the turmoil-第30部分

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WHO　looks　a　mustang　in　the　eye？　。。。　With　a　leap　from　the　ground　To　the　saddle

in　a　bound。　And　awayand　away！　Hi…yay！



It　was　the　first　time　in　Sheridan's　life　that　he　had　ever　detected　any　musical

symptom　whatever　in　Bibbshe　had　never　even　heard　him　whistle　and　it　seemed

the　last　touch　of　irony　that　the　useless　fool　should　be　merry　to…day。



To　Sheridan　it　was　Tom　o'　Bedlam　singing　while　the　house　burned；　and　he　did

not　tarry　to　enjoy　the　melody；　but　went　into　his　own　room　and　locked　the　door。





He　emerged　only　upon　a　second　summons　to　dinner；　two　hours　later；　and　came　to

the　table　so　white　and　silent　that　his　wife　made　her　anxiety　manifest　and　was

but　partially　reassured　by　his　explanation　that　his　lunch　had　〃disagreed〃　with

him　a　little。



Presently；　however；　he　spoke　effectively。　　Bibbs；　whose　appetite　had　become

hearty；　was　helping　himself　to　a　second　breast　of　capon　from　white…jacket's

salver。　　〃Here's　another　difference　between　Midas　and　chicken；〃　Sheridan

remarked；　grimly。　　〃Midas　can　eat　rooster；　but　rooster　can't　eat　Midas。　　I

reckon　you　overlooked　that。　　Midas　looks　to　me　like　he　had　the　advantage

there。〃



Bibbs　retained　enough　presence　of　mind　to　transfer　the　capon　breast　to　his

plate　without　dropping　it　and　to　respond；　〃Yeshe　crows　over　it。〃



Having　returned　his　antagonists's　fire　in　this　fashion；　he　blushedfor　he

could　blush　distinctly　nowand　his　mother　looked　upon　him　with　pleasure；

thought　the　reference　to　Midas　and　roosters　was　of　course　jargon　to　her。　　〃Did

you　ever　see　anybody　improve　the　way　that　child　has！〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃I

declare；　Bibbs；　sometimes　lately　you　look　right　handsome！〃



〃He's　got　to　be　such　a　gadabout；〃　Edith　giggled。



〃I　found　something　of　his　on　the　floor　up…stairs　this　morning；　before　anybody

was　up；〃　said　Sheridan。　　〃I　reckon　if　people　lose　things　in　this　house　and

expect　to　get　'em　back；　they　better　get　up　as　soon　as　I　do。〃



〃What　was　it　he　lost？〃　asked　Edith。



〃He　knows！〃　her　father　returned。　　〃Seems　to　me　like　I　forgot　to　bring　it　home

with　me。　　I　looked　it　overthought　probably　it　was　something　pretty

important；　belongin'　to　a　busy　man　like　him。〃　　He　affected　to　search　his

pockets。　　〃What　DID　I　do　with　it；　now？　　Oh　yes！　　Seems　to　me　like　I　remember

leavin'　it　down　at　the　officein　the　waste…basket。〃



〃Good　place　for　it；〃　Bibbs　murmured；　still　red。



Sheridan　gave　him　a　grin。　　〃Perhaps　pretty　soon　you'll　be　gettin'　up　early

enough　to　fine　things　before　I　do！〃



It　was　a　threat；　and　Bibbs　repeated　the　substance　of　it；　later　in　the　evening；

to　Mary　Vertreesthey　had　come　to　know　each　other　that　well。



〃My　time's　here　at　last；〃　he　said；　as　they　sat　together　in　the　melancholy

gas…light　of　the　room　which　had　been　denuded　of　its　piano。　That　removal　had

left　an　emptiness　so　distressing　to　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Vertrees　that　neither　of　them

had　crossed　the　threshold　since　the　dark　day；　but　the　gas…light；　though　from　a

single　jet；　shed　no　melancholy　upon　Bibbs；　nor　could　any　room　seem　bare　that

knew　the　glowing　presence　of　Mary。　　He　spoke　lightly；　not　sadly。



〃Yes；　it's　come。　　I've　shirked　and　put　off；　but　I　can't　shirk　and　put　off　any

longer。　　It's　really　my　part　to　go　to　himat　least　it　would　save　my　face。　　He

means　what　he　says；　and　the　time's　come　to　serve　my　sentence。　Hard　labor　for

life；　I　think。〃



Mary　shook　her　head。　　〃I　don't　think　so。　　He's　too　kind。〃



〃You　think　my　father's　KIND？〃　　And　Bibbs　stared　at　her。



〃Yes。　　I'm　sure　of　it。　　I've　felt　that　he　has　a　great；　brave　heart。　　It's　only

that　he　has　to　be　kind　in　his　own　waybecause　he　can't　understand　any　other

way。〃



〃Ah　yes；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃If　that's　what　you　mean　by　'kind'！〃



She　looked　at　him　gravely；　earnest　concern　in　her　friendly　eyes。　　〃It's　going

to　be　pretty　hard　for　you；　isn't　it？〃



〃Ohself…pity！〃　he　returned；　smiling。　　〃This　has　been　just　the　last　flicker

of　revolt。　　Nobody　minds　work　if　he　likes　the　kind　of　work。　There'd　be　no

loafers　in　the　world　if　each　man　found　the　thing　that　he　could　do　best；　but

the　only　work　I　happen　to　want　to　do　is　uselessso　I　have　to　give　it　up。

To…morrow　I'll　be　a　day…laborer。〃



〃What　is　it　likeexactly？〃



〃I　get　up　at　six；〃　he　said。　　〃I　have　a　lunch…basket　to　carry　with　me；　which　is

aristocratic　and　no　advantage。　　The　other　workmen　have　tin　buckets；　and　tin

buckets　are　better。　　I　leave　the　house　at　six…thirty；　and　I'm　at　work　in　my

overalls　at　seven。　　I　have　an　hour　off　at　noon；　and　work　again　from　one　till

five。〃



〃But　the　work　itself？〃



〃It　wasn't　muscularly　exhaustingnot　at　all。　　They　couldn't　give　me　a　heavier

job　because　I　wasn't　good　enough。〃



〃But　what　will　you　do？　　I　want　to　know。〃



〃When　I　left；〃　said　Bibbs；　〃I　was　'on'　what　they　call　over　there　a

'clipping…machine；'　in　one　of　the　'by…products'　departments；　and　that's　what

I'll　be　sent　back　to。〃



〃But　what　is　it？〃　she　insisted。



Bibbs　explained。　　〃It's　very　simple　and　very　easy。　　I　feed　long　strips　of　zinc

into　a　pair　of　steel　jaws；　and　the　jaws　bite　the　zinc　into　little　circles。

All　I　have　to　do　is　to　see　that　the　strip　goes　into　the　jaws　at　a　certain

angleand　yet　I　was　a　very　bad　hand　at　it。〃



He　had　kept　his　voice　cheerful　as　he　spoke；　but　he　had　grown　a　shade　paler；

and　there　was　a　latent　anguish　deep　in　his　eyes。　　He　may　have　known　it　and

wished　her　not　to　see　it；　for　he　turned　away。



〃You　do　that　all　day　long？〃　she　asked；　and　as　he　nodded；　〃It　seems

incredible！〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃YOU　feeding　a　strip　of　zinc　into　a　machine　nine

hours　a　day！　　No　wonder〃　　She　broke　off；　and　then；　after　a　keen　glance　at

his　face；　she　said：　〃I　should　think　you　WOULD　have　been　a　'bad　hand　at　it'！〃



He　laughed　ruefully。　　〃I　think　it's　the　noise；　though　I'm　ashamed　to　say　it。

You　see；　it's　a　very　　powerful　machine；　and　there's　a　sort　of　rhythmical

crashinga　crash　every　time　the　jaws　bite　off　a　circle。〃



〃How　often　is　that？〃



〃The　thing　should　make　about　sixty…eight　disks　a　minutea　little　more　than

one　a　second。〃



〃And　you're　close　to　it？〃



〃Oh；　the　workman　has　to　sit　in　its　lap；〃　he　said；　turning　to　her　more　gaily。

〃The　others　don't　mind　。　　You　see；　it's　something　wrong　with　me。　I　have　an

idiotic　way　of　flinching　from　the　confounded　thingI　flinch　and　duck　a　little

every　time　the　crash　comes；　and　I　couldn't　get　over　it。　I　was　a　treat　to　the

other　workmen　in　that　room；　they'll　be　glad　to　see　me　back。　　They　used　to

laugh　at　me　all　day　long。〃



Mary's　gaze　was　averted　from　Bibbs　now；　she　sat　with　her　elbow　resting　on　the

arm　of　the　chair；　her　lifted　hand　pressed　against　her　cheek。　　She　was　staring

at　the　wall；　and　her　eyes　had　a　burning　brightness　in　them。



〃It　doesn't　seem　possible　any　one　could　do　that　to　you；〃　she　said；　in　a　low

voice。　　〃No。　　He's　not　kind。　　He　ought　to　be　proud　to　help　you　to　the　leisure

to　write　books；　it　should　be　his　greatest　privilege　to　have　them　published　for

you〃



〃Can't　you　SEE　him？〃　Bibbs　interrupted；　a　faint　ripple　of　hilarity　in　his

voice。　　〃If　he　could　understand　what　you're　sayingand　if　you　can　imagine　his

taking　such　a　notion；　he's　have　had　R。　T。　Bloss　put　up　posters　all　over　the

country：　'Read　B。　Sheridan。　　Read　the　Poet　with　a　Punch！'　No。　It's　just　as

well　he　never　got　theBut　what's　the　use？　　I've　never　written　anything　worth

printing；　and　I　never　shall。〃



〃You　could！〃　she　said。



〃That's　because　you've　never　seen　the　poor　little　things　I've　tried　to　do。〃



〃You　wouldn't　let　me；　but　I　KNOW　you　could！　　Ah；　it's　a　pity！〃



〃It　isn't；〃　said　BIBBS；　honestly。　　〃I　never　couldbut　you're　the　kindest　lady

in　this　world；　Miss　Vertrees。〃



She　gave　him　a　flashing　glance；　and　it　was　as　kind　as　he　said　she　was。　〃That

sounds　wrong；〃　she　said；　impulsively。　　〃I　mean　'Miss　Vertrees。'　I've　thought

of　you　by　your　first　name　ever　since　I　met　you。　　Wouldn't　you　rather　call　me

'Mary'？〃



Bibbs　was　dazzled；　he　drew　a　long；　deep　breath　and　did　not　speak。



〃Wouldn't　you？〃　she　asked；　without　a　trace　of　coquetry。



〃If　I　CAN！〃　he　said；　in　a　low　voice。



〃Ah；　that's　very　pretty！〃　she　laughed。　　〃You're　such　an　honest　person；　it's

pleasant　to　have　you　gallant　sometimes；　by　way　of　variety。〃　　She　became　grave

again　immediately。　　〃I　hear　myself　laughing　as　if　it　were　some　one　else。　　It

sounds　like　laughter　on　the　eve　of　a　great　calamity。〃　She　got　up　restlessly；

crossed　the　room　and　leaned　against　the　wall；　facing　him。　　〃You've　GOT　to　go

back　to　that　place？〃



He　nodded。



〃And　the　other　time　you　did　it〃



〃Just　over　it；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃Two　years。　　But　I　don't　mind　the　prospect　of　a

repetition　so　much　as〃



〃So　much　as　what？〃　she　prompted；　as　he　stopped。



Bibbs　looked　up　at　her　shyly。　　〃I　want　to　say　it；　butbut　I　come　to　a　dead

balk　when　I　try。　　I〃



〃Go　on。　　Say　it；　whatever　it　is；〃　she　bade　him。　　〃You　wouldn't　know　how　to　say

anything　I　shouldn't　like。〃



〃I　doubt　if　you'd　either　like　or　dislike　what　I　want　to　say；〃　he　returned；

moving　uncomfortably　in　his　chair　and　looking　at　his　feethe　seemed　to　feel

awkward；　thoroughly。　　〃You　see；　all　my　lifeuntil　I　met　youif　I　ever　felt

like　saying　anything；　I　wrote　it　instead。　　Saying　things　is　a　new　trick　for

me；　and　thiswell；　it's　just　this：　　I　used　to　feel　as　if　I　hadn't　ever　had

any　sort　of　a　life　at　all。　　I'd　never　been　of　use　to　anything　or　anybody；　and

I'd　never　had　anything；　myself；　except　a　kind　of　haphazard　thinking。　　But　now

it's　differentI'm　still　of　no　use　to　anybody；　and　I　don't　see　any　prospect

of　being　useful；　but　I　have　had　something　for　myself。　　I've　had　a　beautiful

and　happy　experience；　and　it　makes　my　life　seem　to　beI　mean　I'm　glad　I've

lived　it！　　That's　all；　it's　your　letting　me　be　near　you　sometimes；　as　you

have；　this　strange；　beautiful；　happy　little　while！〃



He　did　not　once　look　up；　and　reached　silence；　at　the　end　of　what　he　had　to

say；　with　his　eyes　still　awkwardly　regarding　his　feet。　　She　did　not　speak；　but

a　soft　r