Because I loved you so, and you laid there moaning and I was so sorry."

The words sounded like truth. The old lady could not hide a tremor in

her voice when she said:

Kiss me again, Tom!--and be off with you to school, now, and don't

bother me any more."

The moment he was gone, she ran to a closet and got out the ruin of a

jacket which Tom had gone pirating in. Then she stopped, with it in her

hand, and said to herself:

"No, I don't dare. Poor boy, I reckon he's lied about it--but it's a

blessed, blessed lie, there's such a comfort come from it. I hope the

Lord--I KNOW the Lord will forgive him, because it was such

goodheartedness in him to tell it. But I don't want to find out it's a

lie. I won't look."

She put the jacket away, and stood by musing a minute. Twice she put

out her hand to take the garment again, and twice she refrained. Once

more she ventured, and this time she fortified herself with the

thought: "It's a good lie--it's a good lie--I won't let it grieve me."

So she sought the jacket pocket. A moment later she was reading Tom's

piece of bark through flowing tears and saying: "I could forgive the

boy, now, if he'd committed a million sins!"

196

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer