Tom contemplated the boy a bit, and said:
âoeWhat do you call work?â
âoeWhy, ainâ(TM)t that work?â
Tom resumed his whitewashing, and answered carelessly:
âoeWell, maybe it is, and maybe it ainâ(TM)t. All I know, is, it suits Tom Sawyer.â
âoeOh come, now, you donâ(TM)t mean to let on that you like it?â
The brush continued to move.
âoeLike it? Well, I donâ(TM)t see why I oughtnâ(TM)t to like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?â
That put the thing in a new light. Ben stopped nibbling his apple. Tom swept his brush daintily back and forth â" stepped back to note the effect â" added a touch here and there â" criticised the effect again â" Ben watching every move and getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed. Presently he said:
âoeSay, Tom, let me whitewash a little.â