Tom waxed warm and eloquent as he thought over his wrongs

　　Tom waxed warm and eloquent as he thought over his wrongs, andbounced up to march about the room, wagging his head and trying tofeel aggrieved as usual, but surprised to find that his heart did notache a bit.

　　'I wouldn't. Drop the old fancy, for it was nothing more, and take upthe new one, if it is genuine. But how came you to propose, Tom, asyou must have done to be engaged?' asked Mrs Jo, impatient for thecrisis of the tale.

　　'Oh, that was an accident. I didn't mean it at all; the donkey didit, and I couldn't get out of the scrape without hurting Dora'sfeelings, you see,' began Tom, seeing that the fatal moment had come.

　　'So there were two donkeys in it, were there?' said Mrs Jo,foreseeing fun of some sort.

　　'Don't laugh! It sounds funny, I know; but it might have been awful,'

　　answered Tom darkly, though a twinkle of the eye showed that his lovetrials did not quite blind him to the comic side of the adventure.

　　'The girls admired our new wheels, and of course we liked to showoff. Took 'em to ride, and had larks generally. Well, one day, Dorawas on behind, and we were going nicely along a good bit of road,when a ridiculous old donkey got right across the way. I thought he'dmove, but he didn't, so I gave him a kick; he kicked back, and overwe went in a heap, donkey and all. Such a mess! I thought only ofDora, and she had hysterics; at least, she laughed till she cried,and that beast brayed, and I lost my head. Any fellow would, with apoor girl gasping in the road, and he wiping her tears and beggingpardon, not knowing whether her bones were broken or not. I calledher my darling, and went on like a fool in my flurry, till she grewcalmer, and said, with such a look: "I forgive you, Tom. Pick me up,and let us go on again."'Wasn't that sweet now, after I'd upset her for the second time? Ittouched me to the heart; and I said I'd like to go on for ever withsuch an angel to steer for, and--well I don't know what I did say;but you might have knocked me down with a feather when she put herarm round my neck and whispered: "Tom, dear, with you I'm not afraidof any lions in the path." She might have said donkeys; but she wasin earnest, and she spared my feelings. Very nice of the dear girl;but there I am with two sweethearts on my hands, and in a deuce of ascrape.'

　　Finding it impossible to contain herself another moment, Mrs Jolaughed till the tears ran down her cheeks at this characteristicepisode; and after one reproachful look, which only added to hermerriment, Tom burst into a jolly roar that made the room ring.

　　'Tommy Bangs! Tommy Bangs! who but you could ever get into such acatastrophe?' said Mrs Jo, when she recovered her breath.

　　'Isn't it a muddle all round, and won't everyone chaff me to deathabout it? I shall have to quit old Plum for a while,' answered Tom,as he mopped his face, trying to realize the full danger of hisposition.

　　'No, indeed; I'll stand by you, for I think it the best joke of theseason. But tell me how things ended. Is it really serious, or only asummer flirtation? I don't approve of them, but boys and girls willplay with edged tools and cut their fingers.'