the turmoil-第14章

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〃II'm　afraid　so；〃　he　said；　ruefully。



〃'Afraid　so'！　　Well；　if　you　aren't　the　queerest！　　I　suppose　you　mean　father

might　send　you　back　to　the　machine…shop　if　you　get　well　enough。　　I　heard　him

say　something　about　it　the　night　of　the〃　　The　jingle　of　a　distant　bell

interrupted　her；　and　she　glanced　at　her　watch。　　〃Bobby　Lamhorn！　　I'm　going　to

motor　him　out　to　look　at　a　place　in　the　country。　　Afternoon；　Bibbs！〃



When　she　had　gone；　Bibbs　mooned　pessimistically　from　shelf　to　shelf；　his　eye

wandering　among　the　titles　of　the　books。　　The　library　consisted　almost

entirely　of　handsome　〃uniform　editions〃：　Irving；　Poe；　Cooper；　Goldsmith；

Scott；　Byron；　Burns；　Longfellow；　Tennyson；　Hume；　Gibbon；　Prescott；　Thackeray；

Dickens；　De　Musset；　Balzac；　Gautier；　Flaubert；　Goethe；　Schiller；　Dante；　and

Tasso。　　There　were　shelves　and　shelves　of　encyclopedias；　of　anthologies；　of

〃famous　classics；〃　of　〃Oriental　masterpieces；〃　of　〃masterpieces　of　oratory；〃

and　more　shelves　of　〃selected　libraries〃　of　〃literature；〃　of　〃the　drama；〃　and

of　〃modern　science。〃　　They　made　an　effective　decoration　for　the　room；　all

these　big；　expensive　books；　with　a　glossy　binding　here　and　there　twinkling　a

reflection　of　the　flames　that　crackled　in　the　splendid　Gothic　fireplace；　but

Bibbs　had　an　impression　that　the　bookseller　who　selected　them　considered　them

a　relief；　and　that　white…jacket　considered　them　a　burden　of　dust；　and　that

nobody　else　considered　them　at　all。　　Himself；　he　disturbed　not　one。



There　came　a　chime　of　bells　from　a　clock　in　another　part　of　the　house；　and

white…jacket　appeared　beamingly　in　the　doorway；　bearing　furs。　　〃Awready；　Mist'

Bibbs；〃　he　announced。　　〃You'　ma　say　wrap　up　wawm　f'　you'　ride；　an'　she　cain'

go　with　you　to…day；　an'　not　f'git　go　see　you'　pa　at　fo'　'clock。　　Aw　ready；

suh。〃



He　equipped　Bibbs　for　the　daily　drive　Dr。　Gurney　had　commanded；　and　in　the

manner　of　a　master　of　ceremonies　unctuously　led　the　way。　　In　the　hall　they

passed　the　Moor；　and　Bibbs　paused　before　it　while　white…jacket　opened　the　door

with　a　flourish　and　waved　condescendingly　to　the　chauffeur　in　the　car　which

stood　waiting　in　the　driveway。



〃It　seems　to　me　I　asked　you　what　you　thought　about　this　'statue'　when　I　first

came　home；　George；〃　said　Bibbs；　thoughtfully。　　〃What　did　you　tell　me？〃



〃Yessuh！〃　George　chuckled；　perfectly　understanding　that　for　some　unknown

reason　Bibbs　enjoyed　hearing　him　repeat　his　opinion　of　the　Moor。　　〃You　ast　me

when　you　firs'　come　home；　an'　you　ast　me　nex'　day；　an'　mighty　near　ev'y　day

all　time　you　been　here；　an'　las'　Sunday　you　ast　me　twicet。〃　　He　shook　his　head

solemnly。　　〃Look　to　me　mus'　be　somep'm　might　lamiDAL　'bout　'at　statue！〃



〃Mighty　what？〃



〃Mighty　lamiDAL！〃　George；　burst　out　laughing。　　〃What　DO　'at　word　mean；　Mist'

Bibbs？〃



〃It's　new　to　me；　George。　　Where　did　you　hear　it？〃



〃I　nev'　DID　hear　it！〃　said　George。　　〃I　uz　dess　sittin'　thinkum　to　myse'f　an'

she　pop　in　my　head'lamiDAL；'　dess　like　'at！　　An'　she　soun'　so　good；　seem

like　she　GOTTA　mean　somep'm！〃



〃Come　to　think　of　it；　I　believe　she　does　mean　something。　　Why；　yes〃



〃Do　she？〃　cried　George。　　〃WHAT　she　mean？〃



〃It's　exactly　the　word　for　the　statue；〃　said　Bibbs；　with　conviction；　as　he

climbed　into　the　car。　　〃It's　a　lamiDAL　statue。〃



〃Hiyi！〃　George　exulted。　　〃Man！　Man！　Listen！　　Well；　suh；　she　mighty　lamiDAL

statue；　but　lamiDAL　statue　heap　o'　trouble　to　dus'！〃　〃I　expect　she　is！〃　said

Bibbs；　as　the　engine　began　to　churn；　and　a　moment　later　he　was　swept　from

sight。



George　turned　to　Mist'　Jackson；　who　had　been　listening　benevolently　in　the

hallway。　　〃Same　he　aw…ways　say；　Mist'　Jackson'I　expec'　she　is！'　　Ev'y　day　he

try　t'　git　me　talk　'bout　'at　lamiDAL　statue；　an'　aw…ways；　las'　thing　HE　say；

'I　expec'　she　is！'　　You　know；　Mist'　Jackson；　if　he　git　well；　'at　young　man　go'

be　pride　o'　the　family；　Mist'　Jackson。　　Yes…suh；　right　now　I　pick　'im　fo'

firs'　money！〃



〃Look　out　with　all　'at　money；　George！〃　Jackson　warned　the　enthusiast。　　〃White

folks　'n　'is　house　know　'im　heap　longer　'n　you。　　You　the　on'y　man　bettin'　on

'im！〃



〃I　risk　it！〃　cried　George；　merrily。　　〃I　put　her　all　on　nowev'y　cent！　　'At

boy's　go'　be　flower　o'　the　flock！〃



This　singular　prophecy；　founded　somewhat　recklessly　upon　gratitude　for　the

meaning　of　〃lamiDAL；〃　differed　radically　from　another　prediction　concerning

Bibbs；　set　forth　for　the　benefit　of　a　fair　auditor　some　twenty　minutes　later。



Jim　Sheridan；　skirting　the　edges　of　the　town　with　Mary　Vertrees　beside　him；　in

his　own　swift　machine；　encountered　the　invalid　upon　the　highroad。　　The　two

cars　were　going　in　opposite　directions；　and　the　occupants　of　Jim's　had　only　a

swaying　glimpse　of　Bibbs　sitting　alone　on　the　back　seathis　white　face

startlingly　white　against　cap　and　collar　of　black　furbut　he　flashed　into

recognition　as　Mary　bowed　to　him。



Jim　waved　his　left　hand　carelessly。　　〃It's　Bibbs；　taking　his　constitutional；〃

he　explained。



〃Yes；　I　know；〃　said　Mary。　　〃I　bowed　to　him；　too；　though　I've　never　met　him。　In

fact；　I've　only　seen　him　onceno；　twice。　　I　hope　he　won't　think　I'm　very

bold；　bowing　to　him。〃



〃I　doubt　if　he　noticed　it；〃　said　honest　Jim。



〃Oh；　no！〃　she　cried。



〃What's　the　trouble？〃



〃I'm　almost　sure　people　notice　it　when　I　bow　to　them。〃



〃Oh；　I　see！〃　said　Jim。　　〃Of　course　they　would　ordinarily；　but　Bibbs　is　funny。〃



〃Is　he？　　How？〃　she　asked。　　〃He　strikes　me　as　anything　but　funny。〃



〃Well；　I'm　his　brother；〃　Jim　said；　deprecatingly；　〃but　I　don't　know　what　he's

like；　and；　to　tell　the　truth；　I've　never　felt　exactly　like　I　WAS　his　brother；

the　way　I　do　Roscoe。　　Bibbs　never　did　seem　more　than　half　alive　to　me。　　Of

course　Roscoe　and　I　are　older；　and　when　we　were　boys　we　were　too　big　to　play

with　him；　but　he　never　played　anyway；　with　boys　his　own　age。　　He'd　rather　just

sit　in　the　house　and　mope　around　by　himslef。　　Nobody　could　ever　get　him　to　DO

anything；　you　can't　get　him　to　do　anything　now。　　He　never　had　any　LIFE　in　him；

and　honestly；　if　he　is　my　brother；　I　must　say　I　believe　Bibbs　Sheridan　is　the

laziest　man　God　ever　made！　　Father　put　him　in　the　machine…shop　over　at　the

Pump　Worksbest　thing　in　the　world　for　himand　he　was　just　plain　no　account。

It　made　him　sick！　　If　he'd　had　the　right　kind　of　energythe　kind　father's

got；　for　instance；　or　Roscoe；　eitherwhy；　it　wouldn't　made　him　sick。　　And

suppose　it　was　either　of　themyes；　or　me；　eitherdo　you　think　any　of　us

would　have　stopped　if　we　WERE　sick？　　Not　much！　　I　hate　to　say　it；　but　Bibbs

Sheridan　'll　never　amount　to　anything　as　long　as　he　lives。〃



Mary　looked　thoughtful。　　〃Is　there　any　particular　reason　why　he　should？〃　she

asked。



〃Good　gracious！〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃You　don't　mean　that；　do　you？　　Don't　you

believe　in　a　man's　knowing　how　to　earn　his　salt；　no　matter　how　much　money　his

father's　got？　　Hasn't　the　business　of　this　world　got　to　be　carried　on　by

everybody　in　it？　　Are　we　going　to　lay　back　on　what　we've　got　and　see　other

fellows　get　ahead　of　us？　　If　we've　got　big　things　already；　isn't　it　every

man's　business　to　go　ahead　and　make　'em　bigger？　　Isn't　it　his　duty？　　Don't　we

always　want　to　get　bigger　and　bigger？〃



〃Ye…esI　don't　know。　　But　I　feel　rather　sorry　for　your　brother。　　He　looked　so

lonelyand　sick。〃



〃He's　gettin'　better　every　day；〃　Jim　said。　　〃Dr。　Gurney　says　so。　　There's

nothing　much　the　matter　with　him；　reallyit's　nine…tenths　imaginary。

'Nerves'！　　People　that　are　willing　to　be　busy　don't　have　nervous　diseases；

because　they　don't　have　time　to　imagine　'em。〃



〃You　mean　his　trouble　is　really　mental？〃



〃Oh；　he's　not　a　lunatic；〃　said　Jim。　　〃He's　just　queer。　Sometimes　he'll　say

something　right　bright；　but　half　the　time　what　he　says　is　'way　off　the

subject；　or　else　there　isn't　any　sense　to　it　at　all。　　For　instance；　the　other

day　I　heard　him　talkin'　to　one　of　the　darkies　in　the　hall。　　The　darky　asked

him　what　time　he　wanted　the　car　for　his　drive；　and　anybody　else　in　the　world

would　have　just　said　what　tim