Chapter 7 (Tom Sawyer (Full Cast))

01Chapter 7.

02A Treat He Entered Into.

03Early Lessons.

04A Mistake Made.

05The harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered.

06So, at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up.

07It seemed to him that the noon recess would never come.

08The air was utterly dead.

09There was not a breath stirring.

10It was the sleepiest of sleepy days.

11The drowsing murmur of the five-and-twenty studying scholars soothed the soul like the spell that is the murmur of bees.

12Away, off in the flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill lifted its soft green sides through a shimmering veil of heat, tinted with the purple of distance.

13A few birds floated on lazy wing high in the air.

14No other living thing was visible but some cows, and they were asleep.

15Tom's heart ached to be free, or else to have something of interest to do to pass the dreary time.

16His hand wandered into his pocket, and his face lit up with a glow of gratitude that was prayer, though he did not know it.

17Then, furtively, the percussion-cap box came out.

18He released the tick, and put him on the long, flat desk.

19The creature probably glowed with a gratitude that amounted to prayer, too, at this moment.

20But it was premature, for when he started thankfully to travel off, Tom turned him aside with a pin and made him take a new direction.

21Tom's bosom friend sat next to him, suffering just as Tom had been, and now he was deeply and gratefully interested in this entertainment in an instant.

22The bosom friend was Joe Harper.

23The two boys were sworn friends all the week, and embattled enemies on Saturdays.

24Joe took a pin out of his lapel and began to assist in exercising the prisoner.

25The sport grew in interest momently.

26Soon Tom said that they were interfering with each other, and neither getting the fullest benefit of the tick.

27So he put Joe's slate on the desk and drew a line down the middle of it, from top to bottom.

28Now, said he, as long as he's on your side, you can stir him up, and I'll let him alone.

29But 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.

30All right.

31Go ahead, stir him up.

32The tick escaped from Tom presently and crossed the equator.

33Joe harassed him a while, and then he got away and crossed back again.

34This change of base occurred often.

35While 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.

36At last, luck seemed to settle and abide with Joe.

37The tick tried this, that, and the other course, and got as excited and as anxious as the boys themselves.

38But time and again, just as he would have victory in his very grasp, so to speak, and Tom's fingers would be twitching to begin, Joe's pin would deftly head him off and keep possession.

39At last, Tom could stand it no longer.

40The temptation was too strong, so he reached out and lent a hand with his pin.

41Joe was angry in a moment.

42Said he, Tom, you let him alone.

43I only just want to stir him up a little, Joe.

44No, sir.

45It ain't fear.

46You just let him alone.

47Blame it.

48I ain't going to stir him much.

49Let him alone, I tell you.

50I won't.

51You shall?

52He's on my side of the line.

53Look here, Joe Harper.

54Whose is that tick?

55I don't care whose tick he is.

56He's on my side of the line, and you shan't touch him.

57Well, I just bet I will, though.

58He's my tick, and I'll do what I blame please with him, or die.

59A tremendous whack 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.

60The boys had been too absorbed to notice the hush that had stolen upon the school a while before the master came tiptoeing down the room and stood over them.

61He had contemplated a good part of the performance before he contributed his bit of variety to it.

62When school broke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher and whispered in her ear, Put on your bonnet and let on your going home, and when you get to the corner, give the rest of them a slit and turn down through the lane and come back.

63I'll go the other way and come it over in the same way.

64So the one went off with one group of scholars, and the other with another.

65In a little while the two met at the bottom of the lane, and when they reached the school they had it all to themselves.

66Then they sat together with the slate before them, and Tom gave Becky the pencil and held her hand in his, guiding it, and so created another surprising house.

67When the interest in art began to wane, the two fell to talking.

68Tom was swimming in bliss.

69He said, Do you love rats?

70No, I hate them.

71Well, I do too, live ones, but I mean dead ones, to swing round your head with a string.

72No, I don't care for rats much anyway.

73What I like is chewing gum.

74Oh, I should say so.

75I wish I had some now.

76Do you?

77I've got some.

78I'll let you chew it a while, but you must give it back to me.

79That was agreeable.

80So they chewed it turned about, and dangled their legs against the bench in excess of contentment.

81Was you ever at a circus?

82said Tom.

83Yes, and my pa's going to take me again sometime, if I'm good.

84I've been to the circus three or four times, lots of times.

85Church ain't shucks to a circus.

86There's things going on at a circus all the time.

87I'm going to be a clown in the circus when I grow up.

88Oh, are you?

89That would be nice.

90They're so lovely, all spotted up.

91Yes, that's so, and they get slathers of money.

92Most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says.

93Say, Becky, was you ever engaged?

94What's that?

95Why, engaged to be married?

96No.

97Would you like to?

98I reckon so.

99I don't know.

100What is it like?

101Like?

102Well, it ain't like anything.

103You only just tell a boy you won't ever have anybody but him ever, ever, ever, and then you kiss and that's all.

104Anybody can do it.

105Kiss?

106What do you kiss for?

107Why, that, you know, is to...

108well, they always do that.

109Everybody?

110Why, yes, everybody that's in love with each other.

111Do you remember what I wrote on the slate?

112Yes.

113What was it?

114I shan't tell you.

115Shall I tell you?

116Yes, but some other time.

117No, now.

118No, not now.

119To-morrow.

120Oh, no, now.

121Please, Becky.

122I'll whisper it.

123I'll whisper it ever so easily.

124Becky.

125Becky, hesitating.

126Tom 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.

127And then he added.

128Now you whisper it to me just the same.

129She resisted for a while and then said, You turn your face away so you can't see.

130And then I will.

131But you mustn't ever tell anybody.

132Will you, Tom?

133Now you won't, will you?

134No, indeed.

135Indeed I won't.

136Now, Becky.

137He turned his face away.

138She bent timidly around till her breath stirred his curls and whispered, I love you.

139Then 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.

140Tom clasped her around her neck and pleaded.

141Now, Becky, it's all done.

142All over but the kiss.

143Don't you be afraid of that.

144It ain't anything at all.

145Please, Becky.

146And he tugged at her apron and the hands.

147By and by she gave up and let her hands drop.

148Her face, all glowing with the struggle, came up and submitted.

149Tom kissed the red lips and said, Now it's all done, Becky.

150And after this, you know, you ain't ever to love anybody but me.

151And you ain't ever to marry anybody but me.

152Ever, never and forever.

153Will you?

154No.

155I'll never love anybody but you, Tom.

156And I'll never marry anybody but you.

157And you ain't to ever marry anybody but me, either.

158Certainly.

159Of course.

160That's part of it.

161And always coming to school or when we're going home, you're to walk with me when there ain't anybody looking.

162And you choose me and I choose you at parties.

163Because that's the way you do when you're engaged.

164It's so nice.

165I never heard of it before.

166Oh, it's ever so gay.

167Why, me and Amy Lawrence...

168The big eyes told Tom his blunder and he stopped, confused.

169Oh, Tom.

170Then I ain't the first you've ever been engaged to.

171The child began to cry.

172Tom said, Oh, don't cry, Becky.

173I don't care for her any more.

174Yes, you do, Tom.

175You know you do.

176Tom tried to put his arm about her neck, but she pushed him away and turned her face to the wall and went on crying.

177Tom tried again, with soothing words in his mouth, and was repulsed again.

178Then his pride was up, and he strode away and went outside.

179He 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.

180But she did not.

181Then he began to feel badly and fear that he was in the wrong.

182It was a hard struggle with him to make new advances now, but he nerved himself to it and entered.

183She was still standing back there in the corner, sobbing with her face to the wall.

184Tom's heart smote him.

185He went to her and stood a moment, not knowing exactly how to proceed.

186Then he said, hesitatingly, Becky, I don't care for anybody but you.

187No reply, but sobs.

188Becky.

189Pleadingly.

190Becky, won't you say something?

191More sobs.

192Tom 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?

193She struck it to the floor.

194Then Tom marched out of the school and over the hills and far away, to return to school no more that day.

195Presently Becky began to suspect.

196She ran to the door.

197He was not in sight.

198She flew around to the play yard.

199He was not there.

200Then she called.

201Tom, come back, Tom.

202Tom.

203She listened intently, but there was no answer.

204She had no companions but silence and loneliness.

205So she sat down to cry again and upbraid herself.

206And 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.

207End of chapter 7 End of chapter 7 End of chapter 7 End of chapter 7 End of chapter 7 End of chapter 7 End of chapter 7 End of chapter 8