the turmoil-第31节

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She　waited　in　the　grave…yard；　and　drove　home　with　him　from　JIM'S　　FUNERAL！

Never　spoke　to　him　before！　　Jim　wasn't　COLD！〃



She　rocked　herself　back　and　forth　upon　the　divan。　　〃Bibbs！〃　she　　shrieked。

〃Bibbs！　　Roscoe；　THINK　of　it！　　BIBBS！〃



He　stared　unsympathetically；　but　her　mirth　was　unabated　for　all　that。　　　〃And

yesterday；〃　she　continued；　between　paroxysms〃yesterday　she　came　　out　of　the

housejust　as　he　was　passing。　　She　must　have　been　looking　　outwaiting　for

the　chance；　I　saw　the　old　lady　watching　at　the　　window！　　And　she　got　him　there

last　nightto　'PLAY'　to　him；　the　old　　lady　gave　that　away！　　And　to…day　she

made　him　take　her　out　in　a　machine！　　And　the　cream　of　it　is　that　they　didn't

even　know　　whether　he　was　INSANE　or　notthey　thought　maybe　he　was；　but　she

went　　after　him　just　the　same！　　The　old　lady　set　herself　to　pump　me　about　it

to…day。　　BIBBS！　　Oh；　my　Lord！　　BIBBS！〃



But　Roscoe　looked　grim。　　〃So　it's　funny　to　you；　is　it？　　It　sounds　kind　of

pitiful　to　me。　　I　should　think　it　would　to　a　woman；　too。〃



〃Oh；　it　might；〃　she　returned；　sobering。　　〃It　might；　if　those　people　　weren't

such　frozen…faced　smart　Alecks。　　If　they'd　had　the　decency　to　　come　down　off

the　perch　a　little　I　probably　wouldn't　think　it　was　funny；　　but　to　see　'em　sit

up　on　their　pedestal　all　the　time　they're　eating　dirt　　well；　I　think　it's

funny！　　That　girl　sits　up　as　if　she　was　Queen　　Elizabeth；　and　expects　people

to　wallow　on　the　ground　before　her　until　　they　get　near　enough　for　her　to　give

'em　a　good　kick　with　her　old　patched　　shoesoh；　she'd　do　THAT；　all

right！and　then　she　powders　up　and　　goes　out　to　mashBIBBS　SHERIDAN！〃



〃Look　here；〃　said　Roscoe；　heavily；　〃I　don't　care　about　that　one　way　or

another。　　If　you're　through；　I　got　something　I　want　to　talk　to　you　　about。　　I

was　going　to；　that　day　just　before　we　heard　about　Jim。〃



At　this　Sibyl　stiffened　quickly；　her　eyes　became　intensely　bright。　　〃What　　is

it？〃



〃Well；〃　he　began；　frowning；　〃what　I　was　going　to　say　then〃　　He　broke　　off；

and；　becoming　conscious　that　he　was　still　holding　the　wet　napkin　in　　his　hand；

threw　it　pettishly　into　a　corner。　　〃I　never　expected　I'd　have　　to　say　anything

like　this　to　anybody　I　MARRIED；　but　I　was　going　to　ask　　you　what　was　the

matter　between　you　and　Lamhorn。〃



Sibyl　uttered　a　sharp　monosyllable。　〃Well？〃



〃I　felt　the　time　had　come　for　me　to　know　about　it；〃　he　went　on。　　〃You　　never

told　me　anything〃



〃You　never　asked；〃　she　interposed；　curtly。



〃Well；　we'd　got　in　a　way　of　not　talking　much；〃　said　Roscoe。　　〃It　looks　to　　me

now　as　if　we'd　pretty　much　lost　the　run　of　each　other　the　way　a　good　　many

people　do。　　I　don't　say　it　wasn't　my　fault。　　I　was　up　early　and　down　　to　work

all　day；　and　I'd　come　home　tired　at　night；　and　want　to　go　to　bed　　soon　as　I'd

got　the　paper　readunless　there　was　some　good　musical　show　　in　town。　　Well；

you　seemed　all　right　until　here　lately；　the　last　month　or　　so；　I　began　to　see

something　was　wrong。　　I　couldn't　help　seeing　it。〃



〃Wrong？〃　she　said。　　〃What　like？〃



〃You　changed；　you　didn't　look　the　same。　You　were　all　strung　up　and　　excited

and　fidgety；　you　got　to　looking　peakid　and　run　down。　　Now　then；　　Lamhorn　had

been　going　with　us　a　good　while；　but　I　noticed　that　not　long　　ago　you　got　to

picking　on　him　about　every　little　thing　he　did；　you　got　to　　quarreling　with

him　when　I　was　there　and　when　I　wasn't。　　I　could　see　　you'd　been　quarreling

whenever　I　came　in　and　he　was　here。〃



〃Do　you　object　to　that？〃　asked　Sibyl；　breathing　quickly。



〃Yeswhen　it　injures　my　wife's　health！〃　he　returned；　with　a　quick　lift　　of

his　eyes　to　hers。　　〃You　began　to　run　down　just　about　the　time　you　　began

falling　out　with　him。〃　He　stepped　close　to　her。　　〃See　here；　Sibyl；　　I'm　going

to　know　what　it　means。〃



〃Oh；　you　ARE？〃　she　snapped。



〃You're　trembling；〃　he　said；　gravely。



〃Yes。　　I'm　angry　enough　to　do　more　than　tremble；　you'll　find。　　Go　on！〃



〃That　was　all　I　was　going　to　say　the　other　day；〃　he　said。　　〃I　was　going　to

ask　you〃



〃Yes；　that　was　all　you　were　going　to　say　THE　OTHER　DAY。　　Yes。　　What　else　　have

you　to　say　to…night？〃



〃To…night；〃　he　replied；　with　grim　swiftness；　〃I　want　to　know　why　you　keep

telephoning　him　you　want　to　see　him　since　he　stopped　coming　here。〃



She　made　a　long；　low　sound　of　comprehension　before　she　said；　〃And　what　　else

did　Edith　want　you　to　ask　me？〃



〃I　want　to　know　what　you　say　over　the　telephone　to　Lamhorn；〃　he　said；

fiercely。



〃Is　that　all　Edith　told　you　to　ask　me？　　You　saw　her　when　you　stopped　in　　there

on　your　way　home　this　evening；　didn't　you？　　Didn't　she　tell　you　　then　what　I

said　over　the　telephone　to　Mr。　Lamhorn？〃



〃No；　she　didn't！〃　he　vociferated；　his　voice　growing　louder。　　〃She　said；　　'You

tell　your　wife　to　stop　telephoning　Robert　Lamhorn　to　come　and　see　　her；

because　he　isn't　going　to　do　it！'　　That's　what　she　said！　　And　I　want　　to　know

what　it　means。　　I　intend〃



A　maid　appeared　at　the　lower　end　of　the　hall。　　〃Dinner　is　ready；〃　she　　said；

and；　giving　the　troubled　pair　one　glance；　went　demurely　into　the　　dining…room。

Roscoe　disregarded　the　interruption。



〃I　intend　to　know　exactly　what　has　been　going　on；〃　he　declared。　　〃I　mean　　to

know　just　what〃



Sibyl　jumped　up；　almost　touching　him；　standing　face　to　face　with　him。



〃Oh；　you　DO！〃　she　cried；　shrilly。　　〃You　mean　to　know　just　what's　what；　do

you？　　You　listen　to　your　sister　insinuating　ugly　things　about　your　wife；　　and

then　you　come　home　making　a　scene　before　the　servants　and　humiliating　　me　in

their　presence！　　Do　you　suppose　that　Irish　girl　didn't　hear　every　　word　you

said？　　You　go　in　there　and　eat　your　dinner　alone！　　Go　on！　　Go　　and　eat　your

dinner　alonebecause　I　won't　eat　with　you！〃



And　she　broke　away　from　the　detaining　grasp　he　sought　to　fasten　upon　her；　　and

dashed　up　the　stairway；　panting。　　He　heard　the　door　of　her　room　slam

overhead；　and　the　sharp　click　of　the　key　in　the　lock。





At　seven　o'clock　on　the　last　morning　of　that　month；　Sheridan；　passing　　through

the　upper　hall　on　his　way　to　descend　the　stairs　for　breakfast；　　found　a　couple

of　scribbled　sheets　of　note…paper　lying　on　the　floor。　　A　　window　had　been　open

in　Bibbs's　room　the　evening　before；　he　had　left　his　　note…book　on　the

silland　the　sheets　were　loose。　　The　door　was　open；　　and　when　Bibbs　came　in

and　closed　it；　he　did　not　notice　that　the　two　　sheets　had　blown　out　into　the

hall。　　Sheridan　recognized　the　handwriting　　and　put　the　sheets　in　his　coat

pocket；　intending　to　give　them　to　George　　or　Jackson　for　return　to　the　owner；

but　he　forgot　and　carried　them　　down…town　with　him。　　At　noon　he　found　himself

alone　in　his　office；　and；　　having　a　little　leisure；　remembered　the　bits　of

manuscript；　took　them　　out；　and　glanced　at　them。　　A　grance　was　enough　to

reveal　that　they　were　　not　epistolary。　　Sheridan　would　not　have　read　a

〃private　letter〃　that　　came　into　his　possession　in　that　way；　though　in　a

〃matter　of　business〃　he　　might　have　felt　it　his　duty　to　take　advantage　of　an

opportunity　afforded　　in　any　manner　whatsoever。　　Having　satisfied　himself　that

Bibbs's　　scribblings　were　only　a　sample　of　the　kind　of　writing　his　son

preferred　　to　the　machine…shop；　he　decided；　innocently　enough；　that　he　would

be　　justified　in　reading　them。



It　appears　that　a　lady　will　nod　pleasantly　upon　some　windy　generalization　　of

a　companion；　and　will　wear　the　most　agreeable　expression　of　accepting　　it　as

the　law；　and　thendays　afterward；　when　the　thing　is　a　mummy　to　　its

promulgatorshe　will　inquire　out　of　a　clear　sky：　〃WHY　did　you　say　　that　the

people　down…town　have　nothing　in　life　that　a　chicken　hasn't？　　　What　did　you

mean？〃　　And　she　may　say　it　in　a　manner　that　makes　a　sensible　　reply　very

difficultyou　will　be　so　full　of　wonder　that　she　remembered　　so　seriously。



Yet；　what　does　the　rooster　lack？　　He　has　food　and　shelter；　he　is　warm　in

winter；　his　wives　raise　not　one　fine　family　for　him；　but　dozens。　　He　has　　a

clear　sky　over　him；　he　breathes　sweet　air；　he　walks　in　his　April　　orchard

under　a　roof　of　flowers。　　He　must　die；　violently　perhaps；　but　　quickly。　　Is

Midas's　cancer　a　better　way？　　The　rooster's　wives　and　　children　must　die。　　Are

those　of　Midas　immortal？　　His　life　is　shorter　than　　the　life　of　Midas；　but

Midas's　life　is　only　a　sixth　as　long　as　that　of　　the　Galapagos　tortoise。



The　worthy　money…worker　takes　his　vacation　so　that　he　may　refresh　himself

anew　for　the　hard　work　of　getting　nothing　that　the　rooster　doesn't　get。　　　The

office…building　has　an　elevator；　the　rooster　flies　up　to　the　bough。　　　Midas

has　a　machine　to　take　him　to　his　work；　the　rooster　finds　his　worm　　underfoot。

The　〃business　man〃　feels　a　pressure　sometimes；　without　knowing　　why；　and　sits

late　at　wine　after　the　day's　labor；　next　morning　he　curses　his　　head　because

it　interferes　with　the　workhe　swears　never　to　relieve　　that　pressure　again。

The　rooster　has　no　pressure　and　no　wine；　this　　difference　is　in　his　favor。



The　rooster　is　a　dependent；　h