Chapter X. Maggie Behaves Worse Than She Expected

handatoasting-forkinherhand,—“Sally,tellmotheritwasMaggiepushedLucyintothemud.” “ButLorsha’massy,howdidyougetnearsuchmudasthat?”saidSally,makingawryface,asshestoopeddownandexaminedthecorpusdelicti. Tom’simaginationhadnotbeenrapidandcapaciousenoughtoincludethisquestionamongtheforeseenconsequences,butitwasnosoonerputthanheforesawwhitherittended,andthatMaggiewouldnotbeconsideredtheonlyculpritinthecase.Hewalkedquietlyawayfromthekitchendoor,leavingSallytothatpleasureofguessingwhichactivemindsnotoriouslyprefertoready-madeknowledge. Sally,asyouareaware,lostnotimeinpresentingLucyattheparlourdoor,fortohavesodirtyanobjectintroducedintothehouseatGarumFirswastoogreataweighttobesustainedbyasinglemind. “Goodnessgracious!”auntPulletexclaimed,afterpreludingbyaninarticulatescream“keepheratthedoor,Sally!Don’tbringherofftheoil-cloth,whateveryoudo.” “Why,she’stumbledintosomenastymud,”saidMrsTulliver,goinguptoLucytoexamineintotheamountofdamagetoclothesforwhichshefeltherselfresponsibletohersisterDeane. “Ifyouplease,’um,itwasMissMaggieaspushedherin,”saidSally“MasterTom’sbeenandsaidso,andtheymustha’beentothepond,forit’sonlytheretheycouldha’gotintosuchdirt.” “Thereitis,Bessyit’swhatI’vebeentellingyou,”saidMrsPullet,inatoneofpropheticsadness“it’syourchildren,—there’snoknowingwhatthey’llcometo.” MrsTulliverwasmute,feelingherselfatrulywretchedmother.Asusual,thethoughtpresseduponherthatpeoplewouldthinkshehaddonesomethingwickedtodeservehermaternaltroubles,whileMrsPulletbegantogiveelaboratedirectionstoSallyhowtoguardthepremisesfromseriousinjuryinthecourseofremovingthedirt.Meantimeteawastobebroughtinbythecook,andthetwonaughtychildrenweretohavetheirsinanignominiousmannerinthekitchen.MrsTulliverwentouttospeaktothesenaughtychildren,supposingthemtobecloseathandbutitwasnotuntilaftersomesearchthatshefoundTomleaningwithratherahardened,carelessairagainstthewhitepalingofthepoultry-yard,andloweringhispieceofstringontheothersideasameansofexasperatingtheturkey-cock. “Tom,younaughtyboy,where’syoursister?”saidMrsTulliver,inadistressedvoice. “Idon’tknow,”saidTomhiseagernessforjusticeonMaggiehaddiminishedsincehehadseenclearlythatitcouldhardlybebroughtaboutwit