the turmoil-第11章

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！



sudden　gravity。



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



Her　gravity　continued　an　instant　longer。　　〃I　may　not　turn　out　to　be　funny　for

YOU。〃



〃So　long　as　you　turn　out　to　be　anything　at　all　for　me；　I　expect　I　can　manage

to　be　satisfied。〃　　And　with　that；　to　his　own　surprise；　it　was　his　turn　to

blush；　whereupon　she　laughed　again。



〃Yes；〃　he　said；　plaintively；　not　wholly　lacking　intuition；　〃I　can　see　you're

the　sort　of　girl　that　would　laugh　the　minute　you　see　a　man　really　means

anything！〃



〃'Laugh'！〃　she　cried；　gaily。　　〃Why；　it　might　be　a　matter　of　life　and　death！

But　if　you　want　tragedy；　I'd　better　put　the　question　at　once；　considering　the

mistake　I　made　with　your　brother。〃



Jim　was　dazed。　　She　seemed　to　be　playing　a　little　game　of　mockery　and　nonsense

with　him；　but　he　had　glimpses　of　a　flashing　danger　in　it；　he　was　but　too

sensible　of　being　outclassed；　and　had　somewhere　a　consciousness　that　he　could

never　quite　know　this　giddy　and　alluring　lady；　no　matter　how　long　it　pleased

her　to　play　with　him。　　But　he　mightily　wanted　her　to　keep　on　playing　with　him。



〃Put　what　question？〃　he　said；　breathlessly。



〃As　you　are　a　new　neighbor　of　mine　and　of　my　family；〃　she　returned；　speaking

slowly　and　with　a　cross…examiner's　severity；　〃I　think　it　would　be　well　for　me

to　know　at　once　whether　you　are　already　walking　out　with　any　young　lady　or

not。　　Mr。　Sheridan；　think　well！　　Are　you　spoken　for？〃



〃Not　yet；〃　he　gasped。　　〃Are　you？〃



〃NO！〃　she　cried；　and　with　that　they　both　laughed　again；　and　the　pastime

proceeded；　increasing　both　in　its　gaiety　and　in　its　gravity。



Observing　its　continuance；　Mr。　Robert　Lamhorn；　opposite；　turned　from　a　lively

conversation　with　Edith　and　remarked　covertly　to　Sibyl　that　Miss　Vertrees　was

〃starting　rather　picturesquely　with　Jim。〃　　And　he　added；　languidly；　〃Do　you

suppose　she　WOULD？〃



For　the　moment　Sibyl　gave　no　sign　of　having　heard　him；　but　seemed　interested

in　the　clasp　of　a　long　〃rope〃　of　pearls；　a　loop　of　which　she　was　allowing　to

swing　from　her　fingers；　resting　her　elbow　upon　the　table　and　following　with

her　eyes　the　twinkle　of　diamonds　and　platinum　in　the　clasp　at　the　end　of　the

loop。　　She　wore　many　jewels。　　She　was　pretty；　but　hers　was　not　the　kind　of

prettiness　to　be　loaded　with　too　sumptuous　accessories；　and　jeweled

head…dresses　are　dangerousthey　may　emphasize　the　wrongness　of　the　wearer。



〃I　said　Miss　Vertrees　seems　to　be　starting　pretty　strong　with　Jim；〃　repeated

Mr。　Lamhorn。



〃I　heard　you。〃　　There　was　a　latent　discontent　always　somewhere　in　her　eyes；　no

matter　what　she　threw　upon　the　surface　of　cover　it；　and　just　now　she　did　not

care　to　cover　it；　she　looked　sullen。　　〃Starting　any　stronger　than　you　did　with

Edith？〃　she　inquired。



〃Oh；　keep　the　peace！〃　he　said；　crossly。　　〃That's　off；　of　course。〃



〃You　haven't　been　making　her　see　it　this　eveningprecisely；〃　said　Sibyl；

looking　at　him　steadily。　　〃You've　talked　to　her　for〃



〃For　Heaven's　sake；〃　he　begged；　〃keep　the　peace！〃



〃Well；　what　have　you　just　been　doing？！〃



〃SH！〃　he　said。　　〃Listen　to　your　father…in…law。〃



Sheridan　was　booming　and　braying　louder　than　ever；　the　orchestra　having　begun

to　play　〃The　Rosary；〃　to　his　vast　content。



〃I　COUNT　THEM　OVER；　LA…LA…TUM…TEE…DUM；〃　he　roared；　beating　the　measures　with

his　fork。　　〃EACH　HOUR　A　PEARL；　EACH　PEARL　TEE…DUM…TUM…DUMWhat's　the　matter

with　all　you　folks？　　Why'n't　you　SING？　　Miss　Vertrees；　I　bet　a　thousand

dollars　YOU　sing！　　Why'n't〃



〃Mr。　Sheridan；〃　she　said；　turning　cheerfully　from　the　ardent　Jim；　〃you　don't

know　what　you　interrupted！　　Your　son　isn't　used　to　my　rough　ways；　and　my

soldier's　wooing　frightens　him；　but　I　think　he　was　about　to　say　something

important。〃



〃I'll　say　something　important　to　him　if　he　doesn't！〃　the　father　threatened；

more　delighted　with　her　than　ever。　　〃By　gosh！　if　I　was　his　ageor　a　widower

right　NOW〃



〃Oh；　wait！〃　cried　Mary。　　〃If　they'd　only　make　less　noice！　　I　want　Mrs。

Sheridan　to　hear。〃



〃She'd　say　the　same；〃　he　shouted。　　〃She'd　tell　me　I　was　mighty　slow　if　I

couldn't　get　ahead　o'　Jim。　　Why；　when　I　was　his　age〃



〃You　must　listen　to　your　father；〃　Mary　interrupted；　turning　to　Jim；　who　had

grown　read　again。　　〃He's　going　to　tell　us　how；　when　he　was　your　age；　he　made

those　two　blades　of　grass　grow　out　of　a　teacupand　you　could　see　for　yourself

he　didn't　get　them　out　of　his　sleeve！〃



At　that　Sheridan　pounded　the　table　till　it　jumped。　　〃Look　here；　young　lady！〃

he　roared。　　〃Some　o'　these　days　I'm　either　goin'　to　slap　youor　I'm　goin'　to

kiss　you！〃



Edith　looked　aghast；　she　was　afraid　this　was　indeed　〃too　awful；〃　but　Mary

Vertrees　burst　into　ringing　laughter。



〃Both！〃　she　cried。　〃Both！　　The　one　to　make　me　forget　the　other！〃



〃But　which〃　he　began；　and　then　suddenly　gave　forth　such　stentorian

trumpetings　of　mirth　that　for　once　the　whole　table　stopped　to　listen。　　〃Jim；〃

he　roared；　〃if　you　don't　propose　to　that　girl　to…night　I'll　send　you　back　to

the　machine…shop　with　Bibbs！〃



And　Bibbsdown　among　the　retainers　by　the　sugar　Pump　Works；　and　watching　Mary

Vertrees　as　a　ragged　boy　in　the　street　might　watch　a　rich　little　girl　in　a

gardenBibbs　heard。　　He　heardand　he　knew　what　his　father's　plans　were　now。





Mrs。　Vertrees　〃sat　up〃　for　her　daughter；　Mr。　Vertrees　having　retired　after　a

restless　evening；　not　much　soothed　by　the　society　of　his　Landseers。　　Mary　had

taken　a　key；　insisting　that　he　should　not　come　for　her　and　seeming　confident

that　she　would　not　lack　for　escort；　nor　did　the　sequel　prove　her　confidence

unwarranted。　　But　Mrs。　Vertrees　had　a　long　vigil　of　it。



She　was　not　the　woman　to　make　herself　easyno　servant　had　ever　seen　her　in　　a

wrapperand　with　her　hair　and　dress　and　her　shoes　just　what　they　had　been

when　she　returned　from　the　afternoon's　call；　she　sat　through　the　slow　night

hours　in　a　stiff　little　chair　under　the　gaslight　in　her　own　room；　which　was

directly　over　the　〃front　hall。〃　　There；　book　in　hand；　she　employed　the　time　in

her　own　reminiscences；　though　it　was　her　belief　that　she　was　reading　Madame　de

Remusat's。



Her　thoughts　went　backward　into　her　life　and　into　her　husband's；　and　the

deeper　into　the　past　they　went；　the　brighter　the　pictures　they　brought　her

and　there　is　tragedy。　　Like　her　husband；　she　thought　backward　because　she　did

not　dare　think　forward　definitely。　　What　thinking　forward　this　troubled　couple

ventured　took　the　form　of　a　slender　hope　which　neither　of　them　could　have

borne　to　hear　put　in　words；　and　yet　they　had　talked　it　over；　day　after　day；

from　the　very　hour　when　they　heard　Sheridan　was　to　build　his　New　House　next

door。　　Forso　quickly　does　any　ideal　of　human　behavior　become　an　antique

their　youth　was　of　the　innocent　old　days；　so　dead！　of　〃breeding〃　and

〃gentility；〃　and　no　craft　had　been　more　straitly　trained　upon　them　than　that

of　talking　about　things　without　mentioning　them。　　Herein　was　marked　the　most

vital　difference　between　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Vertrees　and　their　big　new　neighbor。

Sheridan；　though　his　youth　was　of　the　same　epoch；　knew　nothing　of　such

matters。　　He　had　been　chopping　wood　for　the　morning　fire　in　the　country

grocery　while　they　were　still　dancing。



It　was　after　one　o'clock　when　Mrs。　Vertrees　heard　steps　and　the　delicate

clinking　of　the　key　in　the　lock；　and　then；　with　the　opening　of　the　door；

Mary's　laugh；　and　〃Yesif　you　aren't　afraidto…morrow！〃



The　door　closed；　and　she　rushed　up…stairs；　bringing　with　her　a　breath　of　cold

and　bracing　air　into　her　mother's　room。　　〃Yes；〃　she　said；　before　Mrs。　Vertrees

could　speak；　〃he　brought　me　home！〃



She　let　her　cloak　fall　upon　the　bed；　and；　drawing　an　old　red…velvet

rocking…chair　forward；　sat　beside　her　mother　after　giving　her　a　light　pat

upon　the　shoulder　and　a　hearty　kiss　upon　the　cheek。



〃Mamma！〃　Mary　exclaimed；　when　Mrs。　Vertrees　had　expressed　a　hope　that　she　had

enjoyed　the　evening　and　had　not　caught　cold。　　〃Why　don't　you　ask　me？〃



This　inquir