"You'll tell."
"No I won't-deed and deed and double deed won't."
"You won't tell anybody at all? Ever, as long as you live?"
"No, I won't ever tell anybody. Now let me."
"Oh, you don't want to see!"
"Now that you treat me so, I will see." And she put her small hand upon his and a little scuffle ensued, Tom pretending to resist in earnest but letting his hand slip by degrees till these words were revealed: "I love you."
"Oh, you bad thing!" And she hit his hand a smart rap, but reddened and looked pleased, nevertheless.
Just at this juncture the boy felt a slow, fateful grip closing on his ear, and a steady lifting impulse.
In that wise he was borne across the house and deposited in his own seat, under a peppering fire of giggles from the whole school.
Then the master stood over him during a few awful moments, and finally moved away to his throne without saying a word.