登陆注册
5200800000046

第46章

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, then?"

"It was to tell you not to be uneasy about us, because we hadn't got drownded.""Tom, Tom, I would be the thankfullest soul in this world if I could believe you ever had as good a thought as that, but you know you never did -- and I know it, Tom.""Indeed and 'deed I did, auntie -- I wish I may never stir if I didn't.""Oh, Tom, don't lie -- don't do it.It only makes things a hundred times worse.""It ain't a lie, auntie; it's the truth.I wanted to keep you from grieving -- that was all that made me come.""I'd give the whole world to believe that -- it would cover up a power of sins, Tom.I'd 'most be glad you'd run off and acted so bad.But it ain't reasonable; because, why didn't you tell me, child?""Why, you see, when you got to talking about the funeral, I just got all full of the idea of our coming and hiding in the church, and I couldn't somehow bear to spoil it.So I just put the bark back in my pocket and kept mum.""What bark?"

"The bark I had wrote on to tell you we'd gone pirating.I wish, now, you'd waked up when I kissed you -- I do, honest."The hard lines in his aunt's face relaxed and a sudden tenderness dawned in her eyes.

"Did you kiss me, Tom?"

"Why, yes, I did."

"Are you sure you did, Tom?"

"Why, yes, I did, auntie -- certain sure.""What did you kiss me for, Tom?"

"Because I loved you so, and you laid there moaning and I was so sorry."The words sounded like truth.The old lady could not hide a tremor in her voice when she said:

"Kiss me again, Tom! -- and be off with you to school, now, and don't bother me any more."The moment he was gone, she ran to a closet and got out the ruin of a jacket which Tom had gone pirating in.Then she stopped, with it in her hand, and said to herself:

"No, I don't dare.Poor boy, I reckon he's lied about it -- but it's a blessed, blessed lie, there's such a comfort come from it.I hope the Lord -- I know the Lord will forgive him, because it was such goodheartedness in him to tell it.But I don't want to find out it's a lie.I won't look."She put the jacket away, and stood by musing a minute.Twice she put out her hand to take the garment again, and twice she refrained.Once more she ventured, and this time she fortified herself with the thought: "It's a good lie -- it's a good lie -- I won't let it grieve me." So she sought the jacket pocket.A moment later she was reading Tom's piece of bark through flowing tears and saying: "I could forgive the boy, now, if he'd committed a million sins!"

同类推荐
  • 泾皋藏稿

    泾皋藏稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金谷怀古

    金谷怀古

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 根本说一切有部毗奈耶羯耻那衣事

    根本说一切有部毗奈耶羯耻那衣事

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 龙虎还丹诀

    龙虎还丹诀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 风劳臌膈四大证治

    风劳臌膈四大证治

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 海贼之王者征途

    海贼之王者征途

    穿越海贼世界,顺道带了个金手指,一个可以获得王者荣耀里英雄能力的系统,自此,千泽就开始准备在海贼世界秀翻全场。你说青雉厉害,能冰冻大海,看来你是不明白凜冬之力强大;米霍克的剑术确实,不错,但和我剑圣一比,还是差了点;布鲁克的音乐也不咋滴,当我拿起吉他的时候,他就已经输了!看我十步杀一人,千里不留行……
  • 彼岸流光

    彼岸流光

    她逃婚,却意外地来到了他身边,一次次阻挠,都不成问题
  • 青梅竹马之有你真好

    青梅竹马之有你真好

    “这位想必大家都不陌生,她就是当红小花旦童晨曦!也是这部剧的女主角……”著名主持人介绍童晨曦。童晨曦脸上带着礼貌的微笑,看着主持人,心里却想着她实现梦想了,可是一直守护他的人呢?他又在哪里呢?坐在沙发上看着屏幕里的童晨曦,他嘴角牵出一丝微笑,她终于实现梦想了,可是他们还会再相遇吗……
  • 亿万星空我等你

    亿万星空我等你

    他是她这辈子最强大的敌人,然而却在葵树下一见钟情。“没有人能动我的她,一根寒毛也不行,否则,只有用鲜血来偿还!”“没有他的天,心就是冰冷静止的,任何人想要伤害他,都得从我的尸体上踏过去!”一句承诺,千山万水,亿万星空,我等你!
  • 天域武神

    天域武神

    【巅峰聚焦——品牌佳作,强力推荐】武尊世界,位面交汇,万道争锋,群雄荟萃;一个从天域重生的人,墨风,命运转折于武神诀,闯向了下位界;千人瞻仰,万人臣服!高呼“风神墨少”美名!武动天域谁争锋,笑破苍穹我为神!
  • 叩开台湾名人之门

    叩开台湾名人之门

    作为发动“西安事变”的主角张学良,早在1946年就被蒋介石下令用专机秘密押往台湾,从此在台湾度过45年的幽禁岁月。作为“山西王”的阎锡山,曾经独霸山西38年,败退到台湾之后却在阳明山极其偏僻的一角建造窑洞式石屋,惨淡度过生命的*后10年。从此他处于蒋介石特务的严密监视下,终死于非命……本书也关注台湾文化名人的命运:被大陆斥为“反动文人”的著名学者胡适、“自由主义者”国画大师张大千、“三大反动文人之一”钱穆、“两脚踏中西文化的”林语堂,等等。他们在台湾又经历着怎样的动荡与酸楚?本书是这些名人的集体后传,著名传记作家叶永烈多次远赴海峡,为你叩问史实。
  • 嫡妃不吃素

    嫡妃不吃素

    一朝穿越,21世纪金牌天才杀手曲玲珑,十八般武艺全会,居然魂穿到一个小丫头身上,醒来之时却奇异的身居古墓,更得一套失传多年的武功秘籍和遗世医书。人在江湖飘,哪能不挨刀,一刀又一刀,看谁最先倒!人人都说她是妖,既为妖便乱天下。人人都说她狂,既为狂便横着走!【片段一】“你是谁啊,挡住我的路了,好狗不挡道,你爹没教你吗?”“孽女,我是你爹!”“我是你爹,哎呀,别这样子喊嘛,我会害羞的,再说我没那东西,做不了你爹,最多就是只能算是娘!”【片段二】宫宴上,几个大家小姐本想让她出丑,曲玲珑站起身,义正言辞的说道:“弹琴不会,谈情会!”“作诗不会,作死会!”“作画不会,涂鸦会!”“下棋不会,悔棋会!”“救人不会,杀人会!”某王怒:“你这没心没肝的,你就不会为我争一回!”微楞几秒之后,曲玲珑慷慨赴义,“妞们,使出你们的看家本领,姐接招就是了!”【片段三】“姐姐,听说你要给王爷纳妾?”小妾ABCDEFG一个个愤怒不已。“是。”“我们不同意。”“你们同不同意和我没有半毛钱的关系,乖乖给我回房去,别碍着我尊贵的眼,不然我把你们全卖到青楼去!”【片段四】“王爷不好了,王妃跟人私奔了!”某王抬起头,不以为然,反正三天两头她就会上演一次私奔,不管男女老少,只要天时地利人和,她都会和他们私奔,他早已经见怪不怪了!“她出去玩几天玩腻了就会回来!”只是某女一去不回头,某王急了,天天四处乱追,发誓一旦抓到某女,一定要把她扑倒,洞房花烛,生宝宝!曲玲珑的名言就是,人不犯我我不犯人,人若犯我,十倍还之。那些散播谣言的人,那些把她丢出府的人,那些差点害死她娘亲和哥哥的人,那些对她下药的人,她都会一一收拾了,让他们活在水深火热之中,苦不堪言,让他们知道,活着有时候比死更痛苦!斗完亲爹斗姨娘,玩转宅斗风声起,闷骚王爷赖上门。推荐润润旧文——《带着儿子去种田》
  • 昏君,我才是祸国妖姬

    昏君,我才是祸国妖姬

    还有没有天理啊!她居然穿越成寡妇,背了一身债不说,老公的影子都没有。好,你既然不仁,我便不义,不给你多带几顶绿帽子我就不姓红!什么?现在跑出来认她这个妻子了?不好意思请靠边站,姑娘我得挑挑,看谁合我意。是拥有全天下至高无上权利的他?还是邪气痴情的他?还是默默守护的他?还是原装正版的他?
  • 重生共同奋斗的小日子

    重生共同奋斗的小日子

    女主带着为末世准备的物资穿越到了五零年代过自己的小日子文文还瘦,希望有兴趣的小伙伴先收藏,然后养肥再杀!提醒一句:前文准备修改,可以直接从第九十二章开始看
  • 废材来袭,嗜血邪王的宠妻

    废材来袭,嗜血邪王的宠妻

    她,21世纪金牌杀手,一场阴谋后,穿越成了痴呆的苏小姐。他,凌封国手握重兵却身为质子的王爷,性情阴郁,霸道且强势。据闻,一夜间,痴呆小姐逆天,成为闻风丧胆的采草大盗,吃光不算,还强逼娶过门!眼见为实!她抽将军,打皇帝,虐太子,色王爷,闯妓院,闹江湖。痴呆无罪,他却纠缠不清,欲护她一世。谁知,她富可敌国,杀手遍天下,遇神杀神,遇佛杀佛….亲们如果有兴趣,可加QQ群:牡丹专属107358226