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the turmoil-第12节

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if all were known; too goodeven for me!〃



And when she had gone Mrs。 Vertrees drew a long breath; as if a burden were

off her mind; and; smiling; began to undress in a gentle reverie。





Edith; glancing casually into the 〃ready…made〃 library; stopped abruptly;

seeing Bibbs there alone。  He was standing before the pearl…framed and golden…

lettered poem; musingly inspecting it。  He read it:





           Fugitive

        I will forget the things that sting:

          The lashing look; the barbed word。

        I know the very hands that fling

          The stones at me had never stirred

        To anger but for their own scars。

          They've suffered so; that's why they strike。

        I'll keep my heart among the stars

          Where none shall hunt it out。  Oh; like

        These wounded ones I must not be;

          For; wounded; I might strike in turn!

        So; none shall hurt me。  Far and free

          Where my heart flies no one shall learn。



〃Bibbs!〃 Edith's voice was angry; and her color deepened suddenly as she came

into the room; preceded by a scent of violets much more powerful than that

warranted by the actual bunch of them upon the lapel of her coat。



Bibbs did not turn his head; but wagged it solemnly; seeming depressed by the

poem。  〃Pretty young; isn't it?〃 he said。  〃There must have been something

about your looks that got the prize; Edith; I can't believe the poem did it。〃



She glanced hurriedly over her shoulder and spoke sharply; but in a low voice:

〃I don't think it's very nice of you to bring it up at all; Bibbs。 I'd like a

chance to forget the whole silly business。  I didn't want them to frame it;

and I wish to goodness papa'd quit talking about it; but here; that night;

after the dinner; didn't he go and read it aloud to the whole crowd of 'em!

And then they all wanted to know what other poems I'd written and why I didn't

keep it up and write some more; and if I didn't; why didn't I; and why this

and why that; till I thought I'd die of shame!〃



〃You could tell 'em you had writer's cramp;〃 Bibbs suggested。



〃I couldn't tell 'em anything!  I just choke with mortification every time

anybody speaks of the thing。〃



Bibbs looked grieved。  〃The poem isn't THAT bad; Edith。  You see; you were

only seventeen when you wrote it。〃



〃Oh; hush up!〃 she snapped。  〃I wish it had burnt my fingers the first time I

touched it。  Then I might have had sense enough to leave it where it was。  I

had no business to take it; and I've been ashamed〃



〃No; no;〃 he said; comfortingly。  〃It was the very most flattering thing ever

happen to me。  It was almost my last flight before I went to the machine…shop;

and it's pleasant to think somebody liked it enough to〃



〃But I DON'T like it!〃 she exclaimed。  〃I don't even understand itand papa

made so much fuss over its getting the prize; I just hate it!  The truth is I

never dreamed it 'd get the prize。〃



〃Maybe they expected father to endow the school;〃 Bibbs murmered。



〃Well; I had to have something to turn in; and I couldn't write a LINE!  I

hate poetry; anyhow; and Bobby Lamhorn's always teasing me about how I 'keep

my heart among the stars。'  He makes it seem such a mushy kind of thing; the

way he says it。  I hate it!〃



〃You'll have to live it down; Edith。  Perhaps abroad and under another name

you might find〃



〃Oh; hush up!  I'll hire some one to steal it and burn it the first chance I

get。〃  She turned away petulantly; moving to the door。  〃I'd like to think I

could hope to hear the last of it before I die!〃



〃Edith!〃 he called; as she went into the hall。



〃What's the matter?〃



〃I want to ask you: Do I really look better; or have you just got used to me?〃



〃What on earth do you mean?〃 she said; coming back as far as the threshold。



〃When I first came you couldn't look at me;〃 Bibbs explained; in his

impersonal way。  〃But I've noticed you look at me lately。  I wondered if

I'd〃



〃It's because you look so much better;〃 she told him; cheerfully。  〃This month

you've been here's done you no end of good。  It's the change。〃



〃Yes; that's what they said at the sanitariumthe change。〃



〃You look worse than 'most anybody I ever saw;〃 said Edith; with supreme

candor。  〃But I don't know much about it。  I've never seen a corpse in my

life; and I've never even seen anybody that was terribly sick; so you mustn't

judge by me。  I only know you do look better; I'm glad to say。  But you're

right about my not being able to look at you at first。  You had a kind of

whiteness thatWell; you're almost as thin; I suppose; but you've got more

just ordinarily pale; not that ghastly look。  Anybody could look at you now;

Bibbs; and nonot get〃



〃Sick?〃



〃Wellalmost that!〃 she laughed。  〃And you're getting a better color every

day; Bibbs; you really are。  You're getting along splendidly。〃



〃II'm afraid so;〃 he said; ruefully。



〃'Afraid so'!  Well; if you aren't the queerest!  I suppose you mean father

might send you back to the machine…shop if you get well enough。  I heard him

say something about it the night of the〃  The jingle of a distant bell

interrupted her; and she glanced at her watch。  〃Bobby Lamhorn!  I'm going to

motor him out to look at a place in the country。  Afternoon; Bibbs!〃



When she had gone; Bibbs mooned pessimistically from shelf to shelf; his eye

wandering among the titles of the books。  The library consisted almost

entirely of handsome 〃uniform editions〃: Irving; Poe; Cooper; Goldsmith;

Scott; Byron; Burns; Longfellow; Tennyson; Hume; Gibbon; Prescott; Thackeray;

Dickens; De Musset; Balzac; Gautier; Flaubert; Goethe; Schiller; Dante; and

Tasso。  There were shelves and shelves of encyclopedias; of anthologies; of

〃famous classics;〃 of 〃Oriental masterpieces;〃 of 〃masterpieces of oratory;〃

and more shelves of 〃selected libraries〃 of 〃literature;〃 of 〃the drama;〃 and

of 〃modern science。〃  They made an effective decoration for the room; all

these big; expensive books; with a glossy binding here and there twinkling a

reflection of the flames that crackled in the splendid Gothic fireplace; but

Bibbs had an impression that the bookseller who selected them considered them

a relief; and that white…jacket considered them a burden of dust; and that

nobody else considered them at all。  Himself; he disturbed not one。



There came a chime of bells from a clock in another part of the house; and

white…jacket appeared beamingly in the doorway; bearing furs。  〃Awready; Mist'

Bibbs;〃 he announced。  〃You' ma say wrap up wawm f' you' ride; an' she cain'

go with you to…day; an' not f'git go see you' pa at fo' 'clock。  Aw ready;

suh。〃



He equipped Bibbs for the daily drive Dr。 Gurney had commanded; and in the

manner of a master of ceremonies unctuously led the way。  In the hall they

passed the Moor; and Bibbs paused before it while white…jacket opened the door

with a flourish and waved condescendingly to the chauffeur in the car which

stood waiting in the driveway。



〃It seems to me I asked you what you thought about this 'statue' when I first

came home; George;〃 said Bibbs; thoughtfully。  〃What did you tell me?〃



〃Yessuh!〃 George chuckled; perfectly understanding that for some unknown

reason Bibbs enjoyed hearing him repeat his opinion of the Moor。  〃You ast me

when you firs' come home; an' you ast me nex' day; an' mighty near ev'y day

all time you been here; an' las' Sunday you ast me twicet。〃  He shook his head

solemnly。  〃Look to me mus' be somep'm might lamiDAL 'bout 'at statue!〃



〃Mighty what?〃



〃Mighty lamiDAL!〃 George; burst out laughing。  〃What DO 'at word mean; Mist'

Bibbs?〃



〃It's new to me; George。  Where did you hear it?〃



〃I nev' DID hear it!〃 said George。  〃I uz dess sittin' thinkum to myse'f an'

she pop in my head'lamiDAL;' dess like 'at!  An' she soun' so good; seem

like she GOTTA mean somep'm!〃



〃Come to think of it; I believe she does mean something。  Why; yes〃



〃Do she?〃 cried George。  〃WHAT she mean?〃



〃It's exactly the word for the statue;〃 said Bibbs; with conviction; as he

climbed into the car。  〃It's a lamiDAL statue。〃



〃Hiyi!〃 George exulted。  〃Man! Man! Listen!  Well; suh; she mighty lamiDAL

statue; but lamiDAL statue heap o' trouble to dus'!〃 〃I expect she is!〃 said

Bibbs; as the engine began to churn; and a moment later he was swept from

sight。



George turned to Mist' Jackson; who had been listening benevolently in the

hallway。  〃Same he aw…ways say; Mist' Jackson'I expec' she is!'  Ev'y day he

try t' git me talk 'bout 'at lamiDAL statue; an' aw…ways; las' thing HE say;

'I expec' she is!'  You know; Mist' Jackson; if he git well; 'at young man go'

be pride o' the family; Mist' Jackson。  Yes…suh; right now I pick 'im fo'

firs' money!〃



〃Look out with all 'at money; George!〃 Jackson warned the enthusiast。  〃White

folks 'n 'is house know 'im heap longer 'n you。  Yo

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