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           Atticusseemedtoenjoyit,butAuntAlexandra,whowassittinginacornerquietlysewing,putdownherembroideryandstaredatus.

           "YouallwerecomingbackfromCalpurnia’schurchthatSunday?"

           Jemsaid,"Yessum,shetookus."

           Irememberedsomething."Yessum,andshepromisedmeIcouldcomeouttoherhousesomeafternoon.Atticus.I’llgonextSundayifit’sallright,canI?Calsaidshe’dcomegetmeifyouwereoffinthecar."

           "Youmaynot."

           AuntAlexandrasaidit.Iwheeledaround,startled,thenturnedbacktoAtticusintimetocatchhisswiftglanceather,butitwastoolate.Isaid,"Ididn’taskyou!"

           Forabigman,AtticuscouldgetupanddownfromachairfasterthananyoneIeverknew.Hewasonhisfeet."Apologizetoyouraunt,"hesaid.

           "Ididn’taskher,Iaskedyou—"

           Atticusturnedhisheadandpinnedmetothewallwithhisgoodeye.Hisvoicewasdeadly:"First,apologizetoyouraunt."

           "I’msorry,Aunty,"Imuttered.

           "Nowthen,"hesaid."Let’sgetthisclear:youdoasCalpurniatellsyou,youdoasItellyou,andaslongasyouraunt’sinthishouse,youwilldoasshetellsyou.Understand?"

           Iunderstood,ponderedawhile,andconcludedthattheonlywayIcouldretirewithashredofdignitywastogotothebathroom,whereIstayedlongenoughtomakethemthinkIhadtogo.Returning,Ilingeredinthehalltohearafiercediscussiongoingoninthelivingroom.