Anne of Avonlea 9 - Sweet Miss Lavender
School closed for winter vacation, and when it reopened in February, Davy and Dora were new students in first grade.
"I think school is great fun," Davy told Marilla after his first day at school. "You said I'd find it hard to sit still, and I did . . . but I can wriggle my legs under the desk, and that helps.
"Christopher Cotton drew a picture of Anne on his slate," Davy continued, "and it was really ugly, so I told him I'd hit him at recess. Christopher said he wasn't scared of me, but he rubbed out Anne's name and put Barbara Shaw's instead."
Marilla frowned. She wasn't pleased that Davy was making threats at school. "Well, at least he is making friends," she thought a moment later.
One Friday afternoon Diana and Anne met at Green Gables. They had been invited to tea at Diana's cousin's house in Grafton and had decided to walk. When they came to a fork in the road, they took the left road when they should have taken the right.
Soon they were lost. "Where are we?" exclaimed Diana.
"Oh, we must have taken a wrong turn," said Anne.
"We'll never get there by five o'clock—it's half past four now," said Diana with a despairing look at her watch. "Let's keep going. I think there's a short cut ahead." A few minutes later, the road forked again.
"Which road do we take?" asked Diana anxiously.
Anne shook her head. "I don't know. There's a gate and a lane leading right into the woods. There must be a house at the end. Let's go there and inquire."
"What a romantic old lane this is," said Diana.
"It's like an enchanted forest," said Anne.
Diana exclaimed, "Oh, I know where we are now. That is the little stone house where Miss Lavender Lewis lives."
"It's the sweetest, prettiest place I ever saw or imagined," said Anne with delight. "It looks like something from a storybook." The house was built of stone and was covered in ivy.
"It will be interesting to meet Miss Lewis ," said Diana as they opened the gate into the garden. "I've heard she is very peculiar."
"She'll be interesting then," said Anne firmly. "Peculiar people are always interesting at least!" They reached the front door and knocked.
"She used to be engaged to Stephen Irving, Paul's father," Diana said. "But they quarreled and parted."
"Hush," warned Anne. "The door is opening."
A girl of about 14 opened the door and showed them into the parlor.
"Miss Lavender must be expecting company for tea," Anne whispered. "There are six places set at the table."
Miss Lavender Lewis came in. She was a little lady with light hair and big brown eyes.
"We wanted to ask the right way to Grafton," said Diana. "We took the wrong path coming through the woods. Do we go left or right at your gate?"
"Left," said Miss Lavender. Then she exclaimed, "But, oh, won't you stay and have tea with me? Please do! You'll get to Grafton too late, and Charlotte and I would love for you to stay."
"We'd like to stay," said Anne promptly, for she wanted to get to know Miss Lavender better. "But you are expecting other guests, aren't you?"
"I know you'll think I'm silly," she said. "I
am
silly. I'm not expecting anybody. I was just pretending. You see, I was so lonely and I love company, but few people ever come here because it is so far out of the way. Charlotte was lonely too. So I baked a cake and got dressed up, but we were just pretending."
Diana secretly thought Miss Lavender was just as peculiar as she had heard. A woman of 45 pretending to have a tea party, as if she was a little girl!
But Anne exclaimed joyfully, "Oh, do you imagine things too?"
"Yes, I do," Miss Lavender confessed boldly. "Of course it's silly, but being silly doesn't hurt anybody, and it's fun!
"Now, let's sit down and eat everything!" she went on. And then they all had a lovely afternoon tea.
As it grew dark, it became time for Anne and Diana to leave. "You will come again?" Miss Lavender asked.
"Of course!" Anne exclaimed and smiled. She had decided Miss Lavender was a kindred spirit.
As Anne and Diana left, they thanked Miss Lavender.
"Paul Irving would love it here!" Anne said quietly to herself.
"Paul Irving?" Miss Lavender asked. There was a subtle change in her face, and her voice sounded a little different. "Who is he? I don't know anybody of that name in Avonlea."
Anne was annoyed that she had accidentally mentioned Paul Irving's name. She had forgotten about Miss Lavender's old romance with Paul's father. "He is a student of mine," said Anne. "He moved from Boston to Avonlea this year to live with his grandmother."
"Is he Stephen Irving's son?" Miss Lavender asked.
"Yes, he is," Anne answered.
"Here's some lavender," said Miss Lavender brightly, as if she had not heard the answer to her question. "Father named me Lavender because he was so fond of it."
Anne and Diana waved good-bye and left.
Diana said, "She seems a little lonely. We must come and visit her."
"Yes!" Anne said. "Her parents named her well—sweet Miss Lavender."
用户评论