Chapter 3 Chapter Two

Marshall Cuthbart and the sorrel walked the eight miles or so to Brett Riba in unison.There are farmsteads scattered on both sides of the road, and the road passes through some beautiful fir woods and almond-blossomed hollows.From the nearby apple orchards, there was a charming fragrance, and the rolling fields and the purple night finally merged together, and the birds stopped singing. Marshall drove the carriage happily, but when he thought of meeting the lady, he needed the courage to say hello. In Prince Edward Island, it has become a local custom to say hello to acquaintances on the road. .But apart from Marilla and Mrs. Lynde, Marshall was afraid of other women.As soon as he saw a woman, he thought she was laughing at him.So he is very resistant to women and hates them.This is not without reason, Marshall is not good-looking, and he is also strangely dressed.Long squirrel-colored hair, water snake waist, drooping shoulders, brown sparse, fluffy beard, since he was 20 years old.It's just that there was no gray hair then. Between the age of 20 and the age of 40, his appearance has not changed much.

As soon as we got to Brett Riba, there was no train anywhere, and Marshall guessed it must be early.Since he couldn't hitch a horse in front of Brett Riba's inn, he headed straight for the train station. There was no one on the long platform, but a girl was sitting alone on a pile of cobblestones at the opposite end.Marshall glanced at her and confirmed that it was not a boy, then under the staring eyes of the child, he waved his arms and drove the carriage over.But he didn't notice the child's tense and expectant expression. The child seemed intent on waiting for someone or something.

The station master was going back to dinner and locked the door of the ticket office.When Marshall saw it, he hurried up to inquire whether the 5:30 train had arrived. "The 5:30 train arrived half an hour ago and has already left." The station master replied crisply. "However, there seems to be a guest at the house—a little girl, the one sitting on the cobblestones over there. I asked her if she was going to the women's waiting room, and she said it was fine outside, with a heavy heart. And what about 'there's room for fantasy out there.' Oh, what a queer, quirky kid."

"How could it be a girl?" Marshall was dumbfounded when he heard that, "I came to pick up a boy, it should be a boy. Mrs. Svensa should bring a helper who can do the work! But..." The station master blew his whistle "beep, beep". "Something went wrong. Mrs. Svensa brought the child here and said that the family entrusted her to adopt it from the orphanage. Someone will come to pick it up in a while. I don't know anything else .” "What's going on here?" Marshall was at a loss for what to do.He muttered, "If only Marilla came along."

"Why don't you ask the boy," suggested the station master, "I think she'll explain why in detail, because she seems to be very good at talking. Is there no boy in the orphanage that the family wants? ?” After finishing speaking, the station master, whose stomach was already growling with hunger, left.Poor Marshall was forced to go to the girl, who was unknown, to ask why she was not a boy.For Marshall, this is harder than pulling a tooth out of a tiger's mouth! Marshall shuffled back, walking timidly on the platform, groaning inwardly. The girl hadn't ignored Marshall since he passed by, watching his every move.

But Marshall didn't take a closer look at the girl, and even if he did, he couldn't see the girl's real face clearly.From the eyes of ordinary people, this is a girl about 11 years old.He was wearing a very inconspicuous and too short light yellow dress made of cotton wool on his upper body, and a faded brown sailor cap on his head. Under the cap was a head of red hair with two braids hanging behind his head, and his face was very small , pale and thin, with freckles, big eyes and big mouth, eyes that can turn green and gray depending on the angle and mood. This is just looking at it with the eyes of ordinary people. If someone with sharper eyes observes, they will find that this girl has a sharp chin, which is very conspicuous.The big eyes are full of vigor and vitality.The lips were lovely and full of emotion, the forehead was broad, and there was something about him that was different from others.

As a result, Marshall was still like a fool, unable to speak.Seeing Marshall walking towards her, the girl picked up the outdated cloth bag with one thin black hand and stood up, while reaching out to Marshall with the other hand. "Are you Marshall Cuthbart of Green Gablebrutz?" said the child in a clear, lovely voice. "Nice to meet you. I thought you would not come. I was worried. I imagined all kinds of reasons. Just now I thought that if you don't come tonight, I will go to the corner of the opposite railway. Climb up that big cherry blossom tree and wait till dawn without any fear. Isn’t it romantic to hide among the cherry blossoms in full bloom and sleep under the moonlight? It’s like sleeping in a living room made of marble. If you If you don’t come late, I think you will definitely come tomorrow morning.”

Marshall clumsily held the girl's skinny little hand, and he already had a plan in mind what to do next.Take this girl with big eyes back first, you can't just leave her here like this.Let's ask and find out everything after returning to Glenn Gebruzzi. "I think I'm late." Marshall said with some embarrassment, "Come on, the carriage is parked in the square over there, let me carry your bag for you." "Ah, it doesn't matter." The girl said briskly, "The bag is not heavy. Although all my belongings are in it, it is really not heavy. If you are not careful, the handle will be pulled off, so I carry it by myself." Let's go.

"Although it must be romantic to spend the night in the cherry tree, it's very kind of you to come! It's a long way to go in a carriage, isn't it? Aunt Svensa said it was eight miles. I like the carriage. I'm so glad ! "From today, my uncle and I have become a family and live together, so happy! Until now, I have never experienced a decent family life. The orphanage is too hateful, although I only live there Four months, but I'm already sick of it. Uncle, you haven't been to an orphanage, so I don't think you'll understand. Anyway, it's unimaginably bad.

"Aunt Swenza told me that it's not a good boy to talk nonsense like that. But I don't think so. Originally, things that don't realize it and do something wrong will happen from time to time. The people in the orphanage are good people. , but there seems to be no room for fantasy in places like orphanages. I have had all kinds of fantasies about the life experiences of other orphans. "Fantasy is more interesting. I once fantasized that the child at the same table is actually a rich lady from the Earl's family. When she was still a baby, she was with the bad-hearted nanny day and night, and the nanny died before telling her the truth about her life... and so on.I can't sleep at night, and I have all kinds of fantasies in my mind.During the day, however, there was no time for fantasies.Maybe that's why I'm so skinny.I am as skinny as a stick, with no extra flesh on my body.So I always imagine myself as chubby, with two dimples appearing on my face when I smile. "

Speaking of this, Marshall's little friend shut up and held his breath. It turned out that they had already come to the carriage. After the carriage started on the road, the girl didn't say a word until a steep downhill road.The hilly road is formed by digging and extending the soft soil.The earth embankments on both sides of the road are in some places several feet higher than people's heads, and there are blooming cherry trees and birch trees growing on the earth embankments. The girl stretched out her little hand, and snapped off the twig of the wild almond tree that had been knocked down by the carriage. "Don't you think it's beautiful? Looking at the trees hanging down from the embankment and covering the road in white, what do you think of?" "Oh, this, I can't think of anything," Marshall replied. "Oh, isn't that a bride? I haven't imagined it yet—a bride in a white wedding dress with a beautiful veil like clouds on her head. Although I have never seen a bride, I can imagine what kind. However, I don't think I'll ever be a bride in my life.Am I ugly?No one will marry me, and I may go abroad as a missionary.But I still look forward to sometime in the future when I can wear a wedding dress myself. If you can wear a white wedding dress, that is the happiest thing.I like beautiful clothes the most, even if it is just to experience it.I have never worn a white wedding dress once, only imagined. "When I left the orphanage this morning, I was dressed in rags, it was ugly, and I didn't even wear this blend, which was very embarrassing. None of the children in the orphanage wear this. It was made of Hope last winter. Made from 300 yards of fabric donated by Dan's store to the orphanage. Some people say it's leftovers from the store, but I think they're kind. Don't you think so? "When I was on the train, everyone felt that I was a little pitiful, but I didn't care, and immediately entered the fantasy on my own. In the fantasy, I was very beautiful. I was wearing a light blue silk dress. However, instead of being so imaginative, It would be better to have a refined version. I wear a big hat with flowers and feathers on my head, a gold watch, and gloves made of goat skin. Thinking of these, I immediately regained my spirits. Very happy. "Even when I'm in a boat, I feel very comfortable. Aunt Svensa is always seasick, but I told her that I don't even have time for seasickness, and a restless child like me will be very good. But if she doesn't If I get seasick, it would be nice for me to run up and down. Especially to see the inside and outside of the ship. I don’t know when I will have this opportunity again. "Ah! Look, there are cherry blossoms in full bloom everywhere. This island is really a world of flowers! I like it from the bottom of my heart. It's great to live here! I heard a long time ago that Prince Edward Island is the world's The most beautiful place in the world. I myself once dreamed of living here, but I didn't expect the dream to become a reality all of a sudden. I am so happy! "However, I still can't figure out why this kind of road is red. When I was on the train in Charlottetown, I saw the red road outside the window. I asked Aunt Swensa about the reason, and she said she didn't know the reason. Clear. Plus she begged me to stop asking her these questions. Said I had asked her 1000 questions. It's true, but you don't know anything without asking, right? The road is red What the hell is going on?" "Well, I don't understand either," Marshall replied. "Hey, don't you just know. There's so much to know in this world, don't you think it's pleasant? What a joy it is to live in an interesting world! Knowing everything There is no room for fantasy. "I, did I talk too much? Because of this, I am always criticized, so I can only keep my mouth shut? If you don't want me to nag like this, I'll shut up.I know it's hard, but if you're bored, I'll stop talking. " Surprisingly, however, Marshall found the little girl's nagging quite amusing.Generally speaking, this is the case with people of few words.Marshall would not have any objection if the other party just continued chatting on his own. On the whole, it was very interesting to listen to the little girl, which surprised even Marshall. Of all the women he met, no one was easy to deal with, especially the girls were very bad. It was the sideways look at Marshall that forced him to walk timidly past them.He hated it.But the kid next to him was completely different.For Marshall there was an indescribable joy in listening to her chatter.So he said shyly as usual: "Where, where, if you like to talk about it, you can say it, I don't care at all." "Oh, that's great! It's great that I can say whatever I want! I think we seem to get on really well. I've gotten a lot of reprimands for nagging, and I've never heard of it." I’m tired of listening to it. And when I say long sentences, everyone laughs, but it’s impossible to explain important things without long sentences, don’t you think?” "Yes, yes, yes." Marshall echoed. "Aunt Swenza always asks if my tongue is hanging in the middle, but it's not the case at all. You see, isn't this just staying here? "Uncle's home is called Green Gaybruzzi. Aunt Swensa told me everything. I heard that the house is surrounded by woods. How wonderful. I like trees very much. Unfortunately, there are many trees in the orphanage. There is not a single tree, but under the white-painted fence in front of the main entrance, there are two or three small stick-like trees growing alone. It gives people a feeling of loneliness and desolation. Upon seeing this scene, I couldn't stop crying. It's so pitiful. So, I yearn to live in the environment of the mansion. In the big forest, there are trees everywhere, with moss and mushrooms growing on the roots, etc. Wait, there is a small river flowing nearby, and the birds are singing happily on the branches. But in fact it is not like this, you can imagine how painful my mood should be.What a pity!I often say this to people. "That's what I said, but this morning, when I said goodbye to the orphanage, I was still very sad. Maybe I felt a little bit reluctant. Oh, I forgot to ask Aunt Swenza, is there a river next to Glen Gaybruzzi ?” "Yes, wow, it's under the house not far away." "Awesome! I didn't expect my dream to become a reality. This kind of thing is too rare. Isn't it? I am almost perfect and happy now! However, I am not perfect and happy anyway mood. Hey, look, what color is this?" The girl dragged a greasy braid of hair hanging down over her shoulders and brought it up to Marshall's eyes.Marshall was not used to distinguishing the color of a woman's hair, and this occasion was no exception. "Is it red?" Marshall guessed. The girl let out a long sigh, and let the braids loose in her hands, which made people feel that it was a long and sad sigh. "It's red, isn't it?" The child seemed to give up his mind and said: "That's why I won't be perfect and happy. You understand the reason. People with red hair are like this. I don't care about anything else, what The freckles, the green eyes, the thinness, as soon as I imagined it, it was all forgotten. I can imagine my skin as beautiful as a rose. My pupils twinkle like stars in the sky. Blue-purple. I also used to say to myself, 'My hair is as beautiful as a wet raven's feathers.' When in fact I knew it was red. It was just a moan of utter grief. "I once read such a story in a novel, how a woman buried the sorrows of life in her heart... But she was not red haired, but blond. From the plaster forehead, like waves Hanging down. I can't figure out what a plaster forehead looks like. Do you know?" "Oh, I don't know either." "However, I think it must be very beautiful, probably very solemn and sacred. Have you ever thought about how it feels to face this kind of beauty?" "No, I haven't thought about it." Marshall replied softly. "I've always wondered, majestic beauty or unbelievable intelligence. Which is better, a good boy like an angel?" "Well, I'm not too sure about this." "Yes, it's hard to be sure. But in the end, it doesn't matter anyway. Because neither one exists. No one can be a child like an angel. There is nothing wrong with people. Aunt Swenza That's how it used to be. Ah! Uncle Cuthbart, look! Look! Look!" Suddenly the boy was so excited that he almost fell off the carriage, but Marshall was indifferent to it.In fact, it was just that the carriage turned a corner on the road and entered the "Woodway". "The Grove," as the people of Newbridge call it, is a high street not more than four or five hundred yards long.The apple tree beside the road had been planted some years ago by an eccentric old man.The luxuriant trees formed a beautiful archway, and above them a white flower was like a tent of rich fragrance.Below the branches, the purple dusk has come unknowingly.Looking far and wide, in the picturesque sky on the horizon, the sunset glow is as poetic as the rose windows of the cathedral. The child was simply stunned by the beautiful scenery in front of him.As if he could not speak anymore, he leaned against the back of the carriage, clasped his thin little hands on his chest, raised his head and admired the snow-white beauty on his head in a trance. The carriage came out of the avenue and down the gentle slope to Newbridge.The child remained motionless and did not speak a word, his eyes were still fixed on the evening glow of the western sky.With the fascinating sky in front of the child as the background, scene after scene of beautiful fantasies emerged in the child's mind. Newbridge is a village full of life.The dog barked "Wow", and the people were talking and laughing happily.The girl peeped at all this from the window curiously.Even so, she remained silent.In this silence, the carriage traveled three miles. "Are you tired? Haven't eaten for a long time?" It was Marshall who broke the long silence. "There's a mile to go, and it's almost there." The child sighed deeply.Finally back to reality from fantasy.She stared at Marshall with strange eyes, and asked mysteriously: "Ah, Uncle Cuthbart, what's the name of that place we walked through just now, that white world?" "That place is called 'Woodway'." After pondering for a few seconds, Marshall asked again: "Isn't it beautiful there?" "Beautiful? Just saying it's beautiful can't properly describe it, and it can't fully express its meaning. Ah, in short, it's extremely beautiful, indeed extremely beautiful. No matter how desperately you fantasize about it, you can't surpass its beauty." It's the first time I've seen this kind of fairyland, where I finally got spiritual satisfaction." The girl put her hands on her chest and said, "Now, I am in great pain here, but this is the pain of happiness. You have had this pain. Is there any pain?" "No, not once." "I often feel pain, always when I see something very beautiful. But how can such a beautiful place only be called 'Boulevard'? Doesn't that name mean anything? Yes! Well, it should be called It's 'White Road of Joy', which is a beautiful name full of fantasy. "Me, if I don't like the name of a place or person, I always have to think up a new name myself, and then replace the original name with my name. There is a child in the orphanage named Hopkey. Pa Jenkins, but I keep calling him Rosalia di Via. Others may call that place 'The Woods,' but I prefer to call it 'The White Road of Delight.' "Is it really only one mile away from home? I am happy but also a little sad. I am sad because I am very happy in the carriage. After the happy things are over, I always feel sad. Maybe there will be no such good things in the future. Well. Generally speaking, it seems that there are always more unhappy times. According to my experience, this is generally the case. But when I want to get home, I am still very happy. Up to now, I have never had my real happiness. home. All of a sudden, I have a home, and without knowing it, I become nervous and my heart beats faster. " The carriage turned over the hill, and looking down was a pool, slender and curved, looking like a small river, with a bridge over the pool.The pool is separated from the azure bay opposite by an amber sand dune. From the vicinity of the bridge to the sand dunes, the water surface is as varied and colorful as the interweaving combination of various colors.Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, blue, purple and other unknown colors are all mixed in.It is difficult to describe it with appropriate words, it is simply a sea of ​​colors. The banks of the pool were overgrown with fir, maple, and plum trees, and their shadows reflected in the water were dark like ghosts.From the swamp above the pool, the chorus of frogs could be heard from time to time. On the opposite slope, among the trees next to the apple orchard, there was a gray house hidden. lamp. "That's 'Barry's Pool'." Marshall said, pointing. "Ah, yes, but the name is not very attractive. Well, yes, let's call it 'Bibo Lake'. Yes, that's appropriate. You know, when I think of a suitable name, I just think of it." Excited, do you have this experience too?" Marshall thought carefully before saying, "Well, I was also very excited when I saw the disgusting white larva dug out of the cucumber field, and I trembled just looking at it." "Oh, that's excitement too, but not in the same sense, and you think they're the same thing? There is no similar relationship between white larvae and 'Bibo Lake'?But why is it called 'Barry's Pool'? " "Because the Barry family lives there. The place we're in is called 'Apple Orchard Hills', and if the trees behind it aren't lush, you can see Glenn Gybrutz from here. After crossing the bridge, turn around Street, it's only half a mile left." "Is there a little girl in the Barry family? Not too young, about my age?" "There was one about 11 years old, named Diana." "Really, what a nice name!" "How should I put it, it sounds like a great name. But I still think that a more common name like Jenny, Meyer, etc. is better. I heard that when Diana was born, the teacher who was catching up with the school lived in In her family, the family asked the teacher to name it, so they got the name Diana." "When I was born, I wish I had that teacher there too. Ah, it's time to get on the bridge, and I have to close my eyes for a while. I've always been afraid to cross the bridge. I used to imagine that once I was in the middle of the bridge, the bridge would be like a pocket knife." It seemed to be folded in half, squeezing me flat. So I had to close my eyes quickly. However, when I guessed it was in the middle, I opened my eyes unconsciously. If the bridge really broke in half, I would Let's see how terrible that moment is. "Ah, it's the 'grumble rumble' of the bridge! I just love that sound, there's so much beauty in this world, isn't it? "Yo, that's right! Let me take a look back. Good night, lovely Bibo Lake! For the things you like, if you say good night to someone, the other party seems to be very happy, and the pool must be facing I'm laughing." After turning over the hill and turning a corner, Marshall pointed ahead and said, "We're almost home, is that Green? Guy Bruce..." "Hey, please stop talking!" The girl interrupted the conversation excitedly, grabbed Marshall's outstretched arm with both hands, closed her eyes, and did not dare to look in the direction of Marshall's fingers. "Let me guess, I'm sure I can guess right." The child opened his eyes and looked around.At this time, the carriage was just walking on the back of the hill, and the sun had already set. In the soft afterglow, what vaguely appeared in front of the little girl's eyes was the sky like a marigold in the west, and the church stood tall. There is a small valley below, and on the opposite side is a wide and gentle slope. On the slope is a neat and clean farm. The child identified one by one, and finally, he stopped his eyes on a house on the far left far away from the street. The house was surrounded by dark woods, and the slightly whitish house looked particularly special among the lush trees. striking.In the clear southwestern sky above the house, a star, also white, shone brightly like a beacon of hope and guidance. "Is that right there?" the girl asked, pointing. Marshall flicked the rein triumphantly and said, "Hey, that's right! I think Mrs. Svensa must have told you, otherwise how could you guess so accurately." "Oh, that's not the case. Telling is just a piecemeal part. It mainly depends on my feeling. For some reason, when I see the house, it feels like my own home. I always seem to be dreaming." You see, these bruises on my arm, I've pinched them several times. I'm always upset and wonder if I'm dreaming. Whenever I think about it, I pinch it a few times, pinch it After finishing, I will regret it and worry about waking up from my dream. This time it is real, and I will be home soon." After speaking, the girl fell into deep thought again. This time it was Marshall's turn to be restless.Better, he thought, for Marilla to tell the girl how it ended.She was looking forward to having a home so much, but in the end, she couldn't.He didn't want to break her heart. When the carriage passed the depression in front of Linde's house, it was completely dark.But they were still seen by Mrs. Linde who was sitting by the window.As soon as the carriage went up the hill, it turned into the path leading to Green Gablebrush. At home, Marshall felt himself shrinking inexplicably at the thought of getting to the bottom of the matter, not of himself and Marilla, or of the trouble this blunder had caused, but of Couldn't bear to see the kid get discouraged.Once the truth is revealed, the ecstatic light in the child's pupils will definitely disappear immediately. For some reason, he seems to have a sense of guilt for helping to kill and kill innocent creatures. When the carriage entered the yard, the poplar leaves made a "sand, sand" sound like clothes rubbing against each other. "Ah! The tree is talking in the dream, listen." Marshall just carried the girl out of the car, and she chirped again. "It must be a beautiful dream." As she spoke, she mentioned the dream that "contains all the property". bag, followed Marshall into the house.