the turmoil-第26节

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Dr。　Gurney　was　sitting　by　the　log　fire；　alone　in　the　room；　and　he　merely

glanced　over　his　shoulder　when　his　patient　came　in。　　He　was　not　over　　fifty；

in　spite　of　Sheridan's　habitual　〃ole　Doc　Gurney。〃　　He　was　gray；　　however；

almost　as　thin　as　Bibbs；　and　nearly　always　he　looked　drowsy。



〃Your　father　telephoned　me　yesterday　afternoon；　Bibbs；〃　he　said；　not　　rising。

〃Wants　me　to　'look　you　over'　again。　　Come　around　here　in　front　　of　mebetween

me　and　the　fire。　　I　want　to　see　if　I　can　see　through　you。〃



〃You　mean　you're　too　sleepy　to　move；〃　returned　Bibbs；　complying。　　〃I　　think

you'll　notice　that　I'm　getting　worse。〃



〃Taken　on　about　twelve　pounds；〃　said　Gurney。　　〃Thirteen；　maybe。〃



〃Twelve。〃



〃Well；　it　won't　do。〃　　The　doctor　rubbed　his　eyelids。　　〃You're　so　much　　better

I'll　have　to　use　some　machinery　on　you　before　we　can　know　just　　where　you　are。

You　come　down　to　my　place　this　afternoon。　　Walk　down　all　the　way。　　I　suppose

you　know　why　your　father　wants　to　know。〃



Bibbs　nodded。　　〃Machine…shop。〃



〃Still　hate　it？〃



Bibbs　nodded　again。



〃Don't　blame　you！〃　the　doctor　grunted。　　〃Yes；　I　expect　it　'll　make　a　lump　　in

your　gizzard　again。　Well；　what　do　you　say？　　Shall　I　tell　him　you've　　got　the

old　lump　there　yet？　　You　still　want　to　write；　do　you？〃



〃What's　the　use？〃　Bibbs　said；　smiling　ruefully。　　〃My　kind　of　writing！〃



〃Yes；〃　the　doctor　agreed。　　〃I　suppose　it　you　broke　away　and　lived　on　　roots

and　berries　until　you　began　to　'attract　the　favorable　attention　of　　editors'

you　might　be　able　to　hope　for　an　income　of　four　or　five　hundred　　dollars　a

year　by　the　time　you're　fifty。〃



〃That's　about　it；〃　Bibbs　murmured。



〃Of　course　I　know　what　you　want　to　do；〃　said　Gurney；　drowsily。　　〃You　　don't

hate　the　machine…shop　only；　you　hate　the　whole　showthe　noice　　and　jar　and

dirt；　the　scramblethe　whole　bloomin'　craze　to　'get　on。'　　　You'd　like　to　go

somewhere　in　Algiers；　or　to　Taormina；　perhaps；　and　bask　　on　a　balcony；

smelling　flowers　and　writing　sonnets。　　You'd　grow　fat　on　it　　and　have　a

delicate　little　life　all　to　yourself。　　　Well；　what　do　you　　say？　　I　can　lie

like　sixty；　Bibbs！　　Shall　I　tell　your　father　he'll　lose　　another　of　his　boys

if　you　don't　go　to　Sicily？〃



〃I　don't　want　to　go　to　Sicily；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃I　want　to　stay　right　here。〃



The　doctor's　drowsiness　disappeared　for　a　moment；　and　he　gave　his　patient　　a

sharp　glance。　　〃It's　a　risk；〃　he　said。　　〃I　think　we'll　find　you're　so　　much

better　he'll　send　you　back　to　the　shop　pretty　quick。　　Something's　　got　hold　of

you　lately；　you're　not　quite　so　lackadaisical　as　you　used　to　　be。　　But　I　warn

you：　I　think　the　shop　will　knock　you　just　as　it　did　　before；　and　perhaps　even

harder；　Bibbs。〃



He　rose；　shook　himself；　and　rubbed　his　eyelids。　　〃Well；　when　we　go　over　　you

this　afternoon　what　are　we　going　to　say　about　it？〃



〃Tell　him　I'm　ready；〃　said　Bibbs；　looking　at　the　floor。



〃Oh　no；〃　Gurney　laughed。　　〃Not　quite　yet；　but　you　may　be　almost。　　We'll　　see。

Don't　forget　I　said　to　walk　down。〃



And　when　the　examination　was　concluded；　that　afternoon；　the　doctor　　informed

Bibbs　that　the　result　was　much　too　satisfactory　to　be　pleasing。　　　〃Here's　a

new　'situation'　for　a　one…act　farce；〃　he　said；　gloomily；　to　his　　next　patient

when　Bibbs　had　gone。　　〃Doctor　tells　a　man　he's　well；　and　　that's　his　death

sentence；　likely。　　Dam'　funny　world！〃



Bibbs　decided　to　walk　home；　though　Gurney　had　not　instructed　him　upon　　this

point。　　In　fact；　Gurney　seemed　to　have　no　more　instructions　on　any　　point；　so

discouraging　was　the　young　man's　improvement。　　It　was　a　dingy　　afternoon；　and

the　smoke　was　evident　not　only　to　Bibbs's　sight；　but　to　　his　nostrils；　though

most　of　the　pedestrians　were　so　saturated　with　the　　smell　they　could　no　longer

detect　it。　　Nearly　all　of　them　walked　　hurriedly；　too　intent　upon　their

destinations　to　be　more　than　half　aware　　of　the　wayside；　they　wore　the

expressions　of　people　under　a　vague　yet　　constant　strain。　　They　were　all

lightly　powdered；　inside　and　out；　with　　fine　dust　and　grit　from　the　hard…paved

streets；　and　they　were　unaware　of　　that　also。　　They　did　not　even　notice　that

they　saw　the　smoke；　though　the　　thickened　air　was　like　a　shrouding　mist。　　And

when　Bibbs　passed　the　new　　〃Sheridan　Apartments；〃　now　almost　completed；　he

observed　that　the　marble　　of　the　vestibule　was　already　streaky　with　soot；　like

his　gloves；　which　　were　new。



That　recalled　to　him　the　faint　odor　of　gasolene　in　the　coupe　on　the　way　　from

his　brother's　funeral；　and　this　incited　a　train　of　thought　which　　continued

till　he　reached　the　vicinity　of　his　home。　　His　route　was　by　a　　street　parallel

to　that　on　which　the　New　House　fronted；　and　in　his　　preoccupation　he　walked　a

block　farther　than　he　intended；　so　that；　having　　crossed　to　his　own　street；　he

approached　the　New　House　from　the　north；　　and　as　he　came　to　the　corner　of　Mr。

Vertrees's　lot　Mr。　Vertrees's　　daughter　emerged　from　the　front　door　and　walked

thoughtfully　down　the　　path　to　the　old　picket　gate。　　She　was　unconscious　of

the　approach　of　the　　pedestrian　from　the　north；　and　did　not　see　him　until　she

had　opened　the　　gate　and　he　was　almost　beside　her。　　Then　she　looked　up；　and　as

she　saw　　him　she　started　visibly。　　And　if　this　thing　had　happened　to　Robert

Lamhorn；　he　would　have　had　a　thought　far　beyond　the　horizon　of　　faint…hearted

Bibbs's　thoughts。　　Lamhorn；　indeed；　would　have　spoken　his　　thought。　　He　would

have　said：



〃You　jumped　because　you　were　thinking　of　me！〃





Mary　was　the　picture　of　a　lady　flustered。　　She　stood　with　one　hand　　closing

the　gate　behind　her；　and　she　had　turned　to　go　in　the　direction　　Bibbs　was

walking。　　There　appeared　to　be　nothing　for　it　but　that　they　　should　walk

together；　at　least　as　far　as　the　New　House。　　But　Bibbs　had　　paused　in　his　slow

stride；　and　there　elapsed　an　instant　before　either　　spoke　or　movedit　was　no

longer　than　that；　and　yet　it　sufficed　for　　each　to　seem　to　say；　by　look　and

attitude；　〃Why；　it's　YOU！〃



Then　they　both　spoke　at　once；　each　hurriedly　pronouncing　the　other's　name　　as

if　about　to　deliver　a　message　of　importance。　　Then　both　came　to　a　stop

simultaneously；　but　Bibbs　made　a　heroic　effort；　and　as　they　began　to　walk　　on

together　he　contrived　to　find　his　voice。



〃IIhate　a　frozen　fish　myself；〃　he　said。　　〃I　think　three　miles　was　　too

long　for　you　to　put　up　with　one。〃



〃Good　gracious！〃　she　cried；　turning　to　him　a　glowing　face　from　which

restraint　and　embarrassment　had　suddenly　fled。　　〃Mr。　Sheridan；　you're　　lovely

to　put　it　that　way。　　But　it's　always　the　girl's　place　to　say　it's　　turning

cooler！　　I　ought　to　have　been　the　one　to　show　that　we　didn't　know　　each　other

well　enough　not　to　say　SOMETHING！　　It　was　an　imposition　for　me　　to　have　made

you　bring　me　home；　and　after　I　went　into　the　house　I　decided　　I　should　have

walked。　　Besides；　it　wasn't　three　miles　to　the　car…line。　　I　　never　thought　of

it！〃



〃No；〃　said　Bibbs；　earnestly。　　〃I　didn't；　either。　　I　might　have　said　　something

if　I'd　thought　of　anything。　　I'm　talking　now；　though；　I　must　　remember　that；

and　not　worry　about　it　later。　　I　think　I'm　talking；　though　　it　doesn't　sound

intelligent　even　to　me。　　I　made　up　my　mind　that　if　I　　ever　met　you　again　I'd

turn　on　my　voice　and　keep　it　going；　no　mater　what　　it　said。　　I〃



She　interrupted　him　with　laughter；　and　Mary　Vertrees's　laugh　was　one　　which

Bibbs's　father　had　declared；　after　the　house…warming；　〃a　cripple　　would　crawl

five　miles　to　hear。〃　　And　at　the　merry　lilting　of　it　Bibbs's　　father's　son

took　heart　to　forget　some　of　his　trepidation。　　〃I'll　be　any　　kind　of　idiot；〃

he　said；　〃if　you'll　laugh　at　me　some　more。　　It　won't　be　　difficult　for　me。〃



She　did；　and　Bibbs's　cheeks　showed　a　little　actual　color；　which　Mary

perceived。　　It　recalled　to　her；　by　contrast；　her　careless　and　irritated

description　of　him　to　her　mother　just　after　she　had　seen　him　for　the　　first

time。　　〃Rather　tragic　and　altogether　impossible。〃　　It　seemed　to　her　　now　that

she　must　have　been　blind。



They　had　passed　the　New　House　without　either　of　them　showingor

possessingany　consciousness　that　it　had　been　the　destination　of　one　　of

them。



〃I'll　keep　on　talking；〃　Bibbs　continued；　cheerfully；　〃and　you　keep　on

laughing。　　I'm　amounting　to　something　in　the　world　this　afternoon。　　I'm

making　a　noise；　and　that　makes　you　make　music。　　Don't　be　bothered　by　my

bleating　out　such　things　as　that。　　I'm　really　frightened；　and　that　makes　　me

bleat　anything。　　I'm　frightened　about　two　things：　I'm　afraid　of　what　　I'll

think　of　myself　later　if　I　don't　keep　talkingtalking　now；　I　mean　　and　I'm

afraid　of　what　I'll　think　of　myself　if　I　do。　　And　besides　　these　two　things；

I'm　frightened；　anyhow。　　I　don't　remember　talking　as　　much　as　this　more　than

once　or　twice　in　my　life。　　I　suppose　it　was　always　　in　me　to　do　it；　though；

the　first　time　I　met　any　one　who　didn't　know　me　　well　enough　not　to　listen。〃



〃But　you're　not　really　talking　to　me；〃　said　Mary。　　〃You're　just　think