the turmoil-第19章
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repeated her request。 〃Don't go。 I don't mind you; you're quiet; anyhow。
Mamma's so fussy; and never gets anywhere。 I don't mind you at all; but I
wish you'd sit down。〃
〃All right。〃 And he returned to his chair beside the trunk。 〃Go ahead and
cry all you want; Edith;〃 he said。 〃No harm in that!〃
〃Sibyl told mammaOH!〃 she began; choking。 〃Mary Vertrees had mamma and
Sibyl and I to tea; one afternoon two weeks or so ago; and she had some women
there that Sibyl's been crazy to get in with; and she just laid herself out
to make a hit with 'em; and she's been running after 'em ever since; and now
she comes over here and says THEY say Bobby Lamhorn is so bad that; even
though they like his family; none of the nice people in town would let him in
their houses。 In the first place; it's a falsehood; and I don't believe a
word of it; and in the second place I know the reason she did it; and; what's
more; she KNOWS I know it! I won't SAY what it isnot yetbecause papa and
all of you would think I'm as crazy as she is snaky; and Roscoe's such a fool
he'd probably quit speaking to me。 But it's true! Just you watch her;
that's all I ask。 Just you watch that woman。 You'll see!〃
As it happened; Bibbs was literally watching 〃that woman。〃 Glancing from the
window; he saw Sibyl pause upon the pavement in front of the old house next
door。 She stood a moment; in deep thought; then walked quickly up the path
to the door; undoubtedly with the intention of calling。 But he did not
mention this to his sister; who; after delivering herself of a rather vague
jeremiad upon the subject of her sister…in…law's treacheries; departed to her
own chamber; leaving him to his speculations。 The chief of these concerned
the social elasticities of women。 Sibyl had just been a participant in a
violent scene; she had suffered hot insult of a kind that could not fail to
set her quivering with resentment; and yet she elected to betake herself to
the presence of people whom she knew no more than 〃formally。〃 Bibbs
marveled。 Surely; he reflected; some traces of emotion must linger upon
Sibyl's face or in her manner; she could not have ironed it all quite out in
the three or four minutes it took her to reach the Vertreeses' door。
And in this he was not mistaken; for Mary Vertrees was at that moment
wondering what internal excitement Mrs。 Roscoe Sheridan was striving to
master。 But Sibyl had no idea that she was allowing herself to exhibit
anything except the gaiety which she conceived proper to the manner of a
casual caller。 She was wholly intent upon fulfilling the sudden purpose that
brought her; and she was no more self…conscious than she was finely
intelligent。 For Sibyl Sheridan belonged to a type Scriptural in its
antiquity。 She was merely the idle and half…educated intriguer who may and
does delude men; of course; and the best and dullest of her own sex as well;
finding invariably strong supporters among these latter。 It is a type that
has wrought some damage in the world and would have wrought greater; save for
the check put upon its power by intelligent women and by its own 〃lack of
perspective;〃 for it is a type that never sees itself。 Sibyl followed her
impulses with no reflection or questionit was like a hound on the gallop
after a master on horseback。 She had not even the instinct to stop and
consider her effect。 If she wished to make a certain impression she believed
that she made it。 She believed that she was believed。
〃My mother asked me to say that she was sorry she couldn't come down;〃 Mary
said; when they were seated。
Sibyl ran the scale of a cooing simulance of laughter; which she had been
brought up to consider the polite thing to do after a remark addressed to her
by any person with whom she was not on familiar terms。 It was intended
partly as a courtesy and partly as the foundation for an impression of
sweetness。
〃Just thought I'd fly in a minute;〃 she said; continuing the cooing to
relieve the last doubt of her gentiality。 〃I thought I'd just behave like
REAL country neighbors。 We are almost out in the country; so far from
down…town; aren't we? And it seemed such a LOVELY day! I wanted to tell you
how much I enjoyed meeting those nice people at tea that afternoon。 You see;
coming here a bride and never having lived here before; I've had to depend on
my husband's friends almost entirely; and I really 've known scarcely
anybody。 Mr。 Sheridan has been so engrossed in business ever since he was a
mere boy; why; of course〃
She paused; with the air of having completed an explanation。
〃Of course;〃 said Mary; sympathetically accepting it。
〃Yes。 I've been seeing quite a lot of the Kittersbys since that afternoon;〃
Sibyl went on。 〃They're really delightful people。 Indeed they are! Yes〃
She stopped with unconscious abruptness; her mind plainly wandering to
another matter; and Mary perceived that she had come upon a definite errand。
Moreover; a tensing of Sibyl's eyelids; in that moment of abstraction as she
looked aside from her hostess; indicated that the errand was a serious one
for the caller and easily to be connected with the slight but perceptible
agitation underlying her assumption of cheerful ease。 There was a
restlessnes of breathing; a restlessness of hands。
〃Mrs。 Kittersby and her daughter were chatting about some to the people here
in town the other day;〃 said Sibyl; repeating the cooing and protracting it。
〃They said something that took ME by surprise! We were talking about our
mutual friend; Mr。 Robert Lamhorn〃
Mary interrupted her promptly。 〃Do you mean 'mutual' to include my mother
and me?〃 she asked。
〃Why; yes; the Kittersbys and you and all of us Sheridans; I mean。〃
〃No;〃 said Mary。 〃We shouldn't consider Mr。 Robert Lamhorn a friend of
ours。〃
To her surprise; Sibyl nodded eagerly; as if greatly pleased。 〃That's just
the way Mrs。 Kittersby talked!〃 she cried; with a vehemence that made Mary
stare。 〃Yes; and I hear that's the way ALL you old families here speak of
him!〃
Mary looked aside; but otherwise she was able to maintain her composure。 〃I
had the impression he was a friend of yours;〃 she said; adding; hastily; 〃and
your husband's〃
〃Oh yes;〃 said the caller; absently。 〃He is; certainly。 A man's reputation
for a little gaiety oughtn't to make a great difference to married people; of
course。 It's where young girls are in question。 THEN it may be very; very
dangerous。 There are a great many things safe and proper for married people
that might be awf'ly imprudent for a young girl。 Don't you agree; Miss
Vertrees?〃
〃I don't know;〃 returned the frank Mary。 〃Do you mean that you intend to
remain a friend of Mr。 Lamhorn's; but disapprove of Miss Sheridan's doing
so?〃
〃That's it exactly!〃 was the naive and ardent response of Sibyl。 〃What I
feel about it is that a man with his reputation isn't at all suitable for
Edith; and the family ought to be made to understand it。 I tell you;〃 she
cried; with a sudden access of vehemence; 〃her father ought to put his foot
down!〃
Her eyes flashed with a green spark; something seemed to leap out and then
retreat; but not before Mary had caught a glimpse of it; as one might catch a
glimpse of a thing darting forth and then scuttling back into hiding under a
bush。
〃Of course;〃 said Sibyl; much more composedly; 〃I hardly need say that it's
entirely on Edith's account that I'm worried about this。 I'm as fond of
Edith as if she was really my sister; and I can't help fretting about it。 It
would break my heart to have Edith's life spoiled。〃
This tune was off the key; to Mary's ear。 Sibyl tried to sing with pathos;
but she flatted。
And when a lady receives a call from another who suffers under the stress of
some feeling which she wishes to conceal; there