`I haven't seen her this two hours,' says Tom, Commencing on the plum-cake.
`Goodness heart! She's got drownded,' exclaimed Mrs Tulliver, rising from her seat and running to the window.`How could you let her do so?'
she added, as became a fearful woman, accusing she didn't know whom of she didn't know what.
`Nay, nay, she's none drownded,' said Mr Tulliver.`You've been naughty to her, I doubt, Tom?'
`I'm sure I haven't, father,' said Tom, indignantly.`I think she's in the house.'
`Perhaps up in that attic,' said Mrs Tulliver, `a-singing and talking to herself, and forgetting all about meal-times.'
`You go and fetch her down, Tom,' said Mr Tulliver, rather sharply, his perspicacity or his fatherly fondness for Maggie making him suspect that the lad had been hard upon `the little un,' else she would never have left his side.`And be good to her, do you hear? Else I'll let you know better.'
Tom never disobeyed his father, for Mr Tulliver was a peremptory man, and, as he said, would never let anybody get hold of his whip-hand; but he went out rather sullenly, carrying his piece of plum-cake, and not intending to reprieve Maggie's punishment, which was no more than she deserved.Tom was only thirteen, and had no decided views in grammar and arithmetic, regarding them for the most part as open questions, but he was particularly clear and positive on one point, namely that he would punish everybody who deserved it: why, he wouldn't have minded being punished himself if he deserved it, but then, he never did deserve it.
It was Tom's step, then, that Maggie heard on the stairs, when her need of love had triumphed over her pride, and she was going down with her swollen eyes and dishevelled hair to beg for pity.At least, her father would stroke her head and say, `Never mind, my wench.' It is a wonderful subduer, this need of love, this hunger of the heart: as per-emptory as that other hunger by which Nature forces us to submit to the Yoke, and change the face of the world.
But she knew Tom's step and her heart began to beat violently with the sudden shock of hope.He only stood still at the top of the stairs and said, `Maggie, you're to come down.' But she rushed to him and clung round his neck, sobbing, `O Tom, please forgive me - I can't bear it - I will always be good - always remember things - do love me - please, dear Tom.'
We learn to restrain ourselves as we get older.We keep apart when we have quarrelled, express ourselves in well-bred phrases, and in this way preserve a dignified alienation, showing much firmness on one side, and swallowing much grief on the other.We no longer approximate in our behaviour to the mere impulsiveness of the lower animals, but conduct ourselves in every respect like members of a highly civilised society.Maggie and Tom were still very much like young animals, and so she could rub her cheek against his, and kiss his ear in a random, sobbing way, and there were tender fibres in the lad that had been used to answer to Maggie's fondling:
so that he behaved with a weakness quite inconsistent with his resolution to punish her as much as she deserved: he actually began to kiss her 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 cake and bit a piece; and then Tom bit a piece, just for company, and they ate together and rubbed each other's cheeks and brows and noses together while they ate, with a humiliating resemblance to two friendly ponies.
`Come along, Magsie, and have tea,' said Tom at last, when there was no more cake except what was down-stairs.
So ended the sorrows of this day, and the next morning Maggie was trotting with her own fishing-rod in one hand, and a handle of the basket in the other, stepping always by a peculiar gift in the muddiest places and looking darkly radiant from under her beaver-bonnet because Tom was good to her.
She had told Tom, however, that she should like him to put the worms on the hook for her, although she accepted his word when he assured her that worms couldn't feel (it was Tom's private opinion that it didn't much matter if they did).He knew all about worms and fish and those things; and what birds were mischievous and how padlocks opened, and which way the handles of the gates were to be lifted.Maggie thought this sort of knowledge was very wonderful - much more difficult than remembering what was in the books;and she was rather in awe of Tom's superiority, for he was the only person who called her knowledge `stuff' and did not feel surprised at her cleverness.
