Tom and Maggie Tulliver Read online

  Chapter III.

  TOM COMES HOME.

  Tom was to arrive early one afternoon, and there was another flutteringheart besides Maggie's when it was late enough for the sound of the gigwheels to be expected; for if Mrs. Tulliver had a strong feeling, itwas fondness for her boy.

  At last the sound came, and in spite of the wind, which was blowing theclouds about, and was not likely to respect Mrs. Tulliver's curls andcap-strings, she came and stood outside the door with her hand onMaggie's head.

  "There he is, my sweet lad! But he's got never a collar on; it's beenlost on the road, I'll be bound, and spoilt the set!"

  Mrs. Tulliver stood with her arms open; Maggie jumped first on one legand then on the other; while Tom stepped down from the gig, and said,"Hallo, Yap! what, are you there?"

  Then he allowed himself to be kissed willingly enough, though Maggiehung on his neck in rather a strangling fashion, while his blue eyeswandered towards the croft and the lambs and the river, where hepromised himself that he would begin to fish the first thing to-morrowmorning. He was a lad with light brown hair, cheeks of cream androses, and full lips.

  "Maggie," said Tom, taking her into a corner as soon as his mother wasgone out to examine his box, "you don't know what I've got in mypockets," nodding his head up and down as a means of rousing her senseof mystery.

  "No," said Maggie. "How stodgy they look, Tom! Is it marls (marbles)or cob-nuts?" Maggie's heart sank a little, because Tom always said itwas "no good" playing with her at those games, she played so badly.

  "Marls! no. I've swopped all my marls with the little fellows; andcobnuts are no fun, you silly--only when the nuts are green. But seehere!" He drew something out of his right-hand pocket.

  "What is it?" said Maggie in a whisper. "I can see nothing but a bitof yellow."

  "Why, it's a new-- Guess, Maggie!"

  "Oh, I can't guess, Tom," said Maggie impatiently.

  "Don't be a spitfire, else I won't tell you," said Tom, thrusting hishand back into his pocket.

  "No, Tom," said Maggie, laying hold of the arm that was held stiffly inthe pocket. "I'm not cross, Tom; it was only because I can't bearguessing. Please be good to me."

  Tom's arm slowly relaxed, and he said, "Well, then, it's a newfish-line--'two new uns--one for you, Maggie, all to yourself. Iwouldn't go halves in the toffee and gingerbread on purpose to save themoney; and Gibson and Spouncer fought with me because I wouldn't. Andhere's hooks; see here! I say, won't we go and fish to-morrow down byRound Pond? And you shall catch your own fish, and put the worms on,and everything. Won't it be fun!"

  Maggie's answer was to throw her arms round Tom's neck and hug him, andhold her cheek against his without speaking, while he slowly unwoundsome of the line, saying, after a pause,--

  "Wasn't I a good brother, now, to buy you a line all to yourself? Youknow, I needn't have bought it if I hadn't liked!"

  "Yes, very, very good. I do love you, Tom."

  Tom had put the line back in his pocket, and was looking at the hooksone by one, before he spoke again.

  "And the fellows fought me because I wouldn't give in about the toffee."

  "Oh dear! I wish they wouldn't fight at your school, Tom. Didn't ithurt you?"

  "Hurt me? No," said Tom, putting up the hooks again. Then he took outa large pocket-knife, and slowly opened the largest blade and rubbedhis finger along it. At last he said,--

  "I gave Spouncer a black eye, I know--that's what he got by wanting toleather me; I wasn't going to go halves because anybody leathered me."

  "Oh, how brave you are, Tom! I think you're like Samson. If therecame a lion roaring at me, I think you'd fight him; wouldn't you, Tom?"

  "How can a lion come roaring at you, you silly thing? There's nolions--only in the shows."

  "No; but if we were in the lion countries--I mean, in Africa, whereit's very hot--the lions eat people there. I can show it you in thebook where I read it."

  "Well, I should get a gun and shoot him."

  "But if you hadn't got a gun. We might have gone out, you know, notthinking, just as we go fishing; and then a _great_ lion might runtowards us roaring, and we couldn't get away from him. What _should_you do, Tom?"

  Tom paused, and at last turned away, saying, "But the lion isn'tcoming. What's the use of talking?"

  "But I like to fancy how it would be," said Maggie, following him."Just think what you would do, Tom."

  "Oh, don't bother, Maggie! you're such a silly. I shall go and see myrabbits."

  Upon this Maggie's heart began to flutter with fear, for she had badnews for Tom. She dared not tell the sad truth at once, but she walkedafter Tom in trembling silence as he went out.

  "Tom," she said timidly, when they were out of doors, "how much moneydid you give for your rabbits?"

  "Two half-crowns and a sixpence," said Tom promptly.

  "I think I've got a great deal more than that in my steel purseupstairs. I'll ask mother to give it you."

  "What for?" said Tom. "I don't want your money, you silly thing. I'vegot a great deal more money than you, because I'm a boy."

  "Well, but, Tom, if mother would let me give you two half-crowns and asixpence out of my purse to put into your pocket and spend, you know,and buy some more rabbits with it."

  "More rabbits? I don't want any more."

  "Oh, but, Tom, they're all dead!"

  Tom stopped, and turned round towards Maggie. "You forgot to feed 'em,then, and Harry forgot?" he said, his colour rising for a moment."I'll pitch into Harry--I'll have him turned away. And I don't loveyou, Maggie. You shan't go fishing with me to-morrow. I told you togo and see the rabbits every day." He walked on again.

  "Yes, but I forgot; and I couldn't help it, indeed, Tom. I'm so verysorry," said Maggie, while the tears rushed fast.

  "You're a naughty girl," said Tom severely, "and I'm sorry I bought youthe fish-line. I don't love you."

  "O Tom, it's very cruel," sobbed Maggie. "I'd forgive you if youforgot anything--I wouldn't mind what you did--I'd forgive you and loveyou."

  "Yes, you're a silly; but I never do forget things--I don't."

  "Oh, please forgive me, Tom; my heart will break," said Maggie, shakingwith sobs, clinging to Tom's arm, and laying her wet cheek on hisshoulder.

  Tom shook her off. "Now, Maggie, you just listen. Aren't I a goodbrother to you?"

  "Ye-ye-es," sobbed Maggie.

  "Didn't I think about your fish-line all this quarter, and mean to buyit, and saved my money o' purpose, and wouldn't go halves in thetoffee, and Spouncer fought me because I wouldn't?"

  "Ye-ye-es--and I--lo-lo-love you so, Tom."

  "But you're a naughty girl. Last holidays you licked the paint off mylozenge-box; and the holidays before that you let the boat drag myfish-line down when I'd set you to watch it, and you pushed your headthrough my kite, all for nothing."

  "But I didn't mean," said Maggie; "I couldn't help it."

  "Yes, you could," said Tom, "if you'd minded what you were doing. Andyou're a naughty girl, and you shan't go fishing with me to-morrow."

  With this Tom ran away from Maggie towards the mill, meaning to greetLuke there, and complain to him of Harry.

  "Oh, he is cruel!" Maggie sobbed aloud. She would stay up in the atticand starve herself--hide herself behind the tub, and stay there allnight; and then they would all be frightened, and Tom would be sorry.

  Thus Maggie thought in the pride of her heart, as she crept behind thetub; but presently she began to cry again at the idea that they didn'tmind her being there.

  Meanwhile, Tom was too much interested in his talk with Luke, and ingoing the round of the mill, to think of Maggie at all. But when hehad been called in to tea, his father said, "Why, where's the littlewench?" And Mrs. Tulliver, almost at the same moment, said, "Where'syour little sister?"

  "I don't know," said Tom. He didn't want to "tell" of Maggie, thoughhe was angry with her; for Tom Tulliver was a lad of hon
our.

  "What! hasn't she been playing with you all this while?" said thefather. "She'd been thinking o' nothing but your coming home."

  "I haven't seen her this two hours," says Tom.

  "Goodness heart! she's got drownded," exclaimed Mrs. Tulliver, risingfrom her seat and running to the window.

  "Nay, nay, she's none drownded," said Mr. Tulliver.--"You've beennaughty to her, I doubt, Tom?"

  "I'm sure I haven't, father," said Tom quickly. "I think she's in thehouse."

  "Perhaps up in that attic," said Mrs. Tulliver, "a-singing and talkingto herself, and forgetting all about meal-times."

  "You go and fetch her down, Tom," said Mr. Tulliver, rather sharply."And be good to her, do you hear? Else I'll let you know better."

  Maggie, who had taken refuge in the attic, knew Tom's step, and herheart began to beat with the shock of hope. But he only stood still onthe top of the stairs and said, "Maggie, you're to come down." Thenshe rushed to him and clung round his neck, sobbing, "O Tom, pleaseforgive me! I can't bear it. I will always be good--always rememberthings. Do love me--please, dear Tom?" And the boy quite forgot hisdesire to punish her as much as she deserved; he actually began to kissher in return, and say,--

  "Don't cry, then, Magsie; here, eat a bit o' cake."

  Maggie's sobs began to subside, and she put out her mouth for the cakeand bit a piece; and then Tom bit a piece, just for company, and theyate together, and rubbed each other's cheeks and brows and nosestogether while they ate like two friendly ponies.

  "Come along, Magsie, and have tea," said Tom at last.

  So ended the sorrows of this day, and the next morning Maggie was to beseen trotting out with her own fishing-rod in one hand and a handle ofthe basket in the other. She had told Tom, however, that she shouldlike him to put the worms on the hook for her.

  They were on their way to the Round Pool--that wonderful pool which thefloods had made a long while ago. The sight of the old spot alwaysheightened Tom's good-humour, and he opened the basket and preparedtheir tackle. He threw Maggie's line for her, and put the rod into herhand. She thought it probable that the small fish would come to herhook, and the large ones to Tom's. But after a few moments she hadforgotten all about the fish, and was looking dreamily at the glassywater, when Tom said, in a loud whisper, "Look, look, Maggie!" and camerunning to prevent her from snatching her line away.

  Maggie was frightened lest she had been doing something wrong, asusual; but presently Tom drew out her line and brought a large tenchbouncing out upon the grass.

  Tom was excited.

  "O Magsie! you little duck! Empty the basket."

  Maggie did not know how clever she had been; but it was quite enoughthat Tom called her Magsie, and was pleased with her. There wasnothing to mar her delight in the whispers and the dreamy silences,when she listened to the light dipping sounds of the rising fish, andthe gentle rustling, as if the willows and the reeds and the water hadtheir happy whisperings also. Maggie thought it would make a very niceheaven to sit by the pool in that way, and never be scolded. She neverknew she had a bite until Tom told her, it is true, but she likedfishing very much.

  It was one of their happy mornings. They trotted along and sat downtogether, with no thought that life would ever change much for them.They would only get bigger and not go to school, and it would always belike the holidays; they would always live together, and be very, veryfond of each other.