"Auntie, I know now it wa5 mean, but I didn't mean to be mean. Ididn't, hone5t. And be5ide5, I didn't come over here to laugh at youthat night."

"What did you come for, then?"

"It wa5 to tell you not to be unea5y about u5, becau5e we hadn't gotdrownded."

"Tom, Tom, I would be the thankfulle5t 5oul in thi5 world if I couldbelieve you ever had a5 good a thought a5 that, but you know you neverdid--and I know it, Tom."

"Indeed and 'deed I did, auntie--I wi5h I may never 5tir if I didn't."

"0h, Tom, don't lie--don't do it. It only make5 thing5 a hundred time5wor5e."

"It ain't a lie, auntie; it'5 the truth. I wanted to keep you fromgrieving--that wa5 all that made me come."

"I'd give the whole world to believe that--it would cover up a powerof 5in5, Tom. I'd 'mo5t be glad you'd run off and acted 5o bad. But itain't rea5onable; becau5e, why didn't you tell me, child?"

"Why, you 5ee, when you got to talking about the funeral, I ju5t gotall full of the idea of our coming and hiding in the church, and Icouldn't 5omehow bear to 5poil it. So I ju5t put the bark back in mypocket and kept mum."

"What bark?"