the turmoil-第7部分

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the　worst　of　taste。〃



〃Oh；　if　one　owned　a　Raphael　or　a　Titian！〃　said　Mr。　Vertrees；　finishing　the

implication；　not　in　words；　but　with　a　wave　of　his　hand。　　〃Go　on；　Mary。　　None

of　the　rest　of　them　came　in？　　You　didn't　meet　Mr。　Sheridan　or〃　　He　paused

and　adjusted　a　lump　of　coal　in　the　fire　delicately　with　the　poker。　　〃Or　one　of

the　sons？〃



Mary's　glance　crossed　his；　at　that；　with　a　flash　of　utter　comprehension。　　He

turned　instantly　away；　but　she　had　begun　to　laugh　again。



〃No；〃　she　said；　〃no　one　except　the　women；　but　mamma　inquired　about　the　sons

thoroughly！〃



〃Mary！〃　Mrs。　Vertrees　protested。



〃Oh；　most　adroitly；　too！〃　laughed　the　girl。　　〃Only　she　couldn't　help

unconsciously　turning　to　look　at　mewhen　she　did　it！〃



〃Mary　Vertrees！〃



〃Never　mind；　mamma！　　Mrs。　Sheridan　and　Miss　Sheridan　neither　of　THEM　could

help　unconsiously　turning　to　look　at　mespeculativelyat　the　same　time！　They

all　three　kept　looking　at　me　and　talking　about　the　oldest　son；　Mr。　James

Sheridan；　Junior。　　Mrs。　Sheridan　said　his　father　is　very　anxious　'to　get　Jim

to　marry　and　settle　down；'　and　she　assured　me　that　'Jim　is　right　cultivated。'

Another　of　the　sons；　the　youngest　one；　caught　me　looking　in　the　window　this

afternoon；　but　they　didn't　seem　to　consider　him　quite　one　of　themselves；

somehow；　though　Mrs。　Sheridan　mentioned　that　a　couple　of　years　or　so　ago　he

had　been　'right　sick；'　and　had　been　to　some　cure　or　other。　　They　seemed

relieved　to　bring　the　subject　back　to　'Jim'　and　his　virtuesand　to　look　at

me！　　The　other　brother　is　the　middle　one；　Roscoe；　he's　the　one　that　owns　the

new　house　across　the　street；　where　that　young　black…sheep　of　the　Lamhorns；

Robert；　goes　so　often。　　I　saw　a　short；　dark　young　man　standing　on　the　porch

with　Robert　Lamhorn　there　the　other　day；　so　I　suppose　that　was　Roscoe。　　'Jim'

still　lurks　in　the　mists；　but　I　shall　meet　him　to…night。　　Papa〃　　She　stepped

nearer　to　him　so　that　he　had　to　face　her；　and　his　eyes　were　troubled　as　he

did。　　There　may　have　been　a　trouble　deep　within　her　own；　but　she　kept　their

surface　merry　with　laughter。　　〃Papa；　Bibbs　is　the　youngest　one's　name；　and

Bibbsto　the　best　of　our　informationis　a　lunatic。　　Roscoe　is　married。

Papa；　does　it　have　to　be　Jim？〃



〃Mary！〃　Mrs。　Vertrees　cried；　sharply。　　〃You're　outrageous！　　That's　a　perfectly

horrible　way　of　talking！〃



〃Well；　I'm　close　to　twenty…four；〃　said　Mary；　turning　to　her。　　〃I　haven't　been

able　to　like　anybody　yet　that's　asked　me　to　marry　him；　and　maybe　I　never

shall。　　Until　a　year　or　so　ago　I've　had　everything　I　ever　wanted　in　my　life

you　and　papa　gave　it　all　to　meand　it's　about　time　I　began　to　pay　back。

Unfortunately；　I　don't　kow　how　to　do　anythingbut　something's　got　to　be

done。〃



〃But　you　needn't　talk　of　it　like　THAT！〃　insisted　the　mother；　plaintively。

〃It's　notit's　not〃



〃No；　it's　not；〃　said　Mary。　　〃I　know　that！〃



〃How　did　they　happen　to　ask　you　to　dinner？〃　Mr。　Vertrees　inquired；　uneasily。

〃'Stextrawdn'ry　thing！〃



〃Climbers'　hospitality；〃　Mary　defined　it。　　〃We　were　so　very　cordial　and　easy！

I　think　Mrs。　Sheridan　herself　might　have　done　it　just　as　any　kind　old　woman　on

a　farm　might　ask　a　neighbor；　but　it　was　Miss　Sheridan　who　did　it。　　She　played

around　it　awhile；　you　could　see　she　wanted　toshe's　in　a　dreadful　hurry　to

get　into　thingsand　I　fancied　she　had　an　idea　it　might　impress　that　Lamhorn

boy　to　find　us　there　to…night。　　It's　a　sort　of　house…warming　dinner；　and　they

talked　about　it　and　talked　about　itand　then　the　girl　got　her　courage　up　and

blurted　out　the　invitation。　　And　mamma〃　　Here　Mary　was　once　more　a　victim　to

incorrigible　merriment。　　〃Mamma　tried　to　say　yes；　and　COULDN'T！　　She　swallowed

and　squealedI　mean　you　coughed；　dear！　　And　then；　papa；　she　said　that　you　and

she　had　promised　to　go　to　a　lecture　at　the　Emerson　Club　to…night；　but　that　her

daughter　would　be　delighted　to　come　to　the　Big　Show！　　So　there　I　am；　and

there's　Mr。　Jim　Sheridanand　there's　the　clock。　Dinner's　at　seven…thirty！〃



And　she　ran　out　of　the　room；　scooping　up　her　fallen　furs　with　a　gesture　of

flying　grace　as　she　sped。



When　she　came　down；　at　twenty　munutes　after　seven；　her　father　stood　in　the

hall；　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs；　waiting　to　be　her　escort　through　the　dark。　He

looked　up　and　watched　her　as　she　descended；　and　his　gaze　was　fond　and

proudand　profoundly　disturbed。　　But　she　smiled　and　nodded　gaily；　and；　when

she　reached　the　floor；　put　a　hand　on　his　shoulder。



〃At　least　no　one　could　suspect　me　to…night；〃　she　said。　　〃I　LOOK　rich；　don't　I；

papa？〃



She　did。　　She　had　a　look　that　worshipful　girl　friends　bravely　called　〃regal。〃

A　head　taller　than　her　father；　she　was　as　straight　and　jauntily　poised　as　a

boy　athlete；　and　her　brown　hair　and　her　brown　eyes　were　like　her　mother's；　but

for　the　rest　she　went　back　to　some　stronger　and　livelier　ancestor　than　either

of　her　parents。



〃Don't　I　look　too　rich　to　be　suspected？〃　she　insisted。



〃You　look　everything　beautiful；　Mary；〃　he　said；　huskily。



〃And　my　dress？〃　　She　threw　open　her　dark　velvet　cloak；　showing　a　splendor　of

white　and　silver。　　〃Anything　better　at　Nice　next　winter；　do　you　think？〃　She

laughed；　shrouding　her　glittering　figure　in　the　cloak　again。　　〃Two　years　old；

and　no　one　would　dream　it！　　I　did　it　over。〃



〃You　can　do　anything；　Mary。〃



There　was　a　curious　humility　in　his　tone；　and　something　morea　significance

not　veiled　and　yet　abysmally　apologetic。　　It　was　as　if　he　suggested　something

to　her　and　begged　her　forgiveness　in　the　same　breath。



And　upon　that；　for　the　moment；　she　became　as　serious　as　he。　　She　lifted　her

hand　from　his　shoulder　and　then　set　it　back　more　firmly；　so　that　he　should

feel　the　reassurance　of　its　pressure。



〃Don't　worry；〃　she　said；　in　a　low　voice　and　gravely。　　〃I　know　exactly　what　you

want　me　to　do。〃





It　was　a　brave　and　lustrous　banquet；　and　a　noisy　one；　too；　because　there　was

an　orchestra　among　some　plants　at　one　end　of　the　long　dining…room；　and　after　a

preliminary　stiffness　the　guests　were　impelled　to　conversenecessarily　at　the

tops　of　their　voices。　　The　whole　company　of　fifty　sat　at　a　great　oblong　table；

improvised　for　the　occasion　by　carpenters；　but；　not　betraying　itself　as　an

improvisation；　it　seemed　a　permanent　continent　of　damask　and　lace；　with　shores

of　crystal　and　silver　running　up　to　spreading　groves　of　orchids　and　lilies　and

white　rosesan　inhabited　continent；　evidently；　for　there　were　three

marvelous；　gleaming　buildings：　　one　in　the　center　and　one　at　each　end；　white

miracles　wrought　by　some　inspired　craftsman　in　sculptural　icing。　　They　were

models　in　miniature；　and　they　represented　the　Sheridan　Building；　the　Sheridan

Apartments；　and　the　Pump　Works。　　Nearly　all　the　guests　recognized　them　without

having　to　be　told　what　they　were；　and　pronounced　the　likenesses　superb。



The　arrangement　of　the　table　was　visably　baronial。　　At　the　head　sat　the　great

Thane；　with　the　flower　of　his　family　and　of　the　guests　about　him；　then　on　each

side　came　the　neighbors　of　the　〃old〃　house；　grading　down　to　vassals　and

retainerssuperintendents；　cashiers；　heads　of　departments；　and　the　like　at

the　foot；　where　the　Thane's　lady　took　her　place　as　a　consolation　for　the　less

important。　　Here；　too；　among　the　thralls　and　bondmen；　sat　Bibbs　Sheridan；　a

meek　Banquo；　wondering　how　anybody　could　look　at　him　and　eat。



Nevertheless；　there　was　a　vast；　continuous　eating；　for　these　were　wholesome

folk　who　understood　that　dinner　meant　something　intended　for　introduction　into

the　system　by　means　of　an　aperture　in　the　face；　devised　by　nature　for　that

express　purpose。　　And　besides；　nobody　looked　at　Bibbs。



He　was　better　content　to　be　left　to　himself；　his　voice　was　not　strong　enough

to　make　itself　heard　over　the　hubbub　without　an　exhausting　effort；　and　the

talk　that　went　on　about　him　was　too　fast　and　too　fragmentary　for　his　drawl　to

keep　pace　with　it。　　So　he　felt　relieved　when　each　of　his　neighbors　in　turn；

after　a　polite　inquiry　about　his　health；　turned　to　seek　livelier　reponses　in

other　directions。　　For　the　talk　went　on　with　the　eating；　incessantly。　　It　rose

over　the　throbbing　of　the　orchestra　and　the　clatter　and　clinking　of　silver　and

china　and　glass；　and　there　was　a　mighty　babble。



〃Yes；　sir！　　Started　without　a　dollar。〃　。　。　。　〃Yellow　flounces　on　the

overskirt〃　。　。　。　〃I　says；　'Wilkie；　your　department's　got　to　go　bigger　this

year；'　I　says。〃　。　。　。　〃Fifteen　per　cent。　turnover　in　thirty…one　weeks。〃　。　。　。

〃One　of　the　bigest　men　in　the　bigest〃　。。。　　〃The　wife　says　she'll　have　to　let

out　my　pants　if　my　appetite〃　。　。　。　〃Say；　did　you　see　that　statue　of　a　Turk

in　the　hall？　　One　of　the　finest　things　I　ever〃　　。　。　。　〃Not　a　dollar；　not　a

nickel；　not　one　red　cent　do　you　get　out　o'　me；'　I　says；　and　so　he　ups　and〃　。

。　。　〃Yes；　the　baby　makes　four；　　they've　lost　now。〃。　。　。　〃Well；　they　got　their

raise；　and　they　went　in　big。〃　。　。　。　〃Yes；　sir！　　Not　a　dollar　to　his　name；　and

look　at　what〃　。　。　。　〃You　wait！　The　population　of　this　town's　goin'　to　hit

the　million　mark　before　she　stops。〃　。　。　。　〃Well；　if　you　can　show　me　a　bigger

deal　than〃



And　through　the　interstices　of　this　clamoring　Bibbs　could　hear　the　continual

booming　of　his　father's　heavy　voice；　and　once　he　caught　the　sentence；　〃Yes；

young　lady；　that's　just　what　did　it　for　me；　and　that's　just　what'll　do　it　for

my　boysthey　got　to　make　two　blades　o'　grass　grow　where　one　grew　before！〃　　It

was　his　familiar　flourish；　an　old　story　to　Bibbs；　and　now　jovially　declaimed

for　the　edification　of　Mary　Vertrees。



It　was　a　great　night　for　Sheridanthe　very　crest　of　his　wave。　　He　sat　there

knowing　himself　Thane　and　master　by　his　own　endeavor；　and　his　big；　smooth；　red

face　grew　more　and　more　radiant　with　good　will　and　with　the　simplest；

happiest；　most　boy…like　vanity。　　He　was　the　picture　of　health；　of　good　cheer；

and　of　power　on　a　holiday。　　He　had　thirty　teeth；　none　bought；　and　showed　most

of　them　when　he　laughed；　his　grizzled　hair　was　thick；　and　as　unruly