the turmoil-第13节

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folks　'n　'is　house　know　'im　heap　longer　'n　you。　　You　the　on'y　man　bettin'　on

'im！〃



〃I　risk　it！〃　cried　George；　merrily。　　〃I　put　her　all　on　nowev'y　cent！　　'At

boy's　go'　be　flower　o'　the　flock！〃



This　singular　prophecy；　founded　somewhat　recklessly　upon　gratitude　for　the

meaning　of　〃lamiDAL；〃　differed　radically　from　another　prediction　concerning

Bibbs；　set　forth　for　the　benefit　of　a　fair　auditor　some　twenty　minutes　later。



Jim　Sheridan；　skirting　the　edges　of　the　town　with　Mary　Vertrees　beside　him；　in

his　own　swift　machine；　encountered　the　invalid　upon　the　highroad。　　The　two

cars　were　going　in　opposite　directions；　and　the　occupants　of　Jim's　had　only　a

swaying　glimpse　of　Bibbs　sitting　alone　on　the　back　seathis　white　face

startlingly　white　against　cap　and　collar　of　black　furbut　he　flashed　into

recognition　as　Mary　bowed　to　him。



Jim　waved　his　left　hand　carelessly。　　〃It's　Bibbs；　taking　his　constitutional；〃

he　explained。



〃Yes；　I　know；〃　said　Mary。　　〃I　bowed　to　him；　too；　though　I've　never　met　him。　In

fact；　I've　only　seen　him　onceno；　twice。　　I　hope　he　won't　think　I'm　very

bold；　bowing　to　him。〃



〃I　doubt　if　he　noticed　it；〃　said　honest　Jim。



〃Oh；　no！〃　she　cried。



〃What's　the　trouble？〃



〃I'm　almost　sure　people　notice　it　when　I　bow　to　them。〃



〃Oh；　I　see！〃　said　Jim。　　〃Of　course　they　would　ordinarily；　but　Bibbs　is　funny。〃



〃Is　he？　　How？〃　she　asked。　　〃He　strikes　me　as　anything　but　funny。〃



〃Well；　I'm　his　brother；〃　Jim　said；　deprecatingly；　〃but　I　don't　know　what　he's

like；　and；　to　tell　the　truth；　I've　never　felt　exactly　like　I　WAS　his　brother；

the　way　I　do　Roscoe。　　Bibbs　never　did　seem　more　than　half　alive　to　me。　　Of

course　Roscoe　and　I　are　older；　and　when　we　were　boys　we　were　too　big　to　play

with　him；　but　he　never　played　anyway；　with　boys　his　own　age。　　He'd　rather　just

sit　in　the　house　and　mope　around　by　himslef。　　Nobody　could　ever　get　him　to　DO

anything；　you　can't　get　him　to　do　anything　now。　　He　never　had　any　LIFE　in　him；

and　honestly；　if　he　is　my　brother；　I　must　say　I　believe　Bibbs　Sheridan　is　the

laziest　man　God　ever　made！　　Father　put　him　in　the　machine…shop　over　at　the

Pump　Worksbest　thing　in　the　world　for　himand　he　was　just　plain　no　account。

It　made　him　sick！　　If　he'd　had　the　right　kind　of　energythe　kind　father's

got；　for　instance；　or　Roscoe；　eitherwhy；　it　wouldn't　made　him　sick。　　And

suppose　it　was　either　of　themyes；　or　me；　eitherdo　you　think　any　of　us

would　have　stopped　if　we　WERE　sick？　　Not　much！　　I　hate　to　say　it；　but　Bibbs

Sheridan　'll　never　amount　to　anything　as　long　as　he　lives。〃



Mary　looked　thoughtful。　　〃Is　there　any　particular　reason　why　he　should？〃　she

asked。



〃Good　gracious！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃You　don't　mean　that；　do　you？　　Don't　you

believe　in　a　man's　knowing　how　to　earn　his　salt；　no　matter　how　much　money　his

father's　got？　　Hasn't　the　business　of　this　world　got　to　be　carried　on　by

everybody　in　it？　　Are　we　going　to　lay　back　on　what　we've　got　and　see　other

fellows　get　ahead　of　us？　　If　we've　got　big　things　already；　isn't　it　every

man's　business　to　go　ahead　and　make　'em　bigger？　　Isn't　it　his　duty？　　Don't　we

always　want　to　get　bigger　and　bigger？〃



〃Ye…esI　don't　know。　　But　I　feel　rather　sorry　for　your　brother。　　He　looked　so

lonelyand　sick。〃



〃He's　gettin'　better　every　day；〃　Jim　said。　　〃Dr。　Gurney　says　so。　　There's

nothing　much　the　matter　with　him；　reallyit's　nine…tenths　imaginary。

'Nerves'！　　People　that　are　willing　to　be　busy　don't　have　nervous　diseases；

because　they　don't　have　time　to　imagine　'em。〃



〃You　mean　his　trouble　is　really　mental？〃



〃Oh；　he's　not　a　lunatic；〃　said　Jim。　　〃He's　just　queer。　Sometimes　he'll　say

something　right　bright；　but　half　the　time　what　he　says　is　'way　off　the

subject；　or　else　there　isn't　any　sense　to　it　at　all。　　For　instance；　the　other

day　I　heard　him　talkin'　to　one　of　the　darkies　in　the　hall。　　The　darky　asked

him　what　time　he　wanted　the　car　for　his　drive；　and　anybody　else　in　the　world

would　have　just　said　what　time　they　DID　want　it；　and　that　would　have　been　all

there　was　to　it；　but　here's　what　Bibbs　says；　and　I　heard　him　with　my　own　ears。

'What　time　do　I　want　the　car？'　he　says。　'Well；　now；　that　dependsthat

depends；'　he　says。　　He　talks　slow　like　that；　you　know。　　'I'll　tell　you　what

time　I　want　the　car；　George；'　he　says；　'if　you'll　tell　ME　what　you　think　of

this　statue！'　　That's　exactly　his　words！　Asked　the　darky　what　he　thought　of

that　Arab　Edith　and　mother　bought　for　the　hall！〃



Mary　pondered　upon　this。　　〃He　might　have　been　in　fun；　perhaps；〃　she　suggested。



〃Askin'　a　darky　what　he　thought　of　a　piece　of　statuaryof　a　work　of　art！

Where　on　earth　would　be　the　fun　of　that？　　No；　you're　just　kind…heartedand

that's　the　way　you　OUGHT　to　be；　of　course〃



〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Sheridan！〃　she　laughed。



〃See　here！〃　he　cried。　　〃Isn't　there　any　way　for　us　to　get　over　this　Mister　and

Miss　thing？　　A　month's　got　thirty…one　days　in　it；　I've　managed　to　be　with　you

a　part　of　pretty　near　all　the　thirty…one；　and　I　think　you　know　how　I　feel　by

this　time〃



She　looked　panic…stricken　immediately。　　〃Oh；　no；〃　she　protested；　quickly。　〃No；

I　don't；　and〃



〃Yes；　you　do；〃　he　said；　and　his　voice　shook　a　little。　　〃You　couldn't　help

knowing。〃



〃But　I　do！〃　she　denied；　hurriedly。　　〃I　do　help　knowing。　　I　meanOh；　wait！〃



〃What　for？　　You　do　know　how　I　feel；　and　youwell；　you've　certainly　WANTED　me

to　feel　that　wayor　else　pretended〃



〃Now；　now！〃　she　lamented。　　〃You're　spoiling　such　a　cheerful　afternoon！〃



〃'Spoilin'　it！'〃　　He　slowed　down　the　car　and　turned　his　face　to　her　squarely。

〃See　here；　Miss　Vertrees；　haven't　you〃



〃Stop！　　Stop　the　car　a　minute。〃　　And　when　he　had　complied　she　faced　him　as

squarely　as　he　evidently　desired　her　to　face　him。　　〃Listen。　　I　don't　want　you

to　go　on；　to…day。〃



〃Why　not？〃　he　asked；　sharply。



〃I　don't　know。〃



〃You　mean　it's　just　a　whim？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　she　repeated。　　Her　voice　was　low　and　troubled　and　honest；　and

she　kept　her　clear　eyes　upon　his。



〃Will　you　tell　me　something？〃



〃Almost　anything。〃



〃Have　you　ever　told　any　man　you　loved　him？〃



And　at　that；　though　she　laughed；　she　looked　a　little　contemptuous。　　〃No；〃　she

said。　　〃And　I　don't　think　I　ever　shall　tell　any　man　thator　ever　know　what　it

means。　　I'm　in　earnest；　Mr。　Sheridan。〃



〃Then　youyou've　just　been　flirting　with　me！〃　　Poor　Jim　looked　both　furious

and　crestfallen。



〃Not　on　bit！〃　she　cried。　　〃Not　one　word！　　Not　one　syllable！　　I've　meant　every

single　thing！〃



〃I　don't〃



〃Of　course　you　don't！〃　she　said。　　〃Now；　Mr。　Sheridan；　I　want　you　to　start　the

car。　　Now！　　Thank　you。　　Slowly；　till　I　finish　what　I　have　to　say。　　I　have　not

flirted　with　you。　　I　have　deliberately　courted　you。　　One　thing　more；　and　then

I　want　you　to　take　me　straight　home；　talking　about　the　weather　all　the　way。　I

said　that　I　do　not　believe　I　shall　ever　'care'　for　any　man；　and　that　is　true。

I　doubt　the　existence　of　the　kind　of　'caring'　we　hear　about　in　poems　and　plays

and　novels。　　I　think　it　must　be　just　a　kind　of　emotional　TALK　most　of　it。

At　all　events；　I　don't　feel　it。　　Now；　we　can　go　faster；　please。〃



〃Just　where　does　that　let　me　out？〃　he　demanded。　　〃How　does　that　excuse　　you

for〃



〃It　isn't　an　excuse；〃　she　said；　gently；　and　gave　him　one　final　look；　　wholly

desolate。　　〃I　haven't　said　I　should　never　marry。〃



〃What？〃　Jim　gasped。



She　inclined　her　head　in　a　broken　sort　of　acquiescence；　very　humble；

unfathomably　sorrowful。



〃I　promise　nothing；〃　she　said；　faintly。



〃You　needn't！〃　shouted　Jim；　radiant　and　exultant。　　〃You　needn't！　　By　　George！

I　know　you're　square；　that's　enough　for　me！　　You　wait　and　　promise　whenever

you're　ready！〃



〃Don't　forget　what　I　asked；〃　she　begged　him。



〃Talk　about　the　weather？　　I　will！　　God　bless　the　old　weather！〃　cried　the

happy　Jim。





Through　the　open　country　Bibbs　was　borne　flying　between　brown　fields　and

sun…flecked　groves　of　gray　trees；　to　breathe　the　rushing；　clean　air　　beneath　a

glorious　skythat　sky　so　despised　in　the　city；　and　so　　maltreated　there；　that

from　early　October　to　mid…May　it　was　impossible　　for　men　to　remember　that　blue

is　the　rightful　color　overhead。



Upon　each　of　Bibbs's　cheeks　there　was　a　hint　of　something　almost　　resembling　a

pinkishness；　not　actual　color；　but　undeniably　its　phantom。　　　How　largely　this

apparition　may　have　been　the　work　of　the　wind　upon　his　　face　it　is　difficult

to　calculate；　for　beyond　a　doubt　it　was　partly　the　　result　of　a　lady's　bowing

to　him　upon　no　more　formal　introduction　than　　the　circumstance　of　his　having

caught　her　looking　into　his　window　a　month　　before。　　She　had　bowed　definitely；

she　had　bowed　charmingly。　　And　it　　seemed　to　Bibbs　that　she　must　have　meant　to

convey　her　forgiveness。



There　had　been　something　in　her　recognition　of　him　unfamiliar　to　his

experience；　and　he　rode　the　warmer　for　it。　　Nor　did　he　lack　the　　impression

that　he　would　long　remember　her　as　he　had　just　se