Аня из Авонлеи
X. Davy in Search of a Sensation
Is’posePaulIrvingnevertellswhoppersandhereI’vebeentryingawfulhardtobeasgoodashim,butnowIs’poseyou’llneverlovemeagain.ButIthinkyoumighthavetoldmeitwaswrong.I’mawfulsorryI’vemadeyoucry,Anne,andI’llnevertellawhopperagain.”
DavyburiedhisfaceinAnne’sshoulderandcriedstormily.Anne,inasuddengladflashofunderstanding,heldhimtightandlookedoverhiscurlythatchatMarilla.
“Hedidn’tknowitwaswrongtotellfalsehoods,Marilla.Ithinkwemustforgivehimforthatpartofitthistimeifhewillpromisenevertosaywhatisn’ttrueagain.”
“Ineverwill,nowthatIknowit’sbad,”asseveratedDavybetweensobs.“Ifyouevercatchmetellingawhopperagainyoucan...”Davygropedmentallyforasuitablepenance...“youcanskinmealive,Anne.”
“Don’tsay‘whopper,’Davy...say‘falsehood,’”saidtheschoolma’am.
“Why?”queriedDavy,settlingcomfortablydownandlookingupwithatearstained,investigatingface.“Whyain’twhopperasgoodasfalsehood?Iwanttoknow.It’sjustasbigaword.”
“It’sslang;andit’swrongforlittleboystouseslang.”
“There’sanawfullotofthingsit’swrongtodo,”saidDavywithasigh.“Inevers’posedtherewassomany.I’msorryit’swrongtotellwhop...falsehoods,‘causeit’sawfulhandy,butsinceitisI’mnevergoingtotellanymore.Whatareyougoingtodotomefortellingthemthistime?Iwanttoknow.”AnnelookedbeseechinglyatMarilla.
