Sentimental Tommy: The Story of His BoyhoodBarrie, J. M. (James Matthew)
History
Sentimental Tommy: The Story of His Boyhood
Barrie, J. M. (James Matthew)
London (England) -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
"I won't tell you a word of what Mr. Ogilvy said," she insisted, in her
obstinate way, and, oh, how she despised Corp for breaking his promise.
"Corp didna ken he telled me," said Tommy, less to clear Corp than to
exalt himself, "I wriggled it out o' him;" but even this did not bring
Grizel to a proper frame of mind, so he said, to annoy her,
"At any rate you're fond o' me."
"I am not," she replied, stamping; "I think you are horrid."
"What else made you send Corp to me?"
"I did that because I heard you were calling yourself a blockhead."
"Oho," said he, "so you have been speiring about me though you winna
speak to me!"
Grizel looked alarmed, and thinking to weaken his case, said, hastily,
"I very nearly kept it from you, I said often to myself 'I won't tell
him.'"
"So you have been thinking a lot about me!" was his prompt comment.
"If I have," she retorted, "I did not think nice things. And what is
more, I was angry with myself for telling Corp to tell you."
Surely this was crushing, but apparently Tommy did not think so, for he
said, "You did it against your will! That means I hare a power over you
that you canna resist. Oho, oho!"
Had she become more friendly so should he, had she shed one tear he
would have melted immediately; but she only looked him up and down
disdainfully, and it hardened him. He said with a leer, "I ken what
makes you hold your hands so tight, it's to keep your arms frae
wagging;" and then her cry, "How do you know?" convicted her. He had not
succeeded in his mission, but on his way home he muttered, triumphantly,
"I did her, I did her!" and once he stopped to ask himself the question,
"Was it because my heart was in it?" It was their last meeting till they
were man and woman.
* * * * *
A blazing sun had come out on top of heavy showers, and the land reeked
and smelled as of the wash-tub. The smaller girls of Monypenny were
sitting in passages playing at fivey, just as Sappho for instance used
to play it; but they heard the Dubb of Prosen cart draw up at Aaron
Latta's door, and they followed it to see the last of Tommy Sandys. Corp
was already there, calling in at the door every time he heard a sob;
"Dinna, Elspeth, dinna, he'll find a wy," but Grizel had refused to
come, though Tommy knew that she had been asking when he started and
which road the cart would take. Well, he was not giving her a thought at
any rate; his box was in the cart now, and his face was streaked with
tears that were all for Elspeth. She should not have come to the door,
but she came, and--it was such a pitiable sight that Aaron Latta could
not look on. He went hurriedly to his workshop, but not to warp, and
even the carter was touched and he said to Tommy, "I tell you what, man,
I have to go round by Causeway End smiddy, and you and the crittur have
time, if you like, to take the short cut and meet me at the far corner
o' Caddam wood."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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