Quant més feia Tom per manera de fixar la seva ment en el llibre, més vagarejaven les seves idees. Així és que, a la fi, amb un sopor i un badall, ho deixà córrer. Li semblava que la interrupció de tasques de les dotze no vindria mai. L'aire estava encalmadíssim. No se'n movia un alè. Era el més somnolent dels dies somnolents. El murmuri adormidor de vint-i-cinc alumnes estudiant, aquietava l'ànima, com l'encís que hi ha en la bonior de les abelles. Enllà d'enllà, sota l'ardent solellada, alçava Cardiff Hill sos flancs d'una verdor suau entre un vel de calitja que lluïa tot esblaimat, amb el tint de púrpura que dóna la distància; uns quants ocells flotaven amb ala peresosa per dalt de tot de l'aire; no hi havia, de visible, cap més ésser vivent que algunes vaques, i les vaques dormien.
El cor de Tom es dalia per la llibertat, o almenys per quelcom d'interessant a fer, per passar l'estona paorosa. La seva mà anà esmaperduda cap a la seva butxaca, i la seva faç s'il·luminà amb un esclat de gratitud que era una acció de gràcies, baldament ell no ho sabés. Després, la capsa de pistons eixí furtivament. Deixà anar la paparra, i la posà damunt la vasta planura del pupitre. La bestiola probablement tingué un esclat de gratitud que equivalia a una acció de gràcies, també, en aquell moment; però era prematura, perquè, quan començà tota reconeguda a viatjar cap enfora, Tom la va capgirar amb una agulla i li va fer pendre una nova direcció.
THE harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered. So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up. It seemed to him that the noon recess would never come. The air was utterly dead. There was not a breath stirring. It was the sleepiest of sleepy days. The drowsing murmur of the five and twenty studying scholars soothed the soul like the spell that is in the murmur of bees. Away off in the flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill lifted its soft green sides through a shimmering veil of heat, tinted with the purple of distance; a few birds floated on lazy wing high in the air; no other living thing was visible but some cows, and they were asleep. Tom's heart ached to be free, or else to have something of interest to do to pass the dreary time. His hand wandered into his pocket and his face lit up with a glow of gratitude that was prayer, though he did not know it. Then furtively the percussion-cap box came out. He released the tick and put him on the long flat desk. The creature probably glowed with a gratitude that amounted to prayer, too, at this moment, but it was premature: for when he started thankfully to travel off, Tom turned him aside with a pin and made him take a new direction.
L'amic íntim de Tom seia al seu costat, i havia sofert tant com ell; i ara es sentia pregonament i gratament interessat, tot seguit, en aquesta diversió. Aquest amic íntim era Joe Harper. Els dos minyons eren amics jurats tota la setmana, i enemics encarnissats els dissabtes. Joe es tragué una agulla de la solapa, i començà a col·laborar a l'ensinistrament del presoner. El joc creixia en interès per moments. Aviat Tom digué que l'un entrebancava l'altre, sense que poguessin treure el major partit possible de la paparra. Així, doncs, posà la pissarra de Joe damunt el pupitre, i hi féu una ratlla al mig, de dalt a baix.
Tom's bosom friend sat next him, suffering just as Tom had been, and now he was deeply and gratefully interested in this entertainment in an instant. This bosom friend was Joe Harper. The two boys were sworn friends all the week, and embattled enemies on Saturdays. Joe took a pin out of his lapel and began to assist in exercising the prisoner. The sport grew in interest momently. Soon Tom said that they were interfering with each other, and neither getting the fullest benefit of the tick. So he put Joe's slate on the desk and drew a line down the middle of it from top to bottom.
-Ara- digué -mentre estigui a la vostra banda, podeu burxar-la i jo la deixaré estar; però, si deixeu que s'allunyi i entra al meu costat, heu de deixar-la estar, per tot el temps que jo pugui impedir que traspassi de bell nou.
"Now," said he, "as long as he is on your side you can stir him up and I'll let him alone; but if you let him get away and get on my side, you're to leave him alone as long as I can keep him from crossing over."
-Molt bé, endavant: engegueu-la.
"All right, go ahead; start him up."
La paparra s'escapà de Tom, al cap de poc, i creuà l'equador. Joe la turmentà una estona, i ella s'allunyà i canvià d'àrea novament. Aquest canvi de base es produí tot sovint. Mentre l'un vailet punyia la paparra amb apassionat interès, l'altre la sotjava amb un interès igualment fort: els dos caps es decantaven plegats damunt la pissarra, i les dues ànimes eren mortes a tota altra cosa. A la fi, la sort semblà establir-se i romandre amb Joe. La paparra provà aquest, aquell i l'altre recurs, i esdevingué tan exaltada i neguitosa com els mateixos nois. Però una i més vegades, quan Tom tenia la victòria a la mà, per dir-ho així, i sos dits frisaven per posar-se a la tasca, l'agulla de Joe la menava destrament cap enllà i en reprenia possessió. A la fi Tom no pogué comportar-ho més. La temptació era massa forta. Estengué, doncs, el braç i intervingué amb la seva agulla. Joe s'enfurismà tot seguit, i féu:
The tick escaped from Tom, presently, and crossed the equator. Joe harassed him awhile, and then he got away and crossed back again. This change of base occurred often. While one boy was worrying the tick with absorbing interest, the other would look on with interest as strong, the two heads bowed together over the slate, and the two souls dead to all things else. At last luck seemed to settle and abide with Joe. The tick tried this, that, and the other course, and got as excited and as anxious as the boys themselves, but time and again just as he would have victory in his very grasp, so to speak, and Tom's fingers would be twitching to begin, Joe's pin would deftly head him off, and keep possession. At last Tom could stand it no longer. The temptation was too strong. So he reached out and lent a hand with his pin. Joe was angry in a moment. Said he:
-Tom, deixeu-la estar.
"Tom, you let him alone."
-Només vull remoure-la una mica, Joe.
"I only just want to stir him up a little, Joe."
-No, senyor: això no és just: deixeu-la estar.
"No, sir, it ain't fair; you just let him alone."
-En nom de Déu, no la bellugaré pas gaire.
"Blame it, I ain't going to stir him much."
-Deixeu-la estar, us dic!
"Let him alone, I tell you."
-No vull!
"I won't!"
-No hi ha més remei: és a la meva banda.
"You shall--he's on my side of the line."
-Escolteu, Joe: de quí és, aquesta paparra?
"Look here, Joe Harper, whose is that tick?"
-Tant me fa de qui sigui, la paparra: és a la meva banda i no la tocareu.
"I don't care whose tick he is--he's on my side of the line, and you sha'n't touch him."
-Bé, doncs: em jugo qualsevol cosa que sí. És meva, la paparra, i li faré les remaleïdes coses que vulgui, o em feriria!
"Well, I'll just bet I will, though. He's my tick and I'll do what I blame please with him, or die!"
Una tremenda patacada caigué damunt les espatlles de Tom, i una que hi feia joc damunt les de Joe; i per espai de dos minuts la pols seguí brollant dels dos gecs, i tota l'escola va gaudir-se'n. Els minyons havien estat massa encantats per reparar la quietud que havia anat lliscant per l'escola una estona abans, quan el mestre baixà de puntetes per la cambra i romangué al llur damunt. Havia contemplat una bella part de la performança abans que hi col·laborés amb una mica de varietat.
A tremendous whack came down on Tom's shoulders, and its duplicate on Joe's; and for the space of two minutes the dust continued to fly from the two jackets and the whole school to enjoy it. The boys had been too absorbed to notice the hush that had stolen upon the school awhile before when the master came tiptoeing down the room and stood over them. He had contemplated a good part of the performance before he contributed his bit of variety to it.
En finar l'escola a migdia, Tom corregué cap a Becky Thatcher, i murmurà a la seva orella:
When school broke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher, and whispered in her ear:
-Poseu-vos el barret i feu com si us n'anéssiu a casa; i quan arribeu a la cantonada deixeu-los passar, i atravesseu la sendera i torneu. Jo aniré per l'altra banda i tornaré amb la mateixa martingala.
"Put on your bonnet and let on you're going home; and when you get to the corner, give the rest of 'em the slip, and turn down through the lane and come back. I'll go the other way and come it over 'em the same way."
Així és que ell anà amb un grup d'alumnes, i ella amb l'altre. Al cap d'una estona tots dos es trobaren al fons de la sendera, i quan arribaren a l'escola n'esdevingueren únics senyors. Aleshores s'assegueren plegats, amb una pissarra al davant, i Tom donà el llapis a Becky, i tingué la mà d'ella dins la seva, i la guià, creant així una altra casa sorprenent. Quan l'interès per l'art començà d'esvaïr-se, es posaren a enraonar. Tom nedava en felicitat. Digué:
So the one went off with one group of scholars, and the other with another. In a little while the two met at the bottom of the lane, and when they reached the school they had it all to themselves. Then they sat together, with a slate before them, and Tom gave Becky the pencil and held her hand in his, guiding it, and so created another surprising house. When the interest in art began to wane, the two fell to talking. Tom was swimming in bliss. He said:
-Us agraden les rates?
"Do you love rats?"
-No: no les puc veure ni en pintura!
"No! I hate them!"
-Bé, jo igual, quan són vives. Però vull dir les mortes, que són bones per a fer-hi torterols amb un cordill al voltant del cap.
"Well, I do, too--live ones. But I mean dead ones, to swing round your head with a string."
-No, les rates no em corprenen, tanmateix. El que m'agrada és goma de mastegar!
"No, I don't care for rats much, anyway. What I like is chewing-gum."
-Oh! Ja ho crec! Voldria tenir-ne, ara!
"Oh, I should say so! I wish I had some now."
-Sí? Jo en tinc una mica. Us la deixaré mastegar una estona, però me l'heu de tornar.
"Do you? I've got some. I'll let you chew it awhile, but you must give it back to me."
Això era cosa plaent: així és que anaren mastegant per torn, i gronxaren les cames contra el banc, en un esclat de gaubança.
That was agreeable, so they chewed it turn about, and dangled their legs against the bench in excess of contentment.
-Heu estat mai en un circ?- digué Tom.
"Was you ever at a circus?" said Tom.
-Sí, i el papà m'hi tornarà a dur alguna vegada, si só bona minyona.
"Yes, and my pa's going to take me again some time, if I'm good."
-He estat al circ tres o quatre vegades: qui-sap-les vegades. L'església és més ensopida que el circ. En un circ hi ha bellugueig tota l'estona. Jo seré un pallasso de circ, quan sigui gran.
"I been to the circus three or four times--lots of times. Church ain't shucks to a circus. There's things going on at a circus all the time. I'm going to be a clown in a circus when I grow up."
-Oh! De bo de bo? Serà bonic. Són tan gentils, amb aquells vestits de llunes!
"Oh, are you! That will be nice. They're so lovely, all spotted up."
-Oi. I guanyen carretades de diner: gairebé tots un dòlar al dia, diu Ben Rogers. Digueu, Becky: heu tingut mai relacions?
"Yes, that's so. And they get slathers of money--most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say, Becky, was you ever engaged?"
-Què és això?
"What's that?"
-Ves, tenir relacions per casar-se.
"Why, engaged to be married."
-No.
"No."
-No us agradaria?
"Would you like to?"
-Compto que sí. No ho sé. A què s'assembla?
"I reckon so. I don't know. What is it like?"
-A què s'assembla? Oh! No s'assembla a res. Només és qüestió de dir a un noi que sempre estareu només que per ell, sempre sempre sempre, i aleshores us beseu, i s'ha acabat. Tothom ho sap fer, això.
"Like? Why it ain't like anything. You only just tell a boy you won't ever have anybody but him, ever ever ever, and then you kiss and that's all. Anybody can do it."
-Besar? I el besar per què és?
"Kiss? What do you kiss for?"
-Bé, això, sabeu?, és per... Bé, és un costum, fer això.
"Why, that, you know, is to--well, they always do that."
-I ho fa tothom?
"Everybody?"
-Sí, tothom que festeja. Us recordeu del que vaig escriure a la pissarra?
"Why, yes, everybody that's in love with each other. Do you remember what I wrote on the slate?"
-Ss... sí.
"Ye--yes."
-Què deia?
"What was it?"
-No us ho diré pas.
"I sha'n't tell you."
-Voleu que jo us ho digui a vós?
"Shall I tell you?"
-Ss... sí... però una altra vegada.
"Ye--yes--but some other time."
-No, ara.
"No, now."
-No, ara no: demà.
"No, not now--to-morrow."
-Oh! no: ara, si us plau, Becky. Us ho diré a cau d'orella: us ho diré tant, tant dolçament...
"Oh, no, now. Please, Becky--I'll whisper it, I'll whisper it ever so easy."
Com que Becky vacil·lava, Tom prengué el silenci per un consentiment, i li passà, el braç al volt de la cintura i digué la dita blaníssimament, amb la boca enganxada a l'oïda d'ella. I després afegí:
Becky hesitating, Tom took silence for consent, and passed his arm about her waist and whispered the tale ever so softly, with his mouth close to her ear. And then he added:
-Ara digueu-m'ho a mi, a cau d'orella, de la mateixa manera.
"Now you whisper it to me--just the same."
Ella es resistí una estona, i féu, en acabat:
She resisted, for a while, and then said:
-Gireu la cara, que jo no us pugui veure, i aleshores ho faré. Però no ho heu de dir mai a ningú: oi, Tom? a ningú: oi?
"You turn your face away so you can't see, and then I will. But you mustn't ever tell anybody--will you, Tom? Now you won't, will you?"
-No, de bo de bo de bo: no ho diré. Au, Becky.
"No, indeed, indeed I won't. Now, Becky."
Ell girà la cara. Ella es decantà temorega ment fins que el seu alè féu bellugar sos rulls, i murmurà: -Us amo!
He turned his face away. She bent timidly around till her breath stirred his curls and whispered, "I--love--you!"
Després va apretar a córrer, i trescà entre els bancs i els pupitres, amb Tom, que li anava al darrera; i a la fi es refugià en un recó, amb el davantalet blanc damunt la faç. Tom l'agafà vora el coll i formulà la seva instància.
Then she sprang away and ran around and around the desks and benches, with Tom after her, and took refuge in a corner at last, with her little white apron to her face. Tom clasped her about her neck and pleaded:
-Ara, Becky, tot està ajustat: tot, fora del bes. No en tingueu por, d'això: us dic que no és res. Feu-me el favor, Becky.
I li estirava el davantal i les mans.
"Now, Becky, it's all done--all over but the kiss. Don't you be afraid of that--it ain't anything at all. Please, Becky." And he tugged at her apron and the hands.
Ella no trigà a cedir, i deixà caure les mans: son rostre, tot encès de la lluita, s'aixecà i es sotmeté. Tom va besar-la i va dir:
By and by she gave up, and let her hands drop; her face, all glowing with the struggle, came up and submitted. Tom kissed the red lips and said:
-Ara tot està ajustat, Becky. I després d'això, per sempre més, sabeu?, no heu d'estimar a ningú més sinó a mi, i no us heu de casar amb ningú més sinó amb mi, per sempre més, per sempre més i per sempre més. Ho fareu?
"Now it's all done, Becky. And always after this, you know, you ain't ever to love anybody but me, and you ain't ever to marry anybody but me, ever never and forever. Will you?"
-No, mai no estimaré a ningú més sinó a vós, Tom, i mai no em casaré amb ningú més sinó amb vós; i vós no us heu de casar mai amb ningú més sinó amb mi, també.
"No, I'll never love anybody but you, Tom, and I'll never marry anybody but you--and you ain't to ever marry anybody but me, either."
-Ben cert. Naturalment. Això forma part de la cosa. I sempre, en anar a l'escola, o quan anem a casa, heu d'anar amb mi, quan ningú ho vegi... I vós heu d'escollir-me a mi i jo us escolliré a vós, a les reunions, perquè així és còm es fa quan festeja.
"Certainly. Of course. That's part of it. And always coming to school or when we're going home, you're to walk with me, when there ain't anybody looking--and you choose me and I choose you at parties, because that's the way you do when you're engaged."
-Què bonic que és! Mai no ho havia sentit a dir.
"It's so nice. I never heard of it before."
-Oh! i és d'allò més alegre! Jo i Amy Lawrence...
"Oh, it's ever so gay! Why, me and Amy Lawrence--"
En els ulls astorats que ella posà, Tom hi llegí la seva errada; i es deturà, tot confós.
The big eyes told Tom his blunder and he stopped, confused.
-O Tom! Així jo no só la primera amb qui heu tingut relacions!
"Oh, Tom! Then I ain't the first you've ever been engaged to!"
La nena començà a plorar. Tom digué:
The child began to cry. Tom said:
-Oh! No ploreu, Becky. Ja tant se me'n dóna, d'ella.
"Oh, don't cry, Becky, I don't care for her any more."
-Oh! no, Tom: Ja sabeu que no és cert.
"Yes, you do, Tom--you know you do."
Tom féu per manera de passar-li el braç al voltant del coll; però ella l'empenyé cap enllà, i es girà de cara a la paret i continuà plorant. Tom ho intentà altra vegada, amb paraules amorosides, i fou repel·lit de bell nou. Aleshores es desvetllà son orgull, i se n'anà i sortí al defora. Romangué aturat, tot inquiet i anguniós, per una estona, dant tot sovint llambregades a la porta, esperant que ella s'empenediria i el vindria a cercar. Però no ho féu. Aleshores començaren de escometre'l sentiments amargs i temences d'ésser el culpable. Li exigia una aspra lluita amb sí mateix de fer ara noves insinuacions, però s'hi decidí i entrà. Ella encara estava dreta al recó, tot sanglotant amb la cara contra la paret. El cor de Tom en fou colpit. Anà envers ella i estigué un moment parat, no sabent exactament què calia fer. Després digué, tot vacil·lant:
Tom tried to put his arm about her neck, but she pushed him away and turned her face to the wall, and went on crying. Tom tried again, with soothing words in his mouth, and was repulsed again. Then his pride was up, and he strode away and went outside. He stood about, restless and uneasy, for a while, glancing at the door, every now and then, hoping she would repent and come to find him. But she did not. Then he began to feel badly and fear that he was in the wrong. It was a hard struggle with him to make new advances, now, but he nerved himself to it and entered. She was still standing back there in the corner, sobbing, with her face to the wall. Tom's heart smote him. He went to her and stood a moment, not knowing exactly how to proceed. Then he said hesitatingly:
-Becky: a mi... a mi tant se me'n dóna de tothom, fora de vós.
"Becky, I--I don't care for anybody but you."
Cap resposta, només que sanglots.
No reply--but sobs.
-Becky...- féu ell en so de defensa; -Becky... no voleu dir-me res?
"Becky"--pleadingly. "Becky, won't you say something?"
Més sanglots.
More sobs.
Tom es tragué son joiell principal, un pomet de llautó, del cim d'un ferro de llar, i el passà al voltant d'ella perquè ella el pogués veure, i digué:
Tom got out his chiefest jewel, a brass knob from the top of an andiron, and passed it around her so that she could see it, and said:
-Becky: voleu pendre'l, si us plau?
"Please, Becky, won't you take it?"
Ella el tirà a terra. Aleshores Tom sortí de la casa per anar damunt les muntanyoles, i qui sap-lo-lluny, i no tornar a escola aquell dia. Tot seguit Becky començà de recelar. Corregué cap a la porta: ell ja no era a l'envista. Donà un tomb envers el camp de joc: no era allí. Aleshores cridà:
She struck it to the floor. Then Tom marched out of the house and over the hills and far away, to return to school no more that day. Presently Becky began to suspect. She ran to the door; he was not in sight; she flew around to the play-yard; he was not there. Then she called:
-Tom! veniu, Tom!
"Tom! Come back, Tom!"
Parà una atenció ben sol·lícita, però no hi hagué resposta. No tenia més companys que el silenci i la solitud. Així és que s'assegué a plorar de bell nou i a vituperar-se ella mateixa; i per aquell temps els alumnes començaven a reunir-se altra vegada, i hagué d'amagar son dol i aquietar son cor malmès, i resignar-se a la creu d'una tarda llarga, paorosa, xacrosa, sense que hi hagués, entre els forasters que la voltaven, ningú per a bescanviar-hi dolors.
She listened intently, but there was no answer. She had no companions but silence and loneliness. So she sat down to cry again and upbraid herself; and by this time the scholars began to gather again, and she had to hide her griefs and still her broken heart and take up the cross of a long, dreary, aching afternoon, with none among the strangers about her to exchange sorrows with.