Too late he divined her "drift." The handle of the telltale teaspoon was visible under the bed-valance.

Aunt Polly took it, held it up.

Tom winced, and dropped his eyes.

Aunt Polly raised him by the usual handle--his ear--and cracked his head soundly with her thimble.
"Now, sir, what did you want to treat that poor dumb beast so, for ?" "I done it out of pity for him--because he hadn't any aunt." "Hadn't any aunt!--you numskull.

What has that got to do with it ?" "Heaps.