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第33节

the turmoil-第33节

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you。  Fine 'dustriss young business man。  Look whass happen' to me!  Fine!〃

He lifted his hand from the sustaining chair in a deplorable gesture; and;

immediately losing his balance; fell across the chair and caromed to the floor

with a crash; remaining prostrate for several minutes; during which Sheridan

did not relax his apparent attention to the newspaper。  He did not even look

round at the sound of Roscoe's fall。



Roscoe slowly climbed to an upright position; pulling himself up by holding to

the chair。  He was slightly sobered outwardly; having progressed in the

prostrate interval to a state of befuddlement less volatile。  He rubbed his

dazed eyes with the back of his left hand。



〃Whatwhat you ask me while ago?〃 he said。



〃Nothin'。〃



〃Yes; you did。  Whatwhat was it?〃



〃Nothin'。  You better sit down。〃



〃You ask' me what I thought about Lamhorn。  You did ask me that。  Well; I

won't tell you。  I won't say dam' word 'bout him!〃



The telephone…bell tinkled。  Sheridan placed the receiver to his ear and said;

〃Right down。〃  Then he got Roscoe's coat and hat from a closet and brought

them to his son。  〃Get into this coat;〃 he said。  〃You're goin' home。〃



〃All ri';〃 Roscoe murmured; obediently。



They went out into the main hall by a side door; not passing through the outer

office; and Sheridan waited for an empty elevator; stopped it; and told the

operator to take on no more passengers until they reached the ground floor。

Roscoe walked out of the building and got into the automobile without

lurching; and twenty minutes later walked into his own house in the same

manner; neither he nor his father having spoken a word in the interval。



Sheridan did not go in with him; he went home; and to his own room without

meeting any of his family。  But as he passed Bibbs's door her heard from

within the sound of a cheerful young voice humming jubilant fragments of song:



WHO looks a mustang in the eye? 。。。 With a leap from the ground To the saddle

in a bound。 And awayand away! Hi…yay!



It was the first time in Sheridan's life that he had ever detected any musical

symptom whatever in Bibbshe had never even heard him whistle and it seemed

the last touch of irony that the useless fool should be merry to…day。



To Sheridan it was Tom o' Bedlam singing while the house burned; and he did

not tarry to enjoy the melody; but went into his own room and locked the door。





He emerged only upon a second summons to dinner; two hours later; and came to

the table so white and silent that his wife made her anxiety manifest and was

but partially reassured by his explanation that his lunch had 〃disagreed〃 with

him a little。



Presently; however; he spoke effectively。  Bibbs; whose appetite had become

hearty; was helping himself to a second breast of capon from white…jacket's

salver。  〃Here's another difference between Midas and chicken;〃 Sheridan

remarked; grimly。  〃Midas can eat rooster; but rooster can't eat Midas。  I

reckon you overlooked that。  Midas looks to me like he had the advantage

there。〃



Bibbs retained enough presence of mind to transfer the capon breast to his

plate without dropping it and to respond; 〃Yeshe crows over it。〃



Having returned his antagonists's fire in this fashion; he blushedfor he

could blush distinctly nowand his mother looked upon him with pleasure;

thought the reference to Midas and roosters was of course jargon to her。  〃Did

you ever see anybody improve the way that child has!〃 she exclaimed。  〃I

declare; Bibbs; sometimes lately you look right handsome!〃



〃He's got to be such a gadabout;〃 Edith giggled。



〃I found something of his on the floor up…stairs this morning; before anybody

was up;〃 said Sheridan。  〃I reckon if people lose things in this house and

expect to get 'em back; they better get up as soon as I do。〃



〃What was it he lost?〃 asked Edith。



〃He knows!〃 her father returned。  〃Seems to me like I forgot to bring it home

with me。  I looked it overthought probably it was something pretty

important; belongin' to a busy man like him。〃  He affected to search his

pockets。  〃What DID I do with it; now?  Oh yes!  Seems to me like I remember

leavin' it down at the officein the waste…basket。〃



〃Good place for it;〃 Bibbs murmured; still red。



Sheridan gave him a grin。  〃Perhaps pretty soon you'll be gettin' up early

enough to fine things before I do!〃



It was a threat; and Bibbs repeated the substance of it; later in the evening;

to Mary Vertreesthey had come to know each other that well。



〃My time's here at last;〃 he said; as they sat together in the melancholy

gas…light of the room which had been denuded of its piano。 That removal had

left an emptiness so distressing to Mr。 and Mrs。 Vertrees that neither of them

had crossed the threshold since the dark day; but the gas…light; though from a

single jet; shed no melancholy upon Bibbs; nor could any room seem bare that

knew the glowing presence of Mary。  He spoke lightly; not sadly。



〃Yes; it's come。  I've shirked and put off; but I can't shirk and put off any

longer。  It's really my part to go to himat least it would save my face。  He

means what he says; and the time's come to serve my sentence。 Hard labor for

life; I think。〃



Mary shook her head。  〃I don't think so。  He's too kind。〃



〃You think my father's KIND?〃  And Bibbs stared at her。



〃Yes。  I'm sure of it。  I've felt that he has a great; brave heart。  It's only

that he has to be kind in his own waybecause he can't understand any other

way。〃



〃Ah yes;〃 said Bibbs。  〃If that's what you mean by 'kind'!〃



She looked at him gravely; earnest concern in her friendly eyes。  〃It's going

to be pretty hard for you; isn't it?〃



〃Ohself…pity!〃 he returned; smiling。  〃This has been just the last flicker

of revolt。  Nobody minds work if he likes the kind of work。 There'd be no

loafers in the world if each man found the thing that he could do best; but

the only work I happen to want to do is uselessso I have to give it up。

To…morrow I'll be a day…laborer。〃



〃What is it likeexactly?〃



〃I get up at six;〃 he said。  〃I have a lunch…basket to carry with me; which is

aristocratic and no advantage。  The other workmen have tin buckets; and tin

buckets are better。  I leave the house at six…thirty; and I'm at work in my

overalls at seven。  I have an hour off at noon; and work again from one till

five。〃



〃But the work itself?〃



〃It wasn't muscularly exhaustingnot at all。  They couldn't give me a heavier

job because I wasn't good enough。〃



〃But what will you do?  I want to know。〃



〃When I left;〃 said Bibbs; 〃I was 'on' what they call over there a

'clipping…machine;' in one of the 'by…products' departments; and that's what

I'll be sent back to。〃



〃But what is it?〃 she insisted。



Bibbs explained。  〃It's very simple and very easy。  I feed long strips of zinc

into a pair of steel jaws; and the jaws bite the zinc into little circles。

All I have to do is to see that the strip goes into the jaws at a certain

angleand yet I was a very bad hand at it。〃



He had kept his voice cheerful as he spoke; but he had grown a shade paler;

and there was a latent anguish deep in his eyes。  He may have known it and

wished her not to see it; for he turned away。



〃You do that all day long?〃 she asked; and as he nodded; 〃It seems

incredible!〃 she exclaimed。  〃YOU feeding a strip of zinc into a machine nine

hours a day!  No wonder〃  She broke off; and then; after a keen glance at

his face; she said: 〃I should think you WOULD have been a 'bad hand at it'!〃



He laughed ruefully。  〃I think it's the noise; though I'm ashamed to say it。

You see; it's a very  powerful machine; and there's a sort of rhythmical

crashinga crash every time the jaws bite off a circle。〃



〃How often is that?〃



〃The thing should make about sixty…eight disks a minutea little more than

one a second。〃



〃And you're close to it?〃



〃Oh; the workman has to sit in its lap;〃 he said; turning to her more gaily。

〃The others don't mind 。  You see; it's something wrong with me。 I have an

idiotic way of flinching from the confounded thingI flinch and duck a little

every time the crash comes; and I couldn't get over it。 I was a treat to the

other workmen in that room; they'll be glad to see me back。  They used to

laugh at me all day long。〃



Mary's gaze was averted from Bibbs now; she sat with her elbow resting on the

arm of the chair; her lifted hand pressed against her cheek。  She was staring

at the wall; and her eyes had a burning brightness in them。



〃It doesn't seem possible any one could do that to you;〃 she said; in a low

voice。  〃No。  He's not kind。  He ought to be proud to help you to the leisure

to write books; it should be his greatest privilege to have them published for

you〃



〃Can't you SEE him?〃 Bibbs interrupted; a faint ripple of hilarity in his

voice。  〃If he could unde

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