the turmoil-第5节

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

white…jacketed　twin　of　a　Pullman　porter　helped　him　to　get　out　of　his　overcoat。



〃Eleven　without　the　frame；〃　she　explained。　　〃It's　splendid；　don't　you　think？

It　lightens　things　up　so。　　The　hall　was　kind　of　gloomy　before。〃



〃No　gloom　now！〃　said　Bibbs。



〃This　statue　in　the　corner　is　pretty；　too；〃　she　remarked。　　〃Mamma　and　I　bought

that。〃　　And　Bibbs　turned　at　her　direction　to　behold；　amid　a　grove　of　tubbed

palms；　a　〃life…size；〃　black…bearded　Moor；　of　a　plastic　compositon　painted　with

unappeasable　gloss　and　brilliancy。　　Upon　his　chocolate　head　he　wore　a　gold

turban；　in　his　hand　he　held　a　gold…tipped　spear；　and　for　the　rest；　he　was　red

and　yellow　and　black　and　silver。



〃Hallelujah！〃　was　the　sole　comment　of　the　returned　wanderer；　and　Edith；　saying

she　would　〃find　mamma；〃　left　him　blinking　at　the　Moor。　　Presently；　after　she

had　disappeared；　he　turned　to　the　colored　man　who　stood　waiting；　Bibbs's

traveling…bag　in　his　hand。　　〃What　do　YOU　think　of　it？〃　Bibbs　asked；　solemnly。



〃Gran'！〃　replied　the　servitor。　　〃She　mightly　hard　to　dus'。　　Dus'　git　in　all

'em　wrinkles。　　Yessuh；　she　mighty　hard　to　dus'。〃



〃I　expect　she　must　be；〃　said　Bibbs；　his　glance　returning　reflectively　to　the

black　bull　beard　for　a　moment。　　〃Is　there　a　place　anywhere　I　could　lie　down？〃



〃Yessuh。　　We　got　one　nem　spare　rooms　all　fix　up　fo'　you；　suh。　　Right　up

staihs；　suh。　　Nice　room。〃



He　led　the　way；　and　Bibbs　followed　slowly；　stopping　at　intervals　to　rest；　and

noting　a　heavy　increase　in　the　staff　of　service　since　the　exodus　from　the

〃old〃　house。　　Maids　and　scrubwomen　were　at　work　under　the　patently　nominal

direction　of　another　Pullman　porter；　who　was　profoundly　enjoying　his　own

affectation　of　being　harassed　with　care。



〃Ev'ything　got　look　spick　an'　span　fo'　the　big　doin's　to…night；〃　Bibbs's

guide　explained；　chuckling。　　〃Yessuh；　we　got　big　doin's　to…night！　　Big

doin's！〃



The　room　to　which　he　conducted　his　lagging　charge　was　furnished　in　every

particular　like　a　room　in　a　new　hotel；　and　Bibbs　found　it　pleasant　though；

indeed；　any　room　with　a　good　bed　would　have　seemed　pleasant　to　him　after　his

journey。　　He　stretched　himself　flat　immediately；　and　having　replied　〃Not　now〃

to　the　attendant's　offer　to　unpack　the　bag；　closed　his　eyes　wearily。



White…jacket；　racially　sympathetic；　lowered　the　window…shades　and　made　an　exit

on　tiptoe；　encountering　the　other　white…jacketthe　harassed　overseer　in　the

hall　without。　　Said　the　emerging　one：　　〃He　mighty　shaky；　Mist'　Jackson。　Drop

right　down　an'　shet　his　eyes。　　Eyelids　all　black。　　Rich　folks　gotta　go　same　as

anybody　else。　　Anybody　ast　me　if　I　change　'ith　'at　ole　boy　No；　suh！　　Le'm

keep　'is　money；　I　keep　my　black　skin　an'　keep　out　the　ground！〃



Mr。　Jackson　expressed　the　same　preference。　　〃Yessuh；　he　look　tuh　me　like

somebody　awready　laid　out；〃　he　concluded。　　And　upon　the　stairway　landing；　near

by；　two　old　women；　on　all…fours　at　their　work；　were　likewise　pessimistic。



〃Hech！〃　said　one；　lamenting　in　a　whisper。　　〃It　give　me　a　turn　to　see　him　go

bywhite　as　wax　an'　bony　as　a　dead　fish！　　Mrs。　Cronin；　tell　me：　　d'it　make　ye

kind　o'　sick　to　look　at　um？〃



〃Sick？　　No　more　than　the　face　of　a　blessed　angel　already　in　heaven！〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　other；　〃I'd　a　b'y　o'　me　own　come　home　t'　die　once〃　　She

fell　silent　at　a　rustling　of　skirts　in　the　corridor　above　them。



It　was　Mrs。　Sheridan　hurrying　to　greet　her　son。



She　was　one　of　those　fat；　pink　people　who　fade　and　contract　with　age　like

drying　fruit；　and　her　outside　was　a　true　portrait　of　her。　　Her　husband　and　her

daughter　had　long　ago　absorbed　her。　　What　intelligence　she　had　was　given

almost　wholly　to　comprehending　and　serving　those　two；　and　except　in　the

presence　of　one　of　them　she　was　nearly　always　absent…minded。　　Edith　lived　all

day　with　her　mother；　as　daughters　do；　and　Sheridan　so　held　his　wife　to　her

unity　with　him　that　she　had　long　ago　become　unconscious　of　her　existence　as　a

thing　separate　from　his。　　She　invariably　perceived　his　moods；　and　nursed　him

through　them　when　she　did　not　share　them；　and　she　gave　him　a　profound　sympathy

with　the　inmost　spirit　and　purpose　of　his　being；　even　though　she　did　not

comprehend　it　and　partook　of　it　only　as　a　spectator。　　They　had　known　but　one

actual　altercation　in　their　lives；　and　that　was　thirty　years　past；　in　the

early　days　of　Sheridan's　struggle；　when；　in　order　to　enhance　the　favorable

impression　he　believed　himself　to　be　making　upon　some　capitalists；　he　had

thought　it　necessary　to　accompany　them　to　a　performance　of　〃The　Black　Crook。〃

But　she　had　not　once　referred　to　this　during　the　last　ten　years。



Mrs。　Sheridan's　manner　was　hurried　and　inconsequent；　her　clothes　rustled　more

than　other　women's　clothes；　she　seemed　to　wear　too　many　at　a　time　and　to　be

vaguely　troubled　by　them；　and　she　was　patting　a　skirt　down　over　some　unruly

internal　dissension　at　the　moment　she　opened　Bibbs's　door。



At　sight　of　the　recumbent　figure　she　began　to　close　the　door　softly；

withdrawing；　but　the　young　man　had　heard　the　turning　of　the　knob　and　the

rustling　of　skirts；　and　he　opened　his　eyes。



〃Don't　go；　mother；〃　he　said。　　〃I'm　not　asleep。〃　　He　swung　his　long　legs　over

the　side　of　the　bed　to　rise；　but　she　set　a　hand　on　his　shoulder；　restraining

him；　and　he　lay　flat　again。



〃No；〃　she　said；　bending　over　to　kiss　his　cheek；　〃I　just　come　for　a　minute；　but

I　want　to　see　how　you　seem。　　Edith　said〃



〃Poor　Edith！〃　he　murmured。　　〃She　couldn't　look　at　me。　　She〃



〃Nonsense！〃　　Mrs。　Sheridan；　having　let　in　the　light　at　a　window；　came　back　to

the　bedside。　　〃You　look　a　great　deal　better　than　what　you　did　before　you　went

to　the　sanitarium；　anyway。　　It's　done　you　good；　a　body　can　see　that　right

away。　　You　need　fatting　up；　of　course；　and　you　haven't　got　much　color〃



〃No；〃　he　said；　〃I　haven't　much　color。〃



〃But　you　will　have　when　you　get　your　strength　back。〃



〃Oh　yes！〃　he　responded；　cheerfully。　　〃THEN　I　will。〃



〃You　look　a　great　deal　better　than　what　I　expected。〃



〃Edith　must　have　a　great　vocabulary！〃　he　chuckled。



〃She's　too　sensitive；〃　said　Mrs。　Sheridan；　〃and　it　makes　her　exaggerate　a

little。　　What　about　your　diet？〃



〃That's　all　right。　　They　told　me　to　eat　anything。〃



〃Anything　at　all？〃



〃Wellanything　I　could。〃



〃That's　good；〃　she　said；　nodding。　　〃They　mean　for　you　just　to　build　up　your

strength。　　That's　what　they　told　me　the　last　time　I　went　to　see　you　at　the

sanitarium。　　You　look　better　than　what　you　did　then；　and　that's　only　a　little

time　ago。　　How　long　was　it？〃



〃Eight　months；　I　think。〃



〃No；　it　couldn't　be。　　I　know　it　ain't　THAT　long；　but　maybe　it　was　longer　'n　I

thought。　　And　this　last　month　or　so　I　haven't　had　scarcely　even　time　to　write

more　than　just　a　line　to　ask　how　you　were　gettin'　along；　but　I　told　Edith　to

write；　the　weeks　I　couldn't；　and　I　asked　Jim　to；　too；　and　they　both　said　they

would；　so　I　suppose　you've　kept　up　pretty　well　on　the　home　news。〃



〃Oh　yes。〃



〃What　I　think　you　need；〃　said　the　mother；　gravely；　〃is　to　liven　up　a　little

and　take　an　interest　in　things。　　That's　what　papa　was　sayin'　this　morning；

after　we　got　your　telegram；　and　that's　what　'll　stimilate　your　appetite；　too。

He　was　talkin'　over　his　plans　for　you〃



〃Plans？〃　　Bibbs；　turning　on　his　side；　shielded　his　eyes　from　the　light　with

his　hand；　so　that　he　might　see　her　better。　　〃What〃　　He　paused。　　〃What　plans

is　he　making　for　me；　mother？〃



She　turned　away；　going　back　to　the　window　to　draw　down　the　shade。　　〃Well；　you

better　talk　it　over　with　HIM；〃　she　said；　with　perceptible　nervousness。　　〃He

better　tell　you　himself。　　I　don't　feel　as　if　I　had　any　call；　exactly；　to　go

into　it；　and　you　better　get　to　sleep　now；　anyway。〃　　She　came　and　stood　by　the

bedside　once　more。　　〃But　you　must　remember；　Bibbs；　whatever　papa　does　is　for

the　best。　　He　loves　his　chuldern　and　wants　to　do　what's　right　by　ALL　of　'em

and　you'll　always　find　he's　right　in　the　end。〃



He　made　a　little　gesture　of　assent；　which　seemed　to　content　her；　and　she

rustled　to　the　door；　turning　to　speak　again　after　she　had　opened　it。　　〃You　get

a　good　nap；　now；　so　as　to　be　all　rested　up　for　to…night。〃



〃Youyou　meanhe〃　Bibbs　stammered；　having　begun　to　speak　too　quickly。

Checking　himself；　he　drew　a　long　breath；　then　asked；　quietly；　〃Does　father

expect　me　to　come　down…stairs　this　evening？〃



〃Well；　I　think　he　does；〃　she　answered。　　〃You　see；　it's　the　'house…warming；'　as

he　calls　it；　and　he　said　he　thinks　all　our　chuldern　ought　to　be　around　us；　as

well　as　the　old　friends　and　other　folks。　　It's　just　what　he　thinks　you

needto　take　an　interest　and　liven　up。　　You　don't　feel　too　bad　to　come　down；

do　you？〃



〃Mother？〃



〃Well？〃



〃Take　a　good　look　at　me；〃　he　said。



〃Oh；　see　here！〃　she　cried；　with　brusque　cheerfulness。　　〃You're　not　so　bad　off

as　you　think　you　are；　Bibbs。　　You're　on　the　mend；　and　it　won't　do　y