太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > the turmoil >

第8节

the turmoil-第8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!




〃'Stextrawdn'ry thing!〃



〃Climbers' hospitality;〃 Mary defined it。  〃We were so very cordial and easy!

I think Mrs。 Sheridan herself might have done it just as any kind old woman on

a farm might ask a neighbor; but it was Miss Sheridan who did it。  She played

around it awhile; you could see she wanted toshe's in a dreadful hurry to

get into thingsand I fancied she had an idea it might impress that Lamhorn

boy to find us there to…night。  It's a sort of house…warming dinner; and they

talked about it and talked about itand then the girl got her courage up and

blurted out the invitation。  And mamma〃  Here Mary was once more a victim to

incorrigible merriment。  〃Mamma tried to say yes; and COULDN'T!  She swallowed

and squealedI mean you coughed; dear!  And then; papa; she said that you and

she had promised to go to a lecture at the Emerson Club to…night; but that her

daughter would be delighted to come to the Big Show!  So there I am; and

there's Mr。 Jim Sheridanand there's the clock。 Dinner's at seven…thirty!〃



And she ran out of the room; scooping up her fallen furs with a gesture of

flying grace as she sped。



When she came down; at twenty munutes after seven; her father stood in the

hall; at the foot of the stairs; waiting to be her escort through the dark。 He

looked up and watched her as she descended; and his gaze was fond and

proudand profoundly disturbed。  But she smiled and nodded gaily; and; when

she reached the floor; put a hand on his shoulder。



〃At least no one could suspect me to…night;〃 she said。  〃I LOOK rich; don't I;

papa?〃



She did。  She had a look that worshipful girl friends bravely called 〃regal。〃

A head taller than her father; she was as straight and jauntily poised as a

boy athlete; and her brown hair and her brown eyes were like her mother's; but

for the rest she went back to some stronger and livelier ancestor than either

of her parents。



〃Don't I look too rich to be suspected?〃 she insisted。



〃You look everything beautiful; Mary;〃 he said; huskily。



〃And my dress?〃  She threw open her dark velvet cloak; showing a splendor of

white and silver。  〃Anything better at Nice next winter; do you think?〃 She

laughed; shrouding her glittering figure in the cloak again。  〃Two years old;

and no one would dream it!  I did it over。〃



〃You can do anything; Mary。〃



There was a curious humility in his tone; and something morea significance

not veiled and yet abysmally apologetic。  It was as if he suggested something

to her and begged her forgiveness in the same breath。



And upon that; for the moment; she became as serious as he。  She lifted her

hand from his shoulder and then set it back more firmly; so that he should

feel the reassurance of its pressure。



〃Don't worry;〃 she said; in a low voice and gravely。  〃I know exactly what you

want me to do。〃





It was a brave and lustrous banquet; and a noisy one; too; because there was

an orchestra among some plants at one end of the long dining…room; and after a

preliminary stiffness the guests were impelled to conversenecessarily at the

tops of their voices。  The whole company of fifty sat at a great oblong table;

improvised for the occasion by carpenters; but; not betraying itself as an

improvisation; it seemed a permanent continent of damask and lace; with shores

of crystal and silver running up to spreading groves of orchids and lilies and

white rosesan inhabited continent; evidently; for there were three

marvelous; gleaming buildings:  one in the center and one at each end; white

miracles wrought by some inspired craftsman in sculptural icing。  They were

models in miniature; and they represented the Sheridan Building; the Sheridan

Apartments; and the Pump Works。  Nearly all the guests recognized them without

having to be told what they were; and pronounced the likenesses superb。



The arrangement of the table was visably baronial。  At the head sat the great

Thane; with the flower of his family and of the guests about him; then on each

side came the neighbors of the 〃old〃 house; grading down to vassals and

retainerssuperintendents; cashiers; heads of departments; and the like at

the foot; where the Thane's lady took her place as a consolation for the less

important。  Here; too; among the thralls and bondmen; sat Bibbs Sheridan; a

meek Banquo; wondering how anybody could look at him and eat。



Nevertheless; there was a vast; continuous eating; for these were wholesome

folk who understood that dinner meant something intended for introduction into

the system by means of an aperture in the face; devised by nature for that

express purpose。  And besides; nobody looked at Bibbs。



He was better content to be left to himself; his voice was not strong enough

to make itself heard over the hubbub without an exhausting effort; and the

talk that went on about him was too fast and too fragmentary for his drawl to

keep pace with it。  So he felt relieved when each of his neighbors in turn;

after a polite inquiry about his health; turned to seek livelier reponses in

other directions。  For the talk went on with the eating; incessantly。  It rose

over the throbbing of the orchestra and the clatter and clinking of silver and

china and glass; and there was a mighty babble。



〃Yes; sir!  Started without a dollar。〃 。 。 。 〃Yellow flounces on the

overskirt〃 。 。 。 〃I says; 'Wilkie; your department's got to go bigger this

year;' I says。〃 。 。 。 〃Fifteen per cent。 turnover in thirty…one weeks。〃 。 。 。

〃One of the bigest men in the bigest〃 。。。  〃The wife says she'll have to let

out my pants if my appetite〃 。 。 。 〃Say; did you see that statue of a Turk

in the hall?  One of the finest things I ever〃  。 。 。 〃Not a dollar; not a

nickel; not one red cent do you get out o' me;' I says; and so he ups and〃 。

。 。 〃Yes; the baby makes four;  they've lost now。〃。 。 。 〃Well; they got their

raise; and they went in big。〃 。 。 。 〃Yes; sir!  Not a dollar to his name; and

look at what〃 。 。 。 〃You wait! The population of this town's goin' to hit

the million mark before she stops。〃 。 。 。 〃Well; if you can show me a bigger

deal than〃



And through the interstices of this clamoring Bibbs could hear the continual

booming of his father's heavy voice; and once he caught the sentence; 〃Yes;

young lady; that's just what did it for me; and that's just what'll do it for

my boysthey got to make two blades o' grass grow where one grew before!〃  It

was his familiar flourish; an old story to Bibbs; and now jovially declaimed

for the edification of Mary Vertrees。



It was a great night for Sheridanthe very crest of his wave。  He sat there

knowing himself Thane and master by his own endeavor; and his big; smooth; red

face grew more and more radiant with good will and with the simplest;

happiest; most boy…like vanity。  He was the picture of health; of good cheer;

and of power on a holiday。  He had thirty teeth; none bought; and showed most

of them when he laughed; his grizzled hair was thick; and as unruly as a farm

laborer's; his chest was deep and big beneath its vast facade of starched

white linen; where little diamonds twinkled; circling three large pearls; his

hands were stubby and strong; and he used them freely in gestures of marked

picturesqueness; and; though he had grown fat at chin and waist and wrist; he

had not lost the look of readiness and activity。



He dominated the table; shouting jocular questions and railleries at every

one。 His idea was that when people were having a good time they were noisy;

and his own additions to the hubbub increased his pleasure; and; of course;

met the warmest encouragement from his guests。  Edith had discovered that he

had very foggy notions of the difference between a band and an orchestra; and

when it was made clear to him he had held out for a band until Edith

threatened tears; but the size of the orchestra they hired consoled him; and

he had now no regrets in the matter。



He kept time to the music continuallywith his feet; or pounding on the table

with his fist; and sometimes with spoon or knife upon his plate or a glass;

without permitting these side…products to interfere with the real business of

eating and shouting。



〃Tell 'em to play 'Nancy Lee'!〃 he would bellow down the length of the table

to his wife; while the musicians were in the midst of the 〃Toreador〃 song;

perhaps。  〃Ask that fellow if they don't know 'Nancy Lee'!〃  And when the

leader would shake his head apologetically in answer to an obedient shriek

from Mrs。 Sheridan; the 〃Toreador〃 continuing vehemently; Sheridan would roar

half…remembered fragments of 〃Nancy Lee;〃 naturally mingling some Bizet with

the air of that uxorious tribute。



〃Oh; there she stands and waves her hands while I'm away! 〃A sail…er's wife a

sail…er's star should be!  Yo ho; oh; oh! 〃Oh; Nancy; Nancy; Nancy Lee!  Oh;

Na…hancy Lee!〃



〃HAY; there; old lady!〃 he would bellow。  〃Tell 'em to play 'In the Gloaming。'

In the gloaming; o

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的