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 fretting1 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 chuckled2 in a very contented3 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' sneaked4 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 cuffed5 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 propped6 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 modesty7 --
And so forth8 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 counterfeit9 and not as clamorous10 and effusive11 as it might have been under happier circumstances. However, the widow made a pretty fair show of astonishment12, and heaped so many compliments and so much gratitude13 upon Huck that he almost forgot the nearly intolerable discomfort14 of his new clothes in the entirely15 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 complimentary16 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 perplexed17 interest -- and inquiringly at Huck, who was tongue-tied.
"Sid, what ails18 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 spoke19 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 fixed20 up a little surprise for this occasion, but it don't amount to anything now. This one makes it sing mighty21 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 considerably22 more than that in property.
第三十四章 黄金如山，富了汤姆与哈克
哈克说：“汤姆，要是弄到绳子，我们就可以滑下去，窗户离地面没有多高。”
“胡说，干吗要溜走呢？”
“是这样的，跟一大群人在一起怪不习惯的，受不了。汤姆，反正我不下去。”
“真是的，讨厌！其实下去没什么大不了的事，我根本不在乎，我会照应你的。”
希德来了。
“汤姆，”他说，“波莉姨妈一下午都在等你呐。玛丽为你准备好了礼服。大家都为你担心。喂，这不是蜡烛油和粘土吗？在你衣服上。”
“得了，希德先生，你少管闲事。他们今天为什么在这里大吃大喝呢？”
“这是寡妇家的宴会，她经常请客。这次是为了威尔斯曼和他儿子举行的，感谢他们的救命之恩。喂，还想知道得更多吗？我可以告诉你。”
“嗯，是什么事？”
“什么事？老琼斯先生今晚有惊人的消息要告诉这里的人们。他在和姨妈谈这事时，被我听到了这个秘密，不过我想，现在这已算不上什么秘密了，人人都知道，寡妇也知道，但她却尽力掩饰。琼斯先生一定要哈克出席。你瞧，哈克不在场，他怎么能说出那个大秘密呢！”
“希德，是哪方面的秘密？”
“就是哈克跟踪强盗到寡妇家的那件事情。我想琼斯想利用此事来个一鸣惊人的举动，不过我敢打赌，他不会成功。”
希德笑了，心满意足地笑了。
“希德，是你把秘密泄露出去的吧！”
“得了，别管是谁干的，反正有人已说出了那个秘密，这就够了。”
“希德，全镇只有一个下流家伙会这么干，那就是你。你要是处在哈克的位置，你早就溜之大吉，根本不会向人报告强盗的消息。你只会干些卑鄙龌龊的事情，见不得干好事的人受表扬。好，赏你这个——‘不用道谢’，照寡妇的说法。”
汤姆一边说，一边打他耳光，连踢带推把他撵出门外。“好，赶快去向姨妈告状吧，只要你敢，明天就有你好受的。”
几分钟过后，寡妇家的客人都坐在了晚餐桌旁，十几个小孩也被安排在同一间房里的小餐桌旁规规矩矩地坐着，那时的习俗就是这样。过了一会后，琼斯先生作了简短的发言，他感谢寡妇为他和儿子举办此次宴请，但他又说还有个很谦虚的人—— 他说了很多后，突然戏剧性地宣布这次历险中哈克也在场。人们显得很惊讶的样子，实际上是故作的。要是在平常遇上这样欢快的场面，人们听到秘密后会显得更加热闹的。
可是只有寡妇一人却表现出相当吃惊的样子。她一个劲地赞扬和感激哈克的所作所为，结果哈克几乎忘却了众目睽睽下穿新衣不自在的感觉。
寡妇说她打算收养哈克，让他上学受教育，一旦有钱就让他做点小买卖。汤姆终于有机会搭上了腔，他说：
“哈克不需要那个，他富了。”
听了这句可笑的话，在座的来宾为了面子都忍着没有笑出来，但场面却让人尴尬。汤姆打破了沉默。
“哈克有钱了，你们或许不相信，不过他真有了很多的钱。喂，你们别笑，我会让你们看到的，请稍等片刻吧。”
汤姆跑到门外，那些人彼此迷惑不解，好奇地看着，再问哈克，他此时却张口结舌。
“希德，汤姆得了什么病？”波莉姨妈问道，“他呀——真是的，从来猜不透他，我从来没有——”
她还没说完，只见汤姆吃力地背着口袋走进来。他把黄色金币倒在桌上说：
“你们看呀！我刚才怎么说的？一半是哈克的，一半是我的！”
这一下使在座的人全都大吃一惊。大家只是瞪眼盯着桌上，一时没有人说话。接着大家一致要求汤姆说出原委。汤姆满口答应，于是就把事情的来龙去脉说了一遍，虽然话很长，但大家却听得津津有味，没有一个人插话打断他的叙述。
汤姆讲完后，琼斯先生说：
“我原以为今天我会让大家大吃一惊，可是听了汤姆的叙述，我承认我的根本不算什么了。”
钱被过了数，总共有一万二千块美元。尽管在座的人当中，有的家产不止这个数，可是一次见过这么多钱却还是头一回。
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fretting
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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sneaked
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| v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状 | |
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cuffed
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| v.掌打，拳打( cuff的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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modesty
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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counterfeit
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| vt.伪造，仿造；adj.伪造的，假冒的 | |
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clamorous
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| adj.吵闹的，喧哗的 | |
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effusive
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| adj.热情洋溢的；感情(过多)流露的 | |
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astonishment
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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complimentary
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| adj.赠送的，免费的，赞美的，恭维的 | |
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perplexed
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ails
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| v.生病( ail的第三人称单数 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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mighty
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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