Chapter IV. Tom Is Expected

,ornextdoor.Nay,nay,Iaren’tgoin’tobothermysenaboutDutchmen.There’sfoolsenoo,an’roguesenoo,wi’outlookin’i’booksfor’em.” “Oh,well,”saidMaggie,ratherfoiledbyLuke’sunexpectedlydecidedviewsaboutDutchmen,“perhapsyouwouldlike‘AnimatedNature’betterthat’snotDutchmen,youknow,butelephantsandkangaroos,andthecivet-cat,andthesunfish,andabirdsittingonitstail,—Iforgetitsname.Therearecountriesfullofthosecreatures,insteadofhorsesandcows,youknow.Shouldn’tyouliketoknowaboutthem,Luke?” “Nay,Miss,I’ngottokeepcounto’theflouran’cornIcan’tdowi’knowin’somanythingsbesidesmywork.That’swhatbringsfolkstothegallows,—knowin’everythingbutwhatthey’ngottogettheirbreadby.An’they’remostlylies,Ithink,what’sprintedi’thebooks:themprintedsheetsare,anyhow,asthemencryi’thestreets.” “Why,you’relikemybrotherTom,Luke,”saidMaggie,wishingtoturntheconversationagreeably“Tom’snotfondofreading.IloveTomsodearly,Luke,—betterthananybodyelseintheworld.WhenhegrowsupIshallkeephishouse,andweshallalwayslivetogether.Icantellhimeverythinghedoesn’tknow.ButIthinkTom’sclever,forallhedoesn’tlikebookshemakesbeautifulwhipcordandrabbit-pens.” “Ah,”saidLuke,“buthe’llbefinean’vexed,astherabbitsarealldead.” “Dead!”screamedMaggie,jumpingupfromherslidingseatonthecorn.“Ohdear,Luke!What!thelop-earedone,andthespotteddoethatTomspentallhismoneytobuy?” “Asdeadasmoles,”saidLuke,fetchinghiscomparisonfromtheunmistakablecorpsesnailedtothestablewall. “Ohdear,Luke,”saidMaggie,inapiteoustone,whilethebigtearsrolleddownhercheek“Tomtoldmetotakecareof’em,andIforgot.WhatshallIdo?” “Well,yousee,Miss,theywereinthatfartool-house,an’itwasnobody’sbusinesstoseeto’em.IreckonMasterTomtoldHarrytofeed’em,butthere’snocountin’onHarryhe’saoffalcreaturasivercomeabouttheprimises,heis.Heremembersnothingbuthisowninside—an’Iwishit’udgripehim.” “Oh,Luke,TomtoldmetobesureandremembertherabbitseverydaybuthowcouldI,whent