THAT was Tom's great secret -- the scheme to return home with his brother pirates and attend their own funerals. They had paddled over to the Missouri shore on a log, at dusk on Saturday, landing five or six miles below the village; they had slept in the woods at the edge of the town till nearly daylight, and had then crept through back lanes and alleys¹ and finished their sleep in the gallery of the church among a chaos² of invalided³ benches.

At breakfast, Monday morning, Aunt Polly and Mary were very loving to Tom, and very attentive⁴ to his wants. There was an unusual amount of talk. In the course of it Aunt Polly said:

"Well, I don't say it wasn't a fine joke, Tom, to keep everybody suffering 'most a week so you boys had a good time, but it is a pity you could be so hard-hearted as to let me suffer so. If you could come over on a log to go to your funeral, you could have come over and give me a hint some way that you warn't dead, but only run off."

"Yes, you could have done that, Tom," said Mary; "and I believe you would if you had thought of it."

"Would you, Tom?" said Aunt Polly, her face lighting⁵ wistfully. "Say, now, would you, if you'd thought of it?"

"I -- well, I don't know. 'Twould 'a' spoiled everything."

"Tom, I hoped you loved me that much," said Aunt Polly, with a grieved tone that discomforted the boy. "It would have been something if you'd cared enough to think of it, even if you didn't do it."

"Now, auntie, that ain't any harm," pleaded Mary; "it's only Tom's giddy way -- he is always in such a rush that he never thinks of anything."

"More's the pity. Sid would have thought. And Sid would have come and done it, too. Tom, you'll look back, some day, when it's too late, and wish you'd cared a little more for me when it would have cost you so little."

"Now, auntie, you know I do care for you," said Tom.

"I'd know it better if you acted more like it."

"I wish now I'd thought," said Tom, with a repentant⁶ tone; "but I dreamt about you, anyway. That's something, ain't it?"

"It ain't much -- a cat does that much -- but it's better than nothing. What did you dream?"

"Why, Wednesday night I dreamt that you was sitting over there by the bed, and Sid was sitting by the woodbox, and Mary next to him."

"Well, so we did. So we always do. I'm glad your dreams could take even that much trouble about us."

"And I dreamt that Joe Harper's mother was here."

"Why, she was here! Did you dream any more?"

"Oh, lots. But it's so dim, now."

"Well, try to recollect⁸ -- can't you?"

"Somehow it seems to me that the wind -- the wind blowed the -- the --"

"Try harder, Tom! The wind did blow something. Come!"

Tom pressed his fingers on his forehead an anxious minute, and then said:

"I've got it now! I've got it now! It blowed the candle!"

"Mercy on us! Go on, Tom -- go on!"

"And it seems to me that you said, 'Why, I believe that that door --'"

"Go on, Tom!"

"Just let me study a moment -- just a moment. Oh, yes -- you said you believed the door was open."

"As I'm sitting here, I did! Didn't I, Mary! Go on!"

"And then -- and then -- well I won't be certain, but it seems like as if you made Sid go and -- and --"

"Well? Well? What did I make him do, Tom? What did I make him do?"

"You made him -- you -- Oh, you made him shut it."

"Well, for the land's sake! I never heard the beat of that in all my days! Don't tell me there ain't anything in dreams, any more. Sereny Harper shall know of this before I'm an hour older. I'd like to see her get around this with her rubbage 'bout⁷ superstition⁹. Go on, Tom!"

"Oh, it's all getting just as bright as day, now. Next you said I warn't BAD, only mischeevous and harum-scarum, and not any more responsible than -- than -- I think it was a colt, or something."

"And so it was! Well, goodness gracious! Go on, Tom!"

"And then you began to cry."

"So I did. So I did. Not the first time, neither. And then --"

"Then Mrs. Harper she began to cry, and said Joe was just the same, and she wished she hadn't whipped him for taking cream when she'd throwed it out her own self --"

"Tom! The sperrit was upon you! You was a prophesying¹⁰ -- that's what you was doing! Land alive, go on, Tom!"

"Then Sid he said -- he said --"

"I don't think I said anything," said Sid.

"Yes you did, Sid," said Mary.

"Shut your heads and let Tom go on! What did he say, Tom?"

"He said -- I think he said he hoped I was better off where I was gone to, but if I'd been better sometimes --"

"There, d'you hear that! It was his very words!"

"And you shut him up sharp."

"I lay I did! There must 'a' been an angel there. There was an angel there, somewheres!"

"And Mrs. Harper told about Joe scaring her with a firecracker, and you told about Peter and the Painkiller¹¹ --"

"Just as true as I live!"

"And then there was a whole lot of talk 'bout dragging the river for us, and 'bout having the funeral Sunday, and then you and old Miss Harper hugged and cried, and she went."

"It happened just so! It happened just so, as sure as I'm a-sitting in these very tracks. Tom, you couldn't told it more like if you'd 'a' seen it! And then what? Go on, Tom!"

"Then I thought you prayed for me -- and I could see you and hear every word you said. And you went to bed, and I was so sorry that I took and wrote on a piece of sycamore bark, 'We ain't dead -- we are only off being pirates,' and put it on the table by the candle; and then you looked so good, laying there asleep, that I thought I went and leaned over and kissed you on the lips."

"Did you, Tom, did you! I just forgive you everything for that!" And she seized the boy in a crushing embrace that made him feel like the guiltiest of villains¹².

"It was very kind, even though it was only a -- dream," Sid soliloquized just audibly.

"Shut up, Sid! A body does just the same in a dream as he'd do if he was awake. Here's a big Milum apple I've been saving for you, Tom, if you was ever found again -- now go 'long to school. I'm thankful to the good God and Father of us all I've got you back, that's long-suffering and merciful to them that believe on Him and keep His word, though goodness knows I'm unworthy of it, but if only the worthy¹³ ones got His blessings¹⁴ and had His hand to help them over the rough places, there's few enough would smile here or ever enter into His rest when the long night comes. Go 'long Sid, Mary, Tom -- take yourselves off -- you've hendered me long enough."

The children left for school, and the old lady to call on Mrs. Harper and vanquish¹⁵ her realism with Tom's marvellous dream. Sid had better judgment¹⁶ than to utter the thought that was in his mind as he left the house. It was this: "Pretty thin -- as long a dream as that, without any mistakes in it!"

What a hero Tom was become, now! He did not go skipping and prancing¹⁷, but moved with a dignified¹⁸ swagger as became a pirate who felt that the public eye was on him. And indeed it was; he tried not to seem to see the looks or hear the remarks as he passed along, but they were food and drink to him. Smaller boys than himself flocked at his heels, as proud to be seen with him, and tolerated by him, as if he had been the drummer at the head of a procession or the elephant leading a menagerie into town. Boys of his own size pretended not to know he had been away at all; but they were consuming with envy, nevertheless. They would have given anything to have that swarthy suntanned skin of his, and his glittering notoriety; and Tom would not have parted with either for a circus.

At school the children made so much of him and of Joe, and delivered such eloquent¹⁹ admiration²⁰ from their eyes, that the two heroes were not long in becoming insufferably "stuck-up." They began to tell their adventures to hungry listeners -- 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 serenely²² puffing²³ around, the very summit of glory was reached.

Tom decided²⁴ that he could be independent of Becky Thatcher²⁵ now. Glory was sufficient. He would live for glory. Now that he was distinguished²⁶, 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 forth²⁷ 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 diligent²⁸ to avoid betraying that he knew she was about. Presently she gave over sky-larking, and moved irresolutely²⁹ about, sighing once or twice and glancing furtively³⁰ 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 pang³¹ and grew disturbed and uneasy at once. She tried to go away, but her feet were treacherous³², and carried her to the group instead. She said to a girl almost at Tom's elbow -- with sham³³ vivacity³⁴:

"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 "standing³⁵ within three feet of it."

"Oh, may I come?" said Grace Miller³⁶.

"Yes."

"And me?" said Sally Rogers.

"Yes."

"And me, too?" said Susy Harper. "And Joe?"

"Yes."

And so on, with clapping of joyful³⁷ 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 chattering³⁸, 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 moody³⁹, with wounded pride, till the bell rang. She roused up, now, with a vindictive⁴⁰ cast in her eye, and gave her plaited tails a shake and said she knew what she'd do.

At recess⁴¹ Tom continued his flirtation⁴² 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 cosily⁴³ 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. Jealousy⁴⁴ ran red-hot through Tom's veins⁴⁵. He began to hate himself for throwing away the chance Becky had offered for a reconciliation⁴⁶. 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 stammer⁴⁷ an awkward assent⁴⁸, 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 prattle⁴⁹ became intolerable. Tom hinted at things he had to attend to; things that must be done; and time was fleeting⁵⁰. But in vain -- the girl chirped⁵¹ 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 gouging⁵². "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 distress⁵³. Becky resumed her picture inspections⁵⁴ 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 melancholy⁵⁵; two or three times she pricked⁵⁶ up her ear at a footstep, but it was a false hope; no Tom came. At last she grew entirely⁵⁷ miserable⁵⁸ 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 musing⁵⁹ into the deserted⁶⁰ schoolhouse. He was humiliated⁶¹ and angry. He easily guessed his way to the truth -- the girl had simply made a convenience of him to vent²¹ 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 scorching⁶² 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

这就是汤姆最大的秘密计划——和他的海盗帮兄弟们一同回家，出席自己的葬礼。星期
六黄昏的时候，他们坐在一块大木头上，顺流而漂，漂到密苏里河的另一边，在离小镇下游
五六英里的地方上了岸。他们在镇外的树林子里睡了一觉，醒来时，天已快亮。然后他们悄
悄地穿过僻静的胡同和小巷，溜进教堂的长廊。那儿堆满了乱七八糟的破凳子。他们又接着
睡，一觉睡到了大天亮。
    星期一早晨吃早饭的时候，波莉姨妈和玛丽对汤姆非常亲近。他要什么都满足他，大家
的话也比平常多得多。谈话中，波莉姨妈说：
    “喂，汤姆，要我说你这个玩笑开得很好，你们几个为了开开心却让我们大家受了几乎
一个星期的罪。你不该那么狠心，让我也跟着吃苦头。你既然能够坐在大木头上来参加自己
的葬礼，那你为什么就不能给我点暗示，说明你是出走而不是死了呢？”
    “是呀，汤姆，姨妈说得对，”玛丽接上说，“我想你要是想到这一点，你一定会那样
做的。”
    “你会不会，汤姆？”波莉姨妈问，脸上一副渴望的神情。
    “你说呀，要是你想到了，你会不会那样做呢？”
    “我——呃，我说不准，要是那样的话，会坏事的。”“汤姆，我原来以为你很把我放
在心上。”波莉姨妈说，她那悲伤的语调使汤姆深感不安。“你以前要是还想到这一点，就
算没办到，那也是很不错的了。”
    “哦，姨妈，别这么想，那没什么关系，”玛丽向着汤姆对姨妈说，“汤姆就是这样
子，毛手毛脚的，做事总是匆匆忙忙，从不考虑什么后果。”
    “那就更不应该。要是换了希德，那就不一样了，他会来告诉我的。汤姆，有朝一日当
你回想往事的时候，你会后悔的：后悔当初不该这样不把我放在心上。这事对你是无所谓。”
    “噢，姨妈，你晓得我真地爱你的。”汤姆说。
    “你要是不光这么说，而且还能做到，我就会更相信你了。”
    “现在我希望当时真地那么想过，”汤姆后悔地说，“不过我在梦里梦见过你呀，这不
也够可以的吗，对不对？”
    “这算什么——连猫也会梦见我的——不过话说回来了，这总比没梦见过我的好。你梦
见我什么了？”
    “噢，是这样的，星期三夜里，我梦见你坐在那个床边，希德靠木箱坐着，玛丽离他不
远。”
    “没错，我们当时是那样坐的。我们常是这样坐法。我很高兴你在梦里也为我们这么操
心。”
    “我还梦见乔·哈帕的妈妈也在这里。”
    “嗳呀，她是来过！还有呢？”
    “噢，多着呢，不过现在记不大清楚了。”
    “那么，尽量回想一下行不行？”
    “我记得好像风——风吹灭了——吹灭了——”
    “好好想一想，汤姆！风的确吹灭了什么东西，说呀！”
    汤姆把手指放在脑门上，一副很着急的样子。他想了一会说：
    “我想起来了！风吹灭了蜡烛！”
    “我的天哪！太对了！接着说，汤姆——再接着说！”
    “我记得好像你说了，嗐，我想那门……”
    “往下说，汤姆！”
    “让我稍微回想一下——别着急。哦，对了，你说你想门是开着的。”
    “我当时就像现在这样坐在这儿，我确实说过！对吧，玛丽！汤姆往下说！”
    “后来……后来……后来发生的事，我有点吃不准。不过我仿佛记得你让希德去……
去……。”
    “去哪儿？说呀？汤姆，我让他去干什么？他去干什么？”
    “你让他……你……哦，你让他去关上门。”
    “啊，我的天哪！我活了大半辈子都没听说有这样的怪事！现在我明白了梦不全是假
的。我这就去跟赛伦尼·哈帕（乔的母亲）讲，让她来解释解释这个。她一贯不相信迷信，
这回看她还有什么说的。再接着往下说，汤姆！”
    “哦，现在全想起来了。后来，你说我不坏，不过是淘气罢了。有点浮躁，冒冒失失
的。你还说我是个毛头孩子（我想你是这么说的），没一点坏心眼儿。”
    “一字不差！哦，天哪！接着讲，汤姆！”
    “接着你就哭了。”
    “我是哭了。我哭了，那已经是常事了。那后来呢？”
    “后来哈帕夫人也哭了起来。她说乔也是和我一样的孩子，她后悔不该为奶酪的事，用
鞭子抽打他。其实是她自己把奶酪倒掉了——”
    “汤姆，你真神了！你的梦就是预言！”
    “后来希德他说——他说……”
    “我记得我当时好像没说什么。”希德说。
    “不，希德，你说了。”玛丽说。
    “你俩住嘴，让汤姆往下说！他说什么了，汤姆？”
    “他说——我觉得他是这样说的：他希望我在另一个世界里，过得更舒服些，不过要是
我从前某些方面表现得更好些……”
    “瞧，你们听见了吧！当时他正是这么说的！”
    “还有，你让他闭嘴。”
    “我的确这样讲了！这事一定有个高手在帮你的忙。一定有个高手在暗地里帮你的忙！”
    “哈帕夫人还把乔放爆竹吓着她的事讲了一遍，你就讲了彼得和止痛药……”
    “真是千真万确！”
    “后来你们还谈论了很多事情，讲了到河里打捞我们，讲了星期日举行丧礼，后来你和
哈帕夫人抱在一起哭了一场，最后她离开走了。”
    “事情经过确实如此！确实如此，就像我现在坐在这里一样，一点也不差。汤姆，即使
亲眼见过的人，说的也不过如此了！那么后来呢？继续说，汤姆！”
    “我记得后来你为我做了祈祷——我能看见，还能听见你所说的每个字。你上床睡觉
了，我感到非常难过，于是拿出一块梧桐树皮，在上面写道：‘我们没有死，只是去当海盗
了。’还把它放在桌子上的蜡烛旁边；后来你躺在那儿睡着了，看上去没有什么异样。我走
过去，弯下腰来，吻了你的嘴唇。”
    “是吗，汤姆，是吗！为了这一点，我会原谅你一切过错的！”于是她一把搂住这个小
家伙，这一搂反而使他感到自己就像一个罪恶深重的小混蛋。
    “虽然这只是一个——梦，倒也不错。”希德自言自语，声音小得刚好能听见。
    “闭上嘴，希德！一个人梦有所思，日有所为。汤姆，这是我特意为你留的大苹果，打
算要是能找到你，就给你吃——现在去上学吧。你终于回来了，我感谢仁慈的圣父。凡是相
信他，听他话的人，上帝一定会对他们大发慈悲。不过天知道我是不配的。不过要是只有配
受他爱护的人才能得到他的保佑，由他帮助渡过灾难，那就没有几个人能在临死前，能从容
微笑，或是到主那里去安息了。走吧，希德、玛丽，还有汤姆——快走吧——你们耽误了我
很长时间。”
    孩子们动身上学去了，老太太就去我哈帕太太，想以汤姆那个活生生的梦来说服哈帕太
太，梦有时也能成真。希德离开家的时候，对汤姆所讲的心中已有了数。不过，他并没有说
出来，那就是：“这不可信——那么长的一个梦，居然没有一点差错！”
    瞧，汤姆现在可神气了，他成了英雄。他一改往日的蹦蹦跳跳，走路时，腰板挺直，俨
然一副受人注目的海盗相。是的，他从人群中走过时，既不看他们一眼，也不理睬他们说什
么，把他们全不当一回事，小家伙们成群结队跟在他身后，并以此为荣。汤姆也不介意，仿
佛自己成了游行队伍中的鼓手或是进城表演的马戏团中的领头那样受人注目。与他同龄的伙
伴们表面上装着根本不知道他曾走失过那回事，但心里却忌妒得要命。他们要是也能像这个
鬼东西那样，皮肤被晒得黝黑，又如此受人仰目，那死也眠目，但就是拿马戏团来换，汤姆
一样也不愿让给他们。
    在学校里从孩子们羡慕的眼神里可以看出汤姆和乔简直被人给捧上了天。不久，这两位
“英雄”就开始翘尾巴，别人只好强忍着。于是他俩就向那些如饥似渴的“听众”讲起了他
们冒险的经历。可刚一开头，他们就不往下讲，因为他们富于想象力，不时添油加醋，你想
故事能有结束的时候吗？到后来，他们拿出烟斗，不急不忙地抽着烟，四处踱着步。这时，
他们的神气劲达得了登峰造极的地步。
    汤姆横下一条心，没有贝基·撒切尔他也行。只要有荣耀就有一切，他愿为荣耀而活
着。既然现在他出了名，或许她会要求重新和好。不过，那是她的事，她会发现他现在根本
不在乎了。不久，她来了。汤姆装着没看见她，跑到另一群男女孩子们中间说起话来。他很
快发现她脸通红，来回走个不停，四处张望，好像是在追逐同学们，追上一个就笑着大叫一
声，乐乐呵呵的。可是他还注意到她总在他的附近抓人，每抓到一个，都好像有意向他这边
瞟上一眼。汤姆那不可告人的虚荣心全得到了满足，这下他更觉得自己是个人物了，因此对
她越是不动声色，视而不见。她不再嘻戏了，只是犹犹豫豫地走来走去。她叹了一口气，闷
闷不乐地看着汤姆，见他只和艾美·劳伦斯一人讲话，不理睬别的人。她立即感到极度悲
伤，变得烦躁不安。她想走开，可两脚不听使唤，身不由己地来到了同学们一边。她装着满
不在乎的样子对离汤姆十分近的那个女孩说：
    “哟，是玛丽·奥斯汀呀！你这个坏家伙，干吗没去主日学校？”
    “我去了——你没见我去吗？”
    “不错，没看见。你去了？那你坐在什么地方？”
    “我一惯在彼得小姐那一班。不过，我当时倒看见你在那儿。”
    “是吗？真有趣，我居然没看见你。我原想告诉你野餐的事情。”
    “啊，太捧了。谁来操办呢？”
    “我妈打算让我来。”
    “噢，好极了，我希望她会让我参加。”
    “嗯，她会的。野餐是为我举办的。我爱叫谁，她都愿意。我爱叫你来，她当然愿意
喽。”“棒极了。什么时候办呀？”
    “要不了多久，也许放假就办。”
    “好，这太有意思了！你打算请所有的男女同学吗？”
    “对，凡是我的朋友，我都请。还有想和我交朋友的人，我也请。”说完，她偷偷瞥了
一眼汤姆，可是他正跟艾美·劳伦斯讲岛上那场可怕的暴风雨的故事：当时一道闪电划破长
空，把那棵大梧桐树“劈成碎片”，而他自己站得离那棵大梧桐树还“不到三英尺远”。
    “喂，我能参加吗？”格雷赛·米勒说。
    “能。”
    “还有我呐？”莎丽·罗杰问。
    “你也能。”
    “我也能吗？”苏赛·哈帕问道，“乔呢？”
    “都能去。”
    就这样，除汤姆和艾美以外，所有的孩子都高兴地拍着手，要求贝基请他们参加野餐。
汤姆冷冰冰地转身带着艾美走了，边走边和她谈着。见到这情景，贝基气得嘴唇发抖，泪往
上涌。她强装笑脸，不让别人看出有什么异样来，继续聊着。可是野餐的事现在失去了意
义，一切都黯然失色。她马上跑开，找了一个无人的地方，照她们的说法“痛哭了一场”。
由于自尊心受到了伤害，她闷闷不乐地坐在那里，一直坐到上课铃响，这时，她站起身来，
瞪大眼睛，一副复仇的样子，把辫子往后一甩说：有他好看的。
    课间休息的时候，汤姆继续和艾美逗乐，一副得意洋洋、心满意足的样子。他走来窜去
想让贝基看见，以此来激怒她，伤她的心。最后，他终于在教室后面找到她。可他却像泄了
气的皮球似的，情绪一落千丈。原来，贝基正舒舒服服地坐在一条小板凳上和阿尔费雷
德·邓波儿一起在看画书。他们看得聚精会神，头也凑得很近，仿佛世上只有他俩存在。嫉
妒的火焰在汤姆身上燃烧起来。他开始憎恨自己，骂自己是个傻瓜，白白放弃了贝基给他言
归于好的机会。凡是能骂自己的话，他都派上了用场。他又急又气，直想放声大哭一场。而
艾美此时却很开心，边走边快快活活地聊着。汤姆一句也听不进去，只是默默无语地往前
走。艾美有时停下来，等他答话，他很尴尬，答得总是前言不对后语，不管问他什么，回答
都是是的，是的。他忍不住一次又一次地走到教室后面，看见那可恨的一幕，气得他眼球都
要掉了出来。更让他发疯的是贝基·撒切尔根本就没有把他放在眼里，不知道世上还有他这
个大活宝（他是这么想的）。实际上贝基已发现他来了，她知道这次较量中自己赢了，见现
在轮到汤姆受罪，她十分高兴。
    艾美兴高采烈地叽叽喳喳说个不停，汤姆感到无法忍受。他暗示自己有事要办，而且时
间不等人，必须马上就去做；可那个姑娘根本没明白过来，还是照讲不停。汤姆想：“哎，
该死的，怎么老是缠着我不放。”到后来他非走不可了，可她仍是糊里糊涂，还说什么她会
来“等他”。于是汤姆只得匆匆地悻悻离去。
    汤姆咬牙切齿地想：“要是城里别的孩子那也就算了，可偏碰上圣路易斯来的这个自以
为聪明的花花公子。那又怎么样，你刚一踏上这块土地，我不就揍了你一顿吗？只要让我逮
住，你还得挨揍，那我可就……”
    于是他拳打脚踢，平空乱舞一通，仿佛正在打那个孩子，挖他的眼睛。“我揍你，我揍
你，不叫求饶！我要让你记住这个教训。”这场想象的打斗以对方失败而告终，汤姆感到心
满意足。
    中午时分，汤姆溜回家。有两件事让他很头疼：一是艾美的欢乐，他受不了她的纠缠；
二是教室后面的那一幕，嫉妒让他再也不能经受别的打击了。贝基继续和阿尔费雷德看画
书，时间一分一秒地过去，她想看汤姆的笑话，可汤姆却没有来，她那得意的心里不免蒙上
一层阴影，于是她不再沾沾自喜了，继之而来的是心情沉重。她不能集中思想，到后来又变
得心情忧郁。可是希望总是落空，汤姆并没有来。最后她伤心极了，后悔自己把事情做过了
头。那个可怜的阿尔弗雷德见她心不在焉就不停地大声说道：“喂，你看这一张真有趣！”
    这回，她终于耐不住性子了，说：“哼，别烦我了！我不喜欢这些东西！”说完，她突
然大哭起来，站起身扭头就走。
    阿尔弗雷德跟在她身边想安慰她，可是她却说：
    “滚开，别管我！我讨厌你！”
    于是这孩子便止住了脚步，纳闷自己是不是做错了什么——因为事先说好了整个中午休
息时，她都要和他一块儿看画书的——可是现在她却哭着走了。他苦思冥想来到了空荡荡的
教室，感到受了羞辱，非常恼火。很快，他琢磨出了事情的缘由；原来他成了这个女孩子对
汤姆·索亚发泄私愤的工具。想到这一点，他越发痛恨汤姆。他希望能找个办法既能让这家
伙吃苦头又不连累自己。这时，汤姆的拼音课本跃入他的眼帘。报复的机会来了，他乐滋滋
地把书翻到当天下午要学的那一课，然后把墨水泼在了上面。
    阿尔弗雷德的这一举动被站在他身后窗户外面的贝基发现了，她马上不露声色地走开。
她打算回家把这事告诉汤姆，他一定会感激她，然后尽释前嫌，重归于好。可到了半道上，
她又改变了主意。一想起汤姆在她说野餐时的那副神气样，她心里阵阵灼热，感到无地自
容。她下定决心，一来让汤姆因此受鞭笞；二来永远恨他

上一篇：汤姆·索亚历险记（The Adventures of Tom Sawyer）第十七章　海 下一篇：汤姆·索亚历险记（The Adventures of Tom Sawyer）第十九章　汤