Now you went by the house as usual, last November twenty-first, he said, and she asked you to come in and bust up a chiffarobe?

No suh.

Do you deny that you went by the house?

No suhshe said she had somethin for me to do inside the house

She says she asked you to bust up a chiffarobe, is that right?

No suh, it aint.

Then you say shes lying, boy?

Atticus was on his feet, but Tom Robinson didnt need him. I dont say shes lyin, Mr. Gilmer, I say shes mistaken in her mind.

To the next ten questions, as Mr. Gilmer reviewed Mayellas version of events, the witnesss steady answer was that she was mistaken in her mind.

Didnt Mr. Ewell run you off the place, boy?

No suh, I dont think he did.

Dont think, what do you mean?

I mean I didnt stay long enough for him to run me off.

Youre very candid about this, why did you run so fast?

I says I was scared, suh.

If you had a clear conscience, why were you scared?

Like I says before, it werent safe for any nigger to be in afix like that.

But you werent in a fixyou testified that you were resisting Miss Ewell. Were you so scared that shed hurt you, you ran, a big buck like you?

No suh, Is scared Id be in court, just like I am now.

Scared of arrest, scared youd have to face up to what you did?

No suh, scared Id hafta face up to what I didnt do.

Are you being impudent to me, boy?

No suh, I didnt go to be.

This was as much as I heard of Mr. Gilmers cross-examination, because Jem made me take Dill out. For some reason Dill had started crying and couldnt stop; quietly at first, then his sobs were heard by several people in the balcony. Jem said if I didnt go with him hed make me, and Reverend Sykes said Id better go, so I went. Dill had seemed to be all right that day, nothing wrong with him, but I guessed he hadnt fully recovered from running away.

Aint you feeling good? I asked, when we reached the bottom of the stairs.

Dill tried to pull himself together as we ran down the south steps. Mr. Link Deas was a lonely figure on the top step. Anything happenin, Scout? he asked as we went by. No sir, I answered over my shoulder. Dill here, hes sick.

Come on out under the trees, I said. Heat got you, I expect. We chose the fattest live oak and we sat under it.

It was just him I couldnt stand, Dill said.

Who, Tom?

That old Mr. Gilmer doin him thataway, talking so hateful to him

Dill, thats his job. Why, if we didnt have prosecutorswell, we couldnt have defense attorneys, I reckon.

Dill exhaled patiently. I know all that, Scout. It was the way he said it made me sick, plain sick.

Hes supposed to act that way, Dill, he was cross

He didnt act that way when

Dill, those were his own witnesses.

Well, Mr. Finch didnt act that way to Mayella and old man Ewell when he cross-examined them. The way that man called him boy all the time and sneered at him, an looked around at the jury every time he answered

Well, Dill, after all hes just a Negro.

I dont care one speck. It aint right, somehow it aint right to do em that way. Hasnt anybody got any business talkin like thatit just makes me sick.

Thats just Mr. Gilmers way, Dill, he does em all that way. Youve never seen him get goodn down on one yet. Why, whenwell, today Mr. Gilmer seemed to me like he wasnt half trying. They do em all that way, most lawyers, I mean.

Mr. Finch doesnt.

Hes not an example, Dill, hes I was trying to grope in my memory for a sharp phrase of Miss Maudie Atkinsons. I had it: Hes the same in the courtroom as he is on the public streets.

Thats not what I mean, said Dill.