汤姆.索亚历险记-第26节

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nence　of　the　emergency　paralyzed　his　invention。　Good！　　he　had　an　inspiration！　He　would　run　and　snatch　the　book；　spring　through　the　door　and　fly。　But　his　resolution　shook　for　one　little　instant；　and　the　chance　was　lost　　the　master　opened　the　volume。　If　Tom　only　had　the　wasted　opportunity　back　again！　Too　late。　There　was　no　help　for　Becky　now；　he　said。　The　next　moment　the　master　faced　the　school。　Every　eye　sank　under　his　gaze。　There　was　that　in　it　which　smote　even　the　innocent　with　fear。　There　was　silence　while　one　might　count　ten　　the　master　was　gathering　his　wrath。　Then　he　spoke：　〃Who　tore　this　book？〃
There　was　not　a　sound。　One　could　have　heard　a　pin　drop。　The　stillness　continued；　the　master　searched　face　after　face　for　signs　of　guilt。
〃Benjamin　Rogers；　did　you　tear　this　book？〃
A　denial。　Another　pause。
〃Joseph　Harper；　did　you？〃
Another　denial。　Tom's　uneasiness　grew　more　and　more　intense　under　the　slow　torture　of　these　proceedings。　The　master　scanned　the　ranks　of　boys　　considered　a　while；　then　turned　to　the　girls：
〃Amy　Lawrence？〃
A　shake　of　the　head。
〃Gracie　Miller？〃
The　same　sign。
〃Susan　Harper；　did　you　do　this？〃
Another　negative。　The　next　girl　was　Becky　Thatcher。　Tom　was　trembling　from　head　to　foot　with　excitement　and　a　sense　of　the　hopelessness　of　the　situation。
〃Rebecca　Thatcher〃　＇Tom　glanced　at　her　face　　it　was　white　with　terror＇　　〃did　you　tear　　no；　look　me　in　the　face〃　＇her　hands　rose　in　appeal＇　　〃did　you　tear　this　book？〃
A　thought　shot　like　lightning　through　Tom's　brain。　He　sprang　to　his　feet　and　shouted　　〃I　done　it！〃
The　school　stared　in　perplexity　at　this　incredible　folly。　Tom　stood　a　moment；　to　gather　his　dismembered　faculties；　and　when　he　stepped　forward　to　go　to　his　punishment　the　surprise；　the　gratitude；　the　adoration　that　shone　upon　him　out　of　poor　Becky's　eyes　seemed　pay　enough　for　a　hundred　floggings。　Inspired　by　the　splendor　of　his　own　act；　he　took　without　an　outcry　the　most　merciless　flaying　that　even　Mr。　Dobbins　had　ever　administered；　and　also　received　with　indifference　the　added　cruelty　of　a　command　to　remain　two　hours　after　school　should　be　dismissed　　for　he　knew　who　would　wait　for　him　outside　till　his　captivity　was　done；　and　not　count　the　tedious　time　as　loss；　either。
Tom　went　to　bed　that　night　planning　vengeance　against　Alfred　Temple；　for　with　shame　and　repentance　Becky　had　told　him　all；　not　forgetting　her　own　treachery；　but　even　the　longing　for　vengeance　had　to　give　way；　soon；　to　pleasanter　musings；　and　he　fell　asleep　at　last　with　Becky's　latest　words　lingering　dreamily　in　his　ear　
〃Tom；　how　could　you　be　so　noble！〃　
CHAPTER　XXI
VACATION　was　approaching。　The　schoolmaster；　always　severe；　grew　severer　and　more　exacting　than　ever；　for　he　wanted　the　school　to　make　a　good　showing　on　〃Examination〃　day。　His　rod　and　his　ferule　were　seldom　idle　now　　at　least　among　the　smaller　pupils。　Only　the　biggest　boys；　and　young　ladies　of　eighteen　and　twenty；　escaped　lashing。　Mr。　Dobbins'　lashings　were　very　vigorous　ones；　too；　for　although　he　carried；　under　his　wig；　a　perfectly　bald　and　shiny　head；　he　had　only　reached　middle　age；　and　there　was　no　sign　of　feebleness　in　his　muscle。　As　the　great　day　approached；　all　the　tyranny　that　was　in　him　came　to　the　surface；　he　seemed　to　take　a　vindictive　pleasure　in　punishing　the　least　shortcomings。　The　consequence　was；　that　the　smaller　boys　spent　their　days　in　terror　and　suffering　and　their　nights　in　plotting　revenge。　They　threw　away　no　opportunity　to　do　the　master　a　mischief。　But　he　kept　ahead　all　the　time。　The　retribution　that　followed　every　vengeful　success　was　so　sweeping　and　majestic　that　the　boys　always　retired　from　the　field　badly　worsted。　At　last　they　conspired　together　and　hit　upon　a　plan　that　promised　a　dazzling　victory。　They　swore　in　the　sign…painter's　boy；　told　him　the　scheme；　and　asked　his　help。　He　had　his　own　reasons　for　being　delighted；　for　the　master　boarded　in　his　father's　family　and　had　given　the　boy　ample　cause　to　hate　him。　The　master's　wife　would　go　on　a　visit　to　the　country　in　a　few　days；　and　there　would　be　nothing　to　interfere　with　the　plan；　the　master　always　prepared　himself　for　great　occasions　by　getting　pretty　well　fuddled；　and　the　sign…painter's　boy　said　that　when　the　dominie　had　reached　the　proper　condition　on　Examination　Evening　he　would　〃manage　the　thing〃　while　he　napped　in　his　chair；　then　he　would　have　him　awakened　at　the　right　time　and　hurried　away　to　school。
In　the　fulness　of　time　the　interesting　occasion　arrived。　At　eight　in　the　evening　the　schoolhouse　was　brilliantly　lighted；　and　adorned　with　wreaths　and　festoons　of　foliage　and　flowers。　The　master　sat　throned　in　his　great　chair　upon　a　raised　platform；　with　his　blackboard　behind　him。　He　was　looking　tolerably　mellow。　Three　rows　of　benches　on　each　side　and　six　rows　in　front　of　him　were　occupied　by　the　dignitaries　of　the　town　and　by　the　parents　of　the　pupils。　To　his　left；　back　of　the　rows　of　citizens；　was　a　spacious　temporary　platform　upon　which　were　seated　the　scholars　who　were　to　take　part　in　the　exercises　of　the　evening；　rows　of　small　boys；　washed　and　dressed　to　an　intolerable　state　of　discomfort；　rows　of　gawky　big　boys；　snowbanks　of　girls　and　young　ladies　clad　in　lawn　and　muslin　and　conspicuously　conscious　of　their　bare　arms；　their　grandmothers'　ancient　trinkets；　their　bits　of　pink　and　blue　ribbon　and　the　flowers　in　their　hair。　All　the　rest　of　the　house　was　filled　with　non…participating　scholars。
The　exercises　began。　A　very　little　boy　stood　up　and　sheepishly　recited；　〃You'd　scarce　expect　one　of　my　age　to　speak　in　public　on　the　stage；〃　etc。　　accompanying　himself　with　the　painfully　exact　and　spasmodic　gestures　which　a　machine　might　have　used　　supposing　the　machine　to　be　a　trifle　out　of　order。　But　he　got　through　safely；　though　cruelly　scared；　and　got　a　fine　round　of　applause　when　he　made　his　manufactured　bow　and　retired。
A　little　shamefaced　girl　lisped；　〃Mary　had　a　little　lamb；〃　etc。；　performed　a　compassion…inspiring　curtsy；　got　her　meed　of　applause；　and　sat　down　flushed　and　happy。
Tom　Sawyer　stepped　forward　with　conceited　confidence　and　soared　into　the　unquenchable　and　indestructible　〃Give　me　liberty　or　give　me　death〃　speech；　with　fine　fury　and　frantic　gesticulation；　and　broke　down　in　the　middle　of　it。　A　ghastly　stage…fright　seized　him；　his　legs　quaked　under　him　and　he　was　like　to　choke。　True；　he　had　the　manifest　sympathy　of　the　house　but　he　had　the　house's　silence；　too；　which　was　even　worse　than　its　sympathy。　The　master　frowned；　and　this　completed　the　disaster。　Tom　struggled　awhile　and　then　retired；　utterly　defeated。　There　was　a　weak　attempt　at　applause；　but　it　died　early。
〃The　Boy　Stood　on　the　Burning　Deck〃　followed；　also　〃The　Assyrian　Came　Down；〃　and　other　declamatory　gems。　Then　there　were　reading　exercises；　and　a　spelling　fight。　The　meagre　Latin　class　recited　with　honor。　The　prime　feature　of　the　evening　was　in　order；　now　　original　〃compositions〃　by　the　young　ladies。　Each　in　her　turn　stepped　forward　to　the　edge　of　the　platform；　cleared　her　throat；　held　up　her　manuscript　（tied　with　dainty　ribbon）；　and　proceeded　to　read；　with　labored　attention　to　〃expression〃　and　punctuation。　The　themes　were　the　same　that　had　been　illuminated　upon　similar　occasions　by　their　mothers　before　them；　their　grandmothers；　and　doubtless　all　their　ancestors　in　the　female　line　clear　back　to　the　Crusades。　〃Friendship〃　was　one；　〃Memories　of　Other　Days〃；　〃Religion　in　History〃；　〃Dream　Land〃；　〃The　Advantages　of　Culture〃；　〃Forms　of　Political　Government　Compared　and　Contrasted〃；　〃Melancholy〃；　〃Filial　Love〃；　〃Heart　Longings；〃　etc。；　etc。
A　prevalent　feature　in　these　compositions　was　a　nursed　and　petted　melancholy；　another　was　a　wasteful　and　opulent　gush　of　〃fine　language〃；　another　was　a　tendency　to　lug　in　by　the　ears　particularly　prized　words　and　phrases　until　they　were　worn　entirely　out；　and　a　peculiarity　that　conspicuously　marked　and　marred　them　was　the　inveterate　and　intolerable　sermon　that　wagged　its　crippled　tail　at　the　end　of　each　and　every　one　of　them。　No　matter　what　the　subject　might　be；　a　brain…racking　effort　was　made　to　squirm　it　into　some　aspect　or　other　that　the　moral　and　religious　mind　could　contemplate　with　edification。　The　glaring　insincerity　of　these　sermons　was　not　sufficient　to　compass　the　banishment　of　the　fashion　from　the　schools；　and　it　is　not　sufficient　to…day；　it　never　will　be　sufficient　while　the　world　stands；　perhaps。　There　is　no　school　in　all　our　land　where　the　young　ladies　do　not　feel　obliged　to　close　their　compositions　with　a　sermon；　and　you　will　find　that　the　sermon　of　the　most　frivolous　and　the　least　religious　girl　in　the　school　is　always　the　longest　and　the　most　relentlessly　pious。　But　enough　of　this。　Homely　truth　is　unpalatable。
Let　us　return　to　the　〃Examination。〃　The　first　composition　that　was　read　was　one　entitled　〃Is　this；　then；　Life？〃　Perhaps　the　reader　can　endure　an　extract　from　it：
〃In　the　common　walks　of　life；　with　what　delightful　emotions　does　the　youthful　mind　look　forward　to　some　anticipated　scene　of　festivity！　Imagination　is　busy　sketching　rose…tinted　pictures　of　joy。　In　fancy；　the　voluptuous　votary　of　fashion　sees　herself　amid　the　festive　throng；　'the　observed　of　all　observers。'　Her　graceful　form；　arrayed　in　snowy　robes；　is　whirling　through　the　mazes　of　the　joyous　dance；　her　eye　is　brigh