the turmoil-第10章

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Na…hancy　Lee！〃



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

In　the　gloaming；　oh；　my　darling；　la…la…lum…teeWell；　if　they　don't　know　that；

what's　the　matter　with　'Larboard　Watch；　Ahoy'？　　THAT'S　good　music！　That's　the

kind　o'　music　I　like！　　Come　on；　now！　　Mrs。　Callin；　get　'em　singin'　down　in

your　part　o'　the　table。　　What's　the　matter　you　folks　down　there；　anyway？

Larboard　watch；　ahoy！〃



〃What　joy　he　feels；　asta…tum…dum…tee…dee…dum　steals。　　La…a…r…board　watch；

ahoy！〃



No　external　bubbling　contributed　to　this　effervescence；　the　Sheridans'　table

had　never　borne　wine；　and；　more　because　of　timidity　about　it　than　conviction；

it　bore　none　now；　though　〃mineral　waters〃　were　copiously　poured　from　bottles

wrapped；　for　some　reason；　in　napkins；　and　proved　wholly　satisfactory　to　almost

all　of　the　guests。　　And　certainly　no　wine　could　have　inspired　more　turbulent

good　spirits　in　the　host。　　Not　even　Bibbs　was　an　alloy　in　this　night's

happiness；　for；　as　Mrs。　Sheridan　had　said；　he　had　〃plans　for　Bibbs〃plans

which　were　going　to　straighten　out　some　things　that　had　gone　wrong。



So　he　pounded　the　table　and　boomed　his　echoes　of　old　songs；　and　then；

forgetting　these；　would　renew　his　friendly　railleries；　or　perhaps；　turning　to

Mary　Vertrees；　who　sat　near　him；　round　the　corner　of　the　table　at　his　right；

he　would　become　autobiographical。　　Gentlemen　less　naive　than　he　had　paid　her

that　tribute；　for　she　was　a　girl　who　inspired　the　autobiographical　impulse　in

every　man　who　met　herit　needed　but　the　sight　of　her。



The　dinner　seemed；　somehow；　to　center　about　Mary　Vertrees　and　the　jocund　host

as　a　play　centers　about　its　hero　and　heroine；　they　were　the　rubicund　king　and

the　starry　princess　of　this　spectaclethey　paid　court　to　each　other；　and

everybody　paid　court　to　them。　　Down　near　the　sugar　Pump　Works；　where　Bibbs

sat；　there　was　audible　speculation　and　admiration。　　〃Wonder　who　that　lady

ismakin'　such　a　hit　with　the　old　man。〃　　〃Must　be　some　heiress。〃　　〃Heiress？

Golly；　I　guess　I　could　stand　it　to　marry　rich；　then！〃



Edith　and　Sibyl　were　radiant：　at　first　they　had　watched　Miss　Vertrees　with　an

almost　haggard　anxiety；　wondering　what　disasterous　effect　Sheridan's　pastoral

gaietiesand　other　thingswould　have　upon　her；　but　she　seemed　delighted　with

everything；　and　with　him　most　of　all。　　She　treated　him　as　if　he　were　some

delicious；　foolish　old　joke　that　she　understood　perfectly；　laughing　at　him

almost　violently　when　he　braggedprobably　his　first　experience　of　that　kind

in　his　life。　　It　enchanted　him。



As　he　proclaimed　to　the　table；　she　had　〃a　way　with　her。〃　　She　had；　indeed；　as

Roscoe　Sheridan；　upon　her　right；　discovered　just　after　the　feast　began。　Since

his　marriage　three　years　before；　no　lady　had　bestowed　upon　him　so　protracted　a

full　view　of　brilliant　eyes；　and；　with　the　look；　his　lovely　neighbor　saidand

it　was　her　first　speech　to　him



〃I　hope　you're　very　susceptible；　Mr。　Sheridan！〃



Honest　Roscoe　was　taken　aback；　and　〃Why？〃　was　all　he　managed　to　say。



She　repeated　the　look　deliberately；　which　was　noted；　with　a　mystification

equal　to　his　own；　by　his　sister　across　the　table。　　No　one；　reflected　Edith；

could　image　Mary　Vertrees　the　sort　of　girl　who　would　〃really　flirt〃　with

married　menshe　was　obviously　the　〃opposite　of　all　that。〃　　Edith　defined　her

as　a　〃thoroughbred；〃　a　〃nice　girl〃；　and　the　look　given　to　Roscoe　was

astounding。　　Roscoe's　wife　saw　it；　too；　and　she　was　another　whom　it　puzzled

though　not　because　its　recipient　was　married。



〃Because！〃　said　Mary　Vertrees；　replying　to　Roscoe's　monosyllable。　　〃And　also

because　we're　next…door　neighbors　at　table；　and　it's　dull　times　ahead　for　both

of　us　if　we　don't　get　along。〃



Roscoe　was　a　literal　young　man；　all　stocks　and　bonds；　and　he　had　been　brought

up　to　believe　that　when　a　man　married　he　〃married　and　settled　down。〃　　It　was

〃all　right；〃　he　felt；　for　a　man　as　old　as　his　father　to　pay　florid　compliments

to　as　pretty　a　girl　as　this　Miss　Vertrees；　but　for　himself〃a　young　married

man〃it　wouldn't　do；　and　it　wouldn't　even　be　quite　moral。　He　knew　that　young

married　people　might　have　friendships；　like　his　wife's　for　Lamhorn；　but　Sibyl

and　Lamhorn　never　〃flirted〃they　were　always　very　matter…of…fact　with　each

other。　　Roscoe　would　have　been　troubled　if　Sibyl　had　ever　told　Lamhorn　she

hoped　he　was　susceptible。



〃Yeswe're　neighbors；〃　he　said；　awkwardly。



〃Next…door　neighbors　in　houses；　too；〃　she　added。



〃No；　not　exactly。　　I　live　across　the　street。〃



〃Why；　no！〃　she　exclaimed；　and　seemed　startled。　　〃Your　mother　told　me　this

afternoon　that　you　lived　at　home。〃



〃Yes；　of　course　I　live　at　home。　　I　built　that　new　house　across　the　street。〃



〃But　you〃　　she　paused；　confused；　and　then　slowly　a　deep　color　came　into　her

cheek。　　〃But　I　understood〃



〃No；〃　he　said；　〃my　wife　and　I　lived　with　the　old　folks　the　first　year；　but

that's　all。　　Edith　and　Jim　live　with　them；　of　course。〃



〃II　see；〃　she　said；　the　deep　color　still　deepening　as　she　turned　from　him

and　saw；　written　upon　a　card　before　the　gentleman　at　her　left　the　name；　〃Mr。

James　Sheridan；　Jr。〃　　And　from　that　moment　Roscoe　had　little　enough　cause　for

wondering　what　he　ought　to　reply　to　her　disturbing　coquetries。



Mr。　James　Sheridan　had　been　anxiously　waiting　for　the　dazzling　visitor　to　〃get

through　with　old　Roscoe；〃　as　he　thought　of　it；　and　give　a　bachelor　a　chance。

〃Old　Roscoe〃　was　the　younger；　but　he　had　always　been　the　steady　wheel…horse　of

the　family。　　Jim　was　〃steady〃　enough；　but　was　considered　livelier　than　Roscoe；

which　in　truth　is　not　saying　much　for　Jim's　liveliness。　As　their　father

habitually　boasted；　both　brothers　were　〃capable；　hard…working　young　business

men；〃　and　the　principal　difference　between　them　was　merely　that　which　resulted

from　Jim's　being　still　a　bachelor。　　Physically　they　were　of　the　same　type：

dark　of　eyes　and　of　hair；　fresh…colored　and　thick…set；　and　though　Roscoe　was

several　inches　taller　than　Jim；　neither　was　of　the　height；　breadth；　or　depth

of　the　father。　　Both　wore　young　business　men's　mustaches；　and　either　could

have　sat　for　the　tailor…shop　lithographs　of　young　business　men　wearing　〃rich

suitings　in　dark　mixtures。〃



Jim；　approving　warmly　of　his　neighbor's　profile；　perceived　her　access　of

color；　which　increased　his　approbation。　　〃What's　that　old　Roscoe　saying　to

you；　Miss　Vertrees？〃　he　asked。　　〃These　young　married　men　are　mighty　　forward

nowadays；　but　you　mustn't　let　'em　make　you　blush。〃



〃Am　I　blushing？〃　she　said。　　〃Are　you　sure？〃　　And　with　that　she　gave　him　ample

opportunity　to　make　sure；　repeating　with　interest　the　look　wasted　upon　Roscoe。

〃I　think　you　must　be　mistaken；〃　she　continued。　　〃I　think　it's　your　brother　who

is　blushing。　　I've　thrown　him　into　confusion。〃



〃How？〃



She　laughed；　and　then；　leaning　to　him　a　little；　said　in　a　tone　as　confidential

as　she　could　make　it；　under　cover　of　the　uproar。　　〃By　trying　to　begin　with　him

a　courtship　I　meant　for　YOU！〃



This　might　well　be　a　style　new　to　Jim；　and　it　was。　　He　supposed　it　a

nonsensical　form　of　badinage；　and　yet　it　took　his　breath。　　He　realized　that　he

wished　what　she　said　to　be　the　literal　truth；　and　he　was　instantly　snared　by

that　realization。



〃By　George！〃　he　said。　　〃I　guess　you're　the　kind　of　girl　that　can　say　anything

yes；　and　get　away　with　it；　too！〃



She　laughed　againin　her　way；　so　that　he　could　not　tell　whether　she　was

laughing　at　him　or　at　herself　or　at　the　nonsense　she　was　talking；　and　she

said：　〃But　you　see　I　don't　care　whether　I　get　away　with　it　or　not。　　I　wish

you'd　tell　me　frankly　if　you　think　I've　got　a　change　to　get　away　with　YOU？〃



〃More　like　if　you've　got　a　chance　to　get　away　FROM　me！〃　Jim　was　inspired　to

reply。　　〃Not　one　in　the　world；　especially　after　beginning　by　making　fun　of　me

like　that。〃



〃I　mightn't　be　so　much　in　fun　as　you　think；〃　she　said；　regarding　him　with

sudden　gravity。



〃Well；〃　said　Jim；　in　simple　honesty；　〃you're　a　funny　gir