THE harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered. So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up. It seemed to him that the noon recess¹ would never come. The air was utterly² dead. There was not a breath stirring. It was the sleepiest of sleepy days. The drowsing murmur³ of the five and twenty studying scholars soothed⁴ the soul like the spell that is in the murmur of bees. Away off in the flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill lifted its soft green sides through a shimmering⁵ veil of heat, tinted⁶ with the purple of distance; a few birds floated on lazy wing high in the air; no other living thing was visible but some cows, and they were asleep. Tom's heart ached to be free, or else to have something of interest to do to pass the dreary⁷ time. His hand wandered into his pocket and his face lit up with a glow of gratitude⁸ that was prayer, though he did not know it. Then furtively⁹ the percussion-cap box came out. He released the tick and put him on the long flat desk. The creature probably glowed with a gratitude that amounted to prayer, too, at this moment, but it was premature¹⁰: for when he started thankfully to travel off, Tom turned him aside with a pin and made him take a new direction.

Tom's bosom¹¹ friend sat next him, suffering just as Tom had been, and now he was deeply and gratefully interested in this entertainment in an instant. This bosom friend was Joe Harper. The two boys were sworn friends all the week, and embattled enemies on Saturdays. Joe took a pin out of his lapel and began to assist in exercising the prisoner. The sport grew in interest momently. Soon Tom said that they were interfering¹² with each other, and neither getting the fullest benefit of the tick. So he put Joe's slate¹³ on the desk and drew a line down the middle of it from top to bottom.

"Now," said he, "as long as he is on your side you can stir him up and I'll let him alone; but if you let him get away and get on my side, you're to leave him alone as long as I can keep him from crossing over."

"All right, go ahead; start him up."

The tick escaped from Tom, presently, and crossed the equator. Joe harassed¹⁴ him awhile, and then he got away and crossed back again. This change of base occurred often. While one boy was worrying the tick with absorbing interest, the other would look on with interest as strong, the two heads bowed together over the slate, and the two souls dead to all things else. At last luck seemed to settle and abide¹⁵ with Joe. The tick tried this, that, and the other course, and got as excited and as anxious as the boys themselves, but time and again just as he would have victory in his very grasp, so to speak, and Tom's fingers would be twitching¹⁶ to begin, Joe's pin would deftly¹⁷ head him off, and keep possession. At last Tom could stand it no longer. The temptation was too strong. So he reached out and lent a hand with his pin. Joe was angry in a moment. Said he:

"Tom, you let him alone."

"I only just want to stir him up a little, Joe."

"No, sir, it ain't fair; you just let him alone."

"Blame it, I ain't going to stir him much."

"Let him alone, I tell you."

"I won't!"

"You shall -- he's on my side of the line."

"Look here, Joe Harper, whose is that tick?"

"I don't care whose tick he is -- he's on my side of the line, and you sha'n't touch him."

"Well, I'll just bet I will, though. He's my tick and I'll do what I blame please with him, or die!"

A tremendous whack¹⁸ came down on Tom's shoulders, and its duplicate on Joe's; and for the space of two minutes the dust continued to fly from the two jackets and the whole school to enjoy it. The boys had been too absorbed to notice the hush¹⁹ that had stolen upon the school awhile before when the master came tiptoeing down the room and stood over them. He had contemplated²⁰ a good part of the performance before he contributed his bit of variety to it.

When school broke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher²¹, and whispered in her ear:

"Put on your bonnet²² and let on you're going home; and when you get to the corner, give the rest of 'em the slip, and turn down through the lane and come back. I'll go the other way and come it over 'em the same way."

So the one went off with one group of scholars, and the other with another. In a little while the two met at the bottom of the lane, and when they reached the school they had it all to themselves. Then they sat together, with a slate before them, and Tom gave Becky the pencil and held her hand in his, guiding it, and so created another surprising house. When the interest in art began to wane²³, the two fell to talking. Tom was swimming in bliss²⁴. He said:

"Do you love rats?"

"No! I hate them!"

"Well, I do, too -- live ones. But I mean dead ones, to swing round your head with a string."

"No, I don't care for rats much, anyway. What I like is chewing-gum."

"Oh, I should say so! I wish I had some now."

"Do you? I've got some. I'll let you chew it awhile, but you must give it back to me."

That was agreeable, so they chewed it turn about, and dangled²⁵ their legs against the bench in excess of contentment.

"Was you ever at a circus?" said Tom.

"Yes, and my pa's going to take me again some time, if I'm good."

"I been to the circus three or four times -- lots of times. Church ain't shucks to a circus. There's things going on at a circus all the time. I'm going to be a clown in a circus when I grow up."

"Oh, are you! That will be nice. They're so lovely, all spotted²⁶ up."

"Yes, that's so. And they get slathers of money -- most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say, Becky, was you ever engaged?"

"What's that?"

"Why, engaged to be married."

"No."

"Would you like to?"

"I reckon so. I don't know. What is it like?"

"Like? Why it ain't like anything. You only just tell a boy you won't ever have anybody but him, ever ever ever, and then you kiss and that's all. Anybody can do it."

"Kiss? What do you kiss for?"

"Why, that, you know, is to -- well, they always do that."

"Everybody?"

"Why, yes, everybody that's in love with each other. Do you remember what I wrote on the slate?"

"Ye -- yes."

"What was it?"

"I sha'n't tell you."

"Shall I tell you?"

"Ye -- yes -- but some other time."

"No, now."

"No, not now -- to-morrow."

"Oh, no, now. Please, Becky -- I'll whisper it, I'll whisper it ever so easy."

Becky hesitating, Tom took silence for consent, and passed his arm about her waist and whispered the tale ever so softly, with his mouth close to her ear. And then he added:

"Now you whisper it to me -- just the same."

She resisted, for a while, and then said:

"You turn your face away so you can't see, and then I will. But you mustn't ever tell anybody -- will you, Tom? Now you won't, will you?"

"No, indeed, indeed I won't. Now, Becky."

He turned his face away. She bent²⁷ 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 apron²⁸ 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 tugged²⁹ 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 soothing³⁰ words in his mouth, and was repulsed³¹ 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 repent³² 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 standing³³ back there in the corner, sobbing³⁴, with her face to the wall. Tom's heart smote³⁵ 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 sobs³⁶.

"Becky" -- pleadingly. "Becky, won't you say something?"

More sobs.

Tom got out his chiefest jewel, a brass³⁷ 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 upbraid³⁸ 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

汤姆越想集中注意力看书，脑子就越乱。他只好叹叹气，打了个呵欠，最后取消了看书
学习的念头。他觉得中午放学时间老是不到来。空气死一般寂等，纹丝不动，这是最最发困
的日子。教室里有二十五位学生在用功，他们的读书声就像是一群蜜蜂的嗡嗡叫声，安抚着
人们的心灵，也催人入眠。远处赤日炎炎下，卡第夫山在一层微微闪动的热浪中，显得青翠
欲滴，紫莹莹的，远看上去十分柔和；几只鸟儿悠闲地在高高的天空上翱翔；只有几只牛还
算是活着的东西，可它们却在睡觉。汤姆心急如焚，企盼着早点下课，不然弄点有趣的活计
捣鼓捣鼓来打发时间也好。他七摸八摸地模到了口袋，不知不觉地，他为之一振，满脸露出
感激之情。于是他悄悄地拿出那个雷管筒子，把扁虱放出来，放在那条平平的长条书桌上。
这小东西大概也有种谢天谢地的快感，可是未免高兴得有些太早了，因为正当它感激万分地
要逃走时，汤姆用别针把它翻了个，让它改变了方向。
    汤姆的至友乔·哈帕就坐在他旁边。和汤姆一样，乔·哈帕终于有了出头之日。看见扁
虱，他很感激，一下子对它产生了浓厚的兴趣。这两个朋友平日里是莫逆之交，可到了星期
六就成了对阵的敌人。乔从衣服的翻领上取下别针，开始帮着操练这个小俘虏。这种玩法立
刻有趣多了。不久，汤姆说两个人玩一样东西既不方便也不过瘾。因此他把乔的写字板放到
桌子上，在写字板正中间从上到下划了一条直线。
    他说：“现在只要扁虱在你那边，你就可以拨弄它，我不动手；不过要是你让它跑了，
跑到我这边，你就得让我玩，只要我能保住它，不让它爬过去，你就不准动手。”
    “行，开始吧。让它走。”
    扁虱很快就从汤姆这边逃出去，爬过了界线。乔捉玩了一阵，它又逃掉，跑到汤姆那
边。这样扁虱经常来回两边跑，因此当一个孩子全神贯注地担心扁虱会逃到另一边时，另外
一个也饶有兴趣地在一旁看着。两个脑袋都凑得很近盯着写字板，对周围发生的一切，他俩
全然不顾。后来乔好像非常走运。那扁虱这儿走走，那儿走走，然后又换一边走走，它和两
个孩子一样既兴奋又着急。可是一次又一次，正当它好像是有把握可以获得胜利，汤姆的手
指也正在急着要去拨它的时候，乔用别针灵巧地把它拨了一下，又叫它转回头，还是留在他
这边。最后汤姆实在是忍无可忍，诱惑实在太大了。于是他伸出手去，用他的别针拨了一
下。乔这下子也生气了，说：
    “汤姆，你别动它。”
    “我只是想稍微动它一下，乔。”
    “不，伙计，这不公平；你还是不要动它。”
    “去你的，我又不是使劲拨它。”
    “告诉你，别去动它。”
    “我不愿意！”
    “你得愿意——它在我这边。”
    “听着，乔·哈帕，这扁虱是谁的？”
    “我不管是谁的——现在我这一边，你就不得动它。”“哼，我就动，怎么着？他是我
的，我爱怎么动就怎么动，拼上性命我也不在乎！”
    汤姆的肩膀上重重挨了一击，乔也一样。有两分钟的功夫，他俩的上衣灰尘直冒，弄得
全体同学极为开心。孩子们光顾你争我抢，没有注意到教室里突然变得鸦雀无声。原来老师
早已观察了许久后，这才踮着脚走过来站到了他们跟前。
    中午放学的时候，汤姆飞快跑到贝基·撒切尔那儿，低声耳语道：
    “戴上帽子，装着要回家去；走到拐角时，你就单溜，然后从那巷子再绕回来。我走另
一条路，也用同样的办法甩开他们。”
    于是，一个跟着一群同学走了，另一个跟着另一群走。一会儿之后，他们都到了巷子尽
头。返回学校后，一切都归他俩支配。于是他们坐在一起，面前放着一块写字板，汤姆给贝
基一枝铅笔，然后手把着手教她画，就这样又画了一个令人叫绝的房子。当他们对画画渐渐
不再感兴趣时，就开始说起话来。汤姆沉浸在幸福之中。他说：
    “你喜欢老鼠吗？”
    “不！我讨厌老鼠！”
    “哼，我也讨厌——活老鼠。可我是说死老鼠，用一根线拴着，在头上甩来甩去地玩。”
    “不，不管怎么样，我不大喜欢老鼠。我所喜欢的是口香糖。”
    “啊，我也是。要是现在有就好了。”
    “是吗？我倒有几个。我让你嚼一会儿，不过你要还给我。”
    谈好条件以后，他俩轮流嚼着口香糖，他们悬着腿，坐在长凳上，高兴极了。
    汤姆问：“你看过马戏吗？”
    “看过。我爸说如果我听话的话，他以后还带我去看哩。”
    “我看过三四次马戏——看过好多次。做礼拜和看马戏相比，算不了什么。马戏团演出
时，总是不停地换着花样。我打算长大后到马戏团当小丑。”
    “啊，真的吗！那倒不错。小丑满身画着点点，真可爱。”
    “是的，一点也不错。他们能赚大把大把的钞票——差不多一天赚一块，本·罗杰斯说
的。嘿，贝基，你订过婚吗？”
    “订婚是什么？”
    “哦，订婚就是快要结婚了。”
    “没有。”
    “你愿意订婚吗？”
    “我想是愿意的。我不知道。订婚究竟是怎么回事？”“怎么回事？说不上怎么回事。
你对一个男孩子说除了他，你将永远永远，永远不和别人相好，然后你就和他接吻，就这么
回事。人人都能做到。”
    “接吻？接吻干什么？”
    “哎，那，你知道，就是——嘿，人家都是那样做的。”
    “人人都这样？”
    “哎，对，彼此相爱的人都这样。你还记得我在写字板上写的字吗？”
    “记——记得。”
    “写的是什么？”
    “我不告诉你。”
    “那我告诉你。”
    “好——好吧——还是以后再说吧。”
    “不，现在说。”
    “不行，现在不能说——明天再说吧。”
    “不，不行，就现在说。求求你，贝基——我小声说，我轻轻地说。”
    贝基正在犹豫，汤姆认为她是默许了，于是用胳膊搂住她的腰，嘴靠近她的耳朵，轻声
细语地讲了那句话。接着他又补充道：
    “现在你也轻轻地对我说——同样的话。”
    她先拒绝了一会，然后说：
    “你把脸转过去，别看着我，我就说。但是你千万不要对别人说，好吗？汤姆，你不对
别人说吧！”
    “不说，我保证，保证不说。来吧，贝基。”
    他把脸转过去。她胆怯地弯下腰，一直到她的呼吸吹动了汤姆的鬈发，才悄声地说：
“我——爱——你！”
    她说完就围着书桌和板凳跑起来，汤姆在后面追她；最后她躲在拐角里，用白色围裙遮
住脸。汤姆一把抱紧她的脖子，求她：
    “好了，贝基，现在一切都做了——就差接吻了。不要害怕——没什么大不了的。求你
了，贝基。”他使劲拉她的围裙和手。
    渐渐地她让了步，她把手放下来。刚才一阵折腾使她的脸都红了，她抬起头，顺从了汤
姆。汤姆吻了她红红的嘴唇，说道：
    “好了，贝基，该做的都做了。要知道，从今往后你只能爱我不能跟别人好，只能嫁给
我不能和别人结婚，永远、永远、不变，好吗？”
    “好的。汤姆，我只跟你相爱，不爱别人，我只嫁给你，不和别人结婚——你也一样除
了我不能娶别人。”
    “对对，对对。还有，通常我们在上学或放学的时候，要是没有旁人在场的话，你就和
我一块走——开舞会的时候，你选我做伴，我选你做伴，因为订了婚的人都是这样的。”
    “真是太有意思了。我以前还从没听说过。”
    “啊，这才有趣哪！嘿，我和艾美·劳伦斯——”
    贝基睁大了两只眼睛望着他，汤姆这才发现自己已铸成了大错，于是他住了口，有点不
知所措的样子。
    “啊，汤姆！那么，我还不是头一个和你订婚的呀！”
    这小女孩开始哭了起来。汤姆说：
    “哦，贝基，不要哭，我已经不再喜欢她了。”
    “哼，喜欢不喜欢她，你汤姆心中有数。”
    汤姆想伸出胳膊去搂她的脖子，可是被她推开了。她转脸对着墙，继续在哭。汤姆又试
了一次，嘴里还讲着好话，可是她还是不理他。这一下伤了他的面子，于是他大步流星，来
到外面。他在附近站了一会儿，心里很乱，十分着急，不时地朝门口瞅一瞅，希望她会后
悔，会出来找他。可是她没有。这样他渐渐觉得不对劲，害怕自己真地犯了错。经过一番激
烈的思想斗争，他镇定下来，走进教室去认错。她还站在教室后面的拐角处，脸冲着墙，在
抽泣。汤姆的良心受到了指责。他走到她身旁站了一会，不知道该怎么办才好。片刻后，他
迟疑不定地说：
    “贝基，我不喜欢别人，只喜欢你。”
    没有应声——只有抽泣。
    “贝基，”——汤姆恳求道，“贝基，你说话好不好？”
    贝基抽泣得更厉害。
    汤姆把他最珍贵的宝贝，一个壁炉柴架顶上的铜把手，拿出来从她背后绕过去给她看，
说：
    “求求你了，贝基，拿着这个好不好？”
    她一把把铜把手打翻在地。于是汤姆大步流星走出教室，翻过小山，走到很远的地方，
那一天他是不打算再回学校了。很快贝基就开始担心了。她跑到门口，没有看见他。她又飞
快地跑到操场，他也不在那里。于是，她就喊：
    “汤姆！回来吧，汤姆！”
    她留神听了听，可是没有回答。伴随她的只有寂寞和孤独。她坐下又哭起来，边哭边生
自己的气；这时候同学们又陆陆续续地来上学了，她虽然伤心欲绝，但只得掩而不露。周围
的陌生人中，没有人替她分忧解愁。她只好在痛苦中熬过那漫长而令人乏味的下午

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