the turmoil-第49节

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help　show　I　felt　the　right　way。　　Well；　what　I　want　to　do　is　to　tell　this　so's

to　keep　the　family　from　being　made　a　fool　of。　　I　don't　want　to　see　the　family

just　made　use　of　and　twisted　around　her　finger　by　somebody　that's　got　no　more

heart　than　so　much　ice；　and　just　as　sure　to　bring　troubles　in　the　long　run

asas　Edith's　mistake　is。　Well；　then；　this　is　the　way　it　is。　　I'll　just　tell

you　how　it　looks　to　me　and　see　if　it　don't　strike　you　the　same　way。〃



Within　the　room；　Bibbs；　much　annoyed；　tapped　his　ear　with　his　pencil。　　He

wished　they　wouldn't　stand　talking　near　his　door　when　he　was　trying　to　write。

He　had　just　taken　from　his　trunk　the　manuscript　of　a　poem　begun　the　preceding

Sunday　afternoon；　and　he　had　some　ideas　he　wanted　to　fix　upon　paper　before

they　maliciously　seized　the　first　opportunity　to　vanish；　for　they　were　but

gossamer。　　Bibbs　was　pleased　with　the　beginnings　of　his　poem；　and　if　he　could

carry　it　through　he　meant　to　dare　greatly　with　it　he　would　venture　it　upon

an　editor。　　For　he　had　his　plan　of　life　now：　his　day　would　be　of　manual　labor

and　thinkinghe　could　think　of　his　friend　and　he　could　think　in　cadences　for

poems；　to　the　crashing　of　the　strong　machineand　if　his　father　turned　him　out

of　home　and　out　of　the　Works；　he　would　work　elsewhere　and　live　elsewhere。　　His

father　had　the　right；　and　it　mattered　very　little　to　Bibbshe　faced　the

prospect　of　a　working…man's　lodging…house　without　trepidation。　　He　could　find

a　washstand　to　write　upon；　he　thought；　and　every　evening　when　he　left　Mary　he

would　write　a　little；　and　he　would　write　on　holidays　and　on　Sundayson

Sundays　in　the　afternoon。　　In　a　lodging…house；　at　least　he　wouldn't　be

interrupted　by　his　sister…in…law's　choosing　the　immediate　vicinity　of　his　door

for　conversations　evidently　important　to　herself；　but　merely　disturbing　to

him。　　He　frowned　plaintively；　wishing　he　could　think　of　some　polite　way　of

asking　her　to　go　away。　　But；　as　she　went　on；　he　started　violently；　dropping

manuscript　and　pencil　upon　the　floor。



〃I　don't　know　whether　you　heard　it；　mother　Sheridan；〃　she　said；　〃but　this　old

Vertrees　house；　next　door；　had　been　sold　on　foreclosure；　and　all　THEY　got　out

of　it　was　an　agreement　that　let's　'em　live　there　a　little　longer。　Roscoe　told

me；　and　he　says　he　heard　Mr。　Vertrees　has　been　up　and　down　the　streets　more　'n

two　years；　tryin'　to　get　a　job　he　could　call　a　'position；'　and　couldn't　land

it。　　You　heard　anything　about　it；　mother　Sheridan？〃



〃Well；　I　DID　know　they　been　doin'　their　own　house…work　a　good　while　back；〃

said　Mrs。　Sheridan。　　〃And　now　they're　doin'　the　cookin'；　too。〃



Sibyl　sent　forth　a　little　titter　with　a　sharp　edge。　　〃I　hope　they　find

something　to　cook！　　She　sold　her　piano　mighty　quick　after　Jim　died！〃



Bibbs　jumped　up。　　He　was　trembling　from　head　to　foot　and　he　was　dizzy　of　all

the　real　things　he　could　never　have　dreamed　in　his　dream　the　last　would　have

been　what　he　heard　now。　　He　felt　that　something　incredible　was　happening；　and

that　he　was　powerless　to　stop　it。　　It　seemed　to　him　that　heavy　blows　were

falling　on　his　head　and　upon　Mary's；　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　and　Mary　were

being　struck　and　beaten　physicallyand　　that　something　hideous　impended。　　He

wanted　to　shout　to　Sibyl　to　be　silent；　but　he　could　not；　he　could　only　stand；

swallowing　and　trembling。



〃What　I　think　the　whole　family　ought　to　understand　is　just　this；〃　said　Sibyl；

sharply。　　〃Those　people　were　so　hard　up　that　this　Miss　Vertrees　started　after

Bibbs　before　they　knew　whether　he　was　INSANE　or　not！　　They'd　got　a　notion　he

might　be；　from　his　being　in　a　sanitarium；　and　Mrs。　Vertrees　ASKED　me　if　he　was

insane；　the　very　first　day　Bibbs　took　the　daughter　out　auto…riding！〃　　She

paused　a　moment；　looking　at　Mrs。　Sheridan；　but　listening　intently。　　There　was

no　sound　from　within　the　room。



〃No！〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Sheridan。



〃It's　the　truth；〃　Sibyl　declared；　loudly。　　〃Oh；　of　course　we　were　all　crazy

about　that　girl　at　first。　　We　were　pretty　green　when　we　moved　up　here；　and　we

thought　she'd　get　us　INbut　it　didn't　take　ME　long　to　read　her！　　Her　family

were　down　and　out　when　it　came　to　moneyand　they　had　to　go　after　it；　one　way

or　another；　SOMEHOW！　　So　she　started　for　Roscoe；　but　she　found　out　pretty

quick　he　was　married；　and　she　turned　right　around　to　Jimand　she　landed　him！

There's　no　doubt　about　it；　she　had　Jim；　and　if　he'd　lived　you'd　had　another

daughter…in…law　before　this；　as　sure　as　I　stand　here　telling　you　the　God's

truth　about　it！　　Wellwhen　Jim　was　left　in　the　cemetery　she　was　waiting　out

there　to　drive　home　with　Bibbs！　Jim　wasn't　COLDand　she　didn't　know　whether

Bibbs　was　insane　or　not；　but　he　was　the　only　one　of　the　rich　Sheridan　boys

left。　　She　had　to　get　him。〃



The　texture　of　what　was　the　truth　made　an　even　fabric　with　what　was　not；　in

Sibyl's　mind；　she　believed　every　word　that　she　uttered；　and　she　spoke　with　the

rapidity　and　vehemence　of　fierce　conviction。



〃What　I　feel　about　it　is；〃　she　said；　〃it　oughtn't　to　be　allowed　to　go　on。　It's

too　mean！　　I　like　poor　Bibbs；　and　I　don't　want　to　see　him　made　such　a　fool　of；

and　I　don't　want　to　see　the　family　made　such　a　fool　of！　　I　like　poor　Bibbs；

but　if　he'd　only　stop　to　think　a　minute　himself　he'd　have　to　realize　he　isn't

the　kind　of　man　ANY　girl　would　be　apt　to　fall　in　love　with。　　He's

better…looking　lately；　maybe；　but　you　know　how　he　WASjust　kind　of　a　long

white　rag　in　good　clothes。　　And　girls　like　men　with　some　SO　to　'emSOME　sort

of　dashingness；　anyhow！　　Nobody　ever　looked　at　poor　Bibbs　before；　and

neither'd　sheno；　SIR！　not　till　she'd　tried　both　Roscoe　and　Jim　first！　　It

was　only　when　her　and　her　family　got　desperate　that　she〃



Bibbswhiter　than　when　he　came　from　the　sanitariumopened　the　door。　He

stepped　across　its　threshold　and　stook　looking　at　her。　　Both　women　screamed。



〃Oh；　good　heavens！〃　cried　Sibyl。　　〃Were　you　in　THERE？　　Oh；　I　wouldn't〃　She

seized　Mrs。　Sheridan's　arm；　pulling　her　toward　the　stairway。　　〃Come　on；　mother

Sheridan！〃　she　urged；　and　as　the　befuddled　and　confused　lady　obeyed；　Sibyl

left　a　trail　of　noisy　exclamations：　〃Good　gracious！　　Oh；　I　wouldn'tToo　bad！

I　didn't　DREAM　he　was　there！　　I　wouldn't　hurt　his　feelings！　　Not　for　the

world！　　Of　course　he　had　to　know　SOME　time！　　But；　good　heavens〃



She　heard　his　door　close　as　she　and　Mrs。　Sheridan　reached　the　top　of　the

stairs；　and　she　glanced　over　her　shoulder　quickly；　but　Bibbs　was　not

following；　he　had　gone　back　into　his　room。



〃Hehe　lookedoh；　terrible　bad！〃　stammered　Mrs。　Sheridan。　　〃II　wish〃



〃Still；　it's　a　good　deal　better　he　knows　about　it；〃　said　Sibyl。　　〃I　shouldn't

wonder　it　might　turn　out　the　very　best　thing　could　happened。　Come　on！〃



And　completing　their　descent　to　the　library；　the　two　made　their　appearance　to

Roscoe　and　his　father。　　Sibyl　at　once　gave　a　full　and　truthful　account　of　what

had　taken　place；　repeating　her　own　remarks；　and　omitting　only　the　fact　that　it

was　through　her　design　that　Bibbs　had　overheard　them。



〃But　as　I　told　mother　Sheridan；〃　she　said；　in　conclusion；　〃it　might　turn　out

for　the　very　best　that　he　did　hearjust　that　way。　　Don't　you　think　so；　father

Sheridan？〃



He　merely　grunted　in　reply；　and　sat　rubbing　the　thick　hair　on　the　top　of　his

head　with　his　left　hand　and　looking　at　the　fire。　　He　had　given　no　sign　of

being　impressed　in　any　manner　by　her　exposure　of　Mary　Vertrees's　character；

but　his　impassivity　did　not　dismay　Sibylit　was　Bibbs　whom　she　desired　to

impress；　and　she　was　content　in　that　matter。



〃I'm　sure　it　was　all　for　the　best；〃　she　said。　　〃It's　over　now；　and　he　knows

what　she　is。　　In　one　way　I　think　it　was　lucky；　because；　just　hearing　a　thing

that　way；　a　person　can　tell　it's　SOand　he　knows　I　haven't　got　any　ax　to

grind　except　his　own　good　and　the　good　of　the　family。〃



Mrs。　Sheridan　went　nervously　to　the　door　and　stood　there；　looking　toward　the

stairway。　　〃I　wishI　wish　I　knew　what　he　was　doin'；〃　she　said。　　〃He　did　look

terrible　bad。　　It　was　like　something　had　been　done　to　him　that　wasI　don't

know　what。　　I　never　saw　anybody　look　like　he　did。　　He　lookedso　queer。　　It

was　like　you'd〃　　She　called　down　the　hall；　〃George！〃



〃Yes'm？〃



〃Were　you　up　in　Mr。　Bibbs's　room　just　now？〃



〃Yes；m。　　He　ring　bell；　tole　me　make　him　fiah　in　his　grate。　　I　done　buil'　him

nice　fiah。　　I　reckon　he　ain'　feelin'　so　well。　　Yes'm。〃　　He　departed。



〃What　do　you　expect　he　wants　a　fire　for？〃　she　asked；　turning　toward　her

husband。　　〃The　house　is　warm　as　can　be；　　I　do　wish　I〃



〃Oh；　quit　frettin'！〃　said　Sheridan。



〃Well；　II　kind　o'　wish　you　hadn't　said　anything；　Sibyl。　　I　know　you　meant　it

for　the　best　and　all；　but　I　don't　believe　it　would　been　so　much　harm　if〃



〃Mother　Sheridan；　you　don't　mean　you　WANT　that　kind　of　a　girl　in　the　family？

Why；　she〃



〃I　don't　know；　I　don't　know；〃　the　troubled　woman　quavered。　　〃If　he　liked　her

it　seems　kind　of　a　pity　to　spoil　it。　　He's　so　queer；　and　he　hasn't　ever　taken

much　enjoyment。　　And　besides；　I　believe　the　w