And I'm afraed I'l never
be aebl to think out anuther wun as guud. Sumhow, things never ar so guud when thae'r thaut out a second
tiem. Hav U ever noetist that?"
"Heer is sumthing for U to noetis, Anne. When I tel U to do a thing I wont U to oebae me at wuns and not
stand stok-stil and discors about it. Just U go and do as I bid U."
Anne promptly departed for th siting-room across th hall; she faeld to retern; after waeting ten minits
Marilla laed doun her niting and marcht after her with a grim expreshun. She found Anne standing
moeshunles befor a pikcher hanging on th wall between th too windoes, with her ies astar with dreems. Th
whiet and green liet straend thru apl trees and clustering viens outsied fel oever th rapt litl figuer with a hafunerthly raedians.
"Anne, whutever ar U thinking of?" demanded Marilla sharply.
Anne caem bak to erth with a start.
"That," she sed, pointing to th pikcher--a rather vivid chromo entietld, "Christ Blesing Litl Children"--"and
I was just imajining I was wun of them--that I was th litl gerl in th bloo dres, standing off bi herself in th
corner as if she didn't belong to enybody, liek me. She luuks loenly and sad, don't U think? I ges she
hadn't eny faather or muther of her oen. But she wonted to be blest, too, so she just crept shiely up on th
outsied of th croud, hoeping noebody wuud noetis her--exsept Him. I'm shur I noe just how she felt. Her
hart must hav beet and her hands must hav got coeld, liek mien did when I askt U if I cuud stae. She was
afraed He mightn't noetis her. But it's liekly He did, don't U think? I'v bin trieing to imajin it all out--her
ejing a litl neerer all th tiem until she was qiet cloes to Him; and then He wuud luuk at her and puut His
hand on her hair and o, such a thril of joi as wuud run oever her! But I wish th artist hadn't paented Him so
sorroeful luuking. All His pikchers ar liek that, if U'v noetist. But I don't beleev He cuud reealy hav luukt
so sad or th children wuud hav bin afraed of Him."
"Anne," sed Marilla, wundering whi she had not broeken into this speech long befor, "U shuudn't tauk that
wae. It's irreverent--pozitivly irreverent."
Anne's ies marveld.
"Whi, I felt just as reverent as cuud be. I'm shur I didn't meen to be irreverent."
"Wel I don't supoez U did--but it duzn't sound riet to tauk so familyarly about such things. And anuther
thing, Anne, when I send U after sumthing U'r to bring it at wuns and not fall into mooning and imajining
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befor pikchers. Remember that. Taek that card and cum riet to th kichen. Now, sit doun in th corner and
lern that prair off bi hart."
Anne set th card up agenst th jugful of apl blosoms she had braut in to decoraet th dinnertable--Marilla had
ied that decoraeshun askans, but had sed nuthing-- propt her chin on her hands, and fel to studying it
intently for several sielent minits.
"I liek this," she anounst at length. "It's buetyful. I'v herd it befor--I herd th superintendent of th asielum
Sunday scool sae it oever wuns. But I didn't liek it then. He had such a crakt vois and he praed it so
mornfuly. I reealy felt shur he thaut praeing was a disagreeabl duety. This isn't poeetry, but it maeks me
feel just th saem wae poeetry duz. `Our Faather hoo art in heven haloed be Thi naem.' That is just liek a
lien of muezic. O, I'm so glad U thaut of maeking me lern this, Mis-- Marilla."
"Wel, lern it and hoeld yur tung," sed Marilla shortly.
Anne tipt th vaes of apl blosoms neer enuf to bestoe a sofft kis on a pink-cupt but, and then studyd
dilijently for sum moements longger.
"Marilla," she demanded prezently, "do U think that I shal ever hav a buuzom frend in Avonlea?"
"A--a whut kiend of frend?"
"A buuzom frend--an intimet frend, U noe--a reealy kindred spirit to hoom I can confied mi inmoest soel.
I'v dreemd of meeting her all mi lief. I never reealy supoezd I wuud, but so meny of mi luvlyest dreems
hav cum troo all at wuns that perhaps this wun wil, too. Do U think it's posibl?"
"Diana Barry lievs oever at Orchard Sloep and she's about yur aej. She's a verry nies litl gerl, and perhaps
she wil be a plaemaet for U when she cums hoem. She's viziting her ant oever at Carmody just now. U'l
hav to be cairful how U behaev yurself, tho. Mrs. Barry is a verry particuelar wuuman. She woen't let
Diana plae with eny litl gerl hoo isn't nies and guud."
Anne luukt at Marilla thru th apl blosoms, her ies aglo with interest.
"Whut is Diana liek? Her hair isn't red, is it? O, I hoep not. It's bad enuf to hav red hair mieself, but I
pozitivly cuudn't endur it in a buuzom frend."
"Diana is a verry prity litl gerl. She has blak ies and hair and roezy cheeks. And she is guud and smart,
which is beter than being prity."
Marilla was as fond of morals as th Duches in Wunderland, and was fermly convinst that wun shuud be takt
on to evry remark maed to a chield hoo was being braut up.
But Anne waevd th moral inconsequently asied and seezd oenly on th delietful posibilitys befor it.
"O, I'm so glad she's prity. Next to being buetyful wunself--and that's imposibl in mi caes--it wuud be best
to hav a buetyful buuzom frend. When I livd with Mrs. Thomas she had a buukcaes in her siting room with
glas dors. Thair wern't eny buuks in it; Mrs. Thomas kept her best chiena and her prezervs thair--when she
had eny prezervs to keep. Wun of th dors was broeken. Mr. Thomas smasht it wun niet when he was slietly
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intoxicaeted. But th uther was hoel and I uezd to pretend that mi reflecshun in it was anuther litl gerl hoo
livd in it. I calld her Katie Maurice, and we wer verry intimet. I uezd to tauk to her bi th our, espeshaly on
Sunday, and tel her evrything. Katie was th cumfort and consolaeshun of mi lief. We uezd to pretend that
th buukcaes was enchanted and that if I oenly nue th spel I cuud oepen th dor and step riet into th room
wherr Katie Maurice livd, insted of into Mrs. Thomas' shelvs of prezervs and chiena. And then Katie
Maurice wuud hav taeken me bi th hand and led me out into a wunderful plaes, all flowers and sunshien
and fairys, and we wuud hav livd thair hapy for ever after. When I went to liv with Mrs. Hammond it just
broek mi hart to leev Katie Maurice. She felt it dredfuly, too, I noe she did, for she was crieing when she
kist me guud-bi thru th buukcaes dor. Thair was no buukcaes at Mrs. Hammond's. But just up th river a litl
wae frum th hous thair was a long green litl valy, and th luvlyest eko livd thair. It ekoed bak evry werd U
sed, eeven if U didn't tauk a bit loud. So I imajind that it was a litl gerl calld Violetta and we wer graet
frends and I luvd her allmoest as wel as I luvd Katie Maurice--not qiet, but allmoest, U noe. Th niet befor I
went to th asielum I sed guud-bi to Violetta, and o, her guud-bi caem bak to me in such sad, sad toens. I
had becum so atacht to her that I hadn't th hart to imajin a buuzom frend at th asielum, eeven if thair had
bin eny scoep for imajinaeshun thair."
"I think it's just as wel thair wasn't," sed Marilla driely. "I don't aproov of such goings-on. U seem to haf
beleev yur oen imajinaeshuns. It wil be wel for U to hav a reeal liv frend to puut such nonsens out of yur
hed. But don't let Mrs. Barry heer U tauking about yur Katie Maurices and yur Violettas or she'l think U tel
storys."
"O, I woen't. I cuudn't tauk of them to evrybody--thair memorys ar too saecred for that. But I thaut I'd liek
to hav U noe about them. O, luuk, heer's a big bee just tumbld out of an apl blosom. Just think whut a
luvly plaes to liv--in an apl blosom! Fansy going to sleep in it when th wind was roking it. If I wasn't a
hueman gerl I think I'd liek to be a bee and liv amung th flowers."
"Yesterdae U wonted to be a see gul," snift Marilla. "I think U ar verry fikl miended. I toeld U to lern that
prair and not tauk. But it seems imposibl for U to stop tauking if U'v got enybody that wil lisen to U. So
go up to yur room and lern it."
"O, I noe it prity neerly all now--all but just th last lien."
"Wel, never miend, do as I tel U. Go to yur room and finish lerning it wel, and stae thair until I call U doun
to help me get tee."
"Can I taek th apl blosoms with me for cumpany?" pleeded Anne.
"No; U don't wont yur room cluterd up with flowers. U shuud hav left them on th tree in th ferst plaes."
"I did feel a litl that wae, too," sed Anne. "I kiend of felt I shuudn't shorten thair luvly lievs bi piking them-I wuudn't wont to be pikt if I wer an apl blosom. But th temptaeshun was IRREZISTIBL. Whut do U do
when U meet with an irrezistibl temptaeshun?"
"Anne, did U heer me tel U to go to yur room?"
Anne sied, retreeted to th eest gaebl, and sat doun in a chair bi th windo.
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"Thair--I noe this prair. I lernd that last sentens cuming upstairs. Now I'm going to imajin things into this
room so that thae'l allwaes stae imajind. Th flor is cuverd with a whiet velvet carpet with pink roezes all
oever it and thair ar pink silk curtens at th windoes. Th walls ar hung with goeld and silver broecaed
tapestry. Th fernicher is mahogany. I never saw eny mahogany, but it duz sound SO lugzhurius. This is a
couch all heept with gorjus silken cuushuns, pink and bloo and crimzon and goeld, and I am recliening
graesfuly on it. I can see mi reflecshun in that splendid big miror hanging on th wall. I am tall and reegal,
clad in a goun of traeling whiet laes, with a perl cross on mi brest and perls in mi hair. Mi hair is of midniet
darknes and mi skin is a cleer ievory palor. Mi naem is th Laedy Cordelia Fitzgerald. No, it isn't--I can't
maek THAT seem reeal."
She danst up to th litl luuking-glas and peerd into it. Her pointed frekld faes and solem grae ies peerd bak
at her.
"U'r oenly Anne of Green Gaebls," she sed ernestly, "and I see U, just as U ar luuking now, whenever I tri
to imajin I'm th Laedy Cordelia. But it's a milyon tiems nieser to be Anne of Green Gaebls than Anne of
noewherr in particuelar, isn't it?"
She bent forward, kist her reflecshun afecshunetly, and betook herself to th oepen windo
"Deer Sno Qeen, guud afternoon. And guud afternoon deer berches doun in th holo. And guud afternoon,
deer grae hous up on th hil. I wunder if Diana is to be mi buuzom frend. I hoep she wil, and I shal luv her
verry much. But I must never qiet forget Katie Maurice and Violetta. Thae wuud feel so hert if I did and
I'd haet to hert anybody's feelings, eeven a litl buukcaes girl's or a litl eko girl's. I must be cairful to
remember them and send them a kis evry dae."
Anne bloo a cupl of airy kises frum her finggertips past th cherry blosoms and then, with her chin in her
hands, drifted luxuriously out on a see of daydreams.
CHAPTER IX
Mrs. Rachel Lynde Is Properly Horrified
Anne had bin a fortniet at Green Gaebls befor Mrs. Lynde arievd to inspect her. Mrs. Rachel, to do her
justis, was not to blaem for this. A seveer and unseason -aebl atak of grip had confiend that guud laedy to
her hous ever sinss th ocaezhun of her last vizit to Green Gaebls. Mrs. Rachel was not offen sik and had a
wel- defiend contempt for peepl hoo wer; but grip, she aserted, was liek no uther ilnes on erth and cuud
oenly be interpreted as wun of th speshal vizitaeshuns of Providens. As soon as her doctor alowd her to
puut her fuut out-of-dors she heryd up to Green Gaebls, bersting with cueriosity to see Matthew and
Marilla's orfan, conserning hoom all sorts of storys and supozishuns had gon abraud in Avonlea.
Anne had maed guud ues of evry waeking moement of that fortniet. Allredy she was aqaented with evry
tree and shrub about th plaes. She had discuverd that a laen oepend out belo th apl orchard and ran up thru
a belt of wuudland; and she had explord it to its furthest end in all its delishus vaegarys of bruuk and brij,
fer copis and wield cherry arch, corners thik with fern, and branching biewaes of maepl and mounten ash.
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She had maed frends with th spring doun in th holo-- that wunderful deep, cleer iesy-coeld spring; it was
set about with smooth red sandstones and rimd in bi graet paam-liek clumps of wauter fern; and beyond it
was a log brij oever th bruuk.
That brij led Anne's dansing feet up oever a wuuded hil beyond, wherr perpechual twieliet raend under th
straet, thik-groeing firs and spruces; th oenly flowers thair wer myriads of deliket "June bels," thoes shyest
and sweetest of wuudland blooms, and a fue pael, airial starflowers, liek th spirits of last year's blosoms.
Gossamers glimmered liek threds of silver amung th trees and th fer bows and tasels seemd to uter frendly
speech.
All thees raptured voiejes of exploraeshun wer maed in th od haf ours which she was alowd for plae, and
Anne taukt Matthew and Marilla halfdeaf oever her discuverys. Not that Matthew complaend, to be shur;
he lisend to it all with a wordless smiel of enjoiment on his faes; Marilla permited th "chater" until she
found herself becuming too interested in it, wherrupon she allwaes promptly qencht Anne bi a curt comand
to hoeld her tung.
Anne was out in th orchard when Mrs. Rachel caem, waandering at her oen sweet wil thru th lush, tremulous grases splasht with rudy eevning sunshien; so that guud laedy had an exselent chans to tauk her ilnes
fuuly oever, descriebing evry aek and puls beet with such evident enjoiment that Marilla thaut eeven grip
must bring its compensaeshuns. When deetaels wer exausted Mrs. Rachel introduest th reeal reezon of her
call.
"I'v bin heering sum serpriezing things about U and Matthew."
"I don't supoez U ar eny mor serpriezd than I am mieself," sed Marilla. "I'm geting oever mi serpriez now."
"It was too bad thair was such a mistaek," sed Mrs. Rachel simpatheticaly. "Cuudn't U hav sent her bak?"
"I supoez we cuud, but we desieded not to. Matthew tuuk a fansy to her. And I must sae I liek her mieself- alltho I admit she has her fallts. Th hous seems a diferent plaes allredy. She's a reeal briet litl thing."
Marilla sed mor than she had intended to sae when she began, for she red disaprooval in Mrs. Rachel's
expreshun.
"It's a graet responsibility U'v taeken on yurself," sed that laedy gloomily, "espeshaly when U'v never had
eny expeeryens with children. U don't noe much about her or her reeal dispozishun, I supoez, and thair's no
gesing how a chield liek that wil tern out. But I don't wont to discurej U I'm shur, Marilla."
"I'm not feeling discurejd," was Marilla's dri respons. "when I maek up mi miend to do a thing it staes maed
up. I supoez U'd liek to see Anne. I'l call her in."
Anne caem runing in prezently, her faes sparkling with th deliet of her orchard rovings; but, abashed at
fiending th deliet herself in th unexpected prezens of a straenjer, she hallted confuezedly insied th dor. She
sertenly was an od-luuking litl creecher in th short tiet wincey dres she had worn frum th asielum, belo
which her thin legs seemd ungracefully long. Her frekls wer mor nuemerus and obtroosiv than ever; th
wind had rufld her hatles hair into oever-brilyant disorder; it had never luukt reder than at that moement.
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"Wel, thae didn't pik U for yur luuks, that's shur and serten," was Mrs. Rachel Lynde's emfatic coment.
Mrs. Rachel was wun of thoes delietful and popuelar peepl hoo pried themselvs on speeking thair miend
without feer or faevor. "She's terribl skiny and hoemly, Marilla. Cum heer, chield, and let me hav a luuk at
U. Lawful hart, did eny wun ever see such frekls? And hair as red as carrots! Cum heer, chield, I sae."
Anne "caem thair," but not exactly as Mrs. Rachel expected. With wun bound she crosst th kichen flor and
stuud befor Mrs. Rachel, her faes scarlet with angger, her lips qivering, and her hoel slender form trembling
frum hed to fuut.
"I haet U," she cried in a choekt vois, stamping her fuut on th flor. "I haet U--I haet U--I haet U--" a louder
stamp with eech asershun of haetred. "How dair U call me skiny and ugly? How dair U sae I'm frekld and
redheded? U ar a rood, impoliet, unfeeling wuuman!"
"Anne!" exclaemd Marilla in consternaeshun.
But Anne continued to faes Mrs. Rachel undauntedly, hed up, ies blaezing, hands clencht, pashunet
indignaeshun exhaeling frum her liek an atmosfeer.
"How dair U sae such things about me?" she repeeted veeemently. "How wuud U liek to hav such things
sed about U? How wuud U liek to be toeld that U ar fat and clumzy and probably hadn't a spark of
imajinaeshun in U? I don't cair if I do hert yur feelings bi saeing so! I hoep I hert them. U hav hert mien
wers than thae wer ever hert befor eeven bi Mrs. Thomas' intoxicaeted huzband. And I'l NEVER forgiv U
for it, never, never!"
Stamp! Stamp!
"Did enybody ever see such a temper!" exclaemd th horrified Mrs. Rachel.
"Anne go to yur room and stae thair until I cum up," sed Marilla, recuvering her powers of speech with
dificulty.
Anne, bersting into teers, rusht to th hall dor, slamd it until th tins on th porch wall outsied ratld in
simpathy, and fled thru th hall and up th stairs liek a wherlwind. A subdued slam abuv toeld that th dor of
th eest gaebl had bin shut with eeqal veeemens.
"Wel, I don't envy U yur job bringing THAT up, Marilla," sed Mrs. Rachel with unspeekabl solemnity.
Marilla oepend her lips to sae she nue not whut of apolojy or deprecaeshun. Whut she did sae was a
serpriez to herself then and ever afterwards.
"U shuudn't hav twitted her about her luuks, Rachel."
"Marilla Cuthbert, U don't meen to sae that U ar uphoelding her in such a terribl displae of temper as we'v
just seen?" demanded Mrs. Rachel indignantly.
"No," sed Marilla sloely, "I'm not trieing to excuez her. She's bin verry nauty and I'l hav to giv her a
tauking to about it. But we must maek alowanses for her. She's never bin taut whut is riet. And U WER
too hard on her, Rachel."
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Marilla cuud not help taking on that last sentens, alltho she was agen serpriezd at herself for doing it. Mrs.
Rachel got up with an air of ofended dignity.
"Wel, I see that I'l hav to be verry cairful whut I sae after this, Marilla, sinss th fien feelings of orfans, braut
frum guudnes noes wherr, hav to be considerd befor enything els. O, no, I'm not vext--don't wery yurself.
I'm too sorry for U to leev eny room for angger in mi miend. U'l hav yur oen trubls with that chield. But if
U'l taek mi advies--which I supoez U woen't do, alltho I'v braut up ten children and berryd too--U'l do that
`tauking to' U menshun with a fair- siezd berch swich. I shuud think THAT wuud be th moest efectiv
langgwej for that kiend of a chield. Her temper maches her hair I ges. Wel, guud eevning, Marilla. I hoep
U'l cum doun to see me offen as uezhual. But U can't expect me to vizit heer agen in a hery, if I'm lieabl to
be floen at and insulted in such a fashun. It's sumthing nue in MI expeeryens."
Wherrat Mrs. Rachel swept out and awae--if a fat wuuman hoo allwaes waddled CUUD be sed to sweep
awae--and Marilla with a verry solem faes betook herself to th eest gaebl.
On th wae upstairs she ponderd uneezily as to whut she aut to do. She felt no litl dismae oever th seen that
had just bin enacted. How unforchunet that Anne shuud hav displaed such temper befor Mrs. Rachel
Lynde, of all peepl! Then Marilla sudenly becaem awair of an uncumfortabl and rebueking conshusnes that
she felt mor huemiliaeshun oever this than sorro oever th discuvery of such a seerius defect in Anne's
dispozishun. And how was she to punish her? Th aemiabl sugjeschun of th berch swich--to th efishensy of
which all of Mrs. Rachel's oen children cuud hav born smarting testimoeny-- did not apeel to Marilla. She
did not beleev she cuud whip a chield. No, sum uther method of punishment must be found to bring Anne
to a proper realizaeshun of th enormity of her ofens.
Marilla found Anne faes dounward on her bed, crieing biterly, qiet oblivius of mudy boots on a cleen
counterpaen.
"Anne," she sed not ungently.
No anser.
"Anne," with graeter severrity, "get off that bed this minit and lisen to whut I hav to sae to U."
Anne sqermd off th bed and sat rijidly on a chair besied it, her faes swoelen and teer-staend and her ies fixt
stubornly on th flor.
"This is a nies wae for U to behaev. Anne! Arn't U ashaemd of yurself?"
"She hadn't eny riet to call me ugly and redheded," retorted Anne, evaesiv and defieant.
"U hadn't eny riet to fli into such a fuery and tauk th wae U did to her, Anne. I was ashaemd of U-theroely ashaemd of U. I wonted U to behaev niesly to Mrs. Lynde, and insted of that U hav disgraest me.
I'm shur I don't noe whi U shuud looz yur temper liek that just becauz Mrs. Lynde sed U wer redhaired and
hoemly. U sae it yurself offen enuf."
"O, but thair's such a diferens between saeing a thing yurself and heering uther peepl sae it," waeld Anne.
"U mae noe a thing is so, but U can't help hoeping uther peepl don't qiet think it is. I supoez U think I hav
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an auful temper, but I cuudn't help it. When she sed thoes things sumthing just roez riet up in me and
choekt me. I HAD to fli out at her."
"Wel, U maed a fien exibishun of yurself I must sae. Mrs. Lynde wil hav a nies story to tel about U
evrywhair--and she'l tel it, too. It was a dredful thing for U to looz yur temper liek that, Anne."
"Just imajin how U wuud feel if sumbody toeld U to yur faes that U wer skiny and ugly," pleeded Anne
teerfuly.
An oeld remembrans sudenly roez up befor Marilla. She had bin a verry small chield when she had herd
wun ant sae of her to anuther, "Whut a pity she is such a dark, hoemly litl thing." Marilla was evry dae of
fifty befor th sting had gon out of that memory.
"I don't sae that I think Mrs. Lynde was exactly riet in saeing whut she did to U, Anne," she admited in a
soffter toen. "Rachel is too outspoeken. But that is no excues for such behaevuer on yur part. She was a
straenjer and an elderly person and mi vizitor--all three verry guud reezons whi U shuud hav bin respectful
to her. U wer rood and sausy and"--Marilla had a saeving inspiraeshun of punishment--"U must go to her
and tel her U ar verry sorry for yur bad temper and ask her to forgiv U."
"I can never do that," sed Anne determindly and darkly. "U can punish me in eny wae U liek, Marilla. U
can shut me up in a dark, damp dunjon inhabited bi snaeks and toads and feed me oenly on bred and wauter
and I shal not complaen. But I cannot ask Mrs. Lynde to forgiv me."
"We'r not in th habit of shuting peepl up in dark damp dungeons," sed Marilla driely, "espeshaly as thae'r
rather scairs in Avonlea. But apolojiez to Mrs. Lynde U must and shal and U'l stae heer in yur room until
U can tel me U'r wiling to do it."
"I shal hav to stae heer forever then," sed Anne mornfuly, "becauz I can't tel Mrs. Lynde I'm sorry I sed
thoes things to her. How can I? I'm NOT sorry. I'm sorry I'v vext U; but I'm GLAD I toeld her just whut I
did. It was a graet satisfacshun. I can't sae I'm sorry when I'm not, can I? I can't eeven IMAJIN I'm sorry."
"Perhaps yur imajinaeshun wil be in beter werking order bi th morning," sed Marilla, riezing to depart. "U'l
hav th niet to think oever yur conduct in and cum to a beter fraem of miend. U sed U wuud tri to be a verry
guud gerl if we kept U at Green Gaebls, but I must sae it hasn't seemd verry much liek it this eevning."
Leeving this Parthian shaft to rankl in Anne's stormy buuzom, Marilla desended to th kichen, grievously
trubld in miend and vext in soel. She was as anggry with herself as with Anne, becauz, whenever she
recalld Mrs. Rachel's dumbfounded countenans her lips twicht with amuezment and she felt a moest
reprehensibl dezier to laf.
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CHAPTER X
Anne's Apolojy
Marilla sed nuthing to Matthew about th afair that eevning; but when Anne proovd stil refractory th next
morning an explanaeshun had to be maed to acount for her absens frum th brekfast taebl. Marilla toeld
Matthew th hoel story, taeking paens to impres him with a due sens of th enormity of Anne's behaevuer.
"It's a guud thing Rachel Lynde got a calling doun; she's a medlsum oeld gosip," was Matthew's
consolatory rejoinder.
"Matthew Cuthbert, I'm astonisht at U. U noe that Anne's behaevuer was dredful, and yet U taek her part! I
supoez U'l be saeing next thing that she oughtn't to be punisht at all!"
"Wel now--no--not exactly," sed Matthew uneezily. I rekon she aut to be punisht a litl. But don't be too
hard on her, Marilla. Recolect she hasn't ever had enywun to teech her riet. U'r--U'r going to giv her
sumthing to eet, arn't U?"
"When did U ever heer of me starving peepl into guud behaevuer?" demanded Marilla indignantly. "She'l
hav her meels reguelar, and I'l carry them up to her mieself. But she'l stae up thair until she's wiling to
apolojiez to Mrs. Lynde, and that's fienal, Matthew."
Brekfast, diner, and super wer verry sielent meels--for Anne stil remaend obduraet. After eech meel
Marilla carryd a wel-fild trae to th eest gaebl and braut it doun laeter on not noetisably depleeted. Matthew
ied its last desent with a trubld ie. Had Anne eeten enything at all?
When Marilla went out that eevning to bring th cows frum th bak pascher, Matthew, hoo had bin hanging
about th barns and woching, slipt into th hous with th air of a berglar and crept upstairs. As a jeneral thing
Matthew gravitaeted between th kichen and th litl bedroom off th hall wherr he slept; wuns in a whiel he
vencherd uncumfortably into th parlor or siting room when th minister caem to tee. But he had never bin
upstairs in his oen hous sinss th spring he helpt Marilla paeper th spair bedroom, and that was foer yeers
ago.
He tiptoed along th hall and stuud for several minits outsied th dor of th eest gaebl befor he sumond curej to
tap on it with his finggers and then oepen th dor to peep in.
Anne was siting on th yelo chair bi th windo gaezing mornfuly out into th garden. Verry small and unhapy
she luukt, and Matthew's hart smoet him. He sofftly cloezd th dor and tiptoed oever to her.
"Anne," he whisperd, as if afraed of being oeverherd, "how ar U maeking it, Anne?"
Anne smield wanly.
"Prity wel. I imajin a guud deel, and that helps to pas th tiem. Of cors, it's rather loensum. But then, I mae
as wel get uezd to that."
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Anne smield agen, braevly faesing th long yeers of solitairy imprizonment befor her.
Matthew recolected that he must sae whut he had cum to sae without loss of tiem, lest Marilla retern
preematurly. "Wel now, Anne, don't U think U'd beter do it and hav it oever with?" he whisperd. "It'l hav
to be dun sooner or laeter, U noe, for Marilla's a dredful deter- miend wuuman--dredful determind, Anne.
Do it riet off, I sae, and hav it oever."
"Do U meen apolojiez to Mrs. Lynde?"
"Yes--apolojiez--that's th verry werd," sed Matthew eegerly. "Just smooth it oever so to speek. That's whut
I was trieing to get at."
"I supoez I cuud do it to obliej U," sed Anne thautfuly. "It wuud be troo enuf to sae I am sorry, becauz I
AM sorry now. I wasn't a bit sorry last niet. I was mad cleer thru, and I staed mad all niet. I noe I did
becauz I woek up three tiems and I was just fuerius evry tiem. But this morning it was oever. I wasn't in a
temper enymor--and it left a dredful sort of goneness, too. I felt so ashaemd of mieself. But I just cuudn't
think of going and teling Mrs. Lynde so. It wuud be so humili- ating. I maed up mi miend I'd stae shut up
heer forever rather than do that. But stil--I'd do enything for U--if U reealy wont me to--"
"Wel now, of cors I do. It's terribl loensum dounstairs without U. Just go and smooth things oever-- that's
a guud gerl."
"Verry wel," sed Anne rezienedly. "I'l tel Marilla as soon as she cums in I'v repented."
"That's riet--that's riet, Anne. But don't tel Marilla I sed enything about it. She miet think I was puuting mi
or in and I promist not to do that."
"Wield horses woen't drag th seecret frum me," promist Anne solemly. "How wuud wield horses drag a
seecret frum a person enyhow?"
But Matthew was gon, scaird at his oen sucses. He fled haestily to th remoetest corner of th hors pascher
lest Marilla shuud suspect whut he had bin up to. Marilla herself, upon her retern to th hous, was agreeably
serpriezd to heer a plaentiv vois calling, "Marilla" oever th banisters.
"Wel?" she sed, going into th hall.
"I'm sorry I lost mi temper and sed rood things, and I'm wiling to go and tel Mrs. Lynde so."
"Verry wel." Marilla's crispnes gaev no sien of her releef. She had bin wundering whut under th canopy
she shuud do if Anne did not giv in. "I'l taek U doun after milking."
Acordingly, after milking, behoeld Marilla and Anne wauking doun th laen, th former erect and trieumfant,
th later drooping and dejected. But hafwae doun Anne's dejecshun vanisht as if bi enchantment. She lifted
her hed and stept lietly along, her ies fixt on th sunset skie and an air of subdued exileraeshun about her.
Marilla beheld th chaenj disaproovingly. This was no meek penitent such as it behooved her to taek into th
prezens of th ofended Mrs. Lynde.
"Whut ar U thinking of, Anne?" she askt sharply.
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"I'm imajining out whut I must sae to Mrs. Lynde," anserd Anne dreemily.
This was satisfactory--or shuud hav bin so. But Marilla cuud not rid herself of th noeshun that sumthing in
her skeem of punishment was going askue. Anne had no biznes to luuk so rapt and raediant.
Rapt and raediant Anne continued until thae wer in th verry prezens of Mrs. Lynde, hoo was siting niting bi
her kichen windo. Then th raedians vanisht. Mornful penitens apeerd on evry feecher. Befor a werd was
spoeken Anne sudenly went doun on her nees befor th astonisht Mrs. Rachel and held out her hands
beseechingly.
"O, Mrs. Lynde, I am so extreemly sorry," she sed with a qiver in her vois. "I cuud never expres all mi
sorro, no, not if I uezd up a hoel dicshunairy. U must just imajin it. I behaevd terribly to U--and I'v
disgraest th deer frends, Matthew and Marilla, hoo hav let me stae at Green Gaebls alltho I'm not a boi. I'm
a dredfuly wiked and ungraetful gerl, and I dezerv to be punisht and cast out bi respectabl peepl forever. It
was verry wiked of me to fli into a temper becauz U toeld me th trooth. It WAS th trooth; evry werd U sed
was troo. Mi hair is red and I'm frekld and skiny and ugly. Whut I sed to U was troo, too, but I shuudn't
hav sed it. O, Mrs. Lynde, pleez, pleez, forgiv me. If U refuez it wil be a lieflong sorro on a pur litl orfan
gerl wuud U, eeven if she had a dredful temper? O, I am shur U wuudn't. Pleez sae U forgiv me, Mrs.
Lynde."
Anne claspt her hands together, bowd her hed, and waeted for th werd of jujment.
Thair was no mistaeking her sinserrity--it breethd in evry toen of her vois. Boeth Marilla and Mrs. Lynde
recogniezd its unmistaekabl ring. But th former under- stuud in dismae that Anne was akchualy enjoiing
her valy of huemiliaeshun--was reveling in th theroenes of her abaesment. Wherr was th hoelsum
punishment upon which she, Marilla, had ploomd herself? Anne had ternd it into a speeshys of pozitiv
plezher.
Guud Mrs. Lynde, not being oeverberdend with persepshun, did not see this. She oenly perseevd that Anne
had maed a verry thero apolojy and all rezentment vanisht frum her kiendly, if sumwhut ofishus, hart.
"Thair, thair, get up, chield," she sed hartily. "Of cors I forgiv U. I ges I was a litl too hard on U, enywae.
But I'm such an outspoeken person. U just mustn't miend me, that's whut. It can't be denied yur hair is
terribl red; but I nue a gerl wuns--went to scool with her, in fact--hoos hair was evry miet as red as yurs
when she was yung, but when she groo up it darkend to a reeal hansum auburn. I wuudn't be a miet
serpriezd if yurs did, too--not a miet."
"O, Mrs. Lynde!" Anne droo a long breth as she roez to her feet. "U hav given me a hoep. I shal allwaes
feel that U ar a benefactor. O, I cuud endur enything if I oenly thaut mi hair wuud be a hansum auburn
when I groo up. It wuud be so much eezyer to be guud if one's hair was a hansum auburn, don't U think?
And now mae I go out into yur garden and sit on that bench under th apl-trees whiel U and Marilla ar
tauking? Thair is so much mor scoep for imajinaeshun out thair."
"Laws, yes, run along, chield. And U can pik a boekae of them whiet June lilys oever in th corner if U
liek."
As th dor cloezd behiend Anne Mrs. Lynde got briskly up to liet a lamp.
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"She's a reeal od litl thing. Taek this chair, Marilla; it's eezyer than th wun U'v got; I just keep that for th
hierd boi to sit on. Yes, she sertenly is an od chield, but thair is sumthing kiend of taeking about her after
all. I don't feel so serpriezd at U and Matthew keeping her as I did--nor so sorry for U, eether. She mae tern
out all riet. Of cors, she has a qeer wae of expresing herself-- a litl too--wel, too kiend of forsibl, U noe;
but she'l liekly get oever that now that she's cum to liv amung siviliezd foeks. And then, her temper's prity
qik, I ges; but thair's wun cumfort, a chield that has a qik temper, just blaez up and cool doun, ain't never
liekly to be sli or deseetful. Prezerv me frum a sli chield, that's whut. On th hoel, Marilla, I kiend of liek
her."
When Marilla went hoem Anne caem out of th fraegrant twieliet of th orchard with a sheef of whiet narcissi
in her hands.
"I apolojiezd prity wel, didn't I?" she sed proudly as thae went doun th laen. "I thaut sinss I had to do it I
miet as wel do it theroely."
"U did it theroely, all riet enuf," was Marilla's coment. Marilla was dismaed at fiending herself incliend to
laf oever th recolecshun. She had allso an uneezy feeling that she aut to scoeld Anne for apolojiezing so
wel; but then, that was ridicuelus! She compromiezd with her conshens bi saeing seveerly:
"I hoep U woen't hav ocaezhun to maek meny mor such apolojys. I hoep U'l tri to controel yur temper
now, Anne."
"That wuudn't be so hard if peepl wuudn't twit me about mi luuks," sed Anne with a si. "I don't get cross
about uther things; but I'm SO tierd of being twitted about mi hair and it just maeks me boil riet oever. Do
U supoez mi hair wil reealy be a hansum auburn when I gro up?"
"U shuudn't think so much about yur luuks, Anne. I'm afraed U ar a verry vaen litl gerl."
"How can I be vaen when I noe I'm hoemly?" proetested Anne. "I luv prity things; and I haet to luuk in th
glas and see sumthing that isn't prity. It maeks me feel so sorroeful--just as I feel when I luuk at eny ugly
thing. I pity it becauz it isn't buetyful."
"Hansum is as hansum duz," qoeted Marilla. "I'v had that sed to me befor, but I hav mi douts about it,"
remarkt skeptical Anne, snifing at her narcissi. "O, arn't thees flowers sweet! It was luvly of Mrs. Lynde to
giv them to me. I hav no hard feelings agenst Mrs. Lynde now. It givs U a luvly, cumfortabl feeling to
apolojiez and be forgiven, duzn't it? Arn't th stars briet toniet? If U cuud liv in a star, which wun wuud U
pik? I'd liek that luvly cleer big wun awae oever thair abuv that dark hil."
"Anne, do hoeld yur tung." sed Marilla, theroely worn out trieing to folo th jieraeshuns of Anne's thauts.
Anne sed no mor until thae ternd into thair oen laen. A litl jipsy wind caem doun it to meet them, laeden
with th spiesy perfuem of yung due-wet ferns. Far up in th shadoes a cheerful liet gleemd out thru th trees
frum th kichen at Green Gaebls. Anne sudenly caem cloes to Marilla and slipt her hand into th oelder
woman's hard paam.
100
"It's luvly to be going hoem and noe it's hoem," she sed. "I luv Green Gaebls allredy, and I never luvd eny
plaes befor. No plaes ever seemd liek hoem. O, Marilla, I'm so hapy. I cuud prae riet now and not fiend it a
bit hard."
Sumthing worm and plezant weld up in Marilla's hart at tuch of that thin litl hand in her oen--a throb of th
maternity she had mist, perhaps. Its verry unaccustomedness and sweetnes disterbd her. She haesend to
restor her sensaeshuns to thair normal caam bi inculcating a moral.
"If U'l be a guud gerl U'l allwaes be hapy, Anne. And U shuud never fiend it hard to sae yur prairs."
"Saeing one's prairs isn't exactly th saem thing as praeing," sed Anne meditatively. "But I'm going to
imajin that I'm th wind that is bloeing up thair in thoes tree tops. When I get tierd of th trees I'l imajin I'm
jently waeving doun heer in th ferns--and then I'l fli oever to Mrs. Lynde's garden and set th flowers
dansing--and then I'l go with wun graet swoop oever th cloever feeld--and then I'l blo oever th Laek of
Shiening Wauters and ripl it all up into litl sparkling waevs. O, thair's so much scoep for imajinaeshun in a
wind! So I'l not tauk eny mor just now, Marilla."
"Thanks be to guudnes for that," breethd Marilla in devout releef.
CHAPTER XI
Anne's Impreshuns of Sunday-Scool
"Wel, how do U liek them?" sed Marilla.
Anne was standing in th gaebl room, luuking solemly at three nue dreses spred out on th bed. Wun was of
snuffy culord gingam which Marilla had bin tempted to bi frum a pedler th preseeding sumer becauz it
luukt so servisabl; wun was of blak-and-whiet chekerd sateen which she had pikt up at a bargen counter in
th winter; and wun was a stif print of an ugly bloo shaed which she had perchast that week at a Carmody
stor.
She had maed them up herself, and thae wer all maed aliek--plaen skerts fulled tietly to plaen waists, with
sleevs as plaen as waest and skert and tiet as sleevs cuud be.
"I'l imajin that I liek them," sed Anne soeberly.
"I don't wont U to imajin it," sed Marilla, ofended. "O, I can see U don't liek th dreses! Whut is th mater
with them? Arn't thae neet and cleen and nue?"
"Yes."
"Then whi don't U liek them?"
"Thae'r--thae'r not--prity," sed Anne reluctantly.
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"Prity!" Marilla snift. "I didn't trubl mi hed about geting prity dreses for U. I don't beleev in pampering
vanity, Anne, I'l tel U that riet off. Thoes dreses ar guud, sensibl, servisabl dreses, without eny frils or
furbelows about them, and thae'r all U'l get this sumer. Th broun gingam and th bloo print wil do U for
scool when U begin to go. Th sateen is for cherch and Sunday scool. I'l expect U to keep them neet and
cleen and not to tair them. I shuud think U'd be graetful to get moest enything after thoes skimpy wincey
things U'v bin wairing."
"O, I AM graetful," proetested Anne. "But I'd be ever so much gratefuller if--if U'd maed just wun of them
with puft sleevs. Puft sleevs ar so fashunabl now. It wuud giv me such a thril, Marilla, just to wair a dres
with puft sleevs."
"Wel, U'l hav to do without yur thril. I hadn't eny mateerial to waest on puft sleevs. I think thae ar
ridicuelus-luuking things enyhow. I prefer th plaen, sensibl wuns."
"But I'd rather luuk ridicuelus when evrybody els duz than plaen and sensibl all bi mieself," persisted Anne
mornfuly.
"Trust U for that! Wel, hang thoes dreses cairfuly up in yur clozet, and then sit doun and lern th Sunday
scool leson. I got a qorterly frum Mr. Bel for U and U'l go to Sunday scool tomorro," sed Marilla, disappearing dounstairs in hi dujon.
Anne claspt her hands and luukt at th dreses.
"I did hoep thair wuud be a whiet wun with puft sleevs," she whisperd disconsoletly. "I praed for wun, but
I didn't much expect it on that acount. I didn't supoez God wuud hav tiem to bother about a litl orfan girl's
dres. I nue I'd just hav to depend on Marilla for it. Wel, forchunetly I can imajin that wun of them is of
sno-whiet muzlin with luvly laes frils and three-puft sleevs."
Th next morning wornings of a sik hedaek prevented Marilla frum going to Sunday-scool with Anne.
"U'l hav to go doun and call for Mrs. Lynde, Anne." she sed. "She'l see that U get into th riet clas. Now,
miend U behaev yurself properly. Stae to preeching afterwards and ask Mrs. Lynde to sho U our pue.
Heer's a sent for colecshun. Don't stair at peepl and don't fijet. I shal expect U to tel me th text when U cum
hoem."
Anne started off irreproechabl, araed in th stif blak- and-whiet sateen, which, whiel deesent as regards
length and sertenly not oepen to th charj of skimpiness, contrievd to emfasiez evry corner and anggl of her
thin figuer. Her hat was a litl, flat, glossy, nue saelor, th extreem plainness of which had liekwiez much
disapointed Anne, hoo had permited herself seecret vizhuns of ribon and flowers. Th later, however, wer
suplied befor Anne reecht th maen roed, for being confrunted hafwae doun th laen with a goelden frenzy of
wind-sterd buttercups and a glory of wield roezes, Anne promptly and liberaly garlanded her hat with a
hevy reeth of them. Whutever uther peepl miet hav thaut of th rezult it satisfied Anne, and she tript gaely
doun th roed, hoelding her rudy hed with its decoraeshun of pink and yelo verry proudly.
When she had reecht Mrs. Lynde's hous she found that laedy gon. Nuthing daunted, Anne proseeded
onward to th cherch aloen. In th porch she found a croud of litl gerls, all mor or les gaely atierd in whiets
and bloos and pinks, and all stairing with cuerius ies at this straenjer in thair midst, with her extraordinairy
hed adornment. Avonlea litl gerls had allredy herd qeer storys about Anne. Mrs. Lynde sed she had an
102
auful temper; Jerry Buote, th hierd boi at Green Gaebls, sed she taukt all th tiem to herself or to th trees and
flowers liek a craezy gerl. Thae luukt at her and whisperd to eech uther behiend thair quarterlies. Noebody
maed eny frendly advanses, then or laeter on when th oepening exersiezes wer oever and Anne found
herself in Mis Rogerson's clas.
Mis Rogerson was a midl-aejd laedy hoo had taut a Sunday-scool clas for twenty yeers. Her method of
teeching was to ask th printed qeschuns frum th qorterly and luuk sternly oever its ej at th particuelar litl
gerl she thaut aut to anser th qeschun. She luukt verry offen at Anne, and Anne, thanks to Marilla's driling,
anserd promptly; but it mae be qeschund if she understuud verry much about eether qeschun or anser.
She did not think she liekt Mis Rogerson, and she felt verry mizerabl; evry uther litl gerl in th clas had puft
sleevs. Anne felt that lief was reealy not werth living without puft sleevs.
"Wel, how did U liek Sunday scool?" Marilla wonted to noe when Anne caem hoem. Her reeth having
faeded, Anne had discarded it in th laen, so Marilla was spaird th nolej of that for a tiem.
"I didn't liek it a bit. It was horrid."
"Anne Shirley!" sed Marilla rebukingly.
Anne sat doun on th roker with a long si, kist wun of Bonny's leevs, and waevd her hand to a blossoming
fuesha.
"Thae miet hav bin loensum whiel I was awae," she explaend. "And now about th Sunday scool. I behaevd
wel, just as U toeld me. Mrs. Lynde was gon, but I went riet on mieself. I went into th cherch, with a lot of
uther litl gerls, and I sat in th corner of a pue bi th windo whiel th oepening exersiezes went on. Mr. Bel
maed an aufuly long prair. I wuud hav bin dredfuly tierd befor he got thru if I hadn't bin siting bi that
windo. But it luukt riet out on th Laek of Shiening Wauters, so I just gaezd at that and imajind all sorts of
splendid things."
"U shuudn't hav dun enything of th sort. U shuud hav lisend to Mr. Bel."
"But he wasn't tauking to me," proetested Anne. "He was tauking to God and he didn't seem to be verry
much inter- ested in it, eether. I think he thaut God was too far off tho. Thair was long ro of whiet berches
hanging oever th laek and th sunshien fel doun thru them, 'way, 'way doun, deep into th wauter. O, Marilla,
it was liek a buetyful dreem! It gaev me a thril and I just sed, `Thank U for it, God,' too or three tiems."
"Not out loud, I hoep," sed Marilla ankshusly.
"O, no, just under mi breth. Wel, Mr. Bel did get thru at last and thae toeld me to go into th clasroom with
Mis Rogerson's clas. Thair wer nien uther gerls in it. Thae all had puft sleevs. I tried to imajin mien wer
puft, too, but I cuudn't. Whi cuudn't I? It was as eezy as cuud be to imajin thae wer puft when I was aloen
in th eest gaebl, but it was aufuly hard thair amung th uthers hoo had reealy trooly pufs."
"U shuudn't hav bin thinking about yur sleevs in Sunday scool. U shuud hav bin atending to th leson. I
hoep U nue it."
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"O, yes; and I anserd a lot of qeschuns. Mis Rogerson askt ever so meny. I don't think it was fair for her to
do all th asking. Thair wer lots I wonted to ask her, but I didn't liek to becauz I didn't think she was a
kindred spirit. Then all th uther litl gerls resieted a parrafraez. She askt me if I nue eny. I toeld her I didn't,
but I cuud resiet, `Th Daug at His Master's Grave' if she liekt. That's in th Therd Roial Reeder. It isn't a
reealy trooly relijus pees of poeetry, but it's so sad and melancoly that it miet as wel be. She sed it wuudn't
do and she toeld me to lern th nienteenth parrafraez for next Sunday. I red it oever in cherch afterwards and
it's splendid. Thair ar too liens in particuelar that just thril me.
"`Qik as th slauterd sqodrons fel
In Midian's eevil dae.'
I don't noe whut `squadrons' meens nor `Midian,' eether, but it sounds SO tragical. I can hardly waet until
next Sunday to resiet it. I'l practis it all th week. After Sunday scool I askt Mis Rogerson--becauz Mrs.
Lynde was too far awae--to sho me yur pue. I sat just as stil as I cuud and th text was Revelaeshuns, therd
chapter, second and therd verses. It was a verry long text. If I was a minister I'd pik th short, snapy wuns.
Th sermon was aufuly long, too. I supoez th minister had to mach it to th text. I didn't think he was a bit
interesting. Th trubl with him seems to be that he hasn't enuf imajinaeshun. I didn't lisen to him verry
much. I just let mi thauts run and I thaut of th moest serpriezing things."
Marilla felt helplesly that all this shuud be sternly reproved, but she was hamperd bi th undenieabl fact that
sum of th things Anne had sed, espeshaly about th minister's sermons and Mr. Bell's prairs, wer whut she
herself had reealy thaut deep doun in her hart for yeers, but had never given expreshun to. It allmoest
seemd to her that thoes seecret, unuterd, critical thauts had sudenly taeken vizibl and acuezing shaep and
form in th person of this outspoeken morsel of neglected huemanity.
CHAPTER XII
A Solem Vow and Promis
It was not until th next Friday that Marilla herd th story of th flower-reethd hat. She caem hoem frum Mrs.
Lynde's and calld Anne to acount.
"Anne, Mrs. Rachel ses U went to cherch last Sunday with yur hat rigd out ridicuelus with roezes and
buttercups. Whut on erth puut U up to such a caeper? A prity-luuking object U must hav bin!"
"O. I noe pink and yelo arn't becuming to me," began Anne.
"Becuming fidlstiks! It was puuting flowers on yur hat at all, no mater whut culor thae wer, that was
ridicuelus. U ar th moest agravaeting chield!"
"I don't see whi it's eny mor ridicuelus to wair flowers on yur hat than on yur dres," proetested Anne. "Lots
of litl gerls thair had boekaes pind on thair dreses. Whut's th diferens?"
Marilla was not to be drawn frum th saef concreet into doobius paths of th abstract.
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"Don't anser me bak liek that, Anne. It was verry sily of U to do such a thing. Never let me cach U at such
a trik agen. Mrs. Rachel ses she thaut she wuud sink thru th flor when she cum in all rigd out liek that. She
cuudn't get neer enuf to tel U to taek them off til it was too laet. She ses peepl taukt about it sumthing
dredful. Of cors thae wuud think I had no beter sens than to let U go dekt out liek that."
"O, I'm so sorry," sed Anne, teers welling into her ies. "I never thaut U'd miend. Th roezes and buttercups
wer so sweet and prity I thaut thae'd luuk luvly on mi hat. Lots of th litl gerls had artifishal flowers on thair
hats. I'm afraed I'm going to be a dredful trieal to U. Maebe U'd beter send me bak to th asielum. That
wuud be terribl; I don't think I cuud endur it; moest liekly I wuud go into consumpshun; I'm so thin as it is,
U see. But that wuud be beter than being a trieal to U."
"Nonsens," sed Marilla, vext at herself for having maed th chield cri. "I don't wont to send U bak to th
asielum, I'm shur. All I wont is that U shuud behaev liek uther litl gerls and not maek yurself ridicuelus.
Don't cri eny mor. I'v got sum nues for U. Diana Barry caem hoem this afternoon. I'm going up to see if I
can borro a skert patern frum Mrs. Barry, and if U liek U can cum with me and get aqaented with Diana."
Anne roez to her feet, with claspt hands, th teers stil glisening on her cheeks; th dish towel she had bin
heming slipt unheeded to th flor.
"O, Marilla, I'm frietend--now that it has cum I'm akchualy frietend. Whut if she shuudn't liek me! It wuud
be th moest tragical disapointment of mi lief."
"Now, don't get into a fluster. And I do wish U wuudn't uez such long werds. It sounds so funy in a litl
gerl. I ges Diana'll liek U wel enuf. It's her muther U'v got to rekon with. If she duzn't liek U it woen't
mater how much Diana duz. If she has herd about yur outberst to Mrs. Lynde and going to cherch with
buttercups round yur hat I don't noe whut she'l think of U. U must be poliet and wel behaevd, and don't
maek eny of yur startling speeches. For pity's saek, if th chield isn't akchualy trembling!"
Anne WAS trembling. Her faes was pael and tens.
"O, Marilla, U'd be exsieted, too, if U wer going to meet a litl gerl U hoept to be yur buuzom frend and
hoos muther mightn't liek U," she sed as she haesend to get her hat.
Thae went oever to Orchard Sloep bi th short cut across th bruuk and up th firry hil groev. Mrs. Barry
caem to th kichen dor in anser to Marilla's nok. She was a tall blak-ied, blak-haired wuuman, with a verry
rezoloot mouth. She had th repuetaeshun of being verry strict with her children.
"How do U do, Marilla?" she sed corjaly. "Cum in. And this is th litl gerl U hav adopted, I supoez?"
"Yes, this is Anne Shirley," sed Marilla.
"Speld with an E," gaspt Anne, hoo, tremuelus and exsieted as she was, was determind thair shuud be no
misunderstanding on that important point.
Mrs. Barry, not heering or not comprehending, meerly shuuk hands and sed kiendly:
"How ar U?"
105
"I am wel in body alltho considerabl rumpld up in spirit, thank U ma'am," sed Anne graevly. Then asied to
Marilla in an audibl whisper, "Thair wasn't enything startling in that, was thair, Marilla?"
Diana was siting on th soefa, reeding a buuk which she dropt when th callers enterd. She was a verry prity
litl gerl, with her mother's blak ies and hair, and roezy cheeks, and th merry expreshun which was her
inherritans frum her faather.
"This is mi litl gerl Diana," sed Mrs. Barry. "Diana, U miet taek Anne out into th garden and sho her yur
flowers. It wil be beter for U than straening yur ies oever that buuk. She reeds entierly too much--" this to
Marilla as th litl gerls went out--"and I can't prevent her, for her faather aeds and abets her. She's allwaes
poring oever a buuk. I'm glad she has th prospect of a plaemaet-- perhaps it wil taek her mor out-of-dors."
Outsied in th garden, which was fuul of melo sunset liet streeming thru th dark oeld firs to th west of it,
stuud Anne and Diana, gaezing bashfully at eech uther oever a clump of gorjus tieger lilys.
Th Barry garden was a bowery wildernes of flowers which wuud hav delieted Anne's hart at eny tiem les
fraut with destiny. It was ensercld bi huej oeld wiloes and tall firs, beneeth which flerisht flowers that luvd
th shaed. Prim, riet-angled paths neetly borderd with clamshells, intersected it liek moist red ribons and in
th beds between oeld-fashund flowers ran rieot. Thair wer roezy bleeding-harts and graet splendid crimzon
peeonys; whiet, fraegrant narcissi and thorny, sweet Scotch roezes; pink and bloo and whiet columbiens
and lielac-tinted Bounsing Bets; clumps of southernwood and ribon gras and mint; perpl Adam-and-Eev,
dafodils, and mases of sweet cloever whiet with its deliket, fraegrant, fethery spraes; scarlet lietning that
shot its fiery lanses oever prim whiet musk-flowers; a garden it was wherr sunshien linggerd and bees
humd, and winds, begield into loitering, purred and rusld.
"O, Diana," sed Anne at last, clasping her hands and speeking allmoest in a whisper, "o, do U think U can
liek me a litl--enuf to be mi buuzom frend?"
Diana laft. Diana allwaes laft befor she spoek.
"Whi, I ges so," she sed frankly. "I'm aufuly glad U'v cum to liv at Green Gaebls. It wil be joly to hav
sumbody to plae with. Thair isn't eny uther gerl hoo lievs neer enuf to plae with, and I'v no sisters big
enuf."
"Wil U swair to be mi frend forever and ever?" demanded Anne eegerly.
Diana luukt shokt.
"Whi it's dredfuly wiked to swair," she sed rebukingly.
"O no, not mi kiend of swairing. Thair ar too kiends, U noe."
"I never herd of but wun kiend," sed Diana doutfuly.
"Thair reealy is anuther. O, it isn't wiked at all. It just meens vowing and promising solemly."
"Wel, I don't miend doing that," agreed Diana, releevd. "How do U do it?"
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"We must join hands--so," sed Anne graevly. "It aut to be oever runing wauter. We'l just imajin this path
is runing wauter. I'l repeet th oeth ferst. I solemly swair to be faethful to mi buuzom frend, Diana Barry, as
long as th sun and moon shal endur. Now U sae it and puut mi naem in."
Diana repeeted th "oeth" with a laf for and aft. Then she sed:
"U'r a qeer gerl, Anne. I herd befor that U wer qeer. But I beleev I'm going to liek U reeal wel."
When Marilla and Anne went hoem Diana went with them as for as th log brij. Th too litl gerls waukt with
thair arms about eech uther. At th bruuk thae parted with meny promises to spend th next afternoon
together.
"Wel, did U fiend Diana a kindred spirit?" askt Marilla as thae went up thru th garden of Green Gaebls.
"O yes," sied Anne, blisfuly unconshus of eny sarcazm on Marilla's part. "O Marilla, I'm th hapyest gerl on
Prins Edward Ieland this verry moement. I ashur U I'l sae mi prairs with a riet guud-wil toniet. Diana and I
ar going to bild a plaehous in Mr. William Bell's berch groev tomorro. Can I hav thoes broeken peeses of
chiena that ar out in th wuudshed? Diana's berthdae is in February and mien is in March. Don't U think
that is a verry straenj coeinsidens? Diana is going to lend me a buuk to reed. She ses it's perfectly splendid
and tremendusly exsieting. She's going to sho me a plaes bak in th wuuds wherr ries lilys gro. Don't U
think Diana has got verry soelful ies? I wish I had soelful ies. Diana is going to teech me to sing a song
calld `Nelly in th Haezel Del.' She's going to giv me a pikcher to puut up in mi room; it's a perfectly
buetyful pikcher, she ses--a luvly laedy in a pael bloo silk dres. A soeing-masheen aejent gaev it to her. I
wish I had sumthing to giv Diana. I'm an inch taller than Diana, but she is ever so much fater; she ses she'd
liek to be thin becauz it's so much mor graesful, but I'm afraed she oenly sed it to sooth mi feelings. We'r
going to th shor sum dae to gather shels. We hav agreed to call th spring doun bi th log brij th Dryad's Bubl.
Isn't that a perfectly elegant naem? I red a story wuns about a spring calld that. A dryad is sort of a groenup fairy, I think."
"Wel, all I hoep is U woen't tauk Diana to deth," sed Marilla. "But remember this in all yur planing, Anne.
U'r not going to plae all th tiem nor moest of it. U'l hav yur werk to do and it'l hav to be dun ferst."
Anne's cup of hapynes was fuul, and Matthew cauzd it to oeverflo. He had just got hoem frum a trip to th
stor at Carmody, and he sheepishly produest a small parsel frum his poket and handed it to Anne, with a
deprecatory luuk at Marilla.
"I herd U sae U liekt chocolet sweeties, so I got U sum," he sed.
"Humph," snift Marilla. "It'l rooin her teeth and stumac. Thair, thair, chield, don't luuk so dizmal. U can
eet thoes, sinss Matthew has gon and got them. He'd beter hav braut U pepermints. Thae'r hoelsomer.
Don't sicken yurself eeting all them at wuns now."
"O, no, indeed, I woen't," sed Anne eegerly. "I'l just eet wun toniet, Marilla. And I can giv Diana haf of
them, can't I? Th uther haf wil taest twies as sweet to me if I giv sum to her. It's delietful to think I hav
sumthing to giv her."
"I wil sae it for th chield," sed Marilla when Anne had gon to her gaebl, "she isn't stinjy. I'm glad, for of all
fallts I detest stinjynes in a chield. Deer me, it's oenly three weeks sinss she caem, and it seems as if she'd
107
bin heer allwaes. I can't imajin th plaes without her. Now, don't be luuking I toeld-U-so, Matthew. That's
bad enuf in a wuuman, but it isn't to be endurd in a man. I'm perfectly wiling to oen up that I'm glad I
consented to keep th chield and that I'm geting fond of her, but don't U rub it in, Matthew Cuthbert."
CHAPTER XIII
Th Deliets of Antisipaeshun
"It's tiem Anne was in to do her soeing," sed Marilla, glansing at th clok and then out into th yelo August
afternoon wherr evrything drouzd in th heet. "She staed plaeing with Diana mor than haf an our more'n I
gaev her leev to; and now she's percht out thair on th wuudpiel tauking to Matthew, nienteen to th duzen,
when she noes perfectly wel she aut to be at her werk. And of cors he's lisening to her liek a perfect ninny.
I never saw such an infatuated man. Th mor she tauks and th odder th things she ses, th mor he's delieted
evidently. Anne Shirley, U cum riet in heer this minit, do U heer me!"
A seerys of stacaato taps on th west windo braut Anne flieing in frum th yard, ies shiening, cheeks faently
flusht with pink, unbraided hair streeming behiend her in a torent of brietnes.
"O, Marilla," she exclaemd brethlesly, "thair's going to be a Sunday-scool picnik next week--in Mr.
Harmon Andrews's feeld, riet neer th laek of Shiening Wauters. And Mrs. Superintendent Bel and Mrs.
Rachel Lynde ar going to maek ies creem--think of it, Marilla--IES CREEM! And, o, Marilla, can I go to
it?"
"Just luuk at th clok, if U pleez, Anne. Whut tiem did I tel U to cum in?"
"Too o'clok--but isn't it splendid about th picnik, Marilla? Pleez can I go? O, I'v never bin to a picnik--I'v
dreemd of picniks, but I'v never--"
"Yes, I toeld U to cum at too o'clok. And it's a qorter to three. I'd liek to noe whi U didn't oebae me,
Anne."
"Whi, I ment to, Marilla, as much as cuud be. But U hav no iedeea how fasinaeting Idlewild is. And then,
of cors, I had to tel Matthew about th picnik. Matthew is such a simpathetic lisener. Pleez can I go?"
"U'l hav to lern to rezist th fasinaeshun of Idlewhatever- U-call-it. When I tel U to cum in at a serten tiem I
meen that tiem and not haf an our laeter. And U needn't stop to discors with simpathetic liseners on yur
wae, eether. As for th picnik, of cors U can go. U'r a Sunday-scool scolar, and it's not liekly I'd refuez to let
U go when all th uther litl gerls ar going."
"But--but," fallterd Anne, "Diana ses that evrybody must taek a basket of things to eet. I can't cuuk, as U
noe, Marilla, and--and--I don't miend going to a picnik without puft sleevs so much, but I'd feel terribly
huemiliaeted if I had to go without a basket. It's bin praeing on mi miend ever sinss Diana toeld me."
"Wel, it needn't prae eny longger. I'l baek U a basket."
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"O, U deer guud Marilla. O, U ar so kiend to me. O, I'm so much obliejd to U."
Geting thru with her "ohs" Anne cast herself into Marilla's arms and rapturously kist her salo cheek. It was
th ferst tiem in her hoel lief that chieldish lips had voluntairily tucht Marilla's faes. Agen that suden
sensaeshun of startling sweetnes thrild her. She was seecretly vastly pleezd at Anne's impulsiv cares,
which was probably th reezon whi she sed bruskly:
"Thair, thair, never miend yur kising nonsens. I'd sooner see U doing strictly as U'r toeld. As for cuuking,
I meen to begin giving U lesons in that sum of thees daes. But U'r so featherbrained, Anne, I'v bin waeting
to see if U'd soeber doun a litl and lern to be stedy befor I begin. U'v got to keep yur wits about U in
cuuking and not stop in th midl of things to let yur thauts roev all oever creaeshun. Now, get out yur
pachwerk and hav yur sqair dun befor teetiem."
"I do NOT liek pachwerk," sed Anne doelfuly, hunting out her werkbasket and siting doun befor a litl heep
of red and whiet diemonds with a si. "I think sum kiends of soeing wuud be nies; but thair's no scoep for
imajinaeshun in pachwerk. It's just wun litl seem after anuther and U never seem to be geting enywhair.
But of cors I'd rather be Anne of Green Gaebls soeing pachwerk than Anne of eny uther plaes with nuthing
to do but plae. I wish tiem went as qik soeing paches as it duz when I'm plaeing with Diana, tho. O, we do
hav such elegant tiems, Marilla. I hav to fernish moest of th imajinaeshun, but I'm wel aebl to do that.
Diana is simply perfect in evry uther wae. U noe that litl pees of land across th bruuk that runs up between
our farm and Mr. Barry's. It belongs to Mr. William Bel, and riet in th corner thair is a litl ring of whiet
berch trees--th moest roemantic spot, Marilla. Diana and I hav our plaehous thair. We call it Idlewild.
Isn't that a poeetical naem? I ashur U it tuuk me sum tiem to think it out. I staed awaek neerly a hoel niet
befor I invented it. Then, just as I was droping off to sleep, it caem liek an inspiraeshun. Diana was
ENRAPCHERD when she herd it. We hav got our hous fixt up elegantly. U must cum and see it, Marilla-woen't U? We hav graet big stoens, all cuverd with moss, for seets, and bords frum tree to tree for shelvs.
And we hav all our dishes on them. Of cors, thae'r all broeken but it's th eezyest thing in th werld to imajin
that thae ar hoel. Thair's a pees of a plaet with a sprae of red and yelo ievy on it that is espeshaly buetyful.
We keep it in th parlor and we hav th fairy glas thair, too. Th fairy glas is as luvly as a dreem. Diana found
it out in th wuuds behiend thair chiken hous. It's all fuul of rainbows--just litl yung rainbows that havn't
groen big yet--and Diana's muther toeld her it was broeken off a hanging lamp thae wuns had. But it's nies
to imajin th fairys lost it wun niet when thae had a ball, so we call it th fairy glas. Matthew is going to maek
us a taebl. O, we hav naemd that litl round pool oever in Mr. Barry's feeld Willowmere. I got that naem
out of th buuk Diana lent me. That was a thriling buuk, Marilla. Th herroein had fiev luvers. I'd be
satisfied with wun, wuudn't U? She was verry hansum and she went thru graet tribuelaeshuns. She cuud
faent as eezy as enything. I'd luv to be aebl to faent, wuudn't U, Marilla? It's so roemantic. But I'm reealy
verry helthy for all I'm so thin. I beleev I'm geting fater, tho. Don't U think I am? I luuk at mi elboes evry
morning when I get up to see if eny dimples ar cuming. Diana is having a nue dres maed with elbo sleevs.
She is going to wair it to th picnik. O, I do hoep it wil be fien next Wednesday. I don't feel that I cuud
endur th disapointment if enything hapend to prevent me frum geting to th picnik. I supoez I'd liv thru it,
but I'm serten it wuud be a lieflong sorro. It wuudn't mater if I got to a hundred picniks in after yeers; thae
wuudn't maek up for mising this wun. Thae'r going to hav boets on th Laek of Shiening Wauters--and ies
creem, as I toeld U. I hav never taested ies creem. Diana tried to explaen whut it was liek, but I ges ies
creem is wun of thoes things that ar beyond imajinaeshun."
"Anne, U hav taukt eeven on for ten minits bi th clok," sed Marilla. "Now, just for curiosity's saek, see if U
can hoeld yur tung for th saem length of tiem."
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Anne held her tung as dezierd. But for th rest of th week she taukt picnik and thaut picnik and dreemd
picnik. On Saturday it raend and she werkt herself up into such a frantic staet lest it shuud keep on raening
until and oever Wednesday that Marilla maed her soe an extra pachwerk sqair bi wae of stedying her nervs.
On Sunday Anne confieded to Marilla on th wae hoem frum cherch that she groo akchualy coeld all oever
with exsietment when th minister anounst th picnik frum th puulpit.
"Such a thril as went up and doun mi bak, Marilla! I don't think I'd ever reealy beleevd until then that thair
was onestly going to be a picnik. I cuudn't help feering I'd oenly imajind it. But when a minister ses a thing
in th puulpit U just hav to beleev it."
"U set yur hart too much on things, Anne," sed Marilla, with a si. "I'm afraed thair'l be a graet meny
disappointments in stor for U thru lief."
"O, Marilla, luuking forward to things is haf th plezher of them," exclaemd Anne. "U mayn't get th things
themselvs; but nuthing can prevent U frum having th fun of luuking forward to them. Mrs. Lynde ses,
`blesed ar thae hoo expect nuthing for thae shal not be disapointed.' But I think it wuud be wers to expect
nuthing than to be disapointed."
Marilla wor her amithist brooch to cherch that dae as uezhual. Marilla allwaes wor her amithist brooch to
cherch. She wuud hav thaut it rather sacrilijus to leev it off--as bad as forgeting her Biebl or her colecshun
diem. That amithist brooch was Marilla's moest trezherd pozeshun. A seefairing unkl had given it to her
muther hoo in tern had beqeethd it to Marilla. It was an oeld-fashund oeval, contaening a braed of her
mother's hair, serounded bi a border of verry fien amethysts. Marilla nue too litl about preshus stoens to
reealiez how fien th amethysts akchualy wer; but she thaut them verry buetyful and was allwaes plezantly
conshus of thair vieolet shimer at her throet, abuv her guud broun satin dres, eeven alltho she cuud not see
it.
Anne had bin smiten with delieted admeraeshun when she ferst saw that brooch.
"O, Marilla, it's a perfectly elegant brooch. I don't noe how U can pae atenshun to th sermon or th prairs
when U hav it on. I cuudn't, I noe. I think amethysts ar just sweet. Thae ar whut I uezd to think diemonds
wer liek. Long ago, befor I had ever seen a diemond, I red about them and I tried to imajin whut thae wuud
be liek. I thaut thae wuud be luvly glimering perpl stoens. When I saw a reeal diemond in a lady's ring
wun dae I was so disapointed I cried. Of cors, it was verry luvly but it wasn't mi iedeea of a diemond. Wil
U let me hoeld th brooch for wun minit, Marilla? Do U think amethysts can be th soels of guud vieolets?"
CHAPTER XIV
Anne's Confeshun
ON th Monday eevning befor th picnik Marilla caem doun frum her room with a trubld faes.
"Anne," she sed to that small personej, hoo was sheling pees bi th spotles taebl and singing, "Nelly of th
Haezel Del" with a vigor and expreshun that did credit to Diana's teeching, "did U see enything of mi
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amithist brooch? I thaut I stuk it in mi pincuushun when I caem hoem frum cherch yesterdae eevning, but I
can't fiend it enywhair."
"I--I saw it this afternoon when U wer awae at th Aed Sosieety," sed Anne, a litl sloely. "I was pasing yur
dor when I saw it on th cuushun, so I went in to luuk at it."
"Did U tuch it?" sed Marilla sternly.
"Y-e-e-s," admited Anne, "I tuuk it up and I pind it on mi brest just to see how it wuud luuk."
"U had no biznes to do enything of th sort. It's verry rong in a litl gerl to medl. U shuudn't hav gon into mi
room in th ferst plaes and U shuudn't hav tucht a brooch that didn't belong to U in th second. Wherr did U
puut it?"
"O, I puut it bak on th buero. I hadn't it on a minit. Trooly, I didn't meen to medl, Marilla. I didn't think
about its being rong to go in and tri on th brooch; but I see now that it was and I'l never do it agen. That's
wun guud thing about me. I never do th saem nauty thing twies."
"U didn't puut it bak," sed Marilla. "That brooch isn't enywhair on th buero. U'v taeken it out or sumthing,
Anne."
"I did puut it bak," sed Anne qikly--pertly, Marilla thaut. "I don't just remember whether I stuk it on th
pincuushun or laed it in th chiena trae. But I'm perfectly serten I puut it bak."
"I'l go and hav anuther luuk," sed Marilla, determining to be just. "If U puut that brooch bak it's thair stil.
If it isn't I'l noe U didn't, that's all!"
Marilla went to her room and maed a thero serch, not oenly oever th buero but in evry uther plaes she thaut
th brooch miet posibly be. It was not to be found and she reternd to th kichen.
"Anne, th brooch is gon. Bi yur oen admishun U wer th last person to handl it. Now, whut hav U dun with
it? Tel me th trooth at wuns. Did U taek it out and looz it?"
"No, I didn't," sed Anne solemly, meeting Marilla's anggry gaez sqairly. "I never tuuk th brooch out of yur
room and that is th trooth, if I was to be led to th blok for it--alltho I'm not verry serten whut a blok is. So
thair, Marilla."
Anne's "so thair" was oenly intended to emfasiez her asershun, but Marilla tuuk it as a displae of defieans.
"I beleev U ar teling me a falls-huud, Anne," she sed sharply. "I noe U ar. Thair now, don't sae enything
mor unles U ar prepaird to tel th hoel trooth. Go to yur room and stae thair until U ar redy to confes."
"Wil I taek th pees with me?" sed Anne meekly.
"No, I'l finish sheling them mieself. Do as I bid U."
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When Anne had gon Marilla went about her eevning tasks in a verry disterbd staet of miend. She was
weryd about her valueabl brooch. Whut if Anne had lost it? And how wiked of th chield to deni having
taeken it, when enybody cuud see she must hav! With such an inosent faes, too!
"I don't noe whut I wuudn't sooner hav had hapen," thaut Marilla, as she nervusly sheld th pees. "Of cors, I
don't supoez she ment to steel it or enything liek that. She's just taeken it to plae with or help along that
imajinaeshun of hers. She must hav taeken it, that's cleer, for thair hasn't bin a soel in that room sinss she
was in it, bi her oen story, until I went up toniet. And th brooch is gon, thair's nuthing surer. I supoez she
has lost it and is afraed to oen up for feer she'l be punisht. It's a dredful thing to think she tels falls-huuds.
It's a far wers thing than her fit of temper. It's a feerful responsibility to hav a chield in yur hous U can't
trust. Slienes and untruthfulness--that's whut she has displaed. I declair I feel wers about that than about th
brooch. If she'd oenly hav toeld th trooth about it I wuudn't miend so much."
Marilla went to her room at intervals all thru th eevning and sercht for th brooch, without fiending it. A
bedtiem vizit to th eest gaebl produest no rezult. Anne persisted in denieing that she nue enything about th
brooch but Marilla was oenly th mor fermly convinst that she did.
She toeld Matthew th story th next morning. Matthew was confounded and puzld; he cuud not so qikly
looz faeth in Anne but he had to admit that sercumstanses wer agenst her.
"U'r shur it hasn't fel doun behiend th buero?" was th oenly sugjeschun he cuud offer.
"I'v moovd th buero and I'v taeken out th drors and I'v luukt in evry crak and crany" was Marilla's pozitiv
anser. "Th brooch is gon and that chield has taeken it and lied about it. That's th plaen, ugly trooth,
Matthew Cuthbert, and we miet as wel luuk it in th faes."
"Wel now, whut ar U going to do about it?" Matthew askt forlornly, feeling seecretly thankful that Marilla
and not he had to deel with th sichuaeshun. He felt no dezier to puut his or in this tiem.
"She'l stae in her room until she confeses," sed Marilla grimly, remembering th sucses of this method in th
former caes. "Then we'l see. Perhaps we'l be aebl to fiend th brooch if she'l oenly tel wherr she tuuk it; but
in eny caes she'l hav to be seveerly punisht, Matthew."
"Wel now, U'l hav to punish her," sed Matthew, reeching for his hat. "I'v nuthing to do with it, remember.
U wornd me off yurself."
Marilla felt dezerted bi evrywun. She cuud not eeven go to Mrs. Lynde for advies. She went up to th eest
gaebl with a verry seerius faes and left it with a faes mor seerius stil. Anne stedfastly refuezd to confes.
She persisted in aserting that she had not taeken th brooch. Th chield had evidently bin crieing and Marilla
felt a pang of pity which she sternly represt. Bi niet she was, as she exprest it, "beet out."
"U'l stae in this room until U confes, Anne. U can maek up yur miend to that," she sed fermly.
"But th picnik is tomorro, Marilla," cried Anne. "U woen't keep me frum going to that, wil U? U'l just let
me out for th afternoon, woen't U? Then I'l stae heer as long as U liek AFTERWARDS cheerfuly. But I
MUST go to th picnik."
"U'l not go to picniks nor enywhair els until U'v confest, Anne."
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"O, Marilla," gaspt Anne.
But Marilla had gon out and shut th dor.
Wednesday morning daund as briet and fair as if expresly maed to order for th picnik. Berds sang around
Green Gaebls; th Madonna lilys in th garden sent out whiffs of perfuem that enterd in on vueles winds at
evry dor and windo, and waanderd thru halls and rooms liek spirits of benedicshun. Th berches in th holo
waevd joiful hands as if woching for Anne's uezhual morning greeting frum th eest gaebl. But Anne was
not at her windo. When Marilla tuuk her brekfast up to her she found th chield siting primly on her bed,
pael and rezoloot, with tiet-shut lips and gleeming ies.
"Marilla, I'm redy to confes."
"Aa!" Marilla laed doun her trae. Wuns agen her method had sucseeded; but her sucses was verry biter to
her. "Let me heer whut U hav to sae then, Anne."
"I tuuk th amithist brooch," sed Anne, as if repeeting a leson she had lernd. "I tuuk it just as U sed. I didn't
meen to taek it when I went in. But it did luuk so buetyful, Marilla, when I pind it on mi brest that I was
oevercum bi an irrezistibl temptaeshun. I imajind how perfectly thriling it wuud be to taek it to Idlewild
and plae I was th Laedy Cordelia Fitzgerald. It wuud be so much eezyer to imajin I was th Laedy Cordelia
if I had a reeal amithist brooch on. Diana and I maek neklases of roseberries but whut ar roseberries
compaird to amethysts? So I tuuk th brooch. I thaut I cuud puut it bak befor U caem hoem. I went all th
wae around bi th roed to lengthen out th tiem. When I was going oever th brij across th Laek of Shiening
Wauters I tuuk th brooch off to hav anuther luuk at it. O, how it did shien in th sunliet! And then, when I
was leening oever th brij, it just slipt thru mi finggers--so--and went doun--doun--doun, all purplysparkling,
and sank forevermor beneeth th Laek of Shiening Wauters. And that's th best I can do at confesing,
Marilla."
Marilla felt hot angger serj up into her hart agen. This chield had taeken and lost her trezherd amithist
brooch and now sat thair caamly resieting th deetaels thairof without th leest aparrent compunkshun or
repentans.
"Anne, this is terribl," she sed, trieing to speek caamly. "U ar th verry wickedest gerl I ever herd of"
"Yes, I supoez I am," agreed Anne tranquilly. "And I noe I'l hav to be punisht. It'l be yur duety to punish
me, Marilla. Woen't U pleez get it oever riet off becauz I'd liek to go to th picnik with nuthing on mi
miend."
"Picnik, indeed! U'l go to no picnik todae, Anne Shirley. That shal be yur punishment. And it isn't haf
seveer enuf eether for whut U'v dun!"
"Not go to th picnik!" Anne sprang to her feet and clucht Marilla's hand. "But U PROMIST me I miet! O,
Marilla, I must go to th picnik. That was whi I confest. Punish me eny wae U liek but that. O, Marilla,
pleez, pleez, let me go to th picnik. Think of th ies creem! For enything U noe I mae never hav a chans to
taest ies creem agen."
Marilla disengaged Anne's clinging hands stoenily.
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"U needn't pleed, Anne. U ar not going to th picnik and that's fienal. No, not a werd."
Anne reealiezd that Marilla was not to be moovd. She claspt her hands together, gaev a peersing shreek,
and then flung herself faes dounward on th bed, crieing and riething in an uter abandonment of
disapointment and despair.
"For th land's saek!" gaspt Marilla, haesening frum th room. "I beleev th chield is craezy. No chield in her
senses wuud behaev as she duz. If she isn't she's uterly bad. O deer, I'm afraed Rachel was riet frum th
ferst. But I'v puut mi hand to th plow and I woen't luuk bak."
That was a dizmal morning. Marilla werkt feersly and scrubd th porch flor and th dairy shelvs when she
cuud fiend nuthing els to do. Neether th shelvs nor th porch needed it--but Marilla did. Then she went out
and raekt th yard.
When diner was redy she went to th stairs and calld Anne. A teer-staend faes apeerd, luuking trajicaly
oever th banisters.
"Cum doun to yur diner, Anne."
"I don't wont eny diner, Marilla," sed Anne, sobingly. "I cuudn't eet enything. Mi hart is broeken. U'l feel
remors of conshens sumdae, I expect, for braeking it, Marilla, but I forgiv U. Remember when th tiem
cums that I forgiv U. But pleez don't ask me to eet enything, espeshaly boild pork and greens. Boild pork
and greens ar so unroemantic when wun is in aflicshun."
Exasperaeted, Marilla reternd to th kichen and pord out her tael of woe to Matthew, hoo, between his sens
of justis and his unlawful simpathy with Anne, was a mizerabl man.
"Wel now, she shuudn't hav taeken th brooch, Marilla, or toeld storys about it," he admited, mournfuly
servaeing his plaetful of unroemantic pork and greens as if he, liek Anne, thaut it a food unsooted to criesys
of feeling, "but she's such a litl thing--such an interesting litl thing. Don't U think it's prity ruf not to let her
go to th picnik when she's so set on it?"
"Matthew Cuthbert, I'm amaezd at U. I think I'v let her off entierly too eezy. And she duzn't apeer to
reealiez how wiked she's bin at all--that's whut werys me moest. If she'd reealy felt sorry it wuudn't be so
bad. And U don't seem to reealiez it, neether; U'r maeking excueses for her all th tiem to yurself--I can see
that."
"Wel now, she's such a litl thing," feebly reeiteraeted Matthew. "And thair shuud be alowanses maed,
Marilla. U noe she's never had eny bringing up."
"Wel, she's having it now" retorted Marilla.
Th retort sielenst Matthew if it did not convins him. That diner was a verry dizmal meel. Th oenly
cheerful thing about it was Jerry Buote, th hierd boi, and Marilla rezented his cheerfulnes as a personal
insult.
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When her dishes wer wosht and her bred spunj set and her hens fed Marilla rememberd that she had noetist
a small rent in her best blak laes shall when she had taeken it off on Monday afternoon on reterning frum th
Ladies' Aed.
She wuud go and mend it. Th shall was in a box in her trunk. As Marilla lifted it out, th sunliet, falling thru
th viens that clusterd thikly about th windo, struk upon sumthing caut in th shall--sumthing that gliterd and
sparkld in fasets of vieolet liet. Marilla snacht at it with a gasp. It was th amithist brooch, hanging to a
thred of th laes bi its cach!
"Deer lief and hart," sed Marilla blankly, "whut duz this meen? Heer's mi brooch saef and sound that I
thaut was at th botom of Barry's pond. Whutever did that gerl meen bi saeing she tuuk it and lost it? I
declair I beleev Green Gaebls is bewicht. I remember now that when I tuuk off mi shall Monday afternoon
I laed it on th buero for a minit. I supoez th brooch got caut in it sumhow. Wel!"
Marilla betook herself to th eest gaebl, brooch in hand. Anne had cried herself out and was siting
dejectedly bi th windo.
"Anne Shirley," sed Marilla solemly, "I'v just found mi brooch hanging to mi blak laes shall. Now I wont
to noe whut that rigmarole U toeld me this morning ment."
"Whi, U sed U'd keep me heer until I confest," reternd Anne weerily, "and so I desieded to confes becauz I
was bound to get to th picnik. I thaut out a confeshun last niet after I went to bed and maed it as interesting
as I cuud. And I sed it oever and oever so that I wuudn't forget it. But U wuudn't let me go to th picnik
after all, so all mi trubl was waested."
Marilla had to laf in spiet of herself. But her conshens prikt her.
"Anne, U do beet all! But I was rong--I see that now. I shuudn't hav douted yur werd when I'd never noen
U to tel a story. Of cors, it wasn't riet for U to confes to a thing U hadn't dun--it was verry rong to do so.
But I droev U to it. So if U'l forgiv me, Anne, I'l forgiv U and we'l start sqair agen. And now get yurself
redy for th picnik."
Anne floo up liek a roket.
"O, Marilla, isn't it too laet?"
"No, it's oenly too o'clok. Thae woen't be mor than wel gatherd yet and it'l be an our befor thae hav tee.
Wosh yur faes and coem yur hair and puut on yur gingam. I'l fil a basket for U. Thair's plenty of stuf baekt
in th hous. And I'l get Jerry to hich up th sorrel and driev U doun to th picnik ground."
"O, Marilla," exclaemd Anne, flieing to th woshstand. "Fiev minits ago I was so mizerabl I was wishing I'd
never bin born and now I wuudn't chaenj plaeses with an aenjel!"
That niet a theroely hapy, compleetly tierd-out Anne reternd to Green Gaebls in a staet of beatificaeshun
imposibl to descrieb.
"O, Marilla, I'v had a perfectly scrumpshus tiem. Scrumpshus is a nue werd I lernd todae. I herd Mary
Alice Bel uez it. Isn't it verry expresiv? Evrything was luvly. We had a splendid tee and then Mr. Harmon
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Andrews tuuk us all for a ro on th Laek of Shiening Wauters--six of us at a tiem. And Jane Andrews neerly
fel oeverbord. She was leening out to pik wauter lilys and if Mr. Andrews hadn't caut her bi her sash just in
th nik of tiem she'd fallen in and prob'ly bin dround. I wish it had bin me. It wuud hav bin such a roemantic
expeeryens to hav bin neerly dround. It wuud be such a thriling tael to tel. And we had th ies creem.
Werds fael me to descrieb that ies creem. Marilla, I ashur U it was subliem."
That eevning Marilla toeld th hoel story to Matthew oever her stoking basket.
"I'm wiling to oen up that I maed a mistaek," she conclooded candidly, "but I'v lernd a leson. I hav to laf
when I think of Anne's `confeshun,' alltho I supoez I shuudn't for it reealy was a falls-huud. But it duzn't
seem as bad as th uther wuud hav bin, sumhow, and enyhow I'm responsibl for it. That chield is hard to
understand in sum respects. But I beleev she'l tern out all riet yet. And thair's wun thing serten, no hous
wil ever be dul that she's in."
CHAPTER XV
A Tempest in th Scool Teepot
"Whut a splendid dae!" sed Anne, drawing a long breth. "Isn't it guud just to be aliev on a dae liek this? I
pity th peepl hoo arn't born yet for mising it. Thae mae hav guud daes, of cors, but thae can never hav this
wun. And it's splendider stil to hav such a luvly wae to go to scool bi, isn't it?"
"It's a lot nieser than going round bi th roed; that is so dusty and hot," sed Diana practicaly, peeping into her
diner basket and mentaly calcuelaeting if th three joosy, toothsum, razberry tarts reposing thair wer
divieded amung ten gerls how meny biets eech gerl wuud hav.
Th litl gerls of Avonlea scool allwaes poold thair lunches, and to eet three razberry tarts all aloen or eeven
to shair them oenly with one's best chum wuud hav forever and ever branded as "auful meen" th gerl hoo
did it. And yet, when th tarts wer divieded amung ten gerls U just got enuf to tantaliez U.
Th wae Anne and Diana went to scool WAS a prity wun. Anne thaut thoes wauks to and frum scool with
Diana cuudn't be improovd upon eeven bi imajinaeshun. Going around bi th maen roed wuud hav bin so
unroemantic; but to go bi Lover's Laen and Willowmere and Vieolet Vael and th Berch Path was
roemantic, if ever enything was.
Lover's Laen oepend out belo th orchard at Green Gaebls and strecht far up into th wuuds to th end of th
Cuthbert farm. It was th wae bi which th cows wer taeken to th bak pascher and th wuud halld hoem in
winter. Anne had naemd it Lover's Laen befor she had bin a munth at Green Gaebls.
"Not that luvers ever reealy wauk thair," she explaend to Marilla, "but Diana and I ar reeding a perfectly
magnifisent buuk and thair's a Lover's Laen in it. So we wont to hav wun, too. And it's a verry prity naem,
don't U think? So roemantic! We can't imajin th luvers into it, U noe. I liek that laen becauz U can think
out loud thair without peepl calling U craezy."
Anne, starting out aloen in th morning, went doun Lover's Laen as far as th bruuk. Heer Diana met her, and
th too litl gerls went on up th laen under th leefy arch of maepls--"maepls ar such soeshabl trees," sed
Anne; "thae'r allwaes rusling and whispering to U"--until thae caem to a rustic brij. Then thae left th laen
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and waukt thru Mr. Barry's bak feeld and past Willowmere. Beyond Willowmere caem Vieolet Vael--a litl
green dimpl in th shado of Mr. Andrew Bell's big wuuds. "Of cors thair ar no vieolets thair now," Anne
toeld Marilla, "but Diana ses thair ar milyons of them in spring. O, Marilla, can't U just imajin U see them?
It akchualy taeks awae mi breth. I naemd it Vieolet Vael. Diana ses she never saw th beet of me for hiting
on fansy naems for plaeses. It's nies to be clever at sumthing, isn't it? But Diana naemd th Berch Path.
She wonted to, so I let her; but I'm shur I cuud hav found sumthing mor poeetical than plaen Berch Path.
Enybody can think of a naem liek that. But th Berch Path is wun of th prityest plaeses in th werld,
Marilla."
It was. Uther peepl besieds Anne thaut so when thae stumbld on it. It was a litl narro, twisting path,
wiending doun oever a long hil straet thru Mr. Bell's wuuds, wherr th liet caem doun sifted thru so meny
emerald screens that it was as flawles as th hart of a diemond. It was frinjd in all its length with slim yung
berches, whiet stemd and lissom boughed; ferns and starflowers and wield lilys-of-th-valy and scarlet tufts
of pigeonberries groo thikly along it; and allwaes thair was a delietful spiciness in th air and muezic of berd
calls and th mermer and laf of wuud winds in th trees oeverhed. Now and then U miet see a rabit skiping
across th roed if U wer qieet--which, with Anne and Diana, hapend about wuns in a bloo moon. Doun in th
valy th path caem out to th maen roed and then it was just up th sproos hil to th scool.
Th Avonlea scool was a whietwosht bilding, lo in th eevs and wied in th windoes, fernisht insied with
cumfortabl substanshal oeld-fashund desks that oepend and shut, and wer carvd all oever thair lids with th
inishals and hieroglyphics of three jeneraeshuns of scool children. Th scoolhous was set bak frum th roed
and behiend it was a dusky fer wuud and a bruuk wherr all th children puut thair botls of milk in th morning
to keep cool and sweet until diner our.
Marilla had seen Anne start off to scool on th ferst dae of September with meny seecret misgivings. Anne
was such an od gerl. How wuud she get on with th uther children? And how on erth wuud she ever manej
to hoeld her tung during scool ours?
Things went beter than Marilla feerd, however. Anne caem hoem that eevning in hi spirits.
"I think I'm going to liek scool heer," she anounst. "I don't think much of th master, thru. He's all th tiem
curling his mustash and maeking ies at Prissy Andrews. Prissy is groen up, U noe. She's sixteen and she's
studying for th entrans examinaeshun into Queen's Academy at Charlottetown next yeer. Tillie Boulter ses
th master is DED GON on her. She's got a buetyful complexshun and curly broun hair and she duz it up so
elegantly. She sits in th long seet at th bak and he sits thair, too, moest of th tiem--to explaen her lesons, he
ses. But Ruby Gillis ses she saw him rieting sumthing on her slaet and when Prissy reed it she blusht as red
as a beet and gigld; and Ruby Gillis ses she duzn't beleev it had enything to do with th leson."
"Anne Shirley, don't let me heer U tauking about yur teecher in that wae agen," sed Marilla sharply. "U
don't go to scool to critisiez th master. I ges he can teech U sumthing, and it's yur biznes to lern. And I
wont U to understand riet off that U ar not to cum hoem teling taels about him. That is sumthing I woen't
encurej. I hoep U wer a guud gerl."
"Indeed I was," sed Anne cumfortably. "It wasn't so hard as U miet imajin, eether. I sit with Diana. Our
seet is riet bi th windo and we can luuk doun to th Laek of Shiening Wauters. Thair ar a lot of nies gerls in
scool and we had scrumpshus fun plaeing at dinertiem. It's so nies to hav a lot of litl gerls to plae with. But
of cors I liek Diana best and allwaes wil. I ADOR Diana. I'm dredfuly far behiend th uthers. Thae'r all in
th fifth buuk and I'm oenly in th foerth. I feel that it's kiend of a disgraes. But thair's not wun of them has
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such an imajinaeshun as I hav and I soon found that out. We had reeding and jeografy and Canadian
history and dictaeshun todae. Mr. Phillips sed mi speling was disgraesful and he held up mi slaet so that
evrybody cuud see it, all markt oever. I felt so mortified, Marilla; he miet hav bin politer to a straenjer, I
think. Ruby Gillis gaev me an apl and Sophia Sloane lent me a luvly pink card with `Mae I see U hoem?'
on it. I'm to giv it bak to her tomorro. And Tillie Boulter let me wair her beed ring all th afternoon. Can I
hav sum of thoes perl beeds off th oeld pincuushun in th garret to maek mieself a ring? And o, Marilla,
Jane Andrews toeld me that Minnie Macpherson toeld her that she herd Prissy Andrews tel Sara Gillis that
I had a verry prity noez. Marilla, that is th ferst compliment I hav ever had in mi lief and U can't imajin
whut a straenj feeling it gaev me. Marilla, hav I reealy a prity noez? I noe U'l tel me th trooth."
"Yur noez is wel enuf," sed Marilla shortly. Seecretly she thaut Anne's noez was a remarkabl prity wun;
but she had no intenshun of teling her so.
That was three weeks ago and all had gon smoothly so far. And now, this crisp September morning, Anne
and Diana wer triping bliethly doun th Berch Path, too of th hapyest litl gerls in Avonlea.
"I ges Gilbert Blythe wil be in scool todae," sed Diana. "He's bin viziting his cuzins oever in Nue
Brunswick all sumer and he oenly caem hoem Saturday niet. He's AW'FLY hansum, Anne. And he teezes
th gerls sumthing terribl. He just torments our lievs out."
Diana's vois indicaeted that she rather liekt having her lief tormented out than not.
"Gilbert Blythe?" sed Anne. "Isn't his naem that's riten up on th porch wall with Julia Bell's and a big
`Taek Notice' oever them?"
"Yes," sed Diana, tossing her hed, "but I'm shur he duzn't liek Julia Bel so verry much. I'v herd him sae he
studyd th multiplicaeshun taebl bi her frekls."
"O, don't speek about frekls to me," implord Anne. "It isn't deliket when I'v got so meny. But I do think
that rieting taek-noetises up on th wall about th bois and gerls is th silyest ever. I shuud just liek to see
enybody dair to riet mi naem up with a boy's. Not, of cors," she haesend to ad, "that enybody wuud."
Anne sied. She didn't wont her naem riten up. But it was a litl huemiliaeting to noe that thair was no
daenjer of it.
"Nonsens," sed Diana, hoos blak ies and glossy tresses had plaed such havoc with th harts of Avonlea
scoolbois that her naem figuerd on th porch walls in haf a duzen taek-noetises. "It's oenly ment as a joek.
And don't U be too shur yur naem woen't ever be riten up. Charlie Sloane is DED GON on U. He toeld his
muther--his MUTHER, miend U--that U wer th smartest gerl in scool. That's beter than being guud
luuking."
"No, it isn't," sed Anne, feminin to th cor. "I'd rather be prity than clever. And I haet Charlie Sloane, I
can't bair a boi with gogl ies. If enywun roet mi naem up with his I'd never GET oever it, Diana Barry. But
it IS nies to keep hed of yur clas."
"U'l hav Gilbert in yur clas after this," sed Diana, "and he's uezd to being hed of his clas, I can tel U. He's
oenly in th foerth buuk alltho he's neerly forteen. Foer yeers ago his faather was sik and had to go out to
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Alberta for his helth and Gilbert went with him. Thae wer thair three yeers and Gil didn't go to scool
hardly eny until thae caem bak. U woen't fiend it so eezy to keep hed after this, Anne."
"I'm glad," sed Anne qikly. "I cuudn't reealy feel proud of keeping hed of litl bois and gerls of just nien or
ten. I got up yesterdae speling `ebulishun.' Josie Pye was hed and, miend U, she peeped in her buuk. Mr.
Phillips didn't see her--he was luuking at Prissy Andrews--but I did. I just swept her a luuk of freezing
scorn and she got as red as a beet and speld it rong after all."
"Thoes Pye gerls ar cheats all round," sed Diana indignantly, as thae cliemd th fens of th maen roed.
"Gertie Pye akchualy went and puut her milk botl in mi plaes in th bruuk yesterdae. Did U ever? I don't
speek to her now."
When Mr. Phillips was in th bak of th room heering Prissy Andrews's Latin, Diana whisperd to Anne,
"That's Gilbert Blythe siting riet across th iel frum U, Anne. Just luuk at him and see if U don't think he's
hansum."
Anne luukt acordingly. She had a guud chans to do so, for th sed Gilbert Blythe was absorbd in stelthily
pining th long yelo braed of Ruby Gillis, hoo sat in frunt of him, to th bak of her seet. He was a tall boi,
with curly broun hair, roegish haezel ies, and a mouth twisted into a teezing smiel. Prezently Ruby Gillis
started up to taek a sum to th master; she fel bak into her seet with a litl shreek, beleeving that her hair was
puuld out bi th roots. Evrybody luukt at her and Mr. Phillips glaird so sternly that Ruby began to cri.
Gilbert had whiskt th pin out of siet and was studying his history with th soberest faes in th werld; but when
th comoeshun subsieded he luukt at Anne and winkt with inexpresibl droelery.
"I think yur Gilbert Blythe IS hansum," confieded Anne to Diana, "but I think he's verry boeld. It isn't
guud maners to wink at a straenj gerl."
But it was not until th afternoon that things reealy began to hapen.
Mr. Phillips was bak in th corner explaening a problem in aljebra to Prissy Andrews and th rest of th scolars
wer doing prity much as thae pleezd eeting green apls, whispering, drawing pikchers on thair slaets, and
drieving crikets harnest to strings, up and doun iel. Gilbert Blythe was trieing to maek Anne Shirley luuk at
him and faeling uterly, becauz Anne was at that moement toetaly oblivius not oenly to th verry existens of
Gilbert Blythe, but of evry uther scolar in Avonlea scool itself. With her chin propt on her hands and her ies
fixt on th bloo glimps of th Laek of Shiening Wauters that th west windo aforded, she was far awae in a
gorjus dreemland heering and seeing nuthing saev her oen wunderful vizhuns.
Gilbert Blythe wasn't uezd to puuting himself out to maek a gerl luuk at him and meeting with faeluer. She
SHUUD luuk at him, that red-haired Shirley gerl with th litl pointed chin and th big ies that wern't liek th
ies of eny uther gerl in Avonlea scool.
Gilbert reecht across th iel, pikt up th end of Anne's long red braed, held it out at arm's length and sed in a
peersing whisper:
"Carrots! Carrots!"
Then Anne luukt at him with a vengeance!
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She did mor than luuk. She sprang to her feet, her briet fansys fallen into cureless rooin. She flasht wun
indignant glans at Gilbert frum ies hoos anggry sparkl was swiftly qencht in eeqaly anggry teers.
"U meen, haetful boi!" she exclaemd pashunetly. "How dair U!"
And then--thwak! Anne had braut her slaet doun on Gilbert's hed and crakt it--slaet not hed--cleer across.
Avonlea scool allwaes enjoid a seen. This was an espeshaly enjoiabl wun. Evrybody sed "O" in horrified
deliet. Diana gaspt. Ruby Gillis, hoo was incliend to be histerrical, began to cri. Tommy Sloane let his
teem of crikets escaep him alltogether whiel he staird oepen-mouthd at th tablo.
Mr. Phillips staukt doun th iel and laed his hand hevily on Anne's shoelder.
"Anne Shirley, whut duz this meen?" he sed anggrily. Anne reternd no anser. It was asking too much of
flesh and blud to expect her to tel befor th hoel scool that she had bin calld "carrots." Gilbert it was hoo
spoek up stoutly.
"It was mi fallt Mr. Phillips. I teezd her."
Mr. Phillips paed no heed to Gilbert.
"I am sorry to see a puepil of mien displaeing such a temper and such a vindictiv spirit," he sed in a solem
toen, as if th meer fact of being a puepil of his aut to root out all eevil pashuns frum th harts of small
imperfect mortals. "Anne, go and stand on th platform in frunt of th blakbord for th rest of th afternoon."
Anne wuud hav infinitly preferd a whiping to this punishment under which her sensitiv spirit qiverd as
frum a whiplash. With a whiet, set faes she oebaed. Mr. Phillips tuuk a chauk craeon and roet on th
blakbord abuv her hed.
"Ann Shirley has a verry bad temper. Ann Shirley must lern to controel her temper," and then reed it out
loud so that eeven th primer clas, hoo cuudn't reed rieting, shuud understand it.
Anne stuud thair th rest of th afternoon with that lejend abuv her. She did not cri or hang her hed. Angger
was stil too hot in her hart for that and it sustaend her amid all her agony of huemiliaeshun. With rezentful
ies and pashun-red cheeks she confrunted aliek Diana's simpathetic gaez and Charlie Sloane's indignant
nods and Josie Pye's malishus smiels. As for Gilbert Blythe, she wuud not eeven luuk at him. She wuud
NEVER luuk at him agen! She wuud never speek to him!!
When scool was dismist Anne marcht out with her red hed held hi. Gilbert Blythe tried to intersept her at
th porch dor.
"I'm aufuly sorry I maed fun of yur hair, Anne," he whisperd contritely. "Onest I am. Don't be mad for
keeps, now"
Anne swept bi disdainfully, without luuk or sien of heering. "O how cuud U, Anne?" breethd Diana as thae
went doun th roed haf reproachfully, haf admieringly. Diana felt that SHE cuud never hav rezisted
Gilbert's plee.
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"I shal never forgiv Gilbert Blythe," sed Anne fermly. "And Mr. Phillips speld mi naem without an e, too.
Th ieern has enterd into mi soel, Diana."
Diana hadn't th leest iedeea whut Anne ment but she understuud it was sumthing terribl.
"U mustn't miend Gilbert maeking fun of yur hair," she sed soothingly. "Whi, he maeks fun of all th gerls.
He lafs at mien becauz it's so blak. He's calld me a cro a duzen tiems; and I never herd him apolojiez for
enything befor, eether."
"Thair's a graet deel of diferens between being calld a cro and being calld carrots," sed Anne with dignity.
"Gilbert Blythe has hert mi feelings EXCRUCIATINGLY, Diana."
It is posibl th mater miet hav bloen oever without mor excruciation if nuthing els had hapend. But when
things begin to hapen thae ar apt to keep on.
Avonlea scolars offen spent noon our piking gum in Mr. Bell's sproos groev oever th hil and across his big
pascher feeld. Frum thair thae cuud keep an ie on Eben Wright's hous, wherr th master borded. When thae
saw Mr. Phillips emerjing thairfrum thae ran for th scoolhous; but th distans being about three tiems
longger than Mr. Wright's laen thae wer verry apt to ariev thair, brethles and gasping, sum three minits too
laet.
On th foloeing dae Mr. Phillips was seezd with wun of his spazmodic fits of reform and anounst befor
going hoem to diner, that he shuud expect to fiend all th scolars in thair seets when he reternd. Enywun
hoo caem in laet wuud be punisht.
All th bois and sum of th gerls went to Mr. Bell's sproos groev as uezhual, fuuly intending to stae oenly
long enuf to "pik a choo." But sproos groevs ar seductiv and yelo nuts of gum begieling; thae pikt and
loitered and straed; and as uezhual th ferst thing that recalld them to a sens of th fliet of tiem was Jimy
Glover shouting frum th top of a paetriarkal oeld sproos "Master's cuming."
Th gerls hoo wer on th ground, started ferst and manejd to reech th scoolhous in tiem but without a second
to spair. Th bois, hoo had to rigl haestily doun frum th trees, wer laeter; and Anne, hoo had not bin piking
gum at all but was waandering hapily in th far end of th groev, waest deep amung th braken, singing sofftly
to herself, with a reeth of ries lilys on her hair as if she wer sum wield divinity of th shadoey plaeses, was
laetest of all. Anne cuud run liek a deer, however; run she did with th impish rezult that she oevertuuk th
bois at th dor and was swept into th scoolhous amung them just as Mr. Phillips was in th act of hanging up
his hat.
Mr. Phillips's breef reforming enerjy was oever; he didn't wont th bother of punishing a duzen puepils; but
it was nesesairy to do sumthing to saev his werd, so he luukt about for a scaepgoet and found it in Anne,
hoo had dropt into her seet, gasping for breth, with a forgoten lily reeth hanging askue oever wun eer and
giving her a particuelarly raekish and disheveld apeerans.
"Anne Shirley, sinss U seem to be so fond of th boys' cumpany we shal indulj yur taest for it this
afternoon," he sed sarcasticaly. "Taek thoes flowers out of yur hair and sit with Gilbert Blythe."
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Th uther bois snikerd. Diana, terning pael with pity, plukt th reeth frum Anne's hair and sqeezd her hand.
Anne staird at th master as if ternd to stoen.
"Did U heer whut I sed, Anne?" qeeryd Mr. Phillips sternly.
"Yes, ser," sed Anne sloely "but I didn't supoez U reealy ment it."
"I ashur U I did"--stil with th sarcastic inflecshun which all th children, and Anne espeshaly, haeted. It flikt
on th raw. "Oebae me at wuns."
For a moement Anne luukt as if she ment to disoebae. Then, reealiezing that thair was no help for it, she
roez hautily, stept across th iel, sat doun besied Gilbert Blythe, and berryd her faes in her arms on th desk.
Ruby Gillis, hoo got a glimps of it as it went doun, toeld th uthers going hoem frum scool that she'd
"acksually never seen enything liek it--it was so whiet, with auful litl red spots in it."
To Anne, this was as th end of all things. It was bad enuf to be singgld out for punishment frum amung a
duzen eeqaly gilty wuns; it was wers stil to be sent to sit with a boi, but that that boi shuud be Gilbert
Blythe was heaping insult on injery to a degree uterly unbairabl. Anne felt that she cuud not bair it and it
wuud be of no ues to tri. Her hoel being seethed with shaem and angger and huemiliaeshun.
At ferst th uther scolars luukt and whisperd and gigld and nujd. But as Anne never lifted her hed and as
Gilbert werkt fracshuns as if his hoel soel was absorbd in them and them oenly, thae soon reternd to thair
oen tasks and Anne was forgoten. When Mr. Phillips calld th history clas out Anne shuud hav gon, but
Anne did not moov, and Mr. Phillips, hoo had bin rieting sum verses "To Priscilla" befor he calld th clas,
was thinking about an obstinet riem stil and never mist her. Wuns, when noebody was luuking, Gilbert tuuk
frum his desk a litl pink candy hart with a goeld moto on it, "U ar sweet," and slipt it under th curv of
Anne's arm. Wherrupon Anne aroez, tuuk th pink hart jinjerly between th tips of her finggers, dropt it on th
flor, ground it to pouder beneeth her heel, and rezoomd her pozishun without deigning to bestoe a glans on
Gilbert.
When scool went out Anne marcht to her desk, ostentatiously tuuk out evrything thairin, buuks and rieting
tablet, pen and ink, testament and arithmetic, and pield them neetly on her crakt slaet.
"Whut ar U taeking all thoes things hoem for, Anne?" Diana wonted to noe, as soon as thae wer out on th
roed. She had not daird to ask th qeschun befor.
"I am not cuming bak to scool eny mor," sed Anne. Diana gaspt and staird at Anne to see if she ment it.
"Wil Marilla let U stae hoem?" she askt.
"She'l hav to," sed Anne. "I'l NEVER go to scool to that man agen."
"O, Anne!" Diana luukt as if she wer redy to cri. "I do think U'r meen. Whut shal I do? Mr. Phillips wil
maek me sit with that horrid Gertie Pye--I noe he wil becauz she is siting aloen. Do cum bak, Anne."
"I'd do allmoest enything in th werld for U, Diana," sed Anne sadly. "I'd let mieself be torn lim frum lim if
it wuud do U eny guud. But I can't do this, so pleez don't ask it. U harro up mi verry soel."
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"Just think of all th fun U wil mis," mornd Diana. "We ar going to bild th luvlyest nue hous doun bi th
bruuk; and we'l be plaeing ball next week and U'v never plaed ball, Anne. It's tremendusly exsieting. And
we'r going to lern a nue song-- Jane Andrews is practising it up now; and Alice Andrews is going to bring a
nue Panzy buuk next week and we'r all going to reed it out loud, chapter about, doun bi th bruuk. And U
noe U ar so fond of reeding out loud, Anne."
Nuthing moovd Anne in th leest. Her miend was maed up. She wuud not go to scool to Mr. Phillips agen;
she toeld Marilla so when she got hoem.
"Nonsens," sed Marilla.
"It isn't nonsens at all," sed Anne, gaezing at Marilla with solem, reproechful ies. "Don't U understand,
Marilla? I'v bin insulted."
"Insulted fidlstiks! U'l go to scool tomorro as uezhual."
"O, no." Anne shuuk her hed jently. "I'm not going bak, Marilla. "I'l lern mi lesons at hoem and I'l be as
guud as I can be and hoeld mi tung all th tiem if it's posibl at all. But I wil not go bak to scool, I ashur U."
Marilla saw sumthing remarkably liek unyeelding stubornnes luuking out of Anne's small faes. She
understuud that she wuud hav trubl in oevercuming it; but she re-solvd wiezly to sae nuthing mor just then.
"I'l run doun and see Rachel about it this eevning," she thaut. "Thair's no ues reezoning with Anne now.
She's too werkt up and I'v an iedeea she can be auful stuborn if she taeks th noeshun. Far as I can maek out
frum her story, Mr. Phillips has bin carrying maters with a rather hi hand. But it wuud never do to sae so to
her. I'l just tauk it oever with Rachel. She's sent ten children to scool and she aut to noe sumthing about it.
She'l hav herd th hoel story, too, bi this tiem."
Marilla found Mrs. Lynde niting qilts as industriusly and cheerfuly as uezhual.
"I supoez U noe whut I'v cum about," she sed, a litl shaemfaesedly.
Mrs. Rachel noded.
"About Anne's fus in scool, I rekon," she sed. "Tillie Boulter was in on her wae hoem frum scool and toeld
me about it." "I don't noe whut to do with her," sed Marilla. "She declairs she woen't go bak to scool. I
never saw a chield so werkt up. I'v bin expecting trubl ever sinss she started to scool. I nue things wer going
too smooth to last. She's so hi strung. Whut wuud U adviez, Rachel?"
"Wel, sinss U'v askt mi advies, Marilla," sed Mrs. Lynde amiably--Mrs. Lynde deerly luvd to be askt for
advies--"I'd just huemor her a litl at ferst, that's whut I'd do. It's mi beleef that Mr. Phillips was in th rong.
Of cors, it duzn't do to sae so to th children, U noe. And of cors he did riet to punish her yesterdae for
giving wae to temper. But todae it was diferent. Th uthers hoo wer laet shuud hav bin punisht as wel as
Anne, that's whut. And I don't beleev in maeking th gerls sit with th bois for punishment. It isn't modest.
Tillie Boulter was reeal indignant. She tuuk Anne's part riet thru and sed all th scolars did too. Anne seems
reeal popuelar amung them, sumhow. I never thaut she'd taek with them so wel."
"Then U reealy think I'd beter let her stae hoem," sed Marilla in amaezment.
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"Yes. That is I wuudn't sae scool to her agen until she sed it herself. Depend upon it, Marilla, she'l cool off
in a week or so and be redy enuf to go bak of her oen acord, that's whut, whiel, if U wer to maek her go bak
riet off, deer noes whut freek or tantrum she'd taek next and maek mor trubl than ever. Th les fus maed th
beter, in mi opinyon. She woen't mis much bi not going to scool, as far as THAT goes. Mr. Phillips isn't
eny guud at all as a teecher. Th order he keeps is scandalus, that's whut, and he neglects th yung fri and
puuts all his tiem on thoes big scolars he's geting redy for Queen's. He'd never hav got th scool for anuther
yeer if his unkl hadn't bin a trustee--TH trustee, for he just leeds th uther too around bi th noez, that's whut.
I declair, I don't noe whut ejucaeshun in this Ieland is cuming to."
Mrs. Rachel shuuk her hed, as much as to sae if she wer oenly at th hed of th ejucaeshunal sistem of th
Provins things wuud be much beter manejd.
Marilla tuuk Mrs. Rachel's advies and not anuther werd was sed to Anne about going bak to scool. She
lernd her lesons at hoem, did her chors, and plaed with Diana in th chily perpl autum twilights; but when
she met Gilbert Blythe on th roed or encounterd him in Sunday scool she past him bi with an iesy contempt
that was no whit thawd bi his evident dezier to apeez her. Eeven Diana's eforts as a peesmaeker wer of no
avael. Anne had evidently maed up her miend to haet Gilbert Blythe to th end of lief.
As much as she haeted Gilbert, however, did she luv Diana, with all th luv of her pashunet litl hart, eeqaly
intens in its lieks and dislieks. Wun eevning Marilla, cuming in frum th orchard with a basket of apls,
found Anne siting along bi th eest windo in th twieliet, crieing biterly.
"Whatever's th mater now, Anne?" she askt.
"It's about Diana," sobd Anne luxuriously. "I luv Diana so, Marilla. I cannot ever liv without her. But I
noe verry wel when we gro up that Diana wil get marryd and go awae and leev me. And o, whut shal I do?
I haet her huzband--I just haet him fueriusly. I'v bin imajining it all out--th weding and evrything--Diana
drest in snoey garments, with a vael, and luuking as buetyful and reegal as a qeen; and me th briedzmaed,
with a luvly dres too, and puft sleevs, but with a braeking hart hid beneeth mi smieling faes. And then
biding Diana guudbi-e-e--" Heer Anne broek doun entierly and wept with increesing biternes.
Marilla ternd qikly awae to hied her twiching faes; but it was no ues; she colapst on th neerest chair and
berst into such a harty and unuezhual peel of lafter that Matthew, crossing th yard outsied, hallted in
amaezment. When had he herd Marilla laf liek that befor?
"Wel, Anne Shirley," sed Marilla as soon as she cuud speek, "if U must borro trubl, for pity's saek borro it
handyer hoem. I shuud think U had an imajinaeshun, shur enuf."
CHAPTER XVI
Diana Is Invieted to Tee with Trajic Rezults
OCTOBER was a buetyful munth at Green Gaebls, when th berches in th holo ternd as goelden as
sunshien and th maepls behiend th orchard wer roial crimzon and th wield cherry trees along th laen puut
on th luvlyest shaeds of dark red and bronzy green, whiel th feelds sunned themselvs in aftermaths.
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Anne reveld in th werld of culor about her.
"O, Marilla," she exclaemd wun Saturday morning, cuming dansing in with her arms fuul of gorjus bows"
'i'm so glad I liv in a werld wherr thair ar Octobers. It wuud be terribl if we just skipt frum September to
November, wuudn't it? Luuk at thees maepl branches. Don't thae giv U a thril--several thrils? I'm going to
decoraet mi room with them."
"Mesy things," sed Marilla, hoos esthetic sens was not noetisably developt. "U cluter up yur room entierly
too much with out-of-dors stuf, Anne. Bedrooms wer maed to sleep in."
"O, and dreem in too, Marilla. And U noe wun can dreem so much beter in a room wherr thair ar prity
things. I'm going to puut thees bows in th oeld bloo jug and set them on mi taebl."
"Miend U don't drop leevs all oever th stairs then. I'm going on a meeting of th Aed Sosieety at Carmody
this afternoon, Anne, and I woen't liekly be hoem befor dark. U'l hav to get Matthew and Jerry thair super,
so miend U don't forget to puut th tee to draw until U sit doun at th taebl as U did last tiem."
"It was dredful of me to forget," sed Anne apolojeticaly, "but that was th afternoon I was trieing to think of
a naem for Vieolet Vael and it crouded uther things out. Matthew was so guud. He never scoelded a bit.
He puut th tee doun himself and sed we cuud waet awhiel as wel as not. And I toeld him a luvly fairy story
whiel we wer waeting, so he didn't fiend th tiem long at all. It was a buetyful fairy story, Marilla. I forgot
th end of it, so I maed up an end for it mieself and Matthew sed he cuudn't tel wherr th join caem in."
"Matthew wuud think it all riet, Anne, if U tuuk a noeshun to get up and hav diner in th midl of th niet. But
U keep yur wits about U this tiem. And--I don't reealy noe if I'm doing riet--it mae maek U mor addlepated
than ever--but U can ask Diana to cum oever and spend th afternoon with U and hav tee heer."
"O, Marilla!" Anne claspt her hands. "How perfectly luvly! U AR aebl to imajin things after all or els U'd
never hav understuud how I'v longd for that verry thing. It wil seem so nies and groen-uppish. No feer of
mi forgeting to puut th tee to draw when I hav cumpany. O, Marilla, can I uez th roezbud sprae tee set?"
"No, indeed! Th roezbud tee set! Wel, whut next? U noe I never uez that exsept for th minister or th Aeds.
U'l puut doun th oeld broun tee set. But U can oepen th litl yelo crok of cherry prezervs. It's tiem it was
being uezd enyhow--I beleev it's begining to werk. And U can cut sum froot caek and hav sum of th
cuukys and snaps."
"I can just imajin mieself siting doun at th hed of th taebl and poring out th tee," sed Anne, shuting her ies
extaticaly. "And asking Diana if she taeks shuugar! I noe she duzn't but of cors I'l ask her just as if I didn't
noe. And then presing her to taek anuther pees of froot caek and anuther helping of prezervs. O, Marilla,
it's a wunderful sensaeshun just to think of it. Can I taek her into th spair room to lae off her hat when she
cums? And then into th parlor to sit?"
"No. Th siting room wil do for U and yur cumpany. But thair's a botl haf fuul of razberry corjal that was
left oever frum th cherch soeshal th uther niet. It's on th second shelf of th siting-room clozet and U and
Diana can hav it if U liek, and a cuuky to eet with it along in th afternoon, for I daresay Matthew'll be laet
cuming in to tee sinss he's halling potaetoes to th vesel."
125
Anne floo doun to th holo, past th Dryad's Bubl and up th sproos path to Orchard Sloep, to ask Diana to tee.
As a rezult just after Marilla had driven off to Carmody, Diana caem oever, drest in HER second-best dres
and luuking exactly as it is proper to luuk when askt out to tee. At uther tiems she was wont to run into th
kichen without noking; but now she nokt primly at th frunt dor. And when Anne, drest in her second best,
as primly oepend it, boeth litl gerls shuuk hands as graevly as if thae had never met befor. This unnacheral
solemnity lasted until after Diana had bin taeken to th eest gaebl to lae off her hat and then had sat for ten
minits in th siting room, toes in pozishun.
"How is yur muther?" inqierd Anne polietly, just as if she had not seen Mrs. Barry piking apls that morning
in exselent helth and spirits.
"She is verry wel, thank U. I supoez Mr. Cuthbert is halling potaetoes to th LILY SANDS this afternoon, is
he?" sed Diana, hoo had riden doun to Mr. Harmon Andrews's that morning in Matthew's cart.
"Yes. Our potaeto crop is verry guud this yeer. I hoep yur father's crop is guud too."
"It is fairly guud, thank U. Hav U pikt meny of yur apls yet?"
"O, ever so meny," sed Anne forgeting to be dignified and jumping up qikly. "Let's go out to th orchard
and get sum of th Red Sweetings, Diana. Marilla ses we can hav all that ar left on th tree. Marilla is a
verry jenerus wuuman. She sed we cuud hav froot caek and cherry prezervs for tee. But it isn't guud
maners to tel yur cumpany whut U ar going to giv them to eet, so I woen't tel U whut she sed we cuud hav
to drink. Oenly it begins with an R and a C and it's briet red culor. I luv briet red drinks, don't U? Thae
taest twies as guud as eny uther culor."
Th orchard, with its graet sweeping bows that bent to th ground with froot, proovd so delietful that th litl
gerls spent moest of th afternoon in it, siting in a grasy corner wherr th frost had spaird th green and th melo
autum sunshien linggerd wormly, eeting apls and tauking as hard as thae cuud. Diana had much to tel
Anne of whut went on in scool. She had to sit with Gertie Pye and she haeted it; Gertie sqeekt her pensil
all th tiem and it just maed her--Diana's--blud run coeld; Ruby Gillis had charmd all her worts awae, true's
U liv, with a majic pebl that oeld Mary Joe frum th Creek gaev her. U had to rub th worts with th pebl and
then thro it awae oever yur left shoelder at th tiem of th nue moon and th worts wuud all go. Charlie
Sloane's naem was riten up with Em White's on th porch wall and Em Whiet was AUFUL MAD about it;
Sam Boulter had "sassed" Mr. Phillips in clas and Mr. Phillips whipt him and Sam's faather caem doun to
th scool and daird Mr. Phillips to lae a hand on wun of his children agen; and Mattie Andrews had a nue red
huud and a bloo crossover with tasels on it and th airs she puut on about it wer perfectly sikening; and
Lizzie Wright didn't speek to Mamie Wilson becauz Mamie Wilson's groen-up sister had cut out Lizzie
Wright's groen-up sister with her bo; and evrybody mist Anne so and wisht she's cum to scool agen; and
Gilbert Blythe-But Anne didn't wont to heer about Gilbert Blythe. She jumpt up herydly and sed supoez thae go in and
hav sum razberry corjal.
Anne luukt on th second shelf of th room pantry but thair was no botl of razberry corjal thair . Serch
reveeld it awae bak on th top shelf. Anne puut it on a trae and set it on th taebl with a tumbler.
"Now, pleez help yurself, Diana," she sed polietly. "I don't beleev I'l hav eny just now. I don't feel as if I
wonted eny after all thoes apls."
126
Diana pord herself out a tumblerful, luukt at its briet-red hue admieringly, and then sipt it daentily.
"That's aufuly nies razberry corjal, Anne," she sed. "I didn't noe razberry corjal was so nies."
"I'm reeal glad U liek it. Taek as much as U wont. I'm going to run out and ster th fier up. Thair ar so
meny responsibilitys on a person's miend when thae'r keeping hous, isn't thair?"
When Anne caem bak frum th kichen Diana was drinking her second glasful of corjal; and, being entreeted
thairto bi Anne, she offerd no particuelar objecshun to th drinking of a therd. Th tumblerfuls wer jenerus
wuns and th razberry corjal was sertenly verry nies.
"Th niesest I ever drank," sed Diana. "It's ever so much nieser than Mrs. Lynde's, alltho she brags of hers
so much. It duzn't taest a bit liek hers."
"I shuud think Marilla's razberry corjal wuud prob'ly be much nieser than Mrs. Lynde's," sed Anne loialy.
"Marilla is a faemus cuuk. She is trieing to teech me to cuuk but I ashur U, Diana, it is uphil werk. Thair's
so litl scoep for imajinaeshun in cuukery. U just hav to go bi rools. Th last tiem I maed a caek I forgot to
puut th flour in. I was thinking th luvlyest story about U and me, Diana. I thaut U wer desperetly il with
smallpox and evrybody dezerted U, but I went boeldly to yur bedsied and nursed U bak to lief; and then I
tuuk th smallpox and died and I was berryd under thoes poplar trees in th graev-yard and U planted a
roezbush bi mi graev and wauterd it with yur teers; and U never, never forgot th frend of yur yooth hoo
sacrifiest her lief for U. O, it was such a pathetic tael, Diana. Th teers just raend doun oever mi cheeks
whiel I mixt th caek. But I forgot th flour and th caek was a dizmal faeluer. Flour is so esenshal to caeks,
U noe. Marilla was verry cross and I don't wunder. I'm a graet trieal to her. She was terribly mortified
about th puuding saus last week. We had a plum puuding for diner on Tuesday and thair was haf th
puuding and a pitcherful of saus left oever. Marilla sed thair was enuf for anuther diner and toeld me to set
it on th pantry shelf and cuver it. I ment to cuver it just as much as cuud be, Diana, but when I carryd it in I
was imajining I was a nun--of cors I'm a Protestant but I imajind I was a Catholic--taeking th vael to berry a
broeken hart in cloistered secloozhun; and I forgot all about cuvering th puuding saus. I thaut of it next
morning and ran to th pantry. Diana, fansy if U can mi extreem horror at fiending a mous dround in that
puuding saus! I lifted th mous out with a spoon and throo it out in th yard and then I wosht th spoon in three
wauters. Marilla was out milking and I fuuly intended to ask her when she caem in if I'd giv th saus to th
pigs; but when she did cum in I was imajining that I was a frost fairy going thru th wuuds terning th trees
red and yelo, whichever thae wonted to be, so I never thaut about th puuding saus agen and Marilla sent me
out to pik apls. Wel, Mr. and Mrs. Chester Ross frum Spencervale caem heer that morning. U noe thae ar
verry stielish peepl, espeshaly Mrs. Chester Ross. When Marilla calld me in diner was all redy and
evrybody was at th taebl. I tried to be as poliet and dignified as I cuud be, for I wonted Mrs. Chester Ross
to think I was a laedyliek litl gerl eeven if I wasn't prity. Evrything went riet until I saw Marilla cuming
with th plum puuding in wun hand and th picher of puuding saus WORMD UP, in th uther. Diana, that was
a terribl moement. I rememberd evrything and I just stuud up in mi plaes and shreekt out `Marilla, U
mustn't uez that puuding saus. Thair was a mous dround in it. I forgot to tel U befor.' O, Diana, I shal
never forget that auful moement if I liv to be a hundred. Mrs. Chester Ross just LUUKT at me and I thaut I
wuud sink thru th flor with mortificaeshun. She is such a perfect houskeeper and fansy whut she must hav
thaut of us. Marilla ternd red as fier but she never sed a werd--then. She just carryd that saus and puuding
out and braut in sum strawberry prezervs. She eeven offerd me sum, but I cuudn't swolo a mouthful. It
was liek heaping coels of fier on mi hed. After Mrs. Chester Ross went awae, Marilla gaev me a dredful
scoelding. Whi, Diana, whut is th mater?"
127
Diana had stuud up verry unstedily; then she sat doun agen, puuting her hands to her hed.
"I'm--I'm auful sik," she sed, a litl thikly. "I--I--must go riet hoem."
"O, U mustn't dreem of going hoem without yur tee," cried Anne in distres. "I'l get it riet off--I'l go and
puut th tee doun this verry minit."
"I must go hoem," repeeted Diana, stoopidly but determindly.
"Let me get U a lunch enyhow," implord Anne. "Let me giv U a bit of froot caek and sum of th cherry
prezervs. Lie doun on th soefa for a litl whiel and U'l be beter. Wherr do U feel bad?"
"I must go hoem," sed Diana, and that was all she wuud sae. In vaen Anne pleeded.
"I never herd of cumpany going hoem without tee," she mornd. "O, Diana, do U supoez that it's posibl U'r
reealy taeking th smallpox? If U ar I'l go and ners U, U can depend on that. I'l never forsaek U. But I do
wish U'd stae til after tee. Wherr do U feel bad?"
"I'm auful dizy," sed Diana.
And indeed, she waukt verry dizily. Anne, with teers of disapointment in her ies, got Diana's hat and went
with her as far as th Barry yard fens. Then she wept all th wae bak to Green Gaebls, wherr she sorrowfully
puut th remaender of th razberry corjal bak into th pantry and got tee redy for Matthew and Jerry, with all
th zest gon out of th performans.
Th next dae was Sunday and as th raen pord doun in torents frum daun til dusk Anne did not ster abraud
frum Green Gaebls. Monday afternoon Marilla sent her doun to Mrs. Lynde's on an errand. In a verry short
spaes of tiem Anne caem flieing bak up th laen with teers roeling doun her cheeks. Into th kichen she dasht
and flung herself faes dounward on th soefa in an agony.
"Whutever has gon rong now, Anne?" qeeryd Marilla in dout and dismae. "I do hoep U havn't gon and bin
sausy to Mrs. Lynde agen."
No anser frum Anne saev mor teers and stormier sobs!
"Anne Shirley, when I ask U a qeschun I wont to be anserd. Sit riet up this verry mienuet and tel me whut
U ar crieing about."
Anne sat up, trajedy personified.
"Mrs. Lynde was up to see Mrs. Barry todae and Mrs. Barry was in an auful staet," she waeld. "She ses
that I set Diana DRUNK Saturday and sent her hoem in a disgraesful condishun. And she ses I must be a
theroely bad, wiked litl gerl and she's never, never going to let Diana plae with me agen. O, Marilla, I'm
just oevercum with woe."
Marilla staird in blank amaezment.
128
"Set Diana drunk!" she sed when she found her vois. "Anne ar U or Mrs. Barry craezy? Whut on erth did
U giv her?"
"Not a thing but razberry corjal," sobd Anne. "I never thaut razberry corjal wuud set peepl drunk, Marilla-not eeven if thae drank three big tumblerfuls as Diana did. O, it sounds so--so--liek Mrs. Thomas's
huzband! But I didn't meen to set her drunk."
"Drunk fidlstiks!" sed Marilla, marching to th siting room pantry. Thair on th shelf was a botl which she at
wuns recogniezd as wun contaening sum of her three-yeer-oeld hoemmaed curant wien for which she was
selebraeted in Avonlea, alltho serten of th stricter sort, Mrs. Barry amung them, disaproovd strongly of it.
And at th saem tiem Marilla recolected that she had puut th botl of razberry corjal doun in th selar insted of
in th pantry as she had toeld Anne.
She went bak to th kichen with th wien botl in her hand. Her faes was twiching in spiet of herself.
"Anne, U sertenly hav a jeenius for geting into trubl. U went and gaev Diana curant wien insted of razberry
corjal. Didn't U noe th diferens yurself?"
"I never taested it," sed Anne. "I thaut it was th corjal. I ment to be so--so--hospitabl. Diana got aufuly sik
and had to go hoem. Mrs. Barry toeld Mrs. Lynde she was simply ded drunk. She just laft sily-liek when
her muther askt her whut was th mater and went to sleep and slept for ours. Her muther smeld her breth
and nue she was drunk. She had a feerful hedaek all dae yesterdae. Mrs. Barry is so indignant. She wil
never beleev but whut I did it on perpos."
"I shuud think she wuud beter punish Diana for being so greedy as to drink three glassfuls of enything," sed
Marilla shortly. "Whi, three of thoes big glases wuud hav maed her sik eeven if it had oenly bin corjal.
Wel, this story wil be a nies handl for thoes foeks hoo ar so doun on me for maeking curant wien, alltho I
havn't maed eny for three yeers ever sinss I found out that th minister didn't aproov. I just kept that botl for
siknes. Thair, thair, chield, don't cri. I can't see as U wer to blaem alltho I'm sorry it hapend so."
"I must cri," sed Anne. "Mi hart is broeken. Th stars in thair corses fiet agenst me, Marilla. Diana and I ar
parted forever. O, Marilla, I litl dreemd of this when ferst we swor our vows of frendship."
"Don't be foolish, Anne. Mrs. Barry wil think beter of it when she fiends U'r not to blaem. I supoez she
thinks U'v dun it for a sily joek or sumthing of that sort. U'd best go up this eevning and tel her how it
was."
"Mi curej faels me at th thaut of faesing Diana's injerd muther," sied Anne. "I wish U'd go, Marilla. U'r so
much mor dignified than I am. Liekly she'd lisen to U qiker than to me."
"Wel, I wil," sed Marilla, reflecting that it wuud probably be th wiezer cors. "Don't cri eny mor, Anne. It
wil be all riet."
Marilla had chaenjd her miend about it being all riet bi th tiem she got bak frum Orchard Sloep. Anne was
woching for her cuming and floo to th porch dor to meet her.
"O, Marilla, I noe bi yur faes that it's bin no ues," she sed sorrowfully. "Mrs. Barry woen't forgiv me?"
129
"Mrs. Barry indeed!" snapt Marilla. "Of all th unreezonabl wimen I ever saw she's th werst. I toeld her it
was all a mistaek and U wern't to blaem, but she just simply didn't beleev me. And she rubd it wel in about
mi curant wien and how I'd allwaes sed it cuudn't hav th leest efect on enybody. I just toeld her plaenly that
curant wien wasn't ment to be drunk three tumblerfuls at a tiem and that if a chield I had to do with was so
greedy I'd soeber her up with a riet guud spanking."
Marilla whiskt into th kichen, grievously disterbd, leeving a verry much distracted litl soel in th porch
behiend her. Prezently Anne stept out bairheded into th chil autum dusk; verry determindly and stedily she
tuuk her wae doun thru th sere cloever feeld oever th log brij and up thru th sproos groev, lieted bi a pael
litl moon hanging lo oever th western wuuds. Mrs. Barry, cuming to th dor in anser to a timid nok, found a
whiet-lipped eeger-ied suppliant on th dorstep.
Her faes hardend. Mrs. Barry was a wuuman of strong prejudises and dislieks, and her angger was of th
coeld, sulen sort which is allwaes hardest to oevercum. To do her justis, she reealy beleevd Anne had maed
Diana drunk out of sheer malis prepense,??? and she was onestly ankshus to prezerv her litl dauter frum th
contaminaeshun of ferther intimasy with such a chield.
"Whut do U wont?" she sed stifly.
Anne claspt her hands.
"O, Mrs. Barry, pleez forgiv me. I did not meen to--to--intoxicate Diana. How cuud I? Just imajin if U
wer a pur litl orfan gerl that kiend peepl had adopted and U had just wun buuzom frend in all th werld. Do
U think U wuud intoxicate her on perpos? I thaut it was oenly razberry corjal. I was fermly convinst it was
razberry corjal. O, pleez don't sae that U woen't let Diana plae with me eny mor. If U do U wil cuver mi
lief with a dark cloud of woe."
This speech which wuud hav soffend guud Mrs. Lynde's hart in a twinkling, had no efect on Mrs. Barry
exsept to irritate her stil mor. She was suspishus of Anne's big werds and dramatic jeschers and imajind
that th chield was maeking fun of her. So she sed, coeldly and crooely:
"I don't think U ar a fit litl gerl for Diana to asoeshiaet with. U'd beter go hoem and behaev yurself."
Anne's lips qiverd.
"Woen't U let me see Diana just wuns to sae fairwel?" she implord.
"Diana has gon oever to Carmody with her faather," sed Mrs. Barry, going in and shuting th dor.
Anne went bak to Green Gaebls caam with despair.
"Mi last hoep is gon," she toeld Marilla. "I went up and saw Mrs. Barry mieself and she treeted me verry
insultingly. Marilla, I do NOT think she is a wel-bred wuuman. Thair is nuthing mor to do exsept to prae
and I havn't much hoep that that'l do much guud becauz, Marilla, I do not beleev that God Himself can do
verry much with such an obstinet person as Mrs. Barry."
130
"Anne, U shuudn't sae such things" rebuekt Marilla, strieving to oevercum that unholy tendensy to lafter
which she was dismaed to fiend groeing upon her. And indeed, when she toeld th hoel story to Matthew
that niet, she did laf hartily oever Anne's tribuelaeshuns.
But when she slipt into th eest gaebl befor going to bed and found that Anne had cried herself to sleep an
unacustomd sofftnes crept into her faes.
"Pur litl soel," she mermerd, lifting a loos curl of hair frum th child's teer-staend faes. Then she bent doun
and kist th flusht cheek on th pilo.
CHAPTER XVII
A Nue Interest in Lief
TH next afternoon Anne, bending oever her pachwerk at th kichen windo, hapend to glans out and beheld
Diana doun bi th Dryad's Bubl bekoning misteeriusly. In a trice Anne was out of th hous and flieing doun
to th holo, astonishment and hoep strugling in her expresiv ies. But th hoep faeded when she saw Diana's
dejected countenans.
"Yur muther hasn't relented?" she gaspt.
Diana shuuk her hed mornfuly.
"No; and o, Anne, she ses I'm never to plae with U agen. I'v cried and cried and I toeld her it wasn't yur
fallt, but it wasn't eny ues. I had ever such a tiem coexing her to let me cum doun and sae guud-bi to U.
She sed I was oenly to stae ten minits and she's tieming me bi th clok."
"Ten minits isn't verry long to sae an eternal fairwel in," sed Anne teerfuly. "O, Diana, wil U promis
faethfuly never to forget me, th frend of yur yooth, no mater whut deerer frends mae cares thee?"
"Indeed I wil," sobd Diana, "and I'l never hav anuther buuzom frend--I don't wont to hav. I cuudn't luv
enybody as I luv U."
"O, Diana," cried Anne, clasping her hands, "do U LUV me?"
"Whi, of cors I do. Didn't U noe that?"
"No." Anne droo a long breth. "I thaut U LIEKT me of cors but I never hoept U LUVD me. Whi, Diana, I
didn't think enybody cuud luv me. Noebody ever has luvd me sinss I can remember. O, this is wunderful!
It's a rae of liet which wil forever shien on th darknes of a path severd frum thee, Diana. O, just sae it wuns
agen."
"I luv U devoetedly, Anne," sed Diana stanchly, "and I allwaes wil, U mae be shur of that."
131
"And I wil allwaes luv thee, Diana," sed Anne, solemly extending her hand. "In th yeers to cum thi
memory wil shien liek a star oever mi loenly lief, as that last story we reed together ses. Diana, wilt thow
giv me a lok of thi jet-blak tresses in parting to trezher forevermor?"
"Hav U got enything to cut it with?" qeeryd Diana, wieping awae th teers which Anne's afecting acsents
had cauzd to flo afresh, and reterning to practicalities.
"Yes. I'v got mi pachwerk sizors in mi aepron poket forchunetly," sed Anne. She solemly clipt wun of
Diana's curls. "Fair thee wel, mi beluved frend. Hensforth we must be as straenjers tho living sied bi sied.
But mi hart wil ever be faethful to thee."
Anne stuud and wocht Diana out of siet, mornfuly waeving her hand to th later whenever she ternd to luuk
bak. Then she reternd to th hous, not a litl consoeld for th tiem being bi this roemantic parting.
"It is all oever," she informd Marilla. "I shal never hav anuther frend. I'm reealy wers off than ever befor,
for I havn't Katie Maurice and Violetta now. And eeven if I had it wuudn't be th saem. Sumhow, litl dreem
gerls ar not satisfieing after a reeal frend. Diana and I had such an afecting fairwel doun bi th spring. It wil
be saecred in mi memory forever. I uezd th moest pathetic langgwej I cuud think of and sed `thou' and
`thee.' `Thou' and `thee' seem so much mor roemantic than `U.' Diana gaev me a lok of her hair and I'm
going to soe it up in a litl bag and wair it around mi nek all mi lief. Pleez see that it is berryd with me, for I
don't beleev I'l liv verry long. Perhaps when she sees me lieing coeld and ded befor her Mrs. Barry mae
feel remors for whut she has dun and wil let Diana cum to mi fueneral."
"I don't think thair is much feer of yur dieing of greef as long as U can tauk, Anne," sed Marilla
unsympathetically.
Th foloeing Monday Anne serpriezd Marilla bi cuming doun frum her room with her basket of buuks on
her arm and hip??? lips primmed up into a lien of determinaeshun.
"I'm going bak to scool," she anounst. "That is all thair is left in lief for me, now that mi frend has bin
roothlesly torn frum me. In scool I can luuk at her and muez oever daes departed."
"U'd beter muez oever yur lesons and sums," sed Marilla, conseeling her deliet at this development of th
sichuaeshun. "If U'r going bak to scool I hoep we'l heer no mor of braeking slaets oever people's heds and
such carryings on. Behaev yurself and do just whut yur teecher tels U."
"I'l tri to be a model puepil," agreed Anne doelfuly. "Thair woen't be much fun in it, I expect. Mr. Phillips
sed Minnie Andrews was a model puepil and thair isn't a spark of imajinaeshun or lief in her. She is just
dul and poky and never seems to hav a guud tiem. But I feel so deprest that perhaps it wil cum eezy to me
now. I'm going round bi th roed. I cuudn't bair to go bi th Berch Path all aloen. I shuud weep biter teers if
I did."
Anne was welcumd bak to scool with oepen arms. Her imajinaeshun had bin sorly mist in gaems, her vois
in th singing and her dramatic ability in th peroozal aloud of buuks at diner our. Ruby Gillis smugld three
bloo plums oever to her during testament reeding; Ella Mae Macpherson gaev her an enormus yelo panzy
cut frum th cuvers of a floral catalog--a speeshys of desk decoraeshun much priezd in Avonlea scool.
Sophia Sloane offerd to teech her a perfectly elegant nue patern of nit laes, so nies for triming aeprons.
132
Katie Boulter gaev her a perfuem botl to keep slaet wauter in, and Julia Bel copyd cairfuly on a pees of pael
pink paeper scalopt on th ejes th foloeing efuezhun:
When twieliet drops her curten doun And pins it with a star Remember that U hav a frend Tho she mae
waander far.
"It's so nies to be apreeshiaeted," sied Anne rapturously to Marilla that niet.
Th gerls wer not th oenly scolars hoo "apreeshiaeted" her. When Anne went to her seet after diner our--she
had bin toeld bi Mr. Phillips to sit with th model Minnie Andrews--she found on her desk a big lushus
"strawberry apl." Anne caut it up all redy to taek a biet when she rememberd that th oenly plaes in Avonlea
wherr strawberry apls groo was in th oeld Blythe orchard on th uther sied of th Laek of Shiening Wauters.
Anne dropt th apl as if it wer a red-hot coel and ostentatiously wiept her finggers on her hankerchif. Th apl
lae untucht on her desk until th next morning, when litl Timothy Andrews, hoo swept th scool and kindld th
fier, annexed it as wun of his perquisites. Charlie Sloane's slaet pensil, gorjusly bedizened with striept red
and yelo paeper, costing too sents wherr ordinairy pensils cost oenly wun, which he sent up to her after
diner our, met with a mor faevorabl resepshun. Anne was graeshusly pleezd to acsept it and reworded th
doenor with a smiel which exallted that infatuated yooth straetwae into th seventh heven of deliet and cauzd
him to maek such feerful errors in his dictaeshun that Mr. Phillips kept him in after scool to re-riet it.
But as,
Th Caesar's pajent shorn of Brutus' bust Did but of Rome's best sun remiend her mor.
so th markt absens of eny tribuet or recognishun frum Diana Barry hoo was siting with Gertie Pye
embiterd Anne's litl trieumf.
"Diana miet just hav smield at me wuns, I think," she mornd to Marilla that niet. But th next morning a
noet moest feerfuly and wunderfuly twisted and foelded, and a small parsel wer past across to Anne.
Deer Anne (ran th former)
Muther ses I'm not to plae with U or tauk to U eeven in scool. It isn't mi fallt and don't be cross at me,
becauz I luv U as much as ever. I mis U aufuly to tel all mi seecrets to and I don't liek Gertie Pye wun bit.
I maed U wun of th nue bookmarkers out of red tishoo paeper. Thae ar aufuly fashunabl now and oenly
three gerls in scool noe how to maek them. When U luuk at it remember Yur troo frend
Diana Barry.
Anne reed th noet, kist th buukmark, and dispacht a prompt repli bak to th uther sied of th scool.
Mi oen darling Diana:-Of cors I am not cross at U becauz U hav to oebae yur muther. Our spirits can comuen. I shal keep yur
luvly prezent forever. Minnie Andrews is a verry nies litl gerl--alltho she has no imajinaeshun--but after
having bin Diana's busum frend I cannot be Minnie's. Pleez excuez mistaeks becauz mi speling isn't verry
guud yet, alltho much improoved. Yurs until deth us do part
Anne or Cordelia Shirley.
P.S. I shal sleep with yur leter under mi pilo toniet. A. OR C.S.
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Marilla pessimistically expected mor trubl sinss Anne had agen begun to go to scool. But nun developt.
Perhaps Anne caut sumthing of th "model" spirit frum Minnie Andrews; at leest she got on verry wel with
Mr. Phillips thensforth. She flung herself into her studys hart and soel, determind not to be outdone in eny
clas bi Gilbert Blythe. Th rievalry between them was soon aparrent; it was entierly guud naecherd on
Gilbert's sied; but it is much to be feerd that th saem thing cannot be sed of Anne, hoo had sertenly an
unpraiseworthy tenasity for hoelding grujes. She was as intens in her hatreds as in her luvs. She wuud not
stoop to admit that she ment to rieval Gilbert in scoolwerk, becauz that wuud hav bin to aknolej his existens
which Anne persistently ignord; but th rievalry was thair and onors fluctuated between them. Now Gilbert
was hed of th speling clas; now Anne, with a toss of her long red braeds, speld him doun. Wun morning
Gilbert had all his sums dun corectly and had his naem riten on th blakbord on th roel of onor; th next
morning Anne, having wrestled wieldly with desimals th entier eevning befor, wuud be ferst. Wun auful
dae thae wer ties and thair naems wer riten up together. It was allmoest as bad as a taek-noetis and Anne's
mortificaeshun was as evident as Gilbert's satisfacshun. When th riten examinaeshuns at th end of eech
munth wer held th suspens was terribl. Th ferst munth Gilbert caem out three marks ahed. Th second
Anne beet him bi fiev. But her trieumf was mard bi th fact that Gilbert congrachulaeted her hartily befor th
hoel scool. It wuud hav bin ever so much sweeter to her if he had felt th sting of his defeet.
Mr. Phillips miet not be a verry guud teecher; but a puepil so inflexibly determind on lerning as Anne was
cuud hardly escaep maeking progres under eny kiend of teecher. Bi th end of th term Anne and Gilbert wer
boeth promoeted into th fifth clas and alowd to begin studying th elements of "th branches"--bi which
Latin, jeometry, French, and aljebra wer ment. In jeometry Anne met her Waterloo.
"It's perfectly auful stuf, Marilla," she groend. "I'm shur I'l never be aebl to maek hed or tael of it. Thair is
no scoep for imajinaeshun in it at all. Mr. Phillips ses I'm th werst duns he ever saw at it. And Gil--I meen
sum of th uthers ar so smart at it. It is extreemly mortifieing, Marilla.
Eeven Diana gets along beter than I do. But I don't miend being beeten bi Diana. Eeven alltho we meet as
straenjers now I stil luv her with an INEXTINGUISHABLE luv. It maeks me verry sad at tiems to think
about her. But reealy, Marilla, wun can't stae sad verry long in such an interesting werld, can wun?"
CHAPTER XVIII
Anne to th Rescue
ALL things graet ar woond up with all things litl. At ferst glans it miet not seem that th desizhun of a
serten Canadian Premeer to inclood Prins Edward Ieland in a political tur cuud hav much or enything to do
with th forchuns of litl Anne Shirley at Green Gaebls. But it had.
It was a January th Premeer caem, to adres his loial suporters and such of his nonsupporters as choez to be
prezent at th monster mas meeting held in Charlottetown. Moest of th Avonlea peepl wer on Premier's sied
of politics; hens on th niet of th meeting neerly all th men and a guudly proporshun of th wimen had gon to
toun therty miels awae. Mrs. Rachel Lynde had gon too. Mrs. Rachel Lynde was a red-hot politishan and
cuudn't hav beleevd that th political raly cuud be carryd thru without her, alltho she was on th opozit sied of
politics. So she went to toun and tuuk her huzband--Thomas wuud be uesful in luuking after th hors--and
Marilla Cuthbert with her. Marilla had a sneeking interest in politics herself, and as she thaut it miet be her
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oenly chans to see a reeal liv Premeer, she promptly tuuk it, leeving Anne and Matthew to keep hous until
her retern th foloeing dae.
Hens, whiel Marilla and Mrs. Rachel wer enjoiing themselvs huejly at th mas meeting, Anne and Matthew
had th cheerful kichen at Green Gaebls all to themselvs. A briet fier was gloeing in th oeld-fashund
Waterloo stoev and bloo-whiet frost cristals wer shiening on th windoepaens. Matthew noded oever a
FARMERS' ADVOCAET on th soefa and Anne at th taebl studyd her lesons with grim determinaeshun,
despiet sundry wistful glanses at th clok shelf, wherr lae a nue buuk that Jane Andrews had lent her that
dae. Jane had ashurd her that it was waranted to produes eny number of thrils, or werds to that efect, and
Anne's finggers tingled to reech out for it. But that wuud meen Gilbert Blythe's trieumf on th morro. Anne
ternd her bak on th clok shelf and tried to imajin it wasn't thair.
"Matthew, did U ever study jeometry when U went to scool?"
"Wel now, no, I didn't," sed Matthew, cuming out of his doez with a start.
"I wish U had," sied Anne, "becauz then U'd be aebl to simpathiez with me. U can't simpathiez properly if
U'v never studyd it. It is casting a cloud oever mi hoel lief. I'm such a duns at it, Matthew."
"Wel now, I dunno," sed Matthew soothingly. "I ges U'r all riet at enything. Mr. Phillips toeld me last
week in Blair's stor at Carmody that U was th smartest scolar in scool and was maeking rapid progres.
`Rapid progress' was his verry werds. Thair's them as runs doun Teddy Phillips and ses he ain't much of a
teecher, but I ges he's all riet."
Matthew wuud hav thaut enywun hoo praezd Anne was "all riet."
"I'm shur I'd get on beter with jeometry if oenly he wuudn't chaenj th leters," complaend Anne. "I lern th
propozishun off bi hart and then he draws it on th blakbord and puuts diferent leters frum whut ar in th
buuk and I get all mixt up. I don't think a teecher shuud taek such a meen advantej, do U? We'r studying
agriculcher now and I'v found out at last whut maeks th roeds red. It's a graet cumfort. I wunder how
Marilla and Mrs. Lynde ar enjoiing themselvs. Mrs. Lynde ses Canada is going to th daugs th wae things ar
being run at Ottawa and that it's an auful worning to th electors. She ses if wimen wer alowd to voet we
wuud soon see a blesed chaenj. Whut wae do U voet, Matthew?"
"Conservativ," sed Matthew promptly. To voet Conservativ was part of Matthew's relijon.
"Then I'm Conservativ too," sed Anne desiededly. "I'm glad becauz Gil--becauz sum of th bois in scool ar
Grits. I ges Mr. Phillips is a Grit too becauz Prissy Andrews's faather is wun, and Ruby Gillis ses that
when a man is corting he allwaes has to agree with th girl's muther in relijon and her faather in politics. Is
that troo, Matthew?"
"Wel now, I dunno," sed Matthew.
"Did U ever go corting, Matthew?"
"Wel now, no, I dunno's I ever did," sed Matthew, hoo had sertenly never thaut of such a thing in his hoel
existens.
135
Anne reflected with her chin in her hands.
"It must be rather interesting, don't U think, Matthew? Ruby Gillis ses when she groes up she's going to
hav ever so meny beaus on th string and hav them all craezy about her; but I think that wuud be too
exsieting. I'd rather hav just wun in his riet miend. But Ruby Gillis noes a graet deel about such maters
becauz she has so meny big sisters, and Mrs. Lynde ses th Gillis gerls hav gon off liek hot caeks. Mr.
Phillips goes up to see Prissy Andrews neerly evry eevning. He ses it is to help her with her lesons but
Miranda Sloane is studying for Queen's too, and I shuud think she needed help a lot mor than Prissy becauz
she's ever so much stupider, but he never goes to help her in th eevnings at all. Thair ar a graet meny things
in this werld that I can't understand verry wel, Matthew."
"Wel now, I dunno as I comprehend them all mieself," aknolejd Matthew.
"Wel, I supoez I must finish up mi lesons. I woen't alow mieself to oepen that nue buuk Jane lent me until
I'm thru. But it's a terribl temptaeshun, Matthew. Eeven when I tern mi bak on it I can see it thair just as
plaen. Jane sed she cried herself sik oever it. I luv a buuk that maeks me cri. But I think I'l carry that buuk
into th siting room and lok it in th jam clozet and giv U th kee. And U must NOT giv it to me, Matthew,
until mi lesons ar dun, not eeven if I implor U on mi bended nees. It's all verry wel to sae rezist
temptaeshun, but it's ever so much eezyer to rezist it if U can't get th kee. And then shal I run doun th selar
and get sum russets, Matthew? Wuudn't U liek sum russets?"
"Wel now, I dunno but whut I wuud," sed Matthew, hoo never aet russets but nue Anne's weeknes for them.
Just as Anne emerjd trieumfantly frum th selar with her plaetful of russets caem th sound of flieing
fuutsteps on th iesy bord wauk outsied and th next moement th kichen dor was flung oepen and in rusht
Diana Barry, whiet faest and brethles, with a shall rapt haestily around her hed. Anne promptly let go of
her candl and plaet in her serpriez, and plaet, candl, and apls crasht together doun th selar lader and wer
found at th botom embeded in melted grees, th next dae, bi Marilla, hoo gatherd them up and thankt mersy
th hous hadn't bin set on fier.
"Whutever is th mater, Diana?" cried Anne. "Has yur muther relented at last?"
"O, Anne, do cum qik," implord Diana nervusly. "Minnie Mae is auful sik--she's got croup. Yung Mary
Joe ses--and Faather and Muther ar awae to toun and thair's noebody to go for th doctor. Minnie Mae is
auful bad and Yung Mary Joe duzn't noe whut to do--and o, Anne, I'm so scaird!"
Matthew, without a werd, reecht out for cap and coet, slipt past Diana and awae into th darknes of th yard.
"He's gon to harnes th sorrel mair to go to Carmody for th doctor," sed Anne, hoo was herying on huud and
jaket. "I noe it as wel as if he'd sed so. Matthew and I ar such kindred spirits I can reed his thauts without
werds at all."
"I don't beleev he'l fiend th doctor at Carmody," sobd Diana. "I noe that Dr. Blair went to toun and I ges
Dr. Spencer wuud go too. Yung Mary Joe never saw enybody with croup and Mrs. Lynde is awae. O,
Anne!"
136
"Don't cri, Di," sed Anne cheerily. "I noe exactly whut to do for croup. U forget that Mrs. Hammond had
twins three tiems. When U luuk after three pairs of twins U nacheraly get a lot of expeeryens. Thae all had
croup reguelarly. Just waet til I get th ipecac botl--U mayn't hav eny at yur hous. Cum on now."
Th too litl gerls haesend out hand in hand and heryd thru Lover's Laen and across th crusted feeld beyond,
for th sno was too deep to go bi th shorter wuud wae. Anne, alltho sinseerly sorry for Minnie Mae, was far
frum being insensible to th roemans of th sichuaeshun and to th sweetnes of wuns mor shairing that
roemans with a kindred spirit.
Th niet was cleer and frosty, all ebony of shado and silver of snoey sloep; big stars wer shiening oever th
sielent feelds; heer and thair th dark pointed firs stuud up with sno poudering thair branches and th wind
whisling thru them. Anne thaut it was trooly delietful to go skiming thru all this mistery and luvlynes with
yur buuzom frend hoo had bin so long estraenjd.
Minnie Mae, aejd three, was reealy verry sik. She lae on th kichen soefa feeverish and restles, whiel her
hors breething cuud be herd all oever th hous. Yung Mary Joe, a buxom, braud-faest French gerl frum th
creek, hoom Mrs. Barry had engaejd to stae with th children during her absens, was helples and bewilderd,
qiet incaepabl of thinking whut to do, or doing it if she thaut of it.
Anne went to werk with skil and promptnes.
"Minnie Mae has croup all riet; she's prity bad, but I'v seen them wers. Ferst we must hav lots of hot
wauter. I declair, Diana, thair isn't mor than a cupful in th ketl! Thair, I'v fild it up, and, Mary Joe, U mae
puut sum wuud in th stoev. I don't wont to hert yur feelings but it seems to me U miet hav thaut of this
befor if U'd eny imajinaeshun. Now, I'l undres Minnie Mae and puut her to bed and U tri to fiend sum sofft
flanel cloths, Diana. I'm going to giv her a does of ipecac ferst of all."
Minnie Mae did not taek kiendly to th ipecac but Anne had not braut up three pairs of twins for nuthing.
Doun that ipecac went, not oenly wuns, but meny tiems during th long, ankshus niet when th too litl gerls
werkt paeshently oever th sufering Minnie Mae, and Yung Mary Joe, onestly ankshus to do all she cuud,
kept up a roring fier and heeted mor wauter than wuud hav bin needed for a hospital of croupy baebys.
It was three o'clok when Matthew caem with a doctor, for he had bin obliejd to go all th wae to Spencervale
for wun. But th presing need for asistans was past. Minnie Mae was much beter and was sleeping soundly.
"I was aufuly neer giving up in despair," explaend Anne. "She got wers and wers until she was siker than
ever th Hammond twins wer, eeven th last pair. I akchualy thaut she was going to choek to deth. I gaev
her evry drop of ipecac in that botl and when th last does went doun I sed to mieself--not to Diana or Yung
Mary Joe, becauz I didn't wont to wery them eny mor than thae wer weryd, but I had to sae it to mieself just
to releev mi feelings--`This is th last linggering hoep and I feer, tis a vaen wun.' But in about three minits
she cauft up th flem and began to get beter riet awae. U must just imajin mi releef, doctor, becauz I can't
expres it in werds. U noe thair ar sum things that cannot be exprest in werds."
"Yes, I noe," noded th doctor. He luukt at Anne as if he wer thinking sum things about her that cuudn't be
exprest in werds. Laeter on, however, he exprest them to Mr. and Mrs. Barry.
"That litl redheded gerl thae hav oever at Cuthbert's is as smart as thae maek 'em. I tel U she saevd that
baby's lief, for it wuud hav bin too laet bi th tiem I got thair. She seems to hav a skil and prezens of miend
137
perfectly wunderful in a chield of her aej. I never saw enything liek th ies of her when she was explaening
th caes to me."
Anne had gon hoem in th wunderful, whiet-frosted winter morning, hevy ied frum loss of sleep, but stil
tauking unweariedly to Matthew as thae crosst th long whiet feeld and waukt under th glitering fairy arch of
th Lover's Laen maepls.
"O, Matthew, isn't it a wunderful morning? Th werld luuks liek sumthing God had just imajind for His oen
plezher, duzn't it? Thoes trees luuk as if I cuud blo them awae with a breth--pouf! I'm so glad I liv in a
werld wherr thair ar whiet frosts, arn't U? And I'm so glad Mrs. Hammond had three pairs of twins after
all. If she hadn't I mightn't hav noen whut to do for Minnie Mae. I'm reeal sorry I was ever cross with Mrs.
Hammond for having twins. But, o, Matthew, I'm so sleepy. I can't go to scool. I just noe I cuudn't keep
mi ies oepen and I'd be so stoopid. But l haet to stae hoem, for Gil--sum of th uthers wil get hed of th clas,
and it's so hard to get up agen--alltho of cors th harder it is th mor satisfacshun U hav when U do get up,
havn't U?"
"Wel now, I ges U'l manej all riet," sed Matthew, luuking at Anne's whiet litl faes and th dark shadoes
under her ies. "U just go riet to bed and hav a guud sleep. I'l do all th chors."
Anne acordingly went to bed and slept so long and soundly that it was wel on in th whiet and roezy winter
afternoon when she awoek and desended to th kichen wherr Marilla, hoo had arievd hoem in th meentiem,
was siting niting.
"O, did U see th Premeer?" exclaemd Anne at wuns. "Whut did he luuk liek Marilla?"
"Wel, he never got to be Premeer on acount of his luuks," sed Marilla. "Such a noez as that man had! But
he can speek. I was proud of being a Conservativ. Rachel Lynde, of cors, being a Liberal, had no ues for
him. Yur diner is in th uven, Anne, and U can get yurself sum bloo plum prezerv out of th pantry. I ges U'r
hunggry. Matthew has bin teling me about last niet. I must sae it was forchunet U nue whut to do. I
wuudn't hav had eny iedeea mieself, for I never saw a caes of croup. Thair now, never miend tauking til
U'v had yur diner. I can tel bi th luuk of U that U'r just fuul up with speeches, but thae'l keep."
Marilla had sumthing to tel Anne, but she did not tel it just then for she nue if she did Anne's conseqent
exsietment wuud lift her cleer out of th reejon of such mateerial maters as apetiet or diner. Not until Anne
had finisht her sauser of bloo plums did Marilla sae:
"Mrs. Barry was heer this afternoon, Anne. She wonted to see U, but I wuudn't waek U up. She ses U
saevd Minnie May's lief, and she is verry sorry she acted as she did in that afair of th curant wien. She ses
she noes now U didn't meen to set Diana drunk, and she hoeps U'l forgiv her and be guud frends with Diana
agen. U'r to go oever this eevning if U liek for Diana can't ster outsied th dor on acount of a bad coeld she
caut last niet. Now, Anne Shirley, for pity's saek don't fli up into th air."
Th worning seemd not unnesesairy, so uplifted and airial was Anne's expreshun and atitued as she sprang to
her feet, her faes irraediaeted with th flaem of her spirit.
"O, Marilla, can I go riet now--without woshing mi dishes? I'l wosh them when I cum bak, but I cannot ti
mieself doun to enything so unroemantic as dishwashing at this thriling moement."
138
"Yes, yes, run along," sed Marilla indulgently. "Anne Shirley--ar U craezy? Cum bak this instant and puut
sumthing on U. I miet as wel call to th wind. She's gon without a cap or rap. Luuk at her tairing thru th
orchard with her hair streeming. It'l be a mersy if she duzn't cach her deth of coeld."
Anne caem dansing hoem in th perpl winter twieliet across th snoey plaeses. Afar in th southwest was th
graet shimering, perl-liek sparkl of an eevning star in a skie that was pael goelden and etheerial roez oever
gleeming whiet spaeses and dark glens of sproos. Th tinkls of slae bels amung th snoey hils caem liek elfin
chiems thru th frosty air, but thair muezic was not sweeter than th song in Anne's hart and on her lips.
"U see befor U a perfectly hapy person, Marilla," she anounst. "I'm perfectly hapy--yes, in spiet of mi red
hair. Just at prezent I hav a soel abuv red hair. Mrs. Barry kist me and cried and sed she was so sorry and
she cuud never re-pae me. I felt feerfuly embarrast, Marilla, but I just sed as polietly as I cuud, `I hav no
hard feelings for U, Mrs. Barry. I ashur U wuns for all that I did not meen to intoxicate Diana and
hensforth I shal cuver th past with th mantl of oblivion.' That was a prity dignified wae of speeking wasn't
it, Marilla?
I felt that I was heaping coels of fier on Mrs. Barry's hed. And Diana and I had a luvly afternoon. Diana
shoed me a nue fansy croeshae stich her ant oever at Carmody taut her. Not a soel in Avonlea noes it but
us, and we plejd a solem vow never to reveel it to enywun els. Diana gaev me a buetyful card with a reeth
of roezes on it and a vers of poeetry:
"If U luv me as I luv U
Nuthing but deth can part us too.
And that is troo, Marilla. We'r going to ask Mr. Phillips to let us sit together in scool agen, and Gertie Pye
can go with Minnie Andrews. We had an elegant tee. Mrs. Barry had th verry best chiena set out, Marilla,
just as if I was reeal cumpany. I can't tel U whut a thril it gaev me. Noebody ever uezd thair verry best
chiena on mi acount befor. And we had froot caek and pound caek and doughnuts and too kiends of
prezervs, Marilla. And Mrs. Barry askt me if I tuuk tee and sed `Paa, whi don't U pas th biskits to Anne?' It
must be luvly to be groen up, Marilla, when just being treeted as if U wer is so nies."
"I don't noe about that," sed Marilla, with a breef si.
"Wel, enywae, when I am groen up," sed Anne desiededly, "I'm allwaes going to tauk to litl gerls as if thae
wer too, and I'l never laf when thae uez big werds. I noe frum sorroeful expeeryens how that herts one's
feelings. After tee Diana and I maed tafy. Th tafy wasn't verry guud, I supoez becauz neether Diana nor I
had ever maed eny befor. Diana left me to ster it whiel she buterd th plates and I forgot and let it bern; and
then when we set it out on th platform to cool th cat waukt oever wun plaet and that had to be throen awae.
But th maeking of it was splendid fun. Then when I caem hoem Mrs. Barry askt me to cum oever as offen
as I cuud and Diana stuud at th windo and throo kises to me all th wae doun to Lover's Laen. I ashur U,
Marilla, that I feel liek praeing toniet and I'm going to think out a speshal brand-nue prair in onor of th
ocaezhun."
139
CHAPTER XIX
A Consert a Catastrofy and a Confeshun
"MARILLA, can I go oever to see Diana just for a minit?" askt Anne, runing brethlesly doun frum th eest
gaebl wun February eevning.
"I don't see whut U wont to be traepsing about after dark for," sed Marilla shortly. "U and Diana waukt
hoem frum scool together and then stuud doun thair in th sno for haf an our mor, yur tungs going th hoel
blesed tiem, clickety-clack. So I don't think U'r verry badly off to see her agen."
"But she wonts to see me," pleeded Anne. "She has sumthing verry important to tel me."
"How do U noe she has?"
"Becauz she just signald to me frum her windo. We hav araenjd a wae to signal with our candls and
cardbord. We set th candl on th windo sil and maek flashes bi pasing th cardbord bak and forth. So meny
flashes meen a serten thing. It was mi iedeea, Marilla."
"I'l warant U it was," sed Marilla emfaticaly. "And th next thing U'l be seting fier to th curtens with yur
signaling nonsens."
"O, we'r verry cairful, Marilla. And it's so interesting. Too flashes meen, `Ar U thair?' Three meen `yes'
and foer `no.' Fiev meen, `Cum oever as soon as posibl, becauz I hav sumthing important to reveel.' Diana
has just signald fiev flashes, and I'm reealy sufering to noe whut it is."
"Wel, U needn't sufer eny longger," sed Marilla sarcasticaly. "U can go, but U'r to be bak heer in just ten
minits, remember that."
Anne did remember it and was bak in th stipulated tiem, alltho probably no mortal wil ever noe just whut it
cost her to confien th discushun of Diana's important comuenicaeshun within th limits of ten minits. But at
leest she had maed guud ues of them.
"O, Marilla, whut do U think? U noe tomorro is Diana's berthdae. Wel, her muther toeld her she cuud ask
me to go hoem with her frum scool and stae all niet with her. And her cuzins ar cuming oever frum
Newbridge in a big pung slae to go to th Debaeting Club consert at th hall tomorro niet. And thae ar going
to taek Diana and me to th consert--if U'l let me go, that is. U wil, woen't U, Marilla? O, I feel so
exsieted."
"U can caam doun then, becauz U'r not going. U'r beter at hoem in yur oen bed, and as for that club
consert, it's all nonsens, and litl gerls shuud not be alowd to go out to such plaeses at all."
"I'm shur th Debaeting Club is a moest respectabl afair," pleeded Anne.
"I'm not saeing it isn't. But U'r not going to begin gading about to conserts and staeing out all ours of th
niet. Prity doings for children. I'm serpriezd at Mrs. Barry's leting Diana go."
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"But it's such a verry speshal ocaezhun," mornd Anne, on th verj of teers. "Diana has oenly wun berthdae
in a yeer. It isn't as if birthdays wer comon things, Marilla. Prissy Andrews is going to resiet `Curfue Must
Not Ring Toniet.' That is such a guud moral pees, Marilla, I'm shur it wuud do me lots of guud to heer it.
And th qier ar going to sing foer luvly pathetic songs that ar prity neer as guud as hims. And o, Marilla, th
minister is going to taek part; yes, indeed, he is; he's going to giv an adres. That wil be just about th saem
thing as a sermon. Pleez, mayn't I go, Marilla?"
"U herd whut I sed, Anne, didn't U? Taek off yur boots now and go to bed. It's past aet."
"Thair's just wun mor thing, Marilla," sed Anne, with th air of produesing th last shot in her loker. "Mrs.
Barry toeld Diana that we miet sleep in th spair-room bed. Think of th onor of yur litl Anne being puut in
th spair-room bed."
"It's an onor U'l hav to get along without. Go to bed, Anne, and don't let me heer anuther werd out of U."
When Anne, with teers roeling oever her cheeks, had gon sorrowfully upstairs, Matthew, hoo had bin
aparrently sound asleep on th lounj during th hoel diealog, oepend his ies and sed desiededly:
"Wel now, Marilla, I think U aut to let Anne go."
"I don't then," retorted Marilla. "Hoo's bringing this chield up, Matthew, U or me?"
"Wel now, U," admited Matthew.
"Don't interfeer then."
"Wel now, I ain't interfeering. It ain't interfeering to hav yur oen opinyon. And mi opinyon is that U aut to
let Anne go."
"U'd think I aut to let Anne go to th moon if she tuuk th noeshun, I'v no dout" was Marilla's aemiabl
rejoinder. "I miet hav let her spend th niet with Diana, if that was all. But I don't aproov of this consert
plan. She'd go thair and cach coeld liek as not, and hav her hed fild up with nonsens and exsietment. It
wuud unsettle her for a week. I understand that child's dispozishun and whut's guud for it beter than U,
Matthew."
"I think U aut to let Anne go," repeeted Matthew fermly. Arguement was not his strong point, but hoelding
fast to his opinyon sertenly was. Marilla gaev a gasp of helplesnes and tuuk refuej in sielens. Th next
morning, when Anne was woshing th brekfast dishes in th pantry, Matthew pauzd on his wae out to th barn
to sae to Marilla agen:
"I think U aut to let Anne go, Marilla."
For a moement Marilla luukt things not lawful to be uterd. Then she yeelded to th inevitabl and sed tartly:
"Verry wel, she can go, sinss nuthing else'll pleez U."
Anne floo out of th pantry, driping dishcloth in hand.
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"O, Marilla, Marilla, sae thoes blesed werds agen."
"I ges wuns is enuf to sae them. This is Matthew's doings and I wosh mi hands of it. If U cach nuemoenia
sleeping in a straenj bed or cuming out of that hot hall in th midl of th niet, don't blaem me, blaem
Matthew. Anne Shirley, U'r driping greezy wauter all oever th flor. I never saw such a cairles chield."
"O, I noe I'm a graet trieal to U, Marilla," sed Anne repentantly. "I maek so meny mistaeks. But then just
think of all th mistaeks I don't maek, alltho I miet. I'l get sum sand and scrub up th spots befor I go to
scool. O, Marilla, mi hart was just set on going to that consert. I never was to a consert in mi lief, and
when th uther gerls tauk about them in scool I feel so out of it. U didn't noe just how I felt about it, but U
see Matthew did. Matthew understands me, and it's so nies to be understuud, Marilla."
Anne was too exsieted to do herself justis as to lesons that morning in scool. Gilbert Blythe speld her doun
in clas and left her cleer out of siet in mental arithmetic. Anne's conseqent huemiliaeshun was les than it
miet hav bin, however, in vue of th consert and th spair-room bed. She and Diana taukt so constantly about
it all dae that with a stricter teecher than Mr. Phillips dier disgraes must inevitably hav bin thair porshun.
Anne felt that she cuud not hav born it if she had not bin going to th consert, for nuthing els was discust
that dae in scool. Th Avonlea Debaeting Club, which met fortnietly all winter, had had several smaller free
entertaenments; but this was to be a big afair, admishun ten sents, in aed of th liebrairy. Th Avonlea yung
peepl had bin practising for weeks, and all th scolars wer espeshaly interested in it bi reezon of oelder
bruthers and sisters hoo wer going to taek part. Evrybody in scool oever nien yeers of aej expected to go,
exsept Carrie Sloane, hoos faather shaird Marilla's opinyons about small gerls going out to niet conserts.
Carrie Sloane cried into her gramar all th afternoon and felt that lief was not werth living.
For Anne th reeal exsietment began with th dismisal of scool and increest thairfrum in creshendo until it
reecht to a crash of pozitiv extasy in th consert itself. Thae had a "perfectly elegant tee;" and then caem th
delishus ocuepaeshun of dresing in Diana's litl room upstairs. Diana did Anne's frunt hair in th nue
pompador stiel and Anne tied Diana's bows with th espeshal nak she pozest; and thae experrimented with at
leest haf a duzen diferent waes of araenjing thair bak hair. At last thae wer redy, cheeks scarlet and ies
gloeing with exsietment.
Troo, Anne cuud not help a litl pang when she contrasted her plaen blak tam and shaeples, tiet-sleeved,
hoemmaed grae-clauth coet with Diana's jaunty fer cap and smart litl jaket. But she rememberd in tiem that
she had an imajinaeshun and cuud uez it.
Then Diana's cuzins, th Murrays frum Newbridge, caem; thae all crouded into th big pung slae, amung
straw and fery roebs. Anne reveld in th driev to th hall, sliping along oever th satin-smooth roeds with th
sno crisping under th runers. Thair was a magnifisent sunset, and th snoey hils and deep-bloo wauter of th
St. Lawrence Gulf seemd to rim??? in th splendor liek a huej boel of perl and safier brimd with wien and
fier. Tinkls of slae bels and distant lafter, that seemd liek th merth of wuud elvs, caem frum evry qorter.
"O, Diana," breethd Anne, sqeezing Diana's mittened hand under th fer roeb, "isn't it all liek a buetyful
dreem? Do I reealy luuk th saem as uezhual? I feel so diferent that it seems to me it must sho in mi luuks."
"U luuk aufuly nies," sed Diana, hoo having just reseevd a compliment frum wun of her cuzins, felt that she
aut to pas it on. "U'v got th luvlyest culor."
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Th proegram that niet was a seerys of "thrils" for at leest wun lisener in th audyens, and, as Anne ashurd
Diana, evry sucseeding thril was thrillier than th last. When Prissy Andrews, atierd in a nue pink-silk waest
with a string of perls about her smooth whiet throet and reeal carnaeshuns in her hair--roomor whisperd that
th master had sent all th wae to toun for them for her--"cliemd th slimy lader, dark without wun rae of liet,"
Anne shiverd in lugzhurius simpathy; when th qier sang "Far Abuv th Jentl Daezys" Anne gaezd at th
seeling as if it wer frescoed with aenjels; when Sam Sloane proseeded to explaen and ilustraet "How
Sockery Set a Hen" Anne laft until peepl siting neer her laft too, mor out of simpathy with her than with
amuezment at a selecshun that was rather thredbair eeven in Avonlea; and when Mr. Phillips gaev Mark
Antony's oraeshun oever th ded body of Caesar in th moest heartstirring toens--luuking at Prissy Andrews
at th end of evry sentens--Anne felt that she cuud riez and muetiny on th spot if but wun Roman sitizen led
th wae.
Oenly wun number on th proegram faeld to interest her. When Gilbert Blythe resieted "Bingen on th
Rhine" Anne pikt up Rhoda Murray's liebrairy buuk and reed it until he had finisht, when she sat rijidly stif
and moeshunles whiel Diana clapt her hands until thae tingled.
It was eleven when thae got hoem, sated with disipaeshun, but with th exseeding sweet plezher of tauking it
all oever stil to cum. Evrybody seemd asleep and th hous was dark and sielent. Anne and Diana tiptoed
into th parlor, a long narro room out of which th spair room oepend. It was plezantly worm and dimly
lieted bi th embers of a fier in th graet.
"Let's undres heer," sed Diana. "It's so nies and worm."
"Hasn't it bin a delietful tiem?" sied Anne rapturously. "It must be splendid to get up and resiet thair. Do U
supoez we wil ever be askt to do it, Diana?"
"Yes, of cors, sumdae. Thae'r allwaes wonting th big scolars to resiet. Gilbert Blythe duz offen and he's
oenly too yeers oelder than us. O, Anne, how cuud U pretend not to lisen to him? When he caem to th
lien,
"THAIR'S ANUTHER, not A SISTER,
he luukt riet doun at U."
"Diana," sed Anne with dignity, "U ar mi buuzom frend, but I cannot alow eeven U to speek to me of that
person. Ar U redy for bed? Let's run a raes and see hoo'l get to th bed ferst."
Th sugjeschun apeeld to Diana. Th too litl whiet-clad figuers floo doun th long room, thru th spair-room
dor, and bounded on th bed at th saem moement. And then--sumthing--moovd beneeth them, thair was a
gasp and a cri--and sumbody sed in mufld acsents:
"Mersyful guudnes!"
Anne and Diana wer never aebl to tel just how thae got off that bed and out of th room. Thae oenly nue
that after wun frantic rush thae found themselvs tiptoeing shiveringly upstairs.
"O, hoo was it--WHUT was it?" whisperd Anne, her teeth chatering with coeld and friet.
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"It was Ant Josephine," sed Diana, gasping with lafter. "O, Anne, it was Ant Josephine, however she caem
to be thair. O, and I noe she wil be fuerius. It's dredful--it's reealy dredful--but did U ever noe enything so
funy, Anne?"
"Hoo is yur Ant Josephine?"
"She's father's ant and she lievs in Charlottetown. She's aufuly oeld--seventy enyhow--and I don't beleev
she was EVER a litl gerl. We wer expecting her out for a vizit, but not so soon. She's aufuly prim and
proper and she'l scoeld dredfuly about this, I noe. Wel, we'l hav to sleep with Minnie Mae--and U can't
think how she kiks."
Mis Josephine Barry did not apeer at th erly brekfast th next morning. Mrs. Barry smield kiendly at th too
litl gerls.
"Did U hav a guud tiem last niet? I tried to stae awaek until U caem hoem, for I wonted to tel U Ant
Josephine had cum and that U wuud hav to go upstairs after all, but I was so tierd I fel asleep. I hoep U
didn't disterb yur ant, Diana."
Diana prezervd a discreet sielens, but she and Anne exchaenjd fertiv smiels of gilty amuezment across th
taebl. Anne heryd hoem after brekfast and so remaend in blisful ignorans of th disterbans which prezently
rezulted in th Barry hous-hoeld until th laet afternoon, when she went doun to Mrs. Lynde's on an errand
for Marilla.
"So U and Diana neerly frietend pur oeld Mis Barry to deth last niet?" sed Mrs. Lynde seveerly, but with a
twinkl in her ie. "Mrs. Barry was heer a fue minits ago on her wae to Carmody. She's feeling reeal weryd
oever it. Oeld Mis Barry was in a terribl temper when she got up this morning--and Josephine Barry's
temper is no joek, I can tel U that. She wuudn't speek to Diana at all."
"It wasn't Diana's fallt," sed Anne contritely. "It was mien. I sugjested raesing to see hoo wuud get into bed
ferst."
"I nue it!" sed Mrs. Lynde, with th exultaeshun of a corect guesser. "I nue that iedeea caem out of yur hed.
Wel, it's maed a nies lot of trubl, that's whut. Oeld Mis Barry caem out to stae for a munth, but she declairs
she woen't stae anuther dae and is going riet bak to toun tomorro, Sunday and all as it is. She'd hav gon
todae if thae cuud hav taeken her. She had promist to pae for a quarter's muezic lesons for Diana, but now
she is determind to do nuthing at all for such a tomboi. O, I ges thae had a lievly tiem of it thair this
morning. Th Barrys must feel cut up. Oeld Mis Barry is rich and thae'd liek to keep on th guud sied of her.
Of cors, Mrs. Barry didn't sae just that to me, but I'm a prity guud juj of hueman naecher, that's whut."
"I'm such an unluky gerl," mornd Anne. "I'm allwaes geting into scraeps mieself and geting mi best frends-peepl I'd shed mi heart's blud for--into them too. Can U tel me whi it is so, Mrs. Lynde?"
"It's becauz U'r too heedles and impulsiv, chield, that's whut. U never stop to think--whutever cums into
yur hed to sae or do U sae or do it without a moment's reflecshun."
"O, but that's th best of it," proetested Anne. "Sumthing just flashes into yur miend, so exsieting, and U
must out with it. If U stop to think it oever U spoil it all. Havn't U never felt that yurself, Mrs. Lynde?"
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No, Mrs. Lynde had not. She shuuk her hed sagely.
"U must lern to think a litl, Anne, that's whut. Th proverb U need to go bi is `Luuk befor U leap'-espeshaly into spair-room beds."
Mrs. Lynde laft cumfortably oever her mield joek, but Anne remaend pensiv. She saw nuthing to laf at in
th sichuaeshun, which to her ies apeerd verry seerius. When she left Mrs. Lynde's she tuuk her wae across
th crusted feelds to Orchard Sloep. Diana met her at th kichen dor.
"Yur Ant Josephine was verry cross about it, wasn't she?" whisperd Anne.
"Yes," anserd Diana, stiefling a gigl with an aprehensiv glans oever her shoelder at th cloezd siting-room
dor. "She was fairly dansing with raej, Anne. O, how she scoelded. She sed I was th werst-behaevd gerl
she ever saw and that mi pairents aut to be ashaemd of th wae thae had braut me up. She ses she woen't stae
and I'm shur I don't cair. But Faather and Muther do."
"Whi didn't U tel them it was mi fallt?" demanded Anne.
"It's liekly I'd do such a thing, isn't it?" sed Diana with just scorn. "I'm no teltael, Anne Shirley, and
enyhow I was just as much to blaem as U."
"Wel, I'm going in to tel her mieself," sed Anne rezolootly.
Diana staird.
"Anne Shirley, U'd never! whi--she'l eet U aliev!"
"Don't frieten me eny mor than I am frietend," implord Anne. "I'd rather wauk up to a cannon's mouth. But
I'v got to do it, Diana. It was mi fallt and I'v got to confes. I'v had practis in confesing, forchunetly."
"Wel, she's in th room," sed Diana. "U can go in if U wont to. I wuudn't dair. And I don't beleev U'l do a
bit of guud."
With this encurejment Anne beerded th lieon in its den--that is to sae, waukt rezolootly up to th siting-room
dor and nokt faently. A sharp "Cum in" foloed.
Mis Josephine Barry, thin, prim, and rijid, was niting feersly bi th fier, her rath qiet unappeased and her ies
snaping thru her goeld-rimd glases. She wheeld around in her chair, expecting to see Diana, and beheld a
whiet-faest gerl hoos graet ies wer brimd up with a mixcher of desperet curej and shrinking terror.
"Hoo ar U?" demanded Mis Josephine Barry, without serremoeny.
"I'm Anne of Green Gaebls," sed th small vizitor tremuelusly, clasping her hands with her carracteristic
jescher, "and I'v cum to confes, if U pleez."
"Confes whut?"
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"That it was all mi fallt about jumping into bed on U last niet. I sugjested it. Diana wuud never hav thaut
of such a thing, I am shur. Diana is a verry laedyliek gerl, Mis Barry. So U must see how unjust it is to
blaem her."
"O, I must, hae? I rather think Diana did her shair of th jumping at leest. Such carryings on in a respectabl
hous!"
"But we wer oenly in fun," persisted Anne. "I think U aut to forgiv us, Mis Barry, now that we'v
apolojiezd. And enyhow, pleez forgiv Diana and let her hav her muezic lesons. Diana's hart is set on her
muezic lesons, Mis Barry, and I noe too wel whut it is to set yur hart on a thing and not get it. If U must be
cross with enywun, be cross with me. I'v bin so uezd in mi erly daes to having peepl cross at me that I can
endur it much beter than Diana can."
Much of th snap had gon out of th oeld lady's ies bi this tiem and was replaest bi a twinkl of amuezd
interest. But she stil sed seveerly:
"I don't think it is eny excues for U that U wer oenly in fun. Litl gerls never induljd in that kiend of fun
when I was yung. U don't noe whut it is to be awaekend out of a sound sleep, after a long and arjuos jerny,
bi too graet gerls cuming bouns doun on U."
"I don't NOE, but I can IMAJIN," sed Anne eegerly. "I'm shur it must hav bin verry disterbing. But then,
thair is our sied of it too. Hav U eny imajinaeshun, Mis Barry? If U hav, just puut yurself in our plaes. We
didn't noe thair was enybody in that bed and U neerly scaird us to deth. It was simply auful th wae we felt.
And then we cuudn't sleep in th spair room after being promist. I supoez U ar uezd to sleeping in spair
rooms. But just imajin whut U wuud feel liek if U wer a litl orfan gerl hoo had never had such an onor."
All th snap had gon bi this tiem. Mis Barry akchualy laft--a sound which cauzd Diana, waeting in
speechles angzieity in th kichen outsied, to giv a graet gasp of releef.
"I'm afraed mi imajinaeshun is a litl rusty--it's so long sinss I uezd it," she sed. "I dair sae yur claem to
simpathy is just as strong as mien. It all depends on th wae we luuk at it. Sit doun heer and tel me about
yurself."
"I am verry sorry I can't," sed Anne fermly. "I wuud liek to, becauz U seem liek an interesting laedy, and U
miet eeven be a kindred spirit alltho U don't luuk verry much liek it. But it is mi duety to go hoem to Mis
Marilla Cuthbert. Mis Marilla Cuthbert is a verry kiend laedy hoo has taeken me to bring up properly. She
is doing her best, but it is verry discurejing werk. U must not blaem her becauz I jumpt on th bed. But
befor I go I do wish U wuud tel me if U wil forgiv Diana and stae just as long as U ment to in Avonlea."
"I think perhaps I wil if U wil cum oever and tauk to me ocaezhunaly," sed Mis Barry.
That eevning Mis Barry gaev Diana a silver banggl braeslet and toeld th seenyor members of th hous-hoeld
that she had unpakt her valees.
"I'v maed up mi miend to stae simply for th saek of geting beter aqaented with that Anne-gerl," she sed
frankly. "She amuses me, and at mi tiem of lief an amuezing person is a rairity."
Marilla's oenly coment when she herd th story was, "I toeld U so." This was for Matthew's benefit.
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Mis Barry staed her munth out and oever. She was a mor agreeabl gest than uezhual, for Anne kept her in
guud huemor. Thae becaem ferm frends.
When Mis Barry went awae she sed:
"Remember, U Anne-gerl, when U cum to toun U'r to vizit me and I'l puut U in mi verry sparest spair-room
bed to sleep."
"Mis Barry was a kindred spirit, after all," Anne confieded to Marilla. "U wuudn't think so to luuk at her,
but she is. U don't fiend it riet out at ferst, as in Matthew's caes, but after a whiel U cum to see it. Kindred
spirits ar not so scairs as I uezd to think. It's splendid to fiend out thair ar so meny of them in th werld."
CHAPTER XX
A Guud Imajinaeshun Gon Rong
Spring had cum wuns mor to Green Gaebls--th buetyful caprishus, reluctant Canadian spring, linggering
along thru April and Mae in a sucseshun of sweet, fresh, chily daes, with pink sunsets and miracls of
rezerecshun and groeth. Th maepls in Lover's Laen wer red buded and litl curly ferns puusht up around th
Dryad's Bubl. Awae up in th barrens, behiend Mr. Silas Sloane's plaes, th Mayflowers blosomd out, pink
and whiet stars of sweetnes under thair broun leevs. All th scool gerls and bois had wun goelden afternoon
gathering them, cuming hoem in th cleer, ekoeing twieliet with arms and baskets fuul of flowery spoil.
"I'm so sorry for peepl hoo liv in lands wherr thair ar no Mayflowers," sed Anne. "Diana ses perhaps thae
hav sumthing beter, but thair cuudn't be enything beter than Mayflowers, cuud thair, Marilla? And Diana
ses if thae don't noe whut thae ar liek thae don't mis them. But I think that is th sadest thing of all. I think
it wuud be TRAJIC, Marilla, not to noe whut Mayflowers ar liek and NOT to mis them. Do U noe whut I
think Mayflowers ar, Marilla? I think thae must be th soels of th flowers that died last sumer and this is
thair heven. But we had a splendid tiem todae, Marilla. We had our lunch doun in a big mossy holo bi an
oeld wel--such a ROEMANTIC spot. Charlie Sloane daird Arty Gillis to jump oever it, and Arty did
becauz he wuudn't taek a dair. Noebody wuud in scool. It is verry FASHUNABL to dair. Mr. Phillips
gaev all th Mayflowers he found to Prissy Andrews and I herd him to sae `sweets to th sweet.' He got that
out of a buuk, I noe; but it shoes he has sum imajinaeshun. I was offerd sum Mayflowers too, but I rejected
them with scorn. I can't tel U th person's naem becauz I hav vowd never to let it cross mi lips. We maed
reeths of th Mayflowers and puut them on our hats; and when th tiem caem to go hoem we marcht in
proseshun doun th roed, too bi too, with our boekaes and reeths, singing `Mi Hoem on th Hil.' O, it was so
thriling, Marilla. All Mr. Silas Sloane's foeks rusht out to see us and evrybody we met on th roed stopt and
staird after us. We maed a reeal sensaeshun."
"Not much wunder! Such sily doings!" was Marilla's respons.
After th Mayflowers caem th vieolets, and Vieolet Vael was empurpled with them. Anne waukt thru it on
her wae to scool with reverent steps and wershiping ies, as if she trod on hoely ground.
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"Sumhow," she toeld Diana, "when I'm going thru heer I don't reealy cair whether Gil--whether enybody
gets ahed of me in clas or not. But when I'm up in scool it's all diferent and I cair as much as ever. Thair's
such a lot of diferent Annes in me. I sumtiems think that is whi I'm such a trublsum person. If I was just th
wun Anne it wuud be ever so much mor cumfortabl, but then it wuudn't be haf so interesting."
Wun June eevning, when th orchards wer pink blosomd agen, when th frogs wer singing silverly sweet in
th marshes about th hed of th Laek of Shiening Wauters, and th air was fuul of th saevor of cloever feelds
and balsamic fer wuuds, Anne was siting bi her gaebl windo. She had bin studying her lesons, but it had
groen too dark to see th buuk, so she had fallen into wied-ied revery, luuking out past th bows of th Sno
Qeen, wuns mor bestarred with its tufts of blosom.
In all esenshal respects th litl gaebl chaember was unchaenjd. Th walls wer as whiet, th pincuushun as hard,
th chairs as stifly and yellowly upriet as ever. Yet th hoel carracter of th room was allterd. It was fuul of a
nue vietal, pulsing personality that seemd to pervaed it and to be qiet independent of scoolgerl buuks and
dreses and ribons, and eeven of th crakt bloo jug fuul of apl blosoms on th taebl. It was as if all th dreems,
sleeping and waeking, of its vivid ocuepant had taeken a vizibl alltho unmaterial form and had tapestried th
bair room with splendid filmy tishoos of raenbo and moonshien. Prezently Marilla caem briskly in with
sum of Anne's freshly ieernd scool aeprons. She hung them oever a chair and sat doun with a short si. She
had had wun of her hedaeks that afternoon, and alltho th paen had gon she felt weak and "tuckered out," as
she exprest it. Anne luukt at her with ies limpid with simpathy.
"I do trooly wish I cuud hav had th hedaek in yur plaes, Marilla. I wuud hav endurd it joifuly for yur saek."
"I ges U did yur part in atending to th werk and leting me rest," sed Marilla. "U seem to hav got on fairly
wel and maed fueer mistaeks than uezhual. Of cors it wasn't exactly nesesairy to starch Matthew's
hankerchifs! And moest peepl when thae puut a pi in th uven to worm up for diner taek it out and eet it
when it gets hot insted of leeving it to be bernd to a crisp. But that duzn't seem to be yur wae evidently."
Hedaeks allwaes left Marilla sumwhut sarcastic.
"O, I'm so sorry," sed Anne penitently. "I never thaut about that pi frum th moement I puut it in th uven til
now, alltho I felt INSTINKTIVLY that thair was sumthing mising on th diner taebl. I was fermly rezolvd,
when U left me in charj this morning, not to imajin enything, but keep mi thauts on facts. I did prity wel
until I puut th pi in, and then an irrezistibl temptaeshun caem to me to imajin I was an enchanted prinses
shut up in a loenly tower with a hansum niet rieding to mi rescue on a coel-blak steed. So that is how I
caem to forget th pi. I didn't noe I starcht th hankerchifs. All th tiem I was ieerning I was trieing to think of
a naem for a nue ieland Diana and I hav discuverd up th bruuk. It's th moest ravishing spot, Marilla. Thair
ar too maepl trees on it and th bruuk floes riet around it. At last it struk me that it wuud be splendid to call
it Victoria Ieland becauz we found it on th Queen's berthdae. Boeth Diana and I ar verry loial. But I'm
sorry about that pi and th hankerchifs. I wonted to be extra guud todae becauz it's an aniversary. Do U
remember whut hapend this dae last yeer, Marilla?"
"No, I can't think of enything speshal."
"O, Marilla, it was th dae I caem to Green Gaebls. I shal never forget it. It was th terning point in mi lief.
Of cors it wuudn't seem so important to U. I'v bin heer for a yeer and I'v bin so hapy. Of cors, I'v had mi
trubls, but wun can liv doun trubls. Ar U sorry U kept me, Marilla?"
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"No, I can't sae I'm sorry," sed Marilla, hoo sumtiems wunderd how she cuud hav livd befor Anne caem to
Green Gaebls, "no, not exactly sorry. If U'v finisht yur lesons, Anne, I wont U to run oever and ask Mrs.
Barry if she'l lend me Diana's aepron patern."
"O--it's--it's too dark," cried Anne.
"Too dark? Whi, it's oenly twieliet. And guudnes noes U'v gon oever offen enuf after dark."
"I'l go oever erly in th morning," sed Anne eegerly. "I'l get up at sunriez and go oever, Marilla."
"Whut has got into yur hed now, Anne Shirley? I wont that patern to cut out yur nue aepron this eevning.
Go at wuns and be smart too."
"I'l hav to go around bi th roed, then," sed Anne, taeking up her hat reluctantly.
"Go bi th roed and waest haf an our! I'd liek to cach U!"
"I can't go thru th Haunted Wuud, Marilla," cried Anne desperetly.
Marilla staird.
"Th Haunted Wuud! Ar U craezy? Whut under th canopy is th Haunted Wuud?"
"Th sproos wuud oever th bruuk," sed Anne in a whisper.
"Fidlstiks! Thair is no such thing as a haunted wuud enywhair. Hoo has bin teling U such stuf?"
"Noebody," confest Anne. "Diana and I just imajind th wuud was haunted. All th plaeses around heer ar
so--so--COMONPLAES. We just got this up for our oen amuezment. We began it in April. A haunted
wuud is so verry roemantic, Marilla. We choez th sproos groev becauz it's so gloomy. O, we hav imajind
th moest harroeing things. Thair's a whiet laedy wauks along th bruuk just about this tiem of th niet and
rings her hands and utters waeling cries. She apeers when thair is to be a deth in th family. And th goest of
a litl merderd chield haunts th corner up bi Idlewild; it creeps up behiend U and laes its coeld finggers on
yur hand--so. O, Marilla, it givs me a shuder to think of it. And thair's a hedles man stauks up and doun th
path and skeletons glower at U between th bows. O, Marilla, I wuudn't go thru th Haunted Wuud after dark
now for enything. I'd be shur that whiet things wuud reech out frum behiend th trees and grab me."
"Did ever enywun heer th liek!" ejacuelaeted Marilla, hoo had lisend in dum amaezment. "Anne Shirley,
do U meen to tel me U beleev all that wiked nonsens of yur oen imajinaeshun?"
"Not beleev EXACTLY," fallterd Anne. "At leest, I don't beleev it in daeliet. But after dark, Marilla, it's
diferent. That is when goests wauk."
"Thair ar no such things as goests, Anne."
"O, but thair ar, Marilla," cried Anne eegerly. "I noe peepl hoo hav seen them. And thae ar respectabl
peepl. Charlie Sloane ses that his grandmuther saw his grandfaather drieving hoem th cows wun niet after
he'd bin berryd for a yeer. U noe Charlie Sloane's grandmuther wuudn't tel a story for enything. She's a
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verry relijus wuuman. And Mrs. Thomas's faather was persood hoem wun niet bi a lam of fier with its hed
cut off hanging bi a strip of skin. He sed he nue it was th spirit of his bruther and that it was a worning he
wuud die within nien daes. He didn't, but he died too yeers after, so U see it was reealy troo. And Ruby
Gillis ses--"
"Anne Shirley," interupted Marilla fermly, "I never wont to heer U tauking in this fashun agen. I'v had mi
douts about that imajinaeshun of yurs riet along, and if this is going to be th outcum of it, I woen't
countenans eny such doings. U'l go riet oever to Barry's, and U'l go thru that sproos groev, just for a leson
and a worning to U. And never let me heer a werd out of yur hed about haunted wuuds agen."
Anne miet pleed and cri as she liekt--and did, for her terror was verry reeal. Her imajinaeshun had run
awae with her and she held th sproos groev in mortal dred after nietfual. But Marilla was inexorabl. She
marcht th shrinking ghostseer doun to th spring and orderd her to proseed straet-awae oever th brij and into
th dusky retreets of waeling laedys and hedles specters beyond.
"O, Marilla, how can U be so crooel?" sobd Anne. "Whut wuud U feel liek if a whiet thing did snach me
up and carry me off?"
"I'l risk it," sed Marilla unfeelingly. "U noe I allwaes meen whut I sae. I'l cuer U of imajining goests into
plaeses. March, now."
Anne marcht. That is, she stumbld oever th brij and went shudering up th horribl dim path beyond. Anne
never forgot that wauk. Biterly did she repent th liesens she had given to her imajinaeshun. Th goblins of
her fansy lerkt in evry shado about her, reeching out thair coeld, fleshless hands to grasp th terrified small
gerl hoo had calld them into being. A whiet strip of berch bark bloeing up frum th holo oever th broun flor
of th groev maed her hart stand stil. Th long-drawn wael of too oeld bows rubing agenst eech uther braut
out th perspiraeshun in beeds on her forhed. Th swoop of bats in th darknes oever her was as th wings of
unerthly creechers. When she reecht Mr. William Bell's feeld she fled across it as if persood bi an army of
whiet things, and arievd at th Barry kichen dor so out of breth that she cuud hardly gasp out her reqest for
th aepron patern. Diana was awae so that she had no excues to lingger. Th dredful retern jerny had to be
faest. Anne went bak oever it with shut ies, prefering to taek th risk of dashing her braens out amung th
bows to that of seeing a whiet thing. When she fienaly stumbld oever th log brij she droo wun long
shivering breth of releef.
"Wel, so nuthing caut U?" sed Marilla unsympathetically.
"O, Mar--Marilla," chaterd Anne, "I'l b-b-be contt-tented with c-c-comonplaes plaeses after this."
CHAPTER XXI
A Nue Deparcher in Flaevorings
"Deer me, thair is nuthing but meetings and partings in this werld, as Mrs. Lynde ses," remarkt Anne
plaintively, puuting her slaet and buuks doun on th kichen taebl on th last dae of June and wieping her red
ies with a verry damp hankerchif. "Wasn't it forchunet, Marilla, that I tuuk an extra hankerchif to scool
todae? I had a presentiment that it wuud be needed."
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"I never thaut U wer so fond of Mr. Phillips that U'd reqier too hankerchifs to dri yur teers just becauz he
was going awae," sed Marilla.
"I don't think I was crieing becauz I was reealy so verry fond of him," reflected Anne. "I just cried becauz
all th uthers did. It was Ruby Gillis started it. Ruby Gillis has allwaes declaird she haeted Mr. Phillips, but
just as soon as he got up to maek his fairwel speech she berst into teers. Then all th gerls began to cri, wun
after th uther. I tried to hoeld out, Marilla. I tried to remember th tiem Mr. Phillips maed me sit with Gil-with a, boi; and th tiem he speld mi naem without an e on th blakbord; and how he sed I was th werst duns
he ever saw at jeometry and laft at mi speling; and all th tiems he had bin so horrid and sarcastic; but
sumhow I cuudn't, Marilla, and I just had to cri too. Jane Andrews has bin tauking for a munth about how
glad she'd be when Mr. Phillips went awae and she declaird she'd never shed a teer. Wel, she was wers
than eny of us and had to borro a hankerchif frum her bruther--of cors th bois didn't cri--becauz she hadn't
braut wun of her oen, not expecting to need it. O, Marilla, it was hartrending. Mr. Phillips maed such a
buetyful fairwel speech begining, `Th tiem has cum for us to part.' It was verry afecting. And he had teers
in his ies too, Marilla. O, I felt dredfuly sorry and remorsful for all th tiems I'd taukt in scool and drawn
pikchers of him on mi slaet and maed fun of him and Prissy. I can tel U I wisht I'd bin a model puepil liek
Minnie Andrews. She hadn't enything on her conshens. Th gerls cried all th wae hoem frum scool. Carrie
Sloane kept saeing evry fue minits, `Th tiem has cum for us to part,' and that wuud start us off agen
whenever we wer in eny daenjer of cheering up. I do feel dredfuly sad, Marilla. But wun can't feel qiet in
th depths of despair with too months' vaecaeshun befor them, can thae, Marilla? And besieds, we met th
nue minister and his wief cuming frum th staeshun. For all I was feeling so bad about Mr. Phillips going
awae I cuudn't help taeking a litl interest in a nue minister, cuud I? His wief is verry prity. Not exactly
regally luvly, of cors--it wuudn't do, I supoez, for a minister to hav a regally luvly wief, becauz it miet set a
bad exampl. Mrs. Lynde ses th minister's wief oever at Newbridge sets a verry bad exampl becauz she
dreses so fashunably. Our nue minister's wief was drest in bloo muzlin with luvly puft sleevs and a hat
trimd with roezes. Jane Andrews sed she thaut puft sleevs wer too werldly for a minister's wief, but I didn't
maek eny such uncharritabl remark, Marilla, becauz I noe whut it is to long for puft sleevs. Besieds, she's
oenly bin a minister's wief for a litl whiel, so wun shuud maek alowanses, shuudn't thae? Thae ar going to
bord with Mrs. Lynde until th mans is redy."
If Marilla, in going doun to Mrs. Lynde's that eevning, was akchuaeted bi eny moetiv saev her avowd wun
of reterning th qilting fraems she had borroed th preseeding winter, it was an aemiabl weeknes shaird bi
moest of th Avonlea peepl. Meny a thing Mrs. Lynde had lent, sumtiems never expecting to see it agen,
caem hoem that niet in charj of th borrowers thairof. A nue minister, and moroever a minister with a wief,
was a lawful object of cueriosity in a qieet litl cuntry setlment wherr sensaeshuns wer fue and far between.
Oeld Mr. Bentley, th minister hoom Anne had found laking in imajinaeshun, had bin pastor of Avonlea for
aeteen yeers. He was a widoeer when he caem, and a widoeer he remaend, despiet th fact that gosip
reguelarly marryd him to this, that, or th uther wun, evry yeer of his soejern. In th preseeding February he
had reziend his charj and departed amid th regrets of his peepl, moest of hoom had th afecshun born of long
intercors for thair guud oeld minister in spiet of his shortcumings as an orator. Sinss then th Avonlea cherch
had enjoid a varieety of relijus disipaeshun in lisening to th meny and vairius candidaets and "suplies" hoo
caem Sunday after Sunday to preech on trieal. Thees stuud or fel bi th jujment of th faathers and muthers in
Israel; but a serten small, red-haired gerl hoo sat meekly in th corner of th oeld Cuthbert pue allso had her
opinyons about them and discust th saem in fuul with Matthew, Marilla allwaes decliening frum prinsipl to
critisiez ministers in eny shaep or form.
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"I don't think Mr. Smith wuud hav dun, Matthew" was Anne's fienal suming up. "Mrs. Lynde ses his
delivery was so pur, but I think his werst fallt was just liek Mr. Bentley's--he had no imajinaeshun. And
Mr. Terry had too much; he let it run awae with him just as I did mien in th mater of th Haunted Wuud.
Besieds, Mrs. Lynde ses his theolojy wasn't sound. Mr. Gresham was a verry guud man and a verry relijus
man, but he toeld too meny funy storys and maed th peepl laf in cherch; he was undignified, and U must
hav sum dignity about a minister, mustn't U, Matthew? I thaut Mr. Marshall was desiededly atractiv; but
Mrs. Lynde ses he isn't marryd, or eeven engaejd, becauz she maed speshal inqierys about him, and she ses
it wuud never do to hav a yung unmarryd minister in Avonlea, becauz he miet marry in th conggregaeshun
and that wuud maek trubl. Mrs. Lynde is a verry farseeing wuuman, isn't she, Matthew? I'm verry glad
thae'v calld Mr. Allan. I liekt him becauz his sermon was interesting and he praed as if he ment it and not
just as if he did it becauz he was in th habit of it. Mrs. Lynde ses he isn't perfect, but she ses she supoezes
we cuudn't expect a perfect minister for seven hundred and fifty dolars a yeer, and enyhow his theolojy is
sound becauz she qeschund him theroely on all th points of doctrin. And she noes his wife's peepl and thae
ar moest respectabl and th wimen ar all guud housekeepers. Mrs. Lynde ses that sound doctrin in th man
and guud houskeeping in th wuuman maek an iedeel combinaeshun for a minister's family."
Th nue minister and his wief wer a yung, plezant-faest cupl, stil on thair hunymoon, and fuul of all guud
and buetyful enthooziazms for thair choezen liefwerk. Avonlea oepend its hart to them frum th start. Oeld
and yung liekt th frank, cheerful yung man with his hi iedeeals, and th briet, jentl litl laedy hoo asoomd th
mistres-ship of th mans. With Mrs. Allan Anne fel promptly and hoelhartedly in luv. She had discuverd
anuther kindred spirit.
"Mrs. Allan is perfectly luvly," she anounst wun Sunday afternoon. "She's taeken our clas and she's a
splendid teecher. She sed riet awae she didn't think it was fair for th teecher to ask all th qeschuns, and U
noe, Marilla, that is exactly whut I'v allwaes thaut. She sed we cuud ask her eny qeschun we liekt and I
askt ever so meny. I'm guud at asking qeschuns, Marilla."
"I beleev U" was Marilla's emfatic coment.
"Noebody els askt eny exsept Ruby Gillis, and she askt if thair was to be a Sunday-scool picnik this sumer.
I didn't think that was a verry proper qeschun to ask becauz it hadn't eny conecshun with th leson--th leson
was about Daniel in th lions' den--but Mrs. Allan just smield and sed she thaut thair wuud be. Mrs. Allan
has a luvly smiel; she has such EXQIZIT dimples in her cheeks. I wish I had dimples in mi cheeks,
Marilla. I'm not haf so skiny as I was when I caem heer, but I hav no dimples yet. If I had perhaps I cuud
inflooens peepl for guud. Mrs. Allan sed we aut allwaes to tri to inflooens uther peepl for guud. She taukt
so nies about evrything. I never nue befor that relijon was such a cheerful thing. I allwaes thaut it was
kiend of melancoly, but Mrs. Allan's isn't, and I'd liek to be a Christian if I cuud be wun liek her. I wuudn't
wont to be wun liek Mr. Superintendent Bel."
"It's verry nauty of U to speek so about Mr. Bel," sed Marilla seveerly. "Mr. Bel is a reeal guud man."
"O, of cors he's guud," agreed Anne, "but he duzn't seem to get eny cumfort out of it. If I cuud be guud I'd
dans and sing all dae becauz I was glad of it. I supoez Mrs. Allan is too oeld to dans and sing and of cors it
wuudn't be dignified in a minister's wief. But I can just feel she's glad she's a Christian and that she'd be
wun eeven if she cuud get to heven without it."
"I supoez we must hav Mr. and Mrs. Allan up to tee sumdae soon," sed Marilla reflectively. "Thae'v bin
moest evrywhair but heer. Let me see. Next Wednesday wuud be a guud tiem to hav them. But don't sae a
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werd to Matthew about it, for if he nue thae wer cuming he'd fiend sum excues to be awae that dae. He'd
got so uezd to Mr. Bentley he didn't miend him, but he's going to fiend it hard to get aqaented with a nue
minister, and a nue minister's wief wil frieten him to deth."
"I'l be as seecret as th ded," ashurd Anne. "But o, Marilla, wil U let me maek a caek for th ocaezhun? I'd
luv to do sumthing for Mrs. Allan, and U noe I can maek a prity guud caek bi this tiem."
"U can maek a laeer caek," promist Marilla.
Monday and Tuesday graet preparaeshuns went on at Green Gaebls. Having th minister and his wief to tee
was a seerius and important undertaeking, and Marilla was determind not to be eclipst bi eny of th Avonlea
housekeepers. Anne was wield with exsietment and deliet. She taukt it all oever with Diana Tuesday niet
in th twieliet, as thae sat on th big red stoens bi th Dryad's Bubl and maed rainbows in th wauter with litl
twigs dipt in fer ballsam.
"Evrything is redy, Diana, exsept mi caek which I'm to maek in th morning, and th baeking-pouder biskits
which Marilla wil maek just befor teetiem. I ashur U, Diana, that Marilla and I hav had a bizy too daes of
it. It's such a responsibility having a minister's family to tee. I never went thru such an expeeryens befor.
U shuud just see our pantry. It's a siet to behoeld. We'r going to hav jellied chiken and coeld tung. We'r to
hav too kiends of jely, red and yelo, and whipt creem and lemon pi, and cherry pi, and three kiends of
cuukys, and froot caek, and Marilla's faemus yelo plum prezervs that she keeps espeshaly for ministers, and
pound caek and laeer caek, and biskits as aforsed; and nue bred and oeld boeth, in caes th minister is
dispeptic and can't eet nue. Mrs. Lynde ses ministers ar dispeptic, but I don't think Mr. Allan has bin a
minister long enuf for it to hav had a bad efect on him. I just gro coeld when I think of mi laeer caek. O,
Diana, whut if it shuudn't be guud! I dreemd last niet that I was chaest all around bi a feerful goblin with a
big laeer caek for a hed."
"It'l be guud, all riet," ashurd Diana, hoo was a verry cumfortabl sort of frend. "I'm shur that pees of th wun
U maed that we had for lunch in Idlewild too weeks ago was perfectly elegant."
"Yes; but caeks hav such a terribl habit of terning out bad just when U espeshaly wont them to be guud,"
sied Anne, seting a particuelarly wel-balsamed twig afloet. "However, I supoez I shal just hav to trust to
Providens and be cairful to puut in th flour. O, luuk, Diana, whut a luvly raenbo! Do U supoez th dryad
wil cum out after we go awae and taek it for a scarf?"
"U noe thair is no such thing as a dryad," sed Diana. Diana's muther had found out about th Haunted Wuud
and had bin desiededly anggry oever it. As a rezult Diana had abstained frum eny ferther imitaetiv fliets of
imajinaeshun and did not think it proodent to cultivaet a spirit of beleef eeven in harmles dryads.
"But it's so eezy to imajin thair is," sed Anne. "Evry niet befor I go to bed, I luuk out of mi windo and
wunder if th dryad is reealy siting heer, coeming her loks with th spring for a miror. Sumtiems I luuk for
her fuutprints in th due in th morning. O, Diana, don't giv up yur faeth in th dryad!"
Wednesday morning caem. Anne got up at sunriez becauz she was too exsieted to sleep. She had caut a
seveer coeld in th hed bi reezon of her dabling in th spring on th preseeding eevning; but nuthing short of
absoloot nuemoenia cuud hav qencht her interest in cuelinairy maters that morning. After brekfast she
proseeded to maek her caek. When she fienaly shut th uven dor upon it she droo a long breth.
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"I'm shur I havn't forgoten enything this tiem, Marilla. But do U think it wil riez? Just supoez perhaps th
baeking pouder isn't guud? I uezd it out of th nue can. And Mrs. Lynde ses U can never be shur of geting
guud baeking pouder now-a-daes when evrything is so adulteraeted. Mrs. Lynde ses th Guvernment aut to
taek th mater up, but she ses we'l never see th dae when a Tory Guvernment wil do it. Marilla, whut if that
caek duzn't riez?"
"We'l hav plenty without it" was Marilla's unimpassioned wae of luuking at th subject.
Th caek did riez, however, and caem out of th uven as liet and fethery as goelden foem. Anne, flusht with
deliet, clapt it together with laeers of ruby jely and, in imajinaeshun, saw Mrs. Allan eeting it and posibly
asking for anuther pees!
"U'l be uezing th best tee set, of cors, Marilla," she sed. "Can I fix th taebl with ferns and wield roezes?"
"I think that's all nonsens," snift Marilla. "In mi opinyon it's th eetabls that mater and not flummery
decoraeshuns."
"Mrs. Barry had HER taebl decoraeted," sed Anne, hoo was not entierly giltles of th wizdom of th serpent,
"and th minister paed her an elegant compliment. He sed it was a feest for th ie as wel as th palet."
"Wel, do as U liek," sed Marilla, hoo was qiet determind not to be serpast bi Mrs. Barry or enybody els.
"Oenly miend U leev enuf room for th dishes and th food."
Anne laed herself out to decoraet in a maner and after a fashun that shuud leev Mrs. Barry's noewherr.
Having abundans of roezes and ferns and a verry artistic taest of her oen, she maed that tee taebl such a
thing of buety that when th minister and his wief sat doun to it thae exclaemd in corus oever it luvlynes.
"It's Anne's doings," sed Marilla, grimly just; and Anne felt that Mrs. Allan's aprooving smiel was allmoest
too much hapynes for this werld.
Matthew was thair, having bin inveigled into th party oenly guudnes and Anne nue how. He had bin in
such a staet of shyness and nervusnes that Marilla had given him up in despair, but Anne tuuk him in hand
so sucsesfuly that he now sat at th taebl in his best cloeths and whiet colar and taukt to th minister not
uninterestingly. He never sed a werd to Mrs. Allan, but that perhaps was not to be expected.
All went merry as a marrej bel until Anne's laeer caek was past. Mrs. Allan, having allredy bin helpt to a
bewildering varieety, decliend it. But Marilla, seeing th disapointment on Anne's faes, sed smielingly:
"O, U must taek a pees of this, Mrs. Allan. Anne maed it on perpos for U."
"In that caes I must sampl it," laft Mrs. Allan, helping herself to a plump tri-angl, as did allso th minister
and Marilla.
Mrs. Allan tuuk a mouthful of hers and a moest pecuelyar expreshun crosst her faes; not a werd did she sae,
however, but stedily aet awae at it. Marilla saw th expreshun and haesend to taest th caek.
"Anne Shirley!" she exclaemd, "whut on erth did U puut into that caek?"
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"Nuthing but whut th resipy sed, Marilla," cried Anne with a luuk of anggwish. "O, isn't it all riet?"
"All riet! It's simply horribl. Mr. Allan, don't tri to eet it. Anne, taest it yurself. Whut flaevoring did U
ues?"
"Vanilla," sed Anne, her faes scarlet with mortificaeshun after taesting th caek. "Oenly vanilla. O, Marilla,
it must hav bin th baeking pouder. I had mi suspishuns of that bak--"
"Baeking pouder fidlstiks! Go and bring me th botl of vanilla U uezd."
Anne fled to th pantry and reternd with a small botl parshaly fild with a broun liqid and laebeld yellowly,
"Best Vanilla."
Marilla tuuk it, uncorkt it, smeld it.
"Mersy on us, Anne, U'v flaevord that caek with ANODIEN LINIMENT. I broek th liniment botl last
week and pord whut was left into an oeld empty vanilla botl. I supoez it's partly mi fallt--I shuud hav
wornd U--but for pity's saek whi cuudn't U hav smeld it?"
Anne dizolvd into teers under this dubl disgraes.
"I cuudn't--I had such a coeld!" and with this she fairly fled to th gaebl chaember, wherr she cast herself on
th bed and wept as wun hoo refuezes to be cumforted.
Prezently a liet step sounded on th stairs and sumbody enterd th room.
"O, Marilla," sobd Anne, without luuking up, "I'm disgraest forever. I shal never be aebl to liv this doun. It
wil get out--things allwaes do get out in Avonlea. Diana wil ask me how mi caek ternd out and I shal hav
to tel her th trooth. I shal allwaes be pointed at as th gerl hoo flaevord a caek with anodien liniment. Gil-th bois in scool wil never get oever lafing at it. O, Marilla, if U hav a spark of Christian pity don't tel me
that I must go doun and wosh th dishes after this. I'l wosh them when th minister and his wief ar gon, but I
cannot ever luuk Mrs. Allan in th faes agen. Perhaps she'l think I tried to poizon her. Mrs. Lynde ses she
noes an orfan gerl hoo tried to poizon her benefactor. But th liniment isn't poizonus. It's ment to be taeken
internaly--alltho not in caeks. Woen't U tel Mrs. Allan so, Marilla?"
"Supoez U jump up and tel her so yurself," sed a merry vois.
Anne floo up, to fiend Mrs. Allan standing bi her bed, servaeing her with lafing ies.
"Mi deer litl gerl, U musn't cri liek this," she sed, jenueinly disterbd bi Anne's trajic faes. "Whi, it's all just
a funy mistaek that enybody miet maek."
"O, no, it taeks me to maek such a mistaek," sed Anne forlornly. "And I wonted to hav that caek so nies for
U, Mrs. Allan."
"Yes, I noe, deer. And I ashur U I apreeshiaet yur kiendnes and thautfulnes just as much as if it had ternd
out all riet. Now, U mustn't cri eny mor, but cum doun with me and sho me yur flower garden. Mis
Cuthbert tels me U hav a litl plot all yur oen. I wont to see it, for I'm verry much interested in flowers."
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Anne permited herself to be led doun and cumforted, reflecting that it was reealy providenshal that Mrs.
Allan was a kindred spirit. Nuthing mor was sed about th liniment caek, and when th gests went awae
Anne found that she had enjoid th eevning mor than cuud hav bin expected, considering that terribl
insident. Nevertheles, she sied deeply.
"Marilla, isn't it nies to think that tomorro is a nue dae with no mistaeks in it yet?"
"I'l warant U'l maek plenty in it," sed Marilla. "I never saw yur beet for maeking mistaeks, Anne."
"Yes, and wel I noe it," admited Anne mornfuly. "But hav U ever noetist wun encurejing thing about me,
Marilla? I never maek th saem mistaek twies."
"I don't noe as that's much benefit when U'r allwaes maeking nue wuns."
"O, don't U see, Marilla? Thair must be a limit to th mistaeks wun person can maek, and when I get to th
end of them, then I'l be thru with them. That's a verry cumforting thaut."
"Wel, U'd beter go and giv that caek to th pigs," sed Marilla. "It isn't fit for eny hueman to eet, not eeven
Jerry Boute."
CHAPTER XXII
Anne is Invieted Out to Tee
"And whut ar yur ies poping out of yur hed about. Now?" askt Marilla, when Anne had just cum in frum a
run to th poest offis. "Hav U discuverd anuther kindred spirit?" Exsietment hung around Anne liek a
garment, shoen in her ies, kindld in evry feecher. She had cum dansing up th laen, liek a wind-bloen spriet,
thru th melo sunshien and laezy shadoes of th August eevning.
"No, Marilla, but o, whut do U think? I am invieted to tee at th mans tomorro afternoon! Mrs. Allan left th
leter for me at th poest offis. Just luuk at it, Marilla. `Mis Anne Shirley, Green Gaebls.' That is th ferst
tiem I was ever calld `Mis.' Such a thril as it gaev me! I shal cherrish it forever amung mi choisest
trezhers."
"Mrs. Allan toeld me she ment to hav all th members of her Sunday-scool clas to tee in tern," sed Marilla,
regarding th wunderful event verry cooly. "U needn't get in such a feever oever it. Do lern to taek things
caamly, chield."
For Anne to taek things caamly wuud hav bin to chaenj her naecher. All "spirit and fier and due," as she
was, th plezhers and paens of lief caem to her with trebled intensity. Marilla felt this and was vaegly trubld
oever it, reealiezing that th ups and douns of existens wuud probably bair hardly on this impulsiv soel and
not sufishently understanding that th eeqaly graet capasity for deliet miet mor than compensaet. Thairfor
Marilla conseevd it to be her duety to dril Anne into a tranqil ueniformity of dispozishun as imposibl and
aelian to her as to a dansing sunbeem in wun of th bruuk shallows. She did not maek much hedwae, as she
sorrowfully admited to herself. Th dounfall of sum deer hoep or plan plunjd Anne into "deeps of aflicshun."
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Th fuulfilment thairof exallted her to dizy relms of deliet. Marilla had allmoest begun to despair of ever
fashuning this waif of th werld into her model litl gerl of demuer maners and prim deportment. Neether
wuud she hav beleevd that she reealy liekt Anne much beter as she was.
Anne went to bed that niet speechles with mizery becauz Matthew had sed th wind was round northeest and
he feerd it wuud be a raeny dae tomorro. Th rusl of th poplar leevs about th hous weryd her, it sounded so
liek pattering raendrops, and th fuul, faraway ror of th gulf, to which she lisend delightedly at uther tiems,
luving its straenj, sonorus, haunting rithm, now seemd liek a profesy of storm and dizaster to a small
maeden hoo particuelarly wonted a fien dae. Anne thaut that th morning wuud never cum.
But all things hav an end, eeven niets befor th dae on which U ar invieted to taek tee at th mans. Th
morning, in spiet of Matthew's predicshuns, was fien and Anne's spirits sord to thair hieest. "O, Marilla,
thair is sumthing in me todae that maeks me just luv evrybody I see," she exclaemd as she wosht th brekfast
dishes. "U don't noe how guud I feel! Wuudn't it be nies if it cuud last? I beleev I cuud be a model chield
if I wer just invieted out to tee evry dae. But o, Marilla, it's a solem ocaezhun too. I feel so ankshus. Whut
if I shuudn't behaev properly? U noe I never had tee at a mans befor, and I'm not shur that I noe all th rools
of etiket, alltho I'v bin studying th rools given in th Etiket Department of th Family Herrald ever sinss I
caem heer. I'm so afraed I'l do sumthing sily or forget to do sumthing I shuud do. Wuud it be guud maners
to taek a second helping of enything if U wonted to VERRY much?"
"Th trubl with U, Anne, is that U'r thinking too much about yurself. U shuud just think of Mrs. Allan and
whut wuud be niesest and moest agreeabl to her," sed Marilla, hiting for wuns in her lief on a verry sound
and pithy pees of advies. Anne instantly reealiezd this.
"U ar riet, Marilla. I'l tri not to think about mieself at all."
Anne evidently got thru her vizit without eny seerius breech of "etiket," for she caem hoem thru th twieliet,
under a graet, hi-sprung skie gloried oever with traels of safron and roezy cloud, in a beatified staet of
miend and toeld Marilla all about it hapily, siting on th big red-sandstoen slab at th kichen dor with her
tierd curly hed in Marilla's gingam lap.
A cool wind was bloeing doun oever th long harvest feelds frum th rims of firry western hils and whisling
thru th poplars. Wun cleer star hung oever th orchard and th fireflies wer fliting oever in Lover's Laen, in
and out amung th ferns and rusling bows. Anne wocht them as she taukt and sumhow felt that wind and
stars and fireflies wer all tanggld up together into sumthing unuterably sweet and enchanting.
"O, Marilla, I'v had a moest FASINAETING tiem. I feel that I hav not livd in vaen and I shal allwaes feel
liek that eeven if I shuud never be invieted to tee at a mans agen. When I got thair Mrs. Allan met me at th
dor. She was drest in th sweetest dres of pael-pink organdy, with duzens of frils and elbo sleevs, and she
luukt just liek a serraf. I reealy think I'd liek to be a minister's wief when I gro up, Marilla. A minister
mightn't miend mi red hair becauz he wuudn't be thinking of such werldly things. But then of cors wun
wuud hav to be nacheraly guud and I'l never be that, so I supoez thair's no ues in thinking about it. Sum
peepl ar nacheraly guud, U noe, and uthers ar not. I'm wun of th uthers. Mrs. Lynde ses I'm fuul of orijinal
sin. No mater how hard I tri to be guud I can never maek such a sucses of it as thoes hoo ar nacheraly
guud. It's a guud deel liek jeometry, I expect. But don't U think th trieing so hard aut to count for
sumthing? Mrs. Allan is wun of th nacheraly guud peepl. I luv her pashunetly. U noe thair ar sum peepl,
liek Matthew and Mrs. Allan that U can luv riet off without eny trubl. And thair ar uthers, liek Mrs. Lynde,
that U hav to tri verry hard to luv. U noe U AUT to luv them becauz thae noe so much and ar such activ
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werkers in th cherch, but U hav to keep remiending yurself of it all th tiem or els U forget. Thair was
anuther litl gerl at th mans to tee, frum th Whiet Sands Sunday scool. Her naem was Laurette Bradley, and
she was a verry nies litl gerl. Not exactly a kindred spirit, U noe, but stil verry nies. We had an elegant tee,
and I think I kept all th rools of etiket prity wel. After tee Mrs. Allan plaed and sang and she got Lauretta
and me to sing too. Mrs. Allan ses I hav a guud vois and she ses I must sing in th Sunday-scool qier after
this. U can't think how I was thrild at th meer thaut. I'v longd so to sing in th Sunday-scool qier, as Diana
duz, but I feerd it was an onor I cuud never aspier to. Lauretta had to go hoem erly becauz thair is a big
consert in th Whiet Sands Hoetel toniet and her sister is to resiet at it. Lauretta ses that th Americans at th
hoetel giv a consert evry fortniet in aed of th Charlottetown hospital, and thae ask lots of th Whiet Sands
peepl to resiet. Lauretta sed she expected to be askt herself sumdae. I just gaezd at her in au. After she
had gon Mrs. Allan and I had a hart-to-hart tauk. I toeld her evrything--about Mrs. Thomas and th twins
and Katie Maurice and Violetta and cuming to Green Gaebls and mi trubls oever jeometry. And wuud U
beleev it, Marilla? Mrs. Allan toeld me she was a duns at jeometry too. U don't noe how that encurejd me.
Mrs. Lynde caem to th mans just befor I left, and whut do U think, Marilla? Th trustees hav hierd a nue
teecher and it's a laedy. Her naem is Mis Muriel Stacy. Isn't that a roemantic naem? Mrs. Lynde ses thae'v
never had a feemael teecher in Avonlea befor and she thinks it is a daenjerus inovaeshun. But I think it wil
be splendid to hav a laedy teecher, and I reealy don't see how I'm going to liv thru th too weeks befor scool
begins. I'm so impaeshent to see her."
CHAPTER XXIII
Anne Cums to Greef in an Afair of Onor
Anne had to liv thru mor than too weeks, as it hapend. Allmoest a munth having elapst sinss th liniment
caek episoed, it was hi tiem for her to get into fresh trubl of sum sort, litl mistaeks, such as
absentmiendedly emptying a pan of skim milk into a basket of yarn balls in th pantry insted of into th pigs'
buket, and wauking cleen oever th ej of th log brij into th bruuk whiel rapt in imajinativ revery, not reealy
being werth counting.
A week after th tee at th mans Diana Barry gaev a party.
"Small and select," Anne ashurd Marilla. "Just th gerls in our clas."
Thae had a verry guud tiem and nuthing untord hapend until after tee, when thae found themselvs in th
Barry garden, a litl tierd of all thair gaems and riep for eny entiesing form of mischif which miet prezent
itself. This prezently tuuk th form of "dairing."
Dairing was th fashunabl amuezment amung th Avonlea small fri just then. It had begun amung th bois,
but soon spred to th gerls, and all th sily things that wer dun in Avonlea that sumer becauz th doers thairof
wer "daird" to do them wuud fil a buuk bi themselvs.
Ferst of all Carrie Sloane daird Ruby Gillis to cliem to a serten point in th huej oeld wilo tree befor th frunt
dor; which Ruby Gillis, allbeeit in mortal dred of th fat green caterpilars with which sed tree was infested
and with th feer of her muther befor her ies if she shuud tair her nue muzlin dres, nimbly did, to th
discumficher of th aforsed Carrie Sloane. Then Josie Pye daird Jane Andrews to hop on her left leg around
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th garden without stoping wuns or puuting her riet fuut to th ground; which Jane Andrews gaemly tried to
do, but gaev out at th therd corner and had to confes herself defeeted.
Josie's trieumf being rather mor pronounst than guud taest permited, Anne Shirley daird her to wauk along
th top of th bord fens which bounded th garden to th eest. Now, to "wauk" bord fenses reqiers mor skil and
stedynes of hed and heel than wun miet supoez hoo has never tried it. But Josie Pye, if defishent in sum
qolitys that maek for popuelarrity, had at leest a nacheral and inborn gift, duely cultivaeted, for wauking
bord fenses. Josie waukt th Barry fens with an airy unconsern which seemd to impli that a litl thing liek
that wasn't werth a "dair." Reluctant admeraeshun greeted her exploit, for moest of th uther gerls cuud
apreeshiaet it, having suferd meny things themselvs in thair eforts to wauk fenses. Josie desended frum her
perch, flusht with victory, and darted a defieant glans at Anne.
Anne tosst her red braeds.
"I don't think it's such a verry wunderful thing to wauk a litl, lo, bord fens," she sed. "I nue a gerl in
Marysville hoo cuud wauk th rijpoel of a roof."
"I don't beleev it," sed Josie flatly. "I don't beleev enybody cuud wauk a rijpoel. U cuudn't, enyhow."
"Cuudn't I?" cried Anne rashly.
"Then I dair U to do it," sed Josie defieantly. "I dair U to cliem up thair and wauk th rijpoel of Mr. Barry's
kichen roof."
Anne ternd pael, but thair was cleerly oenly wun thing to be dun. She waukt tord th hous, wherr a lader was
leening agenst th kichen roof. All th fifth-clas gerls sed, "O!" partly in exsietment, partly in dismae.
"Don't U do it, Anne," entreeted Diana. "U'l fall off and be kild. Never miend Josie Pye. It isn't fair to dair
enybody to do enything so daenjerus."
"I must do it. Mi onor is at staek," sed Anne solemly. "I shal wauk that rijpoel, Diana, or perrish in th
atempt. If I am kild U ar to hav mi perl beed ring."
Anne cliemd th lader amid brethles sielens, gaend th rijpoel, balanst herself uprightly on that precairius
fuuting, and started to wauk along it, dizily conshus that she was uncumfortably hi up in th werld and that
wauking ridgepoles was not a thing in which yur imajinaeshun helpt U out much. Nevertheles, she manejd
to taek several steps befor th catastrofy caem. Then she swaed, lost her balans, stumbld, stagerd, and fel,
slieding doun oever th sun-baekt roof and crashing off it thru th tanggl of Virginia creeper beneeth-- all
befor th dismaed sercl belo cuud giv a siemultaenius, terrified shreek.
If Anne had tumbld off th roof on th sied up which she had asended Diana wuud probably hav fallen err to
th perl beed ring then and thair. Forchunetly she fel on th uther sied, wherr th roof extended doun oever th
porch so neerly to th ground that a fall thairfrum was a much les seerius thing. Nevertheles, when Diana
and th uther gerls had rusht franticaly around th hous--exsept Ruby Gillis, hoo remaend as if rooted to th
ground and went into histerrics--thae found Anne lieing all whiet and limp amung th rek and rooin of th
Virginia creeper.
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"Anne, ar U kild?" shreekt Diana, throeing herself on her nees besied her frend. "O, Anne, deer Anne,
speek just wun werd to me and tel me if U'r kild."
To th imens releef of all th gerls, and espeshaly of Josie Pye, hoo, in spiet of lak of imajinaeshun, had bin
seezd with horribl vizhuns of a fuecher branded as th gerl hoo was th cauz of Anne Shirley's erly and trajic
deth, Anne sat dizily up and anserd unsertanly:
"No, Diana, I am not kild, but I think I am renderd unconshus."
"Wherr?" sobd Carrie Sloane. "O, wherr, Anne?" Befor Anne cuud anser Mrs. Barry apeerd on th seen.
At siet of her Anne tried to scrambl to her feet, but sank bak agen with a sharp litl cri of paen.
"Whut's th mater? Wherr hav U hert yurself?" demanded Mrs. Barry.
"Mi ankl," gaspt Anne. "O, Diana, pleez fiend yur faather and ask him to taek me hoem. I noe I can never
wauk thair. And I'm shur I cuudn't hop so far on wun fuut when Jane cuudn't eeven hop around th garden."
Marilla was out in th orchard piking a panful of sumer apls when she saw Mr. Barry cuming oever th log
brij and up th sloep, with Mrs. Barry besied him and a hoel proseshun of litl gerls traeling after him. In his
arms he carryd Anne, hoos hed lae limply agenst his shoelder.
At that moement Marilla had a revelaeshun. In th suden stab of feer that peerst her verry hart she reealiezd
whut Anne had cum to meen to her. She wuud hav admited that she liekt Anne--nae, that she was verry
fond of Anne. But now she nue as she heryd wieldly doun th sloep that Anne was deerer to her than
enything els on erth.
"Mr. Barry, whut has hapend to her?" she gaspt, mor whiet and shaeken than th self-contaend, sensibl
Marilla had bin for meny yeers.
Anne herself anserd, lifting her hed.
"Don't be verry frietend, Marilla. I was wauking th rijpoel and I fel off. I expect I hav spraend mi ankl.
But, Marilla, I miet hav broeken mi nek. Let us luuk on th briet sied of things."
"I miet hav noen U'd go and do sumthing of th sort when I let U go to that party," sed Marilla, sharp and
shrooish in her verry releef. "Bring her in heer, Mr. Barry, and lae her on th soefa. Mersy me, th chield has
gon and faented!"
It was qiet troo. Oevercum bi th paen of her injery, Anne had wun mor of her wishes granted to her. She
had faented ded awae.
Matthew, haestily sumond frum th harvest feeld, was straetwae dispacht for th doctor, hoo in due tiem
caem, to discuver that th injery was mor seerius than thae had supoezd. Anne's ankl was broeken.
That niet, when Marilla went up to th eest gaebl, wherr a whiet-faest gerl was lieing, a plaentiv vois greeted
her frum th bed.
"Arn't U verry sorry for me, Marilla?"
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"It was yur oen fallt," sed Marilla, twiching doun th bliend and lieting a lamp.
"And that is just whi U shuud be sorry for me," sed Anne, "becauz th thaut that it is all mi oen fallt is whut
maeks it so hard. If I cuud blaem it on enybody I wuud feel so much beter. But whut wuud U hav dun,
Marilla, if U had bin daird to wauk a rijpoel?"
"I'd hav staed on guud ferm ground and let them dair awae. Such abserdity!" sed Marilla.
Anne sied.
"But U hav such strength of miend, Marilla. I havn't. I just felt that I cuudn't bair Josie Pye's scorn. She
wuud hav croed oever me all mi lief. And I think I hav bin punisht so much that U needn't be verry cross
with me, Marilla. It's not a bit nies to faent, after all. And th doctor hert me dredfuly when he was seting
mi ankl. I woen't be aebl to go around for six or seven weeks and I'l mis th nue laedy teecher. She woen't
be nue eny mor bi th tiem I'm aebl to go to scool. And Gil-- evrybody wil get ahed of me in clas. O, I am
an aflicted mortal. But I'l tri to bair it all braevly if oenly U woen't be cross with me, Marilla."
"Thair, thair, I'm not cross," sed Marilla. "U'r an unluky chield, thair's no dout about that; but as U sae, U'l
hav th sufering of it. Heer now, tri and eet sum super."
"Isn't it forchunet I'v got such an imajinaeshun?" sed Anne. "It wil help me thru splendidly, I expect. Whut
do peepl hoo havn't eny imajinaeshun do when thae braek thair boens, do U supoez, Marilla?"
Anne had guud reezon to bles her imajinaeshun meny a tiem and offt during th tecdius seven weeks that
foloed. But she was not soely dependent on it. She had meny vizitors and not a dae past without wun or
mor of th scoolgerls droping in to bring her flowers and buuks and tel her all th hapenings in th jooveniel
werld of Avonlea.
"Evrybody has bin so guud and kiend, Marilla," sied Anne hapily, on th dae when she cuud ferst limp
across th flor. "It isn't verry plezant to be laed up; but thair is a briet sied to it, Marilla. U fiend out how
meny frends U hav. Whi, eeven Superintendent Bel caem to see me, and he's reealy a verry fien man. Not
a kindred spirit, of cors; but stil I liek him and I'm aufuly sorry I ever critisiezd his prairs. I beleev now he
reealy duz meen them, oenly he has got into th habit of saeing them as if he didn't. He cuud get oever that
if he'd taek a litl trubl. I gaev him a guud braud hint. I toeld him how hard I tried to maek mi oen litl
prievet prairs interesting. He toeld me all about th tiem he broek his ankl when he was a boi. It duz seem so
straenj to think of Superintendent Bel ever being a boi. Eeven mi imajinaeshun has its limits, for I can't
imajin THAT. When I tri to imajin him as a boi I see him with grae whiskers and spectacls, just as he luuks
in Sunday scool, oenly small. Now, it's so eezy to imajin Mrs. Allan as a litl gerl. Mrs. Allan has bin to see
me forteen tiems. Isn't that sumthing to be proud of, Marilla? When a minister's wief has so meny claems
on her tiem! She is such a cheerful person to hav vizit U, too. She never tels U it's yur oen fallt and she
hoeps U'l be a beter gerl on acount of it. Mrs. Lynde allwaes toeld me that when she caem to see me; and
she sed it in a kiend of wae that maed me feel she miet hoep I'd be a beter gerl but didn't reealy beleev I
wuud. Eeven Josie Pye caem to see me. I reseevd her as polietly as I cuud, becauz I think she was sorry
she daird me to wauk a rijpoel. If I had bin kild she wuud had to carry a dark berden of remors all her lief.
Diana has bin a faethful frend. She's bin oever evry dae to cheer mi loenly pilo. But o, I shal be so glad
when I can go to scool for I'v herd such exsieting things about th nue teecher. Th gerls all think she is
perfectly sweet. Diana ses she has th luvlyest fair curly hair and such fasinaeting ies. She dreses buetyfuly,
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and her sleev pufs ar biger than enybody else's in Avonlea. Evry uther Friday afternoon she has recitations
and evrybody has to sae a pees or taek part in a diealog. O, it's just glorius to think of it. Josie Pye ses she
haets it but that is just becauz Josie has so litl imajinaeshun. Diana and Ruby Gillis and Jane Andrews ar
prepairing a diealog, calld `A Morning Vizit,' for next Friday. And th Friday afternoons thae don't hav
recitations Mis Stacy taeks them all to th wuuds for a `field' dae and thae study ferns and flowers and berds.
And thae hav fizical culcher exersiezes evry morning and eevning. Mrs. Lynde ses she never herd of such
goings on and it all cums of having a laedy teecher. But I think it must be splendid and I beleev I shal fiend
that Mis Stacy is a kindred spirit."
"Thair's wun thing plaen to be seen, Anne," sed Marilla, "and that is that yur fall off th Barry roof hasn't
injerd yur tung at all."
CHAPTER XXIV
Mis Stacy and Her Puepils Get Up a Consert
It was October agen when Anne was redy to go bak to scool--a glorius October, all red and goeld, with
melo mornings when th valys wer fild with deliket mists as if th spirit of autum had pord them in for th sun
to draen--amithist, perl, silver, roez, and smoek-bloo. Th dews wer so hevy that th feelds glisend liek
clauth of silver and thair wer such heeps of rusling leevs in th holoes of meny-stemd wuuds to run crisply
thru. Th Berch Path was a canopy of yelo and th ferns wer seer and broun all along it. Thair was a tang in
th verry air that inspierd th harts of small maedens triping, unliek snaels, swiftly and wilingly to scool; and
it WAS joly to be bak agen at th litl broun desk besied Diana, with Ruby Gillis noding across th iel and
Carrie Sloane sending up noets and Julia Bel pasing a "choo" of gum doun frum th bak seet. Anne droo a
long breth of hapynes as she sharpend her pensil and araenjd her pikcher cards in her desk. Lief was
sertenly verry interesting.
In th nue teecher she found anuther troo and helpful frend. Mis Stacy was a briet, simpathetic yung
wuuman with th hapy gift of wining and hoelding th afecshuns of her puepils and bringing out th best that
was in them mentaly and moraly. Anne expanded liek a flower under this hoelsum inflooens and carryd
hoem to th admiering Matthew and th critical Marilla gloeing acounts of scoolwerk and aems.
"I luv Mis Stacy with mi hoel hart, Marilla. She is so laedyliek and she has such a sweet vois. When she
pronounses mi naem I feel INSTINKTIVLY that she's speling it with an E. We had recitations this
afternoon. I just wish U cuud hav bin thair to heer me resiet `Mary, Qeen of Scots.' I just puut mi hoel soel
into it. Ruby Gillis toeld me cuming hoem that th wae I sed th lien, `Now for mi father's arm,' she sed, `mi
woman's hart fairwel,' just maed her blud run coeld."
"Wel now, U miet resiet it for me sum of thees daes, out in th barn," sugjested Matthew.
"Of cors I wil," sed Anne meditatively, "but I woen't be aebl to do it so wel, I noe. It woen't be so exsieting
as it is when U hav a hoel schoolful befor U hanging brethlesly on yur werds. I noe I woen't be aebl to
maek yur blud run coeld."
"Mrs. Lynde ses it maed HER blud run coeld to see th bois clieming to th verry tops of thoes big trees on
Bell's hil after crows' nests last Friday," sed Marilla. "I wunder at Mis Stacy for encurejing it."
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"But we wonted a crow's nest for naecher study," explaend Anne. "That was on our feeld afternoon. Feeld
afternoons ar splendid, Marilla. And Mis Stacy explaens evrything so buetyfuly. We hav to riet
compozishuns on our feeld afternoons and I riet th best wuns."
"It's verry vaen of U to sae so then. U'd beter let yur teecher sae it."
"But she DID sae it, Marilla. And indeed I'm not vaen about it. How can I be, when I'm such a duns at
jeometry? Alltho I'm reealy begining to see thru it a litl, too. Mis Stacy maeks it so cleer. Stil, I'l never be
guud at it and I ashur U it is a humbling reflecshun. But I luv rieting compozishuns. Moestly Mis Stacy
lets us chooz our oen subjects; but next week we ar to riet a compozishun on sum remarkabl person. It's
hard to chooz amung so meny remarkabl peepl hoo hav livd. Mustn't it be splendid to be remarkabl and
hav compozishuns riten about U after U'r ded? O, I wuud deerly luv to be remarkabl. I think when I gro up
I'l be a traend ners and go with th Red Crosses to th feeld of batl as a mesenjer of mersy. That is, if I don't
go out as a forin mishunairy. That wuud be verry roemantic, but wun wuud hav to be verry guud to be a
mishunairy, and that wuud be a stumbling blok. We hav fizical culcher exersiezes evry dae, too. Thae
maek U graesful and promoet dijeschun."
"Promoet fidlstiks!" sed Marilla, hoo onestly thaut it was all nonsens.
But all th feeld afternoons and resitaeshun Fridays and fizical culcher contortions paeld befor a project
which Mis Stacy braut forward in November. This was that th scolars of Avonlea scool shuud get up a
consert and hoeld it in th hall on Christmas Niet, for th laudabl perpos of helping to pae for a scoolhous
flag. Th puepils wun and all taeking graeshusly to this plan, th preparaeshuns for a proegram wer begun at
wuns. And of all th exsieted performers-elect nun was so exsieted as Anne Shirley, hoo throo herself into th
undertaeking hart and soel, hamperd as she was bi Marilla's disaprooval. Marilla thaut it all rank
foolishnes.
"It's just filing yur heds up with nonsens and taeking tiem that aut to be puut on yur lesons," she grumbld.
"I don't aproov of children's geting up conserts and raesing about to practises. It maeks them vaen and
forward and fond of gading."
"But think of th werthy object," pleeded Anne. "A flag wil cultivaet a spirit of paetriotizm, Marilla."
"Fuj! Thair's preshus litl paetriotizm in th thauts of eny of U. All U wont is a guud tiem."
"Wel, when U can combien paetriotizm and fun, isn't it all riet? Of cors it's reeal nies to be geting up a
consert. We'r going to hav six coruses and Diana is to sing a soelo. I'm in too diealogs--`Th Sosieety for th
Supreshun of Gossip' and `Th Fairy Qeen.' Th bois ar going to hav a diealog too. And I'm to hav too
recitations, Marilla. I just trembl when I think of it, but it's a nies thrilly kiend of trembl. And we'r to hav a
tablo at th last--`Faeth, Hoep and Charrity.' Diana and Ruby and I ar to be in it, all draept in whiet with
floeing hair. I'm to be Hoep, with mi hands claspt--so--and mi ies uplifted. I'm going to practis mi
recitations in th garret. Don't be alarmd if U heer me groening. I hav to groen heartrendingly in wun of
them, and it's reealy hard to get up a guud artistic groen, Marilla. Josie Pye is sulky becauz she didn't get th
part she wonted in th diealog. She wonted to be th fairy qeen. That wuud hav bin ridicuelus, for hoo ever
herd of a fairy qeen as fat as Josie? Fairy qeens must be slender. Jane Andrews is to be th qeen and I am to
be wun of her maeds of onor. Josie ses she thinks a red-haired fairy is just as ridicuelus as a fat wun, but I
do not let mieself miend whut Josie ses. I'm to hav a reeth of whiet roezes on mi hair and Ruby Gillis is
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going to lend me her slipers becauz I havn't eny of mi oen. It's nesesairy for fairys to hav slipers, U noe. U
cuudn't imajin a fairy wairing boots, cuud U? Espeshaly with coper toes? We ar going to decoraet th hall
with creeping sproos and fer motoes with pink tishoo-paeper roezes in them. And we ar all to march in too
bi too after th audyens is seeted, whiel Emma Whiet plaes a march on th organ. O, Marilla, I noe U ar not
so enthooziastic about it as I am, but don't U hoep yur litl Anne wil distinggwish herself?"
"All I hoep is that U'l behaev yurself. I'l be hartily glad when all this fus is oever and U'l be aebl to setl
doun. U ar simply guud for nuthing just now with yur hed stuft fuul of diealogs and groans and tableaus.
As for yur tung, it's a marvel it's not cleen worn out."
Anne sied and betook herself to th bak yard, oever which a yung nue moon was shiening thru th leafless
poplar bows frum an apl-green western skie, and wherr Matthew was spliting wuud. Anne percht herself
on a blok and taukt th consert oever with him, shur of an apreeshiaetiv and simpathetic lisener in this
instans at leest.
"Wel now, I rekon it's going to be a prity guud consert. And I expect U'l do yur part fien," he sed, smieling
doun into her eeger, vivaeshus litl faes. Anne smield bak at him. Thoes too wer th best of frends and
Matthew thankt his stars meny a tiem and offt that he had nuthing to do with bringing her up. That was
Marilla's excloosiv duety; if it had bin his he wuud hav bin weryd oever freeqent conflicts between
inclinaeshun and sed duety. As it was, he was free to, "spoil Anne"--Marilla's fraezing--as much as he
liekt. But it was not such a bad araenjment after all; a litl "apreeshiaeshun" sumtiems duz qiet as much
guud as all th conshyenshus "bringing up" in th werld.
CHAPTER XXV
Matthew Insists on Puft Sleevs
Matthew was having a bad ten minits of it. He had cum into th kichen, in th twieliet of a coeld, grae
December eevning, and had sat doun in th woodbox corner to taek off his hevy boots, unconshus of th fact
that Anne and a bevy of her scoolmaets wer having a practis of "Th Fairy Qeen" in th siting room.
Prezently thae caem trooping thru th hall and out into th kichen, lafing and chatering gaely. Thae did not
see Matthew, hoo shrank bashfully bak into th shadoes beyond th woodbox with a boot in wun hand and a
bootjak in th uther, and he wocht them shiely for th aforsed ten minits as thae puut on caps and jakets and
taukt about th diealog and th consert. Anne stuud amung them, briet ied and animaeted as thae; but
Matthew sudenly becaem conshus that thair was sumthing about her diferent frum her maets. And whut
weryd Matthew was that th diferens imprest him as being sumthing that shuud not exist. Anne had a brieter
faes, and biger, starrier ies, and mor deliket feechers than th uther; eeven shi, unobservant Matthew had
lernd to taek noet of thees things; but th diferens that disterbd him did not consist in eny of thees respects.
Then in whut did it consist?
Matthew was haunted bi this qeschun long after th gerls had gon, arm in arm, doun th long, hard-froezen
laen and Anne had betaken herself to her buuks. He cuud not refer it to Marilla, hoo, he felt, wuud be qiet
shur to snif scornfuly and remark that th oenly diferens she saw between Anne and th uther gerls was that
thae sumtiems kept thair tungs qieet whiel Anne never did. This, Matthew felt, wuud be no graet help.
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He had reecors to his piep that eevning to help him study it out, much to Marilla's disgust. After too ours of
smoeking and hard reflecshun Matthew arievd at a solooshun of his problem. Anne was not drest liek th
uther gerls!
Th mor Matthew thaut about th mater th mor he was convinst that Anne never had bin drest liek th uther
gerls--never sinss she had cum to Green Gaebls. Marilla kept her cloethd in plaen, dark dreses, all maed
after th saem unvairying patern. If Matthew nue thair was such a thing as fashun in dres it was as much as
he did; but he was qiet shur that Anne's sleevs did not luuk at all liek th sleevs th uther gerls wor. He
recalld th cluster of litl gerls he had seen around her that eevning--all gae in waists of red and bloo and pink
and whiet--and he wunderd whi Marilla allwaes kept her so plaenly and soeberly gound.
Of cors, it must be all riet. Marilla nue best and Marilla was bringing her up. Probably sum wiez,
inscrootabl moetiv was to be servd thairbi. But shurly it wuud do no harm to let th chield hav wun prity
dres--sumthing liek Diana Barry allwaes wor. Matthew desieded that he wuud giv her wun; that shurly
cuud not be objected to as an unwaranted puuting in of his or. Christmas was oenly a fortniet off. A nies
nue dres wuud be th verry thing for a prezent. Matthew, with a si of satisfacshun, puut awae his piep and
went to bed, whiel Marilla oepend all th dors and aird th hous.
Th verry next eevning Matthew betook himself to Carmody to bi th dres, determind to get th werst oever
and hav dun with it. It wuud be, he felt ashurd, no triefling ordeel. Thair wer sum things Matthew cuud bi
and proov himself no meen bargainer; but he nue he wuud be at th mersy of shopkeepers when it caem to
bieing a girl's dres.
After much cojitaeshun Matthew rezolvd to go to Samuel Lawson's stor insted of William Blair's. To be
shur, th Cuthberts allwaes had gon to William Blair's; it was allmoest as much a mater of conshens with
them as to atend th Presbyterian cherch and voet Conservativ. But William Blair's too dauters freeqently
waeted on customers thair and Matthew held them in absoloot dred. He cuud contriev to deel with them
when he nue exactly whut he wonted and cuud point it out; but in such a mater as this, reqiering
explanaeshun and consultaeshun, Matthew felt that he must be shur of a man behiend th counter. So he
wuud go to Lawson's, wherr Samuel or his sun wuud waet on him.
Alas! Matthew did not noe that Samuel, in th reesent expanshun of his biznes, had set up a laedy clerk
allso; she was a nees of his wife's and a verry dashing yung person indeed, with a huej, drooping pompador,
big, roeling broun ies, and a moest extensiv and bewildering smiel. She was drest with exseeding
smartness and wor several banggl bracelets that gliterd and ratld and tinkld with evry moovment of her
hands. Matthew was cuverd with confuezhun at fiending her thair at all; and thoes banggls compleetly rekt
his wits at wun fel swoop.
"Whut can I do for U this eevning, Mr. Cuthbert?" Mis Lucilla Harris inqierd, briskly and ingratiatingly,
taping th counter with boeth hands.
"Hav U eny--eny--eny--wel now, sae eny garden rakes?" stamerd Matthew.
Mis Harris luukt sumwhut serpriezd, as wel she miet, to heer a man inqiering for garden rakes in th midl of
December.
"I beleev we hav wun or too left oever," she sed, "but thae'r upstairs in th lumber room. I'l go and see."
During her absens Matthew colected his scaterd senses for anuther efort.
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When Mis Harris reternd with th raek and cheerfuly inqierd: "Enything els toniet, Mr. Cuthbert?" Matthew
tuuk his curej in boeth hands and replied: "Wel now, sinss U sugjest it, I miet as wel--taek--that is--luuk at-bi sum--sum haeseed."
Mis Harris had herd Matthew Cuthbert calld od. She now conclooded that he was entierly craezy.
"We oenly keep haeseed in th spring," she explaend lofftily. "We'v nun on hand just now."
"O, sertenly--sertenly--just as U sae," stamerd unhapy Matthew, seezing th raek and maeking for th dor. At
th threshhoeld he recolected that he had not paed for it and he ternd mizerably bak. Whiel Mis Harris was
counting out his chaenj he ralyd his powers for a fienal desperet atempt.
"Wel now--if it isn't too much trubl--I miet as wel--that is--I'd liek to luuk at--at--sum shuugar."
"Whiet or broun?" qeeryd Mis Harris paeshently.
"O--wel now--broun," sed Matthew feebly.
"Thair's a barrel of it oever thair," sed Mis Harris, shaeking her banggls at it. "It's th oenly kiend we hav."
"I'l--I'l taek twenty pounds of it," sed Matthew, with beeds of perspiraeshun standing on his forhed.
Matthew had driven hafwae hoem befor he was his oen man agen. It had bin a groosum expeeryens, but it
servd him riet, he thaut, for comiting th herresy of going to a straenj stor. When he reecht hoem he hid th
raek in th tool hous, but th shuugar he carryd in to Marilla.
"Broun shuugar!" exclaemd Marilla. "Whutever pozest U to get so much? U noe I never uez it exsept for
th hierd man's porrij or blak froot caek. Jerry's gon and I'v maed mi caek long ago. It's not guud shuugar,
eether--it's cors and dark--William Blair duzn't uezhualy keep shuugar liek that."
"I--I thaut it miet cum in handy sumtiem," sed Matthew, maeking guud his escaep.
When Matthew caem to think th mater oever he desieded that a wuuman was reqierd to coep with th
sichuaeshun. Marilla was out of th qeschun. Matthew felt shur she wuud thro coeld wauter on his project
at wuns. Remaend oenly Mrs. Lynde; for of no uther wuuman in Avonlea wuud Matthew hav daird to ask
advies. To Mrs. Lynde he went acordingly, and that guud laedy promptly tuuk th mater out of th harrast
man's hands.
"Pik out a dres for U to giv Anne? To be shur I wil. I'm going to Carmody tomorro and I'l atend to it. Hav
U sumthing particuelar in miend? No? Wel, I'l just go bi mi oen jujment then. I beleev a nies rich broun
wuud just soot Anne, and William Blair has sum nue gloria in that's reeal prity. Perhaps U'd liek me to
maek it up for her, too, seeing that if Marilla was to maek it Anne wuud probably get wind of it befor th
tiem and spoil th serpriez? Wel, I'l do it. No, it isn't a miet of trubl. I liek soeing. I'l maek it to fit mi nees,
Jeny Gillis, for she and Anne ar as liek as too pees as far as figuer goes."
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"Wel now, I'm much obliejd," sed Matthew, "and--and--I dunno--but I'd liek--I think thae maek th sleevs
diferent now-a-daes to whut thae uezd to be. If it wuudn't be asking too much I--I'd liek them maed in th
nue wae."
"Pufs? Of cors. U needn't wery a spek mor about it, Matthew. I'l maek it up in th verry laetest fashun,"
sed Mrs. Lynde. To herself she aded when Matthew had gon:
"It'l be a reeal satisfacshun to see that pur chield wairing sumthing deesent for wuns. Th wae Marilla
dreses her is pozitivly ridicuelus, that's whut, and I'v aekt to tel her so plaenly a duzen tiems. I'v held mi
tung tho, for I can see Marilla duzn't wont advies and she thinks she noes mor about bringing children up
than I do for all she's an oeld maed. But that's allwaes th wae. Foeks that has braut up children noe that
thair's no hard and fast method in th werld that'l soot evry chield. But them as never hav think it's all as
plaen and eezy as Rool of Three--just set yur three terms doun so fashun, and th sum'll werk out corect.
But flesh and blud don't cum under th hed of arithmetic and that's wherr Marilla Cuthbert maeks her
mistaek. I supoez she's trieing to cultivaet a spirit of huemility in Anne bi dresing her as she duz; but it's
mor liekly to cultivaet envy and discontent. I'm shur th chield must feel th diferens between her cloeths and
th uther girls'. But to think of Matthew taeking noetis of it! That man is waeking up after being asleep for
oever sixty yeers."
Marilla nue all th foloeing fortniet that Matthew had sumthing on his miend, but whut it was she cuud not
ges, until Christmas Eev, when Mrs. Lynde braut up th nue dres. Marilla behaevd prity wel on th hoel,
alltho it is verry liekly she distrusted Mrs. Lynde's diplomatic explanaeshun that she had maed th dres
becauz Matthew was afraed Anne wuud fiend out about it too soon if Marilla maed it.
"So this is whut Matthew has bin luuking so misteerius oever and grining about to himself for too weeks, is
it?" she sed a litl stifly but tolerantly. "I nue he was up to sum foolishnes. Wel, I must sae I don't think
Anne needed eny mor dreses. I maed her three guud, worm, servisabl wuns this fall, and enything mor is
sheer extravagans. Thair's enuf mateerial in thoes sleevs aloen to maek a waest, I declair thair is. U'l just
pamper Anne's vanity, Matthew, and she's as vaen as a peecok now. Wel, I hoep she'l be satisfied at last,
for I noe she's bin hankering after thoes sily sleevs ever sinss thae caem in, alltho she never sed a werd after
th ferst. Th pufs hav bin geting biger and mor ridicuelus riet along; thae'r as big as baloons now. Next yeer
enybody hoo wairs them wil hav to go thru a dor siedwaes."
Christmas morning broek on a buetyful whiet werld. It had bin a verry mield December and peepl had
luukt forward to a green Christmas; but just enuf sno fel sofftly in th niet to transfiguer Avonlea. Anne
peeped out frum her frosted gaebl windo with delieted ies. Th firs in th Haunted Wuud wer all fethery and
wunderful; th berches and wield cherry trees wer outliend in perl; th plowd feelds wer streches of snoey
dimples; and thair was a crisp tang in th air that was glorius. Anne ran dounstairs singing until her vois
reechoed thru Green Gaebls.
"Merry Christmas, Marilla! Merry Christmas, Matthew! Isn't it a luvly Christmas? I'm so glad it's whiet.
Eny uther kiend of Christmas duzn't seem reeal, duz it? I don't liek green Christmases. Thae'r not green-thae'r just nasty faeded brouns and graes. Whut maeks peepl call them green? Whi--whi--Matthew, is that
for me? O, Matthew!"
Matthew had sheepishly unfoelded th dres frum its paeper swathings and held it out with a deprecatory
glans at Marilla, hoo faend to be contempchuosly filing th teepot, but nevertheles wocht th seen out of th
corner of her ie with a rather interested air.
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Anne tuuk th dres and luukt at it in reverent sielens. O, how prity it was--a luvly sofft broun gloria with all
th gloss of silk; a skert with daenty frils and shirrings; a waest elaboretly pintucked in th moest fashunabl
wae, with a litl rufl of filmy laes at th nek. But th sleevs--thae wer th crouning glory! Long elbo cufs, and
abuv them too buetyful pufs divieded bi roes of shering and bows of broun-silk ribon.
"That's a Christmas prezent for U, Anne," sed Matthew shiely. "Whi--whi--Anne, don't U liek it? Wel
now--wel now."
For Anne's ies had sudenly fild with teers.
"Liek it! O, Matthew!" Anne laed th dres oever a chair and claspt her hands. "Matthew, it's perfectly
exqizit. O, I can never thank U enuf. Luuk at thoes sleevs! O, it seems to me this must be a hapy dreem."
"Wel, wel, let us hav brekfast," interupted Marilla. "I must sae, Anne, I don't think U needed th dres; but
sinss Matthew has got it for U, see that U taek guud cair of it. Thair's a hair ribon Mrs. Lynde left for U.
It's broun, to mach th dres. Cum now, sit in."
"I don't see how I'm going to eet brekfast," sed Anne rapturously. "Brekfast seems so comonplaes at such
an exsieting moement. I'd rather feest mi ies on that dres. I'm so glad that puft sleevs ar stil fashunabl. It
did seem to me that I'd never get oever it if thae went out befor I had a dres with them. I'd never hav felt
qiet satisfied, U see. It was luvly of Mrs. Lynde to giv me th ribon too. I feel that I aut to be a verry guud
gerl indeed. It's at tiems liek this I'm sorry I'm not a model litl gerl; and I allwaes rezolv that I wil be in
fuecher. But sumhow it's hard to carry out yur rezolooshuns when irrezistibl temptaeshuns cum. Stil, I
reealy wil maek an extra efort after this."
When th comonplaes brekfast was oever Diana apeerd, crossing th whiet log brij in th holo, a gae litl figuer
in her crimzon ulster. Anne floo doun th sloep to meet her.
"Merry Christmas, Diana! And o, it's a wunderful Christmas. I'v sumthing splendid to sho U. Matthew
has given me th luvlyest dres, with SUCH sleevs. I cuudn't eeven imajin eny nieser."
"I'v got sumthing mor for U," sed Diana brethlesly. "Heer-- this box. Ant Josephine sent us out a big box
with ever so meny things in it--and this is for U. I'd hav braut it oever last niet, but it didn't cum until after
dark, and I never feel verry cumfortabl cuming thru th Haunted Wuud in th dark now."
Anne oepend th box and peeped in. Ferst a card with "For th Anne-gerl and Merry Christmas," riten on it;
and then, a pair of th daintiest litl kid slipers, with beeded toes and satin bows and glisening bukls.
"O," sed Anne, "Diana, this is too much. I must be dreeming."
"I call it providenshal," sed Diana. "U woen't hav to borro Ruby's slipers now, and that's a blesing, for
thae'r too siezes too big for U, and it wuud be auful to heer a fairy shufling. Josie Pye wuud be delieted.
Miend U, Rob Wright went hoem with Gertie Pye frum th practis niet befor last. Did U ever heer enything
eeqal to that?"
All th Avonlea scolars wer in a feever of exsietment that dae, for th hall had to be decoraeted and a last
grand rehersal held.
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Th consert caem off in th eevning and was a pronounst sucses. Th litl hall was crouded; all th performers
did exselently wel, but Anne was th briet particuelar star of th ocaezhun, as eeven envy, in th shaep of Josie
Pye, daird not deni.
"O, hasn't it bin a brilyant eevning?" sied Anne, when it was all oever and she and Diana wer wauking
hoem together under a dark, starry skie.
"Evrything went off verry wel," sed Diana practicaly. "I ges we must hav maed as much as ten dolars.
Miend U, Mr. Allan is going to send an acount of it to th Charlottetown paepers."
"O, Diana, wil we reealy see our naems in print? It maeks me thril to think of it. Yur soelo was perfectly
elegant, Diana. I felt prouder than U did when it was encored. I just sed to mieself, `It is mi deer buuzom
frend hoo is so onord.'"
"Wel, yur recitations just braut doun th hous, Anne. That sad wun was simply splendid."
"O, I was so nervus, Diana. When Mr. Allan calld out mi naem I reealy cannot tel how I ever got up on
that platform. I felt as if a milyon ies wer luuking at me and thru me, and for wun dredful moement I was
shur I cuudn't begin at all. Then I thaut of mi luvly puft sleevs and tuuk curej. I nue that I must liv up to
thoes sleevs, Diana. So I started in, and mi vois seemd to be cuming frum ever so far awae. I just felt liek
a parrot. It's providenshal that I practist thoes recitations so offen up in th garret, or I'd never hav bin aebl
to get thru. Did I groen all riet?"
"Yes, indeed, U groend luvly," ashurd Diana.
"I saw oeld Mrs. Sloane wieping awae teers when I sat doun. It was splendid to think I had tucht
somebody's hart. It's so roemantic to taek part in a consert, isn't it? O, it's bin a verry memorabl ocaezhun
indeed."
"Wasn't th boys' diealog fien?" sed Diana. "Gilbert Blythe was just splendid. Anne, I do think it's auful
meen th wae U treet Gil. Waet til I tel U. When U ran off th platform after th fairy diealog wun of yur
roezes fel out of yur hair. I saw Gil pik it up and puut it in his brest poket. Thair now. U'r so roemantic that
I'm shur U aut to be pleezd at that."
"It's nuthing to me whut that person duz," sed Anne lofftily. "I simply never waest a thaut on him, Diana."
That niet Marilla and Matthew, hoo had bin out to a consert for th ferst tiem in twenty yeers, sat for a whiel
bi th kichen fier after Anne had gon to bed.
"Wel now, I ges our Anne did as wel as eny of them," sed Matthew proudly.
"Yes, she did," admited Marilla. "She's a briet chield, Matthew. And she luukt reeal nies too. I'v bin kiend
of opoezd to this consert skeem, but I supoez thair's no reeal harm in it after all. Enyhow, I was proud of
Anne toniet, alltho I'm not going to tel her so."
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"Wel now, I was proud of her and I did tel her so 'fore she went upstairs," sed Matthew. "We must see
whut we can do for her sum of thees daes, Marilla. I ges she'l need sumthing mor than Avonlea scool bi
and bi."
"Thair's tiem enuf to think of that," sed Marilla. "She's oenly therteen in March. Tho toniet it struk me she
was groeing qiet a big gerl. Mrs. Lynde maed that dres a miet too long, and it maeks Anne luuk so tall.
She's qik to lern and I ges th best thing we can do for her wil be to send her to Queen's after a spel. But
nuthing need be sed about that for a yeer or too yet."
"Wel now, it'l do no harm to be thinking it oever off and on," sed Matthew. "Things liek that ar all th beter
for lots of thinking oever."
CHAPTER XXVI
Th Story Club Is Formd
Joonyor Avonlea found it hard to setl doun to humdrum existens agen. To Anne in particuelar things
seemd feerfuly flat, stael, and unprofitabl after th goblet of exsietment she had bin siping for weeks. Cuud
she go bak to th former qieet plezhers of thoes faraway daes befor th consert? At ferst, as she toeld Diana,
she did not reealy think she cuud.
"I'm pozitivly serten, Diana, that lief can never be qiet th saem agen as it was in thoes oelden daes," she sed
mornfuly, as if refering to a peeriod of at leest fifty yeers bak. "Perhaps after a whiel I'l get uezd to it, but
I'm afraed conserts spoil peepl for evrydae lief. I supoez that is whi Marilla disaproovs of them. Marilla is
such a sensibl wuuman. It must be a graet deel beter to be sensibl; but stil, I don't beleev I'd reealy wont to
be a sensibl person, becauz thae ar so unroemantic. Mrs. Lynde ses thair is no daenjer of mi ever being
wun, but U can never tel. I feel just now that I mae gro up to be sensibl yet. But perhaps that is oenly
becauz I'm tierd. I simply cuudn't sleep last niet for ever so long. I just lae awaek and imajind th consert
oever and oever agen. That's wun splendid thing about such afairs--it's so luvly to luuk bak to them."
Evenchualy, however, Avonlea scool slipt bak into its oeld groov and tuuk up its oeld interests. To be shur,
th consert left traeses. Ruby Gillis and Emma Whiet, hoo had qorreld oever a point of presedens in thair
platform seets, no longger sat at th saem desk, and a promising frendship of three yeers was broeken up.
Josie Pye and Julia Bel did not "speek" for three munths, becauz Josie Pye had toeld Bessie Wright that
Julia Bell's bow when she got up to resiet maed her think of a chiken jerking its hed, and Bessie toeld Julia.
Nun of th Sloanes wuud hav eny deelings with th Bels, becauz th Bels had declaird that th Sloanes had too
much to do in th proegram, and th Sloanes had retorted that th Bels wer not caepabl of doing th litl thae had
to do properly. Fienaly, Charlie Sloane faut Moody Spurgeon Macpherson, becauz Moody Spurgeon had
sed that Anne Shirley puut on airs about her recitations, and Moody Spurgeon was "likt"; conseqently
Moody Spurgeon's sister, Ella Mae, wuud not "speek" to Anne Shirley all th rest of th winter. With th
exsepshun of thees triefling fricshuns, werk in Mis Stacy's litl kingdom went on with reguelarrity and
smoothnes.
Th winter weeks slipt bi. It was an unuezhualy mield winter, with so litl sno that Anne and Diana cuud go
to scool neerly evry dae bi wae of th Berch Path. On Anne's berthdae thae wer triping lietly doun it,
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keeping ies and eers alert amid all thair chater, for Mis Stacy had toeld them that thae must soon riet a
compozishun on "A Winter's Wauk in th Wuuds," and it behooved them to be obzervant.
"Just think, Diana, I'm therteen yeers oeld todae," remarkt Anne in an aud vois. "I can scairsly reealiez that
I'm in mi teens. When I woek this morning it seemd to me that evrything must be diferent. U'v bin therteen
for a munth, so I supoez it duzn't seem such a novelty to U as it duz to me. It maeks lief seem so much mor
interesting. In too mor yeers I'l be reealy groen up. It's a graet cumfort to think that I'l be aebl to uez big
werds then without being laft at."
"Ruby Gillis ses she meens to hav a bo as soon as she's fifteen," sed Diana.
"Ruby Gillis thinks of nuthing but beaus," sed Anne disdainfully. "She's akchualy delieted when enywun
riets her naem up in a taek-noetis for all she pretends to be so mad. But I'm afraed that is an uncharritabl
speech. Mrs. Allan ses we shuud never maek uncharritabl speeches; but thae do slip out so offen befor U
think, don't thae? I simply can't tauk about Josie Pye without maeking an uncharritabl speech, so I never
menshun her at all. U mae hav noetist that. I'm trieing to be as much liek Mrs. Allan as I posibly can, for I
think she's perfect. Mr. Allan thinks so too. Mrs. Lynde ses he just worships th ground she treds on and she
duzn't reealy think it riet for a minister to set his afecshuns so much on a mortal being. But then, Diana,
eeven ministers ar hueman and hav thair beseting sins just liek evrybody els. I had such an interesting tauk
with Mrs. Allan about beseting sins last Sunday afternoon. Thair ar just a fue things it's proper to tauk
about on Sundays and that is wun of them. Mi beseting sin is imajining too much and forgeting mi duetys.
I'm strieving verry hard to oevercum it and now that I'm reealy therteen perhaps I'l get on beter."
"In foer mor yeers we'l be aebl to puut our hair up," sed Diana. "Alice Bel is oenly sixteen and she is
wairing hers up, but I think that's ridicuelus. I shal waet until I'm seventeen."
"If I had Alice Bell's cruuked noez," sed Anne desiededly, "I wuudn't--but thair! I woen't sae whut I was
going to becauz it was extreemly uncharritabl. Besieds, I was compairing it with mi oen noez and that's
vanity. I'm afraed I think too much about mi noez ever sinss I herd that compliment about it long ago. It
reealy is a graet cumfort to me. O, Diana, luuk, thair's a rabit. That's sumthing to remember for our wuuds
compozishun. I reealy think th wuuds ar just as luvly in winter as in sumer. Thae'r so whiet and stil, as if
thae wer asleep and dreeming prity dreems."
"I woen't miend rieting that compozishun when its tiem cums," sied Diana. "I can manej to riet about th
wuuds, but th wun we'r to hand in Monday is terribl. Th iedeea of Mis Stacy teling us to riet a story out of
our oen heds!"
"Whi, it's as eezy as wink," sed Anne.
"It's eezy for U becauz U hav an imajinaeshun," retorted Diana, "but whut wuud U do if U had bin born
without wun? I supoez U hav yur compozishun all dun?"
Anne noded, trieing hard not to luuk virtuously complaesent and faeling mizerably.
"I roet it last Monday eevning. It's calld `Th Jelus Rieval; or In Deth Not Divieded.' I red it to Marilla and
she sed it was stuf and nonsens. Then I red it to Matthew and he sed it was fien. That is th kiend of critic I
liek. It's a sad, sweet story. I just cried liek a chield whiel I was rieting it. It's about too buetyful maedens
calld Cordelia Montmorency and Geraldine Seymour hoo livd in th saem vilej and wer devoetedly atacht to
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eech uther. Cordelia was a reegal brunette with a coronet of midniet hair and duskly flashing ies. Geraldine
was a queenly blond with hair liek spun goeld and velvety perpl ies."
"I never saw enybody with perpl ies," sed Diana dubiously.
"Neether did I. I just imajind them. I wonted sumthing out of th comon. Geraldine had an alabaster brow
too. I'v found out whut an alabaster brow is. That is wun of th advantejes of being therteen. U noe so
much mor than U did when U wer oenly twelv."
"Wel, whut becaem of Cordelia and Geraldine?" askt Diana, hoo was begining to feel rather interested in
thair faet.
"Thae groo in buety sied bi sied until thae wer sixteen. Then Bertram Devere caem to thair naetiv vilej and
fel in luv with th fair Geraldine. He saevd her lief when her hors ran awae with her in a carrej, and she
faented in his arms and he carryd her hoem three miels; becauz, U understand, th carrej was all smasht up.
I found it rather hard to imajin th propoezal becauz I had no expeeryens to go bi. I askt Ruby Gillis if she
nue enything about how men propoezd becauz I thaut she'd liekly be an authority on th subject, having so
meny sisters marryd. Ruby toeld me she was hid in th hall pantry when Malcolm Andres propoezd to her
sister Susan. She sed Malcolm toeld Susan that his dad had given him th farm in his oen naem and then
sed, `Whut do U sae, darling pet, if we get hicht this fall?' And Susan sed, `Yes--no--I don't noe--let me
see'--and thair thae wer, engaejd as qik as that. But I didn't think that sort of a propoezal was a verry
roemantic wun, so in th end I had to imajin it out as wel as I cuud. I maed it verry flowery and poeetical
and Bertram went on his nees, alltho Ruby Gillis ses it isn't dun now-a-daes. Geraldine acsepted him in a
speech a paej long. I can tel U I tuuk a lot of trubl with that speech. I rewrote it fiev tiems and I luuk upon
it as mi masterpees. Bertram gaev her a diemond ring and a ruby neklas and toeld her thae wuud go to
Europe for a weding tur, for he was imensly welthy. But then, alas, shadoes began to darken oever thair
path. Cordelia was seecretly in luv with Bertram herself and when Geraldine toeld her about th engaejment
she was simply fuerius, espeshaly when she saw th neklas and th diemond ring. All her afecshun for
Geraldine ternd to biter haet and she vowd that she shuud never marry Bertram. But she pretended to be
Geraldine's frend th saem as ever. Wun eevning thae wer standing on th brij oever a rushing terbuelent
streem and Cordelia, thinking thae wer aloen, puusht Geraldine oever th brink with a wield, moking, `Haa,
haa, haa.' But Bertram saw it all and he at wuns plunjd into th curent, exclaeming, `I wil saev thee, mi
peerles Geraldine.' But alas, he had forgoten he cuudn't swim, and thae wer boeth dround, claspt in eech
other's arms. Thair bodys wer wosht ashor soon afterwards. Thae wer berryd in th wun graev and thair
fueneral was moest impoezing, Diana. It's so much mor roemantic to end a story up with a fueneral than a
weding. As for Cordelia, she went insaen with remors and was shut up in a loonatic asielum. I thaut that
was a poeetical retribueshun for her criem."
"How perfectly luvly!" sied Diana, hoo belongd to Matthew's scool of critics. "I don't see how U can maek
up such thriling things out of yur oen hed, Anne. I wish mi imajinaeshun was as guud as yurs."
"It wuud be if U'd oenly cultivaet it," sed Anne cheeringly. "I'v just thaut of a plan, Diana. Let U and me
hav a story club all our oen and riet storys for practis. I'l help U along until U can do them bi yurself. U
aut to cultivaet yur imajinaeshun, U noe. Mis Stacy ses so. Oenly we must taek th riet wae. I toeld her
about th Haunted Wuud, but she sed we went th rong wae about it in that."
This was how th story club caem into existens. It was limited to Diana and Anne at ferst, but soon it was
extended to inclood Jane Andrews and Ruby Gillis and wun or too uthers hoo felt that thair imajinaeshuns
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needed cultivaeting. No bois wer alowd in it--alltho Ruby Gillis opined that thair admishun wuud maek it
mor exsieting--and eech member had to produes wun story a week.
"It's extreemly interesting," Anne toeld Marilla. "Eech gerl has to reed her story out loud and then we tauk
it oever. We ar going to keep them all sacredly and hav them to reed to our desendants. We eech riet under
a nom-de-ploom. Mien is Rosamond Montmorency. All th gerls do prity wel. Ruby Gillis is rather
sentimental. She puuts too much lovemaking into her storys and U noe too much is wers than too litl. Jane
never puuts eny becauz she ses it maeks her feel so sily when she had to reed it out loud. Jane's storys ar
extreemly sensibl. Then Diana puuts too meny merders into hers. She ses moest of th tiem she duzn't noe
whut to do with th peepl so she kils them off to get rid of them. I moestly allwaes hav to tel them whut to
riet about, but that isn't hard for I'v milyons of iedeeas."
"I think this story-rieting biznes is th foolishest yet," scoft Marilla. "U'l get a pak of nonsens into yur heds
and waest tiem that shuud be puut on yur lesons. Reeding storys is bad enuf but rieting them is wers."
"But we'r so cairful to puut a moral into them all, Marilla," explaend Anne. "I insist upon that. All th guud
peepl ar reworded and all th bad wuns ar sootably punisht. I'm shur that must hav a hoelsum efect. Th
moral is th graet thing. Mr. Allan ses so. I red wun of mi storys to him and Mrs. Allan and thae boeth
agreed that th moral was exselent. Oenly thae laft in th rong plaeses. I liek it beter when peepl cri. Jane
and Ruby allmoest allwaes cri when I cum to th pathetic parts. Diana roet her Ant Josephine about our club
and her Ant Josephine roet bak that we wer to send her sum of our storys. So we copyd out foer of our
verry best and sent them. Mis Josephine Barry roet bak that she had never reed enything so amuezing in
her lief. That kiend of puzld us becauz th storys wer all verry pathetic and allmoest evrybody died. But I'm
glad Mis Barry liekt them. It shoes our club is doing sum guud in th werld. Mrs. Allan ses that aut to be
our object in evrything. I do reealy tri to maek it mi object but I forget so offen when I'm having fun. I
hoep I shal be a litl liek Mrs. Allan when I gro up. Do U think thair is eny prospect of it, Marilla?"
"I shuudn't sae thair was a graet deel" was Marilla's encurejing anser. "I'm shur Mrs. Allan was never such
a sily, forgetful litl gerl as U ar."
"No; but she wasn't allwaes so guud as she is now eether," sed Anne seeriusly. "She toeld me so herself-that is, she sed she was a dredful mischif when she was a gerl and was allwaes geting into scraeps. I felt so
encurejd when I herd that. Is it verry wiked of me, Marilla, to feel encurejd when I heer that uther peepl hav
bin bad and mischivus? Mrs. Lynde ses it is. Mrs. Lynde ses she allwaes feels shokt when she heers of
enywun ever having bin nauty, no mater how small thae wer. Mrs. Lynde ses she wuns herd a minister
confes that when he was a boi he stoel a strawberry tart out of his aunt's pantry and she never had eny
respect for that minister agen. Now, I wuudn't hav felt that wae. I'd hav thaut that it was reeal noebl of him
to confes it, and I'd hav thaut whut an encurejing thing it wuud be for small bois now-a-daes hoo do nauty
things and ar sorry for them to noe that perhaps thae mae gro up to be ministers in spiet of it. That's how
I'd feel, Marilla."
"Th wae I feel at prezent, Anne," sed Marilla, "is that it's hi tiem U had thoes dishes wosht. U'v taeken haf
an our longger than U shuud with all yur chatering. Lern to werk ferst and tauk afterwards."
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CHAPTER XXVII
Vanity and Vexaeshun of Spirit
Marilla, wauking hoem wun laet April eevning frum an Aed meeting, reealiezd that th winter was oever
and gon with th thril of deliet that spring never faels to bring to th oeldest and sadest as wel as to th
yunggest and merriest. Marilla was not given to subjectiv analisis of her thauts and feelings. She probably
imajind that she was thinking about th Aeds and thair mishunairy box and th nue carpet for th vestry room,
but under thees reflecshuns was a harmoenius conshusnes of red feelds smoeking into pael-purply mists in
th decliening sun, of long, sharp-pointed fer shadoes falling oever th medo beyond th bruuk, of stil,
crimzon-buded maepls around a mirrorlike wuud pool, of a waekening in th werld and a ster of hiden
pulses under th grae sod. Th spring was abraud in th land and Marilla's soeber, midl-aejd step was lieter
and swifter becauz of its deep, priemal gladnes.
Her ies dwelt afecshunetly on Green Gaebls, peering thru its netwerk of trees and reflecting th sunliet bak
frum its windoes in several litl coruscations of glory. Marilla, as she pikt her steps along th damp laen,
thaut that it was reealy a satisfacshun to noe that she was going hoem to a briskly snaping wuud fier and a
taebl niesly spred for tee, insted of to th coeld cumfort of oeld Aed meeting eevnings befor Anne had cum
to Green Gaebls.
Conseqently, when Marilla enterd her kichen and found th fier blak out, with no sien of Anne enywhair, she
felt justly disapointed and iritaeted. She had toeld Anne to be shur and hav tee redy at fiev o'clok, but now
she must hery to taek off her second-best dres and prepair th meel herself agenst Matthew's retern frum
plowing.
"I'l setl Mis Anne when she cums hoem," sed Marilla grimly, as she shaevd up kindlings with a carving nief
and with mor vim than was strictly nesesairy. Matthew had cum in and was waeting paeshently for his tee
in his corner. "She's gading off sumwherr with Diana, rieting storys or practising diealogs or sum such
tomfoolery, and never thinking wuns about th tiem or her duetys. She's just got to be puuld up short and
suden on this sort of thing. I don't cair if Mrs. Allan duz sae she's th brietest and sweetest chield she ever
nue. She mae be briet and sweet enuf, but her hed is fuul of nonsens and thair's never eny noeing whut
shaep it'l braek out in next. Just as soon as she groes out of wun freek she taeks up with anuther. But thair!
Heer I am saeing th verry thing I was so riled with Rachel Lynde for saeing at th Aed todae. I was reeal
glad when Mrs. Allan spoek up for Anne, for if she hadn't I noe I'd hav sed sumthing too sharp to Rachel
befor evrybody. Anne's got plenty of fallts, guudnes noes, and far be it frum me to deni it. But I'm bringing
her up and not Rachel Lynde, hoo'd pik fallts in th Aenjel Gabriel himself if he livd in Avonlea. Just th
saem, Anne has no biznes to leev th hous liek this when I toeld her she was to stae hoem this afternoon and
luuk after things. I must sae, with all her fallts, I never found her disoebeedyent or untrustworthy befor and
I'm reeal sorry to fiend her so now."
"Wel now, I dunno," sed Matthew, hoo, being paeshent and wiez and, abuv all, hunggry, had deemd it best
to let Marilla tauk her rath out unhindered, having lernd bi expeeryens that she got thru with whutever werk
was on hand much qiker if not delaed bi untiemly arguement. "Perhaps U'r jujing her too haesty, Marilla.
Don't call her untrustworthy until U'r shur she has disoebaed U. Mebbe it can all be explaend--Anne's a
graet hand at explaening."
"She's not heer when I toeld her to stae," retorted Marilla. "I rekon she'l fiend it hard to explaen THAT to
mi satisfacshun. Of cors I nue U'd taek her part, Matthew. But I'm bringing her up, not U."
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It was dark when super was redy, and stil no sien of Anne, cuming herydly oever th log brij or up Lover's
Laen, brethles and repentant with a sens of neglected duetys. Marilla wosht and puut awae th dishes grimly.
Then, wonting a candl to liet her wae doun th selar, she went up to th eest gaebl for th wun that jeneraly
stuud on Anne's taebl. Lieting it, she ternd around to see Anne herself lieing on th bed, faes dounward
amung th piloes.
"Mersy on us," sed astonisht Marilla, "hav U bin asleep, Anne?"
"No," was th mufld repli.
"Ar U sik then?" demanded Marilla ankshusly, going oever to th bed.
Anne cowerd deeper into her piloes as if dezierus of hieding herself forever frum mortal ies.
"No. But pleez, Marilla, go awae and don't luuk at me. I'm in th depths of despair and I don't cair hoo gets
hed in clas or riets th best compozishun or sings in th Sunday-scool qier eny mor. Litl things liek that ar of
no importans now becauz I don't supoez I'l ever be aebl to go enywhair agen. Mi career is cloezd. Pleez,
Marilla, go awae and don't luuk at me."
"Did enywun ever heer th liek?" th mistified Marilla wonted to noe. "Anne Shirley, whutever is th mater
with U? Whut hav U dun? Get riet up this minit and tel me. This minit, I sae. Thair now, whut is it?"
Anne had slid to th flor in despairing oebeedyens.
"Luuk at mi hair, Marilla," she whisperd.
Acordingly, Marilla lifted her candl and luukt scrutinizingly at Anne's hair, floeing in hevy mases doun her
bak. It sertenly had a verry straenj apeerans.
"Anne Shirley, whut hav U dun to yur hair? Whi, it's GREEN!"
Green it miet be calld, if it wer eny erthly culor--a qeer, dul, bronzy green, with streeks heer and thair of th
orijinal red to hieten th gastly efect. Never in all her lief had Marilla seen enything so groetesk as Anne's
hair at that moement.
"Yes, it's green," moend Anne. "I thaut nuthing cuud be as bad as red hair. But now I noe it's ten tiems
wers to hav green hair. O, Marilla, U litl noe how uterly reched I am."
"I litl noe how U got into this fix, but I meen to fiend out," sed Marilla. "Cum riet doun to th kichen--it's
too coeld up heer--and tel me just whut U'v dun. I'v bin expecting sumthing qeer for sum tiem. U havn't
got into eny scraep for oever too munths, and I was shur anuther wun was due. Now, then, whut did U do
to yur hair?"
"I died it."
"Died it! Died yur hair! Anne Shirley, didn't U noe it was a wiked thing to do?"
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"Yes, I nue it was a litl wiked," admited Anne. "But I thaut it was werth whiel to be a litl wiked to get rid
of red hair. I counted th cost, Marilla. Besieds, I ment to be extra guud in uther waes to maek up for it."
"Wel," sed Marilla sarcasticaly, "if I'd desieded it was werth whiel to di mi hair I'd hav died it a deesent
culor at leest. I wuudn't hav died it green."
"But I didn't meen to di it green, Marilla," proetested Anne dejectedly. "If I was wiked I ment to be wiked
to sum perpos. He sed it wuud tern mi hair a buetyful raeven blak--he pozitivly ashurd me that it wuud.
How cuud I dout his werd, Marilla? I noe whut it feels liek to hav yur werd douted. And Mrs. Allan ses
we shuud never suspect enywun of not teling us th trooth unles we hav proof that thae'r not. I hav proof
now--green hair is proof enuf for enybody. But I hadn't then and I beleevd evry werd he sed
IMPLISITLY."
"Hoo sed? Hoo ar U tauking about?"
"Th pedler that was heer this afternoon. I baut th di frum him."
"Anne Shirley, how offen hav I toeld U never to let wun of thoes Italians in th hous! I don't beleev in
encurejing them to cum around at all."
"O, I didn't let him in th hous. I rememberd whut U toeld me, and I went out, cairfuly shut th dor, and luukt
at his things on th step. Besieds, he wasn't an Italian--he was a German Jew. He had a big box fuul of
verry interesting things and he toeld me he was werking hard to maek enuf muny to bring his wief and
children out frum Germany. He spoek so feelingly about them that it tucht mi hart. I wonted to bi
sumthing frum him to help him in such a werthy object. Then all at wuns I saw th botl of hair di. Th pedler
sed it was waranted to di eny hair a buetyful raeven blak and wuudn't wosh off. In a trice I saw mieself
with buetyful raeven-blak hair and th temptaeshun was irrezistibl. But th pries of th botl was seventy-fiev
sents and I had oenly fifty sents left out of mi chiken muny. I think th pedler had a verry kiend hart, for he
sed that, seeing it was me, he'd sel it for fifty sents and that was just giving it awae. So I baut it, and as
soon as he had gon I caem up heer and aplied it with an oeld hairbrush as th direcshuns sed. I uezd up th
hoel botl, and o, Marilla, when I saw th dredful culor it ternd mi hair I repented of being wiked, I can tel U.
And I'v bin repenting ever sinss."
"Wel, I hoep U'l repent to guud perpos," sed Marilla seveerly, "and that U'v got yur ies oepend to wherr yur
vanity has led U, Anne. Guudnes noes whut's to be dun. I supoez th ferst thing is to giv yur hair a guud
woshing and see if that wil do eny guud."
Acordingly, Anne wosht her hair, scrubing it vigorusly with soep and wauter, but for all th diferens it maed
she miet as wel hav bin scouring its orijinal red. Th pedler had sertenly spoeken th trooth when he declaird
that th di wuudn't wosh off, however his verasity miet be impeached in uther respects.
"O, Marilla, whut shal I do?" qeschund Anne in teers. "I can never liv this doun. Peepl hav prity wel
forgoten mi uther mistaeks--th liniment caek and seting Diana drunk and flieing into a temper with Mrs.
Lynde. But thae'l never forget this. Thae wil think I am not respectabl. O, Marilla, `whut a tanggld web we
weev when ferst we practis to deseev.' That is poeetry, but it is troo. And o, how Josie Pye wil laf!
Marilla, I CANNOT faes Josie Pye. I am th unhapyest gerl in Prins Edward Ieland."
176
Anne's unhapynes continued for a week. During that tiem she went noewherr and shampooed her hair evry
dae. Diana aloen of outsieders nue th faetal seecret, but she promist solemly never to tel, and it mae be
staeted heer and now that she kept her werd. At th end of th week Marilla sed desiededly:
"It's no ues, Anne. That is fast di if ever thair was eny. Yur hair must be cut off; thair is no uther wae. U
can't go out with it luuking liek that."
Anne's lips qiverd, but she reealiezd th biter trooth of Marilla's remarks. With a dizmal si she went for th
sizors.
"Pleez cut it off at wuns, Marilla, and hav it oever. O, I feel that mi hart is broeken. This is such an
unroemantic aflicshun. Th gerls in buuks looz thair hair in fevers or sel it to get muny for sum guud deed,
and I'm shur I wuudn't miend loozing mi hair in sum such fashun haf so much. But thair is nuthing
cumforting in having yur hair cut off becauz U'v died it a dredful culor, is thair? I'm going to weep all th
tiem U'r cuting it off, if it woen't interfeer. It seems such a trajic thing."
Anne wept then, but laeter on, when she went upstairs and luukt in th glas, she was caam with despair.
Marilla had dun her werk theroely and it had bin nesesairy to shinggl th hair as cloesly as posibl. Th rezult
was not becuming, to staet th caes as mieldly as mae be. Anne promptly ternd her glas to th wall.
"I'l never, never luuk at mieself agen until mi hair groes," she exclaemd pashunetly.
Then she sudenly righted th glas.
"Yes, I wil, too. I'd do penans for being wiked that wae. I'l luuk at mieself evry tiem I cum to mi room and
see how ugly I am. And I woen't tri to imajin it awae, eether. I never thaut I was vaen about mi hair, of all
things, but now I noe I was, in spiet of its being red, becauz it was so long and thik and curly. I expect
sumthing wil hapen to mi noez next."
Anne's clipt hed maed a sensaeshun in scool on th foloeing Monday, but to her releef noebody gest th reeal
reezon for it, not eeven Josie Pye, hoo, however, did not fael to inform Anne that she luukt liek a perfect
scaircro.
"I didn't sae enything when Josie sed that to me," Anne confieded that eevning to Marilla, hoo was lieing
on th soefa after wun of her hedaeks, "becauz I thaut it was part of mi punishment and I aut to bair it
paeshently. It's hard to be toeld U luuk liek a scaircro and I wonted to sae sumthing bak. But I didn't. I just
swept her wun scornful luuk and then I forgaev her. It maeks U feel verry verchuos when U forgiv peepl,
duzn't it? I meen to devoet all mi enerjys to being guud after this and I shal never tri to be buetyful agen.
Of cors it's beter to be guud. I noe it is, but it's sumtiems so hard to beleev a thing eeven when U noe it. I
do reealy wont to be guud, Marilla, liek U and Mrs. Allan and Mis Stacy, and gro up to be a credit to U.
Diana ses when mi hair begins to gro to ti a blak velvet ribon around mi hed with a bow at wun sied. She
ses she thinks it wil be verry becuming. I wil call it a snood--that sounds so roemantic. But am I tauking
too much, Marilla? Duz it hert yur hed?"
"Mi hed is beter now. It was terribl bad this afternoon, tho. Thees hedaeks of mien ar geting wers and
wers. I'l hav to see a doctor about them. As for yur chater, I don't noe that I miend it--I'v got so uezd to it."
Which was Marilla's wae of saeing that she liekt to heer it.
177
CHAPTER XXVIII
An Unforchunet Lily Maed
OF cors U must be Elaine, Anne," sed Diana. "I cuud never hav th curej to floet doun thair."
"Nor I," sed Ruby Gillis, with a shiver. "I don't miend floeting doun when thair's too or three of us in th flat
and we can sit up. It's fun then. But to lie doun and pretend I was ded--I just cuudn't. I'd die reealy of friet."
"Of cors it wuud be roemantic," conseeded Jane Andrews, "but I noe I cuudn't keep stil. I'd be poping up
evry minit or so to see wherr I was and if I wasn't drifting too far out. And U noe, Anne, that wuud spoil th
efect."
"But it's so ridicuelus to hav a redheded Elaine," mornd Anne. "I'm not afraed to floet doun and I'd luv to
be Elaine. But it's ridicuelus just th saem. Ruby aut to be Elaine becauz she is so fair and has such luvly
long goelden hair-- Elaine had `all her briet hair streeming doun,' U noe. And Elaine was th lily maed.
Now, a red-haired person cannot be a lily maed."
"Yur complexshun is just as fair as Ruby's," sed Diana ernestly, "and yur hair is ever so much darker than it
uezd to be befor U cut it."
"O, do U reealy think so?" exclaemd Anne, flushing sensitivly with deliet. "I'v sumtiems thaut it was
mieself--but I never daird to ask enywun for feer she wuud tel me it wasn't. Do U think it cuud be calld
auburn now, Diana?"
"Yes, and I think it is reeal prity," sed Diana, luuking admieringly at th short, silky curls that clusterd oever
Anne's hed and wer held in plaes bi a verry jaunty blak velvet ribon and bow.
Thae wer standing on th bank of th pond, belo Orchard Sloep, wherr a litl hedland frinjd with berches ran
out frum th bank; at its tip was a small wuuden platform bilt out into th wauter for th conveenyuns of
fishermen and duk hunters. Ruby and Jane wer spending th midsumer afternoon with Diana, and Anne had
cum oever to plae with them.
Anne and Diana had spent moest of thair plaetiem that sumer on and about th pond. Idlewild was a thing of
th past, Mr. Bel having roothlesly cut doun th litl sercl of trees in his bak pascher in th spring. Anne had sat
amung th stumps and wept, not without an ie to th roemans of it; but she was speedily consoeld, for, after
all, as she and Diana sed, big gerls of therteen, going on forteen, wer too oeld for such chieldish
amuezments as plaehouzes, and thair wer mor fasinaeting sports to be found about th pond. It was splendid
to fish for trout oever th brij and th too gerls lernd to ro themselvs about in th litl flat-bottomed dory Mr.
Barry kept for duk shooting.
It was Anne's iedeea that thae dramatiez Elaine. Thae had studyd Tennyson's poeem in scool th preseeding
winter, th Superintendent of Ejucaeshun having prescriebd it in th English cors for th Prins Edward Ieland
scools. Thae had analiezd and parsed it and torn it to peeses in jeneral until it was a wunder thair was eny
meening at all left in it for them, but at leest th fair lily maed and Lancelot and Guinevere and King Arthur
178
had becum verry reeal peepl to them, and Anne was devourd bi seecret regret that she had not bin born in
Camelot. Thoes daes, she sed, wer so much mor roemantic than th prezent.
Anne's plan was haeld with enthooziazm. Th gerls had discuverd that if th flat wer puusht off frum th
landing plaes it wuud drift doun with th curent under th brij and fienaly strand itself on anuther hedland
loeer doun which ran out at a curv in th pond. Thae had offen gon doun liek this and nuthing cuud be mor
conveenyunt for plaeing Elaine.
"Wel, I'l be Elaine," sed Anne, yeelding reluctantly, for, alltho she wuud hav bin delieted to plae th
prinsipal carracter, yet her artistic sens demanded fitnes for it and this, she felt, her limitaeshuns maed
imposibl. "Ruby, U must be King Arthur and Jane wil be Guinevere and Diana must be Lancelot. But ferst
U must be th bruthers and th faather. We can't hav th oeld dum servitor becauz thair isn't room for too in th
flat when wun is lieing doun. We must pall th barj all its length in blakest samit. That oeld blak shall of
yur mother's wil be just th thing, Diana."
Th blak shall having bin proecuerd, Anne spred it oever th flat and then lae doun on th botom, with cloezd
ies and hands foelded oever her brest.
"O, she duz luuk reealy ded," whisperd Ruby Gillis nervusly, woching th stil, whiet litl faes under th
flickering shadoes of th berches. "It maeks me feel frietend, gerls. Do U supoez it's reealy riet to act liek
this? Mrs. Lynde ses that all plae-acting is abominably wiked."
"Ruby, U shuudn't tauk about Mrs. Lynde," sed Anne seveerly. "It spoils th efect becauz this is hundreds of
yeers befor Mrs. Lynde was born. Jane, U araenj this. It's sily for Elaine to be tauking when she's ded."
Jane roez to th ocaezhun. Clauth of goeld for cuverlet thair was nun, but an oeld peano scarf of yelo
Japanese craep was an exselent substituet. A whiet lily was not obtaenabl just then, but th efect of a tall
bloo ieris plaest in wun of Anne's foelded hands was all that cuud be dezierd.
"Now, she's all redy," sed Jane. "We must kis her qieet brous and, Diana, U sae, `Sister, fairwel forever,'
and Ruby, U sae, `Fairwel, sweet sister,' boeth of U as sorrowfully as U posibly can. Anne, for guudnes
saek smiel a litl. U noe Elaine `lae as tho she smield.' That's beter. Now puush th flat off."
Th flat was acordingly puusht off, scraeping rufly oever an oeld embeded staek in th proses. Diana and
Jane and Ruby oenly waeted long enuf to see it caut in th curent and heded for th brij befor scampering up
thru th wuuds, across th roed, and doun to th loeer hedland wherr, as Lancelot and Guinevere and th King,
thae wer to be in redynes to reseev th lily maed.
For a fue minits Anne, drifting sloely doun, enjoid th roemans of her sichuaeshun to th fuul. Then
sumthing hapend not at all roemantic. Th flat began to leek. In a verry fue moements it was nesesairy for
Elaine to scrambl to her feet, pik up her clauth of goeld cuverlet and pall of blakest samit and gaez blankly
at a big crak in th botom of her barj thru which th wauter was literaly poring. That sharp staek at th landing
had torn off th strip of bating naeld on th flat. Anne did not noe this, but it did not taek her long to reealiez
that she was in a daenjerus pliet. At this raet th flat wuud fil and sink long befor it cuud drift to th loeer
hedland. Wherr wer th ors? Left behiend at th landing!
Anne gaev wun gasping litl screem which noebody ever herd; she was whiet to th lips, but she did not looz
her self-pozeshun. Thair was wun chans--just wun.
179
"I was horribly frietend," she toeld Mrs. Allan th next dae, "and it seemd liek yeers whiel th flat was
drifting doun to th brij and th wauter riezing in it evry moement. I praed, Mrs. Allan, moest ernestly, but I
didn't shut mi ies to prae, for I nue th oenly wae God cuud saev me was to let th flat floet cloes enuf to wun
of th brij piels for me to cliem up on it. U noe th piels ar just oeld tree trunks and thair ar lots of nots and
oeld branch stubs on them. It was proper to prae, but I had to do mi part bi woching out and riet wel I nue
it. I just sed, `Deer God, pleez taek th flat cloes to a piel and I'l do th rest,' oever and oever agen. Under
such sercumstanses U don't think much about maeking a flowery prair. But mien was anserd, for th flat
bumpt riet into a piel for a minit and I flung th scarf and th shall oever mi shoelder and scrambld up on a
big providenshal stub. And thair I was, Mrs. Allan, clinging to that slipery oeld piel with no wae of geting
up or doun. It was a verry unroemantic pozishun, but I didn't think about that at th tiem. U don't think
much about roemans when U hav just escaept frum a wautery graev. I sed a graetful prair at wuns and then
I gaev all mi atenshun to hoelding on tiet, for I nue I shuud probably hav to depend on hueman aed to get
bak to dri land."
Th flat drifted under th brij and then promptly sank in midstreem. Ruby, Jane, and Diana, allredy awaeting
it on th loeer hedland, saw it disapeer befor thair verry ies and had not a dout but that Anne had gon doun
with it. For a moement thae stuud stil, whiet as sheets, froezen with horror at th trajedy; then, shreeking at
th tops of thair voises, thae started on a frantic run up thru th wuuds, never pauzing as thae crosst th maen
roed to glans th wae of th brij. Anne, clinging desperetly to her precairius fuut-hoeld, saw thair flieing
forms and herd thair shrieks. Help wuud soon cum, but meenwhiel her pozishun was a verry uncumfortabl
wun.
Th minits past bi, eech seeming an our to th unforchunet lily maed. Whi didn't sumbody cum? Wherr had
th gerls gon? Supoez thae had faented, wun and all! Supoez noebody ever caem! Supoez she groo so tierd
and cramped that she cuud hoeld on no longger! Anne luukt at th wiked green depths belo her, wavering
with long, oily shadoes, and shiverd. Her imajinaeshun began to sugjest all maner of groosum posibilitys
to her.
Then, just as she thaut she reealy cuud not endur th aek in her arms and rists anuther moement, Gilbert
Blythe caem rowing under th brij in Harmon Andrews's dory!
Gilbert glanst up and, much to his amaezment, beheld a litl whiet scornful faes luuking doun upon him with
big, frietend but allso scornful grae ies.
"Anne Shirley! How on erth did U get thair?" he exclaemd.
Without waeting for an anser he puuld cloes to th piel and extended his hand. Thair was no help for it;
Anne, clinging to Gilbert Blythe's hand, scrambld doun into th dory, wherr she sat, drabbled and fuerius, in
th stern with her arms fuul of driping shall and wet craep. It was sertenly extreemly dificult to be dignified
under th sercumstanses!
"Whut has hapend, Anne?" askt Gilbert, taeking up his ors. "We wer plaeing Elaine" explaend Anne
frigidly, without eeven luuking at her rescuer, "and I had to drift doun to Camelot in th barj--I meen th flat.
Th flat began to leek and I cliemd out on th piel. Th gerls went for help. Wil U be kiend enuf to ro me to
th landing?"
Gilbert obliejingly roed to th landing and Anne, disdaening asistans, sprang nimbly on shor.
180
"I'm verry much obliejd to U," she sed hautily as she ternd awae. But Gilbert had allso sprung frum th boet
and now laed a detaining hand on her arm.
"Anne," he sed herydly, "luuk heer. Can't we be guud frends? I'm aufuly sorry I maed fun of yur hair that
tiem. I didn't meen to vex U and I oenly ment it for a joek. Besieds, it's so long ago. I think yur hair is
aufuly prity now--onest I do. Let's be frends."
For a moement Anne hezitaeted. She had an od, nuely awaekend conshusnes under all her outraejd dignity
that th haf-shi, haf-eeger expreshun in Gilbert's haezel ies was sumthing that was verry guud to see. Her
hart gaev a qik, qeer litl beet. But th biternes of her oeld greevans promptly stifend up her wavering
determinaeshun. That seen of too yeers befor flasht bak into her recolecshun as vividly as if it had taeken
plaes yesterdae. Gilbert had calld her "carrots" and had braut about her disgraes befor th hoel scool. Her
rezentment, which to uther and oelder peepl miet be as lafabl as its cauz, was in no whit allayed and
soffend bi tiem seemingly. She haeted Gilbert Blythe! She wuud never forgiv him!
"No," she sed coeldly, "I shal never be frends with U, Gilbert Blythe; and I don't wont to be!"
"All riet!" Gilbert sprang into his skif with an anggry culor in his cheeks. "I'l never ask U to be frends
agen, Anne Shirley. And I don't cair eether!"
He puuld awae with swift defieant stroeks, and Anne went up th steep, ferny litl path under th maepls. She
held her hed verry hi, but she was conshus of an od feeling of regret. She allmoest wisht she had anserd
Gilbert diferently. Of cors, he had insulted her terribly, but stil--! Alltogether, Anne rather thaut it wuud
be a releef to sit doun and hav a guud cri. She was reealy qiet unstrung, for th reacshun frum her friet and
cramped clinging was maeking itself felt.
Hafwae up th path she met Jane and Diana rushing bak to th pond in a staet narroely remoovd frum pozitiv
frenzy. Thae had found noebody at Orchard Sloep, boeth Mr. and Mrs. Barry being awae. Heer Ruby Gillis
had sucumd to histerrics, and was left to recuver frum them as best she miet, whiel Jane and Diana floo thru
th Haunted Wuud and across th bruuk to Green Gaebls. Thair thae had found noebody eether, for Marilla
had gon to Carmody and Matthew was maeking hae in th bak feeld.
"O, Anne," gaspt Diana, fairly falling on th former's nek and weeping with releef and deliet, "o, Anne--we
thaut--U wer--dround--and we felt liek merderers--becauz we had maed--U be--Elaine. And Ruby is in
histerrics--o, Anne, how did U escaep?"
"I cliemd up on wun of th piels," explaend Anne weerily, "and Gilbert Blythe caem along in Mr. Andrews's
dory and braut me to land."
"O, Anne, how splendid of him! Whi, it's so roemantic!" sed Jane, fiending breth enuf for uterans at last.
"Of cors U'l speek to him after this."
"Of cors I woen't," flasht Anne, with a moementairy retern of her oeld spirit. "And I don't wont ever to
heer th werd `romantic' agen, Jane Andrews. I'm aufuly sorry U wer so frietend, gerls. It is all mi fallt. I
feel shur I was born under an unluky star. Evrything I do gets me or mi deerest frends into a scraep. We'v
gon and lost yur father's flat, Diana, and I hav a presentiment that we'l not be alowd to ro on th pond eny
mor."
181
Anne's presentiment proovd mor trustwerthy than presentiments ar apt to do. Graet was th consternaeshun
in th Barry and Cuthbert hous-hoelds when th events of th afternoon becaem noen.
"Wil U ever hav eny sens, Anne?" groend Marilla.
"O, yes, I think I wil, Marilla," reternd Anne optimisticaly. A guud cri, induljd in th graetful solitued of th
eest gaebl, had soothd her nervs and restord her to her wonted cheerfulnes. "I think mi prospects of
becuming sensibl ar brieter now than ever"
"I don't see how," sed Marilla.
"Wel," explaend Anne, "I'v lernd a nue and valueabl leson todae. Ever sinss I caem to Green Gaebls I'v bin
maeking mistaeks, and eech mistaek has helpt to cuer me of sum graet shortcuming. Th afair of th amithist
brooch cuerd me of medling with things that didn't belong to me. Th Haunted Wuud mistaek cuerd me of
leting mi imajinaeshun run awae with me. Th liniment caek mistaek cuerd me of cairlesnes in cuuking.
Dyeing mi hair cuerd me of vanity. I never think about mi hair and noez now--at leest, verry seldom. And
today's mistaek is going to cuer me of being too roemantic. I hav cum to th concloozhun that it is no ues
trieing to be roemantic in Avonlea. It was probably eezy enuf in towerd Camelot hundreds of yeers ago,
but roemans is not apreeshiaeted now. I feel qiet shur that U wil soon see a graet improovment in me in this
respect, Marilla."
"I'm shur I hoep so," sed Marilla skepticaly.
But Matthew, hoo had bin siting muetly in his corner, laed a hand on Anne's shoelder when Marilla had gon
out.
"Don't giv up all yur roemans, Anne," he whisperd shiely, "a litl of it is a guud thing--not too much, of
cors--but keep a litl of it, Anne, keep a litl of it."
CHAPTER XXIX
An Epok in Anne's Lief
Anne was bringing th cows hoem frum th bak pascher bi wae of Lover's Laen. It was a September eevning
and all th gaps and clearings in th wuuds wer brimd up with ruby sunset liet. Heer and thair th laen was
splasht with it, but for th moest part it was allredy qiet shadoey beneeth th maepls, and th spaeses under th
firs wer fild with a cleer vieolet dusk liek airy wien. Th winds wer out in thair tops, and thair is no sweeter
muezic on erth than that which th wind maeks in th fer trees at eevning.
Th cows swung plasidly doun th laen, and Anne foloed them dreemily, repeeting aloud th batl canto frum
MARMION--which had allso bin part of thair English cors th preseeding winter and which Mis Stacy had
maed them lern off bi hart--and exulting in its rushing liens and th clash of spears in its imejery. When she
caem to th liens
Th stuborn spearsmen stil maed guud
182
Thair dark impenetrabl wuud,
she stopt in extasy to shut her ies that she miet th beter fansy herself wun of that heroeic ring. When she
oepend them agen it was to behoeld Diana cuming thru th gaet that led into th Barry feeld and luuking so
important that Anne instantly divined thair was nues to be toeld. But betrae too eeger cueriosity she wuud
not.
"Isn't this eevning just liek a perpl dreem, Diana? It maeks me so glad to be aliev. In th mornings I allwaes
think th mornings ar best; but when eevning cums I think it's lovelier stil."
"It's a verry fien eevning," sed Diana, "but o, I hav such nues, Anne. Ges. U can hav three geses."
"Charlotte Gillis is going to be marryd in th cherch after all and Mrs. Allan wonts us to decoraet it," cried
Anne.
"No. Charlotte's bo woen't agree to that, becauz noebody ever has bin marryd in th cherch yet, and he
thinks it wuud seem too much liek a fueneral. It's too meen, becauz it wuud be such fun. Ges agen."
"Jane's muther is going to let her hav a berthdae party?"
Diana shuuk her hed, her blak ies dansing with merriment.
"I can't think whut it can be," sed Anne in despair, "unles it's that Moody Spurgeon Macpherson saw U
hoem frum prair meeting last niet. Did he?"
"I shuud think not," exclaemd Diana indignantly. "I wuudn't be liekly to boest of it if he did, th horrid
creecher! I nue U cuudn't ges it. Muther had a leter frum Ant Josephine todae, and Ant Josephine wonts U
and me to go to toun next Tuesday and stop with her for th Exibishun. Thair!"
"O, Diana," whisperd Anne, fiending it nesesairy to leen up agenst a maepl tree for suport, "do U reealy
meen it? But I'm afraed Marilla woen't let me go. She wil sae that she can't encurej gading about. That
was whut she sed last week when Jane invieted me to go with them in thair dubl-seeted bugy to th
American consert at th Whiet Sands Hoetel. I wonted to go, but Marilla sed I'd be beter at hoem lerning mi
lesons and so wuud Jane. I was biterly disapointed, Diana. I felt so hartbroeken that I wuudn't sae mi prairs
when I went to bed. But I repented of that and got up in th midl of th niet and sed them."
"I'l tel U," sed Diana, "we'l get Muther to ask Marilla. She'l be mor liekly to let U go then; and if she duz
we'l hav th tiem of our lievs, Anne. I'v never bin to an Exibishun, and it's so agravaeting to heer th uther
gerls tauking about thair trips. Jane and Ruby hav bin twies, and thae'r going this yeer agen."
"I'm not going to think about it at all until I noe whether I can go or not," sed Anne rezolootly. "If I did and
then was disapointed, it wuud be mor than I cuud bair. But in caes I do go I'm verry glad mi nue coet wil
be redy bi that tiem. Marilla didn't think I needed a nue coet. She sed mi oeld wun wuud do verry wel for
anuther winter and that I aut to be satisfied with having a nue dres. Th dres is verry prity, Diana--naevy
bloo and maed so fashunably. Marilla allwaes maeks mi dreses fashunably now, becauz she ses she duzn't
intend to hav Matthew going to Mrs. Lynde to maek them. I'm so glad. It is ever so much eezyer to be
guud if yur cloeths ar fashunabl. At leest, it is eezyer for me. I supoez it duzn't maek such a diferens to
nacheraly guud peepl. But Matthew sed I must hav a nue coet, so Marilla baut a luvly pees of bloo
braudclauth, and it's being maed bi a reeal dresmaeker oever at Carmody. It's to be dun Saturday niet, and
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I'm trieing not to imajin mieself wauking up th cherch iel on Sunday in mi nue soot and cap, becauz I'm
afraed it isn't riet to imajin such things. But it just slips into mi miend in spiet of me. Mi cap is so prity.
Matthew baut it for me th dae we wer oever at Carmody. It is wun of thoes litl bloo velvet wuns that ar all
th raej, with goeld cord and tasels. Yur nue hat is elegant, Diana, and so becuming. When I saw U cum
into cherch last Sunday mi hart sweld with pried to think U wer mi deerest frend. Do U supoez it's rong for
us to think so much about our cloeths? Marilla ses it is verry sinful. But it is such an interesting subject,
isn't it?"
Marilla agreed to let Anne go to toun, and it was araenjd that Mr. Barry shuud taek th gerls in on th
foloeing Tuesday. As Charlottetown was therty miels awae and Mr. Barry wisht to go and retern th saem
dae, it was nesesairy to maek a verry erly start. But Anne counted it all joi, and was up befor sunriez on
Tuesday morning. A glans frum her windo ashurd her that th dae wuud be fien, for th eestern skie behiend
th firs of th Haunted Wuud was all silvery and cloudles. Thru th gap in th trees a liet was shiening in th
western gaebl of Orchard Sloep, a toeken that Diana was allso up.
Anne was drest bi th tiem Matthew had th fier on and had th brekfast redy when Marilla caem doun, but for
her oen part was much too exsieted to eet. After brekfast th jaunty nue cap and jaket wer dond, and Anne
haesend oever th bruuk and up thru th firs to Orchard Sloep. Mr. Barry and Diana wer waeting for her, and
thae wer soon on th roed.
It was a long driev, but Anne and Diana enjoid evry minit of it. It was delietful to ratl along oever th moist
roeds in th erly red sunliet that was creeping across th shorn harvest feelds. Th air was fresh and crisp, and
litl smoek-bloo mists curld thru th valys and floeted off frum th hils. Sumtiems th roed went thru wuuds
wherr maepls wer begining to hang out scarlet baners; sumtiems it crosst rivers on brijes that maed Anne's
flesh crinj with th oeld, haf-delietful feer; sumtiems it woond along a harbor shor and past bi a litl cluster of
wether-grae fishing huts; agen it mounted to hils whens a far sweep of curving upland or misty-bloo skie
cuud be seen; but wherrever it went thair was much of interest to discus. It was allmoest noon when thae
reecht toun and found thair wae to "Beechwood." It was qiet a fien oeld manshun, set bak frum th street in a
secloozhun of green elms and branching beeches. Mis Barry met them at th dor with a twinkl in her sharp
blak ies.
"So U'v cum to see me at last, U Anne-gerl," she sed. "Mersy, chield, how U hav groen! U'r taller than I
am, I declair. And U'r ever so much beter luuking than U uezd to be, too. But I dair sae U noe that without
being toeld."
"Indeed I didn't," sed Anne raediantly. "I noe I'm not so frekld as I uezd to be, so I'v much to be thankful
for, but I reealy hadn't daird to hoep thair was eny uther improovment. I'm so glad U think thair is, Mis
Barry." Mis Barry's hous was fernisht with "graet magnifisens," as Anne toeld Marilla afterward. Th too
litl cuntry gerls wer rather abashed bi th splendor of th parlor wherr Mis Barry left them when she went to
see about diner.
"Isn't it just liek a palis?" whisperd Diana. "I never was in Ant Josephine's hous befor, and I'd no iedeea it
was so grand. I just wish Julia Bel cuud see this--she puuts on such airs about her mother's parlor."
"Velvet carpet," sied Anne luxuriously, "and silk curtens! I'v dreemd of such things, Diana. But do U noe I
don't beleev I feel verry cumfortabl with them after all. Thair ar so meny things in this room and all so
splendid that thair is no scoep for imajinaeshun. That is wun consolaeshun when U ar pur--thair ar so meny
mor things U can imajin about."
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Thair soejern in toun was sumthing that Anne and Diana daeted frum for yeers. Frum ferst to last it was
crouded with deliets.
On Wednesday Mis Barry tuuk them to th Exibishun grounds and kept them thair all dae.
"It was splendid," Anne relaeted to Marilla laeter on. "I never imajind enything so interesting. I don't
reealy noe which department was th moest interesting. I think I liekt th horses and th flowers and th
fansywerk best. Josie Pye tuuk ferst priez for nited laes. I was reeal glad she did. And I was glad that I
felt glad, for it shoes I'm improoving, don't U think, Marilla, when I can rejois in Josie's sucses? Mr.
Harmon Andrews tuuk second priez for Gravenstein apls and Mr. Bel tuuk ferst priez for a pig. Diana sed
she thaut it was ridicuelus for a Sunday-scool superintendent to taek a priez in pigs, but I don't see whi. Do
U? She sed she wuud allwaes think of it after this when he was praeing so solemly. Clara Louise
Macpherson tuuk a priez for paenting, and Mrs. Lynde got ferst priez for hoemmaed buter and cheez. So
Avonlea was prity wel reprezented, wasn't it? Mrs. Lynde was thair that dae, and I never nue how much I
reealy liekt her until I saw her familyar faes amung all thoes straenjers. Thair wer thouzands of peepl thair,
Marilla. It maed me feel dredfuly insignificant. And Mis Barry tuuk us up to th grandstand to see th hors
raeses. Mrs. Lynde wuudn't go; she sed hors raesing was an abominaeshun and, she being a cherch
member, thaut it her bounden duety to set a guud exampl bi staeing awae. But thair wer so meny thair I
don't beleev Mrs. Lynde's absens wuud ever be noetist. I don't think, tho, that I aut to go verry offen to hors
raeses, becauz thae AR aufuly fasinaeting. Diana got so exsieted that she offerd to bet me ten sents that th
red hors wuud win. I didn't beleev he wuud, but I refuezd to bet, becauz I wonted to tel Mrs. Allan all
about evrything, and I felt shur it wuudn't do to tel her that. It's allwaes rong to do enything U can't tel th
minister's wief. It's as guud as an extra conshens to hav a minister's wief for yur frend. And I was verry
glad I didn't bet, becauz th red hors DID win, and I wuud hav lost ten sents. So U see that verchoo was its
oen reword. We saw a man go up in a baloon. I'd luv to go up in a baloon, Marilla; it wuud be simply
thriling; and we saw a man seling forchuns. U paed him ten sents and a litl berd pikt out yur forchun for U.
Mis Barry gaev Diana and me ten sents eech to hav our forchuns toeld. Mien was that I wuud marry a
dark-complected man hoo was verry welthy, and I wuud go across wauter to liv. I luukt cairfuly at all th
dark men I saw after that, but I didn't cair much for eny of them, and enyhow I supoez it's too erly to be
luuking out for him yet. O, it was a never-to-be-forgoten dae, Marilla. I was so tierd I cuudn't sleep at niet.
Mis Barry puut us in th spair room, acording to promis. It was an elegant room, Marilla, but sumhow
sleeping in a spair room isn't whut I uezd to think it was. That's th werst of groeing up, and I'm begining to
reealiez it. Th things U wonted so much when U wer a chield don't seem haf so wunderful to U when U get
them."
Thursday th gerls had a driev in th park, and in th eevning Mis Barry tuuk them to a consert in th Academy
of Muezic, wherr a noeted prima donna was to sing. To Anne th eevning was a glitering vizhun of deliet.
"O, Marilla, it was beyond descripshun. I was so exsieted I cuudn't eeven tauk, so U mae noe whut it was
liek. I just sat in enrapcherd sielens. Madame Selitsky was perfectly buetyful, and wor whiet satin and
diemonds. But when she began to sing I never thaut about enything els. O, I can't tel U how I felt. But it
seemd to me that it cuud never be hard to be guud eny mor. I felt liek I do when I luuk up to th stars. teers
caem into mi ies, but, o, thae wer such hapy teers. I was so sorry when it was all oever, and I toeld Mis
Barry I didn't see how I was ever to retern to comon lief agen. She sed she thaut if we went oever to th
resterant across th street and had an ies creem it miet help me. That sounded so proezaeic; but to mi
serpriez I found it troo. Th ies creem was delishus, Marilla, and it was so luvly and disipaeted to be siting
thair eeting it at eleven o'clok at niet. Diana sed she beleevd she was born for sity lief. Mis Barry askt me
185
whut mi opinyon was, but I sed I wuud hav to think it oever verry seeriusly befor I cuud tel her whut I
reealy thaut. So I thaut it oever after I went to bed. That is th to think things out. And I caem to th
concloozhun, Marilla, that I wasn't born for sity lief and that I was glad of it. It's nies to be eeting ies creem
at brilyant resterants at eleven o'clok at niet wuns in a whiel; but as a reguelar thing I'd rather be in th eest
gaebl at eleven, sound asleep, but kiend of noeing eeven in mi sleep that th stars wer shiening outsied and
that th wind was bloeing in th firs across th bruuk. I toeld Mis Barry so at brekfast th next morning and she
laft. Mis Barry jeneraly laft at enything I sed, eeven when I sed th moest solem things. I don't think I liekt
it, Marilla, becauz I wasn't trieing to be funy. But she is a moest hospitabl laedy and treeted us royally."
Friday braut going-hoem tiem, and Mr. Barry droev in for th gerls.
"Wel, I hoep U'v enjoid yurselvs," sed Mis Barry, as she baed them guud-bi.
"Indeed we hav," sed Diana.
"And U, Anne-gerl?"
"I'v enjoid evry minit of th tiem," sed Anne, throeing her arms impulsivly about th oeld woman's nek and
kising her rinkld cheek. Diana wuud never hav daird to do such a thing and felt rather agast at Anne's
freedom. But Mis Barry was pleezd, and she stuud on her veranda and wocht th bugy out of siet. Then she
went bak into her big hous with a si. It seemd verry loenly, laking thoes fresh yung lievs. Mis Barry was a
rather selfish oeld laedy, if th trooth must be toeld, and had never caird much for enybody but herself. She
valued peepl oenly as thae wer of servis to her or amuezd her. Anne had amuezd her, and conseqently
stuud hi in th oeld lady's guud graeses. But Mis Barry found herself thinking les about Anne's qaent
speeches than of her fresh enthooziazms, her transpairent emoeshuns, her litl wining waes, and th sweetnes
of her ies and lips.
"I thaut Marilla Cuthbert was an oeld fool when I herd she'd adopted a gerl out of an orfan asielum," she
sed to herself, "but I ges she didn't maek much of a mistaek after all. If I'd a chield liek Anne in th hous all
th tiem I'd be a beter and hapyer wuuman."
Anne and Diana found th driev hoem as plezant as th driev in--pleasanter, indeed, sinss thair was th
delietful conshusnes of hoem waeting at th end of it. It was sunset when thae past thru Whiet Sands and
ternd into th shor roed. Beyond, th Avonlea hils caem out darkly agenst th safron skie. Behiend them th
moon was riezing out of th see that groo all raediant and transfigured in her liet. Evry litl coev along th
curving roed was a marvel of dansing ripls. Th waevs broek with a sofft swish on th roks belo them, and th
tang of th see was in th strong, fresh air.
"O, but it's guud to be aliev and to be going hoem," breethd Anne.
When she crosst th log brij oever th bruuk th kichen liet of Green Gaebls winkt her a frendly welcum bak,
and thru th oepen dor shoen th harth fier, sending out its worm red glo athwort th chily autum niet. Anne
ran bliethly up th hil and into th kichen, wherr a hot super was waeting on th taebl.
"So U'v got bak?" sed Marilla, foelding up her niting.
"Yes, and o, it's so guud to be bak," sed Anne joiusly. "I cuud kis evrything, eeven to th clok. Marilla, a
broild chiken! U don't meen to sae U cuukt that for me!"
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"Yes, I did," sed Marilla. "I thaut U'd be hunggry after such a driev and need sumthing reeal apetiezing.
Hery and taek off yur things, and we'l hav super as soon as Matthew cums in. I'm glad U'v got bak, I must
sae. It's bin feerful loensum heer without U, and I never puut in foer longger daes."
After super Anne sat befor th fier between Matthew and Marilla, and gaev them a fuul acount of her vizit.
"I'v had a splendid tiem," she conclooded hapily, "and I feel that it marks an epok in mi lief. But th best of
it all was th cuming hoem."
CHAPTER XXX
Th Qeens Clas Is Organiezd
Marilla laed her niting on her lap and leend bak in her chair. Her ies wer tierd, and she thaut vaegly that
she must see about having her glases chaenjd th next tiem she went to toun, for her ies had groen tierd
verry offen of laet.
It was neerly dark, for th fuul November twieliet had fallen around Green Gaebls, and th oenly liet in th
kichen caem frum th dansing red flaems in th stoev.
Anne was curld up Turk-fashun on th hearthrug, gaezing into that joius glo wherr th sunshien of a hundred
sumers was being distild frum th maepl cordwood. She had bin reeding, but her buuk had slipt to th flor,
and now she was dreeming, with a smiel on her parted lips. Glitering casls in Spain wer shaeping
themselvs out of th mists and rainbows of her lievly fansy; advenchers wunderful and enthralling wer
hapening to her in cloudland--advenchers that allwaes ternd out trieumfantly and never involvd her in
scraeps liek thoes of akchual lief.
Marilla luukt at her with a tendernes that wuud never hav bin suferd to reveel itself in eny cleerer liet than
that sofft minggling of fireshine and shado. Th leson of a luv that shuud displae itself eezily in spoeken
werd and oepen luuk was wun Marilla cuud never lern. But she had lernd to luv this slim, grae-ied gerl
with an afecshun all th deeper and strongger frum its verry undemonstrativeness. Her luv maed her afraed
of being unduely induljent, indeed. She had an uneezy feeling that it was rather sinful to set one's hart so
intensly on eny hueman creecher as she had set hers on Anne, and perhaps she performd a sort of
unconshus penans for this bi being stricter and mor critical than if th gerl had bin les deer to her. Sertenly
Anne herself had no iedeea how Marilla luvd her. She sumtiems thaut wistfuly that Marilla was verry hard
to pleez and distinktly laking in simpathy and understanding. But she allwaes chekt th thaut reproachfully,
remembering whut she oed to Marilla.
"Anne," sed Marilla abruptly, "Mis Stacy was heer this afternoon when U wer out with Diana."
Anne caem bak frum her uther werld with a start and a si.
"Was she? O, I'm so sorry I wasn't in. Whi didn't U call me, Marilla? Diana and I wer oenly oever in th
Haunted Wuud. It's luvly in th wuuds now. All th litl wuud things--th ferns and th satin leevs and th
crackerberries--hav gon to sleep, just as if sumbody had tukt them awae until spring under a blanket of
187
leevs. I think it was a litl grae fairy with a raenbo scarf that caem tiptoeing along th last moonliet niet and
did it. Diana wuudn't sae much about that, tho. Diana has never forgoten th scoelding her muther gaev her
about imajining goests into th Haunted Wuud. It had a verry bad efect on Diana's imajinaeshun. It blieted
it. Mrs. Lynde ses Mertl Bel is a blieted being. I askt Ruby Gillis whi Mertl was blieted, and Ruby sed she
gest it was becauz her yung man had gon bak on her. Ruby Gillis thinks of nuthing but yung men, and th
oelder she gets th wers she is. Yung men ar all verry wel in thair plaes, but it duzn't do to drag them into
evrything, duz it? Diana and I ar thinking seeriusly of promising eech uther that we wil never marry but be
nies oeld maeds and liv together forever. Diana hasn't qiet maed up her miend tho, becauz she thinks
perhaps it wuud be noebler to marry sum wield, dashing, wiked yung man and reform him. Diana and I
tauk a graet deel about seerius subjects now, U noe. We feel that we ar so much oelder than we uezd to be
that it isn't becuming to tauk of chieldish maters. It's such a solem thing to be allmoest forteen, Marilla.
Mis Stacy tuuk all us gerls hoo ar in our teens doun to th bruuk last Wednesday, and taukt to us about it.
She sed we cuudn't be too cairful whut habits we formd and whut iedeeals we aqierd in our teens, becauz bi
th tiem we wer twenty our carracters wuud be developt and th foundaeshun laed for our hoel fuecher lief.
And she sed if th foundaeshun was shaeky we cuud never bild enything reealy werth whiel on it. Diana and
I taukt th mater oever cuming hoem frum scool. We felt extreemly solem, Marilla. And we desieded that
we wuud tri to be verry cairful indeed and form respectabl habits and lern all we cuud and be as sensibl as
posibl, so that bi th tiem we wer twenty our carracters wuud be properly developt. It's perfectly apalling to
think of being twenty, Marilla. It sounds so feerfuly oeld and groen up. But whi was Mis Stacy heer this
afternoon?"
"That is whut I wont to tel U, Anne, if U'l ever giv me a chans to get a werd in ejwiez. She was tauking
about U."
"About me?" Anne luukt rather scaird. Then she flusht and exclaemd:
"O, I noe whut she was saeing. I ment to tel U, Marilla, onestly I did, but I forgot. Mis Stacy caut me
reeding Ben Hur in scool yesterdae afternoon when I shuud hav bin studying mi Canadian history. Jane
Andrews lent it to me. I was reeding it at diner our, and I had just got to th charriot raes when scool went
in. I was simply wield to noe how it ternd out-- alltho I felt shur Ben Hur must win, becauz it wuudn't be
poeetical justis if he didn't--so I spred th history oepen on mi desk lid and then tukt Ben Hur between th
desk and mi nee. I just luukt as if I wer studying Canadian history, U noe, whiel all th whiel I was reveling
in Ben Hur. I was so interested in it that I never noetist Mis Stacy cuming doun th iel until all at wuns I just
luukt up and thair she was luuking doun at me, so reproechful-liek. I can't tel U how ashaemd I felt,
Marilla, espeshaly when I herd Josie Pye gigling. Mis Stacy tuuk Ben Hur awae, but she never sed a werd
then. She kept me in at reses and taukt to me. She sed I had dun verry rong in too respects. Ferst, I was
waesting th tiem I aut to hav puut on mi studys; and secondly, I was deseeving mi teecher in trieing to
maek it apeer I was reeding a history when it was a storybuuk insted. I had never reealiezd until that
moement, Marilla, that whut I was doing was deseetful. I was shokt. I cried biterly, and askt Mis Stacy to
forgiv me and I'd never do such a thing agen; and I offerd to do penans bi never so much as luuking at Ben
Hur for a hoel week, not eeven to see how th charriot raes ternd out. But Mis Stacy sed she wuudn't reqier
that, and she forgaev me freely. So I think it wasn't verry kiend of her to cum up heer to U about it after
all."
"Mis Stacy never menshund such a thing to me, Anne, and its oenly yur gilty conshens that's th mater with
U. U hav no biznes to be taeking storybuuks to scool. U reed too meny novels enyhow. When I was a gerl
I wasn't so much as alowd to luuk at a novel."
188
"O, how can U call Ben Hur a novel when it's reealy such a relijus buuk?" proetested Anne. "Of cors it's a
litl too exsieting to be proper reeding for Sunday, and I oenly reed it on weekdays. And I never reed ENY
buuk now unles eether Mis Stacy or Mrs. Allan thinks it is a proper buuk for a gerl therteen and threeqorters to reed. Mis Stacy maed me promis that. She found me reeding a buuk wun dae calld, Th Lurid
Mistery of th Haunted Hall. It was wun Ruby Gillis had lent me, and, o, Marilla, it was so fasinaeting and
creepy. It just curdled th blud in mi vaens. But Mis Stacy sed it was a verry sily, unhoelsum buuk, and she
askt me not to reed eny mor of it or eny liek it. I didn't miend promising not to reed eny mor liek it, but it
was AGONIEZING to giv bak that buuk without noeing how it ternd out. But mi luv for Mis Stacy stuud
th test and I did. It's reealy wunderful, Marilla, whut U can do when U'r trooly ankshus to pleez a serten
person."
"Wel, I ges I'l liet th lamp and get to werk," sed Marilla. "I see plaenly that U don't wont to heer whut Mis
Stacy had to sae. U'r mor interested in th sound of yur oen tung than in enything els."
"O, indeed, Marilla, I do wont to heer it," cried Anne contritely. "I woen't sae anuther werd--not wun. I noe
I tauk too much, but I am reealy trieing to oevercum it, and alltho I sae far too much, yet if U oenly nue
how meny things I wont to sae and don't, U'd giv me sum credit for it. Pleez tel me, Marilla."
"Wel, Mis Stacy wonts to organiez a clas amung her advanst stoodents hoo meen to study for th entrans
examinaeshun into Queen's. She intends to giv them extra lesons for an our after scool. And she caem to
ask Matthew and me if we wuud liek to hav U join it. Whut do U think about it yurself, Anne? Wuud U
liek to go to Queen's and pas for a teecher?"
"O, Marilla!" Anne straetend to her nees and claspt her hands. "It's bin th dreem of mi lief--that is, for th
last six munths, ever sinss Ruby and Jane began to tauk of studying for th Entrans. But I didn't sae
enything about it, becauz I supoezd it wuud be perfectly uesles. I'd luv to be a teecher. But woen't it be
dredfuly expensiv? Mr. Andrews ses it cost him wun hundred and fifty dolars to puut Prissy thru, and
Prissy wasn't a duns in jeometry."
"I ges U needn't wery about that part of it. When Matthew and I tuuk U to bring up we rezolvd we wuud
do th best we cuud for U and giv U a guud ejucaeshun. I beleev in a gerl being fited to ern her oen living
whether she ever has to or not. U'l allwaes hav a hoem at Green Gaebls as long as Matthew and I ar heer,
but noebody noes whut is going to hapen in this unsertan werld, and it's just as wel to be prepaird. So U can
join th Queen's clas if U liek, Anne."
"O, Marilla, thank U." Anne flung her arms about Marilla's waest and luukt up ernestly into her faes. "I'm
extreemly graetful to U and Matthew. And I'l study as hard as I can and do mi verry best to be a credit to
U. I worn U not to expect much in jeometry, but I think I can hoeld mi oen in enything els if I werk hard."
"I dair sae U'l get along wel enuf. Mis Stacy ses U ar briet and dilijent." Not for werlds wuud Marilla hav
toeld Anne just whut Mis Stacy had sed about her; that wuud hav bin to pamper vanity. "U needn't rush to
eny extreem of kiling yurself oever yur buuks. Thair is no hery. U woen't be redy to tri th Entrans for a
yeer and a haf yet. But it's wel to begin in tiem and be theroely grounded, Mis Stacy ses."
"I shal taek mor interest than ever in mi studys now," sed Anne blisfuly, "becauz I hav a perpos in lief. Mr.
Allan ses evrybody shuud hav a perpos in lief and persoo it faethfuly. Oenly he ses we must ferst maek
shur that it is a werthy perpos. I wuud call it a werthy perpos to wont to be a teecher liek Mis Stacy,
wuudn't U, Marilla? I think it's a verry noebl profeshun."
189
Th Queen's clas was organiezd in due tiem. Gilbert Blythe, Anne Shirley, Ruby Gillis, Jane Andrews, Josie
Pye, Charlie Sloane, and Moody Spurgeon Macpherson joind it. Diana Barry did not, as her pairents did
not intend to send her to Queen's. This seemd nuthing short of a calamity to Anne. Never, sinss th niet on
which Minnie Mae had had th croup, had she and Diana bin separaeted in enything. On th eevning when th
Queen's clas ferst remaend in scool for th extra lesons and Anne saw Diana go sloely out with th uthers, to
wauk hoem aloen thru th Berch Path and Vieolet Vael, it was all th former cuud do to keep her seet and
refraen frum rushing impulsivly after her chum. A lump caem into her throet, and she haestily retierd
behiend th paejes of her uplifted Latin gramar to hied th teers in her ies. Not for werlds wuud Anne hav had
Gilbert Blythe or Josie Pye see thoes teers.
"But, o, Marilla, I reealy felt that I had taested th biternes of deth, as Mr. Allan sed in his sermon last
Sunday, when I saw Diana go out aloen," she sed mornfuly that niet. "I thaut how splendid it wuud hav bin
if Diana had oenly bin going to study for th Entrans, too. But we can't hav things perfect in this imperfect
werld, as Mrs. Lynde ses. Mrs. Lynde isn't exactly a cumforting person sumtiems, but thair's no dout she
ses a graet meny verry troo things. And I think th Queen's clas is going to be extreemly interesting. Jane
and Ruby ar just going to study to be teechers. That is th hiet of thair ambishun. Ruby ses she wil oenly
teech for too yeers after she gets thru, and then she intends to be marryd. Jane ses she wil devoet her hoel
lief to teeching, and never, never marry, becauz U ar paed a salary for teeching, but a huzband woen't pae U
enything, and growls if U ask for a shair in th eg and buter muny. I expect Jane speeks frum mornful
expeeryens, for Mrs. Lynde ses that her faather is a perfect oeld crank, and meaner than second skimmings.
Josie Pye ses she is just going to colej for education's saek, becauz she woen't hav to ern her oen living; she
ses of cors it is diferent with orfans hoo ar living on charrity--THAE hav to husl. Moody Spurgeon is going
to be a minister. Mrs. Lynde ses he cuudn't be enything els with a naem liek that to liv up to. I hoep it isn't
wiked of me, Marilla, but reealy th thaut of Moody Spurgeon being a minister maeks me laf. He's such a
funy-luuking boi with that big fat faes, and his litl bloo ies, and his eers stiking out liek flaps. But perhaps
he wil be mor intelekchual luuking when he groes up. Charlie Sloane ses he's going to go into politics and
be a member of Parlament, but Mrs. Lynde ses he'l never sucseed at that, becauz th Sloanes ar all onest
peepl, and it's oenly rascals that get on in politics now-a-daes."
"Whut is Gilbert Blythe going to be?" qeeryd Marilla, seeing that Anne was oepening her Caesar.
"I don't hapen to noe whut Gilbert Blythe's ambishun in lief is-- if he has eny," sed Anne scornfuly.
Thair was oepen rievalry between Gilbert and Anne now. Preeviusly th rievalry had bin rather onesided,
but thair was no longger eny dout that Gilbert was as determind to be ferst in clas as Anne was. He was a
foeman werthy of her steel. Th uther members of th clas tasitly aknolejd thair supeeriority, and never
dreemd of trieing to compeet with them.
Sinss th dae bi th pond when she had refuezd to lisen to his plee for forgivnes, Gilbert, saev for th aforsed
determind rievalry, had evinst no recognishun whutever of th existens of Anne Shirley. He taukt and jested
with th uther gerls, exchaenjd buuks and puzls with them, discust lesons and plans, sumtiems waukt hoem
with wun or th uther of them frum prair meeting or Debaeting Club. But Anne Shirley he simply ignord,
and Anne found out that it is not plezant to be ignord. It was in vaen that she toeld herself with a toss of
her hed that she did not cair. Deep doun in her waeward, feminin litl hart she nue that she did cair, and that
if she had that chans of th Laek of Shiening Wauters agen she wuud anser verry diferently. All at wuns, as
it seemd, and to her seecret dismae, she found that th oeld rezentment she had cherrisht agenst him was
gon--gon just when she moest needed its sustaening power. It was in vaen that she recalld evry insident and
190
emoeshun of that memorabl ocaezhun and tried to feel th oeld satisfieing angger. That dae bi th pond had
witnest its last spazmodic fliker. Anne reealiezd that she had forgiven and forgoten without noeing it. But it
was too laet.
And at leest neether Gilbert nor enybody els, not eeven Diana, shuud ever suspect how sorry she was and
how much she wisht she hadn't bin so proud and horrid! She determind to "shroud her feelings in deepest
oblivion," and it mae be staeted heer and now that she did it, so sucsesfuly that Gilbert, hoo posibly was not
qiet so indiferent as he seemd, cuud not consoel himself with eny beleef that Anne felt his retaliatory scorn.
Th oenly pur cumfort he had was that she snubd Charlie Sloane, unmercifully, continuealy, and
undeservedly.
Utherwiez th winter past awae in a round of plezant duetys and studys. For Anne th daes slipt bi liek
goelden beeds on th neklas of th yeer. She was hapy, eeger, interested; thair wer lesons to be lernd and
onor to be wun; delietful buuks to reed; nue peeses to be practist for th Sunday-scool qier; plezant Saturday
afternoons at th mans with Mrs. Allan; and then, allmoest befor Anne reealiezd it, spring had cum agen to
Green Gaebls and all th werld was abloom wuns mor.
Studys palled just a wee bit then; th Queen's clas, left behiend in scool whiel th uthers scaterd to green laens
and leefy wuud cuts and medo biewaes, luukt wistfuly out of th windoes and discuverd that Latin verbs and
French exersiezes had sumhow lost th tang and zest thae had pozest in th crisp winter munths. Eeven Anne
and Gilbert lagd and groo indiferent. Teecher and taut wer aliek glad when th term was ended and th glad
vaecaeshun daes strecht roezily befor them.
"But U'v dun guud werk this past yeer," Mis Stacy toeld them on th last eevning, "and U dezerv a guud,
joly vaecaeshun. Hav th best tiem U can in th out-of-dor werld and lae in a guud stok of helth and vietality
and ambishun to carry U thru next yeer. It wil be th tug of wor, U noe--th last yeer befor th Entrans."
"Ar U going to be bak next yeer, Mis Stacy?" askt Josie Pye.
Josie Pye never scrupled to ask qeschuns; in this instans th rest of th clas felt graetful to her; nun of them
wuud hav daird to ask it of Mis Stacy, but all wonted to, for thair had bin alarming roomors runing at larj
thru th scool for sum tiem that Mis Stacy was not cuming bak th next yeer--that she had bin offerd a
pozishun in th graed scool of her oen hoem district and ment to acsept. Th Queen's clas lisend in brethles
suspens for her anser.
"Yes, I think I wil," sed Mis Stacy. "I thaut of taeking anuther scool, but I hav desieded to cum bak to
Avonlea. To tel th trooth, I'v groen so interested in mi puepils heer that I found I cuudn't leev them. So I'l
stae and see U thru."
"Hoo-raa!" sed Moody Spurgeon. Moody Spurgeon had never bin so carryd awae bi his feelings befor, and
he blusht uncumfortably evry tiem he thaut about it for a week.
"O, I'm so glad," sed Anne, with shiening ies. "Deer Stacy, it wuud be perfectly dredful if U didn't cum
bak. I don't beleev I cuud hav th hart to go on with mi studys at all if anuther teecher caem heer."
When Anne got hoem that niet she stakt all her textbuuks awae in an oeld trunk in th atic, lokt it, and throo
th kee into th blanket box.
191
"I'm not eeven going to luuk at a schoolbook in vaecaeshun," she toeld Marilla. "I'v studyd as hard all th
term as I posibly cuud and I'v pord oever that jeometry until I noe evry propozishun in th ferst buuk off bi
hart, eeven when th leters AR chaenjd. I just feel tierd of evrything sensibl and I'm going to let mi
imajinaeshun run rieot for th sumer. O, U needn't be alarmd, Marilla. I'l oenly let it run rieot within
reezonabl limits. But I wont to hav a reeal guud joly tiem this sumer, for maebe it's th last sumer I'l be a litl
gerl. Mrs. Lynde ses that if I keep streching out next yeer as I'v dun this I'l hav to puut on longger skerts.
She ses I'm all runing to legs and ies. And when I puut on longger skerts I shal feel that I hav to liv up to
them and be verry dignified. It woen't eeven do to beleev in fairys then, I'm afraed; so I'm going to beleev
in them with all mi hoel hart this sumer. I think we'r going to hav a verry gae vaecaeshun. Ruby Gillis is
going to hav a berthdae party soon and thair's th Sunday scool picnik and th mishunairy consert next munth.
And Mrs. Barry ses that sum eevning he'l taek Diana and me oever to th Whiet Sands Hoetel and hav diner
thair. Thae hav diner thair in th eevning, U noe. Jane Andrews was oever wuns last sumer and she ses it
was a dazling siet to see th electric liets and th flowers and all th laedy gests in such buetyful dreses. Jane
ses it was her ferst glimps into hi lief and she'l never forget it to her dieing dae."
Mrs. Lynde caem up th next afternoon to fiend out whi Marilla had not bin at th Aed meeting on Thursday.
When Marilla was not at Aed meeting peepl nue thair was sumthing rong at Green Gaebls.
"Matthew had a bad spel with his hart Thursday," Marilla explaend, "and I didn't feel liek leeving him. O,
yes, he's all riet agen now, but he taeks them spels offener than he uezd to and I'm ankshus about him. Th
doctor ses he must be cairful to avoid exsietment. That's eezy enuf, for Matthew duzn't go about luuking
for exsietment bi eny meens and never did, but he's not to do eny verry hevy werk eether and U miet as wel
tel Matthew not to breeth as not to werk. Cum and lae off yur things, Rachel. U'l stae to tee?"
"Wel, seeing U'r so presing, perhaps I miet as wel, stae" sed Mrs. Rachel, hoo had not th slietest intenshun
of doing enything els.
Mrs. Rachel and Marilla sat cumfortably in th parlor whiel Anne got th tee and maed hot biskits that wer
liet and whiet enuf to defi eeven Mrs. Rachel's critisizm.
"I must sae Anne has ternd out a reeal smart gerl," admited Mrs. Rachel, as Marilla acumpanyd her to th
end of th laen at sunset. "She must be a graet help to U."
"She is," sed Marilla, "and she's reeal stedy and relieabl now. I uezd to be afraed she'd never get oever her
featherbrained waes, but she has and I wuudn't be afraed to trust her in enything now."
"I never wuud hav thaut she'd hav ternd out so wel that ferst dae I was heer three yeers ago," sed Mrs.
Rachel. "Lawful hart, shal I ever forget that tantrum of hers! When I went hoem that niet I ses to Thomas,
ses I, `Mark mi werds, Thomas, Marilla Cuthbert'll liv to roo th step she's tuuk.' But I was mistaeken and
I'm reeal glad of it. I ain't wun of thoes kiend of peepl, Marilla, as can never be braut to oen up that thae'v
maed a mistaek. No, that never was mi wae, thank guudnes. I did maek a mistaek in jujing Anne, but it
wern't no wunder, for an odder, unexpecteder wich of a chield thair never was in this werld, that's whut.
Thair was no ciphering her out bi th rools that werkt with uther children. It's nuthing short of wunderful
how she's improovd thees three yeers, but espeshaly in luuks. She's a reeal prity gerl got to be, tho I can't
sae I'm oeverly parshal to that pael, big-ied stiel mieself. I liek mor snap and culor, liek Diana Barry has or
Ruby Gillis. Ruby Gillis's luuks ar reeal shoey. But sumhow--I don't noe how it is but when Anne and
them ar together, tho she ain't haf as hansum, she maeks them luuk kiend of comon and oeverdun-sumthing liek them whiet June lilys she calls narsisus alongsied of th big, red peeonys, that's whut."
192
CHAPTER XXXI
Wherr th Bruuk and River Meet
Anne had her "guud" sumer and enjoid it hoelhartedly. She and Diana fairly livd outdors, reveling in all th
deliets that Lover's Laen and th Dryad's Bubl and Willowmere and Victoria Ieland aforded. Marilla offerd
no objecshuns to Anne's gypsyings. Th Spencervale doctor hoo had cum th niet Minnie Mae had th croup
met Anne at th hous of a paeshent wun afternoon erly in vaecaeshun, luukt her oever sharply, scrood up his
mouth, shuuk his hed, and sent a mesej to Marilla Cuthbert bi anuther person. It was:
"Keep that redheded gerl of yurs in th oepen air all sumer and don't let her reed buuks until she gets mor
spring into her step."
This mesej frietend Marilla wholesomely. She red Anne's deth warant bi consumpshun in it unles it was
scroopuelusly oebaed. As a rezult, Anne had th goelden sumer of her lief as far as freedom and frolic went.
She waukt, roed, berried, and dreemd to her heart's content; and when September caem she was briet-ied
and alert, with a step that wuud hav satisfied th Spencervale doctor and a hart fuul of ambishun and zest
wuns mor.
"I feel just liek studying with miet and maen," she declaird as she braut her buuks doun frum th atic. "O, U
guud oeld frends, I'm glad to see yur onest faeses wuns mor--yes, eeven U, jeometry. I'v had a perfectly
buetyful sumer, Marilla, and now I'm rejoising as a strong man to run a raes, as Mr. Allan sed last Sunday.
Duzn't Mr. Allan preech magnifisent sermons? Mrs. Lynde ses he is improoving evry dae and th ferst thing
we noe sum sity cherch wil gobl him up and then we'l be left and hav to tern to and braek in anuther green
preecher. But I don't see th ues of meeting trubl hafwae, do U, Marilla? I think it wuud be beter just to
enjoi Mr. Allan whiel we hav him. If I wer a man I think I'd be a minister. Thae can hav such an inflooens
for guud, if thair theolojy is sound; and it must be thriling to preech splendid sermons and ster yur hearers'
harts. Whi can't wimen be ministers, Marilla? I askt Mrs. Lynde that and she was shokt and sed it wuud be
a scandalus thing. She sed thair miet be feemael ministers in th Staets and she beleevd thair was, but thank
guudnes we hadn't got to that staej in Canada yet and she hoept we never wuud. But I don't see whi. I think
wimen wuud maek splendid ministers. When thair is a soeshal to be got up or a cherch tee or enything els
to raez muny th wimen hav to tern to and do th werk. I'm shur Mrs. Lynde can prae evry bit as wel as
Superintendent Bel and I'v no dout she cuud preech too with a litl practis."
"Yes, I beleev she cuud," sed Marilla driely. "She duz plenty of unofishal preeching as it is. Noebody has
much of a chans to go rong in Avonlea with Rachel to oversee them."
"Marilla," sed Anne in a berst of confidens, "I wont to tel U sumthing and ask U whut U think about it. It
has weryd me terribly--on Sunday afternoons, that is, when I think speshaly about such maters. I do reealy
wont to be guud; and when I'm with U or Mrs. Allan or Mis Stacy I wont it mor than ever and I wont to do
just whut wuud pleez U and whut U wuud aproov of. But moestly when I'm with Mrs. Lynde I feel
desperetly wiked and as if I wonted to go and do th verry thing she tels me I oughtn't to do. I feel
irrezistibly tempted to do it. Now, whut do U think is th reezon I feel liek that? Do U think it's becauz I'm
reealy bad and unrejeneret?"
193
Marilla luukt doobius for a moement. Then she laft.
"If U ar I ges I am too, Anne, for Rachel offen has that verry efect on me. I sumtiems think she'd hav mor
of an inflooens for guud, as U sae yurself, if she didn't keep naging peepl to do riet. Thair shuud hav bin a
speshal comandment agenst naging. But thair, I shuudn't tauk so. Rachel is a guud Christian wuuman and
she meens wel. Thair isn't a kiender soel in Avonlea and she never sherks her shair of werk."
"I'm verry glad U feel th saem," sed Anne desiededly. "It's so encurejing. I shan't wery so much oever that
after this. But I dair sae thair'l be uther things to wery me. Thae keep cuming up nue all th tiem--things to
perplex U, U noe. U setl wun qeschun and thair's anuther riet after. Thair ar so meny things to be thaut
oever and desieded when U'r begining to gro up. It keeps me bizy all th tiem thinking them oever and
desieding whut is riet. It's a seerius thing to gro up, isn't it, Marilla? But when I hav such guud frends as U
and Matthew and Mrs. Allan and Mis Stacy I aut to gro up sucsesfuly, and I'm shur it wil be mi oen fallt if I
don't. I feel it's a graet responsibility becauz I hav oenly th wun chans. If I don't gro up riet I can't go bak
and begin oever agen. I'v groen too inches this sumer, Marilla. Mr. Gillis mezherd me at Ruby's party. I'm
so glad U maed mi nue dreses longger. That dark-green wun is so prity and it was sweet of U to puut on th
flounce. Of cors I noe it wasn't reealy nesesairy, but flounces ar so stielish this fall and Josie Pye has
flounces on all her dreses. I noe I'l be aebl to study beter becauz of mien. I shal hav such a cumfortabl
feeling deep doun in mi miend about that flounce."
"It's werth sumthing to hav that," admited Marilla.
Mis Stacy caem bak to Avonlea scool and found all her puepils eeger for werk wuns mor. Espeshaly did th
Queen's clas gerd up thair loins for th frae, for at th end of th cuming yeer, dimly shadoeing thair pathwae
allredy, loomd up that faetful thing noen as "th Entrans," at th thaut of which wun and all felt thair harts
sink into thair verry shoos. Supoez thae did not pas! That thaut was doomd to haunt Anne thru th waeking
ours of that winter, Sunday afternoons incloosiv, to th allmoest entier excloozhun of moral and theolojical
problems. When Anne had bad dreems she found herself stairing mizerably at pas lists of th Entrans
exams, wherr Gilbert Blythe's naem was blazoned at th top and in which hers did not apeer at all.
But it was a joly, bizy, hapy swift-flieing winter. Scoolwerk was as interesting, clas rievalry as absorbing,
as of yor. Nue werlds of thaut, feeling, and ambishun, fresh, fasinaeting feelds of unexplord nolej seemd to
be oepening out befor Anne's eeger ies.
"Hils peeped o'er hil and Alps on Alps aroez."
Much of all this was due to Mis Stacy's tactful, cairful, broadminded giedans. She led her clas to think and
explor and discuver for themselvs and encurejd straying frum th oeld beeten paths to a degree that qiet
shokt Mrs. Lynde and th scool trustees, hoo vued all inovaeshuns on establisht methods rather dubiously.
Apart frum her studys Anne expanded soeshaly, for Marilla, miendful of th Spencervale doctor's dictum, no
longger veetoed ocaezhunal outings. Th Debaeting Club flerisht and gaev several conserts; thair wer wun
or too partys allmoest verjing on groen-up afairs; thair wer slae drievs and skaeting froliks galor.
Betweentiems Anne groo, shooting up so rapidly that Marilla was astonisht wun dae, when thae wer
standing sied bi sied, to fiend th gerl was taller than herself.
194
"Whi, Anne, how U'v groen!" she sed, allmoest unbelievingly. A si foloed on th werds. Marilla felt a qeer
regret oever Anne's inches. Th chield she had lernd to luv had vanisht sumhow and heer was this tall,
seerius-ied gerl of fifteen, with th thautful brous and th proudly poizd litl hed, in her plaes. Marilla luvd th
gerl as much as she had luvd th chield, but she was conshus of a qeer sorroeful sens of loss. And that niet,
when Anne had gon to prair meeting with Diana, Marilla sat aloen in th wintry twieliet and induljd in th
weeknes of a cri. Matthew, cuming in with a lantern, caut her at it and gaezd at her in such consternaeshun
that Marilla had to laf thru her teers.
"I was thinking about Anne," she explaend. "She's got to be such a big gerl--and she'l probably be awae
frum us next winter. I'l mis her terribl."
"She'l be aebl to cum hoem offen," cumforted Matthew, to hoom Anne was as yet and allwaes wuud be th
litl, eeger gerl he had braut hoem frum Briet River on that June eevning foer yeers befor. "Th branch
raelroed wil be bilt to Carmody bi that tiem."
"It woen't be th saem thing as having her heer all th tiem," sied Marilla gloomily, determind to enjoi her
lugzhury of greef uncumforted. "But thair--men can't understand thees things!"
Thair wer uther chaenjes in Anne no les reeal than th fizical chaenj. For wun thing, she becaem much
qieeter. Perhaps she thaut all th mor and dreemd as much as ever, but she sertenly taukt les. Marilla noetist
and comented on this allso.
"U don't chater haf as much as U uezd to, Anne, nor uez haf as meny big werds. Whut has cum oever U?"
Anne culord and laft a litl, as she dropt her buuk and luukt dreemily out of th windo, wherr big fat red buds
wer bersting out on th creeper in respons to th lur of th spring sunshien.
"I don't noe--I don't wont to tauk as much," she sed, denting her chin thautfuly with her forfingger. "It's
nieser to think deer, prity thauts and keep them in one's hart, liek trezhers. I don't liek to hav them laft at or
wunderd oever. And sumhow I don't wont to uez big werds eny mor. It's allmoest a pity, isn't it, now that
I'm reealy groeing big enuf to sae them if I did wont to. It's fun to be allmoest groen up in sum waes, but
it's not th kiend of fun I expected, Marilla. Thair's so much to lern and do and think that thair isn't tiem for
big werds. Besieds, Mis Stacy ses th short wuns ar much strongger and beter. She maeks us riet all our
esaes as simply as posibl. It was hard at ferst. I was so uezd to crouding in all th fien big werds I cuud
think of--and I thaut of eny number of them. But I'v got uezd to it now and I see it's so much beter."
"Whut has becum of yur story club? I havn't herd U speek of it for a long tiem."
"Th story club isn't in existens eny longger. We hadn't tiem for it--and enyhow I think we had got tierd of
it. It was sily to be rieting about luv and merder and elopements and misterys. Mis Stacy sumtiems has us
riet a story for traening in compozishun, but she woen't let us riet enything but whut miet hapen in Avonlea
in our oen lievs, and she criticizes it verry sharply and maeks us critisiez our oen too. I never thaut mi
compozishuns had so meny fallts until I began to luuk for them mieself. I felt so ashaemd I wonted to giv
up alltogether, but Mis Stacy sed I cuud lern to riet wel if I oenly traend mieself to be mi oen severest critic.
And so I am trieing to."
"U'v oenly too mor munths befor th Entrans," sed Marilla. "Do U think U'l be aebl to get thru?"
195
Anne shiverd.
"I don't noe. Sumtiems I think I'l be all riet--and then I get horribly afraed. We'v studyd hard and Mis
Stacy has drild us theroely, but we mayn't get thru for all that. We'v eech got a stumbling blok. Mien is
jeometry of cors, and Jane's is Latin, and Ruby and Charlie's is aljebra, and Josie's is arithmetic. Moody
Spurgeon ses he feels it in his boens that he is going to fael in English history. Mis Stacy is going to giv us
examinaeshuns in June just as hard as we'l hav at th Entrans and mark us just as strictly, so we'l hav sum
iedeea. I wish it was all oever, Marilla. It haunts me. Sumtiems I waek up in th niet and wunder whut I'l
do if I don't pas."
"Whi, go to scool next yeer and tri agen," sed Marilla unconsernedly.
"O, I don't beleev I'd hav th hart for it. It wuud be such a disgraes to fael, espeshaly if Gil--if th uthers past.
And I get so nervus in an examinaeshun that I'm liekly to maek a mes of it. I wish I had nervs liek Jane
Andrews. Nuthing ratls her."
Anne sied and, draging her ies frum th witcheries of th spring werld, th bekoning dae of breez and bloo, and
th green things upspringing in th garden, berryd herself rezolootly in her buuk. Thair wuud be uther
springs, but if she did not sucseed in pasing th Entrans, Anne felt convinst that she wuud never recuver
sufishently to enjoi them.
CHAPTER XXXII
Th Pas List Is Out
With th end of June caem th cloes of th term and th cloes of Mis Stacy's rool in Avonlea scool. Anne and
Diana waukt hoem that eevning feeling verry soeber indeed. Red ies and damp hankerchifs bor convinsing
testimoeny to th fact that Mis Stacy's fairwel werds must hav bin qiet as tuching as Mr. Phillips's had bin
under similar sercumstanses three yeers befor. Diana luukt bak at th scoolhous frum th fuut of th sproos hil
and sied deeply.
"It duz seem as if it was th end of evrything, duzn't it?" she sed dizmaly.
"U oughtn't to feel haf as badly as I do," sed Anne, hunting vaenly for a dri spot on her hankerchif. "U'l be
bak agen next winter, but I supoez I'v left th deer oeld scool forever-- if I hav guud luk, that is."
"It woen't be a bit th saem. Mis Stacy woen't be thair, nor U nor Jane nor Ruby probably. I shal hav to sit
all aloen, for I cuudn't bair to hav anuther deskmate after U. O, we hav had joly tiems, havn't we, Anne?
It's dredful to think thae'r all oever."
Too big teers roeld doun bi Diana's noez.
"If U wuud stop crieing I cuud," sed Anne imploringly. "Just as soon as I puut awae mi hanky I see U
briming up and that starts me off agen. As Mrs. Lynde ses, `If U can't be cheerful, be as cheerful as U can.'
After all, I dair sae I'l be bak next yeer. This is wun of th tiems I NOE I'm not going to pas. Thae'r geting
alarmingly freeqent."
196
"Whi, U caem out splendidly in th exams Mis Stacy gaev."
"Yes, but thoes exams didn't maek me nervus. When I think of th reeal thing U can't imajin whut a horrid
coeld flutery feeling cums round mi hart. And then mi number is therteen and Josie Pye ses it's so unluky.
I am NOT sooperstishus and I noe it can maek no diferens. But stil I wish it wasn't therteen."
"I do wish I was going in with U," sed Diana. "Wuudn't we hav a perfectly elegant tiem? But I supoez U'l
hav to cram in th eevnings."
"No; Mis Stacy has maed us promis not to oepen a buuk at all. She ses it wuud oenly tier and confuez us
and we ar to go out wauking and not think about th exams at all and go to bed erly. It's guud advies, but I
expect it wil be hard to folo; guud advies is apt to be, I think. Prissy Andrews toeld me that she sat up haf
th niet evry niet of her Entrans week and cramd for deer lief; and I had determind to sit up AT LEEST as
long as she did. It was so kiend of yur Ant Josephine to ask me to stae at Beechwood whiel I'm in toun."
"U'l riet to me whiel U'r in, woen't U?"
"I'l riet Tuesday niet and tel U how th ferst dae goes," promist Anne.
"I'l be haunting th poest offis Wednesday," vowd Diana.
Anne went to toun th foloeing Monday and on Wednesday Diana haunted th poest offis, as agreed, and got
her leter.
"Deerest Diana" [roet Anne],
"Heer it is Tuesday niet and I'm rieting this in th liebrairy at Beechwood. Last niet I was horribly loensum
all aloen in mi room and wisht so much U wer with me. I cuudn't "cram" becauz I'd promist Mis Stacy not
to, but it was as hard to keep frum oepening mi history as it uezd to be to keep frum reeding a story befor
mi lesons wer lernd.
"This morning Mis Stacy caem for me and we went to th Academy, calling for Jane and Ruby and Josie on
our wae. Ruby askt me to feel her hands and thae wer as coeld as ies. Josie sed I luukt as if I hadn't slept a
wink and she didn't beleev I was strong enuf to stand th griend of th teacher's cors eeven if I did get thru.
Thair ar tiems and seezons eeven yet when I don't feel that I'v maed eny graet hedwae in lerning to liek
Josie Pye!
"When we reecht th Academy thair wer scors of stoodents thair frum all oever th Ieland. Th ferst person
we saw was Moody Spurgeon siting on th steps and mutering awae to himself. Jane askt him whut on erth
he was doing and he sed he was repeeting th multiplicaeshun taebl oever and oever to stedy his nervs and
for pity's saek not to interupt him, becauz if he stopt for a moement he got frietend and forgot evrything he
ever nue, but th multiplicaeshun taebl kept all his facts fermly in thair proper plaes!
"When we wer asiend to our rooms Mis Stacy had to leev us. Jane and I sat together and Jane was so
compoezd that I envyd her. No need of th multiplicaeshun taebl for guud, stedy, sensibl Jane! I wunderd if
I luukt as I felt and if thae cuud heer mi hart thumping cleer across th room. Then a man caem in and began
distribueting th English examinaeshun sheets. Mi hands groo coeld then and mi hed fairly wherld around
197
as I pikt it up. Just wun auful moement--Diana, I felt exactly as I did foer yeers ago when I askt Marilla if I
miet stae at Green Gaebls--and then evrything cleerd up in mi miend and mi hart began beeting agen--I
forgot to sae that it had stopt alltogether!--for I nue I cuud do sumthing with THAT paeper enyhow.
"At noon we went hoem for diner and then bak agen for history in th afternoon. Th history was a prity hard
paeper and I got dredfuly mixt up in th daets. Stil, I think I did fairly wel todae. But o, Diana, tomorro th
jeometry exam cums off and when I think of it it taeks evry bit of determinaeshun I pozes to keep frum
oepening mi Euclid. If I thaut th multiplicaeshun taebl wuud help me eny I wuud resiet it frum now til
tomorro morning.
"I went doun to see th uther gerls this eevning. On mi wae I met Moody Spurgeon waandering distractedly
around. He sed he nue he had faeld in history and he was born to be a disapointment to his pairents and he
was going hoem on th morning traen; and it wuud be eezyer to be a carpenter than a minister, enyhow. I
cheerd him up and perswaeded him to stae to th end becauz it wuud be unfair to Mis Stacy if he didn't.
Sumtiems I hav wisht I was born a boi, but when I see Moody Spurgeon I'm allwaes glad I'm a gerl and not
his sister.
"Ruby was in histerrics when I reecht thair bordinghous; she had just discuverd a feerful mistaek she had
maed in her English paeper. When she recuverd we went uptoun and had an ies creem. How we wisht U
had bin with us.
"O, Diana, if oenly th jeometry examinaeshun wer oever! But thair, as Mrs. Lynde wuud sae, th sun wil go
on riezing and seting whether I fael in jeometry or not. That is troo but not espeshaly cumforting. I think
I'd rather it didn't go on if I faeld!
Yurs devoetedly,
Anne"
Th jeometry examinaeshun and all th uthers wer oever in due tiem and Anne arievd hoem on Friday
eevning, rather tierd but with an air of chastened trieumf about her. Diana was oever at Green Gaebls when
she arievd and thae met as if thae had bin parted for yeers.
"U oeld darling, it's perfectly splendid to see U bak agen. It seems liek an aej sinss U went to toun and o,
Anne, how did U get along?"
"Prity wel, I think, in evrything but th jeometry. I don't noe whether I past in it or not and I hav a creepy,
crawly presentiment that I didn't. O, how guud it is to be bak! Green Gaebls is th deerest, luvlyest spot in
th werld."
"How did th uthers do?"
"Th gerls sae thae noe thae didn't pas, but I think thae did prity wel. Josie ses th jeometry was so eezy a
chield of ten cuud do it! Moody Spurgeon stil thinks he faeld in history and Charlie ses he faeld in aljebra.
But we don't reealy noe enything about it and woen't until th pas list is out. That woen't be for a fortniet.
Fansy living a fortniet in such suspens! I wish I cuud go to sleep and never waek up until it is oever."
Diana nue it wuud be uesles to ask how Gilbert Blythe had fared, so she meerly sed:
"O, U'l pas all riet. Don't wery."
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"I'd rather not pas at all than not cum out prity wel up on th list," flasht Anne, bi which she ment--and
Diana nue she ment--that sucses wuud be incompleet and biter if she did not cum out ahed of Gilbert
Blythe.
With this end in vue Anne had straend evry nerv during th examinaeshuns. So had Gilbert. Thae had met
and past eech uther on th street a duzen tiems without eny sien of recognishun and evry tiem Anne had held
her hed a litl hieer and wisht a litl mor ernestly that she had maed frends with Gilbert when he askt her, and
vowd a litl mor determindly to serpas him in th examinaeshun. She nue that all Avonlea joonyor was
wundering which wuud cum out ferst; she eeven nue that Jimy Glover and Ned Wright had a bet on th
qeschun and that Josie Pye had sed thair was no dout in th werld that Gilbert wuud be ferst; and she felt that
her huemiliaeshun wuud be unbairabl if she faeld.
But she had anuther and noebler moetiv for wishing to do wel. She wonted to "pas hi" for th saek of
Matthew and Marilla-- espeshaly Matthew. Matthew had declaird to her his convicshun that she "wuud
beet th hoel Ieland." That, Anne felt, was sumthing it wuud be foolish to hoep for eeven in th wieldest
dreems. But she did hoep fervently that she wuud be amung th ferst ten at leest, so that she miet see
Matthew's kiendly broun ies gleem with pried in her acheevment. That, she felt, wuud be a sweet reword
indeed for all her hard werk and paeshent grubing amung unimajinaetiv eqaezhuns and conjugations.
At th end of th fortniet Anne tuuk to "haunting" th poest offis allso, in th distracted cumpany of Jane, Ruby,
and Josie, oepening th Charlottetown dailies with shaeking hands and coeld, sinkaway feelings as bad as
eny expeeryenst during th Entrans week. Charlie and Gilbert wer not abuv doing this too, but Moody
Spurgeon staed rezolootly awae.
"I havn't got th grit to go thair and luuk at a paeper in coeld blud," he toeld Anne. "I'm just going to waet
until sumbody cums and tels me sudenly whether I'v past or not."
When three weeks had gon bi without th pas list apeering Anne began to feel that she reealy cuudn't stand
th straen much longger. Her apetiet faeld and her interest in Avonlea doings langgwisht. Mrs. Lynde
wonted to noe whut els U cuud expect with a Tory superintendent of ejucaeshun at th hed of afairs, and
Matthew, noeting Anne's paelnes and indiferens and th laging steps that bor her hoem frum th poest offis
evry afternoon, began seeriusly to wunder if he hadn't beter voet Grit at th next elecshun.
But wun eevning th nues caem. Anne was siting at her oepen windo, for th tiem forgetful of th woes of
examinaeshuns and th cairs of th werld, as she drank in th buety of th sumer dusk, sweet-sented with flower
breths frum th garden belo and sibilant and rusling frum th ster of poplars. Th eestern skie abuv th firs was
flusht faently pink frum th reflecshun of th west, and Anne was wundering dreemily if th spirit of culor
luukt liek that, when she saw Diana cum flieing doun thru th firs, oever th log brij, and up th sloep, with a
flutering nuespaeper in her hand.
Anne sprang to her feet, noeing at wuns whut that paeper contaend. Th pas list was out! Her hed wherld
and her hart beet until it hert her. She cuud not moov a step. It seemd an our to her befor Diana caem
rushing along th hall and berst into th room without eeven noking, so graet was her exsietment.
"Anne, U'v past," she cried, "past th VERRY FERST--U and Gilbert boeth--U'r ties--but yur naem is ferst.
O, I'm so proud!"
199
Diana flung th paeper on th taebl and herself on Anne's bed, uterly brethles and incaepabl of ferther speech.
Anne lieted th lamp, oversetting th mach saef and uezing up haf a duzen maches befor her shaeking hands
cuud acomplish th task. Then she snacht up th paeper. Yes, she had past--thair was her naem at th verry top
of a list of too hundred! That moement was werth living for.
"U did just splendidly, Anne," puft Diana, recuvering sufishently to sit up and speek, for Anne, starry ied
and rapt, had not uterd a werd. "Faather braut th paeper hoem frum Briet River not ten minits ago--it caem
out on th afternoon traen, U noe, and woen't be heer til tomorro bi mael--and when I saw th pas list I just
rusht oever liek a wield thing. U'v all past, evry wun of U, Moody Spurgeon and all, alltho he's condishund
in history. Jane and Ruby did prity wel--thae'r hafwae up--and so did Charlie. Josie just scraept thru with
three marks to spair, but U'l see she'l puut on as meny airs as if she'd led. Woen't Mis Stacy be delieted? O,
Anne, whut duz it feel liek to see yur naem at th hed of a pas list liek that? If it wer me I noe I'd go craezy
with joi. I am prity neer craezy as it is, but U'r as caam and cool as a spring eevning."
"I'm just dazld insied," sed Anne. "I wont to sae a hundred things, and I can't fiend werds to sae them in. I
never dreemd of this--yes, I did too, just wuns! I let mieself think WUNS, `Whut if I shuud cum out ferst?'
quakingly, U noe, for it seemd so vaen and prezumpchuos to think I cuud leed th Ieland. excuez me a minit,
Diana. I must run riet out to th feeld to tel Matthew. Then we'l go up th roed and tel th guud nues to th
uthers."
Thae heryd to th hayfield belo th barn wherr Matthew was coiling hae, and, as luk wuud hav it, Mrs. Lynde
was tauking to Marilla at th laen fens.
"O, Matthew," exclaemd Anne, "I'v past and I'm ferst--or wun of th ferst! I'm not vaen, but I'm thankful."
"Wel now, I allwaes sed it," sed Matthew, gaezing at th pas list delightedly. "I nue U cuud beet them all
eezy."
"U'v dun prity wel, I must sae, Anne," sed Marilla, trieing to hied her extreem pried in Anne frum Mrs.
Rachel's critical ie. But that guud soel sed hartily:
"I just ges she has dun wel, and far be it frum me to be bakward in saeing it. U'r a credit to yur frends,
Anne, that's whut, and we'r all proud of U."
That niet Anne, hoo had woond up th delietful eevning with a seerius litl tauk with Mrs. Allan at th mans,
nelt sweetly bi her oepen windo in a graet sheen of moonshien and mermerd a prair of gratitued and
aspiraeshun that caem straet frum her hart. Thair was in it thankfulnes for th past and reverent petishun for
th fuecher; and when she slept on her whiet pilo her dreems wer as fair and briet and buetyful as
maidenhood miet dezier.
200
CHAPTER XXXIII
Th Hoetel Consert
Puut on yur whiet organdy, bi all meens, Anne," adviezd Diana desiededly.
Thae wer together in th eest gaebl chaember; outsied it was oenly twieliet--a luvly yeloeish-green twieliet
with a cleer-bloo cloudles skie. A big round moon, sloely deepening frum her palid luster into bernisht
silver, hung oever th Haunted Wuud; th air was fuul of sweet sumer sounds--sleepy berds twitering,
freekish breezes, faraway voises and lafter. But in Anne's room th bliend was drawn and th lamp lieted, for
an important toilet was being maed.
Th eest gaebl was a verry diferent plaes frum whut it had bin on that niet foer yeers befor, when Anne had
felt its bareness penetraet to th marro of her spirit with its inhospitabl chil. Chaenjes had crept in, Marilla
conniving at them rezienedly, until it was as sweet and daenty a nest as a yung gerl cuud dezier.
Th velvet carpet with th pink roezes and th pink silk curtens of Anne's erly vizhuns had sertenly never
mateerialiezd; but her dreems had kept paes with her groeth, and it is not probabl she lamented them. Th
flor was cuverd with a prity mating, and th curtens that soffend th hi windo and fluterd in th vaegrant
breezes wer of pael-green art muzlin. Th walls, hung not with goeld and silver broecaed tapestry, but with
a daenty apl-blosom paeper, wer adornd with a fue guud pikchers given Anne bi Mrs. Allan. Mis Stacy's
foetograf ocuepied th plaes of onor, and Anne maed a sentimental point of keeping fresh flowers on th
braket under it. Toniet a spiek of whiet lilys faently perfuemd th room liek th dreem of a fraegrans. Thair
was no "mahogany fernicher," but thair was a whiet-paented buukcaes fild with buuks, a cushioned wiker
roker, a toilet taebl befrilled with whiet muzlin, a qaent, gilt-fraemd miror with chuby pink Cupids and
perpl graeps paented oever its archt top, that uezd to hang in th spair room, and a lo whiet bed.
Anne was dresing for a consert at th Whiet Sands Hoetel. Th gests had got it up in aed of th Charlottetown
hospital, and had hunted out all th avaelabl amachur talent in th serounding districts to help it along. Bertha
Sampson and Perl Clae of th Whiet Sands Baptist qier had bin askt to sing a dueet; Milton Clark of
Newbridge was to giv a vieolin soelo; Winnie Adella Blair of Carmody was to sing a Scotch balad; and
Laura Spencer of Spencervale and Anne Shirley of Avonlea wer to resiet.
As Anne wuud hav sed at wun tiem, it was "an epok in her lief," and she was delishusly athrill with th
exsietment of it. Matthew was in th seventh heven of gratified pried oever th onor conferd on his Anne and
Marilla was not far behiend, alltho she wuud hav died rather than admit it, and sed she didn't think it was
verry proper for a lot of yung foeks to be gading oever to th hoetel without eny responsibl person with
them.
Anne and Diana wer to driev oever with Jane Andrews and her bruther Billy in thair dubl-seeted bugy; and
several uther Avonlea gerls and bois wer going too. Thair was a party of vizitors expected out frum toun,
and after th consert a super was to be given to th performers.
"Do U reealy think th organdy wil be best?" qeeryd Anne ankshusly. "I don't think it's as prity as mi blooflowerd muzlin--and it sertenly isn't so fashunabl."
"But it soots U ever so much beter," sed Diana. "It's so sofft and frily and clinging. Th muzlin is stif, and
maeks U luuk too drest up. But th organdy seems as if it groo on U."
201
Anne sied and yeelded. Diana was begining to hav a repuetaeshun for noetabl taest in dresing, and her
advies on such subjects was much saut after. She was luuking verry prity herself on this particuelar niet in
a dres of th luvly wield-roez pink, frum which Anne was forever debard; but she was not to taek eny part in
th consert, so her apeerans was of mienor importans. All her paens wer bestoed upon Anne, hoo, she vowd,
must, for th credit of Avonlea, be drest and coemd and adornd to th Queen's taest.
"Puul out that fril a litl mor--so; heer, let me ti yur sash; now for yur slipers. I'm going to braed yur hair in
too thik braeds, and ti them hafwae up with big whiet boes--no, don't puul out a singgl curl oever yur
forhed--just hav th sofft part. Thair is no wae U do yur hair soots U so wel, Anne, and Mrs. Allan ses U
luuk liek a Madonna when U part it so. I shal fasen this litl whiet hous roez just behiend yur eer. Thair
was just wun on mi buush, and I saevd it for U."
"Shal I puut mi perl beeds on?" askt Anne. "Matthew braut me a string frum toun last week, and I noe he'd
liek to see them on me."
Diana perst up her lips, puut her blak hed on wun sied criticaly, and fienaly pronounst in faevor of th beeds,
which wer thairupon tied around Anne's slim milk-whiet throet.
"Thair's sumthing so stielish about U, Anne," sed Diana, with unenvious admeraeshun. "U hoeld yur hed
with such an air. I supoez it's yur figuer. I am just a dumpling. I'v allwaes bin afraed of it, and now I noe it
is so. Wel, I supoez I shal just hav to rezien mieself to it."
"But U hav such dimples," sed Anne, smieling afecshunetly into th prity, vivaeshus faes so neer her oen.
"Luvly dimples, liek litl dents in creem. I hav given up all hoep of dimples. Mi dimpl-dreem wil never cum
troo; but so meny of mi dreems hav that I mustn't complaen. Am I all redy now?"
"All redy," ashurd Diana, as Marilla apeerd in th dorwae, a gaunt figuer with graeer hair than of yor and no
fueer anggls, but with a much soffter faes. "Cum riet in and luuk at our elocutionist, Marilla. Duzn't she
luuk luvly?"
Marilla emited a sound between a snif and a grunt.
"She luuks neet and proper. I liek that wae of fixing her hair. But I expect she'l rooin that dres drieving
oever thair in th dust and due with it, and it luuks moest too thin for thees damp niets. Organdy's th moest
unserviceable stuf in th werld enyhow, and I toeld Matthew so when he got it. But thair is no ues in saeing
enything to Matthew now-a-daes. Tiem was when he wuud taek mi advies, but now he just bies things for
Anne regardles, and th clerks at Carmody noe thae can paam enything off on him. Just let them tel him a
thing is prity and fashunabl, and Matthew plunks his muny doun for it. Miend U keep yur skert cleer of th
wheel, Anne, and puut yur worm jaket on."
Then Marilla staukt dounstairs, thinking proudly how sweet Anne luukt, with that
"Wun moonbeem frum th forhed to th croun"
and regreting that she cuud not go to th consert herself to heer her gerl resiet.
"I wunder if it IS too damp for mi dres," sed Anne ankshusly.
202
"Not a bit of it," sed Diana, puuling up th windo bliend. "It's a perfect niet, and thair woen't be eny due.
Luuk at th moonliet."
"I'm so glad mi windo luuks eest into th sunrising," sed Anne, going oever to Diana. "It's so splendid to see
th morning cuming up oever thoes long hils and gloeing thru thoes sharp fer tops. It's nue evry morning,
and I feel as if I wosht mi verry soel in that bath of erlyest sunshien. O, Diana, I luv this litl room so
deerly. I don't noe how I'l get along without it when I go to toun next munth."
"Don't speek of yur going awae toniet," begd Diana. "I don't wont to think of it, it maeks me so mizerabl,
and I do wont to hav a guud tiem this eevning. Whut ar U going to resiet, Anne? And ar U nervus?"
"Not a bit. I'v resieted so offen in public I don't miend at all now. I'v desieded to giv `Th Maiden's Vow.'
It's so pathetic. Laura Spencer is going to giv a comic resitaeshun, but I'd rather maek peepl cri than laf."
"Whut wil U resiet if thae aancor U?"
"Thae woen't dreem of encoring me," scoft Anne, hoo was not without her oen seecret hoeps that thae
wuud, and allredy visioned herself teling Matthew all about it at th next morning's brekfast taebl. "Thair ar
Billy and Jane now-- I heer th wheels. Cum on."
Billy Andrews insisted that Anne shuud ried on th frunt seet with him, so she unwilingly cliemd up. She
wuud hav much preferd to sit bak with th gerls, wherr she cuud hav laft and chaterd to her heart's content.
Thair was not much of eether lafter or chater in Billy. He was a big, fat, stolid yooth of twenty, with a
round, expreshunles faes, and a paenful lak of conversaeshunal gifts. But he admierd Anne imensly, and
was puft up with pried oever th prospect of drieving to Whiet Sands with that slim, upriet figuer besied
him.
Anne, bi dint of tauking oever her shoelder to th gerls and ocaezhunaly pasing a sop of sivility to Billy--hoo
grind and chukld and never cuud think of eny repli until it was too laet--contrievd to enjoi th driev in spiet
of all. It was a niet for enjoiment. Th roed was fuul of bugys, all bound for th hoetel, and lafter, silver
cleer, ekoed and reechoed along it. When thae reecht th hoetel it was a blaez of liet frum top to botom.
Thae wer met bi th laedys of th consert comity, wun of hoom tuuk Anne off to th performers' dresing room
which was fild with th members of a Charlottetown Simfony Club, amung hoom Anne felt sudenly shi and
frietend and countrified. Her dres, which, in th eest gaebl, had seemd so daenty and prity, now seemd simpl
and plaen--too simpl and plaen, she thaut, amung all th silks and laeses that glisend and rusld around her.
Whut wer her perl beeds compaird to th diemonds of th big, hansum laedy neer her? And how pur her wun
wee whiet roez must luuk besied all th hot-hous flowers th uthers wor! Anne laed her hat and jaket awae,
and shrank mizerably into a corner. She wisht herself bak in th whiet room at Green Gaebls.
It was stil wers on th platform of th big consert hall of th hoetel, wherr she prezently found herself. Th
electric liets dazld her ies, th perfuem and hum bewilderd her. She wisht she wer siting doun in th audyens
with Diana and Jane, hoo seemd to be having a splendid tiem awae at th bak. She was wejd in between a
stout laedy in pink silk and a tall, scornful-luuking gerl in a whiet-laes dres. Th stout laedy ocaezhunaly
ternd her hed sqairly around and servaed Anne thru her ieglases until Anne, acuetly sensitiv of being so
scrootiniezd, felt that she must screem aloud; and th whiet-laes gerl kept tauking audibly to her next naebor
about th "cuntry bumpkins" and "rustic bels" in th audyens, languidly antisipaeting "such fun" frum th
203
displaes of loecal talent on th proegram. Anne beleevd that she wuud haet that whiet-laes gerl to th end of
lief.
Unfortunately for Anne, a profeshunal elocutionist was staeing at th hoetel and had consented to resiet. She
was a lieth, dark-ied wuuman in a wunderful goun of shimering grae stuf liek woeven moonbeems, with
jems on her nek and in her dark hair. She had a marvelusly flexibl vois and wunderful power of expreshun;
th audyens went wield oever her selecshun. Anne, forgeting all about herself and her trubls for th tiem,
lisend with rapt and shiening ies; but when th resitaeshun ended she sudenly puut her hands oever her faes.
She cuud never get up and resiet after that--never. Had she ever thaut she cuud resiet? O, if she wer oenly
bak at Green Gaebls!
At this unpropitious moement her naem was calld. Sumhow Anne--hoo did not noetis th rather gilty litl
start of serpriez th whiet-laes gerl gaev, and wuud not hav understuud th sutl compliment implied thairin if
she had--got on her feet, and moovd dizily out to th frunt. She was so pael that Diana and Jane, doun in th
audyens, claspt eech other's hands in nervus simpathy.
Anne was th victim of an oeverwhelming atak of staej friet. Offen as she had resieted in public, she had
never befor faest such an audyens as this, and th siet of it parraliezd her enerjys compleetly. Evrything was
so straenj, so brilyant, so bewildering--th roes of laedys in eevning dres, th critical faeses, th hoel atmosfeer
of welth and culcher about her. Verry diferent this frum th plaen benches at th Debaeting Club, fild with th
hoemly, simpathetic faeses of frends and naebors. Thees peepl, she thaut, wuud be mersyles critics.
Perhaps, liek th whiet-laes gerl, thae antisipaeted amuezment frum her "rustic" eforts. She felt hoeplesly,
helplesly ashaemd and mizerabl. Her nees trembld, her hart fluterd, a horribl faentnes caem oever her; not a
werd cuud she uter, and th next moement she wuud hav fled frum th platform despiet th huemiliaeshun
which, she felt, must ever after be her porshun if she did so.
But sudenly, as her dielaeted, frietend ies gaezd out oever th audyens, she saw Gilbert Blythe awae at th
bak of th room, bending forward with a smiel on his faes--a smiel which seemd to Anne at wuns trieumfant
and taunting. In reality it was nuthing of th kiend. Gilbert was meerly smieling with apreeshiaeshun of th
hoel afair in jeneral and of th efect produest bi Anne's slender whiet form and spirichual faes agenst a
bakground of paams in particuelar. Josie Pye, hoom he had driven oever, sat besied him, and her faes
sertenly was boeth trieumfant and taunting. But Anne did not see Josie, and wuud not hav caird if she had.
She droo a long breth and flung her hed up proudly, curej and determinaeshun tinggling oever her liek an
electric shok. She WUUD NOT fael befor Gilbert Blythe--he shuud never be aebl to laf at her, never,
never! Her friet and nervusnes vanisht; and she began her resitaeshun, her cleer, sweet vois reeching to th
farthest corner of th room without a tremor or a braek. Self-pozeshun was fuuly restord to her, and in th
reacshun frum that horribl moement of powerlessness she resieted as she had never dun befor. When she
finisht thair wer bersts of onest aplauz. Anne, steping bak to her seet, blushing with shyness and deliet,
found her hand vigorusly claspt and shaeken bi th stout laedy in pink silk.
"Mi deer, U did splendidly," she puft. "I'v bin crieing liek a baeby, akchualy I hav. Thair, thae'r encoring
U-- thae'r bound to hav U bak!"
"O, I can't go," sed Anne confuezedly. "But yet--I must, or Matthew wil be disapointed. He sed thae wuud
aancor me."
"Then don't disapoint Matthew," sed th pink laedy, lafing.
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Smieling, blushing, limpid ied, Anne tript bak and gaev a qaent, funy litl selecshun that captivaeted her
audyens stil ferther. Th rest of th eevning was qiet a litl trieumf for her.
When th consert was oever, th stout, pink laedy--hoo was th wief of an American milyonair--tuuk her under
her wing, and introduest her to evrybody; and evrybody was verry nies to her. Th profeshunal elocutionist,
Mrs. Evans, caem and chated with her, teling her that she had a charming vois and "interpreted" her
selecshuns buetyfuly. Eeven th whiet-laes gerl paed her a langgwid litl compliment. Thae had super in th
big, buetyfuly decoraeted diening room; Diana and Jane wer invieted to partaek of this, allso, sinss thae had
cum with Anne, but Billy was noewherr to be found, having decamped in mortal feer of sum such
invitaeshun. He was in waeting for them, with th teem, however, when it was all oever, and th three gerls
caem merrily out into th caam, whiet moonshien raedians. Anne breethd deeply, and luukt into th cleer skie
beyond th dark bows of th firs.
O, it was guud to be out agen in th puerity and sielens of th niet! How graet and stil and wunderful
evrything was, with th mermer of th see sounding thru it and th darkling clifs beyond liek grim jieants
garding enchanted coests.
"Hasn't it bin a perfectly splendid tiem?" sied Jane, as thae droev awae. "I just wish I was a rich American
and cuud spend mi sumer at a hoetel and wair jooels and lo-necked dreses and hav ies creem and chiken
salad evry blesed dae. I'm shur it wuud be ever so much mor fun than teeching scool. Anne, yur
resitaeshun was simply graet, alltho I thaut at ferst U wer never going to begin. I think it was beter than
Mrs. Evans's."
"O, no, don't sae things liek that, Jane," sed Anne qikly, "becauz it sounds sily. It cuudn't be beter than
Mrs. Evans's, U noe, for she is a profeshunal, and I'm oenly a scoolgerl, with a litl nak of resieting. I'm qiet
satisfied if th peepl just liekt mien prity wel."
"I'v a compliment for U, Anne," sed Diana. "At leest I think it must be a compliment becauz of th toen he
sed it in. Part of it was enyhow. Thair was an American siting behiend Jane and me--such a roemanticluuking man, with coel-blak hair and ies. Josie Pye ses he is a distinggwisht artist, and that her mother's
cuzin in Boston is marryd to a man that uezd to go to scool with him. Wel, we herd him sae--didn't we,
Jane?--`Hoo is that gerl on th platform with th splendid Titian hair? She has a faes I shuud liek to paent.'
Thair now, Anne. But whut duz Titian hair meen?"
"Being interpreted it meens plaen red, I ges," laft Anne. "Titian was a verry faemus artist hoo liekt to paent
red-haired wimen."
"DID U see all th diemonds thoes laedys wor?" sied Jane. "Thae wer simply dazling. Wuudn't U just luv to
be rich, gerls?"
"We AR rich," sed Anne staunchly. "Whi, we hav sixteen yeers to our credit, and we'r hapy as qeens, and
we'v all got imajinaeshuns, mor or les. Luuk at that see, gerls--all silver and shado and vizhun of things not
seen. We cuudn't enjoi its luvlynes eny mor if we had milyons of dolars and roeps of diemonds. U wuudn't
chaenj into eny of thoes wimen if U cuud. Wuud U wont to be that whiet-laes gerl and wair a sour luuk all
yur lief, as if U'd bin born terning up yur noez at th werld? Or th pink laedy, kiend and nies as she is, so
stout and short that U'd reealy no figuer at all? Or eeven Mrs. Evans, with that sad, sad luuk in her ies?
She must hav bin dredfuly unhapy sumtiem to hav such a luuk. U NOE U wuudn't, Jane Andrews!"
205
"I DON'T noe--exactly," sed Jane unconvinced. "I think diemonds wuud cumfort a person for a guud deel."
"Wel, I don't wont to be enywun but mieself, eeven if I go uncumforted bi diemonds all mi lief," declaird
Anne. "I'm qiet content to be Anne of Green Gaebls, with mi string of perl beeds. I noe Matthew gaev me
as much luv with them as ever went with Madame th Pink Lady's jooels."
CHAPTER XXXIV
A Queen's Gerl
Th next three weeks wer bizy wuns at Green Gaebls, for Anne was geting redy to go to Queen's, and thair
was much soeing to be dun, and meny things to be taukt oever and araenjd. Anne's outfit was ampl and
prity, for Matthew saw to that, and Marilla for wuns maed no objecshuns whutever to enything he perchast
or sugjested. Mor-- wun eevning she went up to th eest gaebl with her arms fuul of a deliket pael green
mateerial.
"Anne, heer's sumthing for a nies liet dres for U. I don't supoez U reealy need it; U'v plenty of prity waists;
but I thaut maebe U'd liek sumthing reeal dresy to wair if U wer askt out enywhair of an eevning in toun, to
a party or enything liek that. I heer that Jane and Ruby and Josie hav got `eevning dreses,' as thae call
them, and I don't meen U shal be behiend them. I got Mrs. Allan to help me pik it in toun last week, and
we'l get Emily Gillis to maek it for U. Emily has got taest, and her fits arn't to be equaled."
"O, Marilla, it's just luvly," sed Anne. "Thank U so much. I don't beleev U aut to be so kiend to me--it's
maeking it harder evry dae for me to go awae."
Th green dres was maed up with as meny tuks and frils and shirrings as Emily's taest permited. Anne puut
it on wun eevning for Matthew's and Marilla's benefit, and resieted "Th Maiden's Vow" for them in th
kichen. As Marilla wocht th briet, animaeted faes and graesful moeshuns her thauts went bak to th eevning
Anne had arievd at Green Gaebls, and memory recalld a vivid pikcher of th od, frietend chield in her
preposterus yeloeish-broun wincey dres, th hartbraek luuking out of her teerful ies. Sumthing in th memory
braut teers to Marilla's oen ies.
"I declair, mi resitaeshun has maed U cri, Marilla," sed Anne gaely stooping oever Marilla's chair to drop a
buterfli kis on that lady's cheek. "Now, I call that a pozitiv trieumf."
"No, I wasn't crieing oever yur pees," sed Marilla, hoo wuud hav scornd to be betraed into such weeknes bi
eny poeetry stuf. "I just cuudn't help thinking of th litl gerl U uezd to be, Anne. And I was wishing U cuud
hav staed a litl gerl, eeven with all yur qeer waes. U'v groen up now and U'r going awae; and U luuk so tall
and stielish and so--so--diferent alltogether in that dres--as if U didn't belong in Avonlea at all-- and I just
got loensum thinking it all oever."
"Marilla!" Anne sat doun on Marilla's gingam lap, tuuk Marilla's liend faes between her hands, and luukt
graevly and tenderly into Marilla's ies. "I'm not a bit chaenjd-- not reealy. I'm oenly just proond doun and
brancht out. Th reeal ME--bak heer--is just th saem. It woen't maek a bit of diferens wherr I go or how
much I chaenj outwardly; at hart I shal allwaes be yur litl Anne, hoo wil luv U and Matthew and deer Green
Gaebls mor and beter evry dae of her lief."
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Anne laed her fresh yung cheek agenst Marilla's faeded wun, and reecht out a hand to pat Matthew's
shoelder. Marilla wuud hav given much just then to hav pozest Anne's power of puuting her feelings into
werds; but naecher and habit had wild it utherwiez, and she cuud oenly puut her arms cloes about her gerl
and hoeld her tenderly to her hart, wishing that she need never let her go.
Matthew, with a suspishus moischer in his ies, got up and went out-of-dors. Under th stars of th bloo sumer
niet he waukt agitatedly across th yard to th gaet under th poplars.
"Wel now, I ges she ain't bin much spoild," he muterd, proudly. "I ges mi puuting in mi or ocaezhunal
never did much harm after all. She's smart and prity, and luving, too, which is beter than all th rest. She's
bin a blesing to us, and thair never was a lukyer mistaek than whut Mrs. Spencer maed--if it WAS luk. I
don't beleev it was eny such thing. It was Providens, becauz th Allmiety saw we needed her, I rekon."
Th dae fienaly caem when Anne must go to toun. She and Matthew droev in wun fien September morning,
after a teerful parting with Diana and an untearful practical wun-- on Marilla's sied at leest--with Marilla.
But when Anne had gon Diana dried her teers and went to a beech picnik at Whiet Sands with sum of her
Carmody cuzins, wherr she contrievd to enjoi herself tolerably wel; whiel Marilla plunjd feersly into
unnesesairy werk and kept at it all dae long with th biterest kiend of hartaek--th aek that berns and gnaws
and cannot wosh itself awae in redy teers. But that niet, when Marilla went to bed, acuetly and mizerably
conshus that th litl gaebl room at th end of th hall was untenanted bi eny vivid yung lief and unstirred bi
eny sofft breething, she berryd her faes in her pilo, and wept for her gerl in a pashun of sobs that apalld her
when she groo caam enuf to reflect how verry wiked it must be to taek on so about a sinful felo creecher.
Anne and th rest of th Avonlea scolars reecht toun just in tiem to hery off to th Academy. That ferst dae
past plezantly enuf in a wherl of exsietment, meeting all th nue stoodents, lerning to noe th profesors bi siet
and being asorted and organiezd into clases. Anne intended taeking up th Second Yeer werk being adviezd
to do so bi Mis Stacy; Gilbert Blythe elected to do th saem. This ment geting a Ferst Clas teacher's liesens
in wun yeer insted of too, if thae wer sucsesful; but it allso ment much mor and harder werk. Jane, Ruby,
Josie, Charlie, and Moody Spurgeon, not being trubld with th sterings of ambishun, wer content to taek up
th Second Clas werk. Anne was conshus of a pang of loenlynes when she found herself in a room with
fifty uther stoodents, not wun of hoom she nue, exsept th tall, broun-haired boi across th room; and noeing
him in th fashun she did, did not help her much, as she reflected pessimistically. Yet she was undenieably
glad that thae wer in th saem clas; th oeld rievalry cuud stil be carryd on, and Anne wuud hardly hav noen
whut to do if it had bin laking.
"I wuudn't feel cumfortabl without it," she thaut. "Gilbert luuks aufuly determind. I supoez he's maeking
up his miend, heer and now, to win th medal. Whut a splendid chin he has! I never noetist it befor. I do
wish Jane and Ruby had gon in for Ferst Clas, too. I supoez I woen't feel so much liek a cat in a straenj
garret when I get aqaented, tho. I wunder which of th gerls heer ar going to be mi frends. It's reealy an
interesting specuelaeshun. Of cors I promist Diana that no Queen's gerl, no mater how much I liekt her,
shuud ever be as deer to me as she is; but I'v lots of second-best afecshuns to bestoe. I liek th luuk of that
gerl with th broun ies and th crimzon waest. She luuks vivid and red-roezy; thair's that pael, fair wun
gaezing out of th windo. She has luvly hair, and luuks as if she nue a thing or too about dreems. I'd liek to
noe them boeth--noe them wel--wel enuf to wauk with mi arm about thair waists, and call them niknaems.
But just now I don't noe them and thae don't noe me, and probably don't wont to noe me particuelarly. O,
it's loensum!"
207
It was lonesomer stil when Anne found herself aloen in her hall bedroom that niet at twieliet. She was not
to bord with th uther gerls, hoo all had relativs in toun to taek pity on them. Mis Josephine Barry wuud hav
liekt to bord her, but Beechwood was so far frum th Academy that it was out of th qeschun; so mis Barry
hunted up a bording-hous, ashuring Matthew and Marilla that it was th verry plaes for Anne.
"Th laedy hoo keeps it is a reduest jentlwuuman," explaend Mis Barry. "Her huzband was a British offiser,
and she is verry cairful whut sort of boarders she taeks. Anne wil not meet with eny objecshunabl persons
under her roof. Th taebl is guud, and th hous is neer th Academy, in a qieet naeborhuud."
All this miet be qiet troo, and indeed, proovd to be so, but it did not mateerialy help Anne in th ferst agony
of hoemsiknes that seezd upon her. She luukt dizmaly about her narro litl room, with its dul-paeperd,
pictureless walls, its small ieern bedsted and empty buuk- caes; and a horribl choek caem into her throet as
she thaut of her oen whiet room at Green Gaebls, wherr she wuud hav th plezant conshusnes of a graet
green stil outdors, of sweet pees groeing in th garden, and moonliet falling on th orchard, of th bruuk belo
th sloep and th sproos bows tossing in th niet wind beyond it, of a vast starry skie, and th liet frum Diana's
windo shiening out thru th gap in th trees. Heer thair was nuthing of this; Anne nue that outsied of her
windo was a hard street, with a netwerk of telefoen wiers shuting out th skie, th tramp of aelian feet, and a
thouzand liets gleeming on straenjer faeses. She nue that she was going to cri, and faut agenst it.
"I WOEN'T cri. It's sily--and weak--thair's th therd teer splashing doun bi mi noez. Thair ar mor cuming! I
must think of sumthing funy to stop them. But thair's nuthing funy exsept whut is conected with Avonlea,
and that oenly maeks things wers--foer--fiev--I'm going hoem next Friday, but that seems a hundred yeers
awae. O, Matthew is neerly hoem bi now--and Marilla is at th gaet, luuking doun th laen for him--six-seven--aet-- o, thair's no ues in counting them! Thae'r cuming in a flud prezently. I can't cheer up--I don't
WONT to cheer up. It's nieser to be mizerabl!"
Th flud of teers wuud hav cum, no dout, had not Josie Pye apeerd at that moement. In th joi of seeing a
familyar faes Anne forgot that thair had never bin much luv lost between her and Josie. As a part of
Avonlea lief eeven a Pye was welcum.
"I'm so glad U caem up," Anne sed sinseerly.
"U'v bin crieing," remarkt Josie, with agravaeting pity. "I supoez U'r hoemsik--sum peepl hav so litl selfcontroel in that respect. I'v no intenshun of being hoemsik, I can tel U. Town's too joly after that poky
oeld Avonlea. I wunder how I ever existed thair so long. U shuudn't cri, Anne; it isn't becuming, for yur
noez and ies get red, and then U seem ALL red. I'd a perfectly scrumpshus tiem in th Academy todae. Our
French profesor is simply a duk. His mustash wuud giv U kerwollowps of th hart. Hav U enything eetabl
around, Anne? I'm literaly starving. Aa, I gest liekly Marilla'd loed U up with caek. That's whi I calld
round. Utherwiez I'd hav gon to th park to heer th band plae with Frank Stockley. He bords saem plaes as I
do, and he's a sport. He noetist U in clas todae, and askt me hoo th red-heded gerl was. I toeld him U wer
an orfan that th Cuthberts had adopted, and noebody nue verry much about whut U'd bin befor that."
Anne was wundering if, after all, solitued and teers wer not mor satisfactory than Josie Pye's
companyonship when Jane and Ruby apeerd, eech with an inch of Queen's culor ribon--perpl and scarlet-pind proudly to her coet. As Josie was not "speeking" to Jane just then she had to subsied into comparrativ
harmlessness.
208
"Wel," sed Jane with a si, "I feel as if I'd livd meny moons sinss th morning. I aut to be hoem studying mi
Virgil--that horrid oeld profesor gaev us twenty liens to start in on tomorro. But I simply cuudn't setl doun
to study toniet. Anne, methinks I see th traeses of teers. If U'v bin crieing DO oen up. It wil restor mi selfrespect, for I was sheding teers freely befor Ruby caem along. I don't miend being a goos so much if
sumbody els is goosey, too. Caek? U'l giv me a teeny pees, woen't U? Thank U. It has th reeal Avonlea
flaevor."
Ruby, perseeving th Queen's calendar lieing on th taebl, wonted to noe if Anne ment to tri for th goeld
medal.
Anne blusht and admited she was thinking of it.
"O, that remiends me," sed Josie, "Queen's is to get wun of th Avery scolarships after all. Th werd caem
todae. Frank Stockley toeld me--his unkl is wun of th bord of guvernors, U noe. It wil be anounst in th
Academy tomorro."
An Avery scolarship! Anne felt her hart beet mor qikly, and th horiezons of her ambishun shifted and
braudend as if bi majic. Befor Josie had toeld th nues Anne's hieest pinacl of aspiraeshun had bin a
teacher's provinshal liesens, Ferst Clas, at th end of th yeer, and perhaps th medal! But now in wun
moement Anne saw herself wining th Avery scolarship, taeking an Arts cors at Redmond Colej, and
grajuaeting in a goun and mortar bord, befor th eko of Josie's werds had died awae. For th Avery
scolarship was in English, and Anne felt that heer her fuut was on naetiv heeth.???
A welthy manuefakcherer of Nue Brunswick had died and left part of his forchun to endow a larj number of
scolarships to be distribueted amung th vairius hi scools and academys of th Marritiem Provinses, acording
to thair respectiv standings. Thair had bin much dout whether wun wuud be aloted to Queen's, but th mater
was setld at last, and at th end of th yeer th gradjuit hoo maed th hieest mark in English and English
Literachur wuud win th scolarship-- too hundred and fifty dolars a yeer for foer yeers at Redmond Colej.
No wunder that Anne went to bed that niet with tinggling cheeks!
"I'l win that scolarship if hard werk can do it," she rezolvd. "Wuudn't Matthew be proud if I got to be a
B.A.? O, it's delietful to hav ambishuns. I'm so glad I hav such a lot. And thair never seems to be eny end
to them-- that's th best of it. Just as soon as U ataen to wun ambishun U see anuther wun glitering hieer up
stil. It duz maek lief so interesting."
CHAPTER XXXV
Th Winter at Queen's
Anne's hoemsiknes wor off, graetly helpt in th wairing bi her weekend vizits hoem. As long as th oepen
wether lasted th Avonlea stoodents went out to Carmody on th nue branch raelwae evry Friday niet. Diana
and several uther Avonlea yung foeks wer jeneraly on hand to meet them and thae all waukt oever to
Avonlea in a merry party. Anne thaut thoes Friday eevning gypsyings oever th autumnal hils in th crisp
goelden air, with th homelights of Avonlea twinkling beyond, wer th best and deerest ours in th hoel week.
209
Gilbert Blythe neerly allwaes waukt with Ruby Gillis and carryd her sachel for her. Ruby was a verry
hansum yung laedy, now thinking herself qiet as groen up as she reealy was; she wor her skerts as long as
her muther wuud let her and did her hair up in toun, tho she had to taek it doun when she went hoem. She
had larj, briet-bloo ies, a brilyant complexshun, and a plump shoey figuer. She laft a graet deel, was
cheerful and guud-temperd, and enjoid th plezant things of lief frankly.
"But I shuudn't think she was th sort of gerl Gilbert wuud liek," whisperd Jane to Anne. Anne did not think
so eether, but she wuud not hav sed so for th Avery scolarship. She cuud not help thinking, too, that it
wuud be verry plezant to hav such a frend as Gilbert to jest and chater with and exchaenj iedeeas about
buuks and studys and ambishuns. Gilbert had ambishuns, she nue, and Ruby Gillis did not seem th sort of
person with hoom such cuud be profitably discust.
Thair was no sily sentiment in Anne's iedeeas conserning Gilbert. Bois wer to her, when she thaut about
them at all, meerly posibl guud comrads. If she and Gilbert had bin frends she wuud not hav caird how
meny uther frends he had nor with hoom he waukt. She had a jeenius for frendship; gerl frends she had in
plenty; but she had a vaeg conshusnes that mascuelin frendship miet allso be a guud thing to round out
one's consepshuns of companyonship and fernish brauder standpoints of jujment and comparrison. Not that
Anne cuud hav puut her feelings on th mater into just such cleer definishun. But she thaut that if Gilbert
had ever waukt hoem with her frum th traen, oever th crisp feelds and along th ferny biewaes, thae miet hav
had meny and merry and interesting conversaeshuns about th nue werld that was oepening around them and
thair hoeps and ambishuns thairin. Gilbert was a clever yung felo, with his oen thauts about things and a
determinaeshun to get th best out of lief and puut th best into it. Ruby Gillis toeld Jane Andrews that she
didn't understand haf th things Gilbert Blythe sed; he taukt just liek Anne Shirley did when she had a
thautful fit on and for her part she didn't think it eny fun to be bothering about buuks and that sort of thing
when U didn't hav to. Frank Stockley had lots mor dash and go, but then he wasn't haf as guud-luuking as
Gilbert and she reealy cuudn't desied which she liekt best!
In th Academy Anne grajualy droo a litl sercl of frends about her, thautful, imajinativ, ambishus stoodents
liek herself. With th "roez-red" gerl, Stella Maynard, and th "dreem gerl," Priscilla Grant, she soon becaem
intimet, fiending th later pael spirichual-luuking maeden to be fuul to th brim of mischif and pranks and
fun, whiel th vivid, blak-ied Stella had a heartful of wistful dreems and fansys, as airial and raenbo-liek as
Anne's oen.
After th Christmas holidaes th Avonlea stoodents gaev up going hoem on Fridays and setld doun to hard
werk. Bi this tiem all th Queen's scolars had gravitaeted into thair oen plaeses in th ranks and th vairius
clases had asoomd distinkt and setld shaedings of indivijuality. Serten facts had becum jeneraly acsepted.
It was admited that th medal contestants had practicaly narroed doun to three--Gilbert Blythe, Anne
Shirley, and Lewis Wilson; th Avery scolarship was mor doutful, eny wun of a serten six being a posibl
winer. Th bronz medal for mathematics was considerd as guud as wun bi a fat, funy litl up-cuntry boi with
a bumpy forhed and a pacht coet.
Ruby Gillis was th hansumest gerl of th yeer at th Academy; in th Second Yeer clases Stella Maynard
carryd off th paam for buety, with small but critical minority in faevor of Anne Shirley. Ethel Marr was
admited bi all competent jujes to hav th moest stielish moeds of hair-dresing, and Jane Andrews--plaen,
ploding, conshyenshus Jane--carryd off th onors in th domestic sieens cors. Eeven Josie Pye ataend a serten
pre-eminens as th sharpest- tungd yung laedy in atendans at Queen's. So it mae be fairly staeted that Mis
Stacy's oeld pupil's held thair oen in th wieder areena of th academical cors.
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Anne werkt hard and stedily. Her rievalry with Gilbert was as intens as it had ever bin in Avonlea scool,
alltho it was not noen in th clas at larj, but sumhow th biternes had gon out of it. Anne no longger wisht to
win for th saek of defeeting Gilbert; rather, for th proud conshusnes of a wel-wun victory oever a werthy
foeman. It wuud be werth whiel to win, but she no longger thaut lief wuud be insupportable if she did not.
In spiet of lesons th stoodents found oportuenitys for plezant tiems. Anne spent meny of her spair ours at
Beechwood and jeneraly aet her Sunday diners thair and went to cherch with Mis Barry. Th later was, as
she admited, groeing oeld, but her blak ies wer not dim nor th vigor of her tung in th leest abaeted. But she
never sharpend th later on Anne, hoo continued to be a priem faevorit with th critical oeld laedy.
"That Anne-gerl improovs all th tiem," she sed. "I get tierd of uther gerls--thair is such a provoeking and
eternal saemnes about them. Anne has as meny shaeds as a raenbo and evry shaed is th prityest whiel it
lasts. I don't noe that she is as amuezing as she was when she was a chield, but she maeks me luv her and I
liek peepl hoo maek me luv them. It saevs me so much trubl in maeking mieself luv them."
Then, allmoest befor enybody reealiezd it, spring had cum; out in Avonlea th Mayflowers wer peeping
pinkly out on th sere barrens wherr sno-reeths linggerd; and th "mist of green" was on th wuuds and in th
valys. But in Charlottetown harrast Queen's stoodents thaut and taukt oenly of examinaeshuns.
"It duzn't seem posibl that th term is neerly oever," sed Anne. "Whi, last fall it seemd so long to luuk
forward to--a hoel winter of studys and clases. And heer we ar, with th exams looming up next week.
Gerls, sumtiems I feel as if thoes exams ment evrything, but when I luuk at th big buds sweling on thoes
chesnut trees and th misty bloo air at th end of th streets thae don't seem haf so important."
Jane and Ruby and Josie, hoo had dropt in, did not taek this vue of it. To them th cuming examinaeshuns
wer constantly verry important indeed--far mor important than chesnut buds or Maytime haezes. It was all
verry wel for Anne, hoo was shur of pasing at leest, to hav her moements of belitling them, but when yur
hoel fuecher depended on them--as th gerls trooly thaut theirs did-- U cuud not regard them filosoficaly.
"I'v lost seven pounds in th last too weeks," sied Jane. "It's no ues to sae don't wery. I WIL wery. Werying
helps U sum--it seems as if U wer doing sumthing when U'r werying. It wuud be dredful if I faeld to get mi
liesens after going to Queen's all winter and spending so much muny."
"_I_ don't cair," sed Josie Pye. "If I don't pas this yeer I'm cuming bak next. Mi faather can aford to send
me. Anne, Frank Stockley ses that Profesor Tremaine sed Gilbert Blythe was shur to get th medal and that
Emily Clae wuud liekly win th Avery scolarship."
"That mae maek me feel badly tomorro, Josie," laft Anne, "but just now I onestly feel that as long as I noe
th vieolets ar cuming out all perpl doun in th holo belo Green Gaebls and that litl ferns ar poeking thair
heds up in Lovers' Laen, it's not a graet deel of diferens whether I win th Avery or not. I'v dun mi best and
I begin to understand whut is ment bi th `joi of th strief.' Next to trieing and wining, th best thing is trieing
and faeling. Gerls, don't tauk about exams! Luuk at that arch of pael green skie oever thoes houses and
pikcher to yurself whut it must luuk liek oever th purply-dark beech-wuuds bak of Avonlea."
"Whut ar U going to wair for comensment, Jane?" askt Ruby practicaly.
Jane and Josie boeth anserd at wuns and th chater drifted into a sied edy of fashuns. But Anne, with her
elboes on th windo sil, her sofft cheek laed agenst her claspt hands, and her ies fild with vizhuns, luukt out
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unheedingly across sity roof and spier to that glorius doem of sunset skie and woev her dreems of a posibl
fuecher frum th goelden tishoo of youth's oen optimizm. All th Beyond was hers with its posibilitys lerking
roezily in th oncuming yeers--eech yeer a roez of promis to be woeven into an imortal chaplet.
CHAPTER XXXVI
Th Glory and th Dreem
On th morning when th fienal rezults of all th examina- tions wer to be poested on th buuletin bord at
Queen's, Anne and Jane waukt doun th street together. Jane was smieling and hapy; examinaeshuns wer
oever and she was cumfortably shur she had maed a pas at leest; ferther consideraeshuns trubld Jane not at
all; she had no soring ambishuns and conseqently was not afected with th unrest atendant thairon. For we
pae a pries for evrything we get or taek in this werld; and alltho ambishuns ar wel werth having, thae ar not
to be cheeply wun, but exact thair dues of werk and self-denieal, angzieity and discurejment. Anne was
pael and qieet; in ten mor minits she wuud noe hoo had wun th medal and hoo th Avery. Beyond thoes ten
minits thair did not seem, just then, to be enything werth being calld Tiem.
"Of cors U'l win wun of them enyhow," sed Jane, hoo cuudn't understand how th faculty cuud be so unfair
as to order it utherwiez.
"I hav not hoep of th Avery," sed Anne. "Evrybody ses Emily Clae wil win it. And I'm not going to march
up to that buuletin bord and luuk at it befor evrybody. I havn't th moral curej. I'm going straet to th girls'
dresing room. U must reed th anounsments and then cum and tel me, Jane. And I implor U in th naem of
our oeld frendship to do it as qikly as posibl. If I hav faeld just sae so, without trieing to braek it jently; and
whutever U do DON'T simpathiez with me. Promis me this, Jane."
Jane promist solemly; but, as it hapend, thair was no nesesity for such a promis. When thae went up th
entrans steps of Queen's thae found th hall fuul of bois hoo wer carrying Gilbert Blythe around on thair
shoelders and yeling at th tops of thair voises, "Hoo-raa for Blythe, Medalist!"
For a moement Anne felt wun sikening pang of defeet and disapointment. So she had faeld and Gilbert had
wun! Wel, Matthew wuud be sorry--he had bin so shur she wuud win.
And then!
Sumbody calld out:
"Three cheers for Mis Shirley, winer of th Avery!"
"O, Anne," gaspt Jane, as thae fled to th girls' dresing room amid harty cheers. "O, Anne I'm so proud!
Isn't it splendid?"
And then th gerls wer around them and Anne was th senter of a lafing, congratulating groop. Her shoelders
wer thumpt and her hands shaeken vigorusly. She was puusht and puuld and hugd and amung it all she
manejd to whisper to Jane:
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"O, woen't Matthew and Marilla be pleezd! I must riet th nues hoem riet awae."
Comensment was th next important hapening. Th exersiezes wer held in th big asembly hall of th
Academy. Adreses wer given, esaes reed, songs sung, th public aword of diplomas, priezes and medals
maed.
Matthew and Marilla wer thair, with ies and eers for oenly wun stoodent on th platform--a tall gerl in pael
green, with faently flusht cheeks and starry ies, hoo red th best esae and was pointed out and whisperd
about as th Avery winer.
"Rekon U'r glad we kept her, Marilla?" whisperd Matthew, speeking for th ferst tiem sinss he had enterd th
hall, when Anne had finisht her esae.
"It's not th ferst tiem I'v bin glad," retorted Marilla. "U do liek to rub things in, Matthew Cuthbert."
Mis Barry, hoo was siting behiend them, leend forward and poekt Marilla in th bak with her parrasol.
"Arn't U proud of that Anne-gerl? I am," she sed.
Anne went hoem to Avonlea with Matthew and Marilla that eevning. She had not bin hoem sinss April and
she felt that she cuud not waet anuther dae. Th apl blosoms wer out and th werld was fresh and yung.
Diana was at Green Gaebls to meet her. In her oen whiet room, wherr Marilla had set a flowering hous
roez on th windo sil, Anne luukt about her and droo a long breth of hapynes.
"O, Diana, it's so guud to be bak agen. It's so guud to see thoes pointed firs cuming out agenst th pink skie- and that whiet orchard and th oeld Sno Qeen. Isn't th breth of th mint delishus? And that tee roez--whi,
it's a song and a hoep and a prair all in wun. And it's GUUD to see U agen, Diana!"
"I thaut U liek that Stella Maynard beter than me," sed Diana reproachfully. "Josie Pye toeld me U did.
Josie sed U wer INFATUATED with her."
Anne laft and pelted Diana with th faeded "June lilys" of her boekae.
"Stella Maynard is th deerest gerl in th werld exsept wun and U ar that wun, Diana," she sed. "I luv U mor
than ever--and I'v so meny things to tel U. But just now I feel as if it wer joi enuf to sit heer and luuk at U.
I'm tierd, I think--tierd of being stoodius and ambishus. I meen to spend at leest too ours tomorro lieing out
in th orchard gras, thinking of absolootly nuthing."
"U'v dun splendidly, Anne. I supoez U woen't be teeching now that U'v wun th Avery?"
"No. I'm going to Redmond in September. Duzn't it seem wunderful? I'l hav a brand nue stok of
ambishun laed in bi that tiem after three glorius, goelden munths of vaecaeshun. Jane and Ruby ar going to
teech. Isn't it splendid to think we all got thru eeven to Moody Spurgeon and Josie Pye?"
"Th Newbridge trustees hav offerd Jane thair scool allredy," sed Diana. "Gilbert Blythe is going to teech,
too. He has to. His faather can't aford to send him to colej next yeer, after all, so he meens to ern his oen
wae thru. I expect he'l get th scool heer if Mis Ames desieds to leev."
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Anne felt a qeer litl sensaeshun of dismaed serpriez. She had not noen this; she had expected that Gilbert
wuud be going to Redmond allso. Whut wuud she do without thair inspiering rievalry? Wuud not werk,
eeven at a coeducational colej with a reeal degree in prospect, be rather flat without her frend th enemy?
Th next morning at brekfast it sudenly struk Anne that Matthew was not luuking wel. Shurly he was much
graeer than he had bin a yeer befor.
"Marilla," she sed hezitaetingly when he had gon out, "is Matthew qiet wel?"
"No, he isn't," sed Marilla in a trubld toen. "He's had sum reeal bad spels with his hart this spring and he
woen't spair himself a miet. I'v bin reeal weryd about him, but he's sum beter this whiel bak and we'v got a
guud hierd man, so I'm hoeping he'l kiend of rest and pik up. Maebe he wil now U'r hoem. U allwaes cheer
him up."
Anne leend across th taebl and tuuk Marilla's faes in her hands.
"U ar not luuking as wel yurself as I'd liek to see U, Marilla. U luuk tierd. I'm afraed U'v bin werking too
hard. U must taek a rest, now that I'm hoem. I'm just going to taek this wun dae off to vizit all th deer oeld
spots and hunt up mi oeld dreems, and then it wil be yur tern to be laezy whiel I do th werk."
Marilla smield afecshunetly at her gerl.
"It's not th werk--it's mi hed. I'v got a paen so offen now--behiend mi ies. Doctor Spencer's bin fusing with
glases, but thae don't do me eny guud. Thair is a distin- guished ocuelist cuming to th Ieland th last of June
and th doctor ses I must see him. I ges I'l hav to. I can't reed or soe with eny cumfort now. Wel, Anne, U'v
dun reeal wel at Queen's I must sae. To taek Ferst Clas Liesens in wun yeer and win th Avery scolarship-wel, wel, Mrs. Lynde ses pried goes befor a fall and she duzn't beleev in th hieer ejucaeshun of wimen at
all; she ses it unfits them for woman's troo sfeer. I don't beleev a werd of it. Speeking of Rachel remiends
me--did U heer enything about th Aby Bank laetly, Anne?"
"I herd it was shaeky," anserd Anne. "Whi?"
"That is whut Rachel sed. She was up heer wun dae last week and sed thair was sum tauk about it.
Matthew felt reeal weryd. All we hav saevd is in that bank--evry peny. I wonted Matthew to puut it in th
Saevings Bank in th ferst plaes, but oeld Mr. Aby was a graet frend of father's and he'd allwaes bankt with
him. Matthew sed eny bank with him at th hed of it was guud enuf for enybody."
"I think he has oenly bin its nominal hed for meny yeers," sed Anne. "He is a verry oeld man; his nefues ar
reealy at th hed of th institueshun."
"Wel, when Rachel toeld us that, I wonted Matthew to draw our muny riet out and he sed he'd think of it.
But Mr. Russell toeld him yesterdae that th bank was all riet."
Anne had her guud dae in th companyonship of th outdor werld. She never forgot that dae; it was so briet
and goelden and fair, so free frum shado and so lavish of blosom. Anne spent sum of its rich ours in th
orchard; she went to th Dryad's Bubl and Willowmere and Vieolet Vael; she calld at th mans and had a
satisfieing tauk with Mrs. Allan; and fienaly in th eevning she went with Matthew for th cows, thru Lovers'
Laen to th bak pascher. Th wuuds wer all gloried thru with sunset and th worm splendor of it streemd doun
214
thru th hil gaps in th west. Matthew waukt sloely with bent hed; Anne, tall and erect, sooted her springing
step to his.
"U'v bin werking too hard todae, Matthew," she sed reproachfully. "Whi woen't U taek things eezyer?"
"Wel now, I can't seem to," sed Matthew, as he oepend th yard gaet to let th cows thru. "It's oenly that I'm
geting oeld, Anne, and keep forgeting it. Wel, wel, I'v allwaes werkt prity hard and I'd rather drop in
harnes."
"If I had bin th boi U sent for," sed Anne wistfuly, "I'd be aebl to help U so much now and spair U in a
hundred waes. I cuud fiend it in mi hart to wish I had bin, just for that."
"Wel now, I'd rather hav U than a duzen bois, Anne," sed Matthew pating her hand. "Just miend U that-rather than a duzen bois. Wel now, I ges it wasn't a boi that tuuk th Avery scolarship, was it? It was a gerl-mi gerl--mi gerl that I'm proud of."
He smield his shi smiel at her as he went into th yard. Anne tuuk th memory of it with her when she went to
her room that niet and sat for a long whiel at her oepen windo, thinking of th past and dreeming of th
fuecher. Outsied th Sno Qeen was mistily whiet in th moonshien; th frogs wer singing in th marsh beyond
Orchard Sloep. Anne allwaes rememberd th silvery, peesful buety and fraegrant caam of that niet. It was th
last niet befor sorro tucht her lief; and no lief is ever qiet th saem agen when wuns that coeld, sanctifying
tuch has bin laed upon it.
CHAPTER XXXVII
Th Reaper Hoos Naem Is Deth
"Matthew--Matthew--whut is th mater? Matthew, ar U sik?"
It was Marilla hoo spoek, alarm in evry jerky werd. Anne caem thru th hall, her hands fuul of whiet
narsisus,--it was long befor Anne cuud luv th siet or oedor of whiet narsisus agen,--in tiem to heer her and
to see Matthew standing in th porch dorwae, a foelded paeper in his hand, and his faes straenjly drawn and
grae. Anne dropt her flowers and sprang across th kichen to him at th saem moement as Marilla. Thae wer
boeth too laet; befor thae cuud reech him Matthew had fallen across th threshhoeld.
"He's faented," gaspt Marilla. "Anne, run for Martin-- qik, qik! He's at th barn."
Martin, th hierd man, hoo had just driven hoem frum th poest offis, started at wuns for th doctor, calling at
Orchard Sloep on his wae to send Mr. and Mrs. Barry oever. Mrs. Lynde, hoo was thair on an errand, caem
too. Thae found Anne and Marilla distractedly trieing to restor Matthew to conshusnes.
Mrs. Lynde puusht them jently asied, tried his puls, and then laed her eer oever his hart. She luukt at thair
ankshus faeses sorrowfully and th teers caem into her ies.
"O, Marilla," she sed graevly. "I don't think--we can do enything for him."
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"Mrs. Lynde, U don't think--U can't think Matthew is-- is--" Anne cuud not sae th dredful werd; she ternd
sik and palid.
"Chield, yes, I'm afraed of it. Luuk at his faes. When U'v seen that luuk as offen as I hav U'l noe whut it
meens."
Anne luukt at th stil faes and thair beheld th seel of th Graet Prezens.
When th doctor caem he sed that deth had bin instantaenius and probably paenles, cauzd in all lieklyhuud bi
sum suden shok. Th seecret of th shok was discuverd to be in th paeper Matthew had held and which
Martin had braut frum th offis that morning. It contaend an acount of th faeluer of th Aby Bank.
Th nues spred qikly thru Avonlea, and all dae frends and naebors thronged Green Gaebls and caem and
went on errands of kiendnes for th ded and living. For th ferst tiem shi, qieet Matthew Cuthbert was a
person of sentral importans; th whiet majesty of deth had fallen on him and set him apart as wun cround.
When th caam niet caem sofftly doun oever Green Gaebls th oeld hous was husht and tranqil. In th parlor
lae Matthew Cuthbert in his coffin, his long grae hair fraeming his plasid faes on which thair was a litl
kiendly smiel as if he but slept, dreeming plezant dreems. Thair wer flowers about him--sweet oeldfashund flowers which his muther had planted in th hoemsted garden in her briedal daes and for which
Matthew had allwaes had a seecret, wordless luv. Anne had gatherd them and braut them to him, her
anggwisht, tearless ies berning in her whiet faes. It was th last thing she cuud do for him.
Th Barrys and Mrs. Lynde staed with them that niet. Diana, going to th eest gaebl, wherr Anne was
standing at her windo, sed jently:
"Anne deer, wuud U liek to hav me sleep with U toniet?"
"Thank U, Diana." Anne luukt ernestly into her friend's faes. "I think U woen't misunderstand me when I
sae I wont to be aloen. I'm not afraed. I havn't bin aloen wun minit sinss it hapend-- and I wont to be. I
wont to be qiet sielent and qieet and tri to reealiez it. I can't reealiez it. Haf th tiem it seems to me that
Matthew can't be ded; and th uther haf it seems as if he must hav bin ded for a long tiem and I'v had this
horribl dul aek ever sinss."
Diana did not qiet understand. Marilla's impashund greef, braeking all th bounds of nacheral rezerv and
lieflong habit in its stormy rush, she cuud comprehend beter than Anne's tearless agony. But she went
awae kiendly, leeving Anne aloen to keep her ferst vijil with sorro.
Anne hoept that th teers wuud cum in solitued. It seemd to her a terribl thing that she cuud not shed a teer
for Matthew, hoom she had luvd so much and hoo had bin so kiend to her, Matthew hoo had waukt with
her last eevning at sunset and was now lieing in th dim room belo with that auful pees on his brow. But no
teers caem at ferst, eeven when she nelt bi her windo in th darknes and praed, luuking up to th stars beyond
th hils--no teers, oenly th saem horribl dul aek of mizery that kept on aeking until she fel asleep, worn out
with th day's paen and exsietment.
In th niet she awaekend, with th stilnes and th darknes about her, and th recolecshun of th dae caem oever
her liek a waev of sorro. She cuud see Matthew's faes smieling at her as he had smield when thae parted at
216
th gaet that last eevning--she cuud heer his vois saeing, "Mi gerl--mi gerl that I'm proud of." Then th teers
caem and Anne wept her hart out. Marilla herd her and crept in to cumfort her.
"Thair--thair--don't cri so, deery. It can't bring him bak. It--it--isn't riet to cri so. I nue that todae, but I
cuudn't help it then. He'd allwaes bin such a guud, kiend bruther to me--but God noes best."
"O, just let me cri, Marilla," sobd Anne. "Th teers don't hert me liek that aek did. Stae heer for a litl whiel
with me and keep yur arm round me--so. I cuudn't hav Diana stae, she's guud and kiend and sweet--but it's
not her sorro--she's outsied of it and she cuudn't cum cloes enuf to mi hart to help me. It's our sorro-- yurs
and mien. O, Marilla, whut wil we do without him?"
"We'v got eech uther, Anne. I don't noe whut I'd do if U wern't heer--if U'd never cum. O, Anne, I noe I'v
bin kiend of strict and harsh with U maebe-- but U mustn't think I didn't luv U as wel as Matthew did, for
all that. I wont to tel U now when I can. It's never bin eezy for me to sae things out of mi hart, but at tiems
liek this it's eezyer. I luv U as deer as if U wer mi oen flesh and blud and U'v bin mi joi and cumfort ever
sinss U caem to Green Gaebls."
Too daes afterwards thae carryd Matthew Cuthbert oever his hoemsted threshhoeld and awae frum th feelds
he had tild and th orchards he had luvd and th trees he had planted; and then Avonlea setld bak to its
uezhual plasidity and eeven at Green Gaebls afairs slipt into thair oeld groov and werk was dun and duetys
fuulfild with reguelarrity as befor, alltho allwaes with th aeking sens of "loss in all familyar things." Anne,
nue to greef, thaut it allmoest sad that it cuud be so--that thae CUUD go on in th oeld wae without
Matthew. She felt sumthing liek shaem and remors when she discuverd that th sunriezes behiend th firs
and th pael pink buds oepening in th garden gaev her th oeld inrush of gladnes when she saw them--that
Diana's vizits wer plezant to her and that Diana's merry werds and waes moovd her to lafter and smiels-that, in breef, th buetyful werld of blosom and luv and frendship had lost nun of its power to pleez her fansy
and thril her hart, that lief stil calld to her with meny insistent voises.
"It seems liek disloialty to Matthew, sumhow, to fiend plezher in thees things now that he has gon," she sed
wistfuly to Mrs. Allan wun eevning when thae wer together in th mans garden. "I mis him so much--all th
tiem-- and yet, Mrs. Allan, th werld and lief seem verry buetyful and interesting to me for all. Todae Diana
sed sumthing funy and I found mieself lafing. I thaut when it hapend I cuud never laf agen. And it
sumhow seems as if I oughtn't to."
"When Matthew was heer he liekt to heer U laf and he liekt to noe that U found plezher in th plezant things
around U," sed Mrs. Allan jently. "He is just awae now; and he lieks to noe it just th saem. I am shur we
shuud not shut our harts agenst th heeling inflooenses that naecher offers us. But I can understand yur
feeling. I think we all expeeryens th saem thing. We rezent th thaut that enything can pleez us when
sumwun we luv is no longger heer to shair th plezher with us, and we allmoest feel as if we wer unfaethful
to our sorro when we fiend our interest in lief reterning to us."
"I was doun to th graev-yard to plant a roezbush on Matthew's graev this afternoon," sed Anne dreemily. "I
tuuk a slip of th litl whiet Scotch roezbush his muther braut out frum Scotland long ago; Matthew allwaes
liekt thoes roezes th best--thae wer so small and sweet on thair thorny stems. It maed me feel glad that I
cuud plant it bi his graev--as if I wer doing sumthing that must pleez him in taeking it thair to be neer him.
I hoep he has roezes liek them in heven. Perhaps th soels of all thoes litl whiet roezes that he has luvd so
meny sumers wer all thair to meet him. I must go hoem now. Marilla is all aloen and she gets loenly at
twieliet."
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"She wil be loenlyer stil, I feer, when U go awae agen to colej," sed Mrs. Allan.
Anne did not repli; she sed guud niet and went sloely bak to green Gaebls. Marilla was siting on th frunt
dor-steps and Anne sat doun besied her. Th dor was oepen behiend them, held bak bi a big pink conk shel
with hints of see sunsets in its smooth iner convolutions.
Anne gatherd sum spraes of pael-yelo hunysukl and puut them in her hair. She liekt th delishus hint of
fraegrans, as sum airial benedicshun, abuv her evry tiem she moovd.
"Doctor Spencer was heer whiel U wer awae," Marilla sed. "He ses that th speshalist wil be in toun tomorro
and he insists that I must go in and hav mi ies examind. I supoez I'd beter go and hav it oever. I'l be mor
than thankful if th man can giv me th riet kiend of glases to soot mi ies. U woen't miend staeing heer aloen
whiel I'm awae, wil U? Martin wil hav to driev me in and thair's ieerning and baeking to do."
"I shal be all riet. Diana wil cum oever for cumpany for me. I shal atend to th ieerning and baeking
buetyfuly-- U needn't feer that I'l starch th hankerchifs or flaevor th caek with liniment."
Marilla laft.
"Whut a gerl U wer for maeking mistaeks in them daes, Anne. U wer allwaes geting into scraeps. I did ues
to think U wer pozest. Do U miend th tiem U died yur hair?"
"Yes, indeed. I shal never forget it," smield Anne, tuching th hevy braed of hair that was woond about her
shaeply hed. "I laf a litl now sumtiems when I think whut a wery mi hair uezd to be to me--but I don't laf
MUCH, becauz it was a verry reeal trubl then. I did sufer terribly oever mi hair and mi frekls. Mi frekls ar
reealy gon; and peepl ar nies enuf to tel me mi hair is auburn now--all but Josie Pye. She informd me
yesterdae that she reealy thaut it was reder than ever, or at leest mi blak dres maed it luuk reder, and she
askt me if peepl hoo had red hair ever got uezd to having it. Marilla, I'v allmoest desieded to giv up trieing
to liek Josie Pye. I'v maed whut I wuud wuns hav calld a heroeic efort to liek her, but Josie Pye woen't BE
liekt."
"Josie is a Pye," sed Marilla sharply, "so she can't help being disagreeabl. I supoez peepl of that kiend serv
sum uesful perpos in sosieety, but I must sae I don't noe whut it is eny mor than I noe th ues of thistles. Is
Josie going to teech?"
"No, she is going bak to Queen's next yeer. So ar Moody Spurgeon and Charlie Sloane. Jane and Ruby ar
going to teech and thae hav boeth got scools--Jane at Newbridge and Ruby at sum plaes up west."
"Gilbert Blythe is going to teech too, isn't he?"
"Yes"--breefly.
"Whut a nies-luuking felo he is," sed Marilla absently. "I saw him in cherch last Sunday and he seemd so
tall and manly. He luuks a lot liek his faather did at th saem aej. John Blythe was a nies boi. We uezd to be
reeal guud frends, he and I. Peepl calld him mi bo."
Anne luukt up with swift interest.
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"O, Marilla--and whut hapend?--whi didn't U--"
"We had a qorrel. I wuudn't forgiv him when he askt me to. I ment to, after awhiel--but I was sulky and
anggry and I wonted to punish him ferst. He never caem bak--th Blythes wer all miety independent. But I
allwaes felt--rather sorry. I'v allwaes kiend of wisht I'd forgiven him when I had th chans."
"So U'v had a bit of roemans in yur lief, too," sed Anne sofftly.
"Yes, I supoez U miet call it that. U wuudn't think so to luuk at me, wuud U? But U never can tel about
peepl frum thair outsides. Evrybody has forgot about me and John. I'd forgoten mieself. But it all caem
bak to me when I saw Gilbert last Sunday."
CHAPTER XXXVIII
Th Bend in th Roed
Marilla went to toun th next dae and reternd in th eevning. Anne had gon oever to Orchard Sloep with
Diana and caem bak to fiend Marilla in th kichen, siting bi th taebl with her hed leening on her hand.
Sumthing in her dejected atitued struk a chil to Anne's hart. She had never seen Marilla sit limply inert liek
that.
"Ar U verry tierd, Marilla?"
"Yes--no--I don't noe," sed Marilla weerily, luuking up. "I supoez I am tierd but I havn't thaut about it. It's
not that."
"Did U see th ocuelist? Whut did he sae?" askt Anne ankshusly.
"Yes, I saw him. He examind mi ies. He ses that if I giv up all reeding and soeing entierly and eny kiend
of werk that straens th ies, and if I'm cairful not to cri, and if I wair th glases he's given me he thinks mi ies
mae not get eny wers and mi hedaeks wil be cuerd. But if I don't he ses I'l sertenly be stoen-bliend in six
munths. Bliend! Anne, just think of it!"
For a minit Anne, after her ferst qik exclamaeshun of dismae, was sielent. It seemd to her that she cuud
NOT speek. Then she sed braevly, but with a cach in her vois:
"Marilla, DON'T think of it. U noe he has given U hoep. If U ar cairful U woen't looz yur siet alltogether;
and if his glases cuer yur hedaeks it wil be a graet thing."
"I don't call it much hoep," sed Marilla biterly. "Whut am I to liv for if I can't reed or soe or do enything
liek that? I miet as wel be bliend--or ded. And as for crieing, I can't help that when I get loensum. But
thair, it's no guud tauking about it. If U'l get me a cup of tee I'l be thankful. I'm about dun out. Don't sae
enything about this to eny wun for a spel yet, enywae. I can't bair that foeks shuud cum heer to qeschun
and simpathiez and tauk about it."
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When Marilla had eeten her lunch Anne perswaeded her to go to bed. Then Anne went herself to th eest
gaebl and sat doun bi her windo in th darknes aloen with her teers and her hevynes of hart. How sadly
things had chaenjd sinss she had sat thair th niet after cuming hoem! Then she had bin fuul of hoep and joi
and th fuecher had luukt roezy with promis. Anne felt as if she had livd yeers sinss then, but befor she
went to bed thair was a smiel on her lips and pees in her hart. She had luukt her duety curaejusly in th faes
and found it a frend--as duety ever is when we meet it frankly.
Wun afternoon a fue daes laeter Marilla caem sloely in frum th frunt yard wherr she had bin tauking to a
caller-- a man hoom Anne nue bi siet as Sadler frum Carmody. Anne wunderd whut he cuud hav bin saeing
to bring that luuk to Marilla's faes.
"Whut did Mr. Sadler wont, Marilla?"
Marilla sat doun bi th windo and luukt at Anne. Thair wer teers in her ies in defieans of th oculist's
proehibishun and her vois broek as she sed:
"He herd that I was going to sel Green Gaebls and he wonts to bi it."
"Bi it! Bi Green Gaebls?" Anne wunderd if she had herd aright. "O, Marilla, U don't meen to sel Green
Gaebls!"
"Anne, I don't noe whut els is to be dun. I'v thaut it all oever. If mi ies wer strong I cuud stae heer and
maek out to luuk after things and manej, with a guud hierd man. But as it is I can't. I mae looz mi siet
alltogether; and enywae I'l not be fit to run things. O, I never thaut I'd liv to see th dae when I'd hav to sel
mi hoem. But things wuud oenly go behiend wers and wers all th tiem, til noebody wuud wont to bi it.
Evry sent of our muny went in that bank; and thair's sum noets Matthew gaev last fall to pae. Mrs. Lynde
adviezes me to sel th farm and bord sumwherr--with her I supoez. It woen't bring much--it's small and th
bildings ar oeld. But it'l be enuf for me to liv on I rekon. I'm thankful U'r provieded for with that
scolarship, Anne. I'm sorry U woen't hav a hoem to cum to in yur vaecaeshuns, that's all, but I supoez U'l
manej sumhow."
Marilla broek doun and wept biterly.
"U mustn't sel Green Gaebls," sed Anne rezolootly.
"O, Anne, I wish I didn't hav to. But U can see for yurself. I can't stae heer aloen. I'd go craezy with trubl
and loenlynes. And mi siet wuud go--I noe it wuud."
"U woen't hav to stae heer aloen, Marilla. I'l be with U. I'm not going to Redmond."
"Not going to Redmond!" Marilla lifted her worn faes frum her hands and luukt at Anne. "Whi, whut do U
meen?"
"Just whut I sae. I'm not going to taek th scolarship. I desieded so th niet after U caem hoem frum toun. U
shurly don't think I cuud leev U aloen in yur trubl, Marilla, after all U'v dun for me. I'v bin thinking and
planing. Let me tel U mi plans. Mr. Barry wonts to rent th farm for next yeer. So U woen't hav eny bother
oever that. And I'm going to teech. I'v aplied for th scool heer--but I don't expect to get it for I understand
th trustees hav promist it to Gilbert Blythe. But I can hav th Carmody scool--Mr. Blair toeld me so last niet
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at th stor. Of cors that woen't be qiet as nies or conveenyunt as if I had th Avonlea scool. But I can bord
hoem and driev mieself oever to Carmody and bak, in th worm wether at leest. And eeven in winter I can
cum hoem Fridays. We'l keep a hors for that. O, I hav it all pland out, Marilla. And I'l reed to U and keep
U cheerd up. U sha'n't be dul or loensum. And we'l be reeal coezy and hapy heer together, U and I."
Marilla had lisend liek a wuuman in a dreem.
"O, Anne, I cuud get on reeal wel if U wer heer, I noe. But I can't let U sacrifies yurself so for me. It wuud
be terribl."
"Nonsens!" Anne laft merrily. "Thair is no sacrifies. Nuthing cuud be wers than giving up Green Gaebls-nuthing cuud hert me mor. We must keep th deer oeld plaes. Mi miend is qiet maed up, Marilla. I'm NOT
going to Redmond; and I AM going to stae heer and teech. Don't U wery about me a bit."
"But yur ambishuns--and--"
"I'm just as ambishus as ever. Oenly, I'v chaenjd th object of mi ambishuns. I'm going to be a guud
teecher-- and I'm going to saev yur iesiet. Besieds, I meen to study at hoem heer and taek a litl colej cors
all bi mieself. O, I'v duzens of plans, Marilla. I'v bin thinking them out for a week. I shal giv lief heer mi
best, and I beleev it wil giv its best to me in retern. When I left Queen's mi fuecher seemd to strech out
befor me liek a straet roed. I thaut I cuud see along it for meny a mielstoen. Now thair is a bend in it. I
don't noe whut lies around th bend, but I'm going to beleev that th best duz. It has a fasinaeshun of its oen,
that bend, Marilla. I wunder how th roed beyond it goes--whut thair is of green glory and sofft, chekerd liet
and shadoes--whut nue landscaeps--whut nue buetys--whut curvs and hils and valys ferther on."
"I don't feel as if I aut to let U giv it up," sed Marilla, refering to th scolarship.
"But U can't prevent me. I'm sixteen and a haf, `obstinet as a muel,' as Mrs. Lynde wuns toeld me," laft
Anne. "O, Marilla, don't U go pitying me. I don't liek to be pityd, and thair is no need for it. I'm hart glad
oever th verry thaut of staeing at deer Green Gaebls. Noebody cuud luv it as U and I do--so we must keep
it."
"U blesed gerl!" sed Marilla, yeelding. "I feel as if U'd given me nue lief. I ges I aut to stik out and maek
U go to colej--but I noe I can't, so I ain't going to tri. I'l maek it up to U tho, Anne."
When it becaem noised abraud in Avonlea that Anne Shirley had given up th iedeea of going to colej and
intended to stae hoem and teech thair was a guud deel of discushun oever it. Moest of th guud foeks, not
noeing about Marilla's ies, thaut she was foolish. Mrs. Allan did not. She toeld Anne so in aprooving
werds that braut teers of plezher to th girl's ies. Neether did guud Mrs. Lynde. She caem up wun eevning
and found Anne and Marilla siting at th frunt dor in th worm, sented sumer dusk. Thae liekt to sit thair
when th twieliet caem doun and th whiet mauths floo about in th garden and th oedor of mint fild th duey
air.
Mrs. Rachel depozited her substanshal person upon th stoen bench bi th dor, behiend which groo a ro of tall
pink and yelo holyhoks, with a long breth of minggld weerynes and releef.
"I declair I'm geting glad to sit doun. I'v bin on mi feet all dae, and too hundred pounds is a guud bit for too
feet to carry round. It's a graet blesing not to be fat, Marilla. I hoep U apreeshiaet it. Wel, Anne, I heer U'v
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given up yur noeshun of going to colej. I was reeal glad to heer it. U'v got as much ejucaeshun now as a
wuuman can be cumfortabl with. I don't beleev in gerls going to colej with th men and craming thair heds
fuul of Latin and Greek and all that nonsens."
"But I'm going to study Latin and Greek just th saem, Mrs. Lynde," sed Anne lafing. "I'm going to taek mi
Arts cors riet heer at Green Gaebls, and study evrything that I wuud at colej."
Mrs. Lynde lifted her hands in hoely horror.
"Anne Shirley, U'l kil yurself."
"Not a bit of it. I shal thriev on it. O, I'm not going to oeverdo things. As `Josiah Allen's wief,' ses, I shal
be `mejum'. But I'l hav lots of spair tiem in th long winter eevnings, and I'v no voecaeshun for fansy werk.
I'm going to teech oever at Carmody, U noe."
"I don't noe it. I ges U'r going to teech riet heer in Avonlea. Th trustees hav desieded to giv U th
scool."
"Mrs. Lynde!" cried Anne, springing to her feet in her serpriez. "Whi, I thaut thae had promist it to
Gilbert Blythe!"
"So thae did. But as soon as Gilbert herd that U had aplied for it he went to them--thae had a
biznes meeting at th scool last niet, U noe--and toeld them that he withdroo his aplicaeshun, and
sugjested that thae acsept yurs. He sed he was going to teech at Whiet Sands. Of cors he nue how
much U wonted to stae with Marilla, and I must sae I think it was reeal kiend and thautful in him,
that's whut. Reeal self-sacrificing, too, for he'l hav his bord to pae at Whiet Sands, and evrybody
noes he's got to ern his oen wae thru colej. So th trustees desieded to taek U. I was tikld to deth
when Thomas caem hoem and toeld me."
"I don't feel that I aut to taek it," mermerd Anne. "I meen--I don't think I aut to let Gilbert maek
such a sacrifies for--for me."
"I ges U can't prevent him now. He's siend paepers with th Whiet Sands trustees. So it wuudn't do
him eny guud now if U wer to refuez. Of cors U'l taek th scool. U'l get along all riet, now that
thair ar no Pyes going. Josie was th last of them, and a guud thing she was, that's whut. Thair's bin
sum Pye or uther going to Avonlea scool for th last twenty yeers, and I ges thair mishun in lief was
to keep scool teechers remiended that erth isn't thair hoem. Bles mi hart! Whut duz all that
winking and blinking at th Barry gaebl meen?"
"Diana is signaling for me to go oever," laft Anne. "U noe we keep up th oeld custom. excuez me
whiel I run oever and see whut she wonts."
Anne ran doun th cloever sloep liek a deer, and disapeerd in th firry shadoes of th Haunted Wuud.
Mrs. Lynde luukt after her indulgently.
"Thair's a guud deel of th chield about her yet in sum waes."
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"Thair's a guud deel mor of th wuuman about her in uthers," retorted Marilla, with a moementairy
retern of her oeld crispnes.
But crispnes was no longger Marilla's distinggwishing carracteristic. As Mrs. Lynde toeld her
Thomas that niet.
"Marilla Cuthbert has got MELO. That's whut."
Anne went to th litl Avonlea graev-yard th next eevning to puut fresh flowers on Matthew's graev
and wauter th Scotch roezbush. She linggerd thair until dusk, lieking th pees and caam of th litl
plaes, with its poplars hoos rusl was liek lo, frendly speech, and its whispering grases groeing at
wil amung th graevs. When she fienaly left it and waukt doun th long hil that sloped to th Laek of
Shiening Wauters it was past sunset and all Avonlea lae befor her in a dreemliek afterlight-- "a
haunt of aenshent pees." Thair was a freshnes in th air as of a wind that had bloen oever hunysweet feelds of cloever. Hoem liets twinkled out heer and thair amung th hoemsted trees. Beyond
lae th see, misty and perpl, with its haunting, unseesing mermer. Th west was a glory of sofft
minggld hues, and th pond reflected them all in stil soffter shaedings. Th buety of it all thrild
Anne's hart, and she graetfuly oepend th gaets of her soel to it.
"Deer oeld werld," she mermerd, "U ar verry luvly, and I am glad to be aliev in U."
Hafwae doun th hil a tall lad caem whisling out of a gaet befor th Blythe hoemsted. It was Gilbert,
and th whisl died on his lips as he recogniezd Anne. He lifted his cap curtiusly, but he wuud hav
past on in sielens, if Anne had not stopt and held out her hand.
"Gilbert," she sed, with scarlet cheeks, "I wont to thank U for giving up th scool for me. It was
verry guud of U--and I wont U to noe that I apreeshiaet it."
Gilbert tuuk th offerd hand eegerly.
"It wasn't particuelarly guud of me at all, Anne. I was pleezd to be aebl to do U sum small servis.
Ar we going to be frends after this? Hav U reealy forgiven me mi oeld fallt?"
Anne laft and tried unsucsesfuly to withdraw her hand.
"I forgaev U that dae bi th pond landing, alltho I didn't noe it. Whut a stuborn litl goos I was. I'v
bin--I mae as wel maek a compleet confeshun--I'v bin sorry ever sinss."
"We ar going to be th best of frends," sed Gilbert, joobilantly. "We wer born to be guud frends,
Anne. U'v thworted destiny enuf. I noe we can help eech uther in meny waes. U ar going to keep
up yur studys, arn't U? So am I. Cum, I'm going to wauk hoem with U."
Marilla luukt cueriusly at Anne when th later enterd th kichen.
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"Hoo was that caem up th laen with U, Anne?"
"Gilbert Blythe," anserd Anne, vext to fiend herself blushing. "I met him on Barry's hil."
"I didn't think U and Gilbert Blythe wer such guud frends that U'd stand for haf an our at th gaet
tauking to him," sed Marilla with a dri smiel.
"We havn't bin--we'v bin guud enemys. But we hav desieded that it wil be much mor sensibl to be
guud frends in th fuecher. Wer we reealy thair haf an our? It seemd just a fue minits. But, U see,
we hav fiev years' lost conversaeshuns to cach up with, Marilla."
Anne sat long at her windo that niet companioned bi a glad content. Th wind purred sofftly in th
cherry bows, and th mint breths caem up to her. Th stars twinkled oever th pointed firs in th holo
and Diana's liet gleemd thru th oeld gap.
Anne's horiezons had cloezd in sinss th niet she had sat thair after cuming hoem frum Queen's; but
if th path set befor her feet was to be narro she nue that flowers of qieet hapynes wuud bloom
along it. Th joi of sinseer werk and werthy aspiraeshun and conjeenial frendship wer to be hers;
nuthing cuud rob her of her berthriet of fansy or her iedeel werld of dreems. And thair was
allwaes th bend in th roed!
"`God's in his heven, all's riet with th werld,'" whisperd Anne sofftly.
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Trezher Ieland
Robert Louis Stevenson
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PART WUN
Th Oeld Bucaneer
Chapter I
Th Oeld See-Daug at th 'Admiral Benbow'
SQIER TRELAWNEY, Dr Livesey, and th rest of thees jentlmen having askt me to riet doun th hoel
particuelars about Trezher ieland, frum th begining to th end, keeping nuthing bak but th bairings of th
ieland, and that oenly becauz thair is stil trezher not yet lifted, I taek up mi pen in th yeer of graes 17--, and
go bak to th tiem when mi faather kept th 'Admiral Benbow' in, and th broun oeld seeman, with th saeber
cut, ferst tuuk up his lojing under our roof.
I remember him as if it wer yesterdae, as he caem ploding to th in dor, his see-chest foloeing behiend him
in a handbarro; a tall, strong, hevy, nut-broun man; his tarry pigtael falling oever th shoelders of his soild
bloo coet; his hands raejd and scard, with blak, broeken naels; and th saeber cut across wun cheek, a derty,
livid whiet. I remember him luuking round th coev and whisling to himself as he did so, and then braeking
out in that oeld see-song that he sang so offen afterwards:-'Fifteen men on th ded man's chest-Yo-ho-ho, and a botl of rum!'
in th hi, oeld totering vois that seemd to hav bin tuend and broeken at th capstan bars. Then he rapt on th
dor with a bit of stik liek a handspiek that he carryd, and when mi faather apeerd, calld rufly for a glas of
rum. This, when it was braut to him, he drank sloely, liek a conoser, linggering on th taest, and stil luuking
about him at th clifs and up at our sienbord.
'This is a handy coev,' ses he, at length; 'and a plezant sittyated grog-shop. Much cumpany, maet?'
Mi faather toeld him no, verry litl cumpany, th mor was th pity.'
'Wel, then,' sed he, 'this is th berth for me. Heer U matey,' he cried to th man hoo trundled th barro; 'bring
up alongsied and help up mi chest. I'l stae heer a bit,' he continued. 'I'm a plaen man; rum and baecon and
egs is whut I wont, and that hed up thair for to woch ships off. Whut U mought call me? U mought call me
capten. O, I see whut U'r at--thair;' and he throo doun three or foer goeld peeses on th threshhoeld. 'U can
tel me when I'v werkt thru that,' ses he, luuking as feers as a comander.
And, indeed, bad as his cloeths wer, and corsly as he spoek, he had nun of th apeerans of a man hoo saeld
befor th mast; but seemd liek a maet or skiper acustomd to be oebaed or to striek. Th man hoo caem with th
barro toeld us th mael had set him doun this morning befor at th 'royal George;' that he had inqierd whut
ins thair wer along th coest, and heering ours wel spoeken of, I supoez, and descriebd as loenly, had
choezen it frum th uthers for his plaes of rezidens. And that was all we cuud lern of our gest.
He was a verry sielent man bi custom. All dae he hung round th coev, or upon th clifs, with a bras
telescoep; all eevning he sat in a corner of th parlour next th fier, and drank run and wauter verry strong.
Moestly he wuud not speek when spoeken to; oenly luuk up suden and feers, and blo thru his noez liek a
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fog-horn; and we and th peepl hoo caem about our hous soon lernd to let him be. Evry dae, when he caem
bak frum his stroel, he wuud ask if eny seefairing men had gon bi along th roed. At ferst we thaut it was th
wont of cumpany of his oen kiend that maed him ask this qeschun; but at last we began to see he was
dezierus to avoid them. When a seeman puut up at th 'Admiral Benbow' (as now and then sum did, maeking
bi th coest roed for Bristol) he wuud luuk in at him thru th curtend dor befor he enterd th parlour; and he
was allwaes shur to be as sielent as a mous when eny such was prezent. For me, at leest, thair was no
seecret about th mater; for I was, in a wae, a shairer in his alarms. He had taeken me asied wun dae, and
promist me a silver fourpenny on th ferst of evry munth if I wuud oenly keep mi 'wether-ie oepen for a
seefairing man with wun leg,' and let him noe th moement he apeerd. Offen enuf, when th ferst of th munth
caem round, and I aplied to him for mi waej, he wuud oenly blo thru his noez at me, and stair me doun; but
befor th week was out he was shur to think beter of it, bring me mi fourpenny pees, and repeet his orders to
luuk out for 'th seefairing man with wun leg.'
How that personej haunted mi dreems, I need scairsly tel U. On stormy niets, when th wind shuuk th foer
corners of th hous, and th serf rord along th coev and up th clifs, I wuud see him in a thouzand forms, and
with a thouzand dieabolical expreshuns. Now th leg wuud be cut off at th nae, now at th hip; now he was a
monstrus kiend of a creecher hoo had never had but th wun leg, and that in th midl of his body. To see him
leep and run and persoo me oever hej and dich was th werst of nietmairs. And alltogether I paed prity deer
for mi munthly fourpenny pees, in th shaep of thees abominabl fansys.
But tho I was so terrified bi th iedeea of th seefairing man with wun leg, I was far les afraed of th capten
himself than enybody els hoo nue him. Thair wer niets when he tuuk a deel mor rum and wauter than his
hed wuud carry; and then he wuud sumtiems sit and sing his wiked, oeld, wield see-songs, miending
noebody; but sumtiems he wuud call for glases round, and fors all th trembling cumpany to lisen to his
storys or bair a corus to his singing. Offen I hav herd th hous shaeking with 'yo-ho-ho, and a botl of rum;'
all th naebors joining in for deer lief, with th feer of deth upon them, and eech singing louder than th uther,
to avoid remark. For in thees fits he was th moest oever-rieding companyon ever noen; he wuud slap his
hand on th taebl for sielens all round; he wuud fli up in a pashun of angger at a qeschun, or sumtiems
becauz nun was puut, and so he jujd th cumpany was not foloeing his story. Nor wuud he alow enywun to
leev th in til he had drunk himself sleepy and reeld off to bed.
His storys wer whut frietend peepl werst of all. Dredful storys thae wer; about hanging, and wauking th
plank, and storms at see, and th Dri Tortugas, and wield deeds and plaeses on th Spanish Maen. Bi his oen
acount he must hav livd his lief amung sum of th wickedest men that God ever alowd upon th see; and th
langgwej in which he toeld thees storys shokt our plaen cuntry peepl allmoest as much as th criems that he
descriebd. Mi faather was allwaes saeing th in wuud be rooind, for peepl wuud soon sees cuming thair to be
tyrannised oever and puut doun, and sent shivering to thair beds; but I reealy beleev his prezens did us
guud. Peepl wer frietend at th tiem, but on luuking bak thae rather liekt it; it was a fien exsietment in a qieet
cuntry lief; and thair was eeven a party of th yungger me hoo pretended to admier him, calling him a 'true
see-daug,' and a 'reel oeld sallt,' and suchlike naems, and saeing thair was th sort of man that maed England
terribl at see.
In wun wae, indeed, he baed fair to rooin us; for he kept on staeing week after week, and at last munth after
munth so that all th muny had bin long exausted, and stil mi faather never plukt up th hart to insist on
having mor If ever he menshund it, th capten bloo thru his nos so loudly, that U miet sae he rord, and staird
mi pur faather out of th room. I hav seen him wringing his hand after such a rebuf, and I am shur th anoians
and th terror he livd in must hav graetly haesend his erly and unhapy deth.
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All th tiem he livd with us th capten maed no chaenj whutever in his dres but to bi sum stokings frum
hauker. Wun of th cocks of his hat having fallen doun, he let it hang frum that dae forth, tho it was a graet
anoians when it bloo. I remember th apeerans of his coet, which he pacht himself upstairs in his room, and
which, befor th end, was nuthing but paches. He never roet or reseevd a leter, and he never spoek with eny
but th naebors, and with thees, for th moest part, oenly when drunk on rum. Th graet see-chest nun of us
had ever seen oepen.
He was oenly wuns crosst, and that was tords th end, when mi pur faather was far gon in a declien that tuuk
him off. Dr Livesey caem laet wun afternoon to see th paeshent, tuuk a bit of diener frum mi muther, and
went into th parlour to smoek a piep until his hors shuud cum doun frum th hamlet, for we had no stabling
at th oeld 'Benbow.' I foloed him in, and I remember obzerving th contrast th neet, briet doctor, with his
pouder as whiet as sno, and his briet, blak ies and plezant maners, maed with th coeltish cuntry foek, and
abuv all, with that filthy, hevy, bleared scaircro of a pieret of ours, siting, far gon in rum, with his arms on
th taebl. Sudenly he--th capten, that is--began to piep up his eternal song:-'Fifteen men on th ded man's chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a botl of rum!
Drink and th devil had dun for th rest
Yo-ho-ho, and a botl of rum!'
At ferst I had supoezd 'Th ded man's chest' to be that iedentical big box of his upstairs in th frunt room, and
th thaut had bin minggld in mi nietmairs with that of th wun-legd seefairing man. But bi this tiem we had
all long seest to pae eny particuelar noetis to th song; it was nue, that niet, to noebody but Dr Livesey, and
on him I obzervd it did not produes an agreeabl efect, for he luukt up for a moement qiet anggrily befor he
went on with his tauk to oeld Taylor, th gardner, on a nue cuer for th roomatics. In th meentiem, th capten
grajualy brietend up at his oen muezic, and at last flapt his hand upon th taebl befor him in a wae we all nue
to meen--sielens. Th voises stopt at wuns, all but Dr Livesey's; he went on as befor, speeking cleer and
kiend, and drawing briskly at his piep between evry werd or too. Th capten glaird at him for a whiel, flapt
his hand agen, glaird stil harder, and at last broek out with a vilanus, lo oeth: 'Sielenss, thair, between deks!'
'Were U adresing me, ser?' ses th doctor; and when th rufian had toeld him, with anuther oeth, that this was
so 'I hav oenly wun thing to sae to U, ser,' replies th doctor that if U keep on drinking rum, th werld wil
soon be qit of a verry derty scoundrel!'
Th oeld fellow's fuery was auful. He sprang to his feet, droo and oepend a sailor's clasp-nief, and, balansing
it oepen on th paam of his hand, thretend to pin th doctor to th wall.
Th doctor never so much as moovd. He spoek to him, as befor, oever his shoelder, and in th saem toen of
vois; rather hi, so that all th room miet heer, but perfectly caam ant stedy:-'If U do not puut that nief this instant in yur poket I promis, upon mi onor, U shal hang at th next assizes.'
Then foloed a batl of luuks between them; but this capten soon nukld under, puut up his wepon, and
rezoomd his seet, grumbling liek a beeten daug.
'And now, ser,' continued th doctor, 'sinss I now noe thair's such a felo in mi district, U mae count I'l hav an
ie upon U dae and niet. I'm not a doctor oenly; I'm a majistraet; and if I cach a breth of complaent agenst U
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if its oenly for a pees of insivility liek to-night's, I'l taek efekchual meens to hav U hunted doun and rooted
out of this. Let that sufies.'
Soon after Dr Livesey's hors caem to th dor, and he roed awae; but th capten held his pees that eevning, and
for meny eevnings to cum.
Chapter II
Blak Daug Apeers and Disapeers
IT was not verry long after this that thair ocurd th ferst of th misteerius events that rid us at last of th
capten, tho not, as U wil see, of his afairs. It was a bieter coeld winter, with long, hard frosts and hevy
gaels; and it was plaen frum th ferst that mi pur faather was litl liekly to see th spring. He sank daely, and
mi muther and I had all th in upon our hands; and wer kept bizy enuf, without paeing much regard to our
unplezant gest.
It was wun January morning, verry erly--a pinching, frosty morning--th coev all grae with bor-frost, th ripl
laping sofftly on th stoens, th sun stil lo and oenly tuching th hiltops and shiening far to seeward. Th capten
had rizen erlyer than uezhual, and set out doun th beech, his cutlas swinging under th braud skerts of th
oeld bloo coet, his bras telescoep under his arm, his hat tilted bak upon his hed. I remember his breth
hanging liek smoek in his waek as he stroed off, and th last sound I herd of him, as he ternd th big rok, was
a loud snort of indignaeshun, as tho his miend was stil runing upon Dr Livesey.
Wel, muther was upstairs with faather; and I was laeing th brekfast taebl agenst th captain's retern, when th
parlour dor oepend, and a man stept in on hoom I had never set mi ies befor. He was a pael, tallowy
creecher, wonting too finggers of th left hand; and, tho he wor a cutlas, he did not luuk much liek a fieter. I
had allwaes mi ie oepen for seefairing men, with wun leg or too, and I remember this wun puzld me. He
was not saelorly, and yet he had a smak of th see about him too.
I askt him whut was for his servis, and he sed he wuud taek rum; but as I was going out of th room to fech
it he sat doun upon a taebl, and moeshund me to draw neer. I pauzd wherr I was with mi napkin in mi hand.
'Cum heer, suny,' ses he. 'Cum neerer heer.'
I tuuk a step neerer.
'Is this heer taebl for mi maet, Bil?' he askt, with a kit of leer.
I toeld him I did not noe his maet Bil; and this was for a person hoo staed in our hous, hoom we calld th
capten.
'Wel,' sed he, 'my maet Bil wuud be calld th capten as liek as not. He has a cut on wun cheek, and a miety
plezant wae with him, particuelarly in drink, has mi maet, Bil. We'l puut it, for arguement liek, that yur
capten has a cut on wun cheek--and we'l puut it, if U liek, that th cheek's th riet wun. Aa, wel! I toeld U.
Now, is mi maet Bil in this heer hous?'
I toeld him he was out wauking.
'Wich wae, suny? Which wae is he gon?'
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And when I had pointed out th rok and toeld him how th capten was liekly to retern, and how soon, and
anser a fue uther qeschuns, 'Ah,' sed he, 'this'l be as guud as drink to mi maet Bil.'
Th expreshun of his faes as he sed thees werds was not at all plezant, and I had mi oen reezons for thinking
th th straenjer was mistaeken, eeven supoezing he ment hoo he sed. But it was no afair of meen, I thaut;
and, besieds, it was dificult to noe whut to do. Th straenjer kept hanging about just insied th in dor, peering
round th corner liek a cat waeting for a mous. Wuns I stept out mieself into th roed, but he imeedyetly calld
me bak, and, as I did no oebae qik enuf for his fansy, a moest horribl chaenj caem oever his tallowy faes,
and he orderd me in, with an oeth that maed me jump. As soon as I was bak agen he reternd to his former
maner, haf fauning, haf sneering, pated me on th shoelder, toeld me I was a guud boi, and he had taeken
qiet a fansy to me. 'I hav a sun of mi oen,' sed he, 'as liek U as too bloks, and he's all th pried of mi 'art. But
th graet thing for bois is disiplin, suny--disiplin. Now if U had saeld along of Bil, U wuudn't hav stuud thair
to be spoek to twies--not U. That was never Bill's wae nor th wae of such as saeld with him. And heer, shur
enuf is mi maet Bil, with a spi-glas under his arm, bles his oeld 'art to be shur. U and me'll just go bak into
th parlour, suny, and get behiend th dor, and we'l giv Bil a litl serpriez--bles his 'art, I sae agen.'
So saeing, th straenjer bakt along with me into th parlour, and puut me behiend him in th corner, so that we
wer boeth hiden bi th oepen dor. I was verry uneezy and alarmd, as U mae fansy, and it rather aded to mi
feers to obzerv that th straenjer was sertenly frietend himself. He cleerd th hilt of his cutlas and loosend th
blaed in th sheeth; and all th tiem we wer waeting thair he kept swoloeing as if he felt whut we uezd to call
a lump in th throet.
At last in stroed th capten, slamd th dor behiend him, without luuking to th riet or left, and marcht straet
across th room to wherr his brekfast awaeted him.
'Bill,' sed th straenjer, in a vois that I thaut he had tried to maek boeld and big.
Th capten spun round on his heel and frunted us; all th broun had gon out of his faes, and eeven his noez
was bloo; he had th luuk of a man hoo sees a goest, or th eevil wun, or sumthing wers, if enything can be;
and, upon mi werd, I felt sorry to see him, all in a moement, tern so oeld and sik.
'Come, Bil, U noe me; U noe an oeld shipmaet, Bil, shurly,' sed th straenjer.
Th capten maed a sort of gasp.
'Black Daug.' sed he.
'And hoo els?' reternd th uther, geting mor at his eez. 'Blak Daug as ever was, cum for to see his oeld
shipmaet Billy, at th 'Admiral Benbow'' in. Aa, Bil, Bil, we hav seen a siet of tiems, us too, sinss I lost them
too talons,' hoelding up his muetilaeted hand.
'Now, luuk heer,' sed th capten; 'U'v run me doun; heer I am; wel, then, speek up: whut is it?'
'That's U, Bil,' reternd Blak Daug, 'U'r in th riet of it, Billy. I'l hav a glas of rum frum this deer chield heer,
as I'v tuuk such a lieking to; and we'l sit doun, if U pleez, and tauk sqair, liek oeld shipmaets.'
When I reternd with th rum, thae wer allredy seeted on eether sied of th captain's brekfast taebl--Blak Daug
next to th dor, and siting siedwaes, so as to hav wun ie on his oeld shipmaet, and wun, as I thaut, on his
retreet.
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He baed me go, and leev th dor wied oepen. 'Nun of yur keehoels for me, suny,' he sed; and I left them
together and retierd into th bar.
For a long tiem, tho I sertenly did mi best to lisen I cuud heer nuthing but a lo gabling; but at last th vois:
began to gro hieer, and I cuud pik up a werd or too moestly oeths, frum th capten.
'No, no, no, no; and an end of it!' he cried wuns. And agen 'If it cums to swinging, swing all, sae I.'
Then all of a suden thair was a tremendus exploezhun of oeths and uther noizes--th chair and taebl went
oever in a lump, a clash of steel foloed, and then a cri of paen, and th next instant I saw Blak Daug in fuul
fliet, and th capten hotly persooing, boeth with drawn cutlasses, and th forme' streeming blud frum th left
shoelder. Just at th dor, that capten aemd at th fuejitiv wun last tremendus cut, which wuud sertenly hav
split him to th chine had it not beer intersepted bi our big sienbord of Admeral Benbow. U mae see th noch
on th loeer sied of th fraem to this dae.
That blo was th last of th batl. Wuns out upon that roed, Blak Daug, in spiet of his woond, shood a
wunderful cleen pair of heels, and disapeerd oever th ej of th hil in haf a minit. Th capten, for his part,
stuud stairing at th sienbord liek a bewilderd man. Then he past his hand oever his ies several tiems, and at
last ternd bak into th hous.
'Jim,' ses he, 'rum;' and as he spoek, he reeld a litl and caut himself with wun hand agenst th wall.
'Are U hert?' cried I.
'Rum,' he repeeted. 'I must get awae frum heer. Rum! rum!'
I ran to fech it; but I was qiet unsteadied bi all that had fallen out, and I broek wun glas and fould th tap,
and whiel I was stil geting in mi oen wae, I herd a loud fall in that parlour, and, runing in, beheld th capten
lieing fuul length upon th flor. At th saem instant mi muther, alarmd bi th cries and fieting, caem runing
dounstairs to help me. Between us we raezd his hed. He was breething verry loud and hard; but his ies wer
cloezd, and his faes a horribl colour.
'Dear, deary me,' cried mi muther, 'whut a disgraes upon th hous! And yur pur faather sik!'
In th meentiem, we had no iedeea whut to do to help th capten, nor eny uther thaut but that he had got his
deth--hert in th scufl with th straenjer. I got th rum, to be shur, and tried to puut it doun his throet; but his
teeth wer tietly shut, and his jaws as strong as ieern. It was a hapy releef for us when th dor oepend and
Doctor Livesey caem in, on his vizit to mi faather.
'Oh, doctor,' we cried, 'whut shal we do? Wherr is he woonded?'
'Woonded? A fidl-stick's end!' sed th doctor. 'No mor woonded than U or I. Th man has had a stroek, as I
wornd him. Now, Mrs Hawkins, just U run upstairs to yur huzband, and tel him, if posibl, nuthing about it.
For mi part, I must do mi best to saev this fellow's trebly werthles lief; and Jim, U get me a baesin.'
When I got bak with th baesin, th doctor had allredy ript up th captain's sleev, and expoezd his graet sinuey
arm. It was tatood in several plaeses. Here's luk,' 'A fair wind,' and 'Billy Boens his fansy,' wer verry neetly
and cleerly execueted on th forarm; and up neer th shoelder thair was a skech of a galoes and a man
hanging frum it--dun, as I thaut, with graet spirit.
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'Prophetic,' sed th doctor, tuching this pikcher with his fingger. 'And now, Master Billy Boens, if that be
yur naem, we'l hav a luuk at th colour of yur blud. Jim,' he sed, ar U afraed of blud?'
'No, ser,' sed I.
'Wel, then,' sed he, 'U hoeld th baesin;' and with that he tuuk his lanset and oepend a vaen.
A graet deel of blud was taeken befor th capten oepend his ies and luukt mistily about him. Ferst he
recogniezd th doctor with an unmistaekabl froun; then his glans fel upon me, and he luukt releevd. But
sudenly his colour chaenjd, and he tried to raez himself, crieing:-'Where's Blak Daug?'
'ther is no Blak Daug heer,' sed th doctor, 'exsept whut U hav on yur oen bak. U hav bin drinking rum; U
hav had a stroek, presiesly as I toeld U; and I hav just, verry much agenst mi oen wil, dragd U hed-formoest
out of th graev. Now, Mr Boens--'
'That's not mi naem,' he interupted.
'Much I cair,' reternd th doctor. 'It's th naem of a bucaneer of mi aqaentans; and I call U bi it for th saek of
shortnes, and whut I hav to sae to U is this: wun glas of rum woen't kil U, but if U taek wun U'l taek
anuther and anuther, and I staek mi wig if U don't braek off short, U'l die--do U understand that?--die, and
go to yur oen plaes, liek th man in th Biebl. Cum, now, maek an efort. I'l help U to yur bed for wuns.'
Between us, with much trubl, we manejd to hoist him upstairs, and laed him on his bed, wherr his hed fel
bak on th pilo, as if he wer allmoest fainting.
'Now, miend U,' sed th doctor, 'I cleer mi conshens--th naem of rum for U is deth.'
And with that he went off to see mi faather, taeking me with him bi th arm.
'This is nuthing,' he sed, as soon as he had cloezd th dor. 'I hav drawn blud enuf to keep him qieet a whiel;
he shuud lie for a week wherr he is--that is th best thing for him and U; but anuther stroek wuud setl him.'
Chapter III
Th Blak Spot
ABOUT noon I stopt at th captain's dor with sum cooling drinks and medisins. He was lieing verry much as
we had left him, oenly a litl hieer, and he seemd boeth weak and exsieted.
'Jim,' he sed, 'U'r th oenly wun heer that's werth enything; and U noe I'v bin allwaes guud to U. Never a
munth but I'v given U a silver fourpenny for yurself. And now U see, maet, I'm prity lo, and dezerted bi all;
and Jim, U'l bring me wun noggin of rum, now, woen't U, matey?'
'th doctor----' I began.
But he broek in cursing th doctor, in a feebl vois, but hartily. 'doctors is all swobs,' he sed; 'and that doctor
thair, whi, whut do he noe about seefairing men? I bin in plaeses hot as pich, and maets droping round with
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Yelo Jak, and th blesed land a-heeving liek th see with erthqaeks--whut do th doctor noe of lands liek that?-and I livd on rum, I tel U. It's bin meet and drink, and man and wief, to me; and if I'm not to hav mi rum
now I'm a pur oeld hulk on a lee shor, mi blood'll be on U, Jim, and that Doctor swob;' and he ran on agen
for a whiel with curses. 'look, Jim, how mi finggers fidges,' he continued, in th pleading toen. Fool, I tel U.
If I don't hav a draen o' rum, Jim, I'l hav th keep 'em stil, not I. I havn't had a drop this blesed dae. That
doctor's a horrors; I seen sum on 'em allredy. I seen oeld Flint in th corner thair, behiend U; as plaen as
print, I seen him; and if I get th horrors, I'm a man that has livd ruf, and I'l raez Cain. Yur doctor himself
sed wun glas wuudn't hert me. I'l giv U a goelden guinea for a noggin, Jim.'
He was groeing mor and mor exsieted, and this alarmd me for mi faather, hoo was verry lo that dae, and
needed qieet; besieds, I was re-ashurd bi th doctorme, and rather ofended bi th offer of a brieb.
'I wont nun of yur muny,' sed I, 'but whut U oe mi faather. I'l get U wun glas, and no mor.'
When I braut it to him, he seezd it greedily, and drank it out.
'Ay, ay,' sed he, 'that's sum beter, shur enuf. And now, matey, did that doctor sae how long I was to lie heer
in this oeld berth?'
'A week at leest,' sed I.
'Thunder!' he cried. 'A week! I can't do that: thae'd hav th blak spot on me bi then. Th lubbers is going
about get th wind of me this blesed moement; lubbers as cuudn't keep whut thae got, and wont to nael whut
is another's. Is that seamanly behaevuer, now, I wont to noe? But I'm saeving soel. I never waested guud
muny of meen, nor lost neether; and I'l trik 'em agen. I'm not afraed on 'em. I'l shaek out anuther reef,
matey, and daddle 'em agen.'
As he was thus speeking, he had rizen frum bed with graet dificulty, hoelding to mi shoelder with a grip
that allmoest maed me cri out, and mooving his legs liek so much ded waet. His werds, spirited as thae wer
in meening, contrasted sadly with th weeknes of th vois in which thae wer uterd. He pauzd when he had got
into a siting pozishun on th ej.
'That doctor's dun me,' he mermerd. 'my eers is singing. Lae me bak.'
Befor I cuud do much to help him he had fallen bak agen to his former plaes, wherr he lae for a whiel
sielent.
'Jim,' he sed, at length, 'U saw that seefairing man to-dae?'
'Black Daug?' I askt.
'Ah! Blak Daug,' ses he. He's a bad 'un; but thair's wers that puut him on. Now, if I can't get awae nohow,
and thae tip me th blak spot, miend U, it's mi oeld see-chest thae'r after; U get on a hors--U can, can't U?
Wel, thair U get on a hors, and go to--wel, yes, I wil!--to this eternal doctor swob, and tel him to piep all
hands majistraets and such--and he'l lae 'em abord at th "Admeral Benbow"--all oeld Flint's croo, man and
boi, all on 'em that's left. I was ferst maet, I was, oeld Flint's ferst maet and I'm th on'y wun as noes th plaes.
He gaev it me at Savannah, when he lae a-dieing, liek as if I was to now, U see. But U woen't peech unles
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thae get th blak spot on me, or unles U see that Blak Daug agen, or a seefairing man with wun leg, Jim-him abuv all.'
'But whut is th blak spot, Capten?' I askt.
'That's a sumons, maet. I'l tel U if thae get that. But U keep yur wether-ie oepen, Jim, and I'l shair with U
eeqals, upon mi onor.'
He waanderd a litl longger, his vois groeing weeker; but soon after I had given him his medisin, which he
tuuk liek a chield, with th remark, 'If ever a seeman wonted drugs, it's me,' he fel at last into a hevy, swoonliek sleep, in which I left him. Whut I shuud hav dun had all gon wel I do not noe. Probably I shuud hav
toeld th hoel story to th doctor; for I was in mortal feer lest th capten shuud repent of his confeshuns and
maek an end of me. But as things fel out, mi pur faather died qiet sudenly that eevning, which puut all uther
maters on wun sied. Cur nacheral distres, th vizits of th naebors, th araenjing of th fueneral, and all th werk
of th in to be carryd on in th meenwhiel, kept me so bizy that I had scairsly tiem to think of th capten, far
les to be afraed of him.
He got dounstairs next morning, to be shur, and had his meels as uezhual, tho he aet litl, and had mor, I am
afraed, than his uezhual supli of rum, for he helpt himself out of th bar, scouling and bloeing thru his noez,
and no wun daird to cross him. On th niet befor th fueneral he was as drunk as ever; and it was shoking, in
that hous of morning, to heer him singing awae at his ugly oeld see-song; but, weak as he was, we wer all
in th feer of deth for him, and th doctor was sudenly taeken up with a caes meny miels awae, and was never
neer th hous after mi father's deth. I hav sed th capten was weak; and indeed he seemd rather to gro weeker
than regaen his strength. He clamberd up and dounstairs, and went frum th parlour to th bar and bak agen,
and sumtiems puut his noez out of dors to smel th see, hoelding on to th walls as he went for suport, and
breething hard and fast liek a man on a steep mounten. He never particuelarly adrest me, and it is mi beleef
he had as guud as forgoten his confidenses; but his temper was mor fliety, and, alowing for his bodily
weeknes, mor vieolent than ever. He had an alarming wae now when he was drunk of drawing his cutlas
and laeing it bair befor him on th taebl. But, with all that, he miended peepl les, and seemd shut up in his
oen thauts and rather waandering. Wuns, for instans, to our extreem wunder, he piept up to a diferent air, a
kiend of cuntry luv-song, that he must hav lernd in his yooth befor he had begun to folo th see.
So things past until, th dae after th fueneral, and about three o'clok of a bieter, foegy, frosty afternoon, I was
standing at th dor for a moement fuul of sad thauts about mi faather, when I saw sumwun drawing sloely
neer along th roed. H was plaenly bliend, for he tapt befor him with a stik, an wor a graet green shaed oever
his ies and noez; and he was huncht, as if with aej or weeknes, and wor a huej oeld taterd see-cloek with a
huud, that maed him apeel pozitivly deformed. I never saw in mi lief a mor dredful luuking figuer. He stopt
a litl frum th in, and, raezin his vois in an od sing-song, adrest th air in frunt of him:-'Wil eny kiend frend inform a pur bliend man, hoo has lost th preshus siet of his ies in th graeshus defence
of his naetiv cuntry, England, and God bles King George!--wherr or in whut part of this cuntry he mae now
be?'
'U ar at th "Admeral Benbow," Blak Hil Coev, mi guud man,' sed I.
'I heer a vois,' sed he--'A yung vois. Wil U giv me yur hand, mi kiend, yung frend, and leed me in?'
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I held out mi hand, and th horribl, sofft-spoeken, eyeless creecher gript it in a moement liek a vies. I was so
much startld that I strugld to withdraw; but th bliend man puuld me cloes up to him with a singgl acshun of
his arm.
'Now, boi,' he sed, 'taek me in to th capten.'
'Sir,' sed I, 'upon mi werd I dair not.'
'Oh,' he sneerd, 'that's it! Taek me in straet, or I'l braek yur arm.'
And he gaev it, as he spoek, a rench that maed me cri out.
'Sir,' sed I, 'it is for yurself I meen. Th capten is not whut he uezd to be. He sits with a drawn cutlas.
Anuther jentlman----'
'Come, now, march,' interupted he; and I never herd a vois so crooel, and coeld, and ugly as that bliend
man's. It cowed me mor than th paen; and I began to oebae him at wuns, wauking straet in at th dor and
tords th parlour, wherr our sik oeld bucaneer was siting, daezd with rum. Th bliend man clung cloes to me,
hoelding me in wun ieern fist, and leening allmoest mor of his waet on me than I cuud carry. 'Leed me
straet up to him, and when I'm in vue, cri out, "Heer's a frend for U, Bil." If U don't, I'l do this;' and with
that he gaev me a twich that I thaut wuud hav maed me faent. Between this and that, I was so uterly
terrified of th bliend begar that I forgot mi terror of th capten, and as I oepend th parlour dor, cried out th
werds he had orderd in a trembling vois.
Th pur capten raezd his ies, and at wun luuk th rum went out of him, and left him stairing soeber. Th
expreshun of his faes was not so much of terror as of mortal siknes. He maed a moovment to riez, but I do
not beleev he had enuf fors left in his body.
'Now, Bil, sit wherr U ar,' sed th begar. 'If I can't see, I can heer a fingger stering. Biznes is biznes. Hoeld
out yur left hand. Boi, taek his left hand bi th rist, and bring it neer to mi riet.'
We boeth oebaed him to th leter, and I saw him paa sumthing frum th holo of th hand that held his stik into
th paam of th captain's, which cloezd upon it instantly.
'And now that's dun,' sed th bliend man; and at th werds he sudenly left hoeld of me, and, with incredibl
acuerasy and nimbleness, skipt out of th parlour and into th roed, wherr, as I stil stuud moeshunles, I cuud
heer his stik go tap-tap-taeping into th distans.
It was sum tiem befor eether I or th capten seemd to gather our senses; but at length, and about at th saem
moement, I releest his rist, which I was stil hoelding, and he droo in his hand and luukt sharply into th
paam.
'Ten o'clok!' he cried. 'six ours. We'l do them yet;' and he sprang to his feet.
Eeven as he did so, he reeld, puut his hand to his throet stuud swaeing for a moement, and then, with a
pecuelyar sound fel frum his hoel hiet faes formoest to th flor. ran to him at wuns, calling to mi muther. But
haest was all in vaen. Th capten had bin struk ded bi thundering apoplexy. It is a cuerius thing to
understand, for I had sertenly never liekt th man, tho of laet I had begun to pity him, but as soon as I saw
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that he was ded, I berst into a flud of teers. It was th second deth I had noen, an th sorro of th ferst was stil
fresh in mi hart.
Chapter IV
Th See Chest
I LOST no tiem, of cors, in teling mi muther all that I nue, and perhaps shuud hav toeld her long befor, and
we saw ourselvs at wuns in a dificult and daenjerus pozishun. Sum of th man's muny--If he had eny--Was
sertenly due to us; but it was not liekly that our captain's shipmaets, abuv all th too spesimens seen bi me,
Blak Daug and th bliend begar, wuud be incliend to giv up thair booty in paement of th ded man's dets. Th
captain's order to mount at wuns and ried for Doctor Livesey wuud hav left mi muther aloen and
unprotected, which was not to be thaut of. Indeed, it seemd imposibl for eether of us to remaen much
longger in th hous: th fall of coels in th kichen graet, th verry tiking of th clok, fild us with alarms. Th
naeborhuud, to our eers, seemd haunted bi aproeching fuutsteps; and whut between th ded body of th
capten on th parlour flor, and th thaut of that detestabl bliend begar huvering neer at hand, and redy to
retern, thair wer moements when, as th saeing goes, I jumpt in mi skin for terror. Sumthing must speedily
be rezolvd upon; and it ocurd to us at last to go forth together and seek help in th neighbouring hamlet. No
sooner sed than dun. Bair-heded as we wer, we ran out at wuns in th gathering eevning and th frosty fog.
Th hamlet lae not meny hundred yards awae tho out of vue, on th uther sied of th next coev; and whut
graetly encurejd me, it was in an opozit direcshun frum that whens th bliend man had maed his apeerans,
and whither he had prezoomably reternd. We wer not meny minits on th roed, tho we sumtiems stopt to lae
hoeld of eech uther and harken. But thair was no unuezhual sound--nuthing but th lo wosh of th ripl and th
croeking of th inmaets of th wuud.
It was allredy candl-liet when we reecht th hamlet, and I shal never forget how much I was cheerd to see th
yelo shien in dors and windoes; but that, was th best of th help we wer liekly to get in that qorter for--U
wuud hav thaut men wuud hav bin ashaemd of themselvs--no soel wuud consent to retern with us to th
'Admiral Benbow.' Th mor we toeld of our trubls, th mor--man, wuuman, and chield--thae clung to th
shelter of thair houses. Th naem of Capten Flint, tho it was straenj to me, was wel enuf noen to sum thair,
and carryd a graet waet of terror. Sum of th men hoo had bin to feeld-werk on th far sied of th 'Admiral
Benbow' rememberd, besieds, to hav seen several straenjers on th roed, and, taeking them to be smuglers,
to hav boelted awae and wun at leest had seen a litl luger in whut we calld Kitt's Hoel. For that mater,
enywun hoo was a comrad of that captain's was enuf to frieten them to deth. And th short and th long of th
mater was, that whiel we cuud get several hoo wer wiling enuf to ried to Dr Livesey's which lae in anuther
direcshun, not wun wuud help us to defend th in.
Thae sae cowardis is infecshus; but then arguement is, on th uther hand, a graet emboldener; and so when
eech had sed his sae, mi muther maed them a speech. She wuud not, she declaird, looz muny that belongd
to her faatherles boi; 'if nun of th rest of U dair,' she sed, 'Jim and I dair. Bak we wil go, th wae we caem,
and small thanks to U big, hulking, chiken-hearted men. We'l hav that chest oepen, if we die for it. And I'l
thank U for that bag, Mrs Crossley, to bring bak our lawful muny in.'
Of cors, I sed I wuud go with mi muther; and of cors thae all cried out at our foolhardynes; but eeven then
not a man wuud go along with us. All thae wuud do was to giv me a loeded pistol, lest we wer atakt; and to
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promis to hav horses redy sadld, in caes we wer persood on our retern; whiel wun lad was to ried forward
to th doctor's in serch of armd asistans.
Mi hart was beeting fienly when we too set forth in th coeld niet upon this daenjerus vencher. A fuul moon
was begining to riez and peerd redly thru th uper ejes of th fog, and this increest our haest, for it was plaen,
befor we caem forth agen, that all wuud be as briet as dae, and our deparcher expoezd to th ies of eny
wochers. We slipt along th hejes, noizles and swift, nor did we see or heer enything to increes our terrors,
til, to our releef, th dor of th 'Admiral Benbow' had cloezd behiend us.
I slipt th boelt at wuns, and we stuud and panted for a moement in th dark, aloen in th hous with th ded
captain's body. Then mi muther got a candl in th bar, and, hoelding eech other's hands, we advanst into th
parlour. He lae as we had left him, on his bak, with his ies oepen, and wun arm strecht out.
'Draw doun th bliend, Jim,' whisperd mi muther; 'thae miet cum and woch outsied. And now,' sed she, when
I had dun so, 'we hav to get th kee off that; and hoo's to tuch it, I shuud liek to noe!' and she gaev a kiend of
sob as she sed th werds.
I went doun on mi nees at wuns. On th flor cloes to his hand thair was a litl round of paeper, blakend on th
wun sied. I cuud not dout that this was th blak spot; and taeking it up, I found riten on th uther sied, in a
verry guud, cleer hand, this short mesej: 'U hav til ten to-niet.'
He had til ten, muther,' sed I; and just as I sed it, our oeld clok began strieking. This suden noiz startld us
shokingly; but th nues was guud, for it was oenly six.
'Now, Jim,' she sed, 'that kee.'
I felt in his pokets, wun after anuther. A fue small coins, a thimbl, and sum thred and big needls, a pees of
pigtael tobaco biten awae at th end, his guly with th cruuked handl, a poket compas, and a tinder box, wer
all that thae contaend, and I began to despair.
'Perhaps it's round his nek,' sugjested mi muther.
Oevercuming a strong repugnans, I tore oepen his shert at th nek, and thair, shur enuf, hanging to a bit of
tarry string, which I cut with his oen guly, we found th kee. At this trieumf we wer fild with hoep, and
heryd upstairs, without delae, to th litl room wherr he had slept so long, and wherr his box had stuud sinss
th dae of his arieval.
It was liek eny uther seaman's chest on th outsied, th inishal 'B.' bernd on th top of it with a hot ieern, and th
corners sumwhut smasht and broeken as bi long, ruf uesej.
'Give me th kee,' sed mi muther; and tho th lok was verry stif, she had ternd it and throen bak th lid in a
twinkling.
A strong smel of tobaco and tar roez frum th inteerior, but nuthing was to be seen on th top exsept a soot of
verry guud cloeths, cairfuly brushedand foelded. Thae had never bin worn, mi muther sed. Under that, th
miselaeny began--a qodrant, a tin canikin, several stiks of tobaco, too braes of verry hansum pistols, a pees
of bar silver, an oeld Spanish woch and sum uther trinkets of litl value and moestly of forin maek, a pair of
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compasses mounted with bras, and fiev or six cuerius West Indian shels. I hav offen wunderd sinss whi he
shuud hav carryd about thees shels with him in his waandering, gilty, and hunted lief.
In th meentiem, we had found nuthing of eny value but th silver and th trinkets, and neether of thees wer in
our wae. Underneeth thair was an oeld boet-cloek, whietend with see-sallt on meny a harbour-bar. Mi
muther puuld it up with impaeshens, and thair lae befor us, th last things in th chest, a bundl tied up in
oilclauth, and luuking liek paepers, and a canvas bag, that gaev forth, at a tuch, th jinggl of goeld.
'I'l sho thees roegs that I'm an onest wuuman,' sed mi muther. 'I'l hav mi dues, and not a farthing oever.
Hoeld Mrs Crossley's bag.' And she began to count oever th amount of th captain's scor frum th sailor's bag
into th wun that I was hoelding.
It was a long, dificult biznes, for th coins wer of all cuntrys and siezes--doubloons, and louis-d'ors, and
guineas, and peeses of aet, and I noe not whut besieds, all shaeken together at random. Th guineas, too, wer
about th scairsest, and it was with thees oenly that mi muther nue how to maek her count.
When we wer about haf-wae thru, I sudenly puut mi hand upon her arm; for I had herd in th sielent, frosty
air, a sound that braut mi hart into mi mouth--th tap-taeping of th bliend man's stik upon th froezen roed. It
droo neerer and neerer, whiel we sat hoelding our breth. Then it struk sharp on th in dor, and then we cuud
heer th handl being ternd, and th boelt ratling as th reched being tried to enter; and then thair was a long
tiem of sielens boeth within and without. At last th taeping recommenced, and, to our indescriebabl joi and
gratitued, died sloely awae agen until it seest to be herd.
'Muther,' sed I, 'taek th hoel and let's be going;' for I was shur th boelted dor must hav seemd suspishus,
and wuud bring th hoel hornet's nest about our eers; tho how thankful I was that I had boelted it, nun cuud
tel hoo had never met that terribl bliend man.
But mi muther, frietend as she was, wuud not consent to taek a fracshun mor than was due to her, and was
obstinately unwiling to be content with les. It was not yet seven, she sed, bi a long wae; she nue her riets
and she wuud hav them; and she was stil argueing with me, when a litl lo whisl sounded a guud wae off
upon th hil. That was enuf, and mor than enuf, for boeth of us.
'I'l taek whut I hav,' she sed, jumping to her feet.
'And I'l taek this to sqair th count,' sed I, piking up th oilskin paket.
Next moement we wer boeth groeping dounstairs, leeving th candl bi th empty chest; and th next we had
oepend th dor and wer in fuul retreet. We had not started a moement too soon. Th fog was rapidly
dispersing; allredy th moon shoen qiet cleer on th hi ground on eether sied; and it was oenly in th exact
botom of th del and round th tavern dor that a thin vael stil hung unbroeken to conseel th ferst steps of our
escaep. Far les than haf-wae to th hamlet, verry litl beyond th botom of th hil, we must cum forth into th
moonliet. Nor was this all; for th sound of several fuutsteps runing caem allredy to our eers, and as we
luukt bak in thair direcshun, a liet tossing to and fro and stil rapidly advansing, shood that wun of th nuecomers carryd a lantern.
'My deer,' sed mi muther sudenly, 'taek th muny and run on. I am going to faent.' is was sertenly th end for
boeth of us, I thaut. How I curst th cowardis of th naebors; how I blaemd mi pur muther for her onesty and
her greed, for her past foolhardynes and prezent weeknes! We wer just at th litl brij, bi guud forchun; and I
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helpt her, totering as she was, to th ej of th bank, wherr, shur enuf, she gaev a si and fel on mi shoelder. I do
not noe how I found th strength to do it at all, and I am afraed it was rufly dun; but I manejd to drag her
doun th bank and a litl wae under th arch. Farther I cuud not moov her, for th brij was too lo to let me do
mor than crall belo it so thair we had to stae--mi muther allmoest entierly expoezd and boeth of us within
eershot of th in.
Chapter V
Th Last of th Bliend Man
Mi cueriosity, in a sens, was strongger than mi feer; for I cuud not remaen wherr I was, but crept bak to th
bank agen, whens, sheltering mi hed behiend a buush of broom, I miet comand th roed befor our dor. I was
scairsly in pozishun err mi enemys began to ariev, seven or aet of them, runing hard, thair feet beeting out
of tiem along th roed, and th man with th lantern sum paeses in frunt. Three men ran together, hand in
hand; and I maed out, eeven thru th mist, that th midl man of this treeo was th bliend begar. Th next
moement his vois shood me that I was riet.
'Down with th dor!' he cried.
'Ay, ay, ser!' anserd too or three; and a rush was maed upon th 'Admiral Benbow,' th lantern-bairer
foloeing; and then I cuud see them pauz, and heer speeches past in a loeer kee, as if thae wer serpriezd to
fiend th dor oepen. But th pauz was breef, for th bliend man agen ishood his comands. His vois sounded
louder and hieer, as if he wer afier with eegernes and raej.
'In, in, in!' he shouted, and curst them for thair delae. Foer or fiev of them oebaed at wuns, too remaening
on th roed with th formidabl begar. Thair was a pauz, then a cri of serpriez, and then a vois shouting frum
th hous:-'Bill's ded!'
But th bliend man swor at them agen for thair delae.
Serch him, sum of U sherking lubbers, and th rest of U alofft and get th chest,' he cried.
I cuud heer thair feet ratling up our oeld stairs, so that th hous must hav shuuk with it. Promptly afterwards,
fresh sounds of astonishment aroez; th windo of th captain's room was throen oepen with a slam and a
jinggl of broeken glas; and a man leend out into th moonliet, hed and shoelders, and adrest th bliend begar
on th roed belo him.
'Pew,' he cried, 'thae'v bin befor us. Someone's ternd th chest out alow and alofft.'
'Is it thair?' rord Pue.
'Th money's thair.'
Th bliend man curst th muny.
'Flint's fist, I meen,' he cried.
'We don't see it heer nohow,' reternd th man.
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Here, U belo thair, is it on Bil?' cried th bliend man agen.
At that, anuther felo, probably him hoo had remaend belo to serch th captain's body, caem to th dor of th in.
'Bill's bin overhauled a'ready,' sed he, 'Nothin' left.'
'It's thees peepl of th in--it's that boi. I wish I had puut his ies out!' cried th bliend man, Pue. 'Thae wer heer
no tiem ago--thae had th dor boelted when I tried it. Scater lads, and fiend 'em.'
'Sure enuf, thae left thair glim heer,' sed th felo frum th windo.
'Scatter and fiend 'em! Rout th hous out!' reeiteraeted Pue strieking with his stik upon th roed.
Then thair foloed a graet to-do thru all our oeld in hevy feet pounding to and fro, fernicher throen oever,
dor: kikt in, until th verry roks re-ekoed, and th men caem out agen, wun after anuther, on th roed, and
declaird that we wer noewherr to be found. And just then th saem whisl that had alarmd mi muther and
mieself oever th ded captain's muny was wuns mor cleerly audibl thru th niet, but this tiem twies repeeted. I
had thaut it to be th bliend man's trumpet, so to speek, summoning his croo to th asallt; but I now found that
it was a signal frum th hilsied tords th hamlet, and, frum its efect upon th buccaneers a signal to worn them
of aproeching daenjer.
'Ther's Dirk agen,' sed wun. 'twies! We'l hav to buj, maets.'
'Budge, U skulk!' cried Pue. Dirk was a fool and coward frum th ferst--U wuudn't miend him. Thae must be
cloes bi; thae can't be far; U hav yur hands on it Scater and luuk for them, daugs! O, shiver mi soel,' he
cried 'if I had ies!'
This apeel seemd to produes sum efect, for too of th feloes began to luuk heer and thair amung th lumber,
but halfheartedly, I thaut, and with haf an ie to thair oen daenjer all th tiem, whiel th rest stuud irezoloot on
th roed.
'U hav yur hands on thouzands, U fools, and U hang a leg! U'd be as rich as kings if U cuud fiend it, and U
noe it's heer, and U stand thair skulking. Thair wasn't wun of U daird faes Bil, and I did it--a bliend man!
And I'm to looz mi chans for U! I'm to be a pur, cralling begar, spunjing for rum, when I miet be roeling in
a coech! If U had th pluk of a weevil in a biskit U wuud cach them stil.'
Hang it, Pue, we'v got th doubloons!' grumbld wun. 'thae miet hav hid th blesed thing,' sed anuther.
'Taek th Georges, Pue, and don't stand heer sqalling.'
Sqalling was th werd for it, Pew's angger roez so hi at thees objecshuns; til at last, his pashun compleetly
taeking th uper hand, he struk at them riet and left in his bliendnes, and his stik sounded hevily on mor than
wun.
Thees, in thair tern, curst bak at th bliend miscriant, thretend him in horrid terms, and tried in vaen to cach
th stik and rest it frum his grasp.
This qorrel was th saeving of us; for whiel it was stil raejing, anuther sound caem frum th top of th hil on th
sied of th hamlet--th tramp of horses galoping. Allmoest at th saem tiem a pistol-shot, flash and report,
caem frum th hej-sied. And that was plaenly th last signal of daenjer; for th buccaneers ternd at wuns and
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ran, separaeting in evry direcshun, wun seeward along th coev, wun slant across th hil, and so on, so that in
haf a minit not a sien of them remaend but Pue. Him thae had dezerted, whether in sheer panic or out of
revenj for his il werds and bloes, I noe not; but thair he remaend behiend, taeping up and doun th roed in a
frenzy, and groeping and calling for his comrads. Fienaly he tuuk th rong tern, and ran a fue steps past me,
tords th hamlet, crieing:-'Johnny, Blak Daug, Dirk,' and uther naems, 'U woen't leev oeld Pue, maets -- not oeld Pue!'
Just then th noiz of horses topt th riez, and foer or fiev rieders caem in siet in th moonliet, and swept at fuul
galop doun th sloep.
At this Pue saw his error, ternd with a screem, and ran straet for th dich, into which he roeld. But he was on
his feet agen in a second, and maed anuther dash, now uterly bewilderd, riet under th neerest of th cuming
horses.
Th rieder tried to saev him, but in vaen. Doun went Pue with a cri that rang hi into th niet; and th foer huufs
trampld and spernd him and past bi. He fel on his sied then jently colapst upon his faes, andmoved no mor.
I leept to mi feet and haeld th rieders. Thae wer puuling up, at eny raet, horrified at th acsident; and I soon
saw whut thae wer. Wun, tailing out behiend th rest, was a lad this had gon frum th hamlet to Dr Livesey's;
th rest wer revenue offisers, hoom he had met bi th wae, and with hoom he had had th intelijens to retern at
wuns. Sum nues of th luger in Kitt's Hoel had found its wae to Sooperviezor Dans, and set him forth that
niet in our direcshun, and to that sercumstans mi muther and I oe our prezervaeshun frum deth.
Pue was ded, stoen ded. As for mi muther, when we had carryd her up to th hamlet, a litl coeld wauter and
sallts and that soon braut her bak agen, and she was nun th wers for her terror, tho she stil continued to
deplor th balans of th muny. In th meentiem th sooperviezor roed on, as fast as he cuud, to Kitt's Hoel but
his men had to dismount and groep doun th dingle leeding, and sumtiems suporting, thair horses, and in
continueal feer of ambuushes; so it was no graet mater for serpriez that when thae got doun to th Hoel th
luger was allredy under wae, tho stil cloez in. He haeld her. A vois replied, teling him to keep out of th
moonliet or he wuud get sum leed in him, and at th saem tiem buulet whisld cloes bi his arm. Soon after, th
luger dubld th point and disapeerd. Mr Dans stuud thair as he sed, 'liek a fish out of wauter,' and all he cuud
do was to despach a man to B---- to worn th cuter. 'And that,' sed he, 'is just about as guud as nuthing.
Thae'v got off cleen, and thair's an end. Oenly,' he aded, 'I'm glad I trod on Master Pew's corns;' for bi this
tiem he had herd mi story.
I went bak with him to th 'Admiral Benbow,' and U cannot imajin a hous in such a staet of smash; th verry
clok had bin throen doun bi thees feloes in thair fuerius hunt after mi muther and mieself; and tho nuthing
had akchualy bin taeken awae exsept th captain's muny-bag and a litl silver frum th til, I cuud see at wuns
that we wer rooind. Mr Dans cuud maek nuthing of th seen.
'Thae got th muny, U sae? Wel, then, Hawkins, whut in forchun wer thae after? Mor muny, I supoez?'
'No, ser; not muny, I think,' replied I. 'In fact, ser, I beleev I hav th thing in mi brest-poket; and, to tel U th
trooth, I shuud liek to get it puut in saefty.'
'To be shur, boi; qiet riet,' sed he. 'I'l taek it, if U liek.'
'I thaut, perhaps, Dr Livesey----' I began.
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'Perfectly riet,' he interupted, verry cheerily, 'Perfectly riet--a jentlman and a majistraet. And, now I cum
to think of it, I miet as wel ried round thair mieself and report to him or sqier. Master Pew's ded, when all's
dun; not that I regret it, but he's ded, U see, and peepl wil maek it out agenst an offiser of his Majesty's
revenue, if maek it out thae can. Now, I'l tel U, Hawkins: if U liek, I'l taek U along.'
I thankt him hartily for th offer, and we waukt bak to th hamlet wherr th horses wer. Bi th tiem I had toeld
muther of mi perpos thae wer all in th sadl.
'Dogger,' sed Mr Dans, 'U hav a guud hors; taek up this lad behiend U.'
As soon as I was mounted, hoelding on to Dogger's belt, th sooperviezor gaev th werd, and th party struk
out at a bounsing trot on th roed to Dr Livesey's hous.
Chapter VI
Th Captain's Paepers
WE roed hard all th wae, til we droo up befor Dr Livesey's dor. Th hous was all dark to th frunt.
Mr Dans toeld me to jump doun and nok, and Dogger gaev me a stirup to desend bi. Th dor was oepend
allmoest at wuns bi th maed.
'Is Dr Livesey in?' I askt.
No, she sed; he had cum hoem in th afternoon, but had gon up to th Hall to dien and paa th eevning with th
sqier.
'So thair we go, bois,' sed Mr Dans.
This tiem, as th distans was short, I did not mount, but ran with Dogger's stirup-lether to th loj gaets, and th
long, leafless, moonlit avenue to wherr th whiet leen of th Hall bildings luukt on eether hand on graet oeld
gardens Heer Mr Dans dismounted, and, taeking me along with him was admited at a werd into th hous.
Th servant led us doun a matted pasej, and shood us at th end into a graet liebrairy, all liend with
buukcaeses a busts upon th top of them, wherr th sqier and Dr Livesey sat, piep in hand, on eether sied of a
briet fier.
I had never seen th sqier so neer at hand. He was a tall man, oever six feet hi, and braud in proporshun, and
he had a bluf, ruf-and-redy faes, all rufend and redden' and liend in his long travels. His iebrows wer verry
blak and moovd redily, and this gaev him a luuk of sum tempt not bad, U wuud sae, but qik and hi.
'Come in, Mr Dans,' ses he, verry staetly and condesending.
'Good-eevning, Dans,' ses th doctor, with a nod. 'and guud-eevning to U, frend Jim. Whut guud wind brings
U heer?'
Th sooperviezor stuud up straet and stif, and toeld his story liek a leson; and U shuud hav seen how th too
jentlmen leend forward and luukt at eech uther, and forgot to smoek in thair serpriez and interest. When
thae herd how mi muther went bak to th in, Dr Livesey fairly slapt his thi, and th sqier cried 'Bravo!' and
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broek his long piep agenst th graet. Long befor it was dun, Mr Trelawney (that, U wil remember, was th
squire's naem) had got up frum his seet, and was strieding about th room, and th doctor, as if to heer th
beter, had taeken off his pouderd wig, and sat thair, luuking verry straenj indeed with his oen cloes-cropt,
blak poel.
At last Mr Dans finisht th story.
'Mr Dans,' sed th sqier, 'U ar a verry noebl felo. And as for rieding doun that blak, atroeshus miscriant, I
regard it as an act of verchoo, ser, liek stamping on a cokroech. This lad Hawkins is a trump, I perseev.
Hawkins, wil U ring that bel? Mr Dans must hav sum ael.'
'And so, Jim,' sed th doctor, 'U hav th thing that thae wer after, hav U?'
Here it is, ser,' sed I, and gaev him th oilskin paket. Th doctor luukt it all oever, as if his finggers wer
iching to oepen it; but, insted of doing that, he puut it qieetly in th poket of his coet.
'Squire,' sed he, 'when Dans has had his ael he must, of cors, be off on his Majesty's servis; but I meen to
keep Jim Hawkins heer to sleep at tri hous, and, with yur permishun, I propoez we shuud hav up th coeld
pi, and let him sup.'
'As U wil, Livesey,' sed th sqier; Hawkins has ernd beter than coeld pi.'
So a big pijon pi was braut in and puut on a sied-taebl, and I maed a harty super, for I was as hunggry as a
hauk, whiel Mr Dans was ferther complimented, and at last dismist.
'And now, sqier,' sed th doctor.
'And now, Livesey,' sed th sqier, in th saem breth. 'Wun at a tiem, wun at a tiem,' laft Dr Livesey.
'U hav herd of this Flint, I supoez?'
Heard of him!' cried th sqier. Heard of him, U sae! He was th bloodthirstiest bucaneer that saeld.
Blackbeard was a chield to Flint. Th Spaniards wer so prodigiously afraed of him, that, I tel U, ser, I was
sumtiems proud he was an Englishman. I'v seen his top-saels with thees ies, of Trinidad, and th cowardly
sun of a rum-punchon that saeld with puut bak--puut bak, ser, into Port of Spain.'
'wel, I'v herd of him mieself, in England,' sed th doctor. 'but th point is, had he muny?'
'Money!' cried th sqier. Have U herd th story? Whut wer thees vilans after but muny? Whut do thae cair
for but muny? For whut wuud thae risk thair rascal carcases but muny?'
'That we shal soon noe,' replied th doctor. 'but U ar so confoundedly hot-heded and exclamatory that I
cannot get a werd in. Whut I wont to noe is this: Supoezing that I hav heer in mi poket sum cloo to wherr
Flint berryd his trezher, wil that trezher amount to much?'
'Amount, ser!' cried th sqier. 'It wil amount to this; we hav th cloo U tauk about, I fit out a ship in
Bristol dok and taek U and Hawkins heer along, and I'l hav th trezher if I serch a yeer.'
244
'very wel,' sed th doctor. 'Now, then, if Jim is agreeabl we'l oepen th paket;' and he laed it befor him on th
taebl.
Th bundl was soen together, and th doctor had to get out his instrument-caes, and cut th stiches with his
medical sizors. It contaend too things--a buuk and a seeld paeper.
'First of all we'l tri th buuk,' obzervd th doctor.
Th sqier and I wer boeth peering oever his shoelder he oepend it, for Dr Livesey had kiendly moeshund me
to cum round frum th sied-taebl, wherr I had bin eeting, to enjoi th sport of th serch. On th ferst paej thair
wer oenly sum scraps of rieting, such as a man with a pen in his hand miet maek for iedlnes or practis. Wun
was th saem as th tatoo mark, 'Billy Boens his fansy;' then thair was 'Mr W. Boen maet.' 'No mor rum.' 'Off
Paam Kee he got itt;' and sum uther snaches, moestly singgl werds and unintelijibl. I cuud not help
wundering hoo it was that had 'got itt,' and whut 'itt' was that he got. A nief in his bak as liek as not.
'Not much instrucshun thair,' sed Dr Livesey, as he past on.
Th next ten or twelv paejes wer fild with a cuerius seerys of entrys. Thair was a daet at wun end of th leen
and at th uther a sum of muny, as in comon acount-buuks; but insted of explanatory rieting, oenly a
vairying number of crosses between th too. On th 12th of June, 1745, for instans, a sum of seventy pounds
had plaenly becum due to sumwun, and thair was nuthing but six crosses to explaen th cauz. In a fue
caeses, to be shur, th naem of a plaes wuud be aded, as 'Offe Caraccas;' or a meer entry of latitued and
lonjitued, as '62° 17' 20", 19° 2' 40".'
Th record lasted oever neerly twenty yeers, th amount of th separet entrys groeing larjer as tiem went on,
and at th end a grand toetal had bin maed out after fiev or six rong adishuns, and thees werds apended,
'Bones, his piel.'
'I can't maek hed or tael of this,' sed Dr Livesey.
'th thing is as cleer as noondae,' cried th sqier. 'this is th blak-hearted hound's acount-buuk. Thees crosses
stand for th naems of ships or touns that thae sank or plunderd. Th sums ar th scoundrel's shair, and wherr
he feerd an ambigueity, U see he aded sumthing cleerer. "Offe Caraccas," now; U see, heer was sum
unhapy vesel borded off that coest. God help th pur soels that mand her--coral long ago.'
'Right!' sed th doctor. 'see whut it is to be a traveler. Riet! And th amounts increes, U see, as he roez in
rank.'
Thair was litl els in th voluem but a fue bairings of plaeses noeted in th blank leevs tords th end, and a taebl
for reduesing French, English, and Spanish munys to a comon value.
'Thrifty man!' cried th doctor. He wasn't th wun to be cheeted.'
'And now,' sed th sqier, 'for th uther.'
Th paeper had bin seeld in several plaeses with a thimbl bi wae of seel; th verry thimbl, perhaps, that I had
found in th captain's poket. Th doctor oepend th seels with graet cair, and thair fel out th map of an ieland,
with latitued and lonjitued, soundings, naems of hils, and baes and inlets, and evry particuelar that wuud be
245
needed to bring a ship to a saef ankorej upon its shors. It was about nien miels long and fiev across, shaept,
U miet sae, liek a fat drag' standing up, and had too fien land-lokt harbours, and hil in th senter part
markt'th Spi-glas.' Thair we several adishuns of a laeter daet; but, abuv all, three cross of red ink--too on th
north part of th ieland, wun in th south-west, and, besied this last, in th saem red ink, and a small, neet
hand, verry diferent frum th captain's tottery carracters, thees werds:--'Bulk of trezher heer.'
Oever on th bak th saem hand had riten this ferther informaeshun:-'Tall tree, Spi-glas shoelder, bairing a point to th N of N.N.E.
'Skeleton Ieland E.S.E. and bi E.
'Ten feet.
'th bar silver is in th north cash; U can fiend it bi th trend of th eest humok, ten fathoms south of th blak
crag with th faes on it.
'th arms ar eezy found, in th sand hil, N. point of nor inlet caep, bairing E. and a qorter N.
'J.F.'
That was all; but breef as it was, and, to me, incomprehensibl, it fild th sqier and Dr Livesey with deliet.
'Livesey,' sed th sqier, 'U wil giv up this reched practis at wuns. To-morro I start for Bristol. In three
weeks' tiem--three weeks!--too weeks--ten daes--we'l hav th best ship, ser, and th choisest croo in England.
Hawkins shal cum as cabin-boi. U'l maek a faemus cabin-boi Hawkins. U, Livesey, ar ship's doctor; I am
admeral. We'l taek Redruth, Joyce, and Hunter. We'l haa favourable winds, a qik pasej, and not th leest
dificult in fiending th spot, and muny to eet--to roel in--to plae du and draek with ever after.'
'Trelawney,' sed th doctor, 'I'l go with U; and, I go bael for it, so wil Jim, and be a credit to th
undertaeking. Thair's oenly wun man I'm afraed of.'
'And hoo's that?' cried th sqier. 'Name th daug, ser!'
'U,' replied th doctor; 'for U cannot hoeld yur tung.'
We ar not th oenly men hoo noe of this paeper. Thees feloes hoo atakt th in to-niet--boeld, desperet blaeds,
for shur--and th rest hoo staed abord that luger, and mor, I dair sae, not far off, ar, wun and all, thru thik and
thin, bound that thae'l get that muny. We must nun of us go aloen til we get to see. Jim and I shal stik
together in th meenwhiel; U'l taek Joyce and Hunter when U ried to Bristol, and, frum ferst to last, not wun
of us must breeth a werd of whut we'v found.'
'Livesey,' reternd th sqier, 'U ar allwaes in th riet of it. I'l be as sielent as th graev.'
PART TOO
Th See Cuuk
Chapter VII
Go to Bristol
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IT was longger than th sqier imajind err we wer redy for th see, and nun of our ferst plans--not eeven Dr
Livesey's of keeping me besied him--cuud be carryd out as we intended. Th doctor had to go to London for
a fizishan to taek charj of his practis; th sqier was hard at werk a Bristol; and I livd on at th Hall under th
charj of oeld Redruth, th gaemkeeper, allmoest a prizoner, but fuul of see dreems and th moest charming
antisipaeshuns of straenj ieland and advenchers. I brooded bi th our together oever th map, all th deetaels of
which I wel rememberd. Siting bi th fier in th hous-keeper's room, I aproecht that ieland mi fansy, frum
evry posibl direcshun; I explord evry aeker of its serfis; I cliemd a thouzand tiems to that tall hil th call th
Spi-glas, and frum th top enjoid th moest wunderful and chaenjing prospects. Sumtiems th iel was thik with
savejes, with hoom we faut; sumtiems fuul of daenjerus animals that hunted us; but in all mi fansys nuthing
ocurd to me so straenj and trajic as our akchual advenchers.
So th weeks past on, til wun fien dae thair caem a leter adrest to Dr Livesey, with this adishun, 'to be
oepend in th caes of his absens, bi Tom Redruth, or yung Hawkins.' Oebaeing this order, we found, or
rather, I found--for th gaemkeeper was a pur hand at reeding enything but print--th foloeing important
nues:-'Old Ankor In, Bristol, March 1, 17--.
'DEAR LIVESEY ,--As I do not noe whether U ar at th Hall or stil in London, I send this in dubl to boeth
plaeses.
'th ship is baut and fited. She lies at ankor, redy for see. U never imajind a sweeter scooner--a chield miet
sael her--too hundred tuns; naem, Hispaniola.
'I got her thru mi oeld frend, Blandly, hoo has proovd himself thruout th moest serpriezing trump. Th
admerabl felo literaly slaved in mi interest, and so, I mae sae, did evrywun in Bristol, as soon as thae got
wind of th port we saeld for--trezher, I meen.'
'Redruth,' sed I, interrupting th leter, 'Doctor Livesey wil not liek that. Th sqier has bin tauking, after all.'
'wel, hoo's a beter riet?' grould th gaemkeeper. 'A prity rum go if sqier ain't to tauk for Doctor Livesey, I
shuud think.'
At that I gaev up all atempt at comentairy, and reed straet on:-'Blandly himself found th Hispaniola, and bi th moest admerabl manejment got her for th meerest triefl.
Thair is a clas of men in Bristol monstrously prejudist agenst Blandly. Thae go th length of declairing that
this onest creecher wuud do enything for muny, that th Hispaniola belongd to him, and that he soeld it me
abserdly hi--th moest transpairent calumnys. Nun of them dair, however, to deni th merrits of th ship.
'So far thair was not a hich. Th workpeople, to be shur--rigers and whut not--wer moest annoyingly slo; but
tiem cuerd that. It was th croo that trubld me.
'I wisht a round scor of men--in caes of naetivs, buccaneers, or th oedius French--and I had th wery of th
deuce itself to fiend so much as haf a duzen, til th moest remarkabl stroek of forchun braut me th verry man
that I reqierd.
'I was standing on th dok, when, bi th meerest acsident, I fel in tauk with him. I found he was an oeld
saelor, kept a public--hous, nue all th seefairing men in Bristol, had lost his helth ashor, and wonted a guud
berth as cuuk to get to see agen. He had hobld doun thair that morning, he sed to get a smel of th sallt.
'I was monstrously tucht--so wuud U hav bin--and, out of puer pity, I engaejd him on th spot to be ship's
cuuk. Long John Silver, he is calld, and has lost a leg; but that I regarded as a recomendaeshun, sinss he
lost it in hi country's servis, under th imortal Hawke. He has no penshun, Livesey. Imajin th abominabl aej
we liv in!
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'wel, ser, I thaut I had oenly found a cuuk, but it was a croo I had discuverd. Between Silver and mieself we
go together in a fue daes a cumpany of th tufest oeld sallt imajinabl--not prity to luuk at, but feloes, bi thair
faeses, of th moest indomitabl spirit. I declair we cuud fiet friget.
'Long John eeven got rid of too out of th six or seven had allredy engaejd. He shood me in a moement that
th wer just th sort of fresh-wauter swobs we had to feer in an advencher of importans.
'I am in th moest magnifisent helth and spirits, eeting liek a buul, sleeping liek a tree, yet I shal not enjoi a
moement til I heer mi oeld tarpalins tramping round th capstan Seeward ho! Hang th trezher! It's th glory of
th see that has ternd mi hed. So now, Livesey, cum poest; do not looz an our, if U respect me.
'Let yung Hawkins go at wuns to see his muther, wit Redruth for a gard; and then boeth cum fuul speed to
Bristol.
'JOHN TRELAWNEY.
'Postscript.--I did not tel U that Blandly, hoo, bi th was) is to send a consort after us if we don't tern up bi
th en of August, had found an admerabl felo for saeling master--a stif man, which I regret, but, in all uther
respects, trezher. Long John Silver unertht a verry competent man for a maet, a man naemd Arro. I hav a
boesun hoo pieps, Livesey; so things shal go man-o'-wor fashun on bor th guud ship Hispaniola.
'I forgot to tel U that Silver is a man of substans; I noe of mi oen nolej that he has a banker's acount, which
has never bin oeverdrawn. He leevs his wief to manej th in; and as she is a wuuman of colour, a pair of oeld
bachelors liek U and I mae be excuezd for gesing that it is th wief, qiet as much as th helth, that sends him
bak to roeving.
'J. T.
'P.P.S.--Hawkins mae stae wun niet with his muther.
'J. T.'
U can fansy th exsietment into which that leter puut me. I was haf besied mieself with glee; and if ever I
despiezd a man, it was oeld Tom Redruth, hoo cuud do nuthing but grumbl and lament. Eny of th undergamekeepers wuud gladly hav chaenjd plaeses with him; but such was not th squire's plezher, and th
squire's plezher was liek law amung them all. Noebody but oeld Redruth wuud hav daird so much as eeven
to grumbl.
Th next morning he and I set out on fuut for th 'Admiral Benbow,' and thair I found mi muther in guud
helth and spirits. Th capten, hoo had so long bin a cauz of so much discumfort, was gon wherr th wiked
sees frum trubling. Th sqier had had evrything repaird, and th public rooms and th sien repainted, and had
aded sum fernicher--abuv all a buetyful arm-chair for muther in th bar. He had found her a boi as an
aprentis allso, so that she shuud not wont help whiel I was gon.
It was on seeing that boi that I understuud, for th ferst tiem, mi sichuaeshun. I had thaut up to that moement
of th advenchers befor me, not at all of th hoem that I was leeving; and now, at th siet of this clumzy
straenjer, hoo was to stae heer in mi plaes besied mi muther, I had mi ferst atak of teers. I am afraed I led
that boi a dog's lief; for as he was nue to th werk, I had a hundred oportuenitys of seting him riet and
puuting him doun, and I was not slo to profit bi them.
Th niet past, and th next dae, after diener, Redruth and I wer afuut agen, and on th roed. I sed guud-bi to
muther and th coev wherr I had livd sinss I was born, and th deer oeld 'Admiral Benbow'--sinss he was
repainted, no longger qiet so deer. Wun of mi last thauts was of th capten, hoo had so offen stroed along th
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beech with his cokt hat, his saeber-cut cheek, and his oeld bras telescoep. Next moement we had ternd th
corner, and mi hoem was out of siet.
Th mael pikt us up about dusk at th 'royal George' on th heeth. I was wejd in between Redruth and stout
oeld jentlman, and in spiet of th swift moeshun and th coeld niet air, I must hav doezd a graet deel frum th
verry ferst, and then slept liek a log up hil and doun dael thru staej after staej; for when I was awaekend at
last, it was bi a punch in th ribs, and I oepend mi ies to fiend that we wer standing stil befor a larj bilding in
a sity street, and that th dae had allredy broeken long tiem.
'Where ar we?' I askt.
'Bristol,' sed Tom. 'Get doun.'
Mr Trelawney had taeken up his rezidens at an in far doun th doks, to sooperintend th werk upon th
scooner. Thither we had now to wauk, and our wae, to mi graet deliet lae along th quays and besied th graet
multitued o ships of all siezes and rigs and naeshuns. In wun, saelors. wer singing at thair werk; in anuther,
thair wer men alofft hi oever mi hed, hanging to threds that seemd no thiker than a spider's. Tho I had livd
bi th shor all mi lief, I seemd never to hav bin neer th see til then. Th smel of tar and sallt was sumthing
nue. I saw th moest wunderful figureheads, that had all bin far oever th oeshan. I saw, besieds, meny oeld
saelors, with rings in thair eers, and whiskers curld in ringlets, and tarry pigtaels, and thair swagering,
clumzy see-wauk; and if I had seen as meny kings or archbishops I cuud not hav bin mor delieted.
And I was going to see mieself; to see in a scooner, with a pieping boesun, and pig-tailed singing seemen;
to see, bound for an unnoen ieland, and to seek for berryd trezhers!
Whiel I was stil in this delietful dreem, we caem sudenly in frunt of a larj in, and met Sqier Trelawney, all
drest out liek a see-offiser, in stout bloo clauth, cuming out of th dor with a smiel on his faes, and a capital
imitaeshun of a sailor's wauk.
Here U ar,' he cried, 'and th doctor caem last niet frum London. Braavo! th ship's cumpany compleet!'
'Oh, ser,' cried I, 'when do we sael?'
'Sail!' ses he. 'We sael to-morro!'
Chapter VIII
At th Sien of th Spi-Glas
WHEN I had dun breakfasting th sqier gaev me a noet adrest to John Silver, at th sien of th 'spy-glas,' and
toeld me I shuud eezily fiend th plaes bi foloeing th leen of th doks, and keeping a briet luuk-out for a litl
tavern with a larj bras telescoep for sien. I set off, overjoyed at this oportuenity to see sum mor of th ships
and seemen, and pikt mi wae amung a graet croud of peepl and carts and baels, for th dok was now at its
bizyest, until I found th tavern in qeschun.
It was a briet enuf litl plaes of ente finggers rtaenment. Th sien was nuely paented; th windoes had neet red
curtens; th flor was cleenly sanded. Thair was a street on eech sied, and an oepen dor on boeth, which maed
th larj, lo room prity cleer to see in, in spiet of clouds of tobaco smoek.
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Th customers wer moestly seefairing men; and thae taukt so loudly that I hung at th dor, allmoest afraed to
enter.
As I was waeting, a man caem out of a sied room, and, at a glans, I was shur he must be Long John. His left
leg was cut off cloes bi th hip, and under th left shoelder he carryd a cruch, which he manejd with
wunderful dexterrity, hoeping about upon it liek a berd. He was verry tall and strong, with a faes as big as a
ham--plaen and pael, but intelijent and smieling. Indeed, he seemd in th moest cheerful spirits, whisling as
he moovd about amung th taebls, with a merry werd or a slap on th shoelder for th mor favoured of his
gests.
Now, to tel U th trooth, frum th verry ferst menshun of Long John in Sqier Trelawney's leter, I had taeken a
feer in mi miend that he miet proov to be th verry wun-legd saelor hoom I had wocht for so long at th oeld
'Benbow.' But wun luuk at th man befor me was enuf. I had seen th capten, and Blak Daug, and th bliend
man Pue, and I thaut I nue whut a bucaneer was liek--a verry diferent creecher, acording to me, frum this
cleen and plezant-temperd landlord.
I plukt up curej at wuns, crosst th threshhoeld, and waukt riet up to th man wherr he stuud, propt on his
cruch, tauking to a customer.
'Mr Silver, ser?' I askt, hoelding out th noet.
'Yes, mi lad,' sed he; 'such is mi naem, to be shur. And hoo mae U be?' And then as he saw th squire's leter,
he seemd to me to giv sumthing allmoest liek a start.
'Oh!' sed he, qiet loud, and offering his hand, 'I see. U ar our nue cabin--boi; pleezd I am to see U.'
And he tuuk mi hand in his larj ferm grasp.
Just then wun of th customers at th far sied roez sudenly and maed for th dor. It was cloes bi him, and he
was out in th street in a moement. But his hery had atracted mi noetis, and I recogniezd him at a glans. It
was th talo-faest man, wonting too finggers, hoo had cum ferst to th 'Admiral Benbow.'
'Oh,' I cried, 'stop him! it's Blak Daug!'
'I don't cair too coppers hoo he is,' cried Silver. 'but he hasn't paed his scor. Harry, run and cach him.'
Wun of th uthers hoo was neerest th dor leept up, and started in persoot.
'If he wer Admeral Hawke he shal pae his scor,' cried Silver; and then, relinqishing mi hand--'Hoo did U
sae he was?' he askt. 'Black whut?'
'Dog, ser,' sed I. Has Mr Trelawney not toeld U of th buccaneers? He was wun of them.'
'So?' cried Silver. 'In mi hous! Ben, run and help Harry. Wun of thoes swobs, was he? Was that U drinking
with him, Morgan? Step up heer.'
Th man hoom he calld Morgan--an oeld, grae-haired, mahogany-faest saelor--caem forward prity
sheepishly, roeling his quid.
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'Now, Morgan,' sed Long John, verry sternly; 'U never clapt yur ies on that Blak--Blak Daug befor, did U,
now?'
'Not I, ser,' sed Morgan, with a saloot.
'U didn't noe his naem, did U?'
'No, ser.'
'By th powers, Tom Morgan, it's as guud for U!' exclaemd th landlord. 'If U had bin mixt up with th liek of
that, U wuud never hav puut anuther fuut in mi hous, U mae lae to that. And whut was he saeing to yur?'
'I don't rietly noe, ser,' anserd Morgan.
'Do U call that a hed on yur shoelders, or a blesed ded-ie?' cried Long John. 'don't rietly noe, don't U!
Perhaps U don't hapen to rietly noe hoo U wer speeking to, perhaps? Cum, now, whut was he jawing-v'yages, cap'ns, ships? Piep up! Whut was it?'
'We was a-talkin' of keel-halling,' anserd Morgan 'Keel-halling, was U? and a miety sootabl thing, too and
U mae lae to that. Get bak to yur plaes for a lubber Tom.'
And then, as Morgan roeld bak to his seet, Silver aded to me in a confidenshal whisper, that was verry
flatering, as I thaut:-He's qiet an onest man, Tom Morgan, on'y stoopid. An now,' he ran on agen, aloud, 'let's see--Blak Daug?
No, don't noe th naem, not I. Yet I kiend of think I'v--yes, I'v seen th swob. He uezd to cum heer with a
bliend begar he uezd.'
'That he did, U mae be shur,' sed I. 'I nue that bliend man, too. His naem was Pue.'
'It was!' cried Silver, now qiet exsieted. 'Pew! That wer his naem for serten. Aa, he luukt a shark, he did!
If we run doun this Blak Daug, now, thair'l be nues for Capten Trelawney! Ben's a guud runer; fue seemen
run beter than Ben. He shuud run him doun, hand oever hand, bi th powers! He taukt o' keel-halling, did
he? I'l keel-hall him!'
All th tiem he was jerking out thees fraezes he was stumping up and doun th tavern on his cruch, slaping
taebls with his hand, and giving such a sho of exsietment as wuud hav convinst an Oeld Bailey juj or a bow
Street runer. Mi suspishuns had bin theroely re-awaekend on fiending Blak Daug at th 'spy-glas,' and I
wocht th cuuk narroely. But he was too deep, and too redy, and too clever for me, and bi th tiem th too men
had cum bak out of breth, and confest that thae had lost th trak in a croud, and bin scoelded liek theevs, I
wuud hav gon bael for th inosens of Long John Silver.
'See heer, now, Hawkins,' sed he, 'here's a blesed hard thing on a man liek me, now, aint it? Thair's Cap'n
Trelawney--whut's he to think? Heer I hav this confounded sun of a Dutchman siting in mi oen hous,
drinking of mi oen rum! Heer U cums and tels me of it plaen; and heer I let him giv us all th slip befor mi
blesed ded-liets! Now, Hawkins, U do me justis with th cap'n. U'r a lad, U ar, but U'r as smart as paent. I
see that when U ferst caem in. Now, heer it is: Whut cuud I do, with this oeld timber I hobl on? When I was
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an A B master marriner I'd hav cum up alongsied of him, hand oever hand, and broecht him to in a braes of
oeld shaeks, I wuud; but now----'
And then, all of a suden, he stopt, and his jaw droopt as tho he had rememberd sumthing.
'th scor!' he berst out. 'Three goes o' rum! Whi, shiver mi timbers, if I hadn't forgoten mi scor!'
And, falling on a bench, he laft until th teers ran doun his cheeks. I cuud not help joining; and we laft
together, peel after peel, until th tavern rang agen.
'Why, whut a preshus oeld see-caf I am!' he sed, at last, wieping his cheeks. 'U and me shuud get on wel,
Hawkins, for I'l taek mi davy I shuud be raeted ship's boi. But, cum, now, stand bi to go about. This woen't
do. Dooty is dooty, messmates. I'l puut on mi oeld cokt hat, and step along of U to Cap'n Trelawney, and
report this heer afair. For, miend U, it's seerius, yung Hawkins; and neether U nor me's cum out of it with
whut I shuud maek so boeld as to call credit. Nor U neether, ses U; not smart--nun of th pair of us smart.
But dash mi butons! That was a guud 'un about mi scor.'
And he began to laf agen, and that so hartily, that tho I did not see th joek as he did, I was agen obliejd to
join him in his merth.
On our litl wauk along th quays, he maed himself th moest interesting companyon, teling me about th difer
ships that we past bi, thair rig, tunej, and nashunality explaening th werk that was going forward-how wun
was discharjing, anuther taeking in cargo, and a therd maeking redy for see; and evry now and then teling
me sum lit anecdoet of ships or seemen, or repeeting a nautical fraez til I had lernd it perfectly. I began to
see that heer was wun of th best of posibl shipmaets.
When we got to th in, th sqier and Dr Livesey was seeted together, finishing a qort of ael with a toest in it,
befor thae shuud go abord th scooner on a vizit of inspecshun.
Long John toeld th story frum ferst to last, with a graet deel of spirit and th moest perfect trooth. 'That was
how it wer now, wern't it, Hawkins?' he wuud sae, now and agen and I cuud allwaes bair him entierly out.
Th too jentlmen regreted that Blak Daug had got awae but we all agreed thair was nuthing to be dun, and
after I had bin complimented, Long John tuuk up his cruch and departed.
'All hands abord bi foer this afternoon,' shouted th sqier, after him.
'Ay, ay, ser,' cried th cuuk, in th pasej.
'wel, sqier,' sed Dr Livesey, 'I don't puut much faeth in yur discuverys, as a jeneral thing; but I wil sae this,
John Silver soots me.'
'th man's a perfect trump,' declaird th sqier.
'And now,' aded th doctor, 'Jim mae cum on bord with us, mae he not?'
'To be shur he mae,' ses sqier. 'taek yur hat, Hawkins, and we'l see th ship.'
Chapter IX
Pouder and Arms
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TH Hispaniola lae sum wae out, and we went under th figureheads and round th sterns of meny uther ships,
and thair caebls sumtiems graeted underneeth our keel, and sumtiems swung abuv us. At last, however, we
got alongsied, and wer met and salooted as we stept abord bi th maet, Mr Arro, a broun oeld saelor, with
eer-rings in his eers and a sqint. He and th sqier wer verry thik and frendly, but I soon obzervd that things
wer not th saem between Mr Trelawney and th capten.
This last was a sharp-luuking man, hoo seemd anggry with evrything on bord, and was soon to tel
us whi, for we had hardly got doun into th cabin when a saelor foloed us.
'Captain Smollett, ser, axing to speek with U,' sed he. 'I am allwaes at th captain's order. Sho him in,' sed
th sqier.
Th capten, hoo was cloes behiend his mesenjer, enterd at wuns, and shut th dor behiend him.
'wel, Capten Smollett, whut hav U to sae? All wel, I hoep; all shipshaep and seewerthy?'
'wel, ser,' sed th capten, 'better speek plaen, I beleev, eeven at th risk of ofens. I don't liek this
crooz; I don't liek th men; and I don't liek mi offiser. That's short and sweet.'
'Perhaps, ser, U don't liek th ship?' inqierd th sqier, verry anggry, as I cuud see.
'I can't speek as to that, ser, not having seen her tried,' sed th capten. 'she seems a clever craft; mor I can't
sae.'
'Possibly, ser, U mae not liek yur emploier, eether?' ses th sqier.
But heer Dr Livesey cut in.
'Stay a bit,' sed he, 'stay a bit. No ues of such qeschuns as that but to produes il-feeling. Th capten has sed
too much or he has sed too litl, and I'm bound to sae that I reqier an explanaeshun of his werds. U don't, U
sae, liek this crooz. Now, whi?'
'I was engaejd, ser, on whut we call scaeld orders, to sael this ship for that jentlman wherr he shuud bid
me,' sed th capten. 'so far so guud. But now I fiend that evry man befor th mast noes mor than I do. I don't
call that far now, do U?'
'No,' sed Dr Livesey, 'I don't.'
'Next,' sed th capten, 'I lern we ar going after trezher--heer it frum mi oen hands, miend U. Now, trezher
ticklish werk; I don't liek trezher voiejes on eny acount; and I don't liek them, abuv all, when thae ar
seecret, and when (beging yur pardon, Mr Trelawney) th seecret has bin toeld to th parrot.'
'Silver's parrot?' askt th sqier.
'It's a wae of speeking,' sed th capten. 'blabbed, I meen. It's mi beleef neether of U jentlmen noe whut U ar
about; but I'l tel U mi wae of it--lief or deth, and a cloes run.'
'That is all cleer, and, I daresay, troo enuf,' replied Livesey. 'We taek th risk; but we ar not so ignorant as U
beleev us. Next, U sae U don't liek th croo. Ar thae not guud seemen?'
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'I don't liek them, ser,' reternd Capten Smollett. 'And I think I shuud hav had th choozing of mi oen hands,
U go to that.'
'Perhaps U shuud,' replied th doctor. 'My frend shuud, perhaps, hav taeken U along with him; but th sliet, if
thair be wun, was unintentional. And U don't liek Mr Arro?'
'I don't, ser. I beleev he's a guud seeman; but he's too free with th croo to be a guud offiser. A maet shuud
keep himself to himself--shuudn't drink with th men befor th mast!'
'Do U meen he drinks?' cried th sqier.
'No, ser,' replied th capten; 'only that he's too familyar.'
'wel, now, and th short and long of it, capten?' askt th doctor. 'tell us whut U wont.'
'wel, jentlmen, ar U determind to go on this crooz?'
'Like ieern,' anserd th sqier.
'Very guud,' sed th capten. 'then, as U'v herd me verry paeshently, saeing things that I cuud not proov, heer
me a fue werds mor. Thae ar puuting th pouder and th arms in th for hoeld. Now, U hav a guud plaes under
th cabin; whi not puut them thair?--ferst point. Then U ar bringing foer of yur oen peepl with U, and thae
tel me sum of them ar to be berthed forward. Whi not giv them th berths heer besied th cabin?--second
point.'
'Any mor?' askt Mr Trelawney.
'One mor,' sed th capten.'ther's bin too much blabbing allredy.'
'Far too much,' agreed th doctor.
'I'l tel U whut I'v herd mieself,' continued Capten Smollett: 'that U hav a map of an ieland; that thair's
crosses on th map to sho wherr trezher is; and that th ieland lies----' And then he naemd th latitued and
lonjitued exactly.
'I never toeld that,' cried th sqier, 'to a soel!'
'th hands noe it, ser,' reternd th capten.
'Livesey, that must hav bin U or Hawkins,' cried th sqier.
'It duzn't much mater hoo it was,' replied th doctor. And I cuud see that neether he nor th capten paed
much regard to Mr Trelawney's proetestaeshuns. Neether did I, to be shur, he was so loos a tauker; yet in
this caes I beleev he was reealy riet, and that noebody had toeld th sichuaeshun of th ieland.
'wel, jentlmen,' continued th capten, 'I don't noe hoo has this map; but I maek it a point, it shal be kept
seecret eeven frum me and Mr Arro. Utherwiez I wuud ask U to let me rezien.'
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'I see,' sed th doctor. 'U wish us to keep this mater dark, and to maek a garrison of th stern part of th ship,
mand with mi friend's oen peepl, and provieded with all th arms and pouder on bord. In uther werds, U feer
a muetiny.'
'Sir,' sed Capten Smollett, 'with no intenshun to taek ofens, I deni yur riet to puut werds into mi mouth. No
capten, ser, wuud be justified in going to see at all if he had ground enuf to sae that. As for Mr Arro, I
beleev hi theroely onest; sum of th men ar th saem; all mae be for whut I noe. But I am responsibl for th
ship's saefty and th lief of evry man Jak abord of her. I see thins going, as I think, not qiet riet. And I ask U
to taek serten precaushuns, or let me rezien mi berth. And that's all.'
'Captain Smollett,' began th doctor, with a smiel, 'did ever U heer th faebl of th mounten and th mous? U
excuez me, I daresay, but U remiend me of that faebl. When U caem in heer I'l staek mi wig U ment mor
than this.'
'Doctor,' sed th capten, 'U ar smart. When I can in heer I ment to get discharjd. I had no thaut that Mr
Trelawney wuud heer a werd.'
'No mor I wuud,' cried th sqier. Had Livesey not bin heer I shuud hav seen U to th deuce. As it is, I hav
heer U. I wil do as U dezier; but I think th wers of U.'
'That's as U pleez, ser,' sed th capten. 'U'll fiend I do mi duety.'
And with that he tuuk his leev.
'Trelawney,' sed th doctor, 'contrary to all mi noeshuns, I beleev U hav manejd to get too onest men on bord
with U--that man and John Silver.'
'Silver, if U liek,' cried th sqier; 'but as for th intolerabl humbug, I declair I think his conduct unmanly,
unsailorly, and dounriet un-English.'
'Well,' ses th doctor, 'we shal see.'
When we caem on dek, th men had begun allredy to taek out th arms and pouder, U-ho-ing at thair werk,
whiel th capten and Mr Arro stuud bi superintending.
Th nue araenjment was qiet to mi lieking. Th hoel scooner had bin overhauled; six berths had bin mad
astern, out of whut had bin th after-part of th maen hoeld and this set of cabins was oenly joind to th galy
and foeksel bi a sparred pasej on th port sied. It had bin orijinaly ment that th capten, Mr Arro, Hunter,
Joyce th doctor, and th sqier, wer to ocuepi thees six berths Now, Redruth and I wer to get too of them, and
Mr Arro and th capten wer to sleep on dek in th companyon, which had bin enlarjd on eech sied til U miet
allmoest hav calld it a round-hous. Verry lo it was stil, of cors; but thair was room to swing too hamoks,
and eeven th maet seemd pleezd with th araenjment. Eeven he, perhaps, had bin doutful as to th croo, but
that is oenly ges; for, as U shal heer, we had not long th benefit of his opinyon.
We wer all hard at werk, chaenjing th pouder and th berths, when th last man or too, and Long John along
with them, caem off in a shor-boet.
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Th cuuk caem up th sied liek a munky for clevernes, and, as soon as he saw whut was doing, 'So ho,
maets!' ses he, 'What's this?'
'We're a-chaenjing of th pouder, Jak,' ansers wun.
'Why, bi th powers,' cried Long John, 'if we do, we'l mis th morning tied!'
'My orders!' sed th capten shortly. 'U mae go belo, mi man. Hands wil wont super.'
'Ay, ay, ser,' anserd th cuuk; and, tuching his forlok, he disapeerd at wuns in th direcshun of his galy.
'That's a guud man, capten,' sed th doctor.
'Very liekly ser,' replied Capten Smollett. 'easy with that, men--eezy,' he ran on, to th feloes hoo wer
shifting th pouder; and then sudenly obzerving me examining th swivel we carryd amidships, a long bras
nien--'here, U ship's boi,' he cried, 'out o' that! Off with U to th cuuk and get sum werk.'
And then as I was herying off I herd him sae, qiet loudly, to th doctor:-'I'l hav no favourites on mi ship.' I ashur U I was qiet of th squire's wae of thinking, and haeted th capten
deeply.
Chapter X
Th Voiej
ALL that niet we wer in a graet busl geting things stoed in thair plaes, and boatfuls of th squire's frends, Mr
Blandly and th liek, cuming off to wish him a guud voiej and a saef retern. We never had a niet at th
'Admiral Benbow' when I had haf th werk; and I was daug-tierd when a litl befor daun, th boesun sounded
his piep, and th croo began to man th capstan-bars. I miet hav bin twies as weery, yet I wuud not hav left th
dek; all was so nue and interesting to me-th breef comands, th shril not of th whisl, th men busling to thair
plaeses in th glimer of th ship's lanterns.
'Now, Barbecue, tip us a staev,' cried wun vois.
'th oeld wun,' cried anuther.
'Ay, ay, maets,' sed Long John, hoo was standing bi with his cruch under his arm, and at wuns broek out in
th air and werds I nue so wel-'Fifteen men on th ded man's chest--'
And then th hoel croo bor corus:-'Yo--ho--ho, and a botl of rum!'
And at th therd Ho!' droev th bars befor them with a wil Eeven at that exsieting moement it carryd me bak
to th oeld 'Admiral Benbow' in a second; and I seemd to heer th vois of th capten pieping in th corus. But
soon th ankor was short up; soon it was hanging driping at th bows; soon th saels began to draw, and th
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land and shiping to flit bi on eether sied; and befor I cuud lie doun to snach an our of slumber th Hispaniola
had begun her voiej to th Iel of Trezher.
I am not going to relaet that voiej in deetael. It was fairly prosperus. Th ship proovd to be a guud ship, th
croo wer caepabl seemen, and th capten theroely understuud his biznes. But befor we caem th length of
Trezher Ieland, too or three things had hapend which reqier to be noen.
Mr Arro, ferst of all, ternd out eeven wers than th capten had feerd. He had no comand amung th men, and
peepl did whut thae pleezd with him. But that was bi no meens th werst of it; for after a dae or too at see he
began to apeer on dek with haezy ie, red cheeks, stutering tung, and uther marks of drunkennes. Tiem after
tiem he was orderd belo in disgraes. Sumtiems he fel and cut himself; sumtiems he lae all dae long in his
litl bunk at wun sied of th companyon; sumtiems for a dae or too he wuud be allmoest soeber and atend to
his werk at leest passably.
In th meentiem, we cuud never maek out wherr he got th drink. That was th ship's mistery. Woch him as we
pleezd, we cuud do nuthing to solv it; and when we askt him to his faes, he wuud oenly laf, if he wer drunk,
and if he wer soeber, deni solemly that he ever taested enything but wauter.
He was not oenly uesles as an offiser, and a bad inflooens amungst th men, but it was plaen that at this raet
he must soon kil himself outriet; so noebody was much serpriezd, nor verry sorry, when wun dark niet, with
a hed see, he disapeerd entierly and was seen no mor.
'Overboard!' sed th capten.'wel, jentlmen, that saevs th trubl of puuting him in ieerns.'
But thair we wer, without a maet; and it was nesesairy, of cors, to advans wun of th men. Th boesun, Job
Anderson, was th likeliest man abord, and, tho he kept his oeld tietl, he servd in a wae as maet. Mr
Trelawney had foloed th see, and his nolej maed him verry uesful, for he offen tuuk a woch himself in eezy
wether. And th coxson, Israel Hands, was a cairful, wily, oeld, expeeryenst seeman, hoo cuud be trusted at
a pinch with allmoest enything.
He was a graet confidant of Long John Silver, and so th menshun of his naem leeds me on to speek of our
ship's cuuk, Barbecue, as th men calld him.
Abord ship he carryd his cruch bi a lan-yard round his nek to hav boeth hands as free as posibl. It was
sumthing to see him wej th fuut of th cruch agenst a bulkhed, and propt agenst it, yeelding to evry
moovment of th ship, get on with his cuuking liek sumwun saef ashor. Stil mor straenj was it to see him in
th hevyest of wether cross th dek. He had a leen or too rigd up to help him across th wiedest spaeses--Long
John's eer-rings, thae wer calld; and he would' hand himself frum wun plaes to anuther, now uezing th
cruch now traeling it alongsied bi th lan-yard, as qikly as anuther man cuud wauk. Yet sum of th men hoo
had saeld with him befor exprest thair pity to see him so reduest.
He's no comon man, Barbecue,' sed th coxson to me. He had guud scooling in his yung daes, and can
speek liek a buuk when so miended; and braev--a lion's nuthing alongsied of Long John! I seen him grapl
foer, and nok thair heds together--him unarmd.'
All th croo respected and eeven oebaed him. He had a wae of tauking to eech, and doing evrybody sum
particuelar servis. To me he was unweariedly kiend; and allwaes glad to see me in th galy, which he kept as
cleen as a nue pin th dishes hanging up bernisht, and his parrot in a caej in wun corner.
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'Come awae, Hawkins,' he wuud sae; 'come and hav yarn with John. Noebody mor welcum than yurself, mi
sun Sit U doun and heer th nues. Heer's Cap'n Flint--I call mi parrot Cap'n Flint, after th faemus bucaneer-heer Cap'n Flint predicting sucses to our v'yage. Wasn't U cap'n?'
And th parrot wuud sae, with graet rapidity, 'Pieces of aet! peeses of aet! peeses of aet!' til U wunderd than
it was not out of breth, or til John throo his hankerchif oever th caej.
'Now, that berd,' he wuud sae, 'is, mae be, too hundred yeers oeld, Hawkins--thae lievs for ever moestly;
and if anybody's seen mor wikednes, it must be th devil himself. She's saeld with England, th graet Cap'n
England, th pieret. She's bin at Madagascar, and a Malabar, and Surinam, and Providens, and Portobello.
She was at th fishing up of th rekt plaet ships. It's thair she lernd ' 'Pieces of aet,'' and litl wunder; three
hundred and fifty thouzand of 'em, Hawkins! She was at th bording of th Viesroi of th Indies out of Goa,
she was; and to luuk at her U wuud think she was a babby. But U smelt pouder--didn't U, cap'n?'
'Stand bi to go about,' th parrot wuud screem.
'Ah, she's a hansum craft, she is,' th cuuk wuud sae, and giv her shuugar frum his poket, and then th berd
wuud pek at th bars and swair straet on, pasing beleef for wikednes.'ther,' John wuud ad, 'U can't tuch pich
and not be mucked, lad. Heer's this pur oeld inosent berd o' meen swairing bloo fier, and nun th wiezer, U
mae lae to that. She wuud swair th saem, in a maner of speeking, befor chaplin.' And John wuud tuch his
forlok with a solem wae he had, that maed me think he was th best of men.
In th meentiem, th sqier and Capten Smollett wer stil on prity distant terms with wun anuther. Th sqier
maed no boens about th mater; he despiezd th capten. Th capten, on his part, never spoek but when he was
spoeken to, and then sharp and short and dri, and not a werd waested. He oend, when driven into a corner,
that he seemd to hav bin rong about th croo, that sum of them wer as brisk as he wonted to see, and all had
behaevd fairly wel. As for th ship, he had taeken a dounriet fansy to her. 'she'll lie a point neerer th wind
than a man has a riet to expect of his oen marryd wief, ser. But,' he wuud ad, 'All I sae is we'r not hoem
agen, and I don't liek th crooz.'
Th sqier, at this, wuud tern awae and march up and doun th dek, chin in air.
'A triefl mor of that man,' he wuud sae, 'and I shal exploed.'
We had sum hevy wether, which oenly proovd th qolitys of th Hispaniola. Evry man on bord seemd wel
content, and thae must hav bin hard to pleez if thae had bin utherwiez; for it is mi beleef thair was never a
ship's cumpany so spoild sinss Noah puut to see. Dubl grog was going on th leest excues; thair was duff on
od daes, as, for instans, if th sqier herd it was eny man's berthdae; and allwaes a barrel of apls standing
broecht in th waest for enywun to help himself that had a fansy.
'Never nue guud cum of it yet,' th capten sed to Dr Livesey. 'spoil foc's'le hands, maek devils. That's mi
beleef.'
But guud did cum of th apl barrel, as U shal heer for if it had not bin for that, we shuud hav had no noet of
worning, and miet all hav perrisht bi th hand of trechery.
This was how it caem about.
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We had run up th traeds to get th wind of th ieland we wer after--I am not alowd to be mor plaen--and now
we wer runing doun for it with a briet luuk-out dae and niet. It was about th last dae of our outward voiej, bi
th larjest compuetaeshun; sum tiem that niet, or, at laetest, befor noon of th morro, we shuud siet th Trezher
Ieland. We wer heding S.S.W., and had a stedy breez abeam and a qieet see. Th Hispaniola roeld stedily,
diping her bowsprit nod and then with a whiff of sprae. All was drawing alow and alofft evrywun was in th
braevest spirits, becauz we wer now so neer an end of th ferst part of our advencher.
Now, just after sundoun, when all mi werk was oever, and I was on mi wae to mi berth, it ocurd to me that I
shuud liek an apl. I ran on dek. Th woch was all forward luuking out for th ieland. Th man at th helm was
woching th luff of th sael, and whisling awae jently to himself; and that was th oenly sound exsepting th
swish of th see agenst th bow.' and around th sieds of th ship.
In I got bodily into th apl barrel, and found thair was scairs an apl left; but, siting doun thair in th dark,
whut with th sound of th wauters and th roking moovment of th ship, I had eether fallen asleep, or was on
th point of doing so, when a hevy man sat doun with rather a clash cloes bi Th barrel shuuk as he leend his
shoelders agenst it, and I was just about to jump up when th man began to speek It was Silver's vois, and,
befor I had herd a duzen werds. I wuud not hav shoen mieself for all th werld, but lae thair, trembling and
lisening, in th extreem of feer and cueriosity; for frum thees duzen werds I understuud that th lievs of all th
onest men abord depended upon me aloen.
Chapter XI
Whut I Herd in th Apl Barrel
'NO, not I,' sed Silver. 'Flint was cap'n; I was qortermaster, along of mi timber leg. Th saem braudsied I
lost mi leg, oeld Pue lost his deadlights. It was a master serjen, him that ampytated me--out of colej and all-Latin bi th buket, and whut not; but he was hangd liek a daug, and sun-dried liek th rest, at Corso Casl.
That was Roberts' men, that was, and comed of chaenjing naems to thair ships--Roial Forchun and so on.
Now, whut a ship was crisend, so let her stae, I ses. So it was with th Cassandra as braut us all saef hoem
frum Malabar, after England tuuk th Viesroi of th Indies; so it was with th oeld Wolrus, Flint's oeld ship, as
I'v seen amuck with th red blud and fit to sink with goeld.'
'Ah!' cried anuther vois, that of th yunggest hand on bord, and evidently fuul of admeraeshun, He was th
flower of th flok, was Flint!'
'Davis was a man, too, bi all acounts,' sed Silver. 'I never saeld along of him; ferst with England, then with
Flint, that's mi story; and now heer on mi oen acount, in a maner of speeking. I laed bi nien hundred saef,
frum England, and too thouzand after Flint. That aint bad for a man befor th mast--all saef in bank. 'Tain't
erning now, it's saeving duz it, U mae lae to that. Wherr's all England's men now? I dunno. Wherr's Flint's?
Whi, moest on 'em abord heer, and glad to get th duff--bin beging befor that, sum on 'em. Oeld Pue, as had
lost his siet, and miet hav thaut shaem, spends twelv hundred pound in a yeer, liek a lord in Parlament.
Wherr is he now? Wel, he's ded now and under hatches; but for too yeer befor that, shiver mi timbers! th
man was starving. He begd, and he stoel, and he cut throets, and starvd at that, bi th powers!'
'wel, it aint much ues, after all,' sed th yung seeman.
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' 'Tain't much ues for fools, U mae lae to it--that, nor nuthing,' cried Silver. 'but now, U luuk heer: U'r yung,
U ar, but U'r as smart as paent. I see that when I set mi ies on U, and I'l tauk to U liek a man.'
U mae imajin how I felt when I herd this abominabl oeld roeg adresing anuther in th verry saem werds of
flatery as he had uezd to mieself. I think, if I had bin aebl, that wuud hav kild him thru th barrel. Meentiem,
he ran on, litl supoezing he was oeverherd.
Here it is about jentlmen of forchun. Thae lievs ruf and thae risk swinging, but thae eet and drink liek
fieting cocks, and when a crooz is dun, whi, it's hundreds of pounds insted of hundreds of farthings in thair
pokets. Now, th moest goes for rum and a guud fling, and to see agen in thair sherts. But that's not th cors I
lae. I puuts it all awae, sum heer, sum thair, and nun too much anywheres, bi reezon of suspishun. I'm fifty,
mark U; wuns bak frum this crooz I set up jentlman in ernest. Tiem enuf, too, ses U Aa, but I'v livd eezy in
th meentiem; never denied mieself o nuthing hart deziers, and slep' sofft and aet daenty all mi daes, but
when at see. And how did I begin? Befor th mast liek U!'
'wel,' sed th uther, 'but all th uther money's gon now aint it? U daren't sho faes in Bristol after this.'
'Why, wherr miet U supoez it was?' askt Silver deriesivly.
'At Bristol, in banks and plaeses,' anserd his companyon 'it wer,' sed th cuuk; 'it wer when we waed ankor
But mi oeld missis has it all bi now. And th ' 'Spy-glass'' is soeld, lees and guud-wil and riging; and th oeld
girl's of to meet me. I wuud tel U wherr, for I trust U; but it 'ud maek jelusy amung th maets.'
'And can U trust yur missis?' askt th uther.
'Gentlemen of forchun,' reternd th cuuk, 'usually trusts litl amung themselvs, and riet thae ar, U mae lae to
it. But I hav a wae with me, I hav. When a maet brings a slip on his caebl--wun as noes me, I meen--it
woen't be in th saem werld with oeld John. Thair was sum that was feerd of Pue, and sum that was feerd of
Flint; but Flint his oen self was feerd of me. Feerd he was, and proud. Thae was th rufest croo afloet, was
Flint's; th devil himself wuud hav bin feerd to go to see with them. Wel, now, I tel U, I'm not a boesting
man, and U seen yurself how eezy I keep cumpany; but when I was qortermaster, lams wasn't th werd for
Flint's oeld buccaneers. Aa, U mae be shur of yurself in oeld John's ship.'
'wel, I tel U now,' replied th lad, 'I didn't haf a qorter liek th job til I had this tauk with U, John; but thair's
mi hand on it now.'
'And a braev lad U wer, and smart, too,' anserd Silver, shaeking hands so hartily that all th barrel shuuk,
'and a fiener figuer-hed for a jentlman of forchun I never clapt mi ies on.'
Bi this tiem I had begun to understand th meening of thair terms. Bi a 'gentleman of fortune' thae plaenly
ment neether mor nor les than a comon pieret, and th litl seen that I had oeverherd was th last act in th
corupshun of wun of th onest hands--perhaps of th last wun left abord. But on this point I was soon to be
releevd for Silver giving a litl whisl, a therd man stroeld up and sat doun bi th party.
'Dick's sqair,' sed Silver.
'Oh, I know'd Dick was sqair,' reternd th vois of th coxson, Israel Hands. He's no fool, is Dick.' And he
ternd his quid and spat. 'but, luuk heer,' he went on, heer's whut I wont to noe, Barbecue: how long ar we a-
260
going to stand off and on liek a blesed bumboet? I'v had a' moest enuf o Cap'n Smollett; he's hazed me long
enuf, bi thunder! I wont to go into that cabin, I do. I wont thair pikls and wiens, and that.'
'Israel,' sed Silver, 'Ur hed aint much acount, nor ever was. But U'r aebl to heer, I rekon; leastways, yur
eers is big enuf. Now, heer's whut I sae: U'l berth forward, and U'l liv hard, and U'l speek sofft, and U'l
keep soeber, til I giv th werd; and U mae lae to that, mi sun.'
'wel, I don't sae no, do I?' grould th coxson. 'What I sae is, when? That's whut I sae.'
'When! bi th powers!' cried Silver.'wel, now, if U wont to noe, I'l tel U when. Th last moement I can
manej; and that's when. Heer's a ferst-raet seeman, Cap'n Smollett, saels th blesed ship for us. Heer's this
sqier and doctor with a map and such--I don't noe wherr it is, do I? No mor do U, ses U. Wel, then, I meen
this sqier and doctor shal fiend th stuf, and help us to get it abord, bi th powers. Then we'l see. If was shur
of U all, suns of dubl Dutchmen, I'd hav Cap'n Smollett navigaet us haf-wae bak agen befor struk.'
'Why, we'r all seemen abord heer, I shuud think,' sed th lad Dick.
'We're all foc's'le hands, U meen,' snapt Silver 'We can steer a cors, but hoo's to set wun? That's whut all U
jentlmen split on, ferst and last. If I had mi wae I'd hav Cap'n Smollett werk us bak into th traeds a' leest;
then we'd hav no blesed miscalculations and a spoonful of wauter a dae. But I noe th sort U ar. I'l finish
with 'em at th ieland, as soon's th blunt's on bord and a pity it is. But U'r never hapy til U'r drunk Split mi
sieds, I'v a sik hart to sael with th lieks of U!
'Easy all, Long John,' cried Israel. 'Hoo's a-crossing of U?'
'Why, how meny tall ships, think ye, now, hav I seen laed abord? and how meny brisk lads drieing in th
sun at Execueshun Dok?' cried Silver, 'And all for this saem hery and hery and hery. U heer me? I seen a
thing or too at see, I hav. If U wuud on'y lae yur cors and a p 'int to windward, U wuud ried in carrejes, U
wuud. But not U! I noe U. U'l hav yur mouthful of rum to-morro, and go hang.'
'Everybody know'd U was a kiend of a chapling, John; but thair's uthers as cuud hand and steer as wel as
U,' sed Israel. 'thae liekt a bit o' fun, thae did. Thae wasn't so hi. and dri, nohow, but tuuk thair fling, liek
joly companyons evry wun.'
'So?' ses Silver.'wel, and wherr ar thae now? Pue was that sort, and he died a begar-man. Flint was, and he
died of rum at Savannah. Aa, thae was a sweet croo thae was! on'y, wherr ar thae?'
'But,' askt Dick, 'When we do lae 'em athwort, whut ar we to do with 'em, enyhow?'
'ther's th man for me!' cried th cuuk, admieringly. 'that's whut I call biznes. Wel, whut wuud U think? Puut
'em ashor liek maroons? That wuud hav bin England's wae. Or cut 'em doun liek that much pork? That
wuud hav bin Flint's or Billy Bones's.'
'Billy was th man for that,' sed Israel. '''Dead men don't biet,'' ses he. Wel, he's ded now himself; he noes th
long and short on it now; and if ever a ruf hand cum to port, it was Billy.'
'Right U ar,' sed Silver, 'rough and redy. But mark U heer: I'm an eezy man--I'm qiet th jentlman, ses U;
but this tiem it's seerius. Dooty is dooty, maets. I giv mi voet--deth. When I'm in Parlyment, and rieding in
261
mi coech, I don't wont nun of thees see--lawyers in th cabin a-cuming hoem, unlooked for, liek th devil at
prairs. Waet is whut I sae; but when th tiem cums, whi let her rip!'
'John,' cries th coxson, 'U'r a man!'
'U'll sae so, Israel, when U see,' sed Silver. 'only wun thing I claem--I claem Trelawney. I'l ring his calf's
hed off his body with thees hands. Dick!' he aded, braeking off, 'U just jump up, liek a sweet lad, and get
me an apl, to wet mi piep liek.'
U mae fansy th terror I was in! I shuud hav leept out and run for it, if I had found th strength; but mi lims
and hart aliek misgave me. I herd Dick begin to riez, and then sumwun seemingly stopt him, and th vois of
Hands exclaemd:-'Oh, stow that! Don't U get suking of that bilj, John. Let's hav a go of th rum.'
'Dick,' sed Silver, 'I trust U. I'v a gaej on th keg, miend. Thair's th kee; U fil a pannikin and bring it up.'
Terrified as I was, I cuud not help thinking to mieself that this must hav bin how Mr Arro got th strong
wauters that destroid him.
Dick was gon but a litl whiel, and during his absens Israel spoek straet on in th cook's eer. It was but a werd
or too that I cuud cach, and yet I gatherd sum important nues; for, besieds uther scraps that tended to th sam
perpos, this hoel clauz was audibl: 'Not anuther man of them'll jine.' Hens thair wer stil faethful men on
bord When Dick reternd, wun after anuther of th treeo tuuk th pannikin and drank-wun 'to luck'; anuther
with a Here's to oeld Flint'; and Silver himself saeing, in a kiend of song Here's to ourselvs, and hoeld yur
luff, plenty of priezes and plenty of duff.'
Just then a sort of brietnes fel upon me in th barrel and luuking up, I found th moon had rizen, and was
silvering, th mizen-top and shiening whiet on th luff of th for-sael and allmoest at th saem tiem th vois of th
luuk-out shouted 'land ho!'
Chapter XII
Counsil of Wor
THAIR was a graet rush of feet across th dek. I cuud heer peepl tumbling up frum th cabin and th foc's'le;
and, sliping in an instant outsied mi barrel, I dievd behiend th for-sael, maed a dubl tords th stern, and caem
out upon th oepen dek in tiem to join Hunter and Dr Livesey in th rush for th wether bow.
Thair all hands wer allredy conggregaeted. A belt of fog had lifted allmoest siemultaeniusly with th
apeerans of th moon. Awae to th south-west of us we saw too lo hils, about a cupl of miels apart, and
riezing behiend wun of them a therd and hieer hil, hoos peek was stil berryd in th fog. All three seemd
sharp and conical in figuer.
So much I saw, allmoest in a dreem, for I had not yet recuverd frum mi horrid feer of a minit or too befor.
And then I herd th vois of Capten Smollett ishooing orders. Th Hispaniola was laed a cupl of points neerer
th wind, and now saeld a cors that wuud just cleer th ieland on th eest.
'And now, men,' sed th capten, when all was sheeted hoem, Has eny wun of U ever seen that land ahed?'
262
'I hav, ser,' sed Silver.'I'v wauterd thair with a traeder I was cuuk in.'
'th ankorej is on th south, behiend an ielet, I fansy?' askt th capten.
'Yes, ser; Skeleton Ieland thae calls it. It wer a maen plaes for pierets wuns, and a hand we had on bord
knowed all thair naems for it. That hil to th nor'ard thae calls th For-mast Hil; thair ar three hils in a ro
runing south'ard--for, maen, and mizen, ser. But th maen--that's th big 'un, with th cloud on it--thae
uezhualy calls th Spi-glas, bi reezon of a luuk-out thae kept when thae was in th ankorej cleening; for it's
thair thae cleend thair ships, ser, asking yur pardon.'
'I hav a chart heer,' ses Capten Smollett. 'see if that's th plaes.'
Long John's ies bernd in his hed as he tuuk th char but, bi th fresh luuk of th paeper, I nue he was doom to
disapointment. This was not th map we found in Billy Bones's chest, but an acueret copy, compleet in all
things--naems and hiets and soundings--with th singgl exsept it of th red crosses and th riten noets. Sharp as
must hav bin his anoians, Silver had th strength of miend to hied it.
'Yes, ser,' sed he, 'this is th spot to be shur; and verry pritily drawed out. Hoo miet hav dun that, I wunder
Th pierets wer too ignorant, I rekon. Ay, heer it is: ''Capt. Kidd's Anchorage''--just th naem mi shipmaet
calld it. Thair's a strong curent runs along th south, and then awae nor'ard up th west coest. Riet U was, ser,'
ses he, hall yur wind and keep th wether of th ieland. Leastways, if such was yur intenshun as to enter and
careen, and th ain'T no beter plaes for that in thees wauters.
'Thank U, mi man,' ses Capten Smollett. 'I'l ask U laeter on, to giv us a help. U mae go.'
I was serpriezd at th coolnes with which John avowd his nolej of th ieland; and I oen I was haf-frighten'
when I saw him drawing neerer to mieself. He did not noe to be shur, that I had oeverherd his counsil frum
th apl barrel, and yet I had, bi this tiem, taeken such a horror his crooelty, dooplisity, and power, that I cuud
scairs conseel a shuder when he laed his hand upon mi arm.
'Ah,' ses he, 'this heer is a sweet spot, this ieland--a sweet spot for a lad to get ashor on. U'l baeth, and U'l
cliem trees, and U'l hunt goets, U wil; and U'l get alofft them hils liek a goet yurself. Whi, it maeks me
yung agen I was going to forget mi timber leg, I was. It's a plezant thing to be yung, and hav ten toes, and U
mae lae that. When U wont to go a bit of exploring, U just an oeld John, and he'l puut up a snak for U to
taek along.'
And claping me in th friendliest wae upon th shoelder he hobld off forward and went belo.
Capten Smollett, th sqier, and Dr Livesey wer tauking together on th qorterdek, and, ankshus as I was to tel
them mi story, I durst not interupt them oepenly. Whiel I was stil casting about in mi thauts to fiend sum
probabl excues, Dr Livesey calld me to his sied. He had left his piep belo, and being a slaev to tobaco, had
ment that I shuud fech it; but as soon as I was neer enuf ta speek and not to be oeverherd, I broek out
imeedyetly: 'Doctor, let me speek. Get th capten and sqier doun to th cabin, and then maek sum preetens to
send for me. I hav terribl nues.'
Th doctor chaenjd countenans a litl, but next moement he was master of himself.
'Thank U, Jim,' sed he, qiet loudly, 'that was all I wonted to noe,' as if he had askt me a qeschun.
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And with that he ternd on his heel and rejoind th uther too. Thae spoek together for a litl, and tho nun of
them started, or raezd his vois, or so much as whisld, it was plaen enuf that Dr Livesey had comuenicaeted
mi reqest; for th next thing that I herd was th capten giving an order to Job Anderson, and all hands wer
piept on dek.
'My lads,' sed Capten Smollett, 'I'v a werd to sae to U. This land that we hav sieted is th plaes we hav bin
saeling for. Mr Trelawney, being a verry oepen-handed jentlman, as we all noe, has just askt me a werd or
too, and as I was aebl to tel him that evry man on bord had dun his duety, alow and alofft, as I never ask to
see it dun beter, whi, he and I and th doctor ar going belo to th cabin to drink yur helth and luk, and U'l hav
grog servd out for U to drink our helth and luk. I'l tel U whut I think of this: I think it hansum. And if U
think as I do, U'l giv a guud see cheer for th jentlman that duz it.'
Th cheer foloed--that was a mater of cors; but it rang out so fuul and harty, that I confes I cuud hardly
beleev thees saem men wer ploting for our blud.
'One mor cheer for Cap'n Smollett,' cried Long John, when th ferst had subsieded.
And this allso was given with a wil.
On th top of that th three jentlmen went belo, and not long after, werd was sent forward that Jim Hawkins
was wonted in th cabin.
I found them all three seeted round th taebl, a botl of Spanish wien and sum raezins befor them, and th
doctor smoeking awae, with his wig on his lap, and that, I nue, was a sien that he was ajitaeted. Th stern
windo was oepen, for it was a worm niet, and U cuud see th moon shiening behiend on th ship's waek.
'Now, Hawkins,' sed th sqier, 'U hav sumthing sae. Speek up.'
I did as I was bid, and as short as I cuud maek it, to th hoel deetaels of Silver's conversaeshun. Noebody
interupted me til I was dun, nor did eny wun of th three of them maek so much as a moovment, but thae
kept thair ies upon mi faes frum ferst to last.
'Jim,' sed Dr Livesey, 'taek a seet.' And thae maed me sit doun at taebl besied them, pord me out a glas of
wien, fild mi hands with raezins, and three, wun after th uther, and eech with a bow, drank mi guud helth,
and thair servis to me, for mi luk and curej.
'Now, capten,' sed th sqier, 'U wer riet, and I was rong. I oen mieself an as, and I awaet yur orders.'
'No mor an as than I, ser,' reternd th capten. 'I never herd of a croo that ment to muetiny but whut shood
siens befor, for eny man that had an ie in his hed to see th mischif and taek steps acording. But this croo,' he
aded 'beats me.'
'Captain,' sed th doctor, 'with yur permishun, that Silver. A verry remarkabl man.'
He'd luuk remarkably wel frum a yard-arm, ser,' reternd th capten. 'But this is tauk; this don't leed to
enything. I see three or foer points, and with Mr Trelawney's permishun I'l naem them.'
'U, ser, ar th capten. It is for U to speek,' ses Mr Trelawney, grandly.
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'First point,' began Mr Smollett. 'We must go on, becauz we can't tern bak. If I gaev th werd to go about,
thae wuud riez at wuns. Second point, we hav tiem befor us--at leest until this treasure's found. Therd point,
thair ar faethful hands. Now, ser, it's got to cum to bloes sooner or laeter and whut I propoez is, to taek tiem
bi th forlok, as th saeing is, and cum to bloes sum fien dae when thae leest expect it. We can count, I taek it,
on yur oen hoem servants, Mr Trelawney?'
'As upon mieself,' declaird th sqier.
'Three,' rekond th capten, 'ourselves maek seven, counting Hawkins, heer. Now, about th onest hands?'
'Most liekly Trelawney's oen men,' sed th doctor; 'those he had pikt up for himself, befor he lit on Silver.'
'Nay,' replied th sqier, 'hands was wun of meen.'
'I did think I cuud hav trusted Hands,' aded th capten.
'And to think that thae'r all Englishmen!' broek out th sqier. 'sir, I cuud fiend it in mi hart to blo th ship up.'
'wel, jentlmen,' sed th capten,'th best that I can sae is not much. We must lae to, if U pleez, and keep a briet
luuk out. It's trieing on a man, I noe. It wuud be pleasanter to cum to bloes. But thair's no help for it til we
noe our men. Lae to, and whisl for a wind, that's mi vue.'
'Jim heer,' sed th doctor, 'can help us mor than enywun. Th men ar not, shi with him, and Jim is a noetising
lad.'
Hawkins, I puut prodijus faeth in U,' aded th sqier.
I began to feel prity desperet at this, for I felt alltogether helples; and yet, bi an od traen of sercumstanses, it
was indeed thru me that saefty caem. In th meentiem, tauk as we pleezd, thair wer oenly seven out of th
twenty-six on hoom we nue we cuud reli; and out of thees seven wun was a boi, so that th groen men on
our sied wer six to thair nienteen.
PART THREE
Mi Shor Advencher
Chapter XIII
How Mi Shor Advencher Began
TH apeerans of th ieland when I caem on dek next morning was alltogether chaenjd. Alltho th breez haa
now uterly seest, we had maed a graet deel of wae during th niet, and wer now lieing becaamd about haf a
miel to th south-eest of th lo eestern coest. Grae-culord wuuds cuverd a larj part of th serfis. This eeven tint
was indeed broeken up bi streeks of yelo sandbreak in th loeer lands, and bi meny tall trees of th pien
family, out-toping th uthers--sum singgly, sum in clumps; but th jeneral colouring was ueniform and sad.
Th hils ran up cleer abuv th vejetaeshun in spiers of naeked rok. All wer straenjly shaept, and th Spi-glas,
which was bi three or foer hundred feet th tallest on th ieland, was liekwiez th straenj in configueraeshun,
runing up sheer frum allmoest evry sied then sudenly cut off at th top liek a pedestal to puut stachoo on.
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Th Hispaniola was roeling scuppers under in th oeshan swel. Th booms wer tairing at th bloks, th ruder we
banging to and fro, and th hoel ship creeking, groening and jumping liek a manuefaktory. I had to cling tiet
to th backstay, and th werld ternd gidily befor mi ies; for tho I was a guud enuf saelor when thair was wae
or this standing stil and being roeld about liek a botl was thing I never lernd to stand without a qaam or so,
abuv all in th morning, on an empty stumac.
Perhaps it was this--perhaps it was th luuk of th ieland with its grae, melancoly wuuds, and wield stoen
spiers, an th serf that we cuud boeth see and heer foeming an thundering on th steep beech--at leest, alltho
th sun shoen briet and hot, and th shor berds wer fishing and crieing all around us, and U wuud hav thaut
enywun wuud hav bin glad to get to land after being so long at see, mi hart sank, as th saeing is, into mi
boots; and frum that ferst luuk onward, I haeted th verry thaut of Trezher Ieland.
We had a dreery morning's werk befor us, for thair was no sien of eny wind, and th boets had to be got out
and mand, and th ship worpt three or foer miels round th corner of th ieland, and up th narro pasej to th
haeven behiend Skeleton Ieland. I volunteerd for wun of th boets, wherr I had, of cors, no biznes. Th heet
was sweltering, and th men grumbld feersly oever thair werk. Anderson was in comand of mi boet, and
insted of keeping th croo in order, he grumbld as loud as th werst.
'wel,' he sed, with an oeth, 'It's not for ever.'
I thaut this was a verry bad sien; for, up to that dae, th men had gon briskly and wilingly about thair biznes;
but th verry siet of th ieland had relaxt th cords of disiplin.
All th wae in, Long John stuud bi th steerzman and cond th ship. He nue th pasej liek th paam of his hand;
and tho th man in th chaens got evrywhair mor wauter than was doun in th chart, John never hezitaeted
wuns.
'ther's a strong scour with th eb,' he sed, 'and this heer pasej has bin dug out, in a maner of speeking, with a
spaed.'
We braut up just wherr th ankor was in th chart, about a therd of a miel frum eech shor, th maenland on
wun sied, and Skeleton Ieland on th uther. Th botom was cleen sand. Th plunj of our ankor sent up clouds
of berds wheeling and crieing oever th wuuds; but in les than a minit thae wer doun agen, and all was wuns
mor sielent.
Th plaes was entierly land-lokt, berryd in wuuds, th trees cuming riet doun to hi-wauter mark, th shors
moestly flat, and th hil-tops standing round at a distans in a sort of amphitheatre, wun heer, wun thair. Too
litl rivers, or, rather, too swomps, emptyd out into this pond, as U miet call it; and th foelej round that part
of th shor had a kiend of poizonus brietnes. Frum th ship, we cuud see nuthing of th hous or stokaed, for
thae wer qiet berryd amung trees; and if it had not bin for th chart on th companyon we miet hav bin th ferst
that had ever ankord thair sin th ieland aroez out of th sees.
Thair was not a breth of air mooving, nor a sound but th of th serf booming haf a miel awae along th
beeches a agenst th roks outsied. A pecuelyar stagnant smel hung oever th ankorej--a smel of soden leevs
and roting tree trunks. I obzervd th doctor snifing and snifing, liek sumwun taesting a bad eg.
'I don't noe about trezher,' he sed, 'but I'l staek mi wig thair's feever heer.'
266
If th conduct of th men had bin alarming in th boet it becaem trooly thretening when thae had cum abord.
Th lae about th dek grouling together in tauk. Th slietest order was reseevd with a blak luuk, and grujingly
and cairlesly oebaed. Eeven th onest hands must hav caut th infecshun, for thair was not wun man abord to
mend anuther. Muetiny, it was plaen, hung oever us liek a thunder-cloud.
And it was not oenly we of th cabin party hoo perseevd th daenjer. Long John was hard at werk going frum
groop to groop, spending himself in guud advies, and as for exampl no man cuud hav shoen a beter. He
fairly outstript himself in wilingnes and sivility; he was all smiels evrywun. If an order wer given, John
wuud be on his cruch in an instant, with th cheeriest 'Ay, ay, ser!' in th werld and when thair was nuthing
els to do, he kept up wun song after anuther, as if to conseel th discontent of th rest.
Of all th gloomy feechers of that gloomy afternoon, this obvius angzieity on th part of Long John apeerd th
werst.'
We held a counsil in th cabin.
'Sir,' sed th capten, 'If I risk anuther order, th hoel ship'll cum about our eers bi th run. U see, ser, heer is. I
get a ruf anser, do I not? Wel, if I speek bak, pieks wil be going in too shaeks; if I don't, Silver wil see thair
sumthing under that, and th game's up. How, we'v on wun man to reli on.'
'And hoo is that?' askt th sqier.
'Silver, ser,' reternd th capten; 'he's as ankshus as U and I to smuther things up. This is a tiff; he'd soon tauk
'em out of it if he had th chans, and whut I propoez to do is to giv him th chans. Let's alow th men an
afternoon ashor. If thae all go, whi, we'l fiet th ship. If thae nun of them go, wel, then, we hoeld th cabin,
and God defend th riet. If sum go, U mark mi werds, ser, Silver'll bring em abord agen as mield as lams.'
It was so desieded; loeded pistols wer servd out to all th shur men; Hunter, Joyce, and Redruth wer taeken
into our confidens, and reseevd th nues with les serpriez and a beter spirit than we had luukt for, and then th
capten went on dek and adrest th croo.
'My lads,' sed he, 'we've had a hot dae, and ar all tierd and out of sorts. A tern ashore'll hert noebody--th
boets ar stil in th wauter; U can taek th gigs, and as meny as pleez mae go ashor for th afternoon. I'l fier a
gun haf an our befor sundoun.'
I beleev th sily feloes must hav thaut thae wuud braek thair shins oever trezher as soon as thae wer landed;
for thae all caem out of thair sulks in a moement, and gaev a cheer that started th eko in a far-awae hil, and
sent th berds wuns mor flieing and sqalling round th ankorej.
Th capten was too briet to be in th wae. He whipt out of siet in a moement, leeving Silver to araenj th party;
and I fansy it was as wel he did so. Had he bin on dek, he cuud no longger so much as hav pretended not to
understand th sichuaeshun. It was as plaen as dae. Silver was th capten, and a miety rebelyus croo he had of
it. Th onest hands-and I was soon to see it proovd that thair wer such on bord--must hav bin stoopid feloes.
Or, rather, I supoez th trooth was this, that all hands wer disafected bi th exampl of th ringleeders--oenly
sum mor, sum les: and a fue, being guud feloes in th maen, cuud neether be led nor driven eny ferther. It is
wun thing to be iedl and skulk, and qiet anuther to taek a ship and merder a number of inosent men.
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At last, however, th party was maed up. Six feloes wer to stae on bord, and th remaening therteen,
inclooding Silver, began to embark.
Then it was that thair caem into mi hed th ferst of th mad noeshuns that contribueted so much to saev our
lievs. If six men wer left bi Silver, it was plaen our party cuud not taek and fiet th ship; and sinss oenly six
wer left, it was eeqaly plaen that th cabin party had no prezent need of mi asistans. It ocurd to me at wuns
to go ashor. In a jify I had slipt oever th sied, and curld up in th for-sheets of th neerest boet, and allmoest at
th saem moement she shuvd off.
No wun tuuk noetis of me, oenly th bow or saeing, 'Is that U, Jim? Keep yur hed doun.' But Silver, frum th
uther boet, luukt sharply oever and calld out to noe if that wer me; and frum that moement I began to regret
whut I had dun.
Th croos raest for th beech; but th boet I was in, having sum start, and being at wuns th lieter and th beter
mand, shot far ahed of her consort, and th bow had struk amung th shoreside trees, and I had caut a branch
at swung mieself out, and plunjd into th neerest thiket, whiel Silver and th rest wer stil a hundred yards
behiend.
'Jim, Jim!' I herd him shouting.
But U mae supoez I paed no heed; jumping, duking and braeking thru, I ran straet befor mi noez, til cuud
run no longger.
Chapter XIV
Th Ferst Blo
I WAS so pleezd at having given th slip to Long John, that I began to enjoi mieself and luuk around me
with sum interest on th straenj land that I was in.
I had crosst a marshy tract fuul of wiloes, bulrushes, and od, outlandish, swompy trees; and I had now cum
out upon th skerts of an oepen pees of unjulaeting, sandy cuntry, about a miel long, doted with a fue piens,
and a graet number of contorted trees, not unliek th oek in groeth, but pael in th foelej, liek wiloes. On th
far sied of th oepen stuud wun of th hils, with too qaent, cragy peeks, shiening vividly in th sun.
I now felt for th ferst tiem th joi of exploraeshun. Th iel was uninhabited; mi shipmaets I had left behiend,
and nuthing livd in frunt of me but dum brutes and fowls. I ternd hither and thither amung th trees. Heer
and thair wer flowering plants, unnoen to me; heer and thair I saw snaeks, and wun raezd his hed frum a lej
of rok and hist at me with a noiz not unliek th spining of a top. Litl did I supoez that he was a dedly enemy,
and that th noiz was th faemus ratl.
Then I caem to a long thiket of thees oek-liek trees--liv, or evergreen, oeks, I herd afterwards thae shuud be
calld--which groo lo along th sand liek brambls, th bows cueriusly twisted, th foelej compact, liek thach. Th
thiket strecht doun frum th top of wun of th sandy knolls, spreding and groeing taller as it went, until it
reecht th marjin of th braud, reedy fen, thru which th neerest of th litl rivers soekt its wae into th ankorej.
Th marsh was steeming in th strong sun, and th outlien of th Spi-glas trembld thru th haez.
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All at wuns thair began to go a sort of busl amung th bulrushes; a wield duk floo up with a qak, anuther
foloed, and soon oever th hoel serfis of th marsh a graet cloud of berds hung screeming and sercling in th
air. I jujd at wuns that sum of mi shipmaets must be drawing neer along th borders of th fen. Nor was I
deseevd; for soon I heer th verry distant and lo toens of a hueman vois, which, I continued to giv eer, groo
stedily louder and neerer. This puut me in a graet feer, and I cralld under cuver of th neerest liv-oek, and
sqoted thair, hearkening, as sielent as a mous.
Anuther vois anserd; and then th ferst vois, which now recogniezd to be Silver's, wuns mor tuuk up th stor
and ran on for a long whiel in a streem, oenly now and agen interupted bi th uther. Bi th sound thae must
hav bee tauking ernestly, and allmoest feersly; but no distinkt werd caem to mi heering.
At last th speekers seemd to hav pauzd, and perhaps to hav sat doun; for not oenly did thae sees to draw an
neerer, but th berds themselvs began to gro mor qieet and to setl agen to thair plaeses in th swomp.
And now I began to feel that I was neglecting mi business' that sinss I had bin so foolhardy as to cum ashor
with thees desperaadoes, th leest I cuud do was to oeverheer them at thair counsils; and that mi plaen and
obvius duety was to draw' as cloes as I cuud manej, under th favourable ambush of th crouching trees.
I cuud tel th direcshun of th speekers prity exactly, not oenly bi th sound of thair voises, but bi th behaevuer
of th fue berds that stil hung in alarm abuv th heds of th introoders.
Cralling on all-foers, I maed stedily but sloely tord them; til at last, raezing mi hed to an apercher amung th
leevs, I cuud see cleer doun into a litl green del besied th marsh, and cloesly set about with trees, wherr
Long John Silver and anuther of th croo stuud faes to faes in conversaeshun.
Th sun beet fuul upon them. Silver had throen his haa besied him on th ground, and his graet, smooth,
blond fact all shiening with heet, was lifted to th uther man's in a kin' of apeel.
'Mate,' he was saeing, 'It's becauz I thinks goeld dust of U--goeld dust, and U mae lae to that! If I hadn't too
to U liek pich, do U think I'd hav bin heer a-worning of U? All's up--U can't maek nor mend; it's to saev yur
nek that I'm a-speeking, and if wun of th wield 'uns nue it, wherr 'ud I be, Tom--now, tel me, wherr 'ud I
be?'
'Silver,' sed th uther man--and I obzervd he was not oenly red in th faes, but spoek as hors as a cro, and his
vois shuuk, too, liek a taut roep--Silver,' ses he, 'U'r oeld, and U'r onest, or has th naem for it; and U'v
muny, too, which lots of pur saelors hasn't; and U'r braev, or I'm mistuuk. And wil U tel me U'l let yurself
be led awae with that kiend of a mes of swobs? not U! As shur as God sees me, I'd sooner looz mi hand. If I
tern agin mi dooty----'
And then all of a suden he was interupted bi a noiz. I had found wun of th onest hands--wel, heer, at that
saem moement, caem nues of anuther. Far awae out in th marsh thair aroez, all of a suden, a sound liek th
cri of angger, then anuther on th bak of it; and then wun horrid, long-drawn screem. Th roks of th Spi-glas
re-ekoed it a scor of tiems; th hoel troop of marsh-berds roez agen, darkening heven, with a siemultaenius
whirr; and long after that deth yel was stil ringing in mi braen, sielens had re-establisht its empier, and
oenly th rusl of th redescending berds and th boom of th distant surges disterbd th langgor of th afternoon.
Tom had leept at th sound, liek a hors at th sper; but Silver had not winkt an ie. He stuud wherr he was,
resting lietly on his cruch, woching his companyon liek a snaek about to spring.
269
'John!' sed th saelor, streching out his hand.
Hands off!' cried Silver, leeping bak a yard, as it seemd to me, with th speed and secuerity of a traend
jimnast.
Hands off, if U liek, John Silver,' sed th uther. 'It's a blak conshens that can maek U feerd of me. But, in
heaven's naem, tel me whut was that?'
'That?' reternd Silver, smieling awae, but warier than ever, his ie a meer pin-point in his big faes, but
gleeming liek a crum of glas. 'That? O, I rekon that'l be Alan.'
And at this pur Tom flasht out liek a heero.
'Alan!' he cried. 'Then rest his soel for a troo seeman! And as for U, John Silver, long U'v bin a maet of
meen, but U'r maet of meen no mor. If I die liek a daug, I'l die in mi dooty. U'v kild Alan, hav U? Kil me
too, if U can. But I defies U.'
And with that, this braev felo ternd his bak directly on th cuuk, and set off wauking for th beech. But he
was not destind to go far. With a cri, John seezd th branch of a tree, whipt th cruch out of his armpit, and
sent that uncooth misil hertling thru th air. It struk pur Tom point formoest, and with stuning vieolens, riet
between th shoelders in th midl of his bak. His hands floo up, he gaev a sort of gasp, and fel.
Whether he wer injerd much or litl, nun cuud ever tel. Liek enuf, to juj frum th sound, his bak was broeken
on th spot. But he had no tiem given him to recuver Silver, ajil as a munky, eeven without leg or cruch, was
on th top of him next moement, and had twies berryd his nief up to th hilt in that defenceless body. Frum
mi plaes of ambush, I cuud heer him pant aloud as he struk th bloes.
I do not noe whut it rietly is to faent, but I do noe that for th next litl whiel th hoel werld swam awae frum
befor me in a wherling mist; Silver and th berds, and th tall Spi-glas hil-top, going round and round and
topsy-turvy befor mi ies, and all maner of bels ringing and distant voises shouting in mi eer.
When I caem agen to mieself, th monster had puuld himself together, his cruch under his arm, his hat upon
his hed. Just befor him Tom lae moeshunles upon th sward; but th merderer miended him not a whit,
clenzing his bludstaend nief th whiel upon a wisp of gras. Evrything els was unchaenjd, th sun stil shiening
mersylesly on th steeming marsh and th tall pinacl of th mounten, and I cuud scairs perswaed mieself that
merder had bin akchualy dun, and a hueman lief crooely cut short a moement sinss, befor mi ies.
But now John puut his hand into his poket, braut out a whisl, and bloo upon it several mojulaeted blasts,
that rang far across th heeted air. I cuud not tel, of cors, th meening of th signal; but it instantly awoek mi
feers. Mor men wuud be cuming. I miet be discuverd. Thae had allredy slain too of th onest peepl; after
Tom and Alan, miet not I cum next?
Instantly I began to extricaet mieself and crall bak agen, with whut speed and sielens I cuud manej, to th
mor oepen porshun of th wuud. As I did so, I cuud heer haels cuming and going between th oeld bucaneer
and his comrads, and this sound of daenjer lent me wings. As soon as I was cleer of th thiket, I ran as I
never ran befor, scairs miending th direcshun of mi fliet, so long as it led me frum th merderers; and as I
ran, feer groo and groo upon me, until it ternd into a kiend of frenzy.
270
Indeed, cuud enywun be mor entierly lost than I? When th gun fierd, how shuud I dair to go doun to th
boets amung thoes feends, stil smoeking frum thair criem? Wuud not th ferst of them hoo saw me ring mi
nek liek a snipe's? Wuud not mi absens itself be an evidens to them of mi alarm, and thairfor of mi faetal
nolej? It was all oever, I thaut. Guud-bi to th Hispaniola, guud-bi to th sqier, th doctor, and th capten! Thair
was nuthing left for me but deth bi starvaeshun, or deth bi th hands of th mutineers.
All this whiel, as I sae, I was stil runing, and, without taeking eny noetis, I had drawn neer to th fuut of th
litl hil with th too peeks, and had got into a part of th ieland wherr th liv-oeks groo mor wiedly apart, and
seemd mor liek forest trees in thair bairing and dimenshuns. Minggld with thees wer a fue scaterd piens,
sum fifty, sum neerer seventy, feet hi. Th air, too, smelt mor freshly than doun besied th marsh.
And heer a fresh alarm braut me to a standstil with a thumping hart.
Chapter XV
Th Man of th Ieland
FRUM th sied of th hil, which was heer steep and stoeny a spout of gravel was dislojd, and fel ratling and
bounding thru th trees. Mi ies ternd instinktivly in th direcshun, and I saw a figuer leep with graet rapidity
behiend th trunk of a pien. Whut it was, whether bair or man or munky, I cuud in no wiez tel. It seemd dark
and shagy; mor I nue not. But th terror of this nue aparishun braut me to a stand.
I was now, it seemd, cut off upon boeth sieds; behiend me th merderers, befor me this lerking nondescript.
An imeedyetly I began to prefer th daenjers that I nue to thoes I nue not. Silver himself apeerd les terribl in
contract with this creecher of th wuuds, and I ternd on mi heel, and luuking sharply behiend me oever mi
shoelder, began to retract mi steps in th direcshun of th boets.
Instantly th figuer re-apeerd, and, maeking a wied serkit began to hed me off. I was tierd, at eny raet; but
had I bee as fresh as when I roez, I cuud see it was in vaen for me to contend in speed with such an
adversairy. Frum trunk to trunk th creecher flited liek a deer, runing manliek on too legs but unliek eny man
that I had ever seen, stooping allmoest dubl as it ran. Yet a man it was, I cuud no longger be in dout about
that.
I began to recall whut I had herd of canibals. I was within an aes of calling for help. But th meer fact that he
was man, however wield, had sumwhut re-ashurd me, and mi feer of Silver began to reviev in proporshun. I
stuud stil, thairfor and cast about for sum method of escaep; and as I was so thinking, th recolecshun of mi
pistol flasht into mi miend. As soon as I rememberd I was not defenceless, curej gloed agen in mi hart; and
I set mi faes rezolootly for this man of th ieland, and waukt briskly tords him.
He was conseeld bi this tiem, behiend anuther tree trunk but he must hav bin woching me cloesly, for as
soon as I began to moov in his direcshun he re-apeerd and tuuk a step to meet me. Then he hezitaeted, droo
bak, caem forward agen, and at last, to mi wunder and confuezhun, throo himself on his nees and held out
his claspt hands in suplicaeshun.
At that I wuns mor stopt.
'Hoo ar U?' I askt.
271
'Ben Gunn,' he anserd, and his vois sounded hors and aukward, liek a rusty lok. 'I'm pur Ben Gunn, I am;
and I havn't spoek with a Christian thees three yeers.'
I cuud now see that he was a whiet man liek mieself, and that his feechers wer eeven pleezing. His skin,
wherrever it was expoezd, was bernt bi th sun; eeven his lips wer blak; and his fair ies luukt qiet startling in
so dark a faes. Of all th begar-men that I had seen or fansyd, he was th cheef for ragednes. He was cloethd
with tatters of oeld ship's canvas and oeld see clauth; and this extraordinairy pachwerk was all held together
bi a sistem of th moest vairius and inconggroous fasenings, bras butons, bits of stik, and loops of tarry
gaskin. About his waest he wor an oeld bras-bukld lether belt, which was th wun thing solid in his hoel
accoutrement.
'Three yeers!' I cried.
'Were U shiprekt?'
'Nay, maet,' sed he--'marooned.'
I had herd th werd, and I nue it stuud for a horribl kiend of punishment comon enuf amung th buccaneers,
in which th ofender is puut ashor with a litl pouder and shot, and left behiend on sum desolet and distant
ieland.
'Marooned three yeers agon,' he continued, 'and livd on goets sinss then, and berrys, and oisters. Wherrever
a man is, ses I, a man can do for himself. But, maet, mi hart is sor for Christian dieet. U mightn't hapen to
hav a pees of cheez about U, now? No? Wel, many's th long niet I'v dreemd of cheez--toested, moestly-and woek up agen, and heer I wer.'
'If ever I can get abord agen,' sed I, 'U shal hav cheez bi th stoen.'
All this tiem he had bin feeling th stuf of mi jaket, smoothing mi hands, luuking at mi boots, and jeneraly,
in th intervals of his speech, shooing a chieldish plezher in th prezens of a felo-creecher. But at mi last
werds he perkt up into a kiend of startld slienes.
'If ever U can get abord agen, ses U?' he repeeted.
'Why, now, hoo's to hinder U?'
'Not U, I noe,' was mi repli.
'And riet U was,' he cried. 'Now U--whut do U call yurself, maet?'
'Jim,' I toeld him.
'Jim, Jim,' ses he, qiet pleezd aparrently.'wel, now, Jim, I'v livd that ruf as U'd be ashaemd to heer of.
Now, for instans, U wuudn't think I had had a pieus muther--to luuk at me?' he askt.
'Why, no, not in particuelar,' I anserd.
'Ah, wel,' sed he, 'but I had--remarkabl pieus. And I was a sivil, pieus boi, and cuud ratl off mi catekizm
that fast, as U cuudn't tel wun werd frum anuther. And heer's whut it cum to, Jim, and it begun with chuk-
272
farthen on th blesed graev-stoens! That's whut it begun with, but went further'n that; and so mi muther toeld
me, and predicked th hoel, she did, th pieus wuuman! But it wer Providens that puut me heer. I'v thaut it all
out in this heer loenly ieland, and I'm bak on pieety. U don't cach me taesting rum so much; but just a
thimblful for luk, of cors, th ferst chans I hav. I'm bound I'l be guud, and I see th wae to. And, Jim'--luuking
all round him, and loeering his vois to a whisper - I'm rich.'
I now felt shur that th pur felo had gon craezy in his solitued, and I supoez I must hav shoen th feeling in mi
faes, for he repeeted th staetment hotly:-'Rich! rich! I ses. And I'l tel U whut: I'l maek a man of U, Jim. Aa, Jim, U'l bles yur stars, U wil, U was th
ferst that found me!'
And at this thair caem sudenly a loeering shado oever his faes; and he tietend his grasp upon mi hand, and
raezd a forfingger threteningly befor mi ies.
'Now, Jim, U tel me troo: that ain't Flint's ship?' he askt.
At this I had a hapy inspiraeshun. I began to beleev that I had found an ali, and I anserd him at wuns.
'It's not Flint's ship, and Flint is ded; but I'l tel U troo, as U ask me--thair ar sum of Flint's hands abord;
wers luk for th rest of us.'
'Not a man--with wun--leg?' he gaspt.
'Silver?' I askt.
'Ah, Silver!' ses he; 'that wer his naem.'
He's th cuuk; and th ringleeder, too.'
He was stil hoelding me bi th rist, and at that he gaev it qiet a ring.
'If U was sent bi Long John,' he sed, 'I'm as guud as pork, and I noe it. But wherr was U, do U supoez?'
I had maed mi miend up in a moement, and bi wae of anser toeld him th hoel story of our voiej, and th
predicament in which we found ourselvs. He herd me with th keenest interest, and when I had dun he pated
me on th hed.
'U'r a guud lad, Jim,' he sed; 'and U'r all in a cloev hich ain't U? Wel, U just puut yur trust in Ben Gunn-Ben Gunn's th man to do it. Wuud U think it liekly, now, that yur sqier wuud proov a liberal-miended wun
in caes of help--him being in a cloev hich, as U remark?'
I toeld him th sqier was th moest liberal of men.
'Ay, but U see,' reternd Ben Gunn, 'I didn't meen giving me a gaet to keep, and a shuit of livery cloeths,
and such; that's not mi mark, Jim. Whut I meen is, wuud he be liekly to cum doun to th toon of, sae wun
thouzand pounds out of muny that's as guud as a man's oen allredy?'
'I am shur he wuud,' sed I. 'As it was, all hands wer to shair.'
273
'And a pasej hoem?' he aded, with a luuk of graet shrewdness.
'Why,' I cried,'th squire's a jentlman. And, besieds, if we got rid of th uthers, we shuud wont U to help
werk th vesel hoem.'
'Ah,' sed he, 'so U wuud.' And he seemd verry much releevd.
'Now, I'l tel U whut,' he went on. 'so much I'l tel U, and no mor. I wer in Flint's ship when he berryd th
trezher; he and six along-six strong seemen. Thae wer ashor ni on a week, and us standing off and on in th
oeld Wolrus. Wun fien dae up went th signal, and heer cum Flint bi himself in a litl boet, and his hed dun
up in a bloo scarf. Th sun was geting up, and mortal whit he luukt about th cut-wauter. But, thair he was, U
miend, and th six all ded--ded and berryd. How he dun it, not a man abord us cuud maek out. It was batl
merder, and suden deth, leastways--him agenst six Billy Boens was th maet; Long John, he was
qortermaster and thae askt him wherr th trezher was. "Aa,'' sae he, "U can go ashor, if U liek, and stae,'' he
ses "but as for th ship, she'l beet up for mor, bi thunder!'' That's whut he sed.
'wel, I was in anuther ship three yeers bak, and we sieted this ieland. "Bois,'' sed I, "heer's Flint's trezher
let's land and fiend it.'' Th cap'n was displeezd at that; but mi messmates wer all of a miend, and landed.
Twelv daes thae luukt for it, and evry dae thae had th wers werd for me, until wun fien morning all hands
went abord. "As for U, Benjamin Gunn,'' ses thae, heer's a musket,'' thae ses, "and a spaed, and pik-ax. U
can stae heer, and fiend Flint's muny for yurself,'' thae ses.
'wel, Jim, three yeers hav I bin heer, and not a biet of Christian dieet frum that dae to this. But now, U luuk
heer; luuk at me. Do I luuk liek a man befor th mast? No, ses U. Nor I wern't, neether, I ses.' And with that
he winkt and pincht me hard.
'Just U menshun them werds to yur sqier, Jim'--he went on: 'nor he wern't, neether--that's th werds. Three
yeers he wer th man of this ieland, liet and dark, fair and raen; and sumtiems he wuud, maebe, think upon a
prair (ses U), and sumtiems he wuud, maebe, think of his oeld muther, so be as she's aliev (U'l sae); but th
moest part of Gunn's tiem (this is whut U'l sae)--th moest part of his tiem Was tuuk up with anuther mater.
And then U'l giv him a nip, liek I do.'
And he pincht me agen in th moest confidenshal maner.
'Then,' he continued--'then U'l up, and U'l sae this:--Gunn is a guud man (U'l sae), and he puuts a preshus
siet mor confidens-a preshus siet, miend that--in a gen'leman born than in thees gen'lemen of forchun,
having bin wun hisself.'
'wel,' I sed, 'I don't understand wun werd that U'v bin saeing. But that's neether heer nor thair; for how am
I to get on bord?'
'Ah,' sed he, 'that's th hich, for shur. Wel, thair's mi boet, that I maed with mi too hands. I keep her under th
whiet rok. If th werst cum to th werst, we miet tri that after dark. Hi!' he broek out,
'What's that?'
For just then, alltho th sun had stil an our or too to run, all th ekoes of th ieland awoek and beloed to th
thunder of a canon.
'Thae hav begun to fiet!' I cried. 'Folow me.'
274
And I began to run tords th ankorej, mi terrors all forgoten; whiel, cloes at mi sied, th maroond man in his
goatskins troted eezily and lietly.
'Left, left,' ses he; 'Keep to yur left hand, maet Jim! Under th trees with U! Theer's wherr I kild mi ferst
goet. Thae don't cum doun heer now; thae'r all mast-heded on them mountings for th feer of Benjamin
Gunn. Aa! and thair's th cemetery'--semeterry, he must hav ment. 'U see th mounds? I cum heer and praed,
nows and thens, when I thaut maebe a Sunday wuud be about doo. It wern't qiet a chapel, but it seemd mor
solem liek; and then, ses U, Ben Gunn was short-handed-no chapling, nor so much as a Biebl and a flag, U
ses.'
So he kept tauking as I ran, neether expecting nor reseeving eny anser.
Th canon-shot was foloed, after a considerabl interval, bi a voly of small arms.
Anuther pauz, and then, not a qorter of a miel in frunt of me, I beheld th Uenyon Jak fluter in th air abuv a
wuud.
PART FOER
Th Stokaed
Chapter XVI
Narrativ Continued bi th Doctor:
How th Ship was Abandond
IT was about haf-past wun--three bels in th see fraez that th too boets went ashor frum th Hispaniola. Th
capten, th sqier, and I wer tauking maters oever in th cabin. Had thair bin a breth of wind we shuud hav fall'
on th six mutineers hoo wer left abord with us, slipt our caebl, and awae to see. But th wind was wonting;
an to compleet our helplesnes, doun caem Hunter with th nues that Jim Hawkins had slipt into a boet and
go ashor with th rest.
It never ocurd to us to dout Jim Hawkins; but we wer alarmd for his saefty. With th men in th temper thae
we in, it seemd an eeven chans if we shuud see th lad agen. We ran on dek. Th pich was bubling in th
seems; th nasty stench of th plaes ternd me sik; if ever a man smelt feever and disenterry, it was in that
abominabl ankorej. Th six scoundrels wer siting grumbling under a sael in th foeksel; ashor we cuud see th
gigs maed fast, and a man siting in eech, hard bi wherr th river runs in. Wun of them was whisling
'Lillibullero.'
Waeting was a straen; and it was desieded that Hunter and I shuud go ashor with th joly-boet, in qest of
informaeshun. Th gigs had leend to thair riet; but Hunter and I puuld straet in, in th direcshun of th stokaed
upon th chart. Th too hoo wer left garding thair boets seemd in a busl at our apeerans; 'Lillibullero' stopt
off, and I cuud see th pair discusing whut thae aut to do. Had thae gon an toeld Silver, all miet hav ternd out
diferently; but thae had thair orders, I supoez and desieded to sit qieetly wherr thae wer and hark bak agen
to 'Lillibullero.'
275
Thair was a sliet bend in th coest, and I steerd so as to puut it between us; eeven befor we landed we had
thus lost siet of th gigs. I jumpt out, and caem as neer runing as I durst, with a big silk hankerchif under mi
hat for coolness' saek, and a braes of pistols redy priemd for saefty.
I had not gon a hundred yards when I reecht th stokaed.
This was how it was: a spring of cleer wauter roez allmoest at th top of a noel. Wel, on th noel, and
encloezing th spring, thae had clapt a stout log-hous, fit to hoeld too scor of peepl on a pinch, and loophoeld for musketry on evry sied. All round this thae had cleerd a wied spaes, and then th thing was
compleeted bi a paeling six feet hi, without dor or oepening, too strong to puul doun without tiem and
laebor, and too oepen to shelter th beseejers. Th peepl in th log-hous had them in evry wae; thae stuud qieet
in shelter and shot th uthers liek partridges. All thae wonted was a guud woch and food; for, short of a
compleet serpriez, thae miet hav held th plaes agenst a rejiment.
Whut particuelarly tuuk mi fansy was th spring. For, tho we had a guud enuf plaes of it in th cabin of th
Hispaniola, with plenty of arms and amuenishun, and things to eet, and exselent wiens, thair had bin wun
thing oeverluukt--we had no wauter. I was thinking this oever, when thair caem ringing oever th ieland th
cri of a man at th point of deth. I was not nue to vieolent deth--I hav servd his Roial Hienes th Duek of
Cumberland, and got a woond mieself at Fontenoy--but I noe mi puls went dot and carry wun. 'Jim
Hawkins is gone' was mi ferst thaut.
It is sumthing to hav bin an oeld soeljer, but mor stil to hav bin a doctor. Thair is no tiem to dilly-daly in
our werk. And so now I maed up mi miend instantly, and with no tiem lost reternd to th shor, and jumpt on
bord th joly-boet.
Bi guud forchun Hunter puuld a guud or. We maed th wauter fli; and th boet was soon alongsied, and I
abord th scooner.
I found them all shaeken, as was nacheral. Th sqier was siting doun, as whiet as a sheet, thinking of th harm
he had led us to, th guud soel! and wun of th six foeksel hands was litl beter.
'Ther's a man,' ses Capten Smollett, noding tords him, 'new to this werk. He caem ni-hand fainting, doctor
when he herd th cri. Anuther tuch of th ruder and that man wuud join us.'
I toeld mi plan to th capten, and between us we setl on th deetaels of its acomplishment.
We puut oeld Redruth in th galery between th cabin and th foeksel, with three or foer loeded muskets and
matres for protecshun. Hunter braut th boet round under th stern-port, and Joyce and I set to werk loeding
her with pouder tins, muskets, bags of biskits, kegs of pork, a cask of conyac, and mi invalueabl medisin
chest.
In th meentiem, th sqier and th capten staed on dek and th laeter haeld th coxson, hoo was th prinsipal man
abord.
'Mr Hands,' he sed, 'heer ar too of us with a braes of pistols eech. If eny wun of U six maek a signal of eny
descripshun, that man's ded.'
276
Thae wer a guud deel taeken abak; and, after a litl consultaeshun, wun and all tumbld doun th for
companyon thinking, no dout, to taek us on th reer. But when thae saw Redruth waeting for them in th
sparred galery, thae went about ship at wuns, and a hed popt out agen on dek.
'Down, daug!' cries th capten.
And th hed popt bak agen; and we herd no mor, for th tiem, of thees six verry faent-hearted seemen.
Bi this tiem, tumbling things in as thae caem, we had th joly-boet loeded as much as we daird. Joyce and I
got out thru th stern-port, and we maed for shor agen, as fast as ors cuud taek us.
This second trip fairly arouzd th wochers along shor. 'Lillibullero' was dropt agen; and just befor we lost
siet of them behiend th litl point, wun of them whipt ashor and disapeerd. I had haf a miend to chaenj mi
plan and destroi thair boets, but I feerd that Silver and th uthers miet be cloes at hand, and all miet verry
wel be lost bi trieing for too much.
We had soon tucht land in th saem plaes as befor, and set to provizhun th blok hous. All three maed th ferst
jerny, hevily laeden, and tosst our stors oever th palisaed. Then, leeving Joyce to gard them--wun man, to
be shur, but with haf a duzen muskets--Hunter and I reternd to th joly-boet, and loeded ourselvs wuns mor.
So we proseeded without pauzing to taek breth, til th hoel cargo was bestoed, when th too servants tuuk up
thair pozishun in th blok hous, and I, with all mi power, sculled bak to th Hispaniola.
That we shuud hav riskt a second boet loed seems mor dairing than it reealy was. Thae had th advantej of
numbers, of cors, but we had th advantej of arms. Not wun of th men ashor had a musket, and befor thae
cuud get within raenj for pistol shooting, we flaterd ourselvs we shuud be aebl to giv a guud acount of a
haf-duzen at leest.
Th sqier was waeting for me at th stern windo, all his faentnes gon frum him. He caut th paenter and maed
it fast, and we fel to loeding th boet for our verry lievs. Pork, pouder, and biskit was th cargo, with oenly a
musket and a cutlas apees for th sqier and me and Redruth and th capten. Th rest of th arms and pouder we
dropt oeverbord in too fathoms and a haf of wauter, so that we cuud see th briet steel shiening far belo us in
th sun, on th cleen, sandy botom.
Bi this tiem th tied was begining to eb, and th ship was swinging round to her ankor. Voises wer herd
faently halloaing in th direcshun of th too gigs; and tho this re-ashurd us for Joyce and Hunter, hoo wer wel
to th eestward, it wornd our party to be off.
Redruth retreeted frum his plaes in th galery, and dropt into th boet, which we then braut round to
th ship's counter, to be handyer for Capten Smollett.
'Now men,' sed he, 'do U heer me?'
Thair was no anser frum th foeksel.
'It's to U, Abraham Grae--it's to U, I am speeking.'
Stil no repli.
277
'Gray,' rezoomd Mr Smollett, a litl louder, 'I am leeving this ship, and I order U to folo yur capten. I noe U
ar a guud man at botom, and I daresay not wun of th lot of you's as bad as he maeks out. I hav mi woch
heer in mi hand; I giv U therty seconds to join me in.'
Thair was a pauz.
'Come, mi fien felo,' continued th capten, 'don't hang so long in staes. I'm risking mi lief, and th lievs of
thees guud jentlmen evry second.'
Thair was a suden scufl, a sound of bloes, and out berst Abraham Grae with a nief-cut on th sied of th
cheek, and caem runing to th capten, liek a daug to th whisl.
'I'm with U, ser,' sed he.
And th next moement he and th capten had dropt abord of us, and we had shuvd off and given wae.
We wer cleer out of th ship; but not yet ashor in our stokaed.
Chapter XVII
Narrativ Continued bi th Doctor:
Th Joly-Boat's last Trip
THIS fifth trip was qiet diferent frum eny of th uthers. In th ferst plaes, th litl gallipot of a boet that we wer
in was graevly oeverloeded. Fiev groen men, and three of them--Trelawney, Redruth, and th capten--oever
six feet hi, was allredy mor than she was ment to carry. Ad to that th pouder, pork, and bred-bags. Th gunel
was lipping astern. Several tiems we shipt a litl wauter, and mi breeches and th taels of mi coet wer all
soeking wet befor we had gon a hundred yards.
Th capten maed us trim th boet, and we got her to lie a litl mor eevenly. All th saem, we wer afraed to
breeth.
In th second plaes, th eb was now maeking-a strong ripling curent runing westward thru th baesin, and then
south'ard and seeward doun th straets bi which we had enterd in th morning. Eeven th ripls wer a daenjer to
our oeverloeded craft; but th werst of it was that we wer swept out of our troo cors, and awae frum our
proper landing-plaes behiend th point. If we let th curent hav its wae we shuud cum ashor besied th gigs,
wherr th pierets miet apeer at eny moement.
'I cannot keep her hed for th stokaed, ser,' sed I to th capten. I was steering, whiel he and Redruth, too
fresh men, wer at th ors. 'Th tied keeps woshing her doun. Cuud U puul a litl strongger?'
'Not without swomping th boet,' sed he. 'U must bair up, ser, if U pleez--bair up until U see U'r gaening.'
I tried, and found bi experriment that th tied kept sweeping us westward until I had laed her hed due eest, or
just about riet anggls to th wae we aut to go.
'We'll never get ashor at this raet,' sed I.
278
'If it's th oenly cors that we can lie, ser, we must eeven lie it,' reternd th capten. 'We must keep up-streem.
U see, ser,' he went on, 'If wuns we dropt to leeward of th landing-plaes, it's hard to sae wherr we shuud get
ashor besieds th chans of being borded bi th gigs; wherras, th wae we go th curent must slaken, and then we
can doj bak along th shor.'
'th current's les a'ready, ser,' sed th man Grae, hoo was siting in th for-sheets; 'U can eez her off a bit.'
'Thank U, mi man,' sed I, qiet as if nuthing had hapend; for we had all qieetly maed up our miends to treet
him liek wun of ourselvs.
Sudenly th capten spoek up agen, and I thaut his vois was a litl chaenjd.
'th gun!' sed he.
'I hav thaut of that,' sed I, for I maed shur he was thinking of a bombardment of th fort. 'Thae cuud never
get th gun ashor, and if thae did, thae cuud never hall it thru th wuuds.'
'Look astern, doctor,' replied th capten.
We had entierly forgoten th long nien; and thair, to our horror, wer th fiev roegs bizy about her, geting off
her jaket, as thae calld th stout tarpalin cuver under which she saeld. Not oenly that, but it flasht into mi
miend at th saem moement that th round-shot and th pouder for th gun had bin left behiend, and a stroek
with an ax wuud puut it all into th pozeshun of th eevil wuns abord.
'Israel was Flint's guner,' sed Grae, horsly.
At eny risk, we puut th boat's hed direct for th landing-plaes. Bi this tiem we had got so far out of th run of
th curent that we kept steerej wae eeven at our nesesairily jentl raet of rowing, and I cuud keep her stedy for
th goel. But th werst of it was, that with th cors I now held, we ternd our braudsied insted of our stern to th
Hispaniola, and offerd a target liek a barn dor.
I cuud heer, as wel as see, that brandy-faest rascal, Israel Hands, plumping doun a round-shot on th dek.
'Hoo's th best shot?' askt th capten.
'Mr Trelawney, out and awae,' sed I.
'Mr Trelawney, wil U pleez pik me off wun of thees men, ser? Hands, if posibl,' sed th capten.
Trelawney was as cool as steel. He luukt to th prieming of his gun.
'Now,' cried th capten, 'easy with that gun, ser, or U'l swomp th boet. All hands stand bi to trim her when
he aems.'
Th sqier raezd his gun, th rowing seest, and we leend oever to th uther sied to keep th balans, and all was so
niesly contrievd that we did not ship a drop.
279
Thae had th gun, bi this tiem, slewed round upon th swivel, and Hands, hoo was at th muzl with th rammer,
was, in conseqens, th moest expoezd. However, we had no luk; for just as Trelawney fierd, doun he stoopt,
th ball whisld oever him, and it was wun of th uther foer hoo fel.
Th cri he gaev was ekoed, not oenly bi his companyons on bord, but bi a graet number of voises frum th
shor, and luuking in that direcshun I saw th uther pierets trooping out frum amung th trees and tumbling
into thair plaeses in th boets.
Here cum th gigs, ser,' sed I.
'Give wae then,' cried th capten. 'We mustn't miend if we swomp her now. If we can't get ashor, all's up.'
'Only wun of th gigs is being mand, ser,' I aded,'th croo of th uther moest liekly going round bi shor to cut
us off.'
'thae'll hav a hot run, ser,' reternd th capten. 'Jack ashor, U noe. It's not them I miend; it's th round-shot.
Carpet-boels! Mi lady's maed cuudn't mis. Tel us, sqier, when U see th mach, and we'l hoeld wauter.'
In th meenwhiel we had bin maeking hedwae at a guud paes for a boet so oeverloeded, and we had shipt
but litl wauter in th proses. We wer now cloez in; therty or forty stroeks and we shuud beech her; for th eb
had allredy discloezd a narro belt of sand belo th clustering trees. Th gig was no longger to be feerd; th litl
point had allredy conseeld it frum our ies. Th eb-tied, which had so crooely delaed us, was now maeking
reparaeshun, and delaeing our asaelants. Th wun sors of daenjer was th gun.
'If I durst,' sed th capten, 'I'd stop and pik off anuther man.'
But it was plaen that thae ment nuthing shuud delae thair shot. Thae had never so much as luukt at thair
fallen comrad, tho he was not ded, and I cuud see him trieing to crall awae.
'Ready!' cried th sqier.
Hold!' cried th capten, qik as an eko.
And he and Redruth bakt with a graet heev that sent her stern bodily under wauter. Th report fel in at th
saem instant of tiem. This was th ferst that Jim herd, th sound of th squire's shot not having reecht him.
Wherr th ball past, not wun of us presiesly nue; but I fansy it must hav bin oever our heds, and that th wind
of it mae hav contribueted to our dizaster.
At eny raet, th boet sank bi th stern, qiet jently, in three feet of wauter, leeving th capten and mieself,
faesing eech uther, on our feet. Th uther three tuuk compleet heders, and caem up agen, drencht and
bubling.
So far thair was no graet harm. No lievs wer lost, and we cuud waed ashor in saefty. But thair wer all our
stors at th botom, and, to maek things wers, oenly too guns out of fiev remaend in a staet for servis. Meen I
had snacht frum mi nees and held oever mi hed, bi a sort of instinkt. As for th capten, he had carryd his
oever his shoelder bi a bandoleer, and, liek a wiez man, lok upermost. Th uther three had gon doun with th
boet.
280
To ad to our consern, we herd voises allredy drawing neer us in th wuuds along shor; and we had not oenly
th daenjer of being cut off frum th stokaed in our haf-cripld staet, but th feer befor us whether, if Hunter
and Joyce wer atakt bi haf a duzen, thae wuud hav th sens an conduct to stand ferm. Hunter was stedy, that
we nue; Joyce was a doutful caes--a plezant, poliet man for a valae, and to brush one's cloeths, but not
entierly fited for a man of wor.
With all this in our miends, we waeded ashor as fast as we cuud, leeving behiend us th pur jolyboet, and a guud haf of all our pouder and provizhuns.
Chapter XVIII
Narrativ Continued bi th Doctor:
End of th Ferst Day's Fieting
WE maed our best speed across th strip of wuud that now divieded us frum th stokaed; and at evry step we
tuuk th voises of th buccaneers rang neerer. Soon we cuud heer thair fuutfalls as thae ran, and th craking of
th branches as thae brested across a bit of thiket.
I began to see we shuud hav a brush for it in ernest, and luukt to mi prieming.
'Captain,' sed I, 'Trelawney is th ded shot. Giv him yur gun; his oen is uesles.'
Thae exchaenjd guns, and Trelawney, sielent and cool as he had bin sinss th begining of th busl, hung a
moement on his heel to see that all was fit for servis. At th saem tiem, obzerving Grae to be unarmd, I
handed him mi cutlas. It did all our harts guud to see him spit in his hand, nit his brous, and maek th blaed
sing thru th air. It was plaen frum evry leen of his body that our nue hand was werth his sallt.
Forty paeses farther we caem to th ej of th wuud and saw th stokaed in frunt of us. We struk th encloezher
about th midl of th south sied, and, allmoest at th saem tiem, seven mutineers--Job Anderson, th boesun, at
thair hed--apeerd in fuul cri at th south-western corner.
Thae pauzd, as if taeken abak; and befor thae recuverd, not oenly th sqier and I, but Hunter and Joyce frum
th blok hous, had tiem to fier. Th foer shots caem in rather a scatering voly; but thae did th biznes: wun of
th enemy akchualy fel, and th rest, without hezitaeshun, ternd and plunjd into th trees.
After re-loeding, we waukt doun th outsied of th palisaed to see th fallen enemy. He was stoen ded--shot
thru th hart.
We began to rejois oever our guud sucses, when just at that moement a pistol crakt in th buush, a ball
whisld cloes past mi eer, and pur Tom Redruth stumbld and fel his length on th ground. Boeth th sqier and I
reternd th shot; but as we had nuthing to aem at, it is probabl we oenly waested pouder. Then we re-loeded,
and ternd our atenshun to pur Tom.
Th capten and Grae wer allredy examining him; and I saw with haf an ie that all was oever.
I beleev th redynes of our retern voly had scaterd th mutineers wuns mor, for we wer suferd without ferther
molestaeshun to get th pur oeld gaemkeeper hoisted oever th stokaed, and carryd, groening and bleeding,
into th log-hous.
281
Pur oeld felo, he had not uterd wun werd of serpriez, complaent, feer, or eeven aqyesens, frum th verry
begining of our trubls til now, when we had laed him doun in th log-hous to die. He had laen liek a Trojan
behiend his matres in th galery; he had foloed evry order sielently daugedly, and wel; he was th oeldest of
our party bi a scor of yeers; and now, sulen, oeld, servisabl servant, it was he that was to die.
Th sqier dropt doun besied him on his nees and kist his hand, crieing liek a chield.
'Be I going, doctor?' he askt.
'Tom, mi man,' sed I, 'U'r going hoem.'
'I wish I had had a lik at them with th gun ferst,' he replied.
'Tom,' sed th sqier, 'say U forgiv me, woen't U?'
'Would that be respectful liek, frum me to U, sqier?' was th anser. Howsoever, so be it, aamen!'
After a litl whiel of sielens, he sed he thaut sumbody miet reed a prair. 'It's th custom, ser,' he aded
apolojeticaly. And not long after, without anuther werd, he past awae.
In th meentiem th capten, hoom I had obzervd to be wunderfuly swoelen about th chest and pokets, had
ternd out a graet meny vairius stors--th British colours, a Biebl a coil of stoutish roep, pen, ink, th log-buuk,
and pounds of tobaco. He had found a longish fer-tree lieing feld an trimd in th encloezher, and, with th
help of Hunter, he had set it up at th corner of th log-hous wherr th trunks crosst and maed an anggl. Then,
clieming on th roof, he had with his oen hand bent and run up th colours.
This seemd mietily to releev him. He re-enterd th log-hous, and set about counting up th stors, as if nuthing
els existed. But he had an ie on Tom's pasej for all that; and as soon as all was oever, caem forward with
anuther flag, and reverently spred it on th body.
'Don't U taek on, ser,' he sed, shaeking th squire's hand. 'all's wel with him; no feer for a hand that's bin shot
doun in his duety to capten and oener. It mayn't be guud divinity, but it's a fact.'
Then he puuld me asied.
'Dr Livesey,' he sed, 'In how meny weeks do U and sqier expect th consort?'
I toeld him it was a qeschun, not of weeks, but of munths; that if we wer not bak bi th end of August,
Blandly was to send to fiend us; but neether sooner nor laeter. 'U can calcuelaet for yurself,' I sed.
'Why, yes,' reternd th capten, scraching his hed, 'and maeking a larj alowans, ser, for all th gifts of
Providens, I shuud sae we wer prity cloes halld.'
How do U meen?' I askt.
'It's a pity, ser, we lost that second loed. That's whut I meen,' replied th capten. 'As for pouder and shot,
we'l do. But th rashuns ar short, verry short--so short, Dr Livesey, that we'r, perhaps, as wel without that
extra mouth.'
282
And he pointed to th ded body under th flag.
Just then, with a ror and a whisl, a round-shot past hi abuv th roof of th log-hous and plumpt far beyond us
in th wuud.
'Oho!' sed th capten. 'Blaze awae! U'v litl enuf pouder allredy mi lads.'
At th second trieal, th aem was beter, and th ball desended insied th stokaed, scatering a cloud of sand, but
doing no ferther damej.
'Captain,' sed th sqier,'th hous is qiet invisibl frum th ship. It must be th flag thae ar aeming at. Wuud it not
be wiezer to taek it in?'
'Strike mi colours!' cried th capten. 'No, ser, not I;' and as soon as he had sed th werds, I think we all
agreed with him. For it was not oenly a pees of stout, seamanly, guud feeling; it was guud polisy besieds,
and shood our enemys that we despiezd thair canonaed.
All thru th eevning thae kept thundering awae. Ball after ball floo oever or fel short, or kikt up th sand in th
encloezher; but thae had to fier so hi that th shot fel ded and berryd itself in th sofft sand. We had no
ricoshae to feer; and tho wun popt in thru th roof of th log-hous and out agen thru th flor, we soon got uezd
to that sort of hors-plae, and miended it no mor than criket.
'ther is wun thing guud about all this,' obzervd th capten;'th wuud in frunt of us is liekly cleer. Th eb has
maed a guud whiel; our stors shuud be uncuverd. Volunteers to go and bring in pork.'
Grae and Hunter wer th ferst to cum forward. Wel armd, thae stoel out of th stokaed; but it proovd a uesles
mishun. Th mutineers wer boelder than we fansyd, or thae puut mor trust in Israel's gunery. For foer or fiev
of th wer bizy carrying off our stors, and waeding out with th to wun of th gigs that lae cloes bi, puuling an
or on so hoeld her stedy agenst th curent. Silver was in th stern-sheets in comand; and evry man of them
was now provieded with a musket frum sum seecret magazeen of thair oen.'
Th capten sat doun to his log, and heer is th begining of th entry:-'Alexander Smollett, master; David Livesey, ship's doctor; Abraham Grae, carpenter's maet; John
Trelawney, oener; John Hunter and Richard Joyce, owner's servant, landsmen--being all that is left faethful
of th ship's cumpany--with stors for ten daes at short rashuns, caem ashor this dae, and floo British colours
on th log-hous in Trezher Ieland. Thomas Redruth, owner's servant landzman, shot bi th mutineers; James
Hawkins, cabin-boi----'
And at th saem tiem I was wundering oever pur Jim Hawkins's faet.
A hael on th land sied.
'Somebody haeling us,' sed Hunter, hoo was on gard. 'Doctor! sqier! capten! Hullo, Hunter, is that U?'
caem th cries. And I ran to th dor in tiem to see Jim Hawkins, saef and sound, cum clieming oever th
stokaed.
Chapter XIX
Narrativ Rezoomd bi Jim Hawkins:
283
Th Garrison in th Stokaed
AS soon as Benn Gunn saw th colours he caem to a hallt stopt me bi th arm, and sat doun.
'Now,' sed he,'ther's yur frends, shur enuf.'
'Far mor liekly it's th mutineers,' I anserd.
'That!' he cried. 'Why, in a plaes liek this, wherr noebody puuts in but gen'lemen of forchun, Silver wuud
fli th Joly Roger, U don't maek no dout of that. No; that's yur frends. Thair's bin bloes, too, and I rekon yur
frends has had th best of it; and heer thae ar ashor in th oeld stokaed, as was maed yeers and yeers ago bi
Flint. Aa, he was th man to hav a hedpees, was Flint! Baring rum, his mach wer never seen. He wer afraed
of nun, not he; on'y Silver--Silver was that jenteel.'
'wel,' sed I, 'that mae be so, and so be it; all th mor reezon that I shuud hery on and join mi frends.'
'Nay, maet,' reternd Ben, 'not U. U'r a guud boi or I'm mistuuk; but U'r on'y a boi, all toeld. Now,
Ben Gunn is fli. Rum wuudn't bring me thair, wherr U'r going--not rum wuudn't I, til I see yur born
gen'leman and gets it on his werd of onor. And U woen't forget mi werds: "A preshus siet (that's whut U'l
sae), preshus siet mor confidens"--and then nips him.'
And he pincht me th therd tiem with th saem air of clevernes.
'And when Ben Gunn is wonted, U noe wherr to fiend him, Jim. Just wherr U found him to-dae. And him
that cums is to hav a whiet thing in his hand: and he's to cum aloen. O! and U'l sae this:
"Ben Gunn," ses U, "has reezons of his oen."'
'wel,' sed I, 'I beleev I understand. U hav sumthing to propoez, and U wish to see th sqier or th doctor; ant
U'r to be found wherr I found U. Is that all?'
'And when? ses U,' he aded. 'Why, frum about noon obzervaeshun to about six bels.'
'Good,' sed I, 'And now mae I go?'
'U woen't forget?' he inqierd, ankshusly. 'Preshus siet, and reezons of his oen, ses U. Reezons of his oen;
that's th maenstae; as between man and man. Wel, then'--stil hoelding me--'I rekon U can go, Jim. And,
Jim, if U was to see Silver, U wuudn't go for to sel Ben Gunn? Wield horses wuudn't draw it frum U? No,
ses U. And if them pierets camp ashor, Jim, whut wuud U sae but thair'd be widders in th morning?'
Heer he was interupted bi a loud report, and a canon-ball caem tairing thru th trees and picht in th sand, not
a hundred yards frum wherr we too wer tauking. Th next moement eech of us had taeken to his heels in a
diferent direcshun.
For a guud our to cum freeqent reports shuuk th ieland, and balls kept crashing thru th wuuds. I moovd
frum hieding-plaes to hieding-plaes, allwaes persood, or so it seemd to me, bi thees terrifieing misils. But
tords th end of th bombardment, tho stil I durst not vencher in th direcshun of th stokaed, wherr th balls fel
284
oftenest, I had begun, in a maner, to pluk up mi hart agen; and after a long detur to th eest, crept doun
amung th shor-sied trees.
Th sun had just set, th see breez was rusling and tumbling in th wuuds, and ruffling th grae serfis of th
ankorej; th tied, too, was far out, and graet tracts of sand lae uncuverd; th air, after th heet of th dae, chield
me thru mi jaket.
Th Hispaniola stil lae wherr she had ankord; but, shur enuf, thair was th Joly Roger--th blak flag of pierasy-flieing frum her peek. Eeven as I luukt, thair caem anuther red flash and anuther report, that sent th ekoes
clatering, and wun mor round-shot whisld thru th air. It was th last of th canonaed.
I lae for sum tiem, woching th busl which sucseeded th atak. Men wer demolishing sumthing with axes on
th beech neer th stokaed; th pur joly-boet, I afterwards discuverd. Awae, neer th mouth of th river, a graet
fier was gloeing amung th trees, and between that point and th ship wun of th gigs kept cuming and going,
th men, hoom I had seen so gloomy, shouting at th ors liek children. But thair was a sound in thair voises
which sugjested rum.
At length I thaut I miet retern tords th stokaed. I was prity far doun on th lo, sandy spit that encloezes th
ankorej to th eest, and is joind at haf-wauter to Skeleton Ieland; and now, as I roez to mi feet, I saw, sum
distans ferther doun th spit, and riezing frum amung lo buushes, an iesolaeted rok, prity hi, and pecuelyarly
whiet in colour. It ocurd to me that this miet be th whiet rok of which Ben Gunn had spoeken, and that sum
dae or uther a boet miet be wonted, and I shuud noe wherr to luuk for wun.
Then I skerted amung th wuuds until I had regaend th reer, or shoreward sied, of th stokaed, and was soon
wormly welcumd bi th faethful party.
I had soon toeld mi story, and began to luuk about me. Th log-hous was maed of unsquared trunks of pienroof, walls, and flor. Th laeter stuud in several plaeses as much as a fuut or a fuut and a haf abuv th serfis of
th sand. Thair was a porch at th dor, and under this porch th litl spring weld up into an artifishal baesin of a
rather od kiend--no uther than a graet ship's ketl of ieern, with th botom nokt out, and sunk 'to her bairings,'
as th capten sed, amung th sand.
Litl had bin left besied th fraemwerk of th hous; but in wun corner thair was a stoen slab laed doun bi wae
of harth, and an oeld rusty ieern basket to contaen th fier.
Th sloeps of th noel and all th insied of th stokaed had bin cleerd of timber to bild th hous, and we cuud see
bi th stumps whut a fien and loffty groev had beer destroid. Moest of th soil had bin wosht awae or berryd
in drift after th remooval of th trees; oenly wherr th streamlet ran doun frum th ketl a thik bed of moss and
sum ferns and litl creeping buushes wer stil green amung th sand. Verry cloes around th stokaed--too cloes
for defence, thae sed--th wuud stil flerisht hi and dens, all of fer on th land sied, but tords th see with a larj
admixcher of liv-oeks.
Th coeld eevning breez, of which I hav spoeken, whisld thru evry chink of th rood bilding, and sprinkld th
flor with a continueal raen of fien sand. Thair was sand in our ies, sand in our teeth, sand in our supers,
sand dansing in th spring at th botom of th ketl, for all th werld liek porrij begining to boil. Our chimny was
a sqair hoel in th roof; it was but a litl part of th smoek that found its wae out, and th rest eddied about th
hous, and kept us caufing and pieping th ie.
285
Ad to this that Grae, th nue man, had his faes tied up in a bandej for a cut he had got in braeking awae frum
th mutineers; and that pur oeld Tom Redruth, stil unberryd, lae along th wall, stif and stark, under th
Uenyon Jak.
If we had bin alowd to sit iedl, we shuud all hav fallen in th bloos but Capten Smollett was never th man for
that. All hands wer calld up befor him, and he divieded us into woches. Th doctor, and Grae, and I, for
wun; th sqier, Hunter, and Joyce, upon th uther. Tierd tho we all wer, too wer sent out for fierwuud; too
mor wer set to dig a graev for Redruth; th doctor was naemd cuuk; I was puut sentry at th dor; and th capten
himself went frum wun to anuther, keeping up our spirits and lending a hand wherrever it was wonted.
Frum tiem to tiem th doctor caem to th dor for a litl air and to rest his ies, which wer allmoest smoekt out of
his hed; and whenever he did so, he had a werd for me.
'That man Smollett,' he sed wuns, 'Is a beter man than I am. And when I sae that it meens a deel, Jim.'
Anuther tiem he caem and was sielent for a whiel. Then he puut his hed on wun sied, and luukt at me.
'Is this Ben Gunn a man?' he askt.
'I do not noe, ser,' sed I. 'I am not verry shur whether he's saen.'
'If thair's eny dout about th mater, he is,' reternd th doctor. 'A man hoo has bin three yeers bieting his naels
on a dezert ieland, Jim, can't expect to apeer as saen as U or me. It duzn't lie in hueman naecher. Was it
cheez U sed he had a fansy for?'
'Yes, ser, cheez,' I anserd.
'wel, Jim,' ses he, 'just see th guud that cums of being daenty in yur food. U'v seen mi snuff-box, havn't U?
And U never saw me taek snuff; th reezon being that in mi snuff-box I carry a pees of Parmesan cheez--a
cheez maed in Italy, verry nootrishus. Wel, that's for Ben Gunn!'
Befor super was eeten we berryd oeld Tom in th sand and stuud round him for a whiel bairheded in th
breez. A guud deel of fierwuud had bin got in, but not enuf for th captain's fansy; and he shuuk his hed
oever it, and toeld us we 'must get bak to this to-morro rather lievlyer.' Then when we had eeten our pork,
and eech had a guud stif glas of brandy grog, th three cheefs got together in a corner to discus our
prospects.
It apeers thae wer at thair wits' end whut to do, th stor being so lo that we must hav bin starvd into serender
long befor help caem. But our best hoep, it was desieded, was to kil off th buccaneers until thae eether halld
doun thair flag or ran awae with th Hispaniola. Frum nienteen thae wer allredy reduest to fifteen, too uthers
wer woonded, and wun at leest--th man shot besied th gun--seveerly woonded if he wer not ded. Evry tiem
we had a crak at them, we wer to taek it, saeving our oen lievs, with th extreemest cair. And, besieds that,
we had too aebl alies--rum and th cliemet.
As for th ferst, tho we wer about haf a miel awae, we cuud heer them roring and singing laet into th niet;
and as for th second, th doctor staekt his wig that, campt wherr thae wer in th marsh, and unprovieded with
remedys, th haf of them wuud be on thair baks befor a week.
286
'So,' he aded, 'if we ar not all shot doun ferst thae'l be glad to be paking in th scooner. It's allwaes a ship,
and thae can get to buccaneering agen, I supoez.'
'First ship that ever I lost,' sed Capten Smollett.
I was ded tierd, as U mae fansy; and when I got to sleep which was not til after a graet deel of tossing, I
slept liek log of wuud.
Th rest had long bin up, and had allredy brekfasted and increest th piel of fierwuud bi about haf as much
agen, when I was waekend bi a busl and th sound of voises.
'Flag of troos!' I herd sumwun sae; and then, imeedyetly after, with a cri of serpriez, 'Silver himself!'
And, at that, up I jumpt, and, rubing mi ies, ran to a loophoel in th wall.
Chapter XX
Silver's Embasy
SHUR enuf, thair wer too men just outsied th stokaed, wun of them waeving a whiet clauth; th uther, no les
a person than Silver himself, standing plasidly bi.
It was stil qiet erly, and th coeldest morning that I think I ever was abraud in; a chil that peerst into th
marro. Th skie was briet and cloudles oeverhed, and th tops of th trees shoen roezily in th sun. But wherr
Silver stuud with his lootenant all was stil in shado, and thae waeded nae deep in a lo, whiet vapour, that
had cralld during th niet out of th moras. Th chil and th vapour taeken together toeld a pur tael of th ieland.
It was plaenly a damp, feeverish, unhelthy spot.
'Keep indors, men,' sed th capten. 'ten to wun this is a trik.'
Then he haeld th bucaneer.
'Hoo goes? Stand, or we fier.'
'Flag of troos,' cried Silver.
Th capten was in th porch, keeping himself cairfuly out of th wae of a trecherus shot shuud eny be
intended. He ternd and spoek to us:-'Doctor's woch on th luuk out. Dr Livesey taek th north sied, if U pleez; Jim, th eest; Grae, west. Th woch
belo, all hands to loed muskets. Lievly, men, and cairful.'
And then he ternd agen to th mutineers.
'And whut do U wont with yur flag of troos?' he cried.
This tiem it was th uther man hoo replied.
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'Cap'n Silver, ser, to cum on bord and maek terms,' he shouted.
'Cap'n Silver! Don't noe him. Hoo's he?' cried th capten. And we cuud heer him ading to himself: 'Cap'n, is
it? Mi hart, and heer's promoeshun!'
Long John anserd for himself.
'Me, ser. Thees pur lads, hav choezen me cap'n, after yur dezershun, ser--laeing a particuelar emfasis upon
th werd 'desertion.' 'We're wiling to submit, if we can cum to terms, and no boens about it. All I ask is yur
werd, Cap'n Smollett, to let me saef and sound out of this heer stokaed, and wun minit to get out o' shot
befor a gun is fierd.'
'My man,' sed Capten Smollett, 'I hav not th slietest dezier to tauk to U. If U wish to tauk to me, U can
cum, that's all. If thair's eny trechery, it'l be on yur sied, and th Lord help U.'
'That's enuf, cap'n,' shouted Long John, cheerily. 'A werd frum you's enuf. I noe a jentlman, and U mae lae
to that.'
We cuud see th man hoo carryd th flag of troos atempting to hoeld Silver bak. Nor was that wunderful,
seeing how cavalier had bin th captain's anser. But Silver laft at him aloud, and slapt him on th bak, as if th
iedeea of alarm had bin abserd. Then he advanst to th stokaed, throo oever his cruch, got a leg up, and with
graet vigour and skil sucseeded in sermounting th fens and droping saefly to th uther sied.
I wil confes that I was far too much taeken up with whut was going on to be of th slietest ues as sentry;
indeed, I had allredy dezerted mi eestern loophoel, and crept up behiend th capten, hoo had now seeted
himself on th threshhoeld, with his elboes on his nees, his hed in his hands, and his ies fixt on th wauter, as
it bubld out of th oeld ieern ketl in th sand. He was whisling to himself, 'Come, Lases and Lads.'
Silver had terribl hard werk geting up th noel. Whut with th steepness of th inclien, th thik tree stumps, and
th sofft sand, he and his cruch wer as helples as a ship in staes. But he stuk to it liek a man in sielens, and at
last arievd befor th capten, hoom he salooted in th hansumest stiel. He was trikt out in his best; an imens
bloo coet, thik with bras butons, hung as lo as to his nees, and a fien laest hat was set on th bak of his hed.
Here U ar, mi man,' sed th capten, raezing his hed. 'U had beter sit doun.'
'U aint a-going to let me insied, cap'n?' complaend Long John. 'It's a maen coeld morning, to be shur, ser, to
sit outsied upon th sand.'
'Why, Silver,' sed th capten, 'if U had pleezd to be an onest man, U miet hav bin siting in yur galy. It's yur
oen doing. U'r eether mi ship's cuuk--and then U wer treeted hansum--or Cap'n Silver, a comon muetineer
and pieret, and then U can go hang!'
'wel, wel, cap'n,' reternd th see-cuuk, siting doun as he was bidden on th sand, 'U'll hav to giv me a hand up
agen, that's all. A sweet prity plaes U hav of it heer. Aa, thair's Jim! Th top of th morning to U, Jim. Doctor,
heer's mi servis. Whi, thair U all ar together liek a hapy family, in a maner of speeking.'
'If U hav enything to sae, mi man, beter sae it,' sed th capten.
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'Right U wer, Cap'n Smollett,' replied Silver. 'dooty is dooty, to be shur. Wel, now, U luuk heer, that was a
guud lae of yurs last niet. I don't deni it was a guud lae. Sum of U prity handy with a handspiek-end. And I'l
not deni neether but whut sum of mi peepl was shuuk--maebe all was shuuk; maebe I was shuuk mieself;
maebe that's whi I'm heer for terms. But U mark me, cap'n, it woen't do twies, bi thunder! We'l hav to do
sentry-go, and eez off a point or so on th rum. Maebe U think we wer all a sheet in th wind's ie. But I'l tel U
I was soeber; I was on'y daug tierd; and if I'd awoek a second sooner I'd at caut U i th act, I wuud. He
wasn't ded when I got round to him, not he.'
'Well?' ses Capten Smollett, as cool as can be.
All that Silver sed was a ridl to him, but U wuud never hav gest it frum his toen. As for me, I began to hav
an inkling. Ben Gunn's last werds caem bak to mi miend. I began to supoez that he had paed th buccaneers
a vizit whiel thae all lae drunk together round thair fier, and I rekond up with glee that we had oenly forteen
enemys to deel with.
'wel, heer it is,' sed Silver. 'We wont that trezher, an we'l hav it--that's our point! U wuud just as soon saev
yur lievs, I rekon; and that's yurs. U hav a chart, havn't U?'
'That's as mae be,' replied th capten.
'Oh, wel, U hav, I noe that,' reternd Long John. 'U needn't be so husky with a man; thair aint a particl of
servis in that, and U mae lae to it. Whut I meen is, we wont yur chart. Now, I never ment U no harm,
mieself.'
'That woen't do with me, mi man,' interupted th capten. 'We noe exactly whut U ment to do, and we don't
cair; for now, U see, U can't do it.'
And th capten luukt at him caamly, and proseeded to fil a piep.
'If Abe Grae----' Silver broek out.
'Avast thair!' cried Mr Smollett. 'Gray toeld me nuthing, and I askt him nuthing; and whut's mor I wuud see
U and him and this hoel ieland bloen cleen out of th wauter into blazes ferst. So thair's mi miend for U, mi
man, on that.'
This litl whiff of temper seemd to cool Silver doun. He had bin groeing netld befor, but now he puuld
himself together.
'Like enuf,' sed he. 'I wuud set no limits to whut jentlmen miet consider shipshaep, or miet not, as th caes
wer. And, seein' as how U ar about to taek a piep, cap'n, I'l maek so free as do liekwiez.'
And he fild a piep and lieted it; and th too men sat sielently smoeking for qiet a whiel, now luuking eech
uther in th faes, now stoping thair tobaco, now leening forward to spit. It was as guud as th plae to see
them.
'Now,' rezoomd Silver, Here it is. U giv us th chart to get th trezher bi, and drop shooting pur seemen, and
stoving of thair heds in whiel asleep. U do that, and we'l offer U a chois. Eether U cum abord along of us,
wuns th trezher shipt, and then I'l giv U mi affy-davy, upon mi werd of onor, to clap U sumwherr saef
ashor. Or, if that aint to yur fansy, sum of mi hands being ruf, and having oeld scors, on acount of hazing,
289
then U can stae heer, U can. We'l divied stors with U, man for man; and I'l giv mi affy-davy, as befor, to
speek th ferst ship I siet, and send 'em heer to pik U up. Now U'l oen that's tauking. Hansumer U cuudn't
luuk to get, not U. And I hope'--raezing his vois--'that all hands in this heer blokhous wil oeverhall mi
werds, for whut is spoek to wun is spoek to all.'
Capten Smollett roez frum his seet, and nokt out th ashes of his piep in th paam of his left hand.
'Is that all?' he askt.
'Every last werd, bi thunder!' anserd John. 'refuez that, and U'v seen th last of me but musket-balls.'
'Very guud,' sed th capten. 'Now U'l heer me. If U'l cum up wun bi wun, unarmd, I'l engaej to clap U all in
ieerns, and taek U hoem to a fair trieal in England. If U woen't mi naem is Alexander Smollett, I'v floen mi
sovereign's colours, and I'l see U all to Davy Jones. U can't fiend th trezher. U can't sael th ship--thair's not
a man amung U fit to sael th ship. U can't fiet us--Grae, thair, got awae frum fiev of U. Yur ship's in ieerns,
Master Silver; U'r on a lee shor, and so U'l fiend. I stand heer and tel U so; and thae'd th last guud werds U'l
get frum me; for, in th naem of heven, I'l puut a buulet in yur bak when next I meet U. Tramp, mi lad.
Bundl out of this, pleez, hand oever hand, and dubl qik.'
Silver's faes was a pikcher; his ies started in his hed with rath. He shuuk th fier out of his piep.
'Give me a hand up!' he cried.
'Not I,' reternd th capten.
'Hoo'll giv me a hand up?' he rord.
Not a man amung us moovd. Grouling th foulest imprecaeshuns, he cralld along th sand til he got hoeld of
th porch and cuud hoist himself agen upon his cruch. Then he spat into th spring.
'ther!' he cried, 'that's whut I think of ye. Befor an hour's out, I'l stoev in yur oeld blok-hous liek a rum
punchon. Laf, bi thunder, laf! Befor an hour's out, ye'll laf upon th uther sied. Them that die'll be th luky
wuns.'
And with a dredful oeth he stumbld off, ploughed doun th sand, was helpt across th stokaed, after foer or
fiev faeluers, bi th man with th flag of troos, and disapeerd in an instant afterwards amung th trees.
Chapter XXI
Th Atak
AS soon as Silver disapeerd, th capten, hoo had bin cloesly woching him, ternd tords th inteerior of th hous,
and found not a man of us at his poest but Grae. It was th ferst tiem we had ever seen him anggry.
'Quarters!' he rord. And then, as we all slunk bak to our plaeses, 'Gray,' he sed, 'I'l puut yur naem in th log;
U'v stuud bi yur duety liek a seeman. Mr Trelawney, I'm serpriezd at U, ser. Doctor, I thaut U had worn th
king's coet! If that was how U servd at Fontenoy, ser, U'd hav bin beter in yur berth.'
290
Th doctor's woch wer all bak at thair loophoels, th rest wer bizy loeding th spair muskets, and evry wun
with a red faes, U mae be serten, and a flee in his eer, as th saeing is.
Th capten luukt on for a whiel in sielens. Then he spoek. 'my lads,' sed he, 'I've given Silver a braudsied. I
picht it in red-hot on perpos; and befor th hour's out, as he sed, we shal be borded. We'r outnumberd, I
needn't tel U that, but we fiet in shelter; and, a minit ago, I shuud hav sed we faut with disiplin. I'v no
maner of dout that we can drub them, if U chooz.'
Then he went th rounds, and saw, as he sed, that all was cleer.
On th too short sieds of th hous, eest and west, thair wer oenly too loophoels; on th south sied wherr th
porch was, too agen; and on th north sied, fiev. Thair was a round scor of muskets for th seven of us; th
fierwuud had bin bilt into foer piels--taebls, U miet sae-wun about th midl of eech sied, and on eech of
thees taebls sum amuenishun and foer loeded muskets wer laed redy to th hand of th defenders. In th midl,
th cutlasses lae raenjd.
'Toss out th fier,' sed th capten;'th chil is past, and we mustn't hav smoek in our ies.'
Th ieern fier-basket was carryd bodily out bi Mr Trelawney, and th embers smutherd amung sand.
Hawkins hasn't had his brekfast. Hawkins, help yurself, and bak to yur poest to eet it,' continued Capten
Smollett. 'Lively, now, mi lad; U'l wont it befor U'v dun. Hunter, serv out a round of brandy to all hands.'
And whiel this was going on, th capten compleeted, in his oen miend, th plan of th defence.
'Doctor, U wil taek th dor,' he rezoomd. 'see, and don't expoez yurself; keep within, and fier thru th porch.
Hunter, taek th eest sied, thair. Joyce, U stand bi th west, mi man. Mr Trelawney, U ar th best shot--U and
Grae wil taek this long north sied, with th fiev loophoels; it's thair th daenjer is. If thae can get up to it, and
fier in upon us thru our oen ports, things wuud begin to luuk derty. Hawkins, neether U nor I ar much
acount at th shooting we'l stand bi to loed and bair a hand.'
As th capten had sed, th chil was past. As soon as th sun had cliemd abuv our gerdl of trees, it fel with all
its fors upon th cleering, and drank up th vapours at draft. Soon th sand was baeking, and th rezin melting
in th logs of th blok-hous. Jakets and coets wer flung asied; sherts throen oepen at th nek, and roeld up to th
shoelders; and we stuud thair, eech at his poest, in a feever of heet and angzieity.
An our past awae.
Hang them!' sed th capten. 'This is as dul as th doeldrums. Grae, whisl for a wind.'
And just at that moement caem th ferst nues of th atak.
'If U pleez, ser,' sed Joyce, 'if I see enywun am I to fier?'
'I toeld U so!' cried th capten.
'Thank U, ser,' reternd Joyce, with th saem qieet sivility.
Nuthing foloed for a tiem; but th remark had set us all on th alert, straening eers and ies--th musketeers with
thair peeses balanst in thair hands, th capten out in th midl of th blok-hous, with his mouth verry tiet and
froun on his faes.
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So sum seconds past, til sudenly Joyce whipt up his musket and fierd. Th report had scairsly died awae err
it was repeeted and repeeted frum without in a scatering voly, shot behiend shot, liek a string of gees, frum
evry sied of th encloezher. Several buulets struk th log-hous, but not wun enterd; and, as th smoek cleerd
awae and vanisht, th stokaed and th wuuds around it luukt as qieet and empty as befor. Not a bow waevd,
not th gleem of a musket-barrel betraed th prezens of our foes.
'Did U hit yur man?' askt th capten.
'No, ser,' replied Joyce. 'I beleev not, ser.'
'Next best thing to tel th trooth,' muterd Capten Smollett. 'load his gun, Hawkins. How meny shuud U sae
thair wer on yur sied, doctor?'
'I noe presiesly,' sed Dr Livesey. 'Three shots wer fierd on this sied. I saw th three flashes--too cloes
together--wun farther to th west.'
'Three!' repeeted th capten. 'And how meny on yurs, Mr Trelawney?'
But this was not so eezily anserd. Thair had cum meny frum th north- seven, bi th squire's compuetaeshun;
aet or nien, acording to Grae. Frum th eest and west oenly a singgl shot had bin fierd. It was plaen, thairfor,
that th atak wuud be developt frum th north, and that on th uther three sieds we wer oenly to be anoid bi a
sho of hostilitys. But Capten Smollett maed no chaenj in his araenjments. If th mutineers sucseeded in
crossing th stokaed, he argued, thae wuud taek pozeshun of eny unprotected loophoel, and shoot us doun
liek rats in our oen stronghoeld.
Nor had we much tiem left to us for thaut. Sudenly, with a loud huzza, a litl cloud of pierets leept frum th
wuuds on th north sied, and ran straet on th stokaed. At th saem moement, th fier was wuns mor oepend
frum th wuuds, and a riefl-ball sang thru th dorwae, and nokt th doctor's musket into bits.
Th boarders swormd oever th fens liek munkys. Sqier and Grae fierd agen and yet agen; three men fel, wun
forwards into th encloezher, too bak on th outsied. But of thees, wun was evidently mor frietend than hert,
for he was on his feet agen in a crak, and instantly disapeerd amung th trees.
Too had bit th dust, wun had fled, foer had maed guud thair fuuting insied our defences; whiel frum th
shelter of th wuuds seven or aet men, eech evidently suplied with several muskets, kept up a hot tho uesles
fier on th log-hous.
Th foer hoo had borded maed straet befor them for th bilding, shouting as thae ran, and th men amung th
trees shouted bak to encurej them. Several shots wer fierd; but, such was th hery of th marksmen, that not
wun apeerd to hav taeken efect. In a moement, th foer pierets had swormd up th mound and wer upon us.
Th hed of Job Anderson, th boesun, apeerd at th midl loophoel.
'At 'em, all hands--all hands!' he rord, in a vois of thunder.
At th saem moement, anuther pieret graspt Hunter's musket bi th muzl, rencht it frum his hands, plukt it
thru th loophoel, and, with wun stuning blo, laed th pur felo sensles on th flor. Meenwhiel a therd, runing
unharmed all round th hous, apeerd sudenly in th dorwae, and fel with his cutlas on th doctor.
292
Our pozishun was uterly reverst. A moement sinss we wer fiering, under cuver, at an expoezd enemy; now
it was we hoo lae uncuverd, and cuud not retern a blo.
Th log-hous was fuul of smoek, to which we oed our comparrativ saefty. Cries and confuezhun, th flashes
and reports of pistol-shots, and wun loud groen, rang in mi eers.
'Out, lads, out, and fiet 'em in th oepen! Cutlasses!' cried th capten.
I snacht a cutlas frum th piel, and sumwun, at th saem tiem snaching anuther, gaev me a cut across th nukls
which I hardly felt. I dasht out of th dor into th cleer sunliet. Sumwun was cloes behiend, I nue not hoom.
Riet in frunt, th doctor was persooing his asaelant doun th hil, and, just as mi ies fel upon him, beet doun
his gard, and sent him spralling on his bak, with a graet slash across th faes.
'Round th hous, lads! round th hous!' cried th capten and eeven in th hurly-berly I perseevd a chaenj in his
vois.
Mecanicaly I oebaed, ternd eastwards, and with mi cutlas raezd, ran round th corner of th hous. Next
moement I was faes to faes with Anderson. He rord aloud, and his hanger went up abuv his hed, flashing in
th sunliet. I had not tiem to be afraed, but, as th blo stil hung impending, leept in a trice upon wun sied, and
mising mi fuut in th sofft sand, roeld hedlong doun th sloep.
When I had ferst sallied frum th dor, th uther mutineers had bin allredy sworming up th palisaed to maek an
end of us. Wun man, in a red niet-cap, with his cutlas in his mouth, had eeven got upon th top and throen a
leg across. Wel, so short had bin th interval, that when I found mi feet agen all was in th saem poscher, th
felo with th red niet-cap stil haf-wae oever, anuther stil just shooing his hed abuv th top of th stokaed. And
yet, in this breth of tiem, th fiet was oever, and th victory was ours.
Grae, foloeing cloes behiend me, had cut doun th big boesun err he had tiem to recuver frum his lost blo.
Anuther had bin shot at a loophoel in th verry act of fiering into th hous, and now lae in agony, th pistol stil
smoeking in his hand. A therd, as I had seen, th doctor had dispoezd of at a blo. Of th foer hoo had scaeld
th palisaed, wun oenly remaend unaccounted for, and he, having left his cutlas on th feeld, was now
clambering out agen with th feer of deth upon him.
'Fire--fier frum th hous!' cried th doctor. 'And U, lads, bak into cuver.'
But his werds wer unheeded, no shot was fierd, and th last border maed guud his escaep, and disapeerd
with th rest into th wuud. In three seconds nuthing remaend of th ataking party but th fiev hoo had fallen,
foer on th insied, and wun on th outsied, of th palisaed.
Th doctor and Grae and I ran fuul speed for shelter. Th servievors wuud soon be bak wherr thae had left
thair muskets, and at eny moement th fier miet re-comens.
Th hous was bi this tiem sumwhut cleerd of smoek, and we saw at a glans th pries we had paed for victory.
Hunter lae besied his loophoel, stund; Joyce bi his, shot thru th hed, never to moov agen; whiel riet in th
senter, th sqier was suporting th capten, wun as pael as th uther.
'th captain's woonded,' sed Mr Trelawney.
293
Have thae run?' askt Mr Smollett.
'All that cuud, U mae be bound,' reternd th doctor 'but thair's fiev of them wil never run agen.'
'Five!' cried th capten. 'Come, that's beter. Fiev agenst three leevs us foer to nien. That's beter ods than we
had at starting. We wer seven to nienteen then, or thaut we wer, and that's as bad to bair.'1
[Fuutnoet:] 1Th mutineers wer soon oenly aet in number, for th man shot bi Mr Trelawney on bord th
scooner died that saem eevning of his woond. But this was, of cors, not noen til after bi th faethful party.
PART FIEV
Mi See Advencher
Chapter XXII
How Mi See Advencher Began
THAIR was no retern of th mutineers--not so much as anuther shot out of th wuuds. Thae had 'got thair
rashuns for that dae,' as th capten puut it, and we had th plaes to ourselvs and a qieet tiem to oeverhall th
woonded and get diener. Sqier and I cuukt outsied in spiet of th daenjer, and eeven outsied we cuud hardly
tel whut we wer at, for horror of th loud groans that reecht us frum th doctor's paeshents.
Out of th aet men hoo had fallen in th acshun, oenly three stil breethd--that wun of th pierets hoo had bin
shot at th loophoel, Hunter, and Capten Smollett; and of thees th ferst too wer as guud as ded; th muetineer,
indeed, died under th doctor's nief, and Hunter, do whut we cuud, never recuverd conshusnes in this werld.
He linggerd all dae, breething loudly liek th oeld bucaneer at hoem in his apoplectic fit; but th boens of his
chest had bin crusht bi th blo and his skul frakcherd in falling, and sum tiem in th foloeing niet, without
sien or sound, he went to his Maeker.
As for th capten, his woonds wer greevus indeed, but not daenjerus. No organ was faetaly injerd.
Anderson's ball--for it was Job that shot him ferst--had broeken his shoelder-blaed and tucht th lung, not
badly; th second had oenly torn and displaest sum musls in th caf. He was shur to recuver, th doctor sed,
but, in th meentiem and for weeks to cum, he must not wauk nor moov his arm, nor so much as speek when
he cuud help it.
Mi oen acsidental cut across th nukls was a flee-biet. Dr Livesey pacht it up with plaster, and puuld mi eers
for me into th bargen.
After diener th sqier and th doctor sat bi th captain's sied a whiel in consultaeshun; and when thae had taukt
to thair heart's content, it being then a litl past noon, th doctor tuuk up his hat and pistols, girt on a cutlas,
puut th chart in his poket, and with a musket oever his shoelder, crosst th palisaed on th north sied, and set
off briskly thru th trees.
294
Grae and I wer siting together at th far end of th blok-hous, to be out of eershot of our offisers consulting;
and Grae tuuk his piep out of his mouth and fairly forgot to puut it bak agen, so thunderstruck he was at this
ocurens.
'Why, in th naem of Davy Jones,' sed he, 'Is Dr Livesey mad?'
'Why, no,' ses I. 'He's about th last of this croo for that, I taek it.'
'wel, shipmaet,' sed Grae, 'Mad he mae not be; but if he's not, U mark mi werds, I am.'
'I taek it,' replied I,'th doctor has his iedeea; and if I am riet, he's going now to see Ben Gunn.'
I was riet, as apeerd laeter; but, in th meentiem, th hous being stiefling hot, and th litl pach of sand insied th
palisaed ablaez with middae sun, I began to get anuther thaut into mi hed, which was not bi eny meens so
riet. Whut I began to do was to envy th doctor, wauking in th cool shado of th wuuds, with th berds about
him, and th plezant smel of th piens, whiel I sat grilling, with mi cloeths stuk to th hot rezin, and so much
blud about me, and so meny pur ded bodys lieing all around, that I tuuk a disgust of th plaes that was
allmoest as strong as feer.
All th tiem I was woshing out th blok-hous, and then woshing up th things frum diener, this disgust and
envy kept groeing strongger and strongger, til at last, being neer a bred-bag, and no wun then obzerving
me, I tuuk th ferst step tords mi escapaed, and fild boeth pokets of mi coet with biskit.
I was a fool, if U liek, and sertenly I was going to do a foolish, oever-boeld act; but I was determind to do it
with all th precaushuns in mi power. Thees biskits, shuud enything befall me, wuud keep me, at leest, frum
starving til far on in th next dae.
Th next thing I laed hoeld of was a braes of pistols, and as I allredy had a pouder-horn and buulets, I felt
mieself wel suplied with arms.
As for th skeem I had in mi hed, it was not a bad wun in itself. I was to go doun th sandy spit that divieds th
ankorej on th eest frum th oepen see, fiend th whiet rok I had obzervd last eevning, and asertaen whether it
was thair or not that Ben Gunn had hiden his boet; a thing qiet werth doing, as I stil beleev. But as I was
serten I shuud not be alowd to leev th encloezher, mi oenly plan was to taek French leev, and slip out when
noebody was woching; and that was so bad a wae of doing it as maed th thing itself rong. But I was oenly a
boi, and I had maed mi miend up.
Wel, as things at last fel out, I found an admerabl oportuenity. Th sqier and Grae wer bizy helping th capten
with his bandejes; th coest was cleer; I maed a boelt for it oever th stokaed and into th thikest of th trees,
and befor mi absens was obzervd I was out of cri of mi companyons.
This was mi second foly, far wers than th ferst, as I left but too sound men to gard th hous; but liek th ferst,
it was a help tords saeving all of us.
I tuuk mi wae straet for th eest coest of th ieland, for I was determind to go doun th see sied of th spit to
avoid all chans of obzervaeshun frum th ankorej. It was allredy laet in th afternoon, alltho stil worm and
suny. As I continued to thred th tall wuuds I cuud heer frum far befor me not oenly th continueus thunder of
th serf, but a serten tossing of foelej and griending of bows which shood me th see breez had set in hieer
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than uezhual. Soon cool drafts of air began to reech me; and a fue steps farther I caem forth into th oepen
borders of th groev, and saw th see lieing bloo and suny to th horiezon, and th serf tumbling and tossing its
foem along th beech.
I hav never seen th see qieet round Trezher Ieland. Th sun miet blaez oeverhed, th air be without a breth, th
serfis smooth and bloo, but stil thees graet rollers wuud be runing along all th external coest, thundering
and thundering bi dae and niet; and I scairs beleev thair is wun spot in th ieland wherr a man wuud be out
of eershot of thair noiz.
I waukt along besied th serf with graet enjoiment, til, thinking I was now got far enuf to th south, I tuuk th
cuver of sum thik buushes, and crept wairily up to th rij of th spit.
Behiend me was th see, in frunt th ankorej. Th see breez, as tho it had th sooner bloen itself out bi its
unuezhual vieolens, was allredy at an end; it had bin sucseeded bi liet, vairiabl airs frum th south and southeest, carrying graet banks of fog; and th ankorej, under lee of Skeleton Ieland, lae stil and leden as when
ferst we enterd it. Th Hispaniola, in that unbroeken miror, was exactly portraed frum th truk to th wauter
leen, th Joly Roger hanging frum her peek.
Alongsied lae wun of th gigs, Silver in th stern-sheets--him I cuud allwaes recognise--whiel a cupl of men
wer leening oever th stern bulwarks, wun of them with a red cap--th verry roeg that I had seen sum ours
befor stried-legs upon th palisaed. Aparrently thae wer tauking and lafing, tho at that distans--upwards of a
miel--I cuud, of cors, heer no werd of whut was sed. All at wuns, thair began th moest horrid, unerthly
screeming, which at ferst startld me badly, tho I had soon rememberd th vois of Capten Flint, and eeven
thaut I cuud maek out th berd bi her briet ploomej as she sat percht upon her master's rist.
Soon after th joly-boet shuvd off and puuld for shor, and th man with th red cap and his comrad went belo
bi th cabin companyon.
Just about th saem tiem th sun had gon doun behiend th Spi-glas, and as th fog was colecting rapidly, it
began to gro dark in ernest. I saw I must looz no tiem if I wer to fiend th boet that eevning.
Th whiet rok, vizibl enuf abuv th brush, was stil sum aetth of a miel ferther doun th spit, and it tuuk me a
goodish whiel to get up with it, cralling, offen on all-foers, amung th scrub. Niet had allmoest cum when I
laed mi hand on its ruf sieds. Riet belo it thair was an exseedingly small holo of green terf, hiden bi banks
and a thik underwood about nae-deep, that groo thair verry plentifully; and in th senter of th del, shur enuf,
a litl tent of goatskins, liek whut th gipsies carry about with them in England.
I dropt into th holo, lifted th sied of th tent, and thair was Ben Gunn's boet--hoem-maed if ever enything
was hoem-maed: a rood, lop-sieded fraemwerk of tuf wuud, and strecht upon that a cuvering of goet-skin,
with th hair insied. Th thing was extreemly small, eeven for me, and I can hardly imajin that it cuud hav
floeted with a fuul-siezd man. Thair was wun thwort set as lo as posibl, a kiend of strecher in th bows, and
a dubl padl for propulshun.
I had not then seen a coracle, such as th aenshent Britons maed, but I hav seen wun sinss, and I can giv U
no fairer iedeea of Ben Gunn's boet than bi saeing it was liek th ferst and th werst coracle ever maed bi
man. But th graet advantej of th coracle it sertenly pozest, for it was exseedingly liet and portabl.
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Wel, now that I had found th boet, U wuud hav thaut I had had enuf of truantry for wuns; but, in th
meentiem, I had taeken anuther noeshun, and becaem so obstinately fond of it, that I wuud hav carryd it
out, I beleev, in th teeth of Capten Smollett himself. This was to slip out under cuver of th niet, cut th
Hispaniola adrift, and let her go ashor wherr she fansyd. I had qiet maed up mi miend that th mutineers,
after thair repuls of th morning, had nuthing neerer thair harts than to up ankor and awae to see; this, I
thaut, it wuud be a fien thing to prevent, and now that I had seen how thae left thair wochmen unprovided
with a boet, I thaut it miet be dun with litl risk.
Doun I sat to waet for darknes, and maed a harty meel of biskit. It was a niet out of ten thouzand for mi
perpos. Th fog had now berryd all heven. As th last raes of daeliet dwindld and disapeerd, absoloot blaknes
setld doun on Trezher Ieland. And when, at last, I shoelderd th coracle, and groept mi wae stumblingly out
of th holo wherr I had supped, thair wer but too points vizibl on th hoel ankorej.
Wun was th graet fier on shor, bi which th defeeted pierets lae carouzing in th swomp. Th uther, a meer bler
of liet upon th darknes, indicaeted th pozishun of th ankord ship. She had swung round to th eb - her bow
was now tords me--th oenly liets on bord wer in th cabin; and whut I saw was meerly a reflecshun on th fog
of th strong raes that floed frum th stern windo.
Th eb had allredy run sum tiem, and I had to waed thru a long belt of swompy sand, wherr I sank several
tiems abuv th ankl, befor I caem to th ej of th retreeting wauter, and waeding a litl wae in, with sum
strength and dexterrity, set mi coracle, keel dounwards, on th serfis.
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Chapter XXIII
Th Eb-Tied Runs
TH coracle--as I had ampl reezon to noe befor I was dun with her--was a verry saef boet for a person of mi
hiet and waet, boeth boiant and clever in a seewae; but she was th moest cross-grained lop-sieded craft to
manej. Do as U pleez, she allwaes maed mor leewae than enything els, and terning round and round was th
manoover she was best at. Eeven Ben Gunn himself has admited that she was 'queer to handl til U nue her
wae.'
Sertenly I did not noe her wae. She ternd in evry direcshun but th wun I was bound to go; th moest part of
th tiem we wer braudsied on, and I am verry shur I never shuud hav maed th ship at all but for th tied. Bi
guud forchun, padl as I pleezd, th tied was stil sweeping me doun; and thair lae th Hispaniola riet in th
fairwae, hardly to be mist.
Ferst she loomd befor me liek a blot of sumthing yet blacker than darknes, then her spars and hul began to
taek shaep, and th next moement, as it seemd (for, th ferther I went, th brisker groo th curent of th eb), I
was alongsied of her hauzer, and had laed hoeld.
Th hauzer was as taut as a boestring, and th curent so strong she puuld upon her ankor. All round th hul, in
th blaknes, th ripling curent bubld and chaterd liek a litl mounten streem. Wun cut with mi see-guly, and th
Hispaniola wuud go huming doun th tied.
So far so guud; but it next ocurd to mi recolecshun that a taut hauzer, sudenly cut, is a thing as daenjerus as
a kiking hors. Ten to wun, if I wer so foolhardy as to cut th Hispaniola frum her ankor, I and th coracle
wuud be nokt cleen out of th wauter.
This braut me to a fuul stop, and if forchun had not agen particuelarly favoured me, I shuud hav had to
abandon mi dezien. But th liet airs which had begun bloeing frum th south-eest and south had halld round
after nietfual into th south-west. Just whiel I was meditaeting, a puf caem, caut th Hispaniola, and forst her
up into th curent; and to mi graet joi, I felt th hauzer slaken in mi grasp, and th hand bi which I held it dip
for a second under wauter.
With that I maed mi miend up, tuuk out mi guly, oepend it with mi teeth, and cut wun strand after anuther,
til th vesel swung oenly bi too. Then I lae qieet, waeting to sever thees last when th straen shuud be wuns
mor lietend bi a breth of wind.
All this tiem I had herd th sound of loud voises frum th cabin; but, to sae trooth, mi miend had bin so
entierly taek up with uther thauts that I had scairsly given eer. Now, however, when I had nuthing els to do,
I began to pae mor heed.
Wun I recogniezd for th coxswain's, Israel Hands, that had bin Flint's guner in former daes. Th uther was,
of cors, mi frend of th red niet-cap. Boeth men wer plaenly th wers of drink, and thae wer stil drinking; for,
eeven whiel I was lisening, wun of them, with a drunken cri, oepend th stern windo and throo out sumthing,
which I divined to be an empty botl. But thae wer not oenly tipsy; it was plaen that thae wer fueriusly
anggry. Oeths floo liek hailstones, and evry now and then thair caem forth such an exploezhun as I thaut
was shur to end in bloes. But eech tiem th qorrel past off, and th voises grumbld loeer for a whiel, until th
next criesis caem, and, in its tern, past awae without rezult.
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On shor, I cuud see th glo of th graet camp fier berning wormly thru th shor-sied trees. Sumwun was
singing, a dul, oeld, droning sailor's song, with a droop and a qaever at th end of evry vers, and seemingly
no end to it at all but th paeshens of th singer. I had herd it on th voiej mor than wuns, and rememberd thees
werds:-'But wun man of her croo aliev,
Whut puut to see with seventy-fiev.'
And I thaut it was a dity rather too doelfuly aproepryet for a cumpany that had met such crooel losses in th
morning. But, indeed, frum whut I saw, all thees buccaneers wer as calus as th see thae saeld on.
At last th breez caem; th scooner sidled and droo neerer in th dark; I felt th hauzer slaken wuns mor, and
with a guud, tuf efort, cut th last fibres thru.
Th breez had but litl acshun on th coracle, and I was allmoest instantly swept agenst th bows of th
Hispaniola. At th saem tiem th scooner began to tern upon her heel, spining sloely, end for end, across th
curent.
I raut liek a feend, for I expected evry moement to be swompt; and sinss I found I cuud not puush th coracle
directly off, I now shuvd straet astern. At length I was cleer of mi daenjerus naebor; and just as I gaev th
last impulshun, mi hands caem across a liet cord that was traeling oeverbord across th stern bulwarks.
Instantly I graspt it.
Whi I shuud hav dun so I can hardly sae. It was at ferst meer instinkt; but wuns I had it in mi hands and
found it fast, cueriosity began to get th uper hand, and I determind I shuud hav wun luuk thru th cabin
windo.
I puuld in hand oever hand on th cord, and, when I jujd mieself neer enuf, roez at infinit risk to about haf
mi hiet, and thus comanded th roof and a slies of th inteerior of th cabin.
Bi this tiem th scooner and her litl consort wer gliding prity swiftly thru th wauter; indeed, we had allredy
fetched up level with th camp fier. Th ship was tauking, as saelors sae, loudly, treding th inuemerabl ripls
with an insesant weltering splash; and until I got mi ie abuv th windo-sil I cuud not comprehend whi th
wochmen had taeken no alarm. Wun glans, however, was sufishent; and it was oenly wun glans that I durst
taek frum that unstedy skif. It shood me Hands and his companyon lokt together in dedly resl, eech with a
hand upon th other's throet.
I dropt upon th thwort agen, nun too soon, for I was neer oeverbord. I cuud see nuthing for th moement but
thees too fuerius, encrimsoned faeses, swaeing together under th smoeky lamp; and I shut mi ies to let them
gro wuns mor familyar with th darknes.
Th endles balad had cum to an end at last, and th hoel diminisht cumpany about th camp fier had broeken
into th corus I had herd so offen:-'Fifteen men on th ded man's chest-Yo-ho-ho, and a botl of rum!
Drink and th devil had dun for th rest--
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Yo-ho-ho, and a botl of rum!'
I was just thinking how bizy drink and th devil wer at that verry moement in th cabin of th Hispaniola,
wherr I was serpriezd bi a suden lerch of th coracle. At th saem moement she yawed sharply and seemd to
chaenj her cors. Th speed in th meentiem had straenjly increest.
I oepend mi ies at wuns. All round me wer litl ripls, coeming oever with a sharp, brisling sound and slietly
fosforesent. Th Hispaniola herself, a fue yards in hoos waek I was stil being wherld along, seemd to staejer
in her cors, and I saw her spars toss a litl agenst th blaknes of th niet; nae, as I luukt longger, I maed shur
she allso was wheeling to th southward.
I glanst oever mi shoelder, and mi hart jumpt agenst mi ribs. Thair, riet behiend me, was th glo of th camp
fier. Th curent had ternd at riet anggls, sweeping round along with it th tall scooner and th litl dansing
coracle; ver qikening, ever bubling hieer, ever mutering louder, it went pining thru th narroes for th oepen
see.
Sudenly th scooner in frunt of me gaev a vieolent yaw, terning, perhaps, thru twenty degrees; and allmoest
at th saem moement wun shout foloed anuther frum on bord; I cuud heer feet pounding on th companyon
lader; and I nue that th too drunkards had at last bin interupted in thair qorrel and awaekend to a sens of
thair dizaster.
I lae doun flat in th botom of that reched skif, and devoutly recomended mi spirit to its Maeker. At th end
of th straets, I maed shur we must fall into sum bar of raejing braekers, wherr all mi trubls wuud be ended
speedily; and tho I cuud, perhaps, bair to die, I cuud not bair to luuk upon mi faet as it aproecht.
So I must hav laen for ours, continuealy beeten to and fro upon th biloes, now and agen wetted with flieing
spraes, and never seesing to expect deth at th next plunj. Grajualy weerynes groo upon me; a numnes, an
ocaezhunal stoopor, fel upon mi miend eeven in th midst of mi terrors; until sleep at last sooperveend, and
in mi see-tosst coracle I lae and dreemd of hoem and th oeld 'Admiral Benbow.'
Chapter XXIV
Th Crooz of th Coracle
IT was braud dae when I awoek, and found mieself tossing at th south-west end of Trezher Ieland. Th sun
was up, but was stil hid frum me behiend th graet bulk of th Spi-glas, which on this sied desended allmoest
to th see in formidabl clifs.
Haulbowline Hed and Mizen-mast Hil wer at mi elbo; th hil bair and dark, th hed bound with clifs forty or
fifty feet hi, and frinjd with graet mases of fallen rok. I was scairs a qorter of a miel to seeward, and it was
mi ferst thaut to padl in and land.
That noeshun was soon given oever. Amung th fallen roks th braekers spouted and beloed; loud
reverberaeshuns, hevy spraes flieing and falling, sucseeded wun anuther frum second to second; and I saw
mieself, if I vencherd neerer, dasht to deth upon th ruf shor, or spending mi strength in vaen to scael th
beetling crags.
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Nor was that all; for cralling together on flat taebls of roks or leting themselvs drop into th see with loud
reports, I beheld huej slimy monsters--sofft snaels as it wer, of incredibl bigness--too or three scor of them
together, maeking th roks to eko with thair barkings.
I hav understuud sinss that thae wer see lieons, and entierly harmles. But th luuk of them, aded to th
dificulty of th shor and th hi runing of th serf, was mor than enuf to disgust me of that landing-plaes. I felt
wiling rather to starv at see than to confrunt such perrils.
In th meentiem I had a beter chans, as I supoezd, befor me. North of Haulbowline Hed, th land runs in a
long wae, leeving, at lo tied, a long strech of yelo sand. To th north of that, agen, thair cums anuther caep-Caep of th Wuuds, as it was markt upon th chart--berryd in tall green piens, which desended to th marjin of
th see.
I rememberd whut Silver had sed about th curent that sets northward along th hoel west coest of Trezher
Ieland; and seeing frum mi pozishun that I was allredy under its inflooens, I preferd to leev Haulbowline
Hed behiend me, and rezerv mi strength for an atempt to land upon th kindlier-luuking Caep of th Wuuds.
Thair was a graet, smooth swel upon th see. Th wind bloeing stedy and jentl frum th south, thair was no
contrarieety between that and th curent, and th biloes roez and fel unbroeken.
Had it bin utherwiez, I must long ago hav perrisht; but as it was, it is serpriezing how eezily and secuerly
mi litl and liet boet cuud ried. Offen, as I stil lae at th botom, and kept no mor than an ie abuv th gunel, I
wuud see a big bloo sumit heeving cloes abuv me; yet th coracle wuud but bouns a litl, dans as if on
springs, and subsied on th uther sied into th trauf as lietly as a berd.
I began after a litl to gro verry boeld, and sat up to tri mi skil at padling. But eeven a small chaenj in th
dispozishun of th waet wil produes vieolent chaenjes in th behaevuer of a coracle. And I had hardly moovd
befor th boet, giving up at wuns her jentl dansing moovment, ran straet doun a sloep of wauter so steep that
it maed me gidy, and struk her noez, with a spout of sprae, deep into th sied of th next waev.
I was drencht and terrified, and fel instantly bak into mi oeld pozishun, wherrupon th coracle seemd to
fiend her hed agen, and led me as sofftly as befor amung th biloes. It was plaen she was not to be interfeerd
with, and at that raet, sinss I cuud in no wae inflooens her cors, whut hoep had I left of reeching land?
I began to be horribly frietend, but I kept mi hed, for all that. Ferst, mooving with all cair, I grajualy baled
out th coracle with mi see-cap; then geting mi ie wuns mor abuv th gunel, I set mieself to study how it was
she manejd to slip so qieetly thru th rollers.
I found eech waev, insted of th big, smooth glossy mounten it luuks frum shor, or frum a vessel's dek, was
for all th werld liek eny raenj of hils on th dri land, fuul of peeks and smooth plaeses and valys. Th coracle,
left to herself, terning frum sied to sied, threded, so to speek, her wae thru thees loeer parts, and avoided th
steep sloeps and hieer, topling summits of th waev.
'wel, now,' thaut I to mieself, 'It is plaen I must lie wherr I am, and not disterb th balans; but it is plaen,
allso, that I can puut th padl oever th sied, and frum tiem to tiem, in smooth plaeses, giv her a shuv or too
tords land.' No sooner thaut upon than dun. Thair I lae on mi elboes, in th moest trieing atitued, and evry
now and agen gaev a weak stroek or too to tern her hed to shor.
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It was verry tiering, and slo werk, yet I did vizibly gaen ground; and, as we droo neer th Caep of th Wuuds,
tho I saw I must infalibly mis that point, I had stil maed sum hundred yards of easting. I was, indeed, cloez
in. I cuud see th cool, green tree-tops swaeing together in th breez, and I felt shur I shuud maek th next
promontory without fael.
It was hi tiem, for I now began to be torcherd with therst. Th glo of th sun frum abuv, its thousandfold
reflecshun frum th waevs, th seewauter that fel and dried upon me caking mi verry lips with sallt, combiend
to maek mi throet bern and mi braen aek. Th siet of th trees so neer at hand had allmoest maed me sik with
longing; but th curent had soon carryd me past th point; and, as th next reech of see oepend out, I beheld a
siet that chaenjd th naecher of mi thauts.
Riet in frunt of me, not haf a miel awae, I beheld th Hispaniola under sael. I maed shur, of cors, that I shuud
be taeken; but I was so distrest for wont of wauter, that I scairs nue whether to be glad or sorry at th thaut;
and long befor I had cum to a concloozhun, serpriez had taeken entier pozeshun of mi miend, and I cuud do
nuthing but stair and wunder.
Th Hispaniola was under her maen-sael and too jibs, and th buetyful whiet canvas shoen in th sun liek sno
or silver, When I ferst sieted her, all her saels wer drawing; she was lieing a cors about north-west; and I
prezoomd th men on bord wer going round th ieland on thair wae bak to th ankorej. Prezently she began to
fech mor and mor to th westward, so that I thaut thae had sieted me and wer going about in chaes. At last,
however, she fel riet into th wind's ie, was taeken ded abak, and stuud thair a whiel helples, with her saels
shivering.
'Clumsy feloes,' sed I; 'thae must stil be drunk as ouls.' And I thaut how Capten Smollett wuud hav set them
skiping.
Meenwhiel, th scooner grajualy fel off, and fild agen upon anuther tak, saeld swiftly for a minit or so, and
braut up wuns mor ded in th wind's ie. Agen and agen was this repeeted. To and fro, up and doun, north,
south, eest, and west, th Hispaniola saeld bi swoops and dashes, and at eech repetishun ended as she had
begun, with iedly-flaping canvas. It becaem plaen to me that noebody was steering. And, if so, wherr wer th
men? Eether thae wer ded drunk, or had dezerted her, I thaut, and perhaps if I cuud get on bord, I miet
retern th vesel to her capten.
Th curent was bairing coracle and scooner southward at an eeqal raet. As for th latter's saeling, it was so
wield and intermitent, and she hung eech tiem so long in ieerns, that she sertenly gaend nuthing, if she did
not eeven looz. If oenly I daird to sit up and padl, I maed shur that I cuud oeverhall her. Th skeem had an
air of advencher that inspierd me, and th thaut of th wauter-braeker besied th for companyon dubld mi
groeing curej.
Up I got, was welcumd allmoest instantly bi anuther cloud of sprae, but this tiem stuk to mi perpos; and set
mieself, with all mi strength and caushun, to padl after th unsteered Hispaniola. Wuns I shipt a see so hevy
that I had to stop and bael, with mi hart flutering liek a berd; but grajualy I got into th wae of th thing, and
gieded mi coracle amung th waevs, with oenly now and then a blo upon her bows and a dash of foem in mi
faes.
I was now gaening rapidly on th scooner; I cuud see th bras glisen on th tiler as it bangd about; and stil no
soel apeerd upon her deks. I cuud not chooz but supoez she was dezerted. If not, th men wer lieing drunk
belo, wherr I miet baten them doun, perhaps, and do whut I choez with th ship.
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For sum tiem she had bin doing th werst thing posibl for me--standing stil. She heded neerly due south,
yawing, of cors, all th tiem. Eech tiem she fel off her saels partly fild, and thees braut her, in a moement,
riet to th wind agen. I hav sed this was th werst thing posibl for me; for helples as she luukt in this
sichuaeshun, with th canvas craking liek canon, and th bloks trundling and banging on th dek, she stil
continued to run awae frum me, not oenly with th speed of th curent, but bi th hoel amount of her leewae,
which was nacheraly graet.
But now, at last, I had mi chans. Th breez fel, for sum seconds, verry lo, and th curent grajualy terning her,
th Hispaniola revolvd sloely round her senter, and at last prezented me her stern, with th cabin windo stil
gaeping oepen, and th lamp oever th taebl stil berning on into th dae. Th maen-sael hung droopt liek a
baner. She was stok-stil, but for th curent.
For th last litl whiel I had eeven lost; but now, re-dubling mi eforts, I began wuns mor to oeverhall th chaes.
I was not a hundred yards frum her when th wind caem agen in a clap; she fild on th port tak, and was off
agen, stooping and skiming liek a swolo.
Mi ferst impuls was wun of despair, but mi second was tords joi. Round she caem, til she was braudsied on
to me--round stil til she had cuverd a haf, and then too-therds, and then three-qorters of th distans that
separaeted us. I cuud see th waevs boiling whiet under her forfuut. Imensly tall she luukt to me frum mi lo
staeshun in th coracle.
And then, of a suden, I began to comprehend. I had scairs tiem to think--scairs tiem to act and saev mieself.
I was on th sumit of wun swel when th scooner caem stooping oever th next. Th bowsprit was oever mi
hed. I sprang to mi feet, and leept, stamping th coracle under wauter. With wun hand I caut th jib-boom,
whiel mi fuut was lojd between th stae and th braes; and as I stil clung thair panting, a dul blo toeld me that
th scooner had charjd doun upon and struk th coracle, and that I was left without retreet on th Hispaniola.
Chapter XXV
I Striek th Joly Roger
I HAD scairs gaend a pozishun on th bowsprit, when th flieing jib flapt and fild upon th uther tak, with a
report liek a gun. Th scooner trembld to her keel under th revers; but next moement, th uther saels stil
drawing, th jib flapt bak agen, and hung iedl.
This had neerly tosst me off into th see; and now I lost no tiem, cralld bak along th bowsprit, and tumbld
hed formoest on th dek.
I was on th lee-sied of th foeksel, and th maen-sael, which was stil drawing, conseeld frum me a serten
porshun of th after-dek. Not a soel was to be seen. Th planks, which had not bin swobd sinss th muetiny,
bor th print of meny feet; and an empty botl, broeken bi th nek, tumbld to and fro liek a liv thing in th
scuppers.
Sudenly th Hispaniola caem riet into th wind. Th jibs behiend me crakt aloud; th ruder slamd to; th hoel
ship gaev a sikening heev and shuder, and at th saem moement th maen-boom swung inbord, th sheet
groening in th bloks, and shood me th lee after-dek.
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Thair wer th too wochmen, shur enuf: red-cap on his bak, as stif as a handspiek, with his arms strecht out
liek thoes of a croosifix, and his teeth shooing thru his oepen lips; Israel Hands propt agenst th bulwarks,
his chin on his chest, his hands lieing oepen befor him on th dek, his faes as whiet, under its tan, as a talo
candl.
For a whiel th ship kept buking and sidling liek a vishus hors, th saels fieling, now on wun tak, now on
anuther, and th boom swinging to and fro til th mast groend aloud under th straen. Now and agen, too, thair
wuud cum a cloud of liet spraes oever th buulwark, and a hevy blo of th ship's bows agenst th swel: so
much hevyer wether was maed of it bi this graet rigd ship than bi mi hoemmaed, lop-sieded coracle, now
gon to th botom of th see.
At evry jump of th scooner, red-cap slipt to and fro; but--whut was gastly to behoeld--neether his atitued
nor his fixt teeth-discloezing grin was enywae disterbd bi this ruf uesej. At evry jump, too, Hands apeerd
stil mor to sink into himself and setl doun upon th dek, his feet slieding ever th farther out, and th hoel body
canting tords th stern, so that his faes becaem, litl bi litl, hid frum me; and at last I cuud see nuthing beyond
his eer and th fraed ringlet of wun whisker.
At th saem tiem, I obzervd around boeth of them, splashes of dark blud upon th planks, and began to feel
shur that thae had kild eech uther in thair drunken rath.
Whiel I was thus luuking and wundering, in a caam moement, when th ship was stil, Israel Hands ternd
partly round, and, with a lo moen, riethd himself bak to th pozishun in which I had seen him ferst. Th
moen, which toeld of paen and dedly weeknes, and th wae in which his jaw hung oepen, went riet to mi
hart. But when I rememberd th tauk I had oeverherd frum th apl barrel, all pity left me.
I waukt aft until I reecht th maenmast.
'Come abord, Mr Hands,' I sed ieronicaly.
He roeld his ies round hevily; but he was too far gon to expres serpriez. All he cuud do was to uter wun
werd, 'Brandy.'
It ocurd to me thair was no tiem to looz; and, dojing th boom as it wuns mor lercht across th dek, I slipt aft,
and doun th companyon-stairs into th cabin.
It was such a seen of confuezhun as U can hardly fansy. All th lok-fast plaeses had bin broeken oepen in
qest of th chart. Th flor was thik with mud, wherr rufians had sat doun to drink or consult after waeding in
th marshes round thair camp. Th bulkheds, all paented in cleer whiet, and beeded round with gilt, bor a
patern of derty hands. Duzens of empty botls clinkt together in corners to th roeling of th ship. Wun of th
doctor's medical buuks lae oepen on th taebl, haf of th leevs guted out, I supoez, for pipelights. In th midst
of all this th lamp stil cast a smoeky glo, obscuer and broun as umber.
I went into th selar; all th barrels wer gon, and of th botls a moest serpriezing number had bin drunk out and
throen awae. Sertenly, sinss th muetiny began, not a man of them cuud ever hav bin soeber.
Forejing about, I found a botl with sum brandy left, for Hands; and for mieself I rooted out sum biskits,
sum pikld froots, a graet bunch of raezins, and a pees of cheez. With thees I caem on dek, puut doun mi oen
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stok behiend th ruder-hed, and wel out of th coxswain's reech, went forward to th wauter-braeker, and had a
guud, deep drink of wauter, and then, and not til then, gaev Hands th brandy.
He must hav drunk a jil befor he tuuk th botl frum his mouth.
'Aye,' sed he, 'by thunder, but I wonted sum o' that!'
I had sat doun allredy in mi oen corner and begun to eet.
'Much hert?' I askt him.
He grunted, or, rather I miet sae, he barked.
'If that doctor was abord,' he sed, 'I'd be riet enuf in a cupl of terns; but I don't hav no maner of luk, U see,
and that's whut's th mater with me. As for that swob, he's guud and ded, he is,' he aded, indicaeting th man
with th red cap. 'He warn't no seeman, enyhow. And wherr mought U hav cum frum?'
'wel,' sed I,'I'v cum abord to taek pozeshun of this ship, Mr Hands; and U'l pleez regard me as yur capten
until ferther noetis.'
He luukt at me sourly enuf, but sed nuthing. Sum of th colour had cum bak into his cheeks, tho he stil luukt
verry sik, and stil continued to slip out and setl doun as th ship bangd about.
'By-th-bi,' I continued, 'I can't hav thees colours, Mr Hands; and, bi yur leev, I'l striek 'em. Beter nun than
thees.'
And, agen dojing th boom, I ran to th colour leens, handed doun thair curst blak flag, and chucked it
oeverbord.
'God saev th king!' sed I, wavkng mi cap; 'And thair's an end to Capten Silver!'
He wocht me keenly and sliely, his chin all th whiel on his brest.
'I rekon,' he sed at last--'I rekon, Cap'n Hawkins, U'l kiend of wont to get ashor, now. S'pose we tauks.'
'Why, yes,' ses I, 'with all mi hart, Mr Hands. Sae on.' And I went bak to mi meel with a guud apetiet.
'This man,' he began, noding feebly at th cor-- 'O'Brien wer his naem--a rank Irelander--this man and me
got th canvas on her, meening for to sael her bak. Wel, he's ded now, he is--as ded as bilj; and hoo's to sael
this ship, I don't see. Without I givs U a hint, U aint that man, as far's I can tel. Now, luuk heer, U givs me
food and drink, and a oeld scarf or ankecher to ti mi woond up, U do; and I'l tel U how to sael her; and
that's about sqair all round, I taek it.'
'I'l tel U wun thing,' ses I: 'I'm not going bak to Capten Kidd's ankorej. I meen to get into North Inlet, and
beech her qieetly thair.'
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'To be shur U did,' he cried. 'Why, I aint sich an infernal lubber, after all. I can see, can't I? I'v tried mi
fling, I hav, and I'v lost, and it's U has th wind of me. North Inlet? Whi, I havn't no ch'Ice, not I! I'd help U
sael her up to Execueshun Dok, bi thunder! so I wuud.'
Wel, as it seemd to me, thair was sum sens in this. We struk our bargen on th spot. In three minits I had th
Hispaniola saeling eezily befor th wind along th coest of Trezher Ieland, with guud hoeps of terning th
northern point err noon, and beeting doun agen as far as North Inlet befor hi wauter, when we miet beech
her saefly, and waet til th subsiding tied permited us to land.
Then I lasht th tiler and went belo to mi oen chest, wherr I got a sofft silk hankerchif of mi mother's. With
this, and with mi aed, Hands bound up th graet bleeding stab he had reseevd in th thi, and after he had eeten
a litl and had a swolo or too mor of th brandy, he began to pik up vizibly, sat straighter up, spoek louder
and cleerer, and luukt in evry wae anuther man.
Th breez servd us admerably. We skimd befor it liek a berd, th coest of th ieland flashing bi, and th vue
chaenjing evry minit. Soon we wer past th hi lands and boeling besied lo, sandy cuntry, sparsely doted with
dworf piens, and soon we wer beyond that agen, and had ternd th corner of th roky hil that ends th ieland on
th north.
I was graetly elaeted with mi nue comand, and pleezd with th briet, sunshieny wether and thees diferent
prospects of th coest. I had now plenty of wauter and guud things to eet, and mi conshens, which had
smiten me hard for mi dezershun, was qieeted bi th graet conqest I had maed. I shuud, I think, hav had
nuthing left me to dezier but for th ies of th coxson as thae foloed me deriesivly about th dek, and th od
smiel that apeerd continuealy on his faes. It was a smiel that had in it sumthing boeth of paen and weeknes-a hagard, oeld man's smiel; but thair was, besieds that, a graen of derizhun, a shado of trechery, in his
expreshun as he craftily wocht, and wocht, and wocht me at mi werk.
Chapter XXVI
Israel Hands
TH wind, serving us to a dezier, now halld into th west. We cuud run so much th eezyer frum th north-eest
corner of th ieland to th mouth of th North Inlet. Oenly, as we had no power to ankor, and daird not beech
her til th tied had floed a guud deel farther, tiem hung on our hands. Th coxson toeld me how to lae th ship
to; after a guud meny trieals I sucseeded, and we boeth sat in sielens, oever anuther meel.
'Cap'n,' sed he, at length, with that saem uncumfortabl smiel, 'here's mi oeld shipmaet, O'Brien; s'pose U
was to heev him oeverbord. I ain't partic'lar as a rool, and I don't taek no blaem for setling his hash; but I
don't rekon him ornamental, now, do U?'
'I'm not strong enuf, and I don't liek th job; and thair he lies, for me,' sed I.
'This heer's an unluky ship--this Hispaniola, Jim,' he went on, blinking.'thre's a power of men bin kild in
this Hispaniola--a siet o' pur seemen ded and gon sinss U and me tuuk ship to Bristol. I never seen sich
derty luk, not I. Thair was this heer O'Brien, now--he's ded, aint he? Wel, now, I'm no scolar, and U'r a lad
as can reed an figuer; and, to puut it straet, do U taek it as a ded man is ded for guud, or do he cum aliev
agen?'
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'U can kil th body, Mr Hands, but not th spirit; U must noe that allredy,' I replied. 'O'Brien thair is in
anuther werld, and maebe woching us.'
'Ah!' ses he.'wel, that's unfort'nate--apeers as if kiling partys was a waest of tiem. Howsomever, sperrits
don't rekon for much, bi whut I'v seen. I'l chans it with th sperrits, Jim. And now, U'v spoek up free, and I'l
taek it kiend if U'd step doun into that thair cabin and get me a--wel, a--shiver mi timbers! I can't hit th
naem on't; wel, U get me a botl of wien, Jim--this heer brandy's too strong for mi hed.'
Now, th coxswain's hezitaeshun seemd to be unnacheral; and as for th noeshun of his prefering wien to
brandy, I entierly disbeleevd it. Th hoel story was a preetext. He wonted me to leev th dek--so much was
plaen; but with whut perpos I cuud in no wae imajin. His ies never met meen; thae kept waandering to and
fro, up and doun, now with a luuk to th skie, now with a fliting glans upon th ded O'Brien. All th tiem he
kept smieling, and puuting his tung out in th moest gilty, embarrast maner, so that a chield cuud hav toeld
that he was bent on sum desepshun. I was prompt with mi anser, however, for I saw wherr mi advantej lae;
and that with a felo so densly stoopid I cuud eezily conseel mi suspishuns to th end.
'Some wien?' I sed. 'Far beter. Wil U hav whiet or red?'
'wel, I rekon it's about th blesed saem to me, shipmaet,' he replied; 'so it's strong, and plenty of it, whut's th
ods?'
'All riet,' I anserd. 'I'l bring U port, Mr Hands. But I'l hav to dig for it.'
With that I scutld doun th companyon with all th noiz I cuud, slipt off mi shoos, ran qieetly along th sparred
galery, mounted th foeksel lader, and popt mi hed out of th for companyon. I nue he wuud not expect to see
me thair; yet I tuuk evry precaushun posibl; and sertenly th werst of mi suspishuns proovd too troo.
He had rizen frum his pozishun to his hands and nees; and, tho his leg obviusly hert him prity sharply when
he moovd--for I cuud heer him stiefl a groen--yet it was at a guud, ratling raet that he traeld himself across
th dek. In haf a minit he had reecht th port scuppers, and pikt, out of a coil of roep, a long nief, or rather a
short dirk, discoloured to th hilt with blud. He luukt upon it for a moement, thrusting forth his under jaw,
tried th point upon his hand, and then, haestily conseeling it in th buuzom of his jaket, trundled bak agen
into his oeld plaes agenst th buulwark.
This was all that I reqierd to noe. Israel cuud moov about; he was now armd; and if he had bin at so much
trubl to get rid of. me, it was plaen that I was ment to be th victim. Whut he wuud do afterwards--whether
he wuud tri to crall riet across th ieland frum North Inlet to th camp amung th swamps' or whether he wuud
fier Long Tom, trusting that his oen comrads miet cum ferst to help him, was, of cors, mor than I cuud sae.
Yet I felt shur that I cuud trust him in wun point, sinss in that our interests jumpt together, and that was in
th dispozishun of th scooner. We boeth dezierd to hav he stranded saef enuf, in a shelterd plaes, and so that,
when th tiem caem, she cuud be got off agen with as litl laebor and daenjer as miet be; and until that was
dun I considerd that mi lief wuud sertenly be spaird.
Whiel I was thus terning th biznes oever in mi miend, I had not bin iedl with mi body. I had stoelen bak to
th cabin, slipt wuns mor into mi shoos and laed mi hand at random on a botl of wien, and now, with this for
an excues, I maed mi re-apeerans on th dek.
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Hands lae as I had left him, all fallen together in a bundl, and with his ielids loeerd, as tho he wer too weak
to bair th liet. He luukt up, however, at mi cuming, nokt th nek off th botl, liek a man hoo had dun th saem
thing offen, and tuuk a guud swig, with his favourite toest of Here's luk!' Then he lae qieet for a litl, and
then, puuling out a stik of tobaco, begd me to cut him a quid.
'Cut me a junk o' that,' ses he, 'for I havn't no nief, and hardly strength enuf, so be as I had. Aa,
Jim, Jim, I rekon I'v mist staes! Cut me a quid, as 'll liekly be th last, lad; for I'm for mi long hoem, and no
mistaek.'
'Wel,' sed I, 'I'l cut U sum tobaco; but if I was U and thaut mieself so badly, I wuud go to mi prairs, liek a
Christian man.'
'Why?' sed he. 'Now, U tel me whi.'
'Why?' I cried. 'U wer asking me just now about th ded. U'v broeken yur trust; U'v livd in sin and lies and
blud; thair's a man U kild lieing at yur feet this moement; and U ask me whi! For God's mersy, Mr Hands,
that's whi.'
I spoek with a litl heet, thinking of th bludy dirk he had hiden in his poket, and deziend, in his il thauts, to
end me with. He, for his part, tuuk a graet draft of th wien, and spoek with th moest unuezhual solemnity.
'For therty yeers,' he sed,'I'v saeld th sees, and seen guud and bad, beter and wers, fair wether and foul,
provizhuns runing out, nievs going, and whut not. Wel, now I tel U, I never seen guud cum o' guudnes yet.
Him as strieks ferst is mi fansy; ded men don't biet; them's mi vues--aamen, so be it. And now, U luuk
heer,' he aded, sudenly chaenjing his toen, 'We'v had about enuf of this foolery. Th tide's maed guud enuf bi
now. U just taek mi orders, Cap'n Hawkins, and we'l sael slap in and be dun with it.'
All toeld, we had scairs too miels to run; but th navigaeshun was deliket, th entrans to this northern ankorej
was not oenly narro and shoel, but lae eest and west, so that th scooner must be niesly handld to be got in. I
think I was a guud, prompt suballtern, and I am verry shur that Hands was an exselent pielot; for we went
about and about, and dojd in, shaeving th banks, with a sertenty and a neetnes that wer a plezher to behoeld.
Scairsly had we past th heds befor th land cloezd around us. Th shors of North Inlet wer as thikly wuuded
as thoes of th suthern ankorej; but th spaes was longger and narroeer, and mor liek, whut in trooth it was, th
eschuairy of a river. Riet befor us, at th suthern end, we saw th rek of a ship in th last staejes of
dilapidaeshun. It had bin a graet vesel of three masts, but had laen so long expoezd to th injerys of th
wether, that it was hung about with graet webs of driping seeweed, and on th dek of it shor buushes had
taeken root, and now flerisht thik with flowers. It was a sad siet, but it shood us that th ankorej was caam.
'Now,' sed Hands, 'luk thair; thair's a pet bit for to beech a ship in. Fien flat sand, never a catspaw, trees all
around of it, and flowers a--bloeing liek a garding on that oeld ship.'
'And wuns beached,' I inqierd, 'how shal we get her off agen?'
'Whie, so,' he replied: 'U taek a leen ashor thair on th uther sied at lo wauter.' taek a tern about wun o' them
big piens; bring it bak, taek a tern round th capstan, and lie-to for th tied. Cum hi wauter, all hands taek a
puul upon th leen, and off she cums as sweet as nature'. And now, boi, U stand bi. We'r neer th bit now, and
she's too much wae on her. Starbord a litl--so--stedy--starbord--larboard a litl--stedy--stedy!'
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So he ishood his comands, which I brethlesly oebaed; til, all of a suden, he cried, 'now, mi harty, luff!' And
I puut th helm hard up, and th Hispaniola swung round rapidly, and ran stem on for th lo wuuded shor.
Th exsietment of thees last manoeuvres had sumwhut interfeerd with th woch I had kept hitherto, sharply
enuf upon th coxson. Eeven then I was stil so much interested waeting for th ship to tuch, that I had qiet
forgot th perril that hung oever mi hed, and stuud craning oever th starbord bulwarks and woching th ripls
spreding wied befor th bows. I miet hav fallen without a strugl for mi lief, had not a suden disqieetued
seezd upon me, and maed me tern mi hed. Perhaps I had herd a creek, or seen his shado mooving with th
tael of mi ie; perhaps it was an instinkt liek a cat's; but shur enuf, when I luukt round, thair was Hands,
allredy haf-wae tords me, with th dirk in his riet hand.
We must boeth hav cried out aloud when our ies met; but whiel meen was th shril cri of terror, his was a ror
of fuery liek a charjing bull's. At th saem instant he throo himself forward and I lept siedwaes tords th
bows. As I did so, I let go of th tiler, which sprang sharp to leeward; and I think this saevd mi lief, for it
struk Hands across th chest, and stopt him, for th moement, ded.
Befor he cuud recuver, I was saef out of th corner wherr he had me trapt, with all th dek to doj about. Just
forward of th maenmast I stopt, droo a pistol frum mi poket, tuuk a cool aem, tho he had allredy ternd and
was wuns mor cuming directly after me, and droo th triger. Th hamer fel, but thair foloed neether flash nor
sound; th prieming was uesles with see wauter. I curst mieself for mi neglect. Whi had not I, long befor,
reprimed and re-loeded mi oenly wepons? Then I shuud not hav bin as now, a meer fleeing sheep befor this
buucher.
Woonded as he was, it was wunderful how fast he cuud moov, his grizld hair tumbling oever his faes, and
his faes itself as red as a red ensien with his haest and fuery. I had no tiem to tri mi uther pistol, nor, indeed,
much inclinaeshun, for I was shur it wuud be uesles. Wun thing I saw plaenly: I must not simply retreet
befor him, or he wuud speedily hoeld me boxt into th bows, as a moement sinss he had so neerly boxt me in
th stern. Wuns so caut, and nien or ten inches of th bludstaend dirk wuud be mi last expeeryens on this sied
of eternity. I plaest mi paams agenst th maenmast, which was of a goodish bigness, and waeted, evry nerv
upon th strech.
Seeing that I ment to doj, he allso pauzd; and a moement or too past in feints on his part, and coresponding
moovments upon meen. It was such a gaem as I had offen plaed at hoem about th roks of Blak Hil Coev;
but never befor, U mae be shur, with such a wieldly beeting hart as now. Stil, as I sae, it was a boy's gaem,
and I thaut I cuud hoeld mi oen at it, agenst an elderly seeman with a woonded thi. Indeed, mi curej had
begun to riez so hi, that I alowd mieself a fue darting thauts on whut wuud be th end of th afair; and whiel I
saw sertenly that I cuud spin it out for long,
I saw no hoep of eny ultimet escaep.
Wel, whiel things stuud thus, sudenly th Hispaniola struk, stagerd, ground for an instant in th sand, and
then, swift as a blo, canted oever to th port sied, til th dek stuud at an anggl of forty-fiev degrees, and about
a punchon of wauter splasht into th scupper hoels, and lae, in a pool, between th dek and buulwark.
We wer boeth of us capsiezd in a second, and boeth of us roeld, allmoest together, into th scuppers; th ded
red-cap, with his arms stil spred out, tumbling stifly after us. So neer wer we, indeed, that mi hed caem
agenst th coxswain's fuut with a crak that maed mi teeth ratl. Blo and all, I was th ferst afuut agen; for
Hands had got involvd with th ded body. Th suden canting of th ship had maed th dek no plaes for runing
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on; I had to fiend sum nue wae of escaep, and that upon th instant, for mi foe was allmoest tuching me. Qik
as thaut, I sprang into th mizen shrouds, ratld up hand oever hand, and did not draw a breth til I was seeted
on th cross-trees.
I had bin saevd bi being prompt; th dirk had struk not haf a fuut belo me, as I persood mi upward fliet; and
thair stuud Israel Hands with his mouth oepen and his faes upternd to meen, a perfect stachoo of serpriez
and disapointment.
Now that I had a moement to mieself, I lost no tiem in chaenjing th prieming of mi pistol, and then, having
wun redy for servis, and to maek ashurans dubly shur, I proseeded to draw th loed of th uther, and recharge
it afresh frum th begining.
Mi nue emploiment struk Hands all of a heep; he began to see th dies going agenst him; and after an obvius
hezitaeshun, he allso halld himself hevily into th shrouds, and, with th th dirk in his teeth, began sloely and
paenfuly to mount. It cost him no end of tiem and groans to hall his woonded leg behiend him; and I had
qieetly finisht mi araenjments befor he was much mor than a therd of th wae up. Then, with a pistol in
eether hand, I adrest him.
'Wun mor step, Mr Hands,' sed I, 'and I'l blo yur braens out! Ded men don't biet, U noe,' I aded, with a
chukl.
He stopt instantly. I cuud see bi th werking of his faes that he was trieing to think, and th proses was so slo
an laborius that, in mi nue-found secuerity, I laft aloud. At last, with a swolo or too, he spoek, his faes stil
wairing th saem expreshun of extreem perplexity. In order to speek he had to taek th dager frum his mouth,
but, in all els, he remaend unmoovd.
'Jim,' ses he, 'I rekon we'r fould, U and me, and we'l hav to sien articls. I'd hav had U but for that thair
lerch: but I don't hav no luk, not I; and I rekon I'l hav to striek which cums hard, U see, for a master
marriner to a ship's younker liek U, Jim.'
I was drinking in his werds and smieling awae, as conseeted as a cok upon a wall, when, all in a breth, bak
went his riet hand oever his shoelder. Sumthing sang liek an arro thru th air; I felt a blo and then a sharp
pang, and thair I was pind bi th shoelder to th mast. In th horrid paen and serpriez of th moement--I scairs
can sae it was bi mi oen voelishun, and I am shur it was without a conshus aem--boeth mi pistols went off,
and boeth escaept out of mi hands. Thae did not fall aloen; with a choekt cri, th coxson loosed his grasp
upon th shrouds, and plunjd hed ferst into th wauter.
Chapter XXVII
'Peeses of Aet'
OEING to th cant of th vesel, th masts hung far out oever th wauter, and frum mi perch on th cross-trees I
had nuthing belo me but th serfis of th bae. Hands, hoo was not so far up, was, in conseqens, neerer to th
ship, and fel between me and th bulwarks. He roez wuns to th serfis in a lather of foem and blud, and then
sank agen for guud. As th wauter setld, I cuud see him lieing hudld together on th cleen, briet sand in th
shado of th vessel's sieds. A fish or too whipt past his body. Sumtiems, bi th qivering of th wauter, he
apeerd to moov a litl, as if he wer trieing to riez. But he was ded enuf, for all that, being boeth shot and
dround, and was food for fish in th verry plaes wherr he had deziend mi slauter.
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I was no sooner serten of this than I began to feel sik, faent, and terrified. Th hot blud was runing oever mi
bak and chest. Th dirk, wherr it had pind mi shoelder to th mast, seemd to bern liek a hot ieern; yet it was
not so much thees reeal suferings that distrest me, for thees, it seemd to me, I cuud bair without a mermer;
it was th horror I had upon mi miend of falling frum th cross-trees into that stil green wauter, besied th
body of th coxson.
I clung with boeth hands til mi naels aekt, and I shut mi ies as if to cuver up th perril. Grajualy mi miend
caem bak agen, mi pulses qieeted doun to a mor nacheral tiem, and I was wuns mor in pozeshun of mieself.
It was mi ferst thaut to pluk forth th dirk; but eether it stuk too hard or mi nerv faeld me; and I desisted with
a vieolent shuder. Odly enuf, that verry shuder did th biznes. Th nief, in fact, had cum th neerest in th werld
to mising me alltogether; it held me bi a meer pinch of skin, and this th shuder tore awae. Th blud ran doun
th faster, to be shur; but I was mi oen master agen, and oenly takt to th mast bi mi coet and shert.
Thees last I broek thru with a suden jerk, and then regaend th dek bi th starbord shrouds. For nuthing in th
werld wuud I hav agen vencherd, shaeken as I was, upon th oeverhanging port shrouds, frum which Israel
had so laetly fallen.
I went belo, and did whut I cuud for mi woond; it paend me a guud deel, and stil bled freely; but it was
neether deep nor daenjerus, nor did it graetly gall me when I uezd mi arm. Then I luukt around me, and as
th ship was now, in a sens, mi oen, I began to think of cleering it frum its last pasenjer--th ded man,
O'Brien.
He had picht, as I hav sed, agenst th bulwarks, wherr he lae liek sum horribl, ungaenly sort of pupet; liefsiezd, indeed, but how diferent frum life's colour or life's cumlynes! In that pozishun, I cuud eezily hav mi
wae with him; and as th habit of tragical advenchers had worn off allmoest all mi terror for th ded, I tuuk
him bi th waest as if he had bin a sak of bran, and, with wun guud heev, tumbld him oeverbord. He went in
with a sounding plunj; th red cap caem off, and remaend floeting on th serfis; and as soon as th splash
subsieded, I cuud see him and Israel lieing sied bi sied, boeth wavering with th tremuelus moovment of th
wauter. O'Brien, tho stil qiet a yung man, was verry balld. Thair he lae, with that balld hed across th nees of
th man hoo had kild him, and th qik fishes steering to and fro oever boeth.
I was now aloen upon th ship; th tied had just ternd. Th sun was within so fue degrees of seting that allredy
th shado of th piens upon th western shor began to reech riet across th ankorej, and fall in paterns on th dek.
Th eevning breez had sprung up, and tho it was wel warded off bi th hil with th too peeks upon th eest, th
cordej had begun to sing a litl sofftly to itself and th iedl saels to ratl to and fro.
I began to see a daenjer to th ship. Th jibs I speedily doust and braut tumbling to th dek; but th maensael
was a harder mater. Of cors, when th scooner canted oever, th boom had swung out--bord, and th cap of it
and a fuut or too of sael hung eeven under wauter. I thaut this maed it stil mor daenjerus; yet th straen was
so hevy that I haf feerd to medl. At last, I got mi nief and cut th halyards. Th peek dropt instantly, a graet
bely of loos canvas floeted braud upon th wauter; and sinss, puul as I liekt, I cuud not buj th downhaul; that
was th extent of whut I cuud acomplish. For th rest, th Hispaniola must trust to luk, liek mieself.
Bi this tiem th hoel ankorej had fallen into shado--th last raes, I remember, falling thru a glade of th wuud,
and shiening briet as jooels, on th flowery mantl of th rek. It began to be chil; th tied was rapidly fleeting
seeward, th scooner setling mor and mor on her beem-ends.
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I scrambld forward and luukt oever. It seemd shalo enuf, and hoelding th cut hauzer in boeth hands for a
last secuerity, I let mieself drop sofftly oeverbord. Th wauter scairsly reecht mi waest; th sand was ferm
and cuverd with ripl marks, and I waeded ashor in graet spirits, leeving th Hispaniola on her sied, with her
maensael traeling wied upon th serfis of th bae. About th saem tiem th sun went fairly doun, and th breez
whisld lo in th dusk amung th tossing piens.
At leest, and at last, I was off th see, nor had I reternd thens empty-handed. Thair lae th scooner, cleer at
last frum buccaneers and redy for our oen men to bord and get to see agen. I had nuthing neerer mi fansy
than to get hoem to th stokaed and boest of mi acheevments. Posibly I miet be blaemd a bit for mi truantry,
but th re-capcher of th Hispaniola was a clenching anser, and I hoept that eeven Capten Smollett wuud
confes I had not lost mi tiem.
So thinking, and in faemus spirits, I began to set mi faes hoemward for th blok-hous and mi companyons. I
rememberd that th moest eesterly of th rivers which draen into Capten Kidd's ankorej ran frum th too-peekt
hil upon mi left; and I bent mi cors in that direcshun that I miet paa th streem whiel it was small. Th wuud
was prity oepen, and keeping along th loeer spers, I had soon ternd th corner of that hil, and not long after
waeded to th mid-caf across th wauter-cors.
This braut me neer to wherr I had encounterd Ben Gunn, th maroon; and I waukt mor sercumspectly,
keeping an ie on evry sied. Th dusk had cum ni hand compleetly, and, as I oepend out th cleft between th
too peeks, I becaem awair of a wavering glo agenst th skie wherr, as I jujd, th man of th ieland was cuuking
his super befor a roring fier. And yet I wunderd, in mi hart that he shuud sho himself so cairles. For if I
cuud see this raedians, miet it not reech th ies of Silver himself wherr he campt upon th shor amung th
marshes?
Grajualy th niet fel blacker; it was all I cuud do to gied mieself eeven rufly tords mi destinaeshun; th dubl
hil behiend me and th Spi-glas on mi riet hand loomd faent and fainter; th stars wer fue and pael; and in th
lo ground wherr I waanderd I kept triping amung buushes and roeling into sandy pits.
Sudenly a kiend of brietnes fel about me. I luukt up; a pael glimer of moonbeems had alieted on th sumit of
th Spi-glas, and soon after I saw sumthing braud and silvery mooving lo doun behiend th trees, and nue th
moon had rizen.
With this to help me, I past rapidly oever whut remaend to me of mi jerny; and, sumtiems wauking,
sumtiems runing, impaeshently droo neer to th stokaed. Yet, as I began to thred th groev that lies befor it, I
was not so thautles but that I slacked mi paes and went a triefl wairily. It wuud hav bin a pur end of mi
advenchers to get shot doun bi mi oen party in mistaek.
Th moon was clieming hieer and hieer; its liet began to fall heer and thair in mases thru th mor oepen
districts of th wuud; and riet in frunt of me a glo of a diferent colour apeerd amung th trees. It was red and
hot, and now and agen it was a litl darkend--as it wer th embers of a bonfier smouldering.
For th lief of me, I cuud not think whut it miet be.
At last I caem riet doun upon th borders of th cleering. Th western end was allredy steept in moonshien; th
rest, and th blok-hous itself, stil lae in a blak shado, chequered with long, silvery streeks of liet. On th uther
sied of th hous an imens fier had bernd itself into cleer embers and shed a stedy, red reverberaeshun,
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contrasted strongly with th melo paelnes of th moon. Thair was not a soel stering, nor a sound besied th
noizes of th breez.
I stopt, with much wunder in mi hart, and perhaps a litl terror allso. It had not bin our wae to bild graet
fiers; we wer, indeed, bi th captain's orders, sumwhut niggardly of fierwuud; and I began to feer that
sumthing had gon rong whiel I was absent.
I stoel round bi th eestern end, keeping cloez in shado, and at a conveenyunt plaes, wherr th darknes was
thikest, crosst th palisaed.
To maek ashurans surer, I got upon mi hands and nees, and cralld, without a sound, tords th corner of th
hous. As I droo neerer, mi hart was sudenly and graetly lietend. It is not a plezant noiz in itself, and I hav
offen complaend of it at uther tiems; but just then it was liek muezic to heer mi frends snoring together so
loud and peesful in thair sleep. Th see cri of th woch, that buetyful 'Al's wel,' never fel mor re-ashuringly on
mi eer.
In th meentiem, thair was no dout of wun thing; thae kept an infamus bad woch. If it had bin Silver and his
lads that wer now creeping in on them, not a soel wuud hav seen daebraek. That was whut it was thaut I, to
hav th capten woonded; and agen I blaemd mieself sharply for leeving them in that daenjer with so fue to
mount gard.
Bi this tiem I had got to th dor and stuud up. All was dark within, so that I cuud distinggwish nuthing bi th
ie. As for sounds, thair was th stedy droen of th snorers, and a small ocaezhunal noiz, a flickering or
pecking that I cuud in no wae acount for.
With mi arms befor me I waukt stedily in. I shuud lie doun in mi oen plaes (I thaut, with a sielent chukl)
and enjoi thair faeses when thae found me in th morning.
Mi fuut struk sumthing yeelding--it was a sleeper's leg; and he ternd and groend, but without awaking.
And then, all of a suden, a shril vois broek forth out of th darknes:
'peeses of aet! peeses of aet! peeses of aet! peeses of aet! Peeses of aet!' and so forth, without pauz or
chaenj liek th clacking of a tieny mil.
Silver's green parrot, Capten Flint! It was she hoom I had herd pecking at a pees of bark; it was she,
keeping beter woch than eny hueman being, hoo thus anounst mi arieval with her weerysum refraen.
I had no tiem left me to recuver. At th sharp, cliping toen of th parrot, th sleepers awoek and sprang up; and
with a miety oeth, th vois of Silver cried:-'Hoo goes?'
I ternd to run, struk vieolently agenst wun person recoild, and ran fuul into th arms of a second, hoo, for his
part, cloezd upon and held me tiet.
'Bring a torch, Dick,' sed Silver, when mi capcher was thus ashurd.
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And wun of th men left th log-hous, and prezently reternd with a lieted brand.
PART SIX
Capten Silver
Chapter XXVIII
In th Enemy's Camp
TH red glair of th torch, lieting up th inteerior of th blok-hous, shood me th werst of mi aprehenshuns
realised. Th pierets wer in pozeshun of th hous and stors: thair was th cask of conyac, thair wer th pork and
bred, as befor; and, whut tenfoeld increest mi horror, not a sien of eny prizoner. I cuud oenly juj that all had
perrisht, and mi hart smoet me sorly that I had not bin thair to perrish with them.
Thair wer six of th buccaneers, all toeld; not anuther man was left aliev. Fiev of them wer on thair feet,
flusht and swoelen, sudenly calld out of th ferst sleep of drunkennes. Th sixth had oenly rizen upon his
elbo: he was dedly pael, and th blud-staend bandej round his hed toeld that he had reesently bin woonded,
and stil mor reesently drest. I rememberd th man hoo had bin shot and had run bak amung th wuuds in th
graet atak, and douted not that this was he.
Th parrot sat, preening her ploomej, on Long John's shoelder. He himself, I thaut, luukt sumwhut paler and
mor stern than I was uezd to. He stil wor th fien braudclauth soot in which he had fuulfild his mishun, but it
was biterly th wers for wair, daubd with clae and torn with th sharp briers of th wuud.
'So,' sed he, here's Jim Hawkins, shiver mi timbers! dropt in, liek, eh? Wel, cum, I taek that frendly.'
And thairupon he sat doun across th brandy cask, and began to fil a piep.
'Give me a loen of th link, Dick,' sed he; and then, when he had a guud liet, 'that'l do, lad,' he aded; 'stik th
glim in th wuud heep; and U, jentlmen, bring yurselvs to!--U needn't stand up for Mr Hawkins; he'l excuez
U, U mae lae to that. And so, Jim'--stoping th tobaco--'here U wer, and qiet a plezant serpriez for pur oeld
John I see U wer smart when ferst I set mi ies on U; but this heer gets awae frum me cleen, it do.'
To all this, as mae be wel supoezd, I maed no anser. Thae had set me with mi bak agenst th wall; and I
stuud thair, luuking Silver in th faes, pluckily enuf, I hoep, to all outward apeerans, but with blak despair in
mi hart
Silver tuuk a whiff or too of his piep with graet compoezher, and then ran on agen.
'Now, U see, Jim, so be as U ar heer,' ses he, 'I'l giv U a pees of mi miend. I'v allwaes liekt U, I hav, for a
lad of spirit, and th picter of mi oen self when I was yung and hansum. I allwaes wonted U to jine and taek
yur shair, and die a jentlman, and now, mi cok, U'v got to. Cap'n Smollett's a fien seeman, as I'l oen up to
eny dae, but stif on disiplin. "Dooty is dooty," ses he, and riet he is. Just U keep cleer of th cap'n. Th doctor
himself is gon ded agen U--"ungraetful scamp" was whut he sed; and th short and th long of th hoel story is
about heer: U can't go bak to yur oen lot, for thae woen't hav U; and, without U start a therd ship's cumpany
all bi yurself, which miety be loenly, U'l hav to jine with Cap'n Silver.'
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So far so guud. Mi frends, then, wer stil aliev, and tho I partly beleevd th trooth of Silver's staetment, that th
cabin party wer insenst at me for mi dezershun, I was mor releevd than distrest bi whut I herd.
'I don't sae nuthing as to yur being in our hands,' continued Silver, 'tho thair U ar, and U mae lae to it. I'm
all for argyment; I never seen guud cum out o' thretening. If U liek th servis, wel, U'l jine; and if U don't,
Jim, whi, U'r free to anser no--free and welcum, shipmaet; and if fairer can be sed bi mortal seeman, shiver
mi sieds!'
'Am I to anser, then?' I askt, with a verry tremuelus vois. Thru all this sneering tauk, I was maed to feel th
thret of deth that overhung me, and mi cheeks bernd and mi hart beet paenfuly in mi brest.
'Lad,' sed Silver, 'no one's a-presing of U. Taek yur bairings. Nun of us woen't hery U, maet; tiem goes so
plezant in yur cumpany, U see.'
'Wel,' ses I, groeing a bit boelder, 'if I'm to chooz, I declair I hav a riet to noe whut's whut, and whi U'r
heer, and wherr mi frends ar.'
'Wot's wot?' repeeted wun of th buccaneers, in a deep groul. 'Ah, he'd be a luky wun as knowed that!'
'U'll, perhaps, baten doun yur hatches til U'r spoek to, mi frend,' cried Silver truculently to this speeker.
And then, in his ferst graeshus toens, he replied to me: 'yesterdae morning, Mr Hawkins,' sed he, 'In th
daug-woch, doun caem Doctor Livesey with a flag of troos. Ses he, "Cap'n Silver, U'r soeld out. Ship's
gon." Wel, maebe we'd bin taeking a glas, and a song to help it round. I woen't sae no. Leastways, nun of us
had luukt out. We luukt out, and, bi thunder! th oeld ship was gon. I never seen a pak o' fools luuk fishier;
and U mae lae to that, if I tels U that luukt th fishiest. "Wel," ses th doctor, "let's bargen." We bargained,
him and I, and heer we ar: stors, brandy, blok-hous, th fierwuud U was thautful enuf to cut, and, in a maner
of speeking, th hoel blesed boet, frum cross-trees to kelson. As for them, thae'v trampt; I don't noe wherr's
thae ar.'
He droo agen qieetly at his piep.
'And lest U shuud taek it into that hed of yurs,' he went on, 'that U was inclooded in th treety, heer's th last
werd that was sed: "How meny ar U," ses I, "to leev?" "Foer," ses he--"foer, and wun of us woonded. As
for that boi, I don't noe wherr he is, confound him," ses he, "nor I don't much cair. We'r about sik of him."
Thees was his werds.'
'Is that all?' I askt.
'Wel, it's all that U'r to heer, mi sun,' reternd Silver. 'and now I am to chooz?'
'And now U ar to chooz, and U mae lae to that,' sed Silver.
'Wel,' sed I, 'I am not such a fool but I noe prity wel whut I hav to luuk for. Let th werst cum to th werst,
it's litl I cair. I'v seen too meny die sinss I fel in with U. But thair's a thing or too I hav to tel U,' I sed, and
bi this tiem I was qiet exsieted; 'and th ferst is this: heer U ar, in a bad wae: ship lost, trezher lost, men lost;
yur hoel biznes gon to rek; and if U wont to noe hoo did it--it was I! I was in th apl barrel th niet we sieted
land, and I herd U, John, and U, Dick Johnson, and Hands, hoo is now at th botom of th see, and toeld evry
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werd U sed befor th our was out. And as for th scooner, it was I hoo cut her caebl, and it was I that kild th
men U haa abord of her, and it was I hoo braut her wherr U'l never see her mor, not wun of U. Th laugh's
on mi sied; I'v had th top of this biznes frum th ferst; I no mor feer U than I feer a fli. Kil me, if U pleez, or
spair me. But wun thing I'l sae, and no mor; if U spair me, bygones ar bygones, and when U feloes ar in
cort for pierasy, I'l saev U all I can. It is for U to chooz. Kil anuther and do yurselvs no guud, or spair me
and keep a witnes to saev U frum th galoes.'
I stopt, for, I tel U, I was out of breth, and, to mi wunder, not a man of them moovd, but all sat stairing at
me liek as meny sheep. And whiel thae wer stil stairing, I broek out agen:-'And now, Mr Silver,' I sed, 'I beleev U'r th best man heer, and if things go to th werst, I'l taek it kiend of U
to let th doctor noe th wae I tuuk it.'
'I'l bair it in miend,' sed Silver, with an acsent so cuerius that I cuud not, for th lief of me, desied whether
he wer lafing at mi reqest, or had bin favourably afected bi mi curej.
'I'l puut wun to that,' cried th oeld mahogany-faest seeman--Morgan bi naem--hoom I had seen in Long
John's public hous upon th quays of Bristol. 'It was him that knowed Blak Daug.'
'Wel, and see heer,' aded th see-cuuk. 'I'l puut anuther agen to that, bi thunder! for it was this saem boi that
faekt th chart frum Billy Boens. Ferst and last, we'v split upon Jim Hawkins!'
'Then heer goes!' sed Morgan, with an oeth.
And he sprang up, drawing his nief as if he had bin twenty.
'Avast, thair!' cried Silver. 'Hoo ar U, Tom Morgan? Maebe U thaut U was cap'n heer, perhaps.
Bi th powers, but I'l teech U beter! Cross me, and U'l go wherr meny a guud man's gon befor U, ferst and
last, thees therty yeer bak--sum to th yard-arm, shiver mi timbers! And sum bi th bord, and all to feed th
fishes. Thair's never a man luukt me between th ies and seen 'a guud dae afterwards, Tom Morgan, U mae
lae to that.
Morgan pauzd; but a hors mermer roez frum th uthers. 'tom's riet,' sed wun.
'I stuud hazing long enuf frum wun,' aded anuther. 'I'l be hangd if I'l be hazed bi U, John Silver.'
'Did eny of U jentlmen wont to hav it out with me?' rord Silver, bending far forward frum his pozishun on
th keg, with his piep stil gloeing in his riet hand. 'Put a naem on whut U'r at; U aint dum, I rekon. Him that
wonts shal get it. Hav I livd this meny yeers, and a sun of a rum punchon cok his hat athwort mi hawse at th
laeter end of it? U noe th wae; U'r all jentlmen o' forchun, bi yur acount. Wel, I'm redy. Taek a cutlas, him
that dairs, and I'l see th colour of his insied, cruch and all, befor that pipe's empty.'
Not a man sterd; not a man anserd.
'That's yur sort, is it?' he aded, reterning his piep to his mouth. 'Wel, U'r a gae lot to luuk at, enywae. Not
much werth to fiet, U aint. P'r'aps U can understand King George's English. I'm cap'n heer bi 'lection. I'm
cap'n heer becauz I'm th best man bi a long see-miel. U woen't fiet, as jentlmen o' forchun shuud; then, bi
thunder, U'l oebae, and U mae lae to it! I liek that boi, now; I never seen a beter boi than that. He's mor a
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man than eny pair of rats of U in this heer hous, and whut I sae is this: let me see him that'l lae a hand on
him--that's whut I sae, and U mae lae to it.'
Thair was a long pauz after this. I stuud straet up agenst th wall, mi hart stil going liek a slej-hamer, but
with a rae of hoep now shiening in mi buuzom. Silver lent bak agenst th wall, his arms crosst, his piep in th
corner of his mouth, as caam as tho he had bin in cherch; yet his ie kept waandering fertivly, and he kept th
tael of it on his unrooly foloeers. Thae, on thair part, droo grajualy together tords th far end of th blok-hous,
and th lo his of thair whispering sounded in mi eer continueusly, liek a streem. Wun after anuther, thae
wuud luuk up, and th red liet of th torch wuud fall for a second on thair nervus faeses; but it was not tords
me, it was tords Silver that thae ternd thair ies.
'U seem to hav a lot to sae,' remarkt Silver, spiting far into th air. 'pipe up and let me heer it, or lae to.'
'Ax yur pardon, ser,' reternd wun of th men, 'U'r prity free with sum of th rools; maebe U'l kiendly keep an
ie upon th rest. This crew's dissatisfied; this croo don't vally buulying a marlin-spiek; this croo has its riets
liek uther croos, I'l maek so free as that; and bi yur oen rools, I taek it we can tauk together. I ax yur
pardon, ser, aknolejing U for to be capting at this prezent; but I claem mi riet, and steps outsied for a
counsil.'
And with an elaboret see-saloot, this felo, a long, il-luuking, yelo-ied man of fiev-and-therty, stept cooly
tords th dor and disapeerd out of th hous. Wun after anuther, th rest foloed his exampl; eech maeking a
saloot as he past; eech ading sum apolojy. 'Acording to rools,' sed wun. 'Fo'c's'le counsil,' sed Morgan. And
so with wun remark or anuther, all marcht out, and left Silver and me aloen with th torch.
Th see-cuuk instantly remoovd his piep.
'Now, luuk U heer, Jim Hawkins,' he sed, in a stedy whisper, that was no mor than audibl, 'U'r within haf a
plank of deth, and, whut's a long siet wers, of torcher. Thae'r going to thro me off. But, U mark, I stand bi U
thru thik and thin. I didn't meen to; no, not til U spoek up. I was about desperet to looz that much blunt, and
be hangd into th bargen. But I see U was th riet sort. I ses to mieself: U stand bi Hawkins, John, and
Hawkins'l stand bi U. U'r his last card, and, bi th living thunder, John, he's yurs! Bak to bak, ses I. U saev
yur witnes, and he'l saev yur nek!'
I began dimly to understand.
'U meen all's lost?' I askt.
'Ay, bi gum, I do!' he anserd. 'ship gon, nek gon--that's th siez of it. Wuns I luukt into that bae, Jim
Hawkins, and seen no scooner--wel, I'm tuf, but I gaev out. As for that lot and thair counsil, mark me, thae'r
outriet fools and cowards. I'l saev yur lief--if so be as I can--frum them. But, see heer, Jim--tit for tat--U
saev Long John frum swinging.'
I was bewilderd; it seemd a thing so hoeples he was asking--he, th oeld bucaneer, th ringleeder thruout.
'Whot I can do, that I'l do,' I sed.
'It's a bargen!' cried Long John. 'U speek up plucky, and, bi thunder! I'v a chans.'
He hobld to th torch, wherr it stuud propt amung th fierwuud, and tuuk a fresh liet to his piep.
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'Understand me, Jim,' he sed, reterning.'I'v a hed on mi shoelders, I hav. I'm on squire's sied now. I noe U'v
got that ship saef somewheres. How U dun it, I don't noe, but saef it is. I ges Hands and O'Brien ternd sofft.
I never much beleevd in neether of them. Now U mark me. I ask no qeschuns, nor I woen't let uthers. I noe
when a game's up, I do; and I noe a lad that's staunch. Aa, U that's yung--U and me miet hav dun a power
of guud together!'
He droo sum conyac frum th cask into a tin cannikin.
'Wil U taest, mesmaet?' he askt; and when I had refuezd: 'Wel, I'l taek a draen mieself, Jim,' sed he. 'I need
a caulker, for thair's trubl on hand. And, tauking o' trubl, whi did that doctor giv me th chart, Jim?'
Mi faes exprest a wunder so unafected that he saw th needlessness of ferther qeschuns.
'Ah, wel, he did, tho,' sed he. 'And thair's sumthing under that, no dout--sumthing, shurly, under that, Jim-bad or guud.'
And he tuuk anuther swolo of th brandy, shaeking his graet fair hed liek a man hoo luuks forward to th
werst.
Chapter XXIX
Th Blak Spot Agen
TH counsil of th buccaneers had lasted sum tiem, when wun of them re-enterd th hous, and with a
repetishun of th saem saloot, which had in mi ies an ieronical air, begd for a moment's loen of th torch.
Silver breefly agreed; and this emisairy retierd agen, leeving us together in th dark.
'ther's a breez cuming, Jim,' sed Silver, hoo had, bi this tiem, adopted qiet a frendly and familyar toen.
I ternd to th loophoel neerest me and luukt out. Th embers of th graet fier had so far bernd themselvs out,
and now gloed so lo and duskily, that I understuud whi thees conspirators dezierd a torch. About haf wae
doun th sloep to th stokaed, thae wer colected in a groop; wun held th liet; anuther was on his nees in thair
midst, and I saw th blaed of an oepen nief shien in his hand with vairying colours, in th moon and torchliet.
Th rest wer all sumwhut stooping, as tho woching th manoeuvres of this last. I cuud just maek out that he
had a buuk as wel as a nief in his hand; and was stil wundering how enything so inconggroous had cum in
thair pozeshun, when th neeling figuer roez wuns mor to his feet, and th hoel party began to moov together
tords th hous.
Here thae cum,' sed I; and I reternd to mi former pozishun, for it seemd beneeth mi dignity that thae shuud
fiend me woching them.
'wel, let 'em cum, lad--let 'em cum,' sed Silver, cheerily.'I'v stil a shot in mi loker.'
Th dor oepend, and th fiev men, standing hudld together just insied, puusht wun of thair number forward.
In eny uther sercumstanses it wuud hav bin comical to see his slo advans, hezitaeting as he set doun eech
fuut, but hoelding his cloezd riet hand in frunt of him.
'Step up, lad,' cried Silver. 'I woen't eet U. Hand it oever, lubber. I noe th rools, I do; I woen't hert a
depytation.'
Thus encurejd, th bucaneer stept forth mor briskly, and having past sumthing to Silver, frum hand to hand,
slipt yet mor smartly bak agen to hi companyons.
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Th see-cuuk luukt at whut had bin given him.
'th blak spot! I thaut so,' he obzervd. 'Whaer miet U hav got th paeper? Whi, hillo! luuk heer, now: this aint
luky! U'v gon and cut this out of a Biebl. Whut fool's cut a Biebl?'
'Ah, thair!' sed Morgan--thair! Wot did I sae? No good'll cum o' that, I sed.'
'wel, U'v about fixt it now, amung U,' continue Silver. 'U'l all swing now, I rekon. Whut sofft-heded lubber
had a Biebl?'
'It was Dick,' sed wun.
'Dick, was it? Then Dick can get to prairs,' sed Silver 'he's seen his slies of luk, has Dick, and U mae lae to
that.'
But heer th long man with th yelo ies struk in.
'Belay that tauk, John Silver,' he sed. 'this croo has tipt U th blak spot in fuul counsil, as in dooty bound;
just U tern it oever, as in dooty bound, and see whut's roet thair. Then U can tauk.'
'Thanky, George,' replied th see-cuuk. 'U allwaes was brisk for biznes, and has th rools bi hart, George, as
I'm pleezd to see. Wel, whut is it, enywae? Aa! "Depoezd"--that's it, is it? Verry prity roet, to be shur; liek
print, I swair. Yur hand o' riet, George? Whi, U was gettin' qiet a leadin' man in this heer croo. U'l be cap'n
next, shuudn't wunder. Just obliej me with that torch agen, wil U? this piep don't draw.'
'Come, now,' sed George, 'U don't fool this croo no mor. U'r a funy man, bi yur acount; but U'r oever now,
and U'l maebe step doun off that barrel, and help voet.'
'I thaut U sed U knowed th rools,' reternd Silver contempchuosly. 'leestwaes, if U don't, I do; and I waet
heer--and I'm stil yur cap'n, miend--til U outs with yur greevanses, and I repli, in th meentiem, yur blak
spot aint werth a biskit. After that, we'l see.'
'Oh,' replied George, 'U don't be under no kiend of aprehenshun; we'r all sqair, we ar. Ferst, U'v maed a
hash of this crooz--U'l be a boeld man to sae no to that. Second, U let th enemy out o' this heer trap for
nuthing. Whi did thae wont out? I dunno; but it's prity plaen thae wonted it. Therd, U wuudn't let us go at
them upon th march. O, we see thru U, John Silver; U wont to plae booty, that's whut's rong with U. And
then, foerth, thair's this heer boi.'
'Is that all?' askt Silver qieetly.
'Enough, too,' retorted George. 'We'l all swing and sundry for yur bunggling.'
'wel, now, luuk heer, I'l anser thees foer p'ints; wun after anuther I'l anser 'em. I maed a hash o' this crooz,
did I? Wel, now, U all noe whut I wonted; and U all noe, if that had bin dun, that we'd 'a' bin abord th
Hispaniola this niet as ever was, evry man of us aliev, and fit, and fuul of guud plum-duff, and th trezher in
th hoeld of her, bi thunder! Wel, hoo crosst me? Hoo forst mi hand, as was th lawful cap'n? Hoo tipt me th
blak spot th dae we landed, and began this dans? Aa, it's a fien dans--I'm with U thair--and luuks miety liek
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a hornpiep in a rope's end at Execueshun Dok bi London toun, it duz. But hoo dun it? Whi, it was
Anderson, and Hands, and U, George Merry! And U'r th last abuv bord of that saem medling croo; and U
hav th Davy Jones's insolens to up and stand for cap'n oever me--U, that sank th lot of us! Bi th powers! but
this tops th stiffest yarn to nuthing.'
Silver pauzd, and I cuud see bi th faeses of George and his laet comrads that thees werds had not bin sed in
vaen.
'That's for number wun,' cried th acuezd, wieping th swet frum his brow, for he had bin tauking with a
veeemens that shuuk th hous. 'Whie, I giv U mi werd, I'm sik to speek to U. U'v neether sens nor memory,
and I leev it to fansy wherr yur muthers was that let U cum to see. See! Jentlmen o' forchun! I rekon taelors
is yur traed.'
'Go on, John,' sed Morgan. 'Speek up to th uthers.'
'Ah, th uthers!' reternd John. 'thae'r a nies lot, aint thae? U sae this crooz is bunggld. Aa! bi gum, if U cuud
understand how bad it's bunggld, U wuud see! We'r that neer th jibit that mi neck's stif with thinking on it.
You' seen 'em, maebe, hangd in chaens, berds about 'em, seem p'inting 'em out as thae go doun with th tied.
"Hoo's that? Ses wun. 'that! Whi, that's John Silver. I knowed him wel," ses anuther. And U can heer th
chaens a-janggl as U go about and reech for th uther booy. Now, that about wherr we ar, evry mother's sun
of us, thanks to him, and Hands, and Anderson, and uther ruination fools of U. And if U wont to noe about
number foer, and that boi, whi, shiver mi timbers! isn't he a hostej? Ar we a-going to waest a hostej? No,
not us; he miety be our last chans, and I shuudn't wunder. Kil that boi? not me, maets! And number three?
Aa, wel, thair's a deel to sae to number three. Maebe U don't count it nuthing to hav a reeal colej doctor
cum to see U evry dae--U, John, with yur he broek--or U, George Merry, that had th ague shaeks upon U
not six ours agon, and has yur ies th colour of lemon peel to this saem moement on th clok? And maebe,
perhaps U didn't noe thair was a consort cuming, eether? But thair is; and not so long til then; and we'l see
hoo'l be glad hav a hostej when it cums to that. And as for number too and whi I maed a bargen--wel, U
caem cralling on yur nees to me to maek it--on yur nees U caem, U was that dounharted--and U'd hav
starvd, too, if hadn't--but that's a triefl! U luuk thair--that's whi!'
And he cast doun upon th flor a paeper that I instantly recogniezd-nun uther than th chart on yelo paeper,
with th three red crosses, that I had found in th oilclauth at th botom of th captain's chest. Whi th doctor had
given to him was mor than I cuud fansy.
But if it wer inexplicabl to me, th apeerans of th chart was incredibl to th servieving mutineers. Thae leept
upon it liek cats upon a mous. It went frum hand to hand, wun tairing it frum anuther; and bi th oeths and th
cries and th chieldish lafter with which thae acumpanyd thair examinaeshun, U wuud hav thaut, not oenly
thae wer finggering th verry goeld, but wer at see with it, besieds, it saefty.
'Yes,' sed wun, 'that's Flint, shur enuf. J F., and a scor belo, with a cloev hich to it; so he dun ever.'
'Miety prity,' sed George. 'but how ar we to get awae with it, and us no ship?'
Silver sudenly sprang up, and suporting himself with a hand agenst th wall: 'Now I giv U worning, George,'
he cried. 'Wun mor werd of yur saus, and I'l call U doun and fiet U. How? Whi, how do I noe? U had aut to
tel me that--U and th rest, that lost me mi scooner, with yur interfeerens, bern U! But not U, U can't; U
hain't got th invenshun of a cokroech. But sivil U can speek, and shal, George Merry, U mae lae to that.'
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'That's fair enow,' sed th oeld man Morgan.
'Fair! I rekon so,' sed th see-cuuk. 'U lost th ship; I found th trezher. Hoo's th beter man at that? And now I
rezien, bi thunder! Elect hoom U pleez to be yur cap'n now; I'm dun with it.'
'Silver!' thae cried. 'Barbecue for ever! Barbecue for cap'n!'
'So that's th toon, is it?' cried th cuuk. 'George, I rekon U'l hav to waet anuther tern, frend; and luky for U
as I'm not a revenjful man. But that was never mi wae. And now, shipmaets, this blak spot? 'tain't much
guud now, is it? Dick's crosst his luk and spoild his Biebl, and that's about all.'
'It'l do to kis th buuk on stil, woen't it?' grould Dick, hoo was evidently uneezy at th curs he had braut upon
himself.
'A Biebl with a bit cut out!' reternd Silver, deriesivly. 'Not it. It don't biend no more'n a balad-buuk.'
'Don't it, tho?' cried Dick, with a sort of joi. 'wel, I rekon that's werth having, too.'
Here, Jim--heer's a cur'osity for U,' sed Silver; and he tosst me th paeper.
It was a round about th siez of a croun pees. Wun sied was blank, for it had bin th last leef; th uther
contaend a vers or too of Revelaeshun--thees werds amung th rest, which struk sharply hoem upon mi
miend: 'Without ar daugs and merderers.' Th printed sied had bin blakend with wuud ash, which allredy
began to cum off and soil in finggers; on th blank sied had bin riten with th saem mateerial th wun werd
'Depposed.' I hav that cueriosity besied me at this moement; but not a traes of rieting now remaen beyond a
singgl scrach, such as a man miet maek with his thum-nael.
That was th end of th night's biznes. Soon after, with a drink all round, we lae doun to sleep, and th outsied
of Silver's vengeance was to puut George Merry up for sentinel and threten him with deth if he shuud proov
unfaethful.
It was long err I cuud cloez an ie, and Heven noes I had mater enuf for thaut in th man hoom I had slain
that afternoon, in mi oen moest perrilus pozishun, and, abuv all, in th remarkabl gaem that I saw Silver now
engaej upon--keeping th mutineers together with wun hand, an grasping, with th uther, after evry meens,
posibl an imposibl, to maek his pees and saev his mizerabl lief. He himself slept peesfuly, and snored
aloud; yet mi hart was sor for him, wiked as he was, to think on th dark perril that environed, and th
shaemful jibit that awaeted him.
Chapter XXX
On Paroel
I WAS waekend--Indeed, we wer all waekend, for I cuud see eeven th sentinel shaek himself together frum
wherr he had fallen agenst th dor-poest--bi a cleer, harty vois haeling us frum th marjin of th wuud:-'Block-hous, ahoi!' it cried. Here's th doctor.'
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And th doctor it was. Alltho I was glad to heer th sound, yet mi gladnes was not without admixcher. I
rememberd with confuezhun mi insubordinet and stelthy conduct; and when I saw wherr it had braut me-amung whut companyons and serounded bi whut daenjers--I felt ashaemd to luuk him in th faes.
He must hav rizen in th dark, for th dae had hardly cum; and when I ran to a loophoel and luukt out, I saw
him standing, liek Silver wuns befor, up to th mid-leg in creeping vapour.
'U, doctor! Top o' th morning to U, ser!' cried Silver, braud awaek and beeming with guud-naecher in a
moement. 'Briet and erly, to be shur; and it's th erly berd, as th saeing goes, that gets th rashuns. George,
shaek up yur timbers, sun, and help Dr Livesey oever th ship's sied. All a-doin' wel, yur paeshents was--all
wel and merry.'
So he paterd on, standing on th hil-top, with his cruch under his elbo, and wun hand upon th sied of th loghous--qiet th oeld John in vois, maner, and expreshun.
'We'v qiet a serpriez for U, too, ser,' he continued. 'We'v a litl straenjer heer--he! he! A noo border and
lojer, ser, and luuking fit and taut as a fidl; slep' liek a soopercargo, he did, riet alongsied of John--stem to
stem we was, all niet.'
Dr Livesey was bi this tiem across th stokaed and prity neer th cuuk; and I cuud heer th allteraeshun in his
vois as he sed:-'Not Jim?'
'th verry saem Jim as ever was,' ses Silver.
Th doctor stopt outriet, alltho he did not speek, and it was sum seconds befor he seemd aebl to moov on.
'wel, wel,' he sed, at last, 'duety ferst and plezher afterwards, as U miet hav sed yurself, Silver. Let us
oeverhall thees paeshents of yurs.'
A moement afterwards he had enterd th blok-hous, and, with wun grim nod to me, proseeded with his werk
amung th sik. He seemd under no aprehenshun, tho he must hav noen that his lief, amung thees trecherus
deemons, depended on a hair; and he ratld on to his paeshents as if he wer paeing an ordinairy profeshunal
vizit in a qieet English family. His maner, I supoez, reacted on th men; for thae behaevd to him as if
nuthing had ocurd--as if he wer stil ship's doctor, and thae stil faethful hands befor th mast.
'U'r doing wel, mi frend,' he sed to th felo with th bandejd hed, 'and if ever eny person had a cloes shaev, it
was U; yur hed must be as hard as ieern. Wel, George, how goes it? U'r a prity colour, sertenly; whi, yur
liver, man, is upsied doun. Did U taek that medisin? Did he taek that medisin, men?'
'Ay, ay, ser, he tuuk it, shur enuf,' reternd Morgan.
'Because, U see, sinss I am mutineers' doctor, or prizon doctor, as I prefer to call it,' ses Dr Livesey, in his
pleasantest wae, 'I maek it a point of onor not to looz a man for King George (God bles him!) and th
galoes.'
Th roegs luukt at eech uther, but swoloed th hoem-thrust in sielens.
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'Dick don't feel wel, ser,' sed wun.
'Don't he?' replied th doctor.'wel, step up heer, Dick, and let me see yur tung. No, I shuud be serpriezd if he
did! th man's tung is fit to frieten th French. Anuther feever.'
'Ah, thair,' sed Morgan, 'that comed of sp'iling Biebls.'
'That comed--as U call it--of being arrant ases, retorted th doctor, 'and not having sens enuf to noe onest air
frum poizon, and th dri land frum a viel, pestiferus sluf. I think it moest probabl--tho, of cors, it's oenly an
opinyon--that U'l all hav th deuce to pae befor U get that malairia out of yur sistems. Camp in a bog, wuud
U? Silver, I'm serpriezd at U. U'r les of a fool than meny, taek U all round; but U don't apeer to me to hav
th roodiments of a noeshun of th rools of helth.'
'wel,' he aded, after he had doest them round, and thae had taeken his prescripshuns, with reealy lafabl
huemility, mor liek charrity scool-children than blud-gilty mutineers and pierets--'Well, that's dun for todae. And now I shuud wish to hav a tauk with that boi, pleez.'
And he noded his hed in mi direcshun cairlesly.
George Merry was at th dor, spiting and spluttering oever sum bad-taested medisin; but at th ferst werd of
th doctor's propoezal he swung round with a deep flush, and cried 'No!' and swor.
Silver struk th barrel with his oepen hand.
'Si-lenss!' he rord, and luukt about him pozitivly liek a lieon. 'Doctor,' he went on, in his uezhual toens, 'I
was a-thinking of that, noeing as how U had a fansy for th boi. We'r all humbly graetful for yur kiendnes,
and, as U see, puuts faeth in U, and taeks th drugs doun liek that much grog. And I taek it I'v found a wae
as'll soot all. Hawkins, wil U giv me yur werd of onor as a yung jentlman--for a yung jentlman U ar, alltho
pur born--yur werd of onor not to slip yur caebl?
I redily gaev th plej reqierd.
'Then, doctor,' sed Silver, 'U just step outsied o' that stokaed, and wuns U'r thair, I'l th bring th boi doun on
th insied, and I rekon U can yarn thru th spars. Guud-dae to U, ser, and all our dooties to th sqier and Cap'n
Smollett.'
Th exploezhun of disaprooval, which nuthing but Silver's blak luuks had restraend, broek out imeedyetly th
doctor had left th hous. Silver was roundly acuezd of plaeing dubl--of trieing to maek a separet pees for
himself--of sacrificing th interests of his acomplises and victims; and, in wun werd, of th iedentical, exact
thing that he was doing. It seemd to me so obvius, in this caes, that I cuud not imajin how he was to tern
thair angger. But he was twies th man th rest wer; and his last night's victory had given him a huej
preponderans on thair miends. He calld them all th fools and doelts U can imajin, sed it was nesesairy I
shuud tauk to th doctor, fluterd th chart in thair faeses, askt th if thae cuud aford to braek th treety th verry
dae thae we bound a-trezher-hunting.
'No, bi thunder!' he cried, 'It's us must braek th treety when th tiem cums; and til then I'l gammon that
doctor, if I hav to ile his boots with brandy.'
And then he baed them get th fier lit, and staukt out upon his cruch, with his hand on mi shoelder, leeving
them in a disarrae, and sielenst bi his voluebility rather than convinst.
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'slow, lad, slo,' he sed. 'thae miet round upon us in a twinkl of an ie, if we was seen to hery.'
Verry deliberetly, then, did we advans across th sand to wherr th doctor awaeted us on th uther sied of th
stokaed, and as soon as we wer within eezy speeking distans, Silver stopt.
'U 'il maek a noet of this heer allso, doctor,' ses he, 'and th boy'll tel U how I saevd his lief, and wer
depoezd for it, too, and U mae lae to that. Doctor, when a man's steering as neer th wind as me-plaeing
chuk-farthing with th last breth in his body, liek--U wuudn'T think it too much, mayhap, to giv him wun
guud werd? U'l pleez bair in miend it's not mi lief oenly now--it's that boy's into th bargen; and U'l speek
me fair, doctor, and giv me a bit o' hoep to go on, for th saek of mersy.'
Silver was a chaenjd man, wuns he was out thair and had his bak to his frends and th blok-hous; his cheeks
seemd to hav fallen in, his vois trembld; never was a soel mor ded in ernest.
'Why, John, U'r not afraed?' askt Dr Livesey.
'Doctor, I'm no coward; no, not I--not so much!' and he snapt his finggers. 'If I was I wuudn't sae it. But I'l
oen up fairly, I'v th shaeks upon me for th galoes. U'r a guud man and a troo; I never seen a beter man! And
U'l not forget whut I dun guud, not eny mor than U'l forget th bad, I noe. And I step asied--see heer--and
leev U and Jim aloen. And U'l puut that doun for me, too, for it's a long strech, is that!'
So saeing, he stept bak a litl wae, til he was out of eershot, and thair sat doun upon a tree-stump and began
to whisl; spining round now and agen upon his seet so as to comand a siet, sumtiems of me and th doctor,
and sumtiems of his unrooly rufians as thae went to and fro in th sand, between th fier--which thae wer bizy
re-kindling--and th hous, frum which thae braut forth pork and bred to maek th brekfast.
'So, Jim,' sed th doctor, sadly, 'here U ar. As U hav brood, so shal U drink, mi boi. Heven noes, I cannot
fiend it in mi hart to blaem U; but this much I wil sae, be it kiend or unkiend: when Capten Smollett was
wel, U daird not hav gon off; and when he was il, and cuudn't help it, bi George, it was dounriet cowardly!'
I
wil oen that I heer began to weep. 'Doctor,' I sed, 'U miet spair me. I hav blaemd mieself enuf; mi life's
forfit enywae, and I shuud hav bin ded bi now, if Silver hadn't stuud for me; and doctor, beleev this, I can
die--and I daresay I dezerv it--but whut I feer is torcher. If thae cum to torcher me--'
'Jim,' th doctor interupted, and his vois was qiet chaenjd, 'Jim I can't hav this. Whip oever, and we'l run for
it.'
'Doctor,' sed I, 'I past mi werd.'
'I noe, I noe,' he cried. 'We can't help that, Jim, now. I'l taek it on mi shoelders, holus boelus, blaem and
shaem, mi boi; but stae heer, I cannot let U. Jump! Wun jump, and U'r out, and we'l run for it liek
antelopes.'
'No,' I replied, 'U noe riet wel U wuudn't do th thing yurself; neether U, nor sqier, nor capten; and no mor
wil I. Silver trusted me; I past mi werd, and bak I go. But, doctor, U did not let me finish. If thae cum to
torcher me, I miet let slip a werd of wherr th ship is; for I got th ship, part bi luk and part bi risking, and she
lies in North Inlet, on th suthern beech, and just belo hi wauter. At haf-tied she must be hi and dri.'
'th ship!' exclaemd th doctor.
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Rapidly I descriebd to him mi advenchers, and he herd me out in sielens.
'ther is a kiend of faet in this,' he obzervd, when I had dun 'every step, it's U that saevs our lievs; and do U
supoez bi eny chans that we ar going to let U looz yurs? That wuud be a pur retern, mi boi. U found out th
plot; U found Ben Gunn--th best deed that ever U did, or wil do, tho U liv to nienty. O, bi Jupiter, and
tauking of Ben Gunn! whi this is th mischif in person. Silver!' he cried, 'Silver--I'l giv U a pees of advies,'
he continued, as th cuuk droo neer agen; 'Don't U be in eny graet hery after that trezher.'
'Why, ser, I do mi posibl, which that aint,' sed Silver. 'I can oenly, asking yur pardon, saev mi lief and th
boy's bi seeking for that trezher; and U mae lae to that.'
'wel, Silver,' replied th doctor, 'if that is so, I'l go wun step ferther: luuk out for sqalls when U fiend it.'
'Sir,' sed Silver, 'As between man and man, that's too much and too litl. Whut U'r after, whi U left th blokhous, whi U given me that thair chart, I don't noe, now, do I? and yet I dun yur biding with mi ies shut and
never a werd of hoep! But no, this heer's too much. If U woen't tel me whut U meen plaen out, just sae so,
and I'l leev th helm.'
'No,' sed th doctor, musingly,'I'v no riet to sae mor; it's not mi seecret, U see, Silver, or, I giv U mi werd,
I'd tel it U. But I'l go as far with U as I dair go, and a step beyond; for I'l hav mi wig sorted bi th capten or
I'm mistaeken! And, ferst, I'l giv U a bit of hoep: Silver, if we boeth get aliev out of this wuulf-trap, I'l do
mi best to saev U, short of perjery.'
Silver's faes was raediant. 'U cuudn't sae mor, I'm shur, ser, not if U was mi muther,' he cried.
'wel, that's mi ferst conseshun,' aded th doctor. 'my second is a pees of advies: Keep th boi cloes besied U,
and when U need help, halloo. I'm off to seek it for U, and that itself wil sho U if I speek at random. Guudbi, Jim.'
And Dr Livesey shuuk hands with me thru th stokaed, noded to Silver, and set off at a brisk paes into th
wuud.
Chapter XXXI
Th Trezher Hunt--Flint's Pointer
'JIM,' sed Silver, when we wer aloen, 'If I saevd yur lief, U saevd meen; and I'l not forget it. I seen th
doctor waeving U to run for it-- with th tael of mi ie, I did; and I seen U sae no, as plaen as heering. Jim,
that's wun to U. This is th ferst glint of hoep I had sinss th atak faeld, and I oe it U. And now, Jim, we'r to
go in for this heer trezher hunting, with seeld orders, too, and I don't liek it; and U and me must stik cloes,
bak to bak liek, and we'l saev our neks in spiet o' faet and forchun.
Just then a man haeld us frum th fier that brekfast was redy, and we wer soon seeted heer and thair about th
sand oever biskit and fried junk. Thae had lit a fier fit to roest an ox; and it was now groen so hot that thae
cuud oenly aproech it frum th windward, and eeven thair not without precaushun. In th saem waestful
spirit, thae had cuukt, I supoez, three tiems mor than we cuud eet; and wun of them, with an empty laf,
throo whut was left into th fier, which blaezd and rord agen oever this unuezhual fueel. I never in mi lief
saw men so cairles of th morro; hand to mouth is th oenly werd that can descrieb thair wae of doing; and
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whut with waested food and sleeping sentries, tho thae wer boeld enuf for a brush and be dun with it, I cuud
see thair entier unfitness for enything liek a prolongd campaen.
Eeven Silver, eeting awae, with Capten Flint upon his shoelder, had not a werd of blaem for thair reklesnes.
And this th mor serpriezd me, for I thaut he had never shoen himself so cuning as he did then.
'Ay, maets,' sed he, 'it's luky U hav Barbecue to think for U with this heer hed. I got whut I wonted, I did.
Shur enuf, thae hav th ship. Wherr thae hav it, I don't noe yet; but wuns we hit th trezher, we'l hav to jump
about and fiend out. And then, maets, us that has th boets, I rekon, has th uper hand.'
Thus he kept runing on, with his mouth fuul of th hot baecon: thus he restord thair hoep and confidens, and,
I mor than suspect, repaird his oen at th saem tiem.
'As for hostej,' he continued, 'that's his last tauk, I ges with them he luvs so deer. I'v got mi pees o' nues, and
thanky to him for that; but it's oever and dun. I'l taek him in a leen when we go trezher-hunting, for we'l
keep him liek so much goeld, in caes of acsidents, U mark, and in th meentiem. Wuns we got th ship and
trezher boeth, and off to see liek joly companyons, whi, then, we'l tauk Mr Hawkin oever, we wil, and we'l
giv him his shair, to be shur, for all his kiendnes.
It was no wunder th men wer in a guud huemor now. For mi part, I was horribly cast doun. Shuud th skeem
he had now skecht proov feezibl, Silver, allredy dubly a traetor, wuud not hezitaet to adopt it. He had stil a
fuut in eether camp, and thair was no dout he wuud prefer welth and freedom with th pierets to a bair
escaep frum hanging, which was th best he had to hoep on our sied.
Nae, and eeven if things so fel out that he was forst to keep his faeth with Dr Livesey, eeven then whut
daenjer lae befor us! Whut a moement that wuud be when th suspishuns of his foloeers ternd to sertenty,
and he and I shuud hav to fiet for deer lief--he, a cripl, and I, a boi--agenst fiev strong and activ seemen!
Ad to this dubl aprehenshun, th mistery that stil hung oever th behaevuer of mi frends; thair unexplaend
dezershun of th stokaed; thair inexplicabl seshun of th chart; or harder stil to understand, th doctor's last
worning to Silver, 'look out for sqalls when U fiend it;' and U wil redily beleev how litl taest I found in mi
brekfast, and with how uneezy a hart I set forth behiend mi captors on th qest for trezher.
We maed a cuerius figuer, had enywun bin thair to see us; all in soild saelor cloeths, and all but me armd to
th teeth. Silver had too guns slung about him--wun befor and wun behiend--besieds th graet cutlas at his
waest, and a pistol in eech poket of his sqair-tailed coet. To compleet his straenj apeerans, Capten Flint sat
percht upon his shoelder and gabling ods and ends of perposles see-tauk. I had a leen about mi waest, and
foloed oebeedyently after th see-cuuk, hoo held th loos end of th roep, now in his free hand, now between
his powerful teeth. For all th werld, I was led liek a dansing bair.
Th uther men wer vairiusly burthened; sum carrying piks and shuvels--for that had bin th verry ferst
nesesairy thae braut ashor frum th Hispaniola
--uthers laeden with pork, bred, and brandy for th middae meel. All th stors, I obzervd, caem frum our stok;
and I cuud see th trooth of Silver's werds th niet befor. Had he not struk a bargen with th doctor, he and his
mutineers, dezerted bi th ship, must hav bin driven to subsist on cleer wauter and th proseeds of thair
hunting. Wauter wuud hav bin litl to thair taest; a saelor is not uezhualy a guud shot; and, besieds all that,
when thae wer so short of eetabls, it was not liekly thae wuud be verry flush of pouder.
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Wel, thus eqipt, we all set out--eeven th felo with th broeken hed, hoo shuud sertenly hav kept in shado-and stragld, wun after anuther, to th beech, wherr th too gigs awaeted us. Eeven thees bor traes of th
drunken foly of th pierets, wun in a broeken thwort, and boeth in thair mudy and unbailed condishun. Boeth
wer to be carryd along with us, for th saek of saefty; and so, with our numbers divieded between them, we
set forth upon th buuzom of th ankorej.
As we puuld oever, thair was sum discushun on th chart. Th red cross was, of cors, far too larj to be a gied;
and th terms of th noet on th bak, as U wil heer, admited of sum ambigueity. Thae ran, th reeder mae
remember, thus:-'Tall tree, Spi-glas shoelder, bairing a point to th N. of N.N.E.
'Skeleton Ieland E.S.E. and bi E.
'Ten feet.'
A tall tree was thus th prinsipal mark. Now, riet befor us, th ankorej was bounded bi a plato frum too to
three hundred feet hi, ajoining on th north th sloeping suthern shoelder of th Spi-glas, and riezing agen
tords th south into th ruf, cliffy eminens calld th Mizen-mast Hil. Th top of th plato was doted thikly with
pien trees of vairying hiet. Evry heer and thair, wun of a diferent speeshys roez forty or fifty feet cleer abuv
its naebors, and which of thees was th particuelar 'tall tree' of Capten Flint cuud oenly be desieded on th
spot, and bi th reedings of th compas.
Yet, alltho that was th caes, evry man on bord th boets had pikt a favourite of his oen err we wer haf wae
oever, Long John aloen shruging his shoelders and biding them waet til thae wer thair.
We puuld eezily, bi Silver's direcshuns, not to weery th hands preematurly; and, after qiet a long pasej,
landed at th mouth of th second river--That which runs doun a woody cleft of th Spi-glas. Thens, bending to
our left, we began to asend th sloep tords th plato.
At th ferst outset, hevy, miry ground and a matted, marish vejetaeshun, graetly delaed our progres; but bi
litl and litl th hil began to steepen and becum stoeny under fuut, and th wuud to chaenj its carracter and to
gro in a mor oepen order. It was, indeed, a moest plezant porshun of th ieland that we wer now aproeching.
A hevy-sented broom and meny flowering shrubs had allmoest taeken th plaes of gras. Thikets of green
nutmeg trees wer doted heer and thair with th red colums and th braud shado of' th piens; and th ferst
minggld thair spies with th aroema of th uthers. Th air, besieds, was fresh and stering, and this, under th
sheer sunbeems, was a wunderful refreshment to our senses.
Th party spred itself abraud, in a fan shaep, shouting and leeping to and fro. About th senter, and a guud
wae behiend th rest, Silver and I foloed--I tetherd bi mi roep, he ploughing, with deep pants, amung th
slieding gravel. Frum tiem to tiem, indeed, I had to lend him a hand, or he must hav mist his fuuting and
fallen bakward doun th hil.
We had thus proseeded for about haf a miel, and wer aproeching th brow of th plato, when th man upon th
farthest left began to cri aloud, as if in terror. Shout after shout caem frum him, and th uthers began to run
in his direcshun.
He can't 'a' found th trezher,' sed oeld Morgan, herying past us frum th riet, 'for that's cleen a-top.'
327
Indeed, as we found when we allso reecht th spot, it was sumthing verry diferent. At th fuut of a prity big
pien, and involvd in a green creeper, which had eeven partly lifted sum of th smaller boens, a hueman
skeleton lae, with a fue shreds of cloething, on th ground. I beleev a chil struk for a moement to evry hart.
He was a seeman,' sed George Merry, hoo, boelder than th rest, had gon up cloes, and was examining th
rags of cloething. ' Leastways, this is guud see-clauth.'
'Ay, ay,' sed Silver, 'Liek enuf; U wuudn't luuk to fiend a bishop heer, I rekon. But whut sort of a wae is
that for boens to lie? 'tain't in natur'.'
Indeed, on a second glans, it seemd imposibl to fansy that th body was in a nacheral pozishun. But for sum
disarrae (th werk, perhaps, of th berds that had fed upon him, or of th slo-groeing creeper that had grajualy
enveloped his remaens) th man lae perfectly straet--his feet pointing in wun direcshun, his hands, raezd
abuv his hed liek a diver's, pointing directly in th opozit.
'I'v taeken a noeshun into mi oeld numskul,' obzervd Silver. Here's th compas; thair's th tip-top pient o'
Skeleton Ieland, stickin' out liek a tooth. Just taek a bairing wil U, along th leen of them boens.'
It was dun. Th body pointed straet in th direcshun of th ieland, and th compas reed duely E.S.E. and bi E.
'I thaut so,' cried th cuuk; 'This heer is a p'inter. Riet up thair is our leen for th Poel Star and th joly dolars.
But, bi thunder! if it don't maek me coeld insied to think of Flint. This is wun of his joeks, and no mistaek.
Him and thees six was aloen heer; he kild em, evry man; and this wun he halld heer and laed doun bi
compas, shiver mi timbers! Thae'r long boens, and th hair's bin yelo. Ay, that wuud be Allardyce. U miend
Allardyce, Tom Morgan?'
'Ay, ay,' reternd Morgan, 'I miend him; he oed me muny, he did, and tuuk mi nief ashor with him.'
'Speeking of nievs,' sed anuther, 'Why don't we fiend his'n lieing round? Flint warn't th man to pik a
seaman's poket; and th berds, I ges, wuud leev it be.'
'By th powers, and that's troo!' cried Silver.
'ther aint a thing left heer,' sed Merry, stil feeling round amung th boens, 'not a coper doit nor a baccy box.
It don't luuk nat'ral to me.'
'No, bi gum, it don't,' agreed Silver; 'not nat'ral, nor not nies, ses U. Graet guns! messmates, but if Flint was
living, this wuud be a hot spot for U and me. Six thae wer, and six ar we; and boens is whut thae ar now.
'I saw him ded with thees heer ded-liets,' sed Morgan. 'Billy tuuk me in. Thair he laed with peny-peeses on
his ies.
'Dead--ay, shur enuf he's ded and gon belo,' sed th felo with th bandej; 'but if ever sperrit waukt, it wuud be
Flint's. Deer hart, but he died bad, did Flint!'
'Ay, that he did,' obzervd anuther; 'Now he raejd, and now he holerd for th rum, and now he sang. "Fifteen
Men" wer his oenly song, maets; and I tel U troo, I never rietly liekt to heer it sinss. It was maen hot, and th
windy was oepen, and I heer that oeld song comin' out as cleer as cleer-- and th deth-hall on th man
allredy.'
328
'Come, cum,' sed Silver, 'stow this tauk. He's ded, and he don't wauk, that I noe; leastways, he woen't wauk
bi dae and U mae lae to that. Cair kild a cat. Fech ahed for th doubloons.'
We started, sertenly; but in spiet of th hot sun and th stairing daeliet, th pierets no longger ran separet and
shouting thru th wuud, but kept sied bi sied and spoek with bated breth. Th terror of th ded bucaneer had
fallen on thair spirits.
Chapter XXXII
Th Trezher Hunt--Th Vois Amung th Trees
PARTLY frum th damping inflooens of this alarm, partly to rest Silver and th sik foek, th hoel party sat
doun as soon as thae had gaend th brow of th asent.
Th plato being sumwhut tilted tords th west, this spot on which we had pauzd comanded a wied prospect on
eether hand. Befor us, oever th tree-tops, we beheld th Caep of th Wuuds frinjd with serf; behiend, we not
oenly luukt doun upon th ankorej and Skeleton Ieland, but saw--cleer across th spit and th eestern loelands-a graet feeld of oepen see upon th eest. Sheer abuv us roez th Spi-glas, heer doted with singgl piens, thair
blak with precipices. Thair was no sound but that of th distant braekers, mounting frum all round, and th
churp of countles insects in th brush. Not a man, not a sael upon th see; th verry largeness of th vue increest
th sens of solitued.
Silver, as he sat, tuuk serten bairings with his compas.
'There ar three "tall trees" ' sed he, 'about in th riet leen frum Skeleton Ieland. "Spi-glas Shoelder," I taek it,
meens that loeer p'int thair. It's child's plae to fiend th stuf now. I'v haf a miend to dien ferst.'
'I don't feel sharp,' grould Morgan. 'thinkin' o' Flint--I think it wer--as dun me.'
'Ah, wel, mi sun, U praez yur stars he's ded,' sed Silver.
He wer an ugly devil,' cried a therd pieret, with a shuder; 'that bloo in th faes, too!'
'That was how th rum tuuk him,' aded Merry. 'Blue! wel, I rekon he was bloo. That's a troo werd.'
Ever sinss thae had found th skeleton and got upon this traen of thaut, thae had spoeken loeer and loeer, and
thae had allmoest got to whispering bi now, so that th sound of thair tauk hardly interupted th sielens of th
wuud. All of a suden, out of th midl of th trees in frunt of us, a thin, hi, trembling vois struk up th wel-noen
air and werds:-'Fifteen men on th ded man's chest-U-ho-ho, and a botl of rum!'
I never hav seen men mor dredfuly afected than th pierets. Th colour went frum thair six faeses liek
enchantment; sum leept to thair feet, sum clawd hoeld of uthers; Morgan grovelled on th ground.
'It's Flint, bi----!' cried Merry.
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Th song had stopt as sudenly as it began--broeken off, U wuud hav sed, in th midl of. a noet, as tho
sumwun had laed his hand upon th singer's mouth. Cuming so far thru th cleer, suny atmosfeer amung th
green tree-tops, I thaut it had sounded airily and sweetly; and th efect on mi companyons was th straenjer.
'Come,' sed Silver, strugling with his ashen lips to get th werd out, 'this woen't do. Stand bi to go about.
This is a rum start, and I can't naem th vois: but it's sumwun skielarking--sumwun that's flesh and blud, and
U mae lae to that.'
His curej had cum bak as he spoek, and sum of th colour to his faes along with it. Allredy th uthers had
begun to lend an eer to this encurejment, and wer cuming a litl to themselvs, when th saem vois broek out
agen--not this tiem singing, but in a fainter distant hael, that ekoed yet faent amung th clefts of th Spi-glas.
'Darby M'Graw,' it waeld--for that is th werd that best descriebs th sound-'Darby M'Graw! Darby M'Graw!'
agen and agen and agen; and then riezing a litl hieer, and with an oeth that I leev out, 'Fetch aft th rum,
Darby!'
Th buccaneers remaend rooted to th ground, thair ies starting frum thair heds. Long after th vois had died
awae thae stil staird in sielens, dredfuly, befor them.
'That fixes it!' gaspt wun. 'Let's go.'
'Thae was his last werds,' moend Morgan, 'his last werds abuv bord.'
Dick had his Biebl out, and was praeing volubly. He had bin wel braut up, had Dick, befor he caem to see
and fel amung bad companyons.
Stil, Silver was unconquered. I cuud heer his teeth ratl in his hed; but he had not yet serenderd.
'Noebody in this heer ieland ever herd of Darby,' he muterd; 'not wun but us that's heer.' And then,
maeking a graet efort, 'shipmates,' he cried, 'I'm heer to get that stuf, and I'l not be beet bi man nor devil. I
never was feerd of Flint in his lief, and, bi th powers, I'l faes him ded. Thair's seven hundred thouzand
pound not a qorter of a miel frum heer. When did ever a jentlman o' forchun sho his stern to that much
dolars, for a boosy oeld seeman with a bloo mug--and him ded, too?'
But thair was no sien of re-awaekening curej in his foloeers; rather, indeed, of groeing terror at th
irreverens of his werds.
'Belay thair, John!' sed Merry. 'Don't U cross a sperrit.'
And th rest wer all too terrified to repli. Thae wuud hav run awae severaly had thae daird; but feer kept
them together, and kept them cloes bi John, as if his dairing helpt them. He, on this part, had prity wel faut
his weeknes doun.
'Sperrit? Wel, maebe,' he sed. 'but thair's wun thing not cleer to me. Thair was an eko. Now, no man ever
seen a sperrit with a shado; wel, then, whut's he doing with an eko to him, I shuud liek to noe? That aint in
natur', shurly?'
330
This arguement seemd weak enuf to me. But U can never tel whut wil afect th sooperstishus, and, to mi
wunder, George Merry was graetly releevd.
'wel, that's so,' he sed. 'U've a hed upon yur shoelders, John, and no mistaek. 'Bout ship, maets! This heer
croo is on a rong tak, I do beleev. And cum to think on it, it was liek Flint's vois, I grant U, but not just so
clearaway liek it, after all. It was liker sumbody else's vois now--it was liker----'
'By th powers, Ben Gunn!' rord Silver.
'Ay, and so it wer,' cried Morgan, springing on his nees. 'Ben Gunn it wer!'
'It don't maek much ods, do it, now?' askt Dick. 'Ben Gunn's not heer in th body, eny more'n Flint.'
But th oelder hands greeted this remark with scorn.
'Why noebody miends Ben Gunn,' cried Merry; 'dead or aliev, noebody miends him.'
It was extraordinairy how thair spirits had reternd, and how th nacheral colour had revievd in thair faeses.
Soon thae wer chating together, with intervals of lisening; and not long after, heering no ferther sound, thae
shoelderd th tools and set forth agen, Merry wauking ferst with Silver's compas to keep them on th riet leen
with Skeleton Ieland. He had sed th trooth: ded or aliev, noebody miended Ben Gunn.
Dick aloen stil held his Biebl, and luukt around him as he went, with feerful glanses; but he found no
simpathy, and Silver eeven joekt him on his precaushuns.
'I toeld U,' sed he-- 'I toeld U, U had sp'iled yur Biebl. If it aint no guud to swair bi, whut do U supoez a
sperrit wuud giv for it? Not that!' and he snapt his big finggers, hallting a moement on his cruch.
But Dick was not to be cumforted; indeed, it was soon plaen to me that th lad was falling sik; haesend bi
heet, exaustchun, and th shok of his alarm, th feever, predicted bi Doctor Livesey, was evidently groeing
swiftly hieer.
It was fien oepen wauking heer, upon th sumit; our wae lae a litl dounhil, for, as I hav sed, th plato tilted
tords th west. Th piens, graet and small, groo wied apart; and eeven between th clumps of nutmeg and
azaelia, wied oepen spaeses baekt in th hot sunshien. Strieking, as we did, prity neer north-west across th
ieland, we droo, on th wun hand ever neerer under th shoelders of th Spi-glas, and on th uther, luukt ever
wieder oever that western bae wherr I had wuns tosst and trembld in th coracle.
Th ferst of th tall trees was reecht, and bi th bairing, proovd th rong wun. So with th second. Th therd roez
neerly too hundred feet into th air abuv a clump of underwood; a jieant of a vejetabl, with a red colum as
big as a cotej, and a wied shado around in which a cumpany cuud hav manooverd. It was conspicueus far to
see boeth on th eest and west, and miet hav bin enterd as a saeling mark upon th chart.
But it was not its siez that now imprest mi companyons; it was th nolej that seven hundred thouzand pounds
in goeld lae sumwherr berryd belo its spreding shado. Th thaut of th muny, as thae droo neerer, swoloed up
thair preevius terrors. Thair ies bernd in thair heds; thair feet groo speedier and lieter; thair hoel soel was
bound up in that forchun, that hoel lieftiem of extravagans and plezher, that lae waeting thair for eech of
them.
331
Silver hobld, grunting, on his cruch; his nostrils stuud out and qiverd; he curst liek a madman when th flies
setld on his hot and shieny countenans; he plukt fueriusly at th leen that held me to him, and, frum tiem to
tiem, ternd his ies upon me with a dedly luuk. Sertenly he tuuk no paens to hied his thauts; and sertenly I
red them liek print. In th imeedyet neernes of th goeld, all els had bin forgoten; his promis and th doctor's
worning wer boeth things of th past; and I cuud not dout that he hoept to seez upon th trezher, fiend and
bord th Hispaniola under cuver of niet, cut evry onest throet about that ieland, and sael awae as he had at
ferst intended, laeden with criems and riches.
Shaeken as I was with thees alarms, it was hard for me to keep up with th rapid paes of th trezher-hunters.
Now and agen I stumbld; and it was then that Silver plukt so rufly at th roep and launcht at me his merderus
glanses. Dick, hoo had dropt behiend us, and now braut up th reer, was babling to himself boeth prairs and
curses, as his feever kept riezing. This allso aded to mi rechednes, and, to croun all, I was haunted bi th
thaut of th trajedy that had wuns bin acted on that plato, when that ungodly bucaneer with th bloo faes--he
hoo died at Savannah, singing and shouting for drink--had thair, with his oen hand, cut doun his six
acomplises. This groev, that was now so peesful, must then hav rung with cries, I thaut; and eeven with th
thaut I cuud beleev I herd it ringing stil.
We wer now at th marjin of th thiket.
Huzza, maets, alltogether!' shouted Merry; and th formoest broek into a run.
And sudenly, not ten yards ferther, we beheld them stop. A lo cri aroez. Silver dubld his paes, diging awae
with th fuut of his cruch liek wun pozest; and next moement he and I had cum allso to a ded hallt.
Befor us was a graet excavaeshun, not verry reesent, for th sieds had fallen in and gras had sprouted on th
botom. In this wer th shaft of a pik broeken in too and th bords of several paking-caeses stroon around. On
wun of thees bords I saw, branded with a hot ieern, th naem Wolrus--th naem of Flint's ship.
All was cleer to proebaeshun. Th cash had bin found and riefld: th seven hundred thouzand pounds wer
gon!
Chapter XXXIII
Th Fall of a Cheeften
THAIR never was such an oevertern in this werld. Eech of thees six men was as tho he had bin struk. But
with Silver th blo past allmoest instantly. Evry thaut of his soel had bin set fuul-strech, liek a raeser, on that
muny; wel, he was braut up in a singgl second, ded; and he kept his hed, found his temper, and chaenjd his
plan befor th uthers had had tiem to realise th disapointment.
'Jim,' he whisperd, 'taek that, and stand bi for trubl.'
And he past me a dubl-barrelled pistol.
At th saem tiem he began qieetly mooving northward, and in a fue steps had puut th holo between us too
and th uther fiev. Then he luukt at me and noded, as much as to sae, 'heer is a narro corner,' as, indeed, I
thaut it was. His luuks wer now qiet frendly; and I was so revoelted at thees constant chaenjes, that I cuud
not forbair whispering, 'so U'v chaenjd sieds agen.'
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Thair was no tiem left for him to anser in. Th buccaneers, with oeths and cries, began to leep, wun after
anuther, into th pit, and to dig with thair finggers, throeing th bords asied as thae did so. Morgan found a
pees of goeld. He held it up with a perfect spout of oeths. It was a too-guinea pees, and it went frum hand to
hand amung them for a qorter of a minit.
'Too guineas!' rord Merry, shaeking it at Silver. 'That's yur seven hundred thouzand pounds, is it? U'r th
man for bargens, aint U? U'r him that never bunggld nuthing, U wuuden-heded lubber!'
'Dig awae, bois,' sed Silver, with th coolest insolens; 'U'll fiend sum pig-nuts and I shuudn't wunder.'
'Pig-nuts!' repeeted Merry, in a screem. 'maets, do U heer that? I tel U, now, that man thair nue it all along.
Luuk in th faes of him, and U'l see it roet thair.'
'Ah, Merry,' remarkt Silver, 'standing for cap'n agen? U'r a puushing lad, to be shur.'
But this tiem evrywun was entierly in Merry's faevor. Thae began to scrambl out of th excavaeshun, darting
fuerius glanses behiend them. Wun thing I obzervd, which luukt wel for us: thae all got out upon th opozit
sied frum Silver.
Wel, thair we stuud, too on wun sied, fiev on th uther th pit between us, and noebody scrood up hi enuf to
offer th ferst blo. Silver never moovd; he wocht them verry upriet on his cruch, and luukt
as cool as ever I saw him. He was braev, and no mistaek.
At last, Merry seemd to think a speech miet help maters.
'Maets,' ses he,'ther's too of them aloen thair; one's th oeld cripl that braut us all heer and blunderd us doun
to this; th other's that cub that I meen to hav th hart of. Now, maets----'
He was raezing his arm and his vois, and plaenly ment to leed a charj. But just then--crak! crak! crak!-three musket-shots flasht out of th thiket. Merry tumbld hed formoest into th excavaeshun; th man with th
bandej spun round liek a teetotum, and fel all his length upon his sied, wherr he lae ded, but stil twiching;
and th uther three ternd and ran for it with all thair miet.
Befor U cuud wink, Long John had fierd too barrels of a pistol into th strugling Merry; and as th man roeld
up his ies at him in th last agony, 'George,' sed he, 'I rekon I setld U.'
At th saem moement th doctor, Grae, and Ben Gunn joind us, with smoeking muskets, frum amung th
nutmeg trees.
'Forward!' cried th doctor. 'Dubl qik, mi lads. We must hed 'em off th boets.'
And we set off at a graet paes, sumtiems plunjing thru th buushes to th chest.
I tel U, but Silver was ankshus to keep up with us. Th werk that man went thru, leeping on his cruch til th
musls of his chest wer fit to berst, was werk no sound man ever eeqald; and so thinks th doctor. As it was,
he was allredy therty yards behiend us, and on th verj of strangling, when we reecht th brow of th sloep.
'Doctor,' he haeld, 'see thair! no hery!'
333
Shur enuf thair was no hery. In a mor oepen part of th plato, we cuud see th three servievors stil runing in th
saem direcshun as thae had started, riet for Mizen-mast Hil. We wer allredy between them and th boets; and
so we foer sat doun to breeth, whiel Long John, moping his faes, caem sloely up with us.
'Thank ye kiendly, doctor,' ses he. 'U caem in in about th nik, I ges, for me and Hawkins. And so it's U,
Ben Gunn!' he aded.'wel, U'r a nies wun to be shur.'
'I'm Ben Gunn, I am,' replied th maroon, wriggling liek an eel in his embarasment. 'and,' he aded, after a
long pauz, 'How do, Mr Silver? Prity wel, I thank ye, ses U.'
'Ben, Ben,' mermerd Silver, 'to think as U'v dun me!' Th doctor sent bak Grae for wun of th pickaxes,
dezerted, in thair fliet, bi th mutineers; and then as we proseeded leezherly doun hil to wherr th boets wer
lieing, relaeted, in a fue werds, whut had taeken plaes. It was a story that profoundly interested Silver; and
Ben Gunn, th haf-idiot maroon, was th heero frum begining to end.
Ben, in his long, loenly waanderings about th ieland, had found th skeleton--it was he that had riefld it; he
had found th trezher; he had dug it up (it was th haft of his pikax that lae broeken in th excavaeshun); he
had carryd it on his bak, in meny weery jernys, frum th fuut of th tall pien to a caev he had on th toopointed hil at th north-eest anggl of th ieland, and thair it had laen stord in saefty sinss too munths befor th
arieval of th Hispaniola.
When th doctor had wormed this seecret frum him, on th afternoon of th atak, and when, next morning he
saw th ankorej dezerted, he had gon to Silver, given him th chart, which was now uesles--given him th
stors, for Ben Gunn's caev was wel suplied with goats' meet sallted bi himself--given enything and
evrything to get a chans of mooving in saefty frum th stokaed to th too-pointed hil, thair to be cleer of
malairia and keep a gard upon th muny.
'As for U, Jim,' he sed, 'it went agenst mi hart, but I did whut I thaut best for thoes hoo had stuud bi thair
duety; and if U wer not wun of thees, hoos fallt was it?'
That morning, fiending that I was to be involvd in th horrid disapointment he had prepaird for th mutineers,
he had run all th wae to th caev, and, leeving th sqier to I gard th capten, had taeken Grae and th maroon,
and started, maeking th dieagonal across th ieland, to be at hand besied th pien. Soon, however, he saw that
our party had th start of him; and Ben Gunn, being fleet of fuut, had bin despacht in frunt to do his best
aloen. Then it had ocurd to him to werk upon th sooperstishuns of his former shipmaets; and he was so far
sucsesful that Grae and th doctor had cum up and wer allredy ambuusht befor th arieval of th trezherhunters.
'Ah,' sed Silver, 'it wer forchunet for me that I had Hawkins heer. U wuud hav let oeld John be cut to bits,
and never given it a thaut, doctor.'
'Not a thaut,' replied Doctor Livesey, cheerily.
And bi this tiem we had reecht th gigs. Th doctor, with th pik-ax, demolisht wun of them, and then we all
got abord th uther, and set out to go round bi see for North Inlet.
334
This was a run of aet or nien miels. Silver, tho he was allmoest kild allredy with fateeg, was set to an or,
liek th rest of us, and we wer soon skiming swiftly oever a smooth see. Soon we past out of th straets and
dubld th south-eest corner of th ieland, round which, foer daes ago, we had toed th Hispaniola.
As we past th too-pointed hil, we cuud see th blak mouth of Ben Gunn's caev, and a fier standing bi it,
leening on a musket. It was th sqier; and we waevd a hankerchif and gaev him three cheers, in which th
vois of Silver joind as hartily as eny.
Three miels, farther, just insied th mouth of North Inlet, whut shuud we meet but th Hispaniola, croozing bi
herself? Th last flud had lifted her; and had thair bin much wind, or a strong tied curent, as in th suthern
ankorej, we shuud never hav found her mor, or found her stranded beyond help. As it was, thair was litl
amis, beyond th rek of th maensael. Anuther ankor was got redy, and dropt in a fathom and a haf of wauter.
We all puuld round agen to Rum Coev, th neerest point for Ben Gunn's trezher-hous; and then Grae, singglhanded, reternd with th gig to th Hispaniola, wherr he was to paa th niet on gard.
A jentl sloep ran up frum th beech to th entrans of th caev. At th top, th sqier met us. To me he was corjal
and kiend, saeing nuthing of mi escapaed, eether in th wae of blaem or praez. At Silver's poliet saloot he
sumwhut flusht.
'John Silver,' he sed, 'U'r a prodijus vilan and impostor-a monstrus impostor, ser. I am toeld I am not to
prosecuet U. Wel, then, I wil not. But th ded men, ser, hang about yur nek liek millstones.'
'Thank U kiendly, ser,' replied Long John, agen salooting.
'I dair U to thank me!' cried th sqier. 'It is a groes derrelicshun of mi duety. Stand bak.'
And thairupon we all enterd th caev. It was a larj, airy plaes, with a litl spring and a pool of cleer wauter,
overhung with ferns. Th flor was sand. Befor a big fier lae Capten Smollett; and in a far corner, oenly
duskily flikerd oever bi th blaez, I beheld graet heeps of coin and quadrilaterals bilt of bars of goeld. That
was Flint's trezher that we had cum so far to seek, and that had cost allredy th lievs of seventeen men frum
th Hispaniola. How meny it had cost in th amasing, whut blud and sorro, whut guud ships scutld on th deep,
whut braev men wauking th plank bliendfoeld, whut shot of canon, whut shaem and lies and crooelty,
perhaps no man aliev cuud tel. Yet thair wer stil three upon that ieland--Silver, and oeld Morgan, and Ben
Gunn--hoo had eech taeken his shair in thees criems, as eech had hoept in vaen to shair in th reword.
'Come in, Jim,' sed th capten. 'U'r a guud boi in yur leen, Jim; but I don't think U and me'll go to see agen.
U'r too much of th born favourite for me. Is that U, John Silver? Whut brings U heer, man?'
'Come bak to mi dooty, ser,' reternd Silver.
'Ah!' sed th capten; and that was all he sed.
Whut a super I had of it that niet, with all mi frends around me; and whut a meel it was, with Ben
Gunn's sallted goet, and sum delicasys and a botl of oeld wien frum th Hispaniola. Never, I am shur, wer
peepl gayer or hapyer. And thair was Silver, siting bak allmoest out of th fierliet, but eeting hartily, prompt
to spring forward when enything was wonted, eeven joining qieetly in our lafter--th saem bland, poliet,
obseeqius seeman of th voiej out.
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Chapter XXXIV
And Last
TH next morning we fel erly to werk, for th transportaeshun of this graet mas of goeld neer a miel bi land to
th beech, and thens three miels bi boet to th Hispaniola, was a considerabl task for so small a number of
werkmen. Th three feloes stil abraud upon th ieland did not graetly trubl us; a singgl sentry in th shoelder of
th hil was sufishent to inshur us agenst eny suden onslaut, and we thaut, besieds, thae had had mor than
enuf of fieting.
Thairfor th werk was puusht on briskly. Grae and Ben Gunn caem and went with th boet, whiel th rest
during thair absenses, pield trezher on th beech. Too of th bars, slung in a rope's-end, maed a guud loed for
a groen man--wun that he was glad to wauk sloely with. For mi part, as I was not much ues at carrying, I
was kept bizy all dae in th caev, paking th minted muny into bred-bags.
It was a straenj colecshun, liek Billy Boens hord for th diversity of coinej, but so much larjer and so much
mor vairyd that I think I never had mor plezher than in sorting them. English, French, Spanish, Portugese,
Georges, and Louises, doubloons and dubl guineas and moindores and sequins, th pikchers of all th kings
of Europe for th last hundred yeers, straenj Oryental peeses stampt with whut luukt liek wisps of string or
bits of spider's web, round peeses and sqair peeses, and peeses bord thru th midl, as if to wair them round
yur nek--neerly evry varieety of muny in th werld must, I thin, hav found a plaes in that colecshun; and for
number, I am shur thae wer liek autum leevs, so that mi bak aekt with stooping and mi finggers with sorting
them out.
Dae after dae this werk went on; bi evry eevning a forchun had bin stoed abord, but thair was anuther
forchun waeting for th morro; and all this tiem we herd nuthing of th three servieving mutineers.
At last--I think it was on th therd niet--th doctor and I wer stroeling on th shoelder of th hil wherr it
oeverluuks th loelands of th iel, when, frum out th thik darknes belo, th wind braut us a noiz between
shreeking and singing. It was oenly a snach that reecht our eers, foloed bi th former sielens.
'Heaven forgiv them,' sed th doctor; ''tis th mutineers!'
'All drunk, ser,' struk in th vois of Silver frum behiend us. Silver, I shuud sae, was alowd his entier liberty,
and, in spiet of daely rebufs, seemd to regard himself wuns mor as qiet a privilejd and frendly dependant.
Indeed, it was remarkabl how wel he bor thees sliets, and with whut unwearying polietnes he kept on
trieing to ingraeshiaet himself with all. Yet, I think, nun treeted him beter than a daug; unles it was Ben
Gunn, hoo was stil terribly afraed of his oeld qortermaster, or mieself, hoo had reealy sumthing to thank
him for; alltho for that mater, I supoez, I had reezon to think eeven wers of him than enybody els, for I had
seen him meditaeting a fresh trechery upon th plato. Acordingly, it was prity grufly that th doctor anserd
him.
'Drunk or raeving,' sed he.
'Riet U wer, ser,' replied Silver; 'and preshus litl ods which, to U and me.'
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'I supoez U wuud hardly ask me to call U a huemaen man,' reternd th doctor, with a sneer, 'and so mi
feelings mae serpriez U, Master Silver. But if I wer shur thae wer raeving--as I am moraly serten wun, at
leest, of them is doun with feever--I shuud leev this camp, and, at whutever risk to mi oen carcase, taek
them th asistans of mi skil.'
'Ask yur pardon, ser, U wuud be verry rong,' quoth Silver. 'U wuud looz yur preshus lief, and U mae lae to
that. I'm on yur sied now, hand and gluv; and I shuudn't wish for to see th party weekend, let aloen yurself,
seeing as I noe whut I oes U. But thees men doun thair, thae cuudn't keep thair werd--no, not supoezing
thae wisht to; and whut's mor, thae cuudn't beleev as U cuud.'
'No,' sed th doctor. 'U'r th man to keep yur werd, we noe that.'
Wel, that was about th last nues we had of th three pierets. Oenly wuns we herd a gunshot a graet wae off,
and supoezd them to be hunting. A counsil was held, and it was desieded that we must dezurt them on th
ieland--to th huej glee, I must sae, of Ben Gunn, and with th strong aprooval of Grae. We left a guud stok
of pouder and shot, th bulk of th sallt goet, a fue medisins, and sum uther nesesairys, tools, cloething, a
spair sael, a fathom or too of roep, and, bi th particuelar dezier of th doctor, a hansum prezent of tobaco.
That was about our last doing on th ieland. Befor that, we had got th trezher stoed, and had shipt enuf
wauter and th remaender of th goet meet, in caes of eny distres; and at last, wun fien morning, we waed
ankor, which was about all that we cuud manej, and stuud out of North Inlet, th saem colours flieing that th
capten had floen and faut under at th palisaed.
Th three feloes must hav bin woching us cloeser than we thaut for, as we soon had proovd. For, cuming
thru th narroes, we had to lie verry neer th suthern point, and thair we saw all three of them neeling together
on a spit of sand, with thair arms raezd in suplicaeshun. It went to all our harts, I think, to leev them in that
reched staet; but we cuud not risk anuther muetiny; and to taek them hoem for th jibit wuud hav bin a
crooel sort of kiendnes. Th doctor haeld them and toeld them of th stors we had left, and wherr thae wer to
fiend them. But thae continued to call us bi naem, and apeel to us, for God's saek, to be mersyful, and not
leev them to die in such a plaes.
At last, seeing th ship stil bor on her cors, and was now swiftly drawing out of eershot, wun of them--I noe
not which it was--lept to his feet with a hors cri, whipt his musket to his shoelder, and sent a shot whisling
oever Silver's hed and thru th maensael.
After that, we kept under cuver of th bulwarks, and when next I luukt out thae had disapeerd frum th spit,
and th spit itself had allmoest melted out of siet in th groeing distans. That was, at leest, th end of that; and
befor noon, to mi inexpresibl joi, th hieest rok of Trezher Ieland had sunk into th bloo round of see.
We wer so short of men, that evrywun on bord had to bair a hand-oenly th capten lieing on a matres in th
stern and giving his orders; for, tho graetly recuverd he was stil in wont of qieet. We laed her hed for th
neerest port in Spanish America, for we cuud not risk th voiej hoem without fresh hands; and as it was,
whut with bafling winds and a cupl of fresh gaels, we wer all worn out befor we reecht it.
It was just at sundoun when we cast ankor in a moest buetyful land-lokt gulf, and wer imeedyetly
serounded bi shor boets fuul of negroes, and Mexican Indians, and haf-bluds, seling froots and vejetabls,
and offering to diev for bits of muny. Th siet of so meny guud-humoured faeses (espeshaly th blaks), th
taest of th tropical froots, and abuv all, th liets that began to shien in th toun, maed a moest charming
contrast to our dark and bludy soejern on th ieland; and th doctor and th sqier, taeking me along with them,
337
went ashor to paa th erly part of th niet. Heer thae met th capten of an English man-of-wor, fel in tauk with
him, went on bord his ship, and, in short, had so agreeabl a tiem, that dae was braeking when we caem
alongsied th Hispaniola.
Ben Gunn was on dek aloen, and, as soon as we caem on bord, he began, with wunderful contortions, to
maek us a confeshun. Silver was gon. Th maroon had connived at his escaep in a shor boet sum ours ago,
and he now ashurd us he had oenly dun so to prezerv our lievs, which wuud sertenly hav bin forfit if 'that
man with th wun leg had staed abord.' But this was not all. Th see-cuuk had not gon empty handed. He had
cut thru a bulkhed unobserved, and had remoovd wun of th saks of coin, werth, perhaps, three or foer
hundred guineas, to help him on his ferther waanderings.
I think we wer all pleezd to be so cheeply qit of him. Wel, to maek a long story short, we got a fue hands on
bord, maed a guud crooz hoem, and th Hispaniola reecht Bristol just as Mr Blandly was begining to think
of fiting out her consort. Fiev men oenly of thoes hoo had saeld reternd with her. 'Drink and th devil had
dun for th rest,' with a vengeance; alltho, to be shur, we wer not qiet in so bad a caes as that uther ship thae
sang about:
'With wun man of her croo aliev,
Whut puut to see with seventy-fiev.'
All of us had an ampl shair of th trezher, and uezd it wiezly or foolishly, acording to our naechers.
Capten Smollett is now retierd frum th see. Grae not oenly saevd his muny, but, being sudenly smit with th
dezier to riez, allso studyd his profeshun; and he is now maet and part oener of a fien fuul-rigd ship; marryd
besieds, and th faather of a family. As for Ben Gunn, he got a thouzand pound-which he spent or lost in
three weeks, or, to be mor exact, in nienteen daes, for he was bak beging on th twentyeth. Then he was
given a loj to keep, exactly as he had feerd upon th ieland; and he stil lievs, a graet favourite, tho sumthing
of a but, with th cuntry bois, and a noetabl singer in cherch on Sundays and saints' daes.
Of Silver we hav herd no mor. That formidabl seefairing man with wun leg has at last gon cleen out of mi
lief; but I daresay he met his oeld negress, and perhaps stil lievs in cumfort with her and Capten Flint. It is
to be hoept so, I supoez, for his chanses of cumfort in anuther werld ar verry small.
Th bar silver and th arms stil lie, for all that I noe, wherr Flint berryd them; and sertenly thae shal lie thair
for me. Oxen and wain-roeps wuud not bring me bak agen to that acurst ieland; and th werst dreems that
ever I hav ar when I heer th serf booming about its coests, or start upriet in bed, with th sharp vois of
Capten Flint stil ringing in mi eers: 'Peeses of aet! peeses of aet!'
338
An Appeal
A hundred years ago thousands of prominent people supported spelling reform. Today it would be a far
easier proposition, but only a few hundred reformers remain.
The volume you are holding is an experiment to see if putting books into libraries can introduce reform to
many people and perhaps gain some converts.
Frankly we need to educate the public, and we need members if the cause is ever to go forward. You can
help us just by telling us you saw the book and what your reactions were. You can tear out a card from the
next page and mail it in, or if they're all gone copy the one below. Or just email us at:
fyi@americanliteracy.com
Better yet you can become an e-member for $1/year at www.diac.com/~entente/btrspl.html . You'll
be able to read the journals, ask questions and send us your opinions, or participate in an ongoing
discussion group that works by e-mail lists.
Reform has the potential to give us back the two years we waste learning to read and write in our current
mad "system". It can allow another thirty million Americans to become fully literate members of our
society. It can make English so attractive that everyone in the world will learn it and we'll all be able to
talk to one another.
But first it must get off the ground. Will you help?
Just let us know you saw the book.
Many thanks,
Alan Mole
President, American Literacy Council
Please tell us at least:
Where was the library where you found this book?_____
Reason for looking at book: Curiosity___ Teaching___ Other_____
Comments on book:
Send to:
The American Literacy Council
1441 Mariposa Ave.
Boulder, CO 80302
Comments on reformed spelling:
Tell us any of the following you like:
Name:
Occupation:
Why are you interested in spelling reform?
Age
Care to get e-mail reports on reform spelling several times a year?__
If so, your edress:
Care to become an e member for $1/year? (we'll send materials)_____
If so, address:
Other comments:
339
Benjamin Franklin: "Whatever the difficulties and inconveniences [of reformed spelling] now
are, they will be more easily surmounted now than hereafter; and some time or other it must be
done, or our writing will be like the Chinese. "
Noah Webster: "I once believed that a reformation of our orthography would be unnecessary and
impracticable. This opinion was hasty, being the result of a slight examination of the subject. I
now believe with Dr. Franklin that such a reformation is practicable and highly necessary. "
Godfrey Dewey: "Most people are aware that our traditional orthography is defective, but very
few except those educators who have been directly concerned with the problem are aware just how
deficient and defective it is. "
John Steinbeck: People there are who, being grown, forget the horrible task of learning to read.
It is perhaps the greatest single effort that the human undertakes, and he must do it as a child. "
Chief Justice Warren Burger: "The percentage of inmates in all penal institutions who cannot
read or write is staggering... the figures on literacy alone are enough to make one wish that every
sentence imposed could include a provision that would grant release when the prisoner had learned
to read and write. "
E. Paulesu et al, Science 291, 2165 (2001), Dyslexia: Cultural Diversity and Biological Unity: "Positron
emission tomography scans during explicit and implicit reading showed the same reduced activity in a
region of the left hemisphere in dyslexics from all three countries... We found that Italian dyslexics, using a
shallow orthography which facilitates reading, performed better on reading tasks than did English and
French dyslexics.
"In France and the United Kingdom we recruited volunteers who had been diagnosed as dyslexic and had
documented histories of reading and spelling difficulties. In Italy, such diagnosis is rare among universitylevel adults, and we therefore used a screening procedure... "
For ages our best minds have seen the degeneracy of English spelling and the damage it causes.
Modern science in eminent peer reviewed journals now confirms these observations, and
quantifies the damage done. English-speaking countries have twice the illiteracy of Italy, 20% vs.
10%. Other nations reform their spelling to match the sounds of the spoken word. We do not, and
as a result an extra ten percent of our people -- nearly 30 million in the U.S. alone -- are effectively
illiterate. Some seventy percent of our prisoners are, and cause and effect are plain: they cannot
read so they can't get a decent job, and so they sell drugs on the corner or rob their neighbors
instead. America has one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, some two million men
and women behind bars, and a large part of this is illiteracy due to our spelling.
This book shows how we can repair the many harms done by our obsolete system. It shows how
easy it is to read reformed spelling -- a moment's shock at first but simple after a page and natural
after a chapter. It tells about the history of the cause, the arguments for and against, and how
computers and free programs now allow instant conversions from one spelling system to another.
It allows you to read short stories or whole novels in reformed, just for curiosity. And it contains
enough reformed material that you might use it to teach another human being to read.
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