Энн из Зеленых Крыш. Уровень 1 / Anne of Green Gables
"I suppose we'll stay a little,” said Marilla, "but I promised Matthew to be home early. The fact is, Mrs. Spencer, there is a queer mistake somewhere. We asked you, Matthew and I, to bring us a boy from the asylum. We told your brother Robert to tell you we wanted a boy ten or eleven years old.”
"Marilla Cuthbert, you don't say so!” said Mrs. Spencer in distress. "Why, Robert sent his daughter Nancy and she said you wanted a girl – didn't she, Flora Jane?” asked she her daughter.
"She certainly did, Miss Cuthbert,” Flora Jane nodded earnestly.
"I'm dreadful sorry,” said Mrs. Spencer. "It's too bad; but it certainly wasn't my fault, you see, Miss Cuthbert. I thought I followed your instructions. Nancy is terrible.”
"It was our own fault,” said Marilla resignedly. "Why didn't we come to you ourselves? Anyhow, can we send the child back to the asylum? I suppose they'll take her back, won't they?”
"I suppose so,” said Mrs. Spencer thoughtfully, "but I don't think it will be necessary to send her back. Mrs. Blewett was here yesterday. She wants a little girl to help her. Mrs. Peter has a large family, you know.”
Mrs. Blewett was a small, shrewish-faced woman without an ounce of superfluous flesh on her bones. She was terrible. Servant girls told fearsome tales of her temper and stinginess, and her family of pert, quarrelsome children.
"And there is Mrs. Blewett this blessed minute!” exclaimed Mrs. Spencer. "That is real lucky! Take the armchair, Miss Cuthbert. Anne, you sit here on the ottoman and don't wiggle. Let me take your hats. Flora Jane, go out and put the kettle on. Good afternoon, Mrs. Blewett. Let me introduce you two ladies. Mrs. Blewett, Miss Cuthbert.”
Anne sat mutely on the ottoman. She stared at Mrs. Blewett. Will she go with this sharp-faced, sharp-eyed woman? Anne was on the brink of tears[16].
"There is a mistake about this little girl, Mrs. Blewett,” said Mrs. Spencer. "I was under the impression that Mr. and Miss Cuthbert wanted to adopt a little girl. But it seems it was a boy they wanted. So do you want to take the little girl, as you told me yesterday?”
Mrs. Blewett looked at Anne.
"How old are you and what's your name?” she demanded.
"Anne Shirley,” faltered the child, "and I'm eleven years old.”
"Humph! You don't look eleven. But you're wiry. The wiry girls are the best workers after all. Well, if I take you, you must be a good girl, you know – good and smart and respectful. No mistake about that. Miss Cuthbert, if you like I can take her right now.”
Marilla looked at Anne and softened at sight of the child's pale face with its look of mute misery – the misery of a helpless little creature who finds itself once more in the trap. Moreover, Marilla did not like Mrs. Blewett.
"Well, I don't know,” Marilla said slowly. "I haven't yet talked to Matthew. I just came over to learn about the mistake. I think I'll take her home again and talk it over with him. If we decide not to keep her, we'll bring or send her over to you tomorrow night. If we don't, you may know that she will stay with us. Will that suit you, Mrs. Blewett?”
"I suppose, yes,” said Mrs. Blewett ungraciously.
During Marilla's speech a sunrise dawned on Anne's face. First the look of despair faded out; then came a faint flush of hope. A moment later, when Mrs. Spencer and Mrs. Blewett went out she sprang up and flew across the room to Marilla.
"Oh, Miss Cuthbert, do you really say that perhaps you will let me stay at Green Gables?” she said, in a breathless whisper. "Did you really say it? Or did I only imagine that you did?”
"I think you must control that imagination of yours, Anne,” said Marilla crossly. "Yes, I said that and no more. But perhaps we will conclude to let Mrs. Blewett take you after all. She certainly needs you much more than I do.”
"I'll rather go back to the asylum than go to live with her,” said Anne passionately. "She looks exactly like a gimlet!”
"Go back and sit down quietly and hold your tongue,” Marilla said severely.
"I'll do that, if you only keep me!” said Anne.
When they arrived back at Green Gables that evening Matthew met them in the lane. Anne went upstairs. Marilla told Matthew everything.
"I won't give a dog to that Blewett,” said Matthew with unusual energy.
"I don't like her myself,” admitted Marilla, "but what about this girl? I never brought up a child, especially a girl but I'll do my best. So, Matthew, she may stay.”
Matthew's shy face smiled.
"Marilla,” he said, "she's such an interesting person.”
"Is she a useful person though?” asked Marilla. "Matthew, perhaps an old maid doesn't know much about children, but I guess she knows more than an old bachelor. So you just leave me to manage her.”
Chapter VII
Anne Learns a Prayer
"Well,” said Marilla to Anne, "Matthew and I will keep you – that is, if you try to be a good little girl and show yourself grateful. Why do you cry, child?”
"I don't know why,” said Anne in a tone of bewilderment. "I'm glad! Oh, it's something more than glad. I'm so happy! I'll try to be very good!”
"Sit down on that chair and try to calm yourself,” said Marilla disapprovingly. "Yes, you can stay here. You must go to school, when it opens again in September.”
"What will I call you?” asked Anne. "Shall I always say Miss Cuthbert? Can I call you Aunt Marilla?”
"No; you'll call me just plain Marilla. Not Miss Cuthbert, it will make me nervous.”
"It sounds awfully disrespectful to just say Marilla,” protested Anne. "Can't I call you Aunt Marilla?”
"No. I'm not your aunt,” said Marilla grimly. "Now go into the sitting room, Anne and bring me the illustrated card that's on the mantelpiece. The Lord's Prayer[17] is on it and you'll learn it by heart.”
Anne promptly departed for the sitting-room across the hall. When she returned, she set the card up against the jug.
"I like this,” she announced. "It's beautiful. I heard it before. The superintendent of the asylum Sunday school said it. But I didn't like it then. He had such a cracked voice and he prayed it so mournfully. 'Hallowed be Thy name[18].' That is just like music. Oh, I'm so glad, Miss Marilla.”
"Well, learn it and hold your tongue,” said Marilla shortly.
Anne studied diligently for some moments.
"Marilla,” she demanded presently, "do you think that I shall ever have a friend in Avonlea?”
"Diana Barry lives over at Orchard Slope and she's about your age. She's a very nice little girl, and perhaps she will be a playmate for you when she comes home. But Mrs. Barry is a very particular woman[19]. She won't let Diana play with any little girl who isn't nice and good.”
"What is Diana like? Her hair isn't red, is it? Oh, I hope not. It's bad enough to have red hair myself.”
"Diana is a very pretty little girl. She has black eyes and hair and rosy cheeks. And she is good and smart.”
"Oh, I'm so glad she's pretty! Oh, look, here's a big bee on an apple blossom! Just think what a lovely place to live – in an apple blossom! I want to be a bee and live among the flowers.”
"Yesterday you wanted to be a sea gull,” sniffed Marilla. "I told you to learn that prayer and not talk. But it seems impossible for you to stop if you have listeners. So go up to your room and learn it.”
Chapter VIII
Mrs. Rachel Lynde Is Horrified
Anne was already acquainted with every tree and shrub about the place[20]. She loved the orchard and she was there when Mrs. Rachel came to visit the Cuthberts.
"I heard some surprising things about you and Matthew. It was too bad there was such a mistake,” said Mrs. Rachel sympathetically. "Can't you send her back?”
"I suppose we can, but we decided not to. Matthew likes her. And I must say I like her myself – although I admit she has her faults. The house seems a different place already. She's a real bright little girl.”
"It's a great responsibility,” said Mrs. Rachel gloomily, "especially when you never had any experience with children. You don't know much about her or her real disposition. But I don't want to discourage you, Marilla.”
"I'm not discouraged,” was Marilla's dry response, "I suppose you want to see Anne. I'll call her in.”
Anne came in presently. She certainly was an odd-looking little creature in the short tight wincey dress from the asylum, below which her thin legs seemed ungracefully long. Her freckles were more numerous and obtrusive than ever. The wind ruffled her hatless hair into disorder.
"Well, you are not beautiful, that's sure and certain,” was Mrs. Rachel Lynde's emphatic comment. "She's terrible skinny and homely, Marilla. Come here, child, and let me have a look at you. Did anyone ever see such freckles? And hair as red as carrots! Come here, child, I say.”
Anne "came there,” but not exactly as Mrs. Rachel expected. Her face was scarlet with anger, her lips quivered.
"I hate you!” she cried. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! How dare you call me skinny and ugly? How dare you say I'm freckled and redheaded? You are a rude, impolite, unfeeling woman!”
"Anne!” exclaimed Marilla.
But Anne continued to face Mrs. Rachel undauntedly.
"How dare you say such things about me?” she repeated furiously. "What about you? Will you like if someone says that you are fat and clumsy and probably haven't a spark of imagination in you? I don't care if I hurt your feelings! I hope I hurt them. You hurt mine worse than Mrs. Thomas' intoxicated husband! And I'll never forgive you for it, never, never!”
Stamp! Stamp!
"Anne go to your room and stay there until I come up,” said Marilla.
Anne burst into tears, rushed to the hall door, and slammed it.
"Well, I don't envy you, Marilla,” said Mrs. Rachel with unspeakable solemnity.
"Why did you said so about her looks, Rachel?” asked Marilla.
"Marilla Cuthbert, you don't mean to say that you excuse her?” demanded Mrs. Rachel indignantly.
"No,” said Marilla slowly, "I don't excuse her. She was very naughty and I'll talk to her about it. But you were too hard on her, Rachel.”
Mrs. Rachel got up with an air of offended dignity.
"Well, I see that I must be very careful what I say after this, Marilla, not to hurt the fine feelings of orphans from nowhere. Well, good evening, Marilla. I hope you'll come down to see me as usual. But you can't expect me to visit here again.”
Marilla found Anne on her bed. Anne cried bitterly.
"Anne,” Marilla said.
No answer.
"Anne, get off that bed and listen to what I say to you.”
Anne squirmed off the bed and sat rigidly on a chair beside it.
"Anne! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?”
"She has no right to call me ugly and redheaded,” retorted Anne.
"You haven't any right to talk the way you did to her, Anne. I was ashamed of you – thoroughly ashamed of you. You disgraced me. I don't understand what happened. Mrs. Lynde said you were red-haired and homely. You say it yourself often enough.”
"Oh, but there's such a difference between yourself and other people!” wailed Anne. "I suppose you think I have an awful temper. When she said those things something just rose right up in me and choked me.”
"I don't say that I think Mrs. Lynde was exactly right, Anne,” she admitted in a softer tone. "Rachel is too outspoken. But that is no excuse for your behavior. She was an elderly person and my visitor. You were rude. So you must go to her and tell her you are very sorry for your bad temper and ask her to forgive you.”
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Примечания
1
just where – как раз там, где
2
set out – отправилась в путь
3
orphan asylum – сиротский приют
4
set fire to the house – поджёг дом
5
gave her into my charge – оставила её на моё попечение
6
scope for the imagination – простор для воо-бражения
7
I don't mind. – Я не против.
8
turn you out-of-doors – выгнать тебя
9
I will do – я подойду
10
get dressed – одевайся
11
shore road – прибрежная дорога
12
died of fever – умерла от лихорадки
13
by heart – наизусть
14
makes up her mind – принимает решение
15
Dear, dear! – Боже мой!
16
Anne was on the brink of tears. – У Энн в глазах защипало от слёз.
17
Lord's Prayer – молитва «Отче наш»
18
Hallowed be Thy name. – Да святится имя Твоё.
19
particular woman – требовательная женщина
20
about the place – около дома
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