the turmoil-第4节

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

my　ticket　home。〃



〃I　didn't　mean　anything　unpleasant　about　YOU；〃　Edith　babbled。　　〃I　only　meant　I

thought　she　was　the　kind　of　girl　who　was　so　simply　crazy　to　marry　somebody

she'd　have　married　anybody　that　asked　her。〃



〃Yes；　yes；〃　said　Bibbs；　〃it's　all　straight。〃　　And；　perceiving　that　his

sister's　expression　was　that　of　a　person　whose　adroitness　has　set　matters

prefectly　to　rights；　he　chuckled　silently。



〃Roscoe's　perfectly　lovely　to　her；〃　she　continued；　a　moment　later。　　〃Too

lovely！　　If　he'd　wake　up　a　little　and　lay　down　the　law；　some　day；　like　a　MAN；

I　guess　she'd　respect　him　more　and　learn　to　behave　herself！〃



〃'Behave'？〃



〃Oh；　well；　I　mean　she's　so　insincere；〃　said　Edith；　characteristically　evasive

when　it　came　to　stating　the　very　point　to　which　she　had　led；　and　in　this　not

unique　of　her　sex。



Bibbs　contented　himself　with　a　non…committal　gesture。　　〃Business　is　crawling

up　the　old　streets；〃　he　said；　his　long；　tremulous　hand　indicating　a　vasty

structure　in　course　of　erection。　　〃The　boarding…houses　come　first　and　then

the〃



〃That　isn't　for　shops；〃　she　informed　him。　　〃That's　a　new　investment　of　papa's

the　'Sheridan　Apartments。'〃



〃Well；　well；〃　he　murmured。　　〃I　supposed　'Sheridan'　was　almost　well　enough

known　here　already。〃



〃Oh；　we're　well　enough　known　ABOUT！〃　she　said；　impatiently。　　〃I　guess　there

isn't　a　man；　woman；　child；　or　nigger　baby　in　town　that　doesn't　know　who　we

are。　　But　we　aren't　in　with　the　right　people。〃



〃No！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃Who's　all　that？〃



〃Who's　all　what？〃



〃The　'right'　people。'〃



〃You　know　what　I　mean：　　the　best　people；　the　old　familiesthe　people　that

have　the　real　social　position　in　this　town　and　that　know　they've　got　it。〃



Bibbs　indulged　in　his　silent　chuckle　again；　he　seemed　greatly　amused。　　〃I

thought　that　the　people　who　actually　had　the　real　what…you…may…call…it　didn't

know　it；〃　he　said。　　〃I've　always　understood　that　it　was　very　unsatisfactory；

because　if　you　thought　about　it　you　didn't　have　it；　and　if　you　had　it　you

didn't　know　it。〃



〃That's　just　bosh；〃　she　retorted。　　〃They　know　it　in　this　town；　all　right！　　I

found　out　a　lot　of　things；　long　before　we　began　to　think　of　building　out　in

this　direction。　　The　right　people　in　this　town　aren't　always　the

society…column　ones；　and　they　mix　around　with　outsiders；　and　they　don't　all

belong　to　any　one　clubthey're　taken　in　all　sorts　into　all　their　clubsbut

they're　a　clan；　just　the　same；　and　they　have　the　clan　feeling　and　they're　just

as　much　We；　Us　and　Company　as　any　crowd　you　read　about　anywhere　in　the　world。

Most　of　'em　were　here　long　before　papa　came；　and　the　grandfathers　of　the　girls

of　my　age　knew　each　other；　and〃



〃I　see；〃　Bibbs　interrupted；　gravely。　　〃Their　ancestors　fled　together　from　many

a　stricken　field；　and　Crusaders'　blood　flows　in　their　veins。　　I　always

understood　the　first　house　was　built　by　an　old　party　of　the　name　of　Vertrees

who　couldn't　get　along　with　Dan'l　Boone；　and　hurried　away　to　these　parts

because　Dan'l　wanted　him　to　give　back　a　gun　he'd　lent　him。〃



Edith　gave　a　little　ejaculation　of　alarm。　　〃You　mustn't　repeat　that　story；

Bibbs；　even　if　it's　true。　　The　Vertreeses　are　THE　best　family；　and　of　course

the　very　oldest　here；　　they　were　an　old　family　even　before　Mary　Vertrees's

great…great…grandfather　came　west　and　founded　this　settlement。　　He　came　from

Lynn；　Massachusetts；　and　they　have　relatives　there　YETsome　of　the　best

people　in　Lynn！〃



〃No！〃　exclaimed　Bibbs；　incredulously。



〃And　there　are　other　old　families　like　the　Vertreeses；〃　she　went　on；　not

heeding　him；　〃the　Lamhorns　and　the　Kittersbys　and　the　J。　Palmerston　Smiths〃



〃Strange　names　to　me；〃　he　interrupted。　　〃Poor　things！　　None　of　them　have　my

acquaintance。〃



〃No；　that's　just　it！〃　she　cried。　　〃And　papa　had　never　even　heard　the　name　of

Vertrees！　　Mrs。　Vertrees　went　with　some　anti…smoke　committee　to　see　him；　and

he　told　her　that　smoke　was　what　made　her　husband　bring　home　his　wages　from　the

pay…roll　on　Saturday　night！　　HE　told　us　about　it；　and　I　thought　I　just

couldn't　live　through　the　night；　I　was　so　ashamed！　　Mr。　Vertrees　has　always

lived　on　his　income；　and　papa　didn't　know　him；　of　course。　　They're　the

stiffist；　most　elegant　people　in　the　whole　town。　　And　to　crown　it　all；　papa

went　and　bought　the　next　lot　to　the　old　Vertrees　country　mansionit's　in　the

very　heart　of　the　best　new　residence　district　now；　and　that's　where　the　New

House　is；　right　next　door　to　themand　I　must　say　it　makes　their　place　look

rather　shabby！　　I　met　Mary　Vertrees　when　I　joined　the　Mission　Service　Helpers；

but　she　never　did　any　more　than　just　barely　bow　to　me；　and　since　papa's　break

I　doubt　if　she'll　do　that！　　They　haven't　called。〃



〃And　you　think　if　I　spread　this　gossip　about　Vertrees　the　First　stealing　Dan'l

Boone's　gun；　the　chances　that　they　WILL　call〃



〃Papa　knows　what　a　break　he　made　with　Mrs。　Vertrees。　　I　made　him　understand

that；〃　said　Edith；　demurely；　〃and　he's　promised　to　try　and　meet　Mr。　Vertrees

and　be　nice　to　him。　　It's　just　this　way：　if　we　don't　know　THEM；　it's

practically　no　use　in　our　having　build　the　New　House；　and　if　we　DO　know　them

and　they're　decent　to　us；　we're　right　with　the　right　people。　　They　can　do　the

whole　thing　for　us。　Bobby　Lamhorn　told　Sibyl　he　was　going　to　bring　his　mother

to　call　on　her　and　on　mamma；　but　it　was　weeks　ago；　and　I　notice　he　hasn't　done

it；　and　if　Mrs。　　Vertrees　decides　not　to　know　us；　I'm　darn　sure　Mrs。　Lamhorn

'll　never　come。　　That's　ONE　thing　Sibyl　didn't　manage！　　She　SAID　Bobby　offered

to　bring　his　mother〃



〃You　say　he　is　a　friend　of　Roscoe's？〃　Bibbs　asked。



〃Oh；　he's　a　friend　of　the　whole　family；〃　she　returned；　with　a　petulance　which

she　made　an　effort　to　disguise。　　〃Roscoe　and　he　got　acquainted　somewhere；　and

they　take　him　to　the　theater　about　every　other　night。　　Sibyl　has　him　to　lunch；

too；　and　keeps〃　　She　broke　off　with　an　angry　little　jerk　of　the　head。　〃We

can　see　the　New　House　from　the　second　corner　ahead。　　Roscoe　has　built　straight

across　the　street　from　us；　you　know。　　Honestly；　Sibyl　makes　me　think　of　a

snake；　sometimesthe　way　she　pulls　the　wool　over　people's　eyes！　　She　honeys

up　to　papa　and　gets　anything　in　the　world　she　wants　out　of　him；　and　then　makes

fun　of　him　behind　his　backyes；　and　to　his　face；　but　HE　can't　see　it！　　She

got　him　to　give　her　a　twelve…thousand…dollar　porch　for　their　house　after　it

was〃



〃Good　heavens！〃　said　Bibbs；　staring　ahead　as　they　reached　the　corner　and　the

car　swung　to　the　right；　following　a　bend　in　the　street。　　〃Is　that　the　New

House？〃



〃Yes。　　What　do　you　think　of　it？〃



〃Well；〃　he　drawled；　〃I'm　pretty　sure　the　sanitarium's　about　half　a　size

bigger；　I　can't　be　certain　till　I　measure。〃



And　a　moment　later；　as　they　entered　the　driveway；　he　added；　seriously：　　〃But

it's　beautiful！〃





It　was　gray　stone；　with　long　roofs　of　thick　green　slate。　　An　architect　who

loved　the　milder　〃Gothic　motives〃　had　built　what　he　liked：　　it　was　to　be　seen

at　once　that　he　had　been　left　unhampered；　and　he　had　wrought　a　picture　out　of

his　head　into　a　noble　and　exultant　reality。　　At　the　same　time　a

landscape…designer　had　played　so　good　a　second；　with　ready…made　accessories　of

screen；　approach　and　vista；　that　already　whatever　look　of　newness　remained

upon　the　place　was　to　its　advantage；　as　showing　at　least　one　thing　yet　clean

under　the　grimy　sky。　　For；　though　the　smoke　was　thinner　in　this　direction；　and

at　this　long　distance　from　the　heart　of　the　town；　it　was　not　absent；　and

under　tutelage　of　wind　and　weather　could　be　malignant　even　here；　where　cows

had　wandered　in　the　meadows　and　corn　had　been　growing　not　ten　years　gone。



Altogether；　the　New　House　was　a　success。　　It　was　one　of　those　architects'

successes　which　leave　the　owners　veiled　in　privacy；　it　revealed　nothing　of　the

people　who　lived　in　it　save　that　they　were　rich。　　There　are　houses　that　cannot

be　detached　from　their　own　people　without　protesting：　　every　inch　of　mortar

seems　to　mourn　the　separation；　and　such　a　houseno　matter　what　be　done　to

itis　ever　murmurous　with　regret；　whispering　the　old　name　sadly　to　itself

unceasingly。　　But　the　New　House　was　of　a　kind　to　change　hands　without　emotion。

In　our　swelling　cities；　great　places　of　its　type　are　useful　as　financial

gauges　of　the　business　tides；　rich　families；　one　after　another；　take　title　and

occupy　such　houses　as　fortunes　rise　and　fallthey　mark　the　high　tide。　　It　was

impossible　to　imagine　a　child's　toy　wagon　left　upon　a　walk　or　driveway　of　the

New　House；　and　yet　it　wasas　Bibbs　rightly　called　it　〃beautiful。〃



What　the　architect　thought　of　the　〃Golfo　di　Napoli；〃　which　hung　in　its　vast

gold　revel　of　rococo　frame　against　the　gray　wood　of　the　hall；　is　to　be

conjecturedperhaps　he　had　not　seen　it。



〃Edith；　did　you　say　only　eleven　feet？〃　Bibbs　panted；　staring　at　it；　as　the

white…jacketed　twin　of　a　Pullman　porter　hel