汤姆.索亚历险记-第11节

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〃No；　indeed；　indeed　I　won't。　Now；　Becky。〃
He　turned　his　face　away。　She　bent　timidly　around　till　her　breath　stirred　his　curls　and　whispered；　〃I　　love　　you！〃
Then　she　sprang　away　and　ran　around　and　around　the　desks　and　benches；　with　Tom　after　her；　and　took　refuge　in　a　corner　at　last；　with　her　little　white　apron　to　her　face。　Tom　clasped　her　about　her　neck　and　pleaded：
〃Now；　Becky；　it's　all　done　　all　over　but　the　kiss。　Don't　you　be　afraid　of　that　　it　ain't　anything　at　all。　Please；　Becky。〃　And　he　tugged　at　her　apron　and　the　hands。
By　and　by　she　gave　up；　and　let　her　hands　drop；　her　face；　all　glowing　with　the　struggle；　came　up　and　submitted。　Tom　kissed　the　red　lips　and　said：
〃Now　it's　all　done；　Becky。　And　always　after　this；　you　know；　you　ain't　ever　to　love　anybody　but　me；　and　you　ain't　ever　to　marry　anybody　but　me；　ever　never　and　forever。　Will　you？〃
〃No；　I'll　never　love　anybody　but　you；　Tom；　and　I'll　never　marry　anybody　but　you　　and　you　ain't　to　ever　marry　anybody　but　me；　either。〃
〃Certainly。　Of　course。　That's　part　of　it。　And　always　coming　to　school　or　when　we're　going　home；　you're　to　walk　with　me；　when　there　ain't　anybody　looking　　and　you　choose　me　and　I　choose　you　at　parties；　because　that's　the　way　you　do　when　you're　engaged。〃
〃It's　so　nice。　I　never　heard　of　it　before。〃
〃Oh；　it's　ever　so　gay！　Why；　me　and　Amy　Lawrence　〃
The　big　eyes　told　Tom　his　blunder　and　he　stopped；　confused。
〃Oh；　Tom！　Then　I　ain't　the　first　you've　ever　been　engaged　to！〃
The　child　began　to　cry。　Tom　said：
〃Oh；　don't　cry；　Becky；　I　don't　care　for　her　any　more。〃
〃Yes；　you　do；　Tom　　you　know　you　do。〃
Tom　tried　to　put　his　arm　about　her　neck；　but　she　pushed　him　away　and　turned　her　face　to　the　wall；　and　went　on　crying。　Tom　tried　again；　with　soothing　words　in　his　mouth；　and　was　repulsed　again。　Then　his　pride　was　up；　and　he　strode　away　and　went　outside。　He　stood　about；　restless　and　uneasy；　for　a　while；　glancing　at　the　door；　every　now　and　then；　hoping　she　would　repent　and　come　to　find　him。　But　she　did　not。　Then　he　began　to　feel　badly　and　fear　that　he　was　in　the　wrong。　It　was　a　hard　struggle　with　him　to　make　new　advances；　now；　but　he　nerved　himself　to　it　and　entered。　She　was　still　standing　back　there　in　the　corner；　sobbing；　with　her　face　to　the　wall。　Tom's　heart　smote　him。　He　went　to　her　and　stood　a　moment；　not　knowing　exactly　how　to　proceed。　Then　he　said　hesitatingly：
〃Becky；　I　　I　don't　care　for　anybody　but　you。〃
No　reply　　but　sobs。
〃Becky〃　　pleadingly。　〃Becky；　won't　you　say　something？〃
More　sobs。
Tom　got　out　his　chiefest　jewel；　a　brass　knob　from　the　top　of　an　andiron；　and　passed　it　around　her　so　that　she　could　see　it；　and　said：
〃Please；　Becky；　won't　you　take　it？〃
She　struck　it　to　the　floor。　Then　Tom　marched　out　of　the　house　and　over　the　hills　and　far　away；　to　return　to　school　no　more　that　day。　Presently　Becky　began　to　suspect。　She　ran　to　the　door；　he　was　not　in　sight；　she　flew　around　to　the　play…yard；　he　was　not　there。　Then　she　called：
〃Tom！　Come　back；　Tom！〃
She　listened　intently；　but　there　was　no　answer。　She　had　no　companions　but　silence　and　loneliness。　So　she　sat　down　to　cry　again　and　upbraid　herself；　and　by　this　time　the　scholars　began　to　gather　again；　and　she　had　to　hide　her　griefs　and　still　her　broken　heart　and　take　up　the　cross　of　a　long；　dreary；　aching　afternoon；　with　none　among　the　strangers　about　her　to　exchange　sorrows　with。
CHAPTER　VIII　
TOM　dodged　hither　and　thither　through　lanes　until　he　was　well　out　of　the　track　of　returning　scholars；　and　then　fell　into　a　moody　jog。　He　crossed　a　small　〃branch〃　two　or　three　times；　because　of　a　prevailing　juvenile　superstition　that　to　cross　water　baffled　pursuit。　Half　an　hour　later　he　was　disappearing　behind　the　Douglas　mansion　on　the　summit　of　Cardiff　Hill；　and　the　school…house　was　hardly　distinguishable　away　off　in　the　valley　behind　him。　He　entered　a　dense　wood；　picked　his　pathless　way　to　the　centre　of　it；　and　sat　down　on　a　mossy　spot　under　a　spreading　oak。　There　was　not　even　a　zephyr　stirring；　the　dead　noonday　heat　had　even　stilled　the　songs　of　the　birds；　nature　lay　in　a　trance　that　was　broken　by　no　sound　but　the　occasional　far…off　hammering　of　a　woodpecker；　and　this　seemed　to　render　the　pervading　silence　and　sense　of　loneliness　the　more　profound。　The　boy's　soul　was　steeped　in　melancholy；　his　feelings　were　in　happy　accord　with　his　surroundings。　He　sat　long　with　his　elbows　on　his　knees　and　his　chin　in　his　hands；　meditating。　It　seemed　to　him　that　life　was　but　a　trouble；　at　best；　and　he　more　than　half　envied　Jimmy　Hodges；　so　lately　released；　it　must　be　very　peaceful；　he　thought；　to　lie　and　slumber　and　dream　forever　and　ever；　with　the　wind　whispering　through　the　trees　and　caressing　the　grass　and　the　flowers　over　the　grave；　and　nothing　to　bother　and　grieve　about；　ever　any　more。　If　he　only　had　a　clean　Sunday…school　record　he　could　be　willing　to　go；　and　be　done　with　it　all。　Now　as　to　this　girl。　What　had　he　done？　Nothing。　He　had　meant　the　best　in　the　world；　and　been　treated　like　a　dog　　like　a　very　dog。　She　would　be　sorry　some　day　　maybe　when　it　was　too　late。　Ah；　if　he　could　only　die　TEMPORARILY！
But　the　elastic　heart　of　youth　cannot　be　compressed　into　one　constrained　shape　long　at　a　time。　Tom　presently　began　to　drift　insensibly　back　into　the　concerns　of　this　life　again。　What　if　he　turned　his　back；　now；　and　disappeared　mysteriously？　What　if　he　went　away　　ever　so　far　away；　into　unknown　countries　beyond　the　seas　　and　never　came　back　any　more！　How　would　she　feel　then！　The　idea　of　being　a　clown　recurred　to　him　now；　only　to　fill　him　with　disgust。　For　frivolity　and　jokes　and　spotted　tights　were　an　offense；　when　they　intruded　themselves　upon　a　spirit　that　was　exalted　into　the　vague　august　realm　of　the　romantic。　No；　he　would　be　a　soldier；　and　return　after　long　years；　all　war…worn　and　illustrious。　No　　better　still；　he　would　join　the　Indians；　and　hunt　buffaloes　and　go　on　the　warpath　in　the　mountain　ranges　and　the　trackless　great　plains　of　the　Far　West；　and　away　in　the　future　come　back　a　great　chief；　bristling　with　feathers；　hideous　with　paint；　and　prance　into　Sunday…school；　some　drowsy　summer　morning；　with　a　blood…curdling　war…whoop；　and　sear　the　eyeballs　of　all　his　companions　with　unappeasable　envy。　But　no；　there　was　something　gaudier　even　than　this。　He　would　be　a　pirate！　That　was　it！　now　his　future　lay　plain　before　him；　and　glowing　with　unimaginable　splendor。　How　his　name　would　fill　the　world；　and　make　people　shudder！　How　gloriously　he　would　go　plowing　the　dancing　seas；　in　his　long；　low；　black…hulled　racer；　the　Spirit　of　the　storm；　with　his　grisly　flag　flying　at　the　fore！　And　at　the　zenith　of　his　fame；　how　he　would　suddenly　appear　at　the　old　village　and　stalk　into　church；　brown　and　weather…beaten；　in　his　black　velvet　doublet　and　trunks；　his　great　jack…boots；　his　crimson　sash；　his　belt　bristling　with　horse…pistols；　his　crime…rusted　cutlass　at　his　side；　his　slouch　hat　with　waving　plumes；　his　black　flag　unfurled；　with　the　skull　and　crossbones　on　it；　and　hear　with　swelling　ecstasy　the　whisperings；　〃It's　Tom　Sawyer　the　Pirate！　　the　Black　Avenger　of　the　Spanish　Main！〃
Yes；　it　was　settled；　his　career　was　determined。　He　would　run　away　from　home　and　enter　upon　it。　He　would　start　the　very　next　morning。　Therefore　he　must　now　begin　to　get　ready。　He　would　collect　his　resources　together。　He　went　to　a　rotten　log　near　at　hand　and　began　to　dig　under　one　end　of　it　with　his　Barlow　knife。　He　soon　struck　wood　that　sounded　hollow。　He　put　his　hand　there　and　uttered　this　incantation　impressively：
〃What　hasn't　come　here；　come！　What's　here；　stay　here！〃
Then　he　scraped　away　the　dirt；　and　exposed　a　pine　shingle。　He　took　it　up　and　disclosed　a　shapely　little　treasure…house　whose　bottom　and　sides　were　of　shingles。　In　it　lay　a　marble。　Tom's　astonishment　was　boundless！　He　scratched　his　head　with　a　perplexed　air；　and　said：
〃Well；　that　beats　anything！〃
Then　he　tossed　the　marble　away　pettishly；　and　stood　cogitating。　The　truth　was；　that　a　superstition　of　his　had　failed；　here；　which　he　and　all　his　comrades　had　always　looked　upon　as　infallible。　If　you　buried　a　marble　with　certain　necessary　incantations；　and　left　it　alone　a　fortnight；　and　then　opened　the　place　with　the　incantation　he　had　just　used；　you　would　find　that　all　the　marbles　you　had　ever　lost　had　gathered　themselves　together　there；　meantime；　no　matter　how　widely　they　had　been　separated。　But　now；　this　thing　had　actually　and　unquestionably　failed。　Tom's　whole　structure　of　faith　was　shaken　to　its　foundations。　He　had　many　a　time　heard　of　this　thing　succeeding　but　never　of　its　failing　before。　It　did　not　occur　to　him　that　he　had　tried　it　several　times　before；　himself；　but　could　never　find　the　hiding…places　afterward。　He　puzzled　over　the　matter　some　time；　and　finally　decided　that　some　witch　had　interfered　and　broken　the　charm。　He　thought　he　would　satisfy　himself　on　that　point；　so　he　searched　around　till　he　found　a　small　sandy　spot　with　a　little　funnel…shaped　depression　in　it。　He　laid　himself　down　and　put　his　mouth　close　to　this　depression　and　called　
〃Doodle…bug；　doodle…bug；　tell　me　what　I　want　to　know！　
Doodle…bug；　doodle…bug；　tell　me　what　I　want　to　know！〃　
The　sand　began　to　work；　and　presently　a　small　black　bug　appeared　for　a　second　and　then　darted　under　again　in　a　fright。
〃He　dasn't　tell！　So　it　was　a　wi