Along comes Ben, one of his cronies. Tom begins to do some tall thinking. But let's not try to improve the original:
"He took up his brush and went tranquilly to work....
"Ben said: 'Hello, old chap, you got to work, hey?'
"Tom wheeled suddenly and said: 'Why, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing.'
"'Say—I'm going in a-swimming, I am. Don't you wish you could? But of course you'd ruther work—wouldn't you? Course you would!'
"Tom contemplated the boy a bit, and said: 'What do you call work?'
"'Why, ain't that work?'
"Tom resumed his whitewashing, and answered carelessly: 'Well, maybe it is, and maybe it ain't. All I know is, it suits Tom Sawyer.'
"'Oh come, now, you don't mean to let on you like it?'
"The brush continued to move.