the turmoil-第3节

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near　enough　graduation　to　go　for　a　walk　leaning　on　a　nurse　and　a　cane。　　These

and　subsequent　months　saw　the　planning；　the　building；　and　the　completion　of

the　New　House；　and　it　was　to　that　abode　of　Bigness　that　Bibbs　was　brought　when

the　cane；　without　the　nurse；　was　found　sufficient　to　his　support。



Edith　met　him　at　the　station。　　〃Well；　well；　Bibbs！〃　she　said；　as　he　came

slowly　through　the　gates；　the　last　of　all　the　travelers　from　that　train。　　She

gave　his　hand　a　brisk　little　shake；　averting　her　eyes　after　a　quick　glance　at

him；　and　turning　at　once　toward　the　passage　to　the　street。　　〃Do　you　think　they

ought　to　've　let　you　come？　　You　certainly　don't　look　well！〃



〃But　I　certainly　do　look　better；〃　he　returned；　in　a　voice　as　slow　as　his　gait；

a　drawl　that　was　a　necessity；　for　when　Bibbs　tried　to　speak　quickly　he

stammered。　　〃Up　to　about　a　month　ago　it　took　two　people　to　see　me。　　They　had

to　get　me　in　a　line　between　'em！〃



Edith　did　not　turn　her　eyes　directly　toward　him　again；　after　her　first　quick

glance；　and　her　expression；　in　spite　of　her；　showed　a　faint；　troubled

distaste；　the　look　of　a　healthy　person　pressed　by　some　obligation　of　business

to　visit　a　〃bad〃　ward　in　a　hospital。　　She　was　nineteen；　fair　and　slim；　with

small；　unequal　features；　but　a　prettiness　of　color　and　a　brilliancy　of　eyes

that　created　a　total　impression　close　upon　beauty。　　Her　movements　were　eager

and　restless：　there　was　something　about　her；　as　kind　old　ladies　say；　that　was

very　sweet；　and　there　was　something　that　was　hurried　and　breathless。　　This　was

new　to　Bibbs；　it　was　a　perceptible　change　since　he　had　last　seen　her；　and　he

bent　upon　her　a　steady；　whimsical　scrutiny　as　they　stood　at　the　curb；　waiting

for　an　automobile　across　the　street　to　disengage　itself　from　the　traffic。



〃That's　the　new　car；〃　she　said。　　〃Everything's　new。　　We've　got　four　now；

besides　Jim's。　　Roscoe's　got　two。〃



〃Edith；　you　look〃　he　began；　and　paused。



〃Oh；　WE're　all　well；〃　she　said；　briskly；　and　then；　as　if　something　in　his　tone

had　caught　her　as　significant；　〃Well；　HOW　do　I　look；　Bibbs？〃



〃You　look〃　　He　paused　again；　taking　in　the　full　length　of　herher　trim

brown　shoes；　her　scant；　tapering；　rough　skirt；　and　her　coat　of　brown　and

green；　her　long　green　tippet　and　her　mad　little　rough　hat　in　the　mad　mode

all　suited　to　the　October　day。



〃How　do　I　look？〃　she　insisted。



〃You　look；〃　he　answered；　as　his　examination　ended　upon　an　incrusted　watch　of

platinum　and　enamel　at　her　wrist；　〃you　lookexpensive！〃　　That　was　a

substitute　for　what　he　intended　to　say；　for　her　constraint　and　preoccupation；

manifested　particularly　in　her　keeping　her　direct　glance　away　from　him；　did

not　seem　to　grant　the　privilege　of　impulsive　intimacies。



〃I　expect　I　am！〃　she　laughed；　and　sidelong　caught　the　direction　of　his　glance。

〃Of　course　I　oughtn't　to　wear　it　in　the　daytimeit's　an　evening　thing；　for

the　theaterby　my　day　wrist…watch　is　out　of　gear。　　Bobby　Lamhorn　broke　it

yesterday；　he's　a　regular　rowdy　sometimes。　　Do　you　want　Claus　to　help　you　in？〃



〃Oh　no；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃I'm　alive。〃　　And　after　a　fit　of　panting　subsequent　to

his　climbing　into　the　car　unaided；　he　added；　〃Of　course；　I　have　to　TELL

people！〃



〃We　only　got　your　telegram　this　morning；〃　she　said；　as　they　began　to　move

rapidly　through　the　〃wholesale　district〃　neighboring　the　station。　　〃Mother

said　she'd　hardly　expected　you　this　month。〃



〃They　seemed　to　be　through　with　me　up　there　in　the　country；〃　he　explained；

gently。　　〃At　least　they　said　they　were；　and　they　wouldn't　keep　me　any　longer；

because　so　many　really　sick　people　wanted　to　get　in。　　They　told　me　to　go　home

and　I　didn't　have　any　place　else　to　go。　　It　'll　be　all　right；　Edith；　I'll

sit　in　the　woodshed　until　after　dark　every　day。〃



〃Pshaw！〃　　She　laughed　nervously。　　〃Of　course　we're　all　of　us　glad　to　have　you

back。〃



〃Yes？〃　he　said。　　〃Father？〃



〃Of　course！　　Didn't　he　write　and　tell　you　to　come　home？〃　　She　did　not　turn　to

him　with　the　question。　　All　the　while　she　rode　with　her　face　directly　forward。



〃No；〃　he　said；　〃father　hasn't　written。〃



She　flushed　a　little。　　〃I　expect　I　ought　to　've　written　sometime；　or　one　of

the　boys〃



〃Oh　no；　that　was　all　right。〃



〃You　can't　think　how　busy　we've　all　been　this　year；　Bibbs。　　I　often　planned　to

writeand　then；　just　as　I　was　going　to；　something　would　turn　up。　　And　I'm

sure　it's　been　just　the　same　way　with　Jim　and　Roscoe。　　Of　course　we　knew　mamma

was　writing　often　and〃



〃Of　course！〃　he　said；　readily。　　〃There's　a　chunk　of　coal　fallen　on　your　glove；

Edith。　　Better　flick　it　off　before　it　smears。　　My　word！　I'd　almost　forgotten

how　sooty　it　is　here。〃



〃We've　been　having　very　bright　weather　this　monthfor　us。〃　　She　blew　the

flake　of　soot　into　the　air；　seeming　relieved。



He　looked　up　at　the　dingy　sky；　wherein　hung　the　disconsolate　sun　like　a　cold

tin　pan　nailed　up　in　a　smoke…house　by　some　lunatic；　for　a　decoration。　　〃Yes；〃

said　Bibbs。　　〃It's　very　gay。〃　　A　few　moments　later；　as　they　passed　a　corner；

〃Aren't　we　going　home？〃　he　asked。



〃Why；　yes！〃　　Did　you　want　to　go　somewhere　else　first？〃



〃No。　　Your　new　driver's　taking　us　out　of　the　way；　isn't　he？〃



〃No。　　This　is　right。　　We're　going　straight　home。〃



〃But　we've　passed　the　corner。　　We　always　turned〃



〃Good　gracious！〃　she　cried。　　〃Didn't　you　know　we'd　moved？　　Didn't　you　know　we

were　in　the　New　House？〃



〃Why；　no！〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃Are　you？〃



〃We've　been　there　a　month！　　Good　gracious！　　Didn't　you　know〃　　She　broke　off；

flushing　again；　and　then　went　on　hastily：　　〃Of　course；　mamma's　never　been　so

busy　in　her　life；　we　ALL　haven't　had　time　to　do　anything　but　keep　on　the　hop。

Mamma　couldn't　even　come　to　the　station　to…day。　　Papa's　got　some　of　his

business　friends　and　people　from　around　the　OLD…house　neighborhood　coming

to…night　for　a　big　dinner　and　'house…warming'dreadful　kind　of　peoplebut

mamma's　got　it　all　on　her　hands。　　She's　never　sat　down　a　MINUTE；　and　if　she

did；　papa　would　have　her　up　again　before〃



〃Of　course；〃　said　Bibbs。　　〃Do　you　like　the　new　place；　Edith？〃



〃I　don't　like　some　of　the　things　father　WOULD　have　in　it；　but　it's　the　finest

house　in　town；　and　that　ought　to　be　good　enough　for　me！　　Papa　bought　one　thing

I　likea　view　of　the　Bay　of　Naples　in　oil　that's　perfectly　beautiful；　it's

the　first　thing　you　see　as　you　come　in　the　front　hall；　and　it's　eleven　feet

long。　　But　he　would　have　that　old　fruit　picture　we　had　in　the　Murphy　Street

house　hung　up　in　the　new　dining…room。　　You　remember　ita　table　and　a

watermelon　sliced　open；　and　a　lot　of　rouged…looking　apples　and　some　shiny

lemons；　with　two　dead　prairie…chickens　on　a　chair？　　He　bought　it　at　a

furniture…store　years　and　years　ago；　and　he　claims　it's　a　finer　picture　than

any　they　saw　in　the　museums；　that　time　he　took　mamma　to　Europe。　　But　it's

horribly　out　of　date　to　have　those　things　in　dining…rooms；　and　I　caught　Bobby

Lamhorn　giggling　at　it；　and　Sibyl　made　fun　of　it；　too；　with　Bobby；　and　then

told　papa　she　agreed　with　him　about　its　being　such　a　fine　thing；　and　said　he

did　just　right　to　insist　on　having　it　where　he　wanted　it。　　She　makes　me　tired！

Sibyl！〃



Edith's　first　constraint　with　her　brother；　amounting　almost　to　awkwardness；

vanished　with　this　theme；　though　she　still　kept　her　full　gaze　always　to　the

front；　even　in　the　extreme　ardor　of　her　denunciation　of　her　sister…in…law。



〃SIBYL！〃　she　repeated；　with　such　heat　and　vigor　that　the　name　seemed　to　strike

fire　on　her　lips。　　〃I'd　like　to　know　why　Roscoe　couldn't　have　married　somebody

from　HERE　that　would　have　done　us　some　good！　　He　could　have　got　in　with　Bobby

Lamhorn　years　ago　just　as　well　as　now；　and　Bobby　'd　have　introduced　him　to　the

nicest　girls　in　town；　but　instead　of　that　he　had　to　go　and　pick　up　this　Sibyl

Rink！　　I　met　some　awfully　nice　people　from　her　town　when　mamma　and　I　were　at

Atlantic　City；　last　spring；　and　not　one　had　ever　heard　of　the　Rinks！　Not　even

HEARD　of　'em！〃



〃I　thought　you　were　great　friends　with　Sibyl；〃　Bibbs　said。



〃Up　to　the　time　I　found　her　out！〃　the　sister　returned；　with　continuing

vehemence。　　〃I've　found　out　some　things　about　Mrs。　Roscoe　Sheridan　lately　〃



〃It's　only　lately？〃



〃Well〃　Edith　hesitated；　her　lips　setting　primly。　　〃Of　course；　I　always　did

see　that　she　never　cared　the　snap　of　her　little　finger　about　ROSCOE！〃



〃It　seems；〃　said　Bibbs；　in　laconic　protest；　〃that　she　married　him。〃



The　sister　emitted　a　shrill　cry；　to　be　interpreted　as　contemptuous　laughter；

and；　in　her　emotion；　spoke　too　impulsively：　　　〃Why；　she'd　have　married　YOU！〃



〃No；　no；〃　he　said；　〃she　couldn't　be　that　bad！〃



〃I　didn't　mean〃　she　began；　distressed。　　〃I　only　meantI　didn't　mean〃



〃Never　mind；　Edith；〃　he　consoled　her。　　〃You　see；　she　couldn't　have　married　me；

because　I　didn't　know　her；　and　besides；　if　she's　as　mercenary　as　all　that

she'd　have　been　too　clever。　　The　head　doctor　even　had　to　lend　me　the　money　for

my　ticket　home。〃



〃I　di