Аня из Авонлеи
VI. All Sorts and Conditions of Men... and women
Whitehadthenewspapersgatheredupbeforetheyhadtheirhorseuntiedandastheydroveoutoftheyardtheysawherbusilywieldingabroominthehall.
“I’vealwaysheardthatMrs.TheodoreWhitewastheneatestwomanaliveandI’llbelieveitafterthis,”saidDiana,givingwaytohersuppressedlaughterassoonasitwassafe.
“Iamgladshehasnochildren,”saidAnnesolemnly.“Itwouldbedreadfulbeyondwordsforthemifshehad.”
AttheSpencers’Mrs.IsabellaSpencermadethemmiserablebysayingsomethingill-naturedabouteveryoneinAvonlea.Mr.ThomasBoulterrefusedtogiveanythingbecausethehall,whenithadbeenbuilt,twentyyearsbefore,hadn’tbeenbuiltonthesiteherecommended.Mrs.EstherBell,whowasthepictureofhealth,tookhalfanhourtodetailallherachesandpains,andsadlyputdownfiftycentsbecauseshewouldn’tbetherethattimenextyeartodoit...no,shewouldbeinhergrave.
Theirworstreception,however,wasatSimonFletcher’s.Whentheydroveintotheyardtheysawtwofacespeeringatthemthroughtheporchwindow.Butalthoughtheyrappedandwaitedpatientlyandpersistentlynobodycametothedoor.TwodecidedlyruffledandindignantgirlsdroveawayfromSimonFletcher’s.EvenAnneadmittedthatshewasbeginningtofeeldiscouraged.Butthetideturnedafterthat.SeveralSloanehomesteadscamenext,wheretheygotliberalsubscriptions,andfromthattotheendtheyfaredwell,withonlyanoccasionalsnub.TheirlastplaceofcallwasatRobertDickson’sbythepondbridge.
