the turmoil-第52部分

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enjoying　the　fruits　of　the　earth。　　Well；　their　posterity　was　hereand　there

was　only　turmoil。　　Where　was　the　promised　land？　　It　had　been　promised　by　the

soldiers　of　all　the　wars；　it　had　been　promised　to　this　generation　by　the

pioneers；　but　here　was　the　very　posterity　to　whom　it　had　been　promised；

toiling　and　risking　and　sacrificing　in　turnfor　what？



The　harsh　roar　of　the　city　came　in　through　the　open　window；　continuously

beating　upon　Bibbs's　ear　until　he　began　to　distinguish　a　pulsation　in　it　a

broken　and　irregular　cadence。　　It　seemed　to　him　that　it　was　like　a　titanic

voice；　discordant；　hoarse；　rustily　metallicthe　voice　of　the　god；　Bigness。

And　the　voice　summoned　Bibbs　as　it　summoned　all　its　servants。



〃Come　and　work！〃　it　seemed　to　yell。　　〃Come　and　work　for　Me；　all　men！　　By　your

youth　and　your　hope　I　summon　you！　　By　your　age　and　your　despair　I　sommon　you

to　work　for　Me　yet　a　little；　with　what　strength　you　have。　　By　your　love　of

home　I　summon　you！　　By　your　love　of　woman　I　summon　you！　　By　your　hope　of

children　I　summon　you！



〃You　shall　be　blind　slaves　of　Mine；　blind　to　everything　but　Me；　you　Master　and

Driver！　　For　your　reward　you　shall　gaze　only　upon　my　ugliness。　　You　shall　give

your　toil　and　your　lives；　you　shall　go　mad　for　love　and　worship　of　my

ugliness！　　You　shall　perish　still　worshipping　Me；　and　your　children　shall

perish　knowing　no　other　god！〃



And　then；　as　Bibbs　closed　the　window　down　tight；　he　heard　his　father's　voice

booming　in　the　next　room；　he　could　not　distinguish　the　words；　but　the　tone　was

exultantand　there　came　the　THUMP！　THUMP！　of　the　maimed　hand。　　Bibbs　guessed

that　Sheridan　was　bragging　of　the　city　and　of　Bigness　to　some　visitor　from

out…of…town。



And　he　thought　how　truly　Sheridan　was　the　high　priest　of　Bigness。　　But　with

the　old；　old　thought　again；；　〃What　for？〃　Bibbs　caught　a　glimmer　of　far；　faint

light。　　He　saw　that　Sheridan　had　all　his　life　struggled　and　conquered；　and

must　all　his　life　go　on　struggling　and　inevitably　conquering；　as　part　of　a

vast　impulse　not　his　own。　　Sheridan　served　blindlybut　was　the　impulse　blind？

Bibbs　asked　himself　if　it　was　not　he　who　had　been　in　the　greater　hurry；　after

all。　　The　kiln　must　be　fired　before　the　vase　is　glazed；　and　the　Acropolis　was

not　crowned　with　marble　in　a　day。



Then　the　voice　came　to　him　again；　but　there　was　a　strain　in　it　as　of　some　hugh

music　struggling　to　be　born　of　the　turmoil。　　〃Ugly　I　am；〃　it　seemed　to　say　to

him；　〃but　never　forget　that　I　AM　a　god！〃　　And　the　voice　grew　in　sonorousness

and　in　dignity。　　〃The　highest　should　serve；　but　so　long　as　you　worship　me　for

my　own　sake　I　will　not　serve　you。　　It　is　man　who　makes　me　ugly；　by　his　worship

of　me。　　If　man　would　let　me　serve　him；　I　should　be　beautiful！〃



Looking　once　more　from　the　window；　Bibbs　sculptured　for　himselfin　the　vague

contortions　of　the　smoke　and　fog　above　the　roofsa　giganitc　figure　with　feet

pedestaled　upon　the　great　buildings　and　shoulders　disappearing　in　the　clouds；

a　colossus　of　steel　and　wholly　blackened　with　soot。　　But　Bibbs　carried　his

fancy　furtherfor　there　was　still　a　little　poet　lingering　in　the　back　of　his

headand　he　thought　that　up　over　the　clouds；　unseen　from　below；　the　giant

labored　with　his　hands　in　the　clean　sunshine；　and　Bibbs　had　a　glimpse　of　what

he　made　thereperhaps　for　a　fellowship　of　the　children　of　the　children　that

were　children　nowa　noble　and　joyous　city；　unbelievably　white〃



It　was　the　telephone　that　called　him　from　his　vision。　　It　rang　fiercely。



He　lifted　the　thing　from　his　desk　and　answeredand　as　the　small　voice　inside

it　spoke　he　dropped　the　receiver　with　a　crash。　　He　trembled　violently　as　he

picked　it　up；　but　he　told　himself　he　was　wronghe　had　been　mistakenyet　it

was　a　startlingly　beautiful　voice；　startlingly　kind；　too；　and　ineffably　like

the　one　he　hungered　most　to　hear。



〃Who？〃　he　said；　his　own　voice　shakinglike　his　hand。



〃Mary。〃



He　responded　with　two　hushed　and　incredulous　words：　〃IS　IT？〃



There　was　a　little　thrill　of　pathetic　half…laughter　in　the　instrument。

〃BibbsI　wanted　tojust　to　see　if　you〃



〃YesMary？〃



〃I　was　looking　when　you　were　so　nearly　run　over。　　I　saw　it；　Bibbs。　　They　said

you　hadn't　been　hurt；　they　thought；　but　I　wanted　to　know　for　myself。〃



〃No；　no；　I　wasn't　hurt　at　allMary。　　It　was　father　who　came　nearer　it。　He

saved　me。〃



〃Yes；　I　saw；　but　you　had　fallen。　　I　couldn't　get　through　the　crowd　until　you

had　gone。　　And　I　wanted　to　KNOW。〃



〃Marywould　youhave　minded？〃　he　said。



There　was　a　long　interval　before　she　answered。



〃Yes。〃



〃Then　why〃



〃Yes；　Bibbs？〃



〃I　don't　know　what　to　say；〃　he　cried。　　〃It's　so　wonderful　to　hear　your　voice

againI'm　shaking；　MaryII　don't　knowI　don't　know　anything　except　that　I

AM　talking　to　you！　　It　IS　youMary？〃



〃Yes；　Bibbs！〃



〃MaryI've　seen　you　from　my　window　at　homeonly　five　times　since　I　since

then。　　You　lookedoh；　how　can　I　tell　you？　　It　was　like　a　man　chained　in　a

cave　catching　a　glimpse　of　the　blue　sky；　Mary。　　Mary；　won't　youlet　me　see

you　againnear？　　I　think　I　could　make　you　really　forgive　meyou'd　have　to〃



〃I　DIDthen。〃



〃Nonot　reallyor　you　wouldn't　have　said　you　couldn't　see　me　any　more。〃



〃That　wasn't　the　reason。〃　　The　voice　was　very　low。



〃Mary；〃　he　said；　even　more　tremulously　than　before；　〃I　can'tyou　COULDN'T

mean　it　was　becauseyou　can't　mean　it　was　because　you　care？〃



There　was　no　answer。



〃Mary？〃　he　called；　huskily。　　〃If　you　mean　THATyou'd　let　me　see　you

wouldn't　you？〃



And　now　the　voice　was　so　low　he　could　not　be　sure　it　spoke　at　all；　but　if　it

did；　the　words　were；　〃Yes；　Bibbsdear。〃



But　the　voice　was　not　in　the　instrumentit　was　so　gentle　and　so　light；　so

almost　nothing；　it　seemed　to　be　made　of　airand　it　came　from　the　air。



Slowly　and　incredulously　he　turnedand　glory　fell　upon　his　shining　eyes。　　The

door　of　his　father's　room　had　opened。



Mary　stood　upon　the　threshold。








THE　END