THEREwassomethingaboutAuntPolly'smanner,whenshekissedTom,thatsweptawayhislowspiritsandmadehimlightheartedandhappyagain. HestartedtoschoolandhadtheluckofcominguponBeckyThatcherattheheadofMeadowLane.Hismoodalwaysdeterminedhismanner. Withoutamoment'shesitationherantoherandsaid: "Iactedmightymeanto–day,Becky,andI'msosorry.Iwon'tever,everdothatwayagain,aslongaseverIlive—pleasemakeup,won'tyou?" Thegirlstoppedandlookedhimscornfullyintheface: "I'llthankyoutokeepyourselfTOyourself,Mr.ThomasSawyer.I'llneverspeaktoyouagain." Shetossedherheadandpassedon.Tomwassostunnedthathehadnotevenpresenceofmindenoughtosay"Whocares,MissSmarty?" untiltherighttimetosayithadgoneby.Sohesaidnothing. Buthewasinafinerage,nevertheless. Hemopedintotheschoolyardwishingshewereaboy,andimagininghowhewouldtrounceherifshewere. Hepresentlyencounteredheranddeliveredastingingremarkashepassed. Shehurledoneinreturn,andtheangrybreachwascomplete. ItseemedtoBecky,inherhotresentment,thatshecouldhardlywaitforschoolto"takein,"shewassoimpatienttoseeTomfloggedfortheinjuredspelling–book. IfshehadhadanylingeringnotionofexposingAlfredTemple,Tom'soffensiveflinghaddrivenitentirelyaway. Poorgirl,shedidnotknowhowfastshewasnearingtroubleherself. Themaster,Mr.Dobbins,hadreachedmiddleagewithanunsatisfiedambition. Thedarlingofhisdesireswas,tobeadoctor,butpovertyhaddecreedthatheshouldbenothinghigherthanavillageschoolmaster. Everydayhetookamysteriousbookoutofhisdeskandabsorbedhimselfinitattimeswhennoclasseswerereciting.Hekeptthatbookunderlockandkey. Therewasnotanurchininschoolbutwasperishingtohaveaglimpseofit,butthechancenevercame. Everyboyandgirlhadatheoryaboutthenatureofthatbook;butnotwotheorieswerealike,andtherewasnowayofgettingatthefactsinthecase. Now,asBeckywaspassingbythedesk,whichstoodnearthedoor,shenoticedthatthekeywasinthelock!Itwasapreciousmoment. Sheglancedaround;foundherselfalone,andthenextinstantshehadthebookinherhands. Thetitle–page—ProfessorSomebody'sANATOMY—carriednoinformationtohermind;soshebegantoturntheleaves. Shecameatonceuponahandsomelyengravedandcoloredfrontispiece—ahumanfigure,starknaked. AtthatmomentashadowfellonthepageandTomSawyersteppedinatthedoorandcaughtaglimpseofthepicture. Beckysnatchedatthebooktocloseit,andhadthehardlucktotearthepicturedpagehalfdownthemiddle. Shethrustthevolumeintothedesk,turnedthekey,andburstoutcryingwithshameandvexation. "TomSawyer,youarejustasmeanasyoucanbe,tosneakuponapersonandlookatwhatthey'relookingat." "HowcouldIknowyouwaslookingatanything?" "Yououghttobeashamedofyourself,TomSawyer;youknowyou'regoingtotellonme,andoh,whatshallIdo,whatshallIdo!I'llbewhipped,andIneverwaswhippedinschool." Thenshestampedherlittlefootandsaid: "BEsomeanifyouwantto!Iknowsomethingthat'sgoingtohappen.Youjustwaitandyou'llsee!Hateful,hateful,hateful!"—andsheflungoutofthehousewithanewexplosionofcrying. Tomstoodstill,ratherflusteredbythisonslaught.Presentlyhesaidtohimself: "Whatacuriouskindofafoolagirlis!Neverbeenlickedinschool!Shucks!What'salicking! That'sjustlikeagirl—they'resothin–skinnedandchicken–hearted. Well,ofcourseIain'tgoingtotelloldDobbinsonthislittlefool,becausethere'sotherwaysofgettingevenonher,thatain'tsomean;butwhatofit? OldDobbinswillaskwhoitwastorehisbook.Nobody'llanswer. Thenhe'lldojustthewayhealwaysdoes—askfirstoneandthent'other,andwhenhecomestotherightgirlhe'llknowit,withoutanytelling.Girls'facesalwaystellonthem.Theyain'tgotanybackbone.She'llgetlicked. Well,it'sakindofatightplaceforBeckyThatcher,becausethereain'tanywayoutofit." Tomconnedthethingamomentlonger,andthenadded:"Allright,though;she'dliketoseemeinjustsuchafix—lethersweatitout!" Tomjoinedthemobofskylarkingscholarsoutside. Inafewmomentsthemasterarrivedandschool"tookin." Tomdidnotfeelastronginterestinhisstudies. Everytimehestoleaglanceatthegirls'sideoftheroomBecky'sfacetroubledhim. Consideringallthings,hedidnotwanttopityher,andyetitwasallhecoulddotohelpit. Hecouldgetupnoexultationthatwasreallyworthythename. Presentlythespelling–bookdiscoverywasmade,andTom'smindwasentirelyfullofhisownmattersforawhileafterthat. Beckyrousedupfromherlethargyofdistressandshowedgoodinterestintheproceedings. ShedidnotexpectthatTomcouldgetoutofhistroublebydenyingthathespilttheinkonthebookhimself;andshewasright. ThedenialonlyseemedtomakethethingworseforTom. Beckysupposedshewouldbegladofthat,andshetriedtobelieveshewasgladofit,butshefoundshewasnotcertain. Whentheworstcametotheworst,shehadanimpulsetogetupandtellonAlfredTemple,butshemadeaneffortandforcedherselftokeepstill—because,saidshetoherself,"he'lltellaboutmetearingthepicturesure. Iwouldn'tsayaword,nottosavehislife!" Tomtookhiswhippingandwentbacktohisseatnotatallbroken–hearted,forhethoughtitwaspossiblethathehadunknowinglyupsettheinkonthespelling–bookhimself,insomeskylarkingbout—hehaddenieditforform'ssakeandbecauseitwascustom,andhadstucktothedenialfromprinciple. Awholehourdriftedby,themastersatnoddinginhisthrone,theairwasdrowsywiththehumofstudy. Byandby,Mr.Dobbinsstraightenedhimselfup,yawned,thenunlockedhisdesk,andreachedforhisbook,butseemedundecidedwhethertotakeitoutorleaveit. Mostofthepupilsglanceduplanguidly,butthereweretwoamongthemthatwatchedhismovementswithintenteyes. Mr.Dobbinsfingeredhisbookabsentlyforawhile,thentookitoutandsettledhimselfinhischairtoread!TomshotaglanceatBecky. Hehadseenahuntedandhelplessrabbitlookasshedid,withagunlevelledatitshead. Instantlyheforgothisquarrelwithher.Quick—somethingmustbedone!doneinaflash,too! Buttheveryimminenceoftheemergencyparalyzedhisinvention.Good!—hehadaninspiration! Hewouldrunandsnatchthebook,springthroughthedoorandfly. Buthisresolutionshookforonelittleinstant,andthechancewaslost—themasteropenedthevolume. IfTomonlyhadthewastedopportunitybackagain!Toolate. TherewasnohelpforBeckynow,hesaid. Thenextmomentthemasterfacedtheschool.Everyeyesankunderhisgaze. Therewasthatinitwhichsmoteeventheinnocentwithfear. Therewassilencewhileonemightcountten—themasterwasgatheringhiswrath.Thenhespoke:"Whotorethisbook?" Therewasnotasound.Onecouldhaveheardapindrop.Thestillnesscontinued;themastersearchedfaceafterfaceforsignsofguilt. "BenjaminRogers,didyoutearthisbook?" Anotherdenial.Tom'suneasinessgrewmoreandmoreintenseundertheslowtortureoftheseproceedings.Themasterscannedtheranksofboys—consideredawhile,thenturnedtothegirls: "SusanHarper,didyoudothis?" Anothernegative.ThenextgirlwasBeckyThatcher.Tomwastremblingfromheadtofootwithexcitementandasenseofthehopelessnessofthesituation. "RebeccaThatcher"[Tomglancedatherface—itwaswhitewithterror]—"didyoutear—no,lookmeintheface"[herhandsroseinappeal]—"didyoutearthisbook?" AthoughtshotlikelightningthroughTom'sbrain.Hesprangtohisfeetandshouted—"Idoneit!" Theschoolstaredinperplexityatthisincrediblefolly. Tomstoodamoment,togatherhisdismemberedfaculties;andwhenhesteppedforwardtogotohispunishmentthesurprise,thegratitude,theadorationthatshoneuponhimoutofpoorBecky'seyesseemedpayenoughforahundredfloggings. Inspiredbythesplendorofhisownact,hetookwithoutanoutcrythemostmercilessflayingthatevenMr.Dobbinshadeveradministered;andalsoreceivedwithindifferencetheaddedcrueltyofacommandtoremaintwohoursafterschoolshouldbedismissed—forheknewwhowouldwaitforhimoutsidetillhiscaptivitywasdone,andnotcountthetedioustimeasloss,either. TomwenttobedthatnightplanningvengeanceagainstAlfredTemple;forwithshameandrepentanceBeckyhadtoldhimall,notforgettingherowntreachery;buteventhelongingforvengeancehadtogiveway,soon,topleasantermusings,andhefellasleepatlastwithBecky'slatestwordslingeringdreamilyinhisear— "Tom,howCOULDyoubesonoble!" 
