汤姆.索亚历险记-第24节

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but　they　only　began；　it　was　not　a　thing　likely　to　have　an　end；　with　imaginations　like　theirs　to　furnish　material。　And　finally；　when　they　got　out　their　pipes　and　went　serenely　puffing　around；　the　very　summit　of　glory　was　reached。
Tom　decided　that　he　could　be　independent　of　Becky　Thatcher　now。　Glory　was　sufficient。　He　would　live　for　glory。　Now　that　he　was　distinguished；　maybe　she　would　be　wanting　to　〃make　up。〃　Well；　let　her　　she　should　see　that　he　could　be　as　indifferent　as　some　other　people。　Presently　she　arrived。　Tom　pretended　not　to　see　her。　He　moved　away　and　joined　a　group　of　boys　and　girls　and　began　to　talk。　Soon　he　observed　that　she　was　tripping　gayly　back　and　forth　with　flushed　face　and　dancing　eyes；　pretending　to　be　busy　chasing　schoolmates；　and　screaming　with　laughter　when　she　made　a　capture；　but　he　noticed　that　she　always　made　her　captures　in　his　vicinity；　and　that　she　seemed　to　cast　a　conscious　eye　in　his　direction　at　such　times；　too。　It　gratified　all　the　vicious　vanity　that　was　in　him；　and　so；　instead　of　winning　him；　it　only　〃set　him　up〃　the　more　and　made　him　the　more　diligent　to　avoid　betraying　that　he　knew　she　was　about。　Presently　she　gave　over　sky…larking；　and　moved　irresolutely　about；　sighing　once　or　twice　and　glancing　furtively　and　wistfully　toward　Tom。　Then　she　observed　that　now　Tom　was　talking　more　particularly　to　Amy　Lawrence　than　to　any　one　else。　She　felt　a　sharp　pang　and　grew　disturbed　and　uneasy　at　once。　She　tried　to　go　away；　but　her　feet　were　treacherous；　and　carried　her　to　the　group　instead。　She　said　to　a　girl　almost　at　Tom's　elbow　　with　sham　vivacity：
〃Why；　Mary　Austin！　you　bad　girl；　why　didn't　you　come　to　Sunday…school？〃
〃I　did　come　　didn't　you　see　me？〃
〃Why；　no！　Did　you？　Where　did　you　sit？〃
〃I　was　in　Miss　Peters'　class；　where　I　always　go。　I　saw　you。〃
〃Did　you？　Why；　it's　funny　I　didn't　see　you。　I　wanted　to　tell　you　about　the　picnic。〃
〃Oh；　that's　jolly。　Who's　going　to　give　it？〃
〃My　ma's　going　to　let　me　have　one。〃
〃Oh；　goody；　I　hope　she'll　let　me　come。〃
〃Well；　she　will。　The　picnic's　for　me。　She'll　let　anybody　come　that　I　want；　and　I　want　you。〃
〃That's　ever　so　nice。　When　is　it　going　to　be？〃
〃By　and　by。　Maybe　about　vacation。〃
〃Oh；　won't　it　be　fun！　You　going　to　have　all　the　girls　and　boys？〃
〃Yes；　every　one　that's　friends　to　me　　or　wants　to　be〃；　and　she　glanced　ever　so　furtively　at　Tom；　but　he　talked　right　along　to　Amy　Lawrence　about　the　terrible　storm　on　the　island；　and　how　the　lightning　tore　the　great　sycamore　tree　〃all　to　flinders〃　while　he　was　〃standing　within　three　feet　of　it。〃
〃Oh；　may　I　come？〃　said　Grace　Miller。
〃Yes。〃
〃And　me？〃　said　Sally　Rogers。
〃Yes。〃
〃And　me；　too？〃　said　Susy　Harper。　〃And　Joe？〃
〃Yes。〃
And　so　on；　with　clapping　of　joyful　hands　till　all　the　group　had　begged　for　invitations　but　Tom　and　Amy。　Then　Tom　turned　coolly　away；　still　talking；　and　took　Amy　with　him。　Becky's　lips　trembled　and　the　tears　came　to　her　eyes；　she　hid　these　signs　with　a　forced　gayety　and　went　on　chattering；　but　the　life　had　gone　out　of　the　picnic；　now；　and　out　of　everything　else；　she　got　away　as　soon　as　she　could　and　hid　herself　and　had　what　her　sex　call　〃a　good　cry。〃　Then　she　sat　moody；　with　wounded　pride；　till　the　bell　rang。　She　roused　up；　now；　with　a　vindictive　cast　in　her　eye；　and　gave　her　plaited　tails　a　shake　and　said　she　knew　what　she'd　do。
At　recess　Tom　continued　his　flirtation　with　Amy　with　jubilant　self…satisfaction。　And　he　kept　drifting　about　to　find　Becky　and　lacerate　her　with　the　performance。　At　last　he　spied　her；　but　there　was　a　sudden　falling　of　his　mercury。　She　was　sitting　cosily　on　a　little　bench　behind　the　schoolhouse　looking　at　a　picture…book　with　Alfred　Temple　　and　so　absorbed　were　they；　and　their　heads　so　close　together　over　the　book；　that　they　did　not　seem　to　be　conscious　of　anything　in　the　world　besides。　Jealousy　ran　red…hot　through　Tom's　veins。　He　began　to　hate　himself　for　throwing　away　the　chance　Becky　had　offered　for　a　reconciliation。　He　called　himself　a　fool；　and　all　the　hard　names　he　could　think　of。　He　wanted　to　cry　with　vexation。　Amy　chatted　happily　along；　as　they　walked；　for　her　heart　was　singing；　but　Tom's　tongue　had　lost　its　function。　He　did　not　hear　what　Amy　was　saying；　and　whenever　she　paused　expectantly　he　could　only　stammer　an　awkward　assent；　which　was　as　often　misplaced　as　otherwise。　He　kept　drifting　to　the　rear　of　the　schoolhouse；　again　and　again；　to　sear　his　eyeballs　with　the　hateful　spectacle　there。　He　could　not　help　it。　And　it　maddened　him　to　see；　as　he　thought　he　saw；　that　Becky　Thatcher　never　once　suspected　that　he　was　even　in　the　land　of　the　living。　But　she　did　see；　nevertheless；　and　she　knew　she　was　winning　her　fight；　too；　and　was　glad　to　see　him　suffer　as　she　had　suffered。
Amy's　happy　prattle　became　intolerable。　Tom　hinted　at　things　he　had　to　attend　to；　things　that　must　be　done；　and　time　was　fleeting。　But　in　vain　　the　girl　chirped　on。　Tom　thought；　〃Oh；　hang　her；　ain't　I　ever　going　to　get　rid　of　her？〃　At　last　he　must　be　attending　to　those　things　　and　she　said　artlessly　that　she　would　be　〃around〃　when　school　let　out。　And　he　hastened　away；　hating　her　for　it。
〃Any　other　boy！〃　Tom　thought；　grating　his　teeth。　〃Any　boy　in　the　whole　town　but　that　Saint　Louis　smarty　that　thinks　he　dresses　so　fine　and　is　aristocracy！　Oh；　all　right；　I　licked　you　the　first　day　you　ever　saw　this　town；　mister；　and　I'll　lick　you　again！　You　just　wait　till　I　catch　you　out！　I'll　just　take　and　〃
And　he　went　through　the　motions　of　thrashing　an　imaginary　boy　　pummelling　the　air；　and　kicking　and　gouging。　〃Oh；　you　do；　do　you？　You　holler　'nough；　do　you？　Now；　then；　let　that　learn　you！〃　And　so　the　imaginary　flogging　was　finished　to　his　satisfaction。
Tom　fled　home　at　noon。　His　conscience　could　not　endure　any　more　of　Amy's　grateful　happiness；　and　his　jealousy　could　bear　no　more　of　the　other　distress。　Becky　resumed　her　picture　inspections　with　Alfred；　but　as　the　minutes　dragged　along　and　no　Tom　came　to　suffer；　her　triumph　began　to　cloud　and　she　lost　interest；　gravity　and　absent…mindedness　followed；　and　then　melancholy；　two　or　three　times　she　pricked　up　her　ear　at　a　footstep；　but　it　was　a　false　hope；　no　Tom　came。　At　last　she　grew　entirely　miserable　and　wished　she　hadn't　carried　it　so　far。　When　poor　Alfred；　seeing　that　he　was　losing　her；　he　did　not　know　how；　kept　exclaiming：　〃Oh；　here's　a　jolly　one！　look　at　this！〃　she　lost　patience　at　last；　and　said；　〃Oh；　don't　bother　me！　I　don't　care　for　them！〃　and　burst　into　tears；　and　got　up　and　walked　away。
Alfred　dropped　alongside　and　was　going　to　try　to　comfort　her；　but　she　said：
〃Go　away　and　leave　me　alone；　can't　you！　I　hate　you！〃
So　the　boy　halted；　wondering　what　he　could　have　done　　for　she　had　said　she　would　look　at　pictures　all　through　the　nooning　　and　she　walked　on；　crying。　Then　Alfred　went　musing　into　the　deserted　schoolhouse。　He　was　humiliated　and　angry。　He　easily　guessed　his　way　to　the　truth　　the　girl　had　simply　made　a　convenience　of　him　to　vent　her　spite　upon　Tom　Sawyer。　He　was　far　from　hating　Tom　the　less　when　this　thought　occurred　to　him。　He　wished　there　was　some　way　to　get　that　boy　into　trouble　without　much　risk　to　himself。　Tom's　spelling…book　fell　under　his　eye。　Here　was　his　opportunity。　He　gratefully　opened　to　the　lesson　for　the　afternoon　and　poured　ink　upon　the　page。
Becky；　glancing　in　at　a　window　behind　him　at　the　moment；　saw　the　act；　and　moved　on；　without　discovering　herself。　She　started　homeward；　now；　intending　to　find　Tom　and　tell　him；　Tom　would　be　thankful　and　their　troubles　would　be　healed。　Before　she　was　half　way　home；　however；　she　had　changed　her　mind。　The　thought　of　Tom's　treatment　of　her　when　she　was　talking　about　her　picnic　came　scorching　back　and　filled　her　with　shame。　She　resolved　to　let　him　get　whipped　on　the　damaged　spelling…book's　account；　and　to　hate　him　forever；　into　the　bargain。　
CHAPTER　XIX
TOM　arrived　at　home　in　a　dreary　mood；　and　the　first　thing　his　aunt　said　to　him　showed　him　that　he　had　brought　his　sorrows　to　an　unpromising　market：
〃Tom；　I've　a　notion　to　skin　you　alive！〃
〃Auntie；　what　have　I　done？〃
〃Well；　you've　done　enough。　Here　I　go　over　to　Sereny　Harper；　like　an　old　softy；　expecting　I'm　going　to　make　her　believe　all　that　rubbage　about　that　dream；　when　lo　and　behold　you　she'd　found　out　from　Joe　that　you　was　over　here　and　heard　all　the　talk　we　had　that　night。　Tom；　I　don't　know　what　is　to　become　of　a　boy　that　will　act　like　that。　It　makes　me　feel　so　bad　to　think　you　could　let　me　go　to　Sereny　Harper　and　make　such　a　fool　of　myself　and　never　say　a　word。〃
This　was　a　new　aspect　of　the　thing。　His　smartness　of　the　morning　had　seemed　to　Tom　a　good　joke　before；　and　very　ingenious。　It　merely　looked　mean　and　shabby　now。　He　hung　his　head　and　could　not　think　of　anything　to　say　for　a　moment。　Then　he　said：
〃Auntie；　I　wish　I　hadn't　done　it　　but　I　didn't　think。〃
〃Oh；　child；　you　never　think。　You　never　think　of　anything　but　your　own　selfishness。　You　could　think　to　come　all　the　way　over　here　from　Jackson's　Island　in　the　night　to　laugh　at　our　troubles；　and　you　could　think　to　fool　me　with　a　lie　about　a　dream；　but　you　couldn't　ever　think　to　pity　us　and　save　us　from　sorrow。〃
〃Auntie；　I　know　now　it　was　mean；　but　I　didn't　mean　to　be　mean。　I　didn't；　honest。　And　besides；　I　didn't　come　over　here　to　laugh　at　you　that　night。〃
〃What　did　you　come　for