Chapter XIX
An Interlude
"To think that this is my twentieth birthday, and that I've left myteens behind me forever," said Anne, who was curled up on the hearth-rugwith Rusty in her lap, to Aunt Jamesina who was reading in her petchair. They were alone in the living room. Stella and Priscilla hadgone to a committee meeting and Phil was upstairs adorning herself for aparty.
"I suppose you feel kind of, sorry" said Aunt Jamesina. "The teens aresuch a nice part of life. I'm glad I've never gone out of them myself."
Anne laughed.
"You never will, Aunty. You'll be eighteen when you should be a hundred.Yes, I'm sorry, and a little dissatisfied as well. Miss Stacy told melong ago that by the time I was twenty my character would be formed,for good or evil. I don't feel that it's what it should be. It's full offlaws."
"So's everybody's," said Aunt Jamesina cheerfully. "Mine's cracked ina hundred places. Your Miss Stacy likely meant that when you are twentyyour character would have got its permanent bent in one direction or'tother, and would go on developing in that line. Don't worry over it,Anne. Do your duty by God and your neighbor and yourself, and have agood time. That's my philosophy and it's always worked pretty well.Where's Phil off to tonight?"
"She's going to a dance, and she's got the sweetest dress for it--creamyyellow silk and cobwebby lace. It just suits those brown tints of hers."
"There's magic in the words 'silk' and 'lace,' isn't there?" said AuntJamesina. "The very sound of them makes me feel like skipping off toa dance. And YELLOW silk. It makes one think of a dress of sunshine.I always wanted a yellow silk dress, but first my mother and then myhusband wouldn't hear of it. The very first thing I'm going to do when Iget to heaven is to get a yellow silk dress."
Amid Anne's peal of laughter Phil came downstairs, trailing clouds ofglory, and surveyed herself in the long oval mirror on the wall.
"A flattering looking glass is a promoter of amiability," she said."The one in my room does certainly make me green. Do I look pretty nice,Anne?"
"Do you really know how pretty you are, Phil?" asked Anne, in honestadmiration.
"Of course I do. What are looking glasses and men for? That wasn't whatI meant. Are all my ends tucked in? Is my skirt straight? And would thisrose look better lower down? I'm afraid it's too high--it will make melook lop-sided. But I hate things tickling my ears."
"Everything is just right, and that southwest dimple of yours islovely."
"Anne, there's one thing in particular I like about you--you're soungrudging. There isn't a particle of envy in you."
"Why should she be envious?" demanded Aunt Jamesina. "She's not quite asgoodlooking as you, maybe, but she's got a far handsomer nose."
"I know it," conceded Phil.
"My nose always has been a great comfort to me," confessed Anne.
"And I love the way your hair grows on your forehead, Anne. And thatone wee curl, always looking as if it were going to drop, but neverdropping, is delicious. But as for noses, mine is a dreadful worry tome. I know by the time I'm forty it will be Byrney. What do you thinkI'll look like when I'm forty, Anne?"
"Like an old, matronly, married woman," teased Anne.
"I won't," said Phil, sitting down comfortably to wait for her escort."Joseph, you calico beastie, don't you dare jump on my lap. I won't goto a dance all over cat hairs. No, Anne, I WON'T look matronly. But nodoubt I'll be married."
"To Alec or Alonzo?" asked Anne.
"To one of them, I suppose," sighed Phil, "if I can ever decide which."
"It shouldn't be hard to decide," scolded Aunt Jamesina.
"I was born a see-saw Aunty, and nothing can ever prevent me fromteetering."
"You ought to be more levelheaded, Philippa."
"It's best to be levelheaded, of course," agreed Philippa, "but you misslots of fun. As for Alec and Alonzo, if you knew them you'd understandwhy it's difficult to choose between them. They're equally nice."
"Then take somebody who is nicer" suggested Aunt Jamesina. "There's thatSenior who is so devoted to you--Will Leslie. He has such nice, large,mild eyes."
"They're a little bit too large and too mild--like a cow's," said Philcruelly.
"What do you say about George Parker?"
"There's nothing to say about him except that he always looks as if hehad just been starched and ironed."
"Marr Holworthy then. You can't find a fault with him."
"No, he would do if he wasn't poor. I must marry a rich man, AuntJamesina. That--and good looks--is an indispensable qualification. I'dmarry Gilbert Blythe if he were rich."
"Oh, would you?" said Anne, rather viciously.
"We don't like that idea a little bit, although we don't want Gilbertourselves, oh, no," mocked Phil. "But don't let's talk of disagreeablesubjects. I'll have to marry sometime, I suppose, but I shall put offthe evil day as long as I can."
"You mustn't marry anybody you don't love, Phil, when all's said anddone," said Aunt Jamesina.
"'Oh, hearts that loved in the good old way Have been out o' the fashion this many a day.'"
trilled Phil mockingly. "There's the carriage. I fly--Bi-bi, you twoold-fashioned darlings."
When Phil had gone Aunt Jamesina looked solemnly at Anne.
"That girl is pretty and sweet and goodhearted, but do you think she isquite right in her mind, by spells, Anne?"
"Oh, I don't think there's anything the matter with Phil's mind," saidAnne, hiding a smile. "It's just her way of talking."
Aunt Jamesina shook her head.
"Well, I hope so, Anne. I do hope so, because I love her. But _I_ can'tunderstand her--she beats me. She isn't like any of the girls I everknew, or any of the girls I was myself."
"How many girls were you, Aunt Jimsie?"
"About half a dozen, my dear."
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