湯姆歷險記Chapter 34 黃金如山，富了湯姆與哈克

Chapter 34
      
      
        
            
      
   
    HUCK said: "Tom, we can slope, if we can find a rope. The window ain't high
    from the ground."

    "Shucks! what do you want to slope for?"

    "Well, I ain't used to that kind of a crowd. I can't stand it. I ain't going down
    there, Tom."

    "Oh, bother! It ain't anything. I don't mind it a bit. I'll take care of
    you."

    Sid appeared.

    "Tom," said he, "auntie has been waiting for you all the afternoon. Mary
    got your Sunday clothes ready, and everybody's been fretting about you. Say -- ain't this
    grease and clay, on your clothes?"

    "Now, Mr. Siddy, you jist 'tend to your own business. What's all this blow-out
    about, anyway?"

    "It's one of the widow's parties that she's always having. This time it's for the
    Welshman and his sons, on account of that scrape they helped her out of the other night.
    And say -- I can tell you something, if you want to know."

    "Well, what?"

    "Why, old Mr. Jones is going to try to spring something on the people here
    to-night, but I overheard him tell auntie to-day about it, as a secret, but I reckon it's
    not much of a secret now. Everybody knows -- the widow, too, for all she tries to let on
    she don't. Mr. Jones was bound Huck should be here -- couldn't get along with his grand
    secret without Huck, you know!"

    "Secret about what, Sid?"

    "About Huck tracking the robbers to the widow's. I reckon Mr. Jones was going to
    make a grand time over his surprise, but I bet you it will drop pretty flat."

    Sid chuckled in a very contented and satisfied way.

    "Sid, was it you that told?"

    "Oh, never mind who it was. Somebody told -- that's enough."

    "Sid, there's only one person in this town mean enough to do that, and that's you.
    If you had been in Huck's place you'd 'a' sneaked down the hill and never told anybody on
    the robbers. You can't do any but mean things, and you can't bear to see anybody praised
    for doing good ones. There -- no thanks, as the widow says" -- and Tom cuffed Sid's
    ears and helped him to the door with several kicks. "Now go and tell auntie if you
    dare -- and to-morrow you'll catch it!"

    Some minutes later the widow's guests were at the supper-table, and a dozen children
    were propped up at little side-tables in the same room, after the fashion of that country
    and that day. At the proper time Mr. Jones made his little speech, in which he thanked the
    widow for the honor she was doing himself and his sons, but said that there was another
    person whose modesty --

    And so forth and so on. He sprung his secret about Huck's share in the adventure in the
    finest dramatic manner he was master of, but the surprise it occasioned was largely
    counterfeit and not as clamorous and effusive as it might have been under happier
    circumstances. However, the widow made a pretty fair show of astonishment, and heaped so
    many compliments and so much gratitude upon Huck that he almost forgot the nearly
    intolerable discomfort of his new clothes in the entirely intolerable discomfort of being
    set up as a target for everybody's gaze and everybody's laudations.

    The widow said she meant to give Huck a home under her roof and have him educated; and
    that when she could spare the money she would start him in business in a modest way. Tom's
    chance was come. He said:

    "Huck don't need it. Huck's rich."

    Nothing but a heavy strain upon the good manners of the company kept back the due and
    proper complimentary laugh at this pleasant joke. But the silence was a little awkward.
    Tom broke it:

    "Huck's got money. Maybe you don't believe it, but he's got lots of it. Oh, you
    needn't smile -- I reckon I can show you. You just wait a minute."

    Tom ran out of doors. The company looked at each other with a perplexed interest -- and
    inquiringly at Huck, who was tongue-tied.

    "Sid, what ails Tom?" said Aunt Polly. "He -- well, there ain't ever any
    making of that boy out. I never --"

    Tom entered, struggling with the weight of his sacks, and Aunt Polly did not finish her
    sentence. Tom poured the mass of yellow coin upon the table and said:

    "There -- what did I tell you? Half of it's Huck's and half of it's mine!"

    The spectacle took the general breath away. All gazed, nobody spoke for a moment. Then
    there was a unanimous call for an explanation. Tom said he could furnish it, and he did.
    The tale was long, but brimful of interest. There was scarcely an interruption from any
    one to break the charm of its flow. When he had finished, Mr. Jones said:

    "I thought I had fixed up a little surprise for this occasion, but it don't amount
    to anything now. This one makes it sing mighty small, I'm willing to allow."

    The money was counted. The sum amounted to a little over twelve thousand dollars. It
    was more than any one present had ever seen at one time before, though several persons
    were there who were worth considerably more than that in property.