Chapter V. Tom Comes Home

himsuspectthattheladhadbeenhardupon“thelittleun,”elseshewouldneverhavelefthisside.“Andbegoodtoher,doyouhear?ElseI’llletyouknowbetter.” Tomneverdisobeyedhisfather,forMrTulliverwasaperemptoryman,and,ashesaid,wouldneverletanybodygetholdofhiswhip-handbuthewentoutrathersullenly,carryinghispieceofplumcake,andnotintendingtoreprieveMaggie’spunishment,whichwasnomorethanshedeserved.Tomwasonlythirteen,andhadnodecidedviewsingrammarandarithmetic,regardingthemforthemostpartasopenquestions,buthewasparticularlyclearandpositiveononepoint,—namely,thathewouldpunisheverybodywhodeservedit.Why,hewouldn’thavemindedbeingpunishedhimselfifhedeserveditbut,then,heneverdiddeserveit. ItwasTom’sstep,then,thatMaggieheardonthestairs,whenherneedoflovehadtriumphedoverherpride,andshewasgoingdownwithherswolleneyesanddishevelledhairtobegforpity.Atleastherfatherwouldstrokeherheadandsay,“Nevermind,mywench.”Itisawonderfulsubduer,thisneedoflove,—thishungeroftheheart,—asperemptoryasthatotherhungerbywhichNatureforcesustosubmittotheyoke,andchangethefaceoftheworld. ButsheknewTom’sstep,andherheartbegantobeatviolentlywiththesuddenshockofhope.Heonlystoodstillatthetopofthestairsandsaid,“Maggie,you’retocomedown.”Butsherushedtohimandclungroundhisneck,sobbing,“Oh,Tom,pleaseforgiveme—Ican’tbearit—Iwillalwaysbegood—alwaysrememberthings—doloveme—please,dearTom!” Welearntorestrainourselvesaswegetolder.Wekeepapartwhenwehavequarrelled,expressourselvesinwell-bredphrases,andinthiswaypreserveadignifiedalienation,showingmuchfirmnessononeside,andswallowingmuchgriefontheother.Wenolongerapproximateinourbehaviourtothemereimpulsivenessoftheloweranimals,butconductourselvesineveryrespectlikemembersofahighlycivilisedsociety.MaggieandTomwerestillverymuchlikeyounganimals,andsoshecouldrubhercheekagainsthis,andkisshisearinarandomsobbingwayandthereweretenderfibresintheladthathadbeenusedtoanswertoMaggie’sfondling,sothathebehavedwithaweaknessquiteinconsistentwithhisresolutiontopunishherasmuchasshedeserved.Heactuallybegantokissherinreturn,andsay,— “Don’tcry,then,Magsiehere,eatabito’cake.” Maggie’ssobsbegantosubside,andsheputouthermouthforthecakeandbitapieceandthenTombitapiece,justforcompany,andtheyatetogetherandrubbedeachother’scheeksandbrowsandnosestogether,whiletheyate,withahumiliatingresemblancetotwofriendlyponies. “Comealong,Magsie,andhavetea,”saidTomatlast,whentherewasnomorecakeexceptwhatwasdown-stairs. Soendedthesorrowsofthisday,andthenextmorningMaggiewastrottingwithherownfishing-rodinonehandandahandleofthebasketintheother,steppingalways,byapeculiargift,inthemuddiestplaces,andlookingdarklyradiantfromunderherbeaver-bonnetbecauseTomwasgoodtoher.ShehadtoldTom,however,thatsheshouldlikehimtoputthewormsonthehookforher,althoughsheacceptedhiswordwhenheassuredherthatwormscouldn’tfeel(itwasTom’sprivateopinionthatitdidn’tmuchmatteriftheydid).Heknewallaboutworms,andfish,andthosethingsandwhatbirdsweremischievous,andhowpadlocksopened,andwhichwaythehandlesofthegatesweretobelifted.Maggiethoughtthissortofknowledgewasverywonderful,—muchmoredifficultthanrememberingwhatwasinthebooksandshewasratherinaweofTom’ssuperiority,forhewastheonlypersonwhocalledherknowledge“stuff,”anddidnotfeelsurprisedathercleverness.Tom,indeed,wasofopinionthatMaggiewasasillylittlethingallgirlsweresilly,—theycouldn’tthrowastonesoastohitanything,couldn’tdoanythingwithapocket-knife,andwerefrightenedatfrogs.Still,hewasveryfondofhissister,andmeantalwaystotakecareofher,makeherhishousekeeper,andpunishherwhenshedidwrong. TheywereontheirwaytotheRoundPool,—thatwonderfulpool,whichthefloodshadmadealong