原文
Life was very pleasant in Avonlea that summer, although Anne, amid
all her vacation joys, was haunted by a sense of "something gone which
should be there." She would not admit, even in her inmost reflections,
that this was caused by Gilbert's absence. But when she had to walk home
alone from prayer meetings and A.V.I.S. pow-wows, while Diana and Fred,
and many other gay couples, loitered along the dusky, starlit country
roads, there was a queer, lonely ache in her heart which she could not
explain away. Gilbert did not even write to her, as she thought he might
have done. She knew he wrote to Diana occasionally, but she would
not inquire about him; and Diana, supposing that Anne heard from him,
volunteered no information. Gilbert's mother, who was a gay, frank,
light-hearted lady, but not overburdened with tact, had a very
embarrassing habit of asking Anne, always in a painfully distinct voice
and always in the presence of a crowd, if she had heard from Gilbert
lately. Poor Anne could only blush horribly and murmur, "not very
lately," which was taken by all, Mrs. Blythe included, to be merely a
maidenly evasion.
語彙など
- haunt:〜に取り付かれる,悩ませる
- inmost:心の奥の
- reflection:考え
- prayer meeting:祈祷会
- powwow:話し合い
- loiter:あてもなくぶらつく
- queer:奇妙な
- inquire:尋ねる
- frank:ざっくばらんな
- lighthearted:楽天的な,陽気な
- overburdened:大いに悩まされた
- tact:機転,如才なさ
- embarrassing:ばつの悪い
- distinct:目立つ
- blush:顔を赤らめる
- horribly:ひどく
- maidenly:娘らしい
- evasion:言い逃れ