-------------------------------------------------------------page 90 her. He meant to punish her, and that business having been performed, he occupied himself with other matters like a practical person. But when he had been called in to tea, his father said, 'Why, where's the little wench?' and Mrs Tulliver, almost at the same moment, said, 'Where's your little sister?' both of them having supposed that Maggie and Tom had been together all the afternoon. 'I don't know,' said Tom. He didn't want to 'tell' of Maggie, though he was angry with her, for Tom Tulliver was a lad of honour. 'What, hasn't she been playing with you all this while?' said the father. 'She'd been thinking o' nothing but your coming home.' 'I haven't seen her this two hours,' says Tom, commencing on the plum-cake. 'Goodness heart! she's got drownded,' exclaimed Mrs Tulliver, rising from her seat and running to the window. 'How could you let her do so?' she added, as became a fearful woman, accusing she didn't know whom of she didn't know what. 'Nay, nay, she's none drownded,' said Mr Tulliver. 'You've been naughty to her, I doubt, Tom?' 'I'm sure I haven't, father,' said Tom, indignantly. 'I think she's in the house.' 'Perhaps up in that attic,' said Mrs Tulliver, 'a-singing and talking to herself, and forgetting all about meal-times.' 'You go and fetch her down, Tom,' said Mr Tulliver, rather sharply, his perspicacity or his fatherly fondness for Maggie making him suspect that the lad had been hard upon 'the little un,' else she would never have left his side. 'And be good to her, do you hear? Else I'll let you know better.' Tom never disobeyed his father, for Mr Tulliver was a peremptory man, and, as he said, would never let anybody get hold of his whip-hand; but he went out rather sullenly, carrying his piece of plum-cake, and not intending to reprieve Maggie's punishment, which was no more than she deserved. Tom was only thirteen, and had no decided views in gramm...
