太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > the turmoil >

第37节

the turmoil-第37节

小说: the turmoil 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




awaiting any tiny ignition to explode; and Mrs。 Sheridan's expression; as she

sat with her eyes fixed almost continually upon her husband; was that of a

person engaged in prayer。  Edith was pale and intent。  Roscoe looked ill;

Sibyl looked ill; and Sheridan looked both ill and explosive。  Bibbs had more

color than any of these; and there was a strange brightness; like a light;

upon his face。  It was curious to see anything so happy in the tense gloom of

that household。



Edith ate little; but gazed nearly all the time at her plate。  She never once

looked at Sibyl; though Sibyl now and then gave her a quick glance; heavily

charged; and then looked away。  Roscoe ate nothing; and; like Edith; kept his

eyes upon his plate and made believe to occupy himself with the viands

thereon; loading his fork frequently; but not lifting it to his mouth。 He did

not once look at his father; though his father gazed heavily at him most of

the time。  And between Edith and Sibyl; and between Roscoe and his father;

some bitter wireless communication seemed continually to be taking place

throughout the long silences prevailing during this enlivening ceremony of

Sabbath refection。



〃Didn't you go to church this morning; Bibbs?〃 his mother asked; in the effort

to break up one of those ghastly intervals。



〃What did you say; mother?〃



〃Didn't you go to church this morning?〃



〃I think so;〃 he answered; as from a roseate trance。



〃You THINK so!  Don't you know?〃



〃Oh yes。  Yes; I went to church!〃



〃Which one?〃



〃Just down the street。  It's brick。〃



〃What was the sermon about?〃



〃What; mother?〃



〃Can't you hear me?〃 she cried。  〃I asked you what the sermon was about?〃



He roused himself。  〃I think it was about〃  He frowned; seeming to

concentrate his will to recollect。  〃I think it was about something in the

Bible。〃



White…jacket George was glad of an opportunity to leave the room and lean upon

Mist' Jackson's shoulder in the pantry。  〃He don't know they WAS any suhmon!〃

he concluded; having narrated the dining…room dialogue。  〃All he know is he

was with 'at lady lives nex' do'!〃  George was right。



〃Did you go to church all by yourself; Bibbs?〃 Sibyl asked。



〃No;〃 he answered。  〃No; I didn't go alone。〃



〃Oh?〃  Sibyl gave the ejaculation an upward twist; as of mocking inquiry; and

followed it by another; expressive of hilarious comprehension。  〃OH!〃



Bibbs looked at her studiously; but she spoke no further。  And that completed

the conversation at the lugubrious feast。



Coffee came finally; was disposed of quickly; and the party dispersed to other

parts of the house。  Bibbs followed his father and Roscoe into the library;

but was not well received。



〃YOU go and listen to the phonograph with the women…folks;〃 Sheridan

commanded。



Bibbs retreated。  〃Sometimes you do seem to be a hard sort of man!〃 he said。



However; he went obediently to the gilt…and…brocade room in which his mother

and his sister and his sister…in…law had helplessly withdrawn; according to

their Sabbatical custom。  Edith sat in a corner; tapping her feet together and

looking at them; Sibyl sat in the center of the room; examining a brooch which

she had detached from her throat; and Mrs。 Sheridan was looking over a

collection of records consisting exclusively of Caruso and rag…time。  She

selected one of the latter; remarking that she thought it 〃right pretty;〃 and

followed it with one of the former and the same remark。



As the second reached its conclusion; George appeared in the broad doorway;

seeming to have an errand there; but he did not speak。  Instead; he favored

Edith with a benevolent smile; and she immediately left the room; George

stepping aside for her to precede him; and then disappearing after her in the

hall with an air of successful diplomacy。  He made it perfectly clear that

Edith had given him secret instructions and that it had been his pride and

pleasure to fulfil them to the letter。



Sibyl stiffened in her chair; her lips parted; and she watched with curious

eyes the vanishing back of the white jacket。



〃What's that?〃 she asked; in a low voice; but sharply。



〃Here's another right pretty record;〃 said Mrs。 Sheridan; affecting with

patent nervousnessnot to hear。  And she unloosed the music。



Sibyl bit her lip and began to tap her chin with the brooch。  After a little

while she turned to Bibbs; who reposed at half…length in a gold chair; with

his eyes closed。



〃Where did Edith go?〃 she asked; curiously。



〃Edith?〃 he repeated; opening his eyes blankly。  〃Is she gone?〃



Sibyl got up and stood in the doorway。  She leaned against the casing; still

tapping her chin with the brooch。  Her eyes were dilating; she was suddenly at

high tension; and her expression had become one of sharp excitement。  She

listens intently。



When the record was spun out she could hear Sheridan rumbling in the library;

during the ensuing silence; and Roscoe's voice; querulous and husky; 〃I won't

say anything at all。  I tell you; you might just as well let me alone!〃



But there were other sound: a rustling and murmur; whispering; low protesting

cadences in a male voice。  And as Mrs。 Sheridan started another record; a

sudden; vital resolve leaped like fire in the eyes of Sibyl。 She walked down

the hall and straight into the smoking…room。



Lamhorn and Edith both sprang to their feet; separating。  Edith became

instantly deathly white with a rage that set her shaking from head to foot;

and Lamhorn stuttered as he tried to speak。



But Edith's shaking was not so violent as Sibyl's; nor was her face so white。

At sight of them and of their embrace; all possible consequences became

nothing to Sibyl。  She courtesied; holding up her skirts and contorting her

lips to the semblance of a smile。



〃Sit just as you wereboth of you!〃 she said。  And then to Edith: 〃Did you

tell my husband I had been telephoning to Lamhorn?〃



〃You march out of here!〃 said Edith; fiercely。  〃March straight out of here!〃



Sibyl leveled a forefinger at Lamhorn。



〃Did you tell her I'd been telphoning you I wanted you to come?〃



〃Oh; good God!〃 Lamhorn said。  〃Hush!〃



〃You knew she'd tell my husband; DIDN'T you?〃 she cried。  〃You knew that!〃



〃HUSH!〃 he begged; panic…stricken。



〃That was a MANLY thing to do!  Oh; it was like a gentleman!  You wouldn't

comeyou wouldn't even come for five minutes to hear what I had to say! You

were TIRED of what I had to say!  You'd heard it all a thousand times before;

and you wouldn't come!  No! No! NO!〃 she stormed。  〃You wouldn't even come for

five minutes; but you could tell that little cat!  And SHE told my husband!

You're a MAN!〃



Edith saw in a flash that the consequences of battle would be ruinous to

Sibyl; and the furious girl needed no further temptation to give way to her

feelings。  〃Get out of this house!〃 she shrieked。  〃This is my father's house。

Don't you dare speak to Robert like that!〃



〃No! No!  I mustn't SPEAK〃



〃Don't you DARE!〃



Edith and Sibyl began to scream insults at each other simultaneously; fronting

each other; their furious faces close。  Their voices shrilled and rose and

crackedthey screeched。  They could be heard over the noise of the

phonograph; which was playing a brass…band selection。  They could be heard all

over the house。  They were heard in the kitchen; they could have been heard in

the cellar。  Neither of them cared for that。



〃You told my husband!〃 screamed Sibyl; bringing her face still closer to

Edith's。  〃You told my husband!  This man put THAT in you hands to strike me

with!  HE did!〃



〃I'll tell your husband again!  I'll tell him everything I know!  It's TIME

your husband〃



They were swept asunder by a bandaged hand。  〃Do you want the neighbors in?〃

Sheridan thundered。



There fell a shocking silence。  Frenzied Sibyl saw her husband and his mother

in the doorway; and she understood what she had done。  She moved slowly toward

the door; then suddenly she began to run。  She ran into the hall; and through

it; and out of the house。  Roscoe followed her heavily; his eyes on the

ground。



〃NOW THEN!〃 said Sheridan to Lamhorn。



The words were indefinite; but the voice was not。  Neither was the vicious

gesture of the bandaged hand; which concluded its orbit in the direction of

the door in a manner sufficient for the swift dispersal of George and Jackson

and several female servants who hovered behind Mrs。 Sheridan。 They fled

lightly。



〃Papa; papa!〃 wailed Mrs。 Sheridan。  〃Look at your hand!  You'd oughtn't to

been so rough with Edie; you hurt your hand on her shoulder。  Look!〃



There was; in fact; a spreading red stain upon the bandages at the tips of the

fingers; and Sheridan put his hand back in the sling。  〃Now then!〃 he

repeated。  〃You goin' to leave my house?〃



〃He will NOT!〃 sobbed Edith。  〃Don't you DARE order him 

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的