Chapter VI. The Aunts and Uncles Are Coming

tedyoutohaveityouknowIdid,”saidMaggie,inaninjuredtone. “Yes,butIwasn’tgoingtodowhatwasn’tfair,likeSpouncer.Healwaystakesthebestbit,ifyoudon’tpunchhimforitandifyouchoosethebestwithyoureyesshut,hechangeshishands.ButifIgohalves,I’llgo’emfaironlyIwouldn’tbeagreedy.” Withthiscuttinginnuendo,Tomjumpeddownfromhisbough,andthrewastonewitha“hoigh!”asafriendlyattentiontoYap,whohadalsobeenlookingonwhiletheeatablesvanished,withanagitationofhisearsandfeelingswhichcouldhardlyhavebeenwithoutbitterness.YettheexcellentdogacceptedTom’sattentionwithasmuchalacrityasifhehadbeentreatedquitegenerously. ButMaggie,giftedwiththatsuperiorpowerofmiserywhichdistinguishesthehumanbeing,andplaceshimataprouddistancefromthemostmelancholychimpanzee,satstillonherbough,andgaveherselfuptothekeensenseofunmeritedreproach.Shewouldhavegiventheworldnottohaveeatenallherpuff,andtohavesavedsomeofitforTom.Notbutthatthepuffwasverynice,forMaggie’spalatewasnotatallobtuse,butshewouldhavegonewithoutitmanytimesover,soonerthanTomshouldcallhergreedyandbecrosswithher.Andhehadsaidhewouldn’thaveit,andsheateitwithoutthinkinghowcouldshehelpit?ThetearsflowedsoplentifullythatMaggiesawnothingaroundherforthenexttenminutesbutbythattimeresentmentbegantogivewaytothedesireofreconciliation,andshejumpedfromherboughtolookforTom.Hewasnolongerinthepaddockbehindtherickyardwherewashelikelytobegone,andYapwithhim?Maggierantothehighbankagainstthegreatholly-tree,whereshecouldseefarawaytowardtheFloss.TherewasTombutherheartsankagainasshesawhowfaroffhewasonhiswaytothegreatriver,andthathehadanothercompanionbesidesYap,—naughtyBobJakin,whoseofficial,ifnotnatural,functionoffrighteningthebirdswasjustnowatastandstill.MaggiefeltsurethatBobwaswicked,withoutverydistinctlyknowingwhyunlessitwasbecauseBob’smotherwasadreadfullylargefatwoman,wholivedataqueerroundhousedowntheriverandonce,whenMaggieandTomhadwanderedthither,thererushedoutabrindleddogthatwouldn’tstopbarkingandwhenBob’smothercameoutafterit,andscreamedabovethebarkingtotellthemnottobefrightened,Maggiethoughtshewasscoldingthemfiercely,andherheartbeatwithterror.Maggiethoughtitverylikelythattheroundhousehadsnakesonthefloor,andbatsinthebedroomforshehadseenBobtakeoffhiscaptoshowTomalittlesnakethatwasinsideit,andanothertimehehadahandfulofyoungbats:altogether,hewasanirregularcharacter,perhapsevenslightlydiabolical,judgingfromhisintimacywithsnakesandbatsandtocrownall,whenTomhadBobforacompanion,hedidn’tmindaboutMaggie,andwouldneverlethergowithhim. ItmustbeownedthatTomwasfondofBob’scompany.Howcoulditbeotherwise?Bobknew,directlyhesawabird’segg,whetheritwasaswallow’s,oratomtit’s,orayellow-hammer’shefoundoutallthewasps’nests,andcouldsetallsortsoftrapshecouldclimbthetreeslikeasquirrel,andhadquiteamagicalpowerofdetectinghedgehogsandstoatsandhehadcouragetodothingsthatwererathernaughty,suchasmakinggapsinthehedgerows,throwingstonesafterthesheep,andkillingacatthatwaswanderingincognito.Suchqualitiesinaninferior,whocouldalwaysbetreatedwithauthorityinspiteofhissuperiorknowingness,hadnecessarilyafatalfascinationforTomandeveryholiday-timeMaggiewassuretohavedaysofgriefbecausehehadgoneoffwithBob. Well!therewasnohopeforithewasgonenow,andMaggiecouldthinkofnocomfortbuttositdownbythehollow,orwanderbythehedgerow,andfancyitwasalldifferent,refashioningherlittleworldintojustwhatsheshouldlikeittobe. Maggie’swasatroublouslife,andthiswastheforminwhichshetookheropium. MeanwhileTom,forgettingallaboutMaggieandthestingofreproachwhichhehadleftinherheart,washurryingalongwithBob,whomhehadmetaccidentally,tothesceneofagreatrat-catchinginaneighbouringbarn.Bobknewallaboutthisparticularaffair,andspokeofthesportwithanenthusiasmwhichnoonewhoisnoteitherdivestedofallmanlyfeeling,orpitiablyignorantofrat-catching,canfailtoimagine.Forapersonsuspectedofpreternaturalwickedness,Bobwasreallynotsoveryvillanous-lookingtherewasevensomethingagreeableinhissnub-nosedface,withitsclose-curledborderofredhair.Butthenhistrouserswerealwaysrolledupattheknee,fortheconvenienceofwadingontheslightestnoticeandhisvirtue,supposingittoexist,wasundeniably“virtueinrags,”which,ontheauthorityevenofbiliousphilosophers,whothinkallwell-dressedmerito