the turmoil-第37节

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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