the turmoil-第12章

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



This　inquiry　obviously　made　her　mother　uncomfortable。　　〃I　don't〃　she

faltered。　　〃Ask　you　what；　Mary？〃



〃How　I　got　along　and　what　he's　like。〃



〃Mary！〃



〃Oh；　it　isn't　distressing！〃　said　Mary。　　〃And　I　got　along　so　fast〃　　She　broke

off　to　laugh；　continuing　then；　〃But　that's　the　way　I　went　at　it；　of　course。

We　ARE　in　a　hurry；　aren't　we？〃



〃I　don't　know　what　you　mean；〃　Mrs。　Vertrees　insisted；　shaking　her　head

plaintively。



〃Yes；〃　said　Mary；　〃I'm　going　out　in　his　car　with　him　to…morrow　afternoon；　and

to　the　theater　the　next　nightbut　I　stopped　it　there。　　You　see；　after　you

give　the　first　push；　you　must　leave　it　to　them　while　YOU　pretend　to　run　away！〃



〃My　dear；　I　don't　know　what　to〃



〃What　to　make　of　anything！〃　Mary　finished　for　her。　　〃So　that's　all　right！　Now

I'll　tell　you　all　about　it。　　It　was　gorgeous　and　deafening　and　tee…total。　　We

could　have　lived　a　year　on　it。　　I'm　not　good　at　figures；　but　I　calculated　that

if　we　lived　six　months　on　poor　old　Charlie　and　Ned　and　the　station…wagon　and

the　Victoria；　we　could　manage　at　least　twice　as　long　on　the　cost　of　the

'house…warming。'　　I　think　the　orchids　alone　would　have　lasted　us　a　couple　of

months。　　There　they　were；　before　me；　but　I　couldn't　steal　'em　and　sell　'em；

and　sowell；　so　I　did　what　I　could！〃



She　leaned　back　and　laughed　reassuringly　to　her　troubled　mother。　　〃It　seemed

to　be　a　successwhat　I　could；〃　she　said；　clasping　her　hands　behind　her　neck

and　stirring　the　rocker　to　motion　as　a　rhythmic　accompaniment　to　her

narrative。　　〃The　girl　Edith　and　her　sister…in…law；　Mrs。　Roscoe　Sheridan；　were

too　anxious　about　the　effect　of　things　on　me。　　The　father's　worth　a　bushel　of

both　of　them；　if　they　knew　it。　　He's　what　he　is。　　I　like　him。〃　　She　paused

reflectively；　continuing；　〃Edith's　'interested'　in　that　Lamhorn　boy；　he's

good…looking　and　not　stupid；　but　I　think　he's〃　　She　interrupted　herself　with

a　cheery　outcry：　〃Oh！　I　mustn't　be　calling　him　names！　　If　he's　trying　to　make

Edith　like　him；　I　ought　to　respect　him　as　a　colleague。〃



〃I　don't　understand　a　thing　you're　talking　about；〃　Mrs。　Vertrees　complained。



〃All　the　better！　　Well；　he's　a　bad　lot；　that　Lamhorn　boy；　everybody's　always

known　that；　but　the　Sheridans　don't　know　the　everybodies　that　know。　　He　sat

between　Edith　and　Mrs。　Roscoe　Sheridan。　　SHE'S　like　those　people　you　wondered

about　at　the　theater；　the　last　time　we　wentdressed　in　ball…gowns；　bound　to

show　their　clothes　and　jewels　SOMEwhere！　　She　flatters　the　father；　and　so　did

I；　for　that　matterbut　not　that　way。　　I　treated　him　outrageously！〃



〃Mary！〃



〃That's　what　flattered　him。　　After　dinner　he　made　the　whole　regiment　of　us

follow　him　all　over　the　house；　while　he　lectured　like　a　guide　on　the　Palatine。

He　gave　dimensions　and　costs；　and　the　whole　b'ilin'　of　'em　listened　as　if　they

thought　he　intended　to　make　them　a　present　of　the　house。　　What　he　was　proudest

of　was　the　plumbing　and　that　Bay　of　Naples　panorama　in　the　hall。　　He　made　us

look　at　all　the　plumbingbath…rooms　and　everywhere　elseand　then　he　made　us

look　at　the　Bay　of　Naples。　　He　said　it　was　a　hundred　and　eleven　feet　long；　but

I　think　it's　more。　　And　he　led　us　all　into　the　　ready…made　library　to　see　a

poem　Edith　had　taken　a　prize　with　at　school。　　　They'd　had　it　printed　in　gold

letters　and　framed　in　mother…of…pearl。　　But　the　poem　itself　was　rather　simple

and　wistful　and　nicehe　read　it　to　us；　though　Edith　tried　to　stop　him。　　She

was　modest　about　it；　and　said　she'd　never　written　anything　else。　　And　then；

after　a　while；　Mrs。　Roscoe　Sheridan　asked　me　to　come　across　the　street　to　her

house　with　themher　husband　and　Edith　and　Mr。　Lamhorn　and　Jim　Sheridan〃



Mrs。　Vertrees　was　shocked。　　〃'Jim'！〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃Mary；　PLEASE〃



〃Of　course；〃　said　Mary。　　〃I'll　make　it　as　easy　for　you　as　I　can；　mamma。　　Mr。

James　Sheridan；　Junior。　　We　went　over　there；　and　Mrs。　Roscoe　explained　that

'the　men　were　all　dying　for　a　drink；'　though　I　noticed　that　Mr。　Lamhorn　was

the　only　one　near　death's　door　on　that　account。　　Edith　and　Mrs。　Roscoe　said

they　knew　I'd　been　bored　at　the　dinner。　　They　were　objectionably　apologetic

about　it；　and　they　seemed　to　think　NOW　we　were　going　to　have　a　'good　time'　to

make　up　for　it。　　But　I　hadn't　been　bored　at　the　dinner；　I'd　been　amused；　and

the　'good　time'　at　Mrs。　Roscoe's　was　horribly；　horribly　stupid。〃



〃But；　Mary；〃　her　mother　began；　〃isis〃　　And　she　seemed　unable　to　complete

the　question。



〃Never　mind；　mamma。　I'll　say　it。　　Is　Mr。　James　Sheridan；　Junior；　stupid？　　I'm

sure　he's　not　at　all　stupid　about　business。　　OtherwiseOh；　what　right　have　I

to　be　calling　people　'stupid'　because　they're　not　exactly　my　kind？　　On　the　big

dinner…table　they　had　enormous　icing　models　of　the　Sheridan　Building〃



〃Oh；　no！〃　　Mrs。　Vertrees　cried。　　〃Surely　not！〃



〃Yes；　and　two　other　things　of　that　kindI　don't　know　what。　　But；　after　all；　I

wondered　if　they　were　so　bad。　　If　I'd　been　at　a　dinner　at　a　palace　in　Italy；

and　a　relief　or　inscription　on　one　of　the　old　silver　peices　had　referred　to

some　great　deed　or　achievement　of　the　family；　I　shouldn't　have　felt　superior；

I'd　have　thought　it　picturesque　and　statelyI'd　have　been　impressed。　　And

what's　the　real　difference？　　The　icing　is　temporary；　and　that's　much　more

modest；　isn't　it？　　And　why　is　it　vulgar　to　feel　important　more　on　account　of

something　you've　done　yourself　than　because　of　something　one　of　your　ancestors

did？　　Besides；　if　we　go　back　a　few　generations；　we've　all　got　such　hundreds　of

ancestors　it　seems　idiotic　to　go　picking　out　one　or　two　to　be　proud　of

ourselves　about。　　Well；　then；　mamma；　I　managed　not　to　feel　superior　to　Mr。

James　Sheridan；　Junior；　because　he　didn't　see　anything　out　of　place　in　the

Sheridan　Building　in　sugar。〃



Mrs。　Vertrees's　expression　had　lost　none　of　its　anxiety　pending　the　conclusion

of　this　lively　bit　of　analysis；　and　she　shook　her　head　gravely。　　〃My　dear；

dear　child；〃　she　said；　〃it　seems　to　meIt　looksI'm　afraid〃



〃Say　as　much　of　it　as　you　can；　mamma；〃　said　Mary；　encouragingly。　　〃I　can　get

it；　if　you'll　just　give　me　one　key…word。〃



〃Everything　you　say；〃　Mrs。　Vertrees　began；　timidly；　〃seems　to　have　the　air　of

It　is　as　if　you　were　seeking　toto　make　yourself〃



〃Oh；　I　see！　　You　mean　I　sound　as　if　I　were　trying　to　force　myself　to　like

him。〃



〃Not　exactly；　Mary。　　That　wasn't　quite　what　I　meant；〃　said　Mrs。　Vertrees；

speaking　direct　untruth　with　perfect　unconsciousness。　　〃But　you　said　that

that　you　found　the　latter　part　of　the　evening　at　young　Mrs。　Sheridan's

unentertaining〃



〃And　as　Mr。　James　Sheridan　was　there；　and　I　saw　more　of　him　than　at　dinner；

and　had　a　horribly　stupid　time　in　spite　of　that；　you　think　I〃　　And　then　it

was　Mary　who　left　the　deduction　unfinished。



Mrs。　Vertrees　nodded；　and　though　both　the　mother　and　the　daughter　understood；

Mary　felt　it　better　to　make　the　understanding　definite。



〃Well；〃　she　asked；　gravely；　〃is　there　anything　else　I　can　do？　　You　and　papa

don't　want　me　to　do　anything　that　distresses　me；　and　so；　as　this　is　the　only

thing　to　be　done；　it　seems　it's　up　to　me　not　to　let　it　distress　me。　　That's

all　there　is　about　it。　isn't　it？〃



〃But　nothing　MUST　distress　you！〃　the　mother　cried。



〃That's　what　I　say！〃　said　Mary；　cheerfully。　　〃And　so　it　doesn't。　　It's　all

right。〃　　She　rose　and　took　her　cloak　over　her　arm；　as　if　to　go　to　her　own

room。　　But　on　the　way　to　the　door　she　stopped；　and　stood　leaning　against　the

foot　of　the　bed；　contemplating　a　threadbare　rug　at　her　feet。　　〃Mother；　you've

told　me　a　thousand　times　that　it　doesn't　really　matter　whom　a　girl　marries。〃



〃No；　no！〃　Mrs。　Vertrees　protested。　　〃I　never　said　such　a〃



〃No；　not　in　words；　I　mean　what　you　MEANT。　　It's　true；　isn't　it；　that　marriage

really　is　'not　a　bed　of　roses；　but　a　field　of　battle'？　　To　get　right　down　to

it；　a　girl　could　fight　it　out　with　anybody；　couldn't　she？　　One　man　as　well　as

another？〃



〃Oh；