CHAPTER XLVII. A DOUBLE SURPRISE.

IT WAS TEN o’clock in the evening. Tillie was fast asleep, but her mother, by the light of a small lamp, was engaged in sewing in her little sitting-room¹.

Her face was grave and sad. Her hope of seeing Tom again in life was fast growing fainter and fainter. He was her only boy, and she had lost him. She would never again see his bright face, or hear his cheerful voice through the long and weary years that probably awaited her.

Beside this loss pecuniary² cares were of secondary importance, but they troubled her at this hour. If, as John Simpson said, the house and lot, her only property, would scarcely bring six hundred dollars, that would not last long, and how was she to get along? If only she had Tom’s strong arm to rest upon, he would find something to do, and would not let his mother want.

The five dollars had now dwindled³ away. But fifty cents were left, and she could not get sewing enough to do to defray even their small expenses.

That very afternoon she had sent Tillie to the house of John Simpson, asking him to call the coming day. She had made up her mind to accept his offer, and either mortgage the place for four hundred dollars or sell it outright⁴ for six hundred, if he would give it.

245

She reckoned that two hundred dollars a year, in addition to what she could earn, would support them; and thus three years would be provided for. During that time Tom might come back. She would not give him up yet.

The outlook was sad enough, and it was no wonder that Mrs. Thatcher⁵ looked pale and sad, yet she was on the threshold of a great joy, though she knew it not.

At length, about half-past ten, she rose from her sewing and prepared to go to bed.

At that very minute she heard a knock at her door.

“Who can be coming here at this hour?” she thought, with alarm.

Not long before a tramp had entered a house in the village during the night, and it occurred to her that this might be the same man or one of his confederates. She was alone and defenseless, and naturally she felt nervous.

“Who is there?” she asked, in a tremulous voice.

“It’s I, mother.”

There was something in that voice which sent a thrill through her veins⁶, and wakened a glad hope in her heart.

No hesitating now! Hurriedly she opened the door, and uttered a glad cry of surprise as Tom entered.

“Oh, my boy, my boy! I thought I should never see you again!” she cried, as she clasped him to her bosom⁷.

“A bad penny always turns up again,” said Tom, merrily.

Then Mrs. Thatcher had a chance to look at the boy from whom she had been separated for a year.

246 “You have grown taller, Tom,” she said.

“Yes, mother, I am at least two inches taller.”

Then she examined his clothes. They were well worn; in fact, they were shabby. It was clear that Tom had not been successful. But what of that? She had him back, and that was better than all.

“Well, Tom,” she said, “you didn’t find it pay going to California?”

Tom smiled.

“I am glad I went, though I did have a hard time getting there.”

“Why didn’t you write?”

“On the plains there were no post-offices, or scarcely any. Then, again, I was captured by the Indians, and kept a prisoner for three months.”

Mrs. Thatcher uttered a little cry.

“Oh, Tom! if I had known that I should have died of anxiety.”

“Then it’s well you didn’t know, mother.”

“How did you happen to come here instead of to Mr. Bacon’s?”

“I heard that he was dead. How have you got along, mother? Have you been pressed for money?”

“I have fifty cents left, Tom, but now that you are back I won’t feel anxious any more. You will stay at home, now, won’t you?”

“But can I get any work, mother?”

“Yes; John Simpson says he will take you back into the shop.”

“And give me three dollars a week?”
247
Mrs. Thatcher uttered a glad cry of surprise as Tom entered
[Page 247.]

248 “Yes; that will be better than nothing. Take it for awhile, Tom. I can’t have you go away again just yet.”

“I’ll see about it, mother.”

Then Mrs. Thatcher told Tom that Mr. Simpson was coming the next day to arrange about a mortgage on the place.

“That is, if you think it best, Tom.”

“Let him come, mother. We will talk it over. I shall want to see him myself about business.”

“You won’t say anything to irritate him, Tom? You know he might refuse to give you a place again in the shop.”

“And that would be a misfortune,” said Tom, smiling.

“Of course. That will enable you to stay at home with me, and we can be so happy together, Tom. We may live poorly, but if we are together, we won’t mind that.”

“It seems good to be at home again, mother, but I have something important to say to you.”

“You, Tom?”

“Something that will surprise you very much.”

“What is it, Tom?” asked his mother, anxiously. “Not bad news?”

“No, good news. Do you think you can bear it?”

“Bear good news! Why shouldn’t I?”

“I met an old friend in California—one whom we all thought to be dead. He has come home with me.”

“An old friend? I can’t think whom you mean, Tom,” said his mother, with a puzzled expression.

249 “We thought,” continued Tom, slowly, “that he died in California eight—nine years ago.”

“What can you mean, Tom?” asked his mother, in deep agitation⁸, for she began to suspect the truth.

Tom’s answer was to open the outer door again, and call:

“Father!”

Then Mr. Thatcher, who had been patiently waiting for Tom to break the news to his wife, entered. Instantly he was clasped in the arms of his wife.

The shock and surprise were so great that Mrs. Thatcher came near fainting away, but joy is seldom dangerous, and she soon recovered.

“Mother,” said Tom, after a brief space, “there are reasons why we do not want father’s return made known in the village just at present. Do you think Tillie will recognize him?”

“No; she was very young when her father went away.”

“Then call him by a different name in her presence, so she may not suspect the truth.”

“You may call me Johnson,” said Mr. Thatcher. “I had a friend of that name in California. It will do as well as any other.”

“I will try to hide the secret, but I fear my face will betray it.”

“People will think you are excited by Tom’s return,” said her husband.

“How thankful I ought to be!” said Mrs. Thatcher. “I thought myself almost alone in the world, and250 to-night has brought me back two dear ones. I am twice blessed!”

“Now,” thought Tom, “we shall be ready to see Mr. Simpson in the morning. If father’s appearance does not confound him, Mr. Darke will arrive early, and his testimony⁹ will confront him with another crime attempted.”

1 sitting-room   

n.（BrE）客厅，起居室

参考例句：

• The sitting-room is clean.起居室很清洁。
• Each villa has a separate sitting-room.每栋别墅都有一间独立的起居室。

2 pecuniary   

adj.金钱的；金钱上的

参考例句：

• She denies obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception.她否认通过欺骗手段获得经济利益。
• She is so independent that she refused all pecuniary aid.她很独立，所以拒绝一切金钱上的资助。

3 dwindled   

v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。
• His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

5 thatcher   

n.茅屋匠

参考例句：

• Tom Sawyer was in the skiff that bore Judge Thatcher. 汤姆 - 索亚和撒切尔法官同乘一条小艇。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• Mrs. Thatcher was almost crazed; and Aunt Polly, also. 撒切尔夫人几乎神经失常，还有波莉姨妈也是。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险

6 veins   

n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理

参考例句：

• The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 bosom   

n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的

参考例句：

• She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
• A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

8 agitation   

n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动

参考例句：

• Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。
• These materials require constant agitation to keep them in suspension.这些药剂要经常搅动以保持悬浮状态。

9 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。