the turmoil-第15章

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would　have　just　said　what　time　they　DID　want　it；　and　that　would　have　been　all

there　was　to　it；　but　here's　what　Bibbs　says；　and　I　heard　him　with　my　own　ears。

'What　time　do　I　want　the　car？'　he　says。　'Well；　now；　that　dependsthat

depends；'　he　says。　　He　talks　slow　like　that；　you　know。　　'I'll　tell　you　what

time　I　want　the　car；　George；'　he　says；　'if　you'll　tell　ME　what　you　think　of

this　statue！'　　That's　exactly　his　words！　Asked　the　darky　what　he　thought　of

that　Arab　Edith　and　mother　bought　for　the　hall！〃



Mary　pondered　upon　this。　　〃He　might　have　been　in　fun；　perhaps；〃　she　suggested。



〃Askin'　a　darky　what　he　thought　of　a　piece　of　statuaryof　a　work　of　art！

Where　on　earth　would　be　the　fun　of　that？　　No；　you're　just　kind…heartedand

that's　the　way　you　OUGHT　to　be；　of　course〃



〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Sheridan！〃　she　laughed。



〃See　here！〃　he　cried。　　〃Isn't　there　any　way　for　us　to　get　over　this　Mister　and

Miss　thing？　　A　month's　got　thirty…one　days　in　it；　I've　managed　to　be　with　you

a　part　of　pretty　near　all　the　thirty…one；　and　I　think　you　know　how　I　feel　by

this　time〃



She　looked　panic…stricken　immediately。　　〃Oh；　no；〃　she　protested；　quickly。　〃No；

I　don't；　and〃



〃Yes；　you　do；〃　he　said；　and　his　voice　shook　a　little。　　〃You　couldn't　help

knowing。〃



〃But　I　do！〃　she　denied；　hurriedly。　　〃I　do　help　knowing。　　I　meanOh；　wait！〃



〃What　for？　　You　do　know　how　I　feel；　and　youwell；　you've　certainly　WANTED　me

to　feel　that　wayor　else　pretended〃



〃Now；　now！〃　she　lamented。　　〃You're　spoiling　such　a　cheerful　afternoon！〃



〃'Spoilin'　it！'〃　　He　slowed　down　the　car　and　turned　his　face　to　her　squarely。

〃See　here；　Miss　Vertrees；　haven't　you〃



〃Stop！　　Stop　the　car　a　minute。〃　　And　when　he　had　complied　she　faced　him　as

squarely　as　he　evidently　desired　her　to　face　him。　　〃Listen。　　I　don't　want　you

to　go　on；　to…day。〃



〃Why　not？〃　he　asked；　sharply。



〃I　don't　know。〃



〃You　mean　it's　just　a　whim？〃



〃I　don't　know；〃　she　repeated。　　Her　voice　was　low　and　troubled　and　honest；　and

she　kept　her　clear　eyes　upon　his。



〃Will　you　tell　me　something？〃



〃Almost　anything。〃



〃Have　you　ever　told　any　man　you　loved　him？〃



And　at　that；　though　she　laughed；　she　looked　a　little　contemptuous。　　〃No；〃　she

said。　　〃And　I　don't　think　I　ever　shall　tell　any　man　thator　ever　know　what　it

means。　　I'm　in　earnest；　Mr。　Sheridan。〃



〃Then　youyou've　just　been　flirting　with　me！〃　　Poor　Jim　looked　both　furious

and　crestfallen。



〃Not　on　bit！〃　she　cried。　　〃Not　one　word！　　Not　one　syllable！　　I've　meant　every

single　thing！〃



〃I　don't〃



〃Of　course　you　don't！〃　she　said。　　〃Now；　Mr。　Sheridan；　I　want　you　to　start　the

car。　　Now！　　Thank　you。　　Slowly；　till　I　finish　what　I　have　to　say。　　I　have　not

flirted　with　you。　　I　have　deliberately　courted　you。　　One　thing　more；　and　then

I　want　you　to　take　me　straight　home；　talking　about　the　weather　all　the　way。　I

said　that　I　do　not　believe　I　shall　ever　'care'　for　any　man；　and　that　is　true。

I　doubt　the　existence　of　the　kind　of　'caring'　we　hear　about　in　poems　and　plays

and　novels。　　I　think　it　must　be　just　a　kind　of　emotional　TALK　most　of　it。

At　all　events；　I　don't　feel　it。　　Now；　we　can　go　faster；　please。〃



〃Just　where　does　that　let　me　out？〃　he　demanded。　　〃How　does　that　excuse　　you

for〃



〃It　isn't　an　excuse；〃　she　said；　gently；　and　gave　him　one　final　look；　　wholly

desolate。　　〃I　haven't　said　I　should　never　marry。〃



〃What？〃　Jim　gasped。



She　inclined　her　head　in　a　broken　sort　of　acquiescence；　very　humble；

unfathomably　sorrowful。



〃I　promise　nothing；〃　she　said；　faintly。



〃You　needn't！〃　shouted　Jim；　radiant　and　exultant。　　〃You　needn't！　　By　　George！

I　know　you're　square；　that's　enough　for　me！　　You　wait　and　　promise　whenever

you're　ready！〃



〃Don't　forget　what　I　asked；〃　she　begged　him。



〃Talk　about　the　weather？　　I　will！　　God　bless　the　old　weather！〃　cried　the

happy　Jim。





Through　the　open　country　Bibbs　was　borne　flying　between　brown　fields　and

sun…flecked　groves　of　gray　trees；　to　breathe　the　rushing；　clean　air　　beneath　a

glorious　skythat　sky　so　despised　in　the　city；　and　so　　maltreated　there；　that

from　early　October　to　mid…May　it　was　impossible　　for　men　to　remember　that　blue

is　the　rightful　color　overhead。



Upon　each　of　Bibbs's　cheeks　there　was　a　hint　of　something　almost　　resembling　a

pinkishness；　not　actual　color；　but　undeniably　its　phantom。　　　How　largely　this

apparition　may　have　been　the　work　of　the　wind　upon　his　　face　it　is　difficult

to　calculate；　for　beyond　a　doubt　it　was　partly　the　　result　of　a　lady's　bowing

to　him　upon　no　more　formal　introduction　than　　the　circumstance　of　his　having

caught　her　looking　into　his　window　a　month　　before。　　She　had　bowed　definitely；

she　had　bowed　charmingly。　　And　it　　seemed　to　Bibbs　that　she　must　have　meant　to

convey　her　forgiveness。



There　had　been　something　in　her　recognition　of　him　unfamiliar　to　his

experience；　and　he　rode　the　warmer　for　it。　　Nor　did　he　lack　the　　impression

that　he　would　long　remember　her　as　he　had　just　seen　her：　her　　veil

tumultuously　blowing　back；　her　face　glowing　in　the　windand　that　　look　of　gay

friendliness　tossed　to　him　like　a　fresh　rose　in　carnival。



By　and　by；　upon　a　rising　ground；　the　driver　halted　the　car；　then　backed　　and

tacked；　and　sent　it　forward　again　with　its　nose　to　the　south　and　the　　smoke。

Far　before　him　Bibbs　saw　the　great　smudge　upon　the　horizon；　that　　nest　of

cloud　in　which　the　city　strove　and　panted　like　an　engine　shrouded　　in　its　own

steam。　　But　to　Bibbs；　who　had　now　to　go　to　the　very　heart　of　　it；　for　a

commanded　interview　with　his　father；　the　distant　cloud　was　like　　an　implacable

genius　issuing　thunderously　in　smoke　from　his　enchanted　　bottle；　and

irresistibly　drawing　Bibbs　nearer　and　nearer。



They　passed　from　the　farm　lands；　and　came；　in　the　amber　light　of　November

late　afternoon；　to　the　farthermost　outskirts　of　the　city；　and　here　the　　sky

shimmered　upon　the　verge　of　change　from　blue　to　gray；　the　smoke　did　　not

visibly　permeate　the　air；　but　it　was　there；　nevertheless　impalpable；　thin；

no　more　than　the　dust　of　smoke。　　And　then；　as　the　car　　drove　on；　the　chimneys

and　stacks　of　factories　came　swimming　up　into　view　　like　miles　of　steamers

advancing　abreast；　every　funnel　with　its　vast　　plume；　savage　and　black；

sweeping　to　the　horizon；　dripping　wealth　and　　dirt　and　suffocation　over　league

on　league　already　rich　and　vile　with　grime。



The　sky　had　become　only　a　dingy　thickening　of　the　soiled　air；　and　a　roar　　and

clangor　of　metals　beat　deafeningly　on　Bibbs's　ears。　　And　now　the　car　　passed

two　great　blocks　of　long　brick　buildings；　hideous　in　all　ways　　possible　to

make　them　hideous；　doorways　showing　dark　one　moment　and　lurid　　the　next　with

the　leap　of　some　virulent　interior　flame；　revealing　　blackened　giants；　half

naked；　in　passionate　action；　struggling　with　　formless　things　in　the　hot

illumination。　　And　big　as　these　shops　were；　　they　were　growing　bigger；

spreading　over　a　third　block；　where　two　new　　structures　were　mushrooming　to

completion　in　some　hasty　cement　process　of　　a　stability　not　over…reassuring。

Bibbs　pulled　the　rug　closer　about　him；　　and　not　even　the　phantom　of　color　was

left　upon　his　cheeks　as　he　passed　　this　place；　for　he　knew　it　too　well。

Across　the　face　of　one　of　the　　buildings　there　was　an　enormous　sign：　〃Sheridan

Automatic　Pump　Co。；　Inc。〃



Thence　they　went　through　streets　of　wooden　houses；　all　grimed；　and　adding

their　own　grime　from　many　a　sooty　chimney；　flimsey　wooden　houses　of　a

thousand　flimsy　whimsies　in　the　fashioning；　built　on　narrow　lots　and　　nudging

one　another　crossly；　shutting　out　the　stingy　sunlight　from　one　　another；　bad

neighbors　who　would　destroy　one　another　root　and　branch　some　　night　when　the

right　wind　blew。　　They　were　only　waiting　for　that　wind　and　　a　cigarette；　and

then　they　would　all　be　gone　togethera　pinch　of　　incense　burned　upon　the

tripod　of　the　god。



Along　these　streets　there　were　skinny　shade…trees；　and　here　and　there　a

forest　elm　or　wa